The Cascade Volume 9 Issue 6 2001-04-17

THE CAS€.ADE

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Christoph~r Bgt~ter CoordJnatlngEdttort (;>ll~OoingDictator

Kris Lind N;WS & Feature;:ec:iftor • ....J~ss.ica/oanytcfiuk •Arti , sports~,:f1ior • Conrad·sktice Layout CoordinatorI Art Whore Jeff Baillie Graphics .Editol"

Andrew Bingham • ~tatfWrl.ter I 9opi)!ditor

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Natalre Verme~ir:: Rock& FloUreporter

The Cascade , is the UCFVstudents'tree press. It provides a fort1n1for UCFV s.tudents to have their toµmaf[smipu~lished;It also acts •as the alternative press, for the Fraser Valley, The Cas9~de !~.funded\vith UCFVStudent Union tupd$';,:1.heCasc;:i.deis pubJi~hedtwicE;imonthly, Jhe• .Casca~e.has a circulatlon ot 2900 and·Js,.dl.$tr!b.i.ited through<:>UIAbbotsfor~~;: ~.hJ1\iW1lCk,a.~d Mi~slon.T~ecasoaq~.J~ a P:r~@metr1t,;er of the Canadian University Prese, a national cooperative of 72 university· and college newspapers from Victoria'.t6"St. John's. The Casoade follows the CUP ethical policy con• cerning material of a prejudlct~.Iqr oppres• sive nature. •

Submissions are preferred in electronic for• rnat either through email or disk. Please send submissions In ".txt" format only.

Letters to the editor musu,e J;.ioubJe$paced and typed. Letters~ill ,also.be accepted via ema!I only if they meet th~ ,neg~,sary requirements as outlined Jnthls.St3Ctfon;.The Cascade reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for clarity and length. Only one let• ter per writer may appear in\any given addl· tton. The Cascade will notprint any. letters that contain racist, sexist or homophobic or libelous content. The writer's ni;irrleand student number must be submitted with each letter. Letters to the editor must be un(ler 400 words if intended for print.

CascadeContributors

Steve Beketa

Victoria Jordan

Jon B~sl\i( :'

Adam Krasii~ny

Kashl tanaka •

Susan Magf'IUS$QO

Peter Darvill

Mark Pennlnga

Ron Dart

Jesse Macpherson

Cunis Grahauer

Luke Fulgham

tnnar s...

March at the Arch

In an act of human rights group solidarity, Lower Mainland activists demonstrate at Peace Arch Park-in support of Quebec City FTAA protesters.

By Kris Lind

What's In a name?

Okanagan University College wants a name change. What are we really talking about? More importantly, where does that leave the rest of BC's university colleges? Should UCFV be jumping on the 'university legislation and name change' bandwagon?

By Chris Bolster

The question of human rights

A fundamental concern of protesters will be the consideration of human rights for the citizens in the countries effected by a trade agreement. However, I feel anxiety over human rights is often misguided. Do human beings have rights?

Interview with Gracie

When it comes to a band with a name like "Gracie'',one would expect to hear melodious harmonies and would probably guess that there is at least one female member who had a stubborn say in naming the group (no stereotype intended). Instead, local band "Gracie" is comprised of five guys in their 20's creating "heavy and hard rock."

By Jessica Danylchuk

UCFV Athletics expands with rowing

Look out UCFV, come next September there will be a new dimension to the Cascade athleticarsenal. Starting in the fall of 2001 we will have teams owning the hardwood, dominating thepitch and conquering the water.

By

Peter Darvill

"Artwork"

Curtis Grahauer

Future of UCFV Liberal Arts Program Uncerta,in

effort to establish priorities and develop the discipline of POSC," says POSC instructor Scott Fast.

By Steve Beketa Cascade Writer

The Political Science (POSC) department at UCFV appears to be treading water since POSC instructor Jay Haaland announced that he accepted a full-time position at Kwantlen College after UCFV could not match an ongoing full-time offer earlier in the year. Recently, however, the UCFV executives began advenislng to hire an ongoing full-time POSC instructor who would be responsible for eight sections, instead of the present six, for the next two years in order to replace Haaland.

"The University community has spent a great deal of

Although the department of POSC has been recognized as one of the many holes in the liberal arts curriculum, there is neither a "great deal of optimism nor pessimism concerning the future," says Fast.

There has been an expressed consensus among the UCFV executive to focus on the gaps of the program and to give less attention to new concerns in an effort to aid the programs that have been "left behind." This will take some time, however, as less and less funding is stretched to meet the needs of the status quo.

When asked about the future of the POSC department. Dean of Arts Virginia Cooke said "These decisions are all subject to funding." UCFV has acknowledged the need for a POSC major, but the department faces the same battles as a number of the liberal arts departments (including Visual Arts, Philosophy, and Languages) where little funding has been allocated.

"The POSC department has been feverishly compet-

Ing for the scarce funds available, but of all the disabled faculties POSC has yet to have been found at the forefront of concern," says Haaland Cooke says that "there is a significant pressure for recruitment and retention of good personnel and without funding this Is difficult." As this semestercomes to an end, those at UCFV who have an interest in the Liberal Arts are left to ponder the circumstances that have unfolded.

Haaland, a dedicated instructor, is leaving due to an issue of "timing," and a new instructor will be hired this summer for a position that could not be confirmed early due to budget uncertainty.

Fast says he believes that the UCFV POSC will likely make little headway in the near future as long as the status quo of the established departments are met with a meager budget. Ultimately, progress will not occur at UCFV until more money is seen.

SPIRIT OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM STRONG IN LOWER MAINLAND

struggles are like. That when you confront power, peacefully, but in large numbers, you might get your head bashed, but you can actually be effective.''

By Kris Lind News Editor

In an act of human rights group solidarity, Lower Mainland activists demonstrate at Peace Arch Park in support of Quebec City FTAA protesters. Event organizers, including the recently formed Peace Arch Coalition, expect approximately 5000 protesters, union representatives, speakers and oemonstrators to participate in the April 21 rally. The Peace Arch Coalition "March at the Arch" organizers deem the rally an event of solidarity ''to complement the Quebec people's Conference and demonstrate popular oppo• sition to the corporatist agenda which is at the core of the trade [FTAA]deals.''

"I always encourage people to get involved in at least one protest - It's a democratic right," adds Bazovsky.

International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) President Terry Engler says their represen• tatives seek to engage in peaceful demonstration, "Our plan is not for any direct action, but to build a long term coalition to fight these agreements. We all plan to go home after the rally with more information than when we went tl:l~re, and convince more people of the dangers involved with these types of deals.''

However, the Blaine Washington police report that they're "preparing for the worst." They fear that '' Blaine could be hosting a mini-version of the rally that accompanied the 1999 World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle."

When asked if the Mobilization for Global Justice would merely demonstrate or engage direct action protest, Bazovsky stated "It's a tough call. I know of some people who are talking about mild, non-violent, direct action protest.''

Bazovsky explains that protesters might prevent people from crossing the border by blocking the traflic lanes, and "using their bodies as shields."

Mobilization for Global Justice representative Peter Bazovsky says that activists who can't get to the Quebec City demonstrations should try to raise awareness locally in order to support demonstra• tors "because it is so important to Canadian society." He says raising public awareness is essential because [often globalization protests] "are not covered [appropriately) in mainstream media."

SFU Latin American Studies Professor Bob Everton agrees, stating "Originally I was not going to go to Quebec City because I believe that rather than summit-hopping, the value of the confrontation that occurs in these different locations is to mobilize the people locally. And for them to become aware in Quebec City as we have become aware here in Vancouver, over APEC and some form having gone down to Seattle, of what those

RCMP Corporal Janice Armstrong says there will be a definite police presence at the event: "Our planning Is still underway for this event. It would be negligent not to have extra people on for such a large event. Our people will be on providing security."

Armstrong explains that there is always the potential for some '' things to get out of hand at large events. However, she adds that " almost always it's not the protest organizers who cause problems, rather just other peo• pie who come to cause a disruption."

Armstrong notes that the protest organizers have arranged their own security. "I've heard they will have 100 private security

personnel on hand," she says.

Engler says the ILWU has no plans to block cross border traffic, "The government is concerned with closing the border to Americans in Quebec - we don't want to be like them because it's counterproductive."

"We don't have any problems with trade barriers coming down," says Engler. However, "they're talk· ing about human rights issues such as pay equity, discrimination, and avoiding labour regulation."

The rally will occur from 10:00am and 4:00pm between the US and Canadian border crossings in the "international area" of the park. Neither Canadian nor American demonstrators are required to clear customs.

Local News Briefs

UCFV PONDERS CHANGES TO LEGISLATION AND ITS NAME

A decisionby OkanaganUniversityCollege(OUC)to request changesto the provinciallegislationwhich governsit, has prompteda relateddiscus~ion~t the UniversityCollegeof the FraserValleyandotherun1vers1tycolleges1nBC.

Currentlymostof the publiccolleges,universitycolleges,and institutesin BC are governedby the Collegesand Institutes Act.A portionof the act describesthe mandateof t,.efive uni· versltycolleges.This mandateincludesthe abilityof the universitycollegesto offerfour-yeardegreeprogramsin addition to thewide rangeof one- andtwo-yearcollegeprogramssuch as upgrading,ESL, tradesand technicaltraining,appliedprograms,and continuingeducationcoursesandprograms.

Overthe past year all live universitycollegeshavebeenconsideringapproachingthe provincialgovernmentto requesta change in legislation.This change would more accurately reflecttheir mandatewithin the post-secondarysystemar1d allowfor new areasof development,suchas facultyresearch, in the future.

RecentlytheOkanaganUniversityCollegeBoardof Governors proposedthat OUC applyto the provincefor a changein legislationwhich would recognizethat institutionas a university. The institutionwould be called the Universityof Southern BritishColumbiaor a similarname.The intentof OUC is to remain a comprehensivepost-secondaryinstitutionwith a provincialmandateand a new name.It alsoincludesclianges whichwouldenableit to includefacultyresearchas an integral part of its mandate,and enable it to offer some graduate degreeprograms.

"Thedecisionby the OUCBoardhasintensifiedthediscussion among the other four Universitycolleges," says UCFV PresidentSkipBassford."Questionshavebeenraisedsuchas whether or not all of the other universitycollegesshould requesta similarchangeIn legislationand name.There are also manyquestionsaooutthe implicationsof sucha request, and aboutthe effectsthat such a changemighthaveon currentandfutureprogramsandservicesofferedby univetsitycolleges."

At UCFV,discussionsare currentlytaking place amongthe boardof governors,administrators,faculty,staffand students. UCFVwill also be askingthe communitywhat it thinkswould be best for the peopleand communitiesin theregionit serves. "The most importantthing at this point is to figure out what's bestfor our studentsandfor our communities."saysBassford. ''Weare incrediblyproudof the rolethat UCFVhasbeenable to playin meetingtheeducationalneedsour region.At thecen• tre of ttie discussionabout new legislationand any possible changein name,is our commitmentto continueto be a com• prehensiveregionalpost-secondaryinstitutionthatbestserves the Interestsof our communities.Butthis is alsoan opportunity to reviewour mandateand seeif thereare thingswe should be doingto do an evenbetterJob." u1•mlookingforward to hearingfrom the UCFV community whichdirectionthey believewouldbe best,"saysBassford. 1

UCFV Alumni Association

An ideawhosetime hascome. That'swhatTerry-LynnStone callsthe developmentof UCFV'snewlyfoundedalumniassociation.

"I am thrilledto be associatedwithits beginningsandlookfor• wardto allthe benefitsof an alumniassociation• meetingpast graduates, either in person or through the newsletter [Aluminations],and networkingwith friendsand associates," says Stone,AlumniAssociationchair.

UCFV Students Engage Politics in Upcoming Provincial Election

By Andrew Bingham Staff Writer

Politicalapathyrampantin BC post secondaryinstitutions? Three UniversityCollegeof the FraserValley students "don the gloves"to run in the upcoming provincialelection.

CascadeNewsEditorKrisLind,Women'sCentrerepresentativeChristine Muise, and Presidentof the Pagan Student'sAssociationSamuel Wagar are all candidatesror the upcomingelection.

Kris Lindand ChristineMuiseare both runningfor the NOP,in Abbotsford·Clayburnand Chilliwack-Surnas respectively.Theyare concernedwith the sametypes of issues,those for which the NOP Is known.Muise placesemphasison " the prioritiesof accessibleand qualityeducation,continuedimprovementsto Health Care,and a sustainableenvlrohmentfor the futureof todtty'sfamilies.Lind addsthat, "An airplanecan't fly with onlya rightwing in BC politicsnow the needfor socialdemocracyis veryapparent."

The NOPis knownfor its socialprogrammes,and Lind and Muisestressthis, pointingto the recentefforisof both the Liberaland Alliancepartiesto sabotagethe

Lind adds,'1heeconomygrew by three per cent last year.The NOP has alwayspromotedjob creationto ensurea healthyeconomy."He continuessayingthat "InOntario,lastFebruary,38 000jobswerelostwhere· as in BC in Februarywe created7000 new jobs, of which90 percentwerefull time.Showme whichpracticeis healthierfor the economy."

ConfrontedWiththe mismanagementof funds by the BC NOPrepresentativesoverthe lastfew years,Muise remainscalm."Everypartyin powerwill makeerrors one hasto lookbeyondmistakesand focuson thetun• damentalphilosophyof the party on wha1goodwas beingdoneduringthat sametime.''She pointsout that newschools~rebeingbuilt,and universityeducationis widelyavailable.

Lind also dismissedthe notionof a falsifiedor deficit budget,saying" the courtsdeterminedthatthis budg• et is balancedand sot.Jnd we have a surplus of approximately$725millionand we havenot sacrificed governmentservicesor socialprogrammesone bit.'' Wagaris runningfor the provincialGreenParty.He is a pan of theAbbotsford-Mt.Lehmanriding.He is a third yearHistorymaturestudent,andhaslivedin the Fraser Valleyfor , 0 years.His purposein gettingelectedis to representthe people. 1

He saysthat whilethe NOPis primarilya labourparty, the Green Pariy's core concernis the environment. Thisdoesnot meanthat it is limitedto this, however.It is alsoveryfeministin nature,but not in the narrowway of 'women'srights.'''Wewant men and womento be equalat all levelsof society,"he states,sayingthatthey are not only concernedwith furtheringwomen'srights in a male-dominatedsociety.

Even though they have no elected members in Parliamentat present. he says that the aim of the Green Party in the next eiection is to become the OfficialOpposition.He pointsout thatwhileNOPpopularityis declining,the Green Party is enjoyinga dramaticrisein the polls.A projectedgoal is to havecandidatesin all 79 constituencies.He describesthe currentsituationas similarto thatof whenthe Liberalstook overfromthe SocialCreditParty:wide publicdissatisfaction,and anotherpartythat altlioughrelativelynew (formedin 1983)is gainingthe public'sconfidence.

nationalHealthCaresystem.Alongwith HealthCare, Lind says,"We needto be able to hire moredoctors andnursesandpaythemwhattheydeseive.We need civil servantsto monitorenvironmentalpractices,and we needlo ensurethat post-secondaryeducationwill alwaysbe availableand attordablefor all people." WhenaskedaboutconstantBC LiberalPartyattempts to castthe NOPin a bad light,theyare quickto counter. Muisepointsto the tact that"currentlyBC is enjoying its lowestunemploymentrate In 20 years. Small businessespaythe lowesttax ratein all Canada,at 4.5 per cent.''

It is interestingto note that all three of these students arevery muchawareof andconcernedwith the issues that the largerpartiesin Canadaseemto neglect:the environment,socialprogrammes,andthe equalityof all Canadians.

Contacts:

Samue!Wagar:swagar@home.com,www.green.ca ChristineMuise:(604)858 3770 (talk to RollieKeith), www.bc.ndp.ca KrisLind:lindkris@hotmail.com,www.bc.ndp.ca

Initiatedtwo yearsagowhena smallgroupof peoplemetwith the UCFV Community development office, the Alumni Associationwas establishedwith a view to improvestudent life. Moreover,with new degreegraduateseach year, there was the generalsensethatan alumniassociationwouldcorn- selecteditems purchasedin the UCFV Bookstore. hasannouncedthatit will allocate$2.1 millionfor three pleteUCFVas a post-secondaryinstitution. Membersaresenta UCFVLibrarycardandreceivethe campusimprovementprojectson theAbbotsfordcamSince1975,morethan 14 ooostudentshavegraduatedfrom Aluminationsnewslettertwicea year so they maystay pus. This includes$1.9 millionto upgradechemistry the UCFV/FVCand thousandsmore have startedtheir uni- informedabout benefits,services,specialeventsand andbiologysciencelabsand$155,000for renovations versitystudiesherebeforetransferringelsewhere. otheractivitiesat UCFV.In addition,the associationis to the DisabilityResourceCentre.Earlierthis year the "Withthe supportof the presidentandthe Boardof Governors also lookingto provides~rvicesthroughinitiativeslike provinceapprovedfundingfor a new StudentActivity anda greatdeal of helpfromstaffin the CommunityRelations affinitycards,insurancediscountsandtraveldeals. Centrein Abbotsfordand a new multi-purposeclassand Developmentoffice,the small group dratteda mission The AlumniAssociation'sExecutiveCommitteesays room/lab/officefacilityin Chilliwack. statement,constitutionand bylaws,rauncheda membership they foreseea rolefor the associationin fundraising.to This year's increasesin UCFV'soperatinggrantswill drive,hosteda reunionandworkedto producethe firstalum- aid our library and providingnew scholarshipsfor providemorespacefor studentsin high-demandareas ni associationnewsletter,Aluminations,"shesays. UCFVstudents. such as nursing,child protection,and the new kinesiThe associationhas tried to reachas manyalumnias possi- There are four ways to register for the Alumni ologydegreeprogram. ble through a highly successfulreunion last summerand Association:Inpersonat the CommunityRelationsand ''Thisyear'sbudgetincreasewill allow UCFVto begin throughtheir registrationsystem. They have about 1000 Developmentoffice;throughsnailmail;throughtheweb to addresstwo areasof majorconcern,''says UCFV namesin thedatabaseat presentandabout5000namesand site;and by phone. PresidentSkipBassford."Thefirstis to properlyfund a addresseson the mailinglist. Theboardsaysthattheyexpect UCFV receives good news an ,·ts poriion of almost 1oooseats which we have been about 1000new memberseveryyearfromconvocation. offeringwithoutadequatefunding.The secondis the Since last year,the AlumniAssociationhas taken an active budget for 2001/02 needtoincreaseanumberofsupportstaffareaswhich role in the UCFVconvocationceremoniesby sellingroses, have not kept up with increasesin the instructional arrangingfor gradphotosandprovidingUCFVAlurnnipinsfor UCFVwill receivean increaseof approximately$2.8 areas." grads. millionto its operatingbudgetfrom the provincialgov-

A portionof the new fundingwill also be usedto IntroMembershipis free and has many privileges,Includingthe ernmentfor 2001/2002.The increasewill bring the duce a newAssociateof Arts degreeprogram,which chanceto networkwith otheralumniand reconnectwith for- UCFVoperatingbudgetfor the nextacademicyearto a can be takenonlinevia computers.UCFVhas takena mer classmates. The Associationprovidesinformationon totalof $31, 1 million. lead role in developingthis new provincialonlineproUCFV'scontinuingeducationprograms.11offersex-studentsa Thesefundsdo not includeadditionalmoniesthat the gram. It will be offeredin collaborationwith five other chanceto take part in socialevents,to find out whatformer universitycollegeexpectsto receiveto cover salary post-secondaryInstitutionsin the province.When it classmateshavebeenup to, andto sharetheirown news. increasesfor facultyand staff.A new collectiveagree- beginsthistall,studentswillbe ableto completea twoAlumniare entitledto use UCFV'slibraryfacilitiesat all three mentis currentlybeingnegotiatedby the universitycol• year Associateof Arts degreeonline,or they will be campus locationsand receive a 15 per cent discounton legeand its Facultyand StaffAssociation. abl~ to use online coursesto supplementprograms In additionto the operatingfundincreases,the province Whichalso includeon-campusstudies.

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE PUSH LEADS TO CONCERNS IN CANADA

By Katie Meyer, Ontario Bureau

GUELPH,Ont. (CUP)- The pressurefor Canadianuniversities to embraceonlineeducationincreasedon Wednesday when the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology(MIT) announcedthat it will be puningmostof its coursematerials on-linefor free, costingthe universityover $100 millionover the next 1Oyears. This announcementfollowsa trendof recentreportsfrom a federalcommit· tee and the Council of Ontario Universitiesthat recommenduniversi• ties, colleges and ~overnments aggressivelypursue onhnepost-sec• ondaryeducation.

"I thinkthereis a goodchancethatwe maygo in the directionthat MITwants to go - to view publicuniversityeducationas a publicgood,opento all the publicwith unrestrictedaccess,"says HenryJacek,presidentof the Ontario Confederationof FacultyAssociations (OCUFA).

At the Universityof Toronto discussions are also underwayto open the onlinegates to free academicmaterials.

"We've been in discussionsaround offering similar online education accesssince the likelythe same time MITbegantalkingaboutit,"saidSheldonLevy,vice-president for governmentand institutionalrelations.

Levy was on the federalgovernment'sAdvisoryCommittee for Online Learning which released the report, "The ELearningE·Volutionin Collegesand Universities"on Feb.8, whichpromotedthe use of on-linecourses.

Those recommendationshave come under heavy criticism thoughfrom facultyand studentassociationswho haveconcerns aboutthe make-upof the committeeand their motiva• tions.

"Not one single studentwas on the panel who wrote that report.It was primarilycomprisedof CEOs of corporations that are pushingto markettheir hardwareand theirsoftware to Canadianuniversitiesand colleges,"said Erin George, Ontariochairor the CanadianFederationo1Students. The advisorycommitteeincludedseniorrepresentativesfrom IBM,the Bank of Montreal,AT&T,LucentTechnologies,and BellCanadaEnterprises,andwaschairedby DavidJohnston, presidentof the Universityof Waterloo.

''Obviouslytheyare goingto be pushingan agendaof on-line learning,"said George.

Concernhas alsobeenraisedover intellectualpropertyrights becauseprofessorsfearthey wouldbe losingownershipand controlof the coursesand researchthey havedeveloped.

"Wehaveset up a parallelcommitteeto dealwiththoseconcernsand formulatepolicy,"says Levy.

ButJacekseesall post-secondarymaterialas publicdomain.

"In a corporateway the knowledgethendoes not belongto the universityor the facultymemberswhoteachthesecourses becausethey'redoingit beingpaidoutof thepublicpurse," saidJacek.

Discrepancyexistsoverwhethergovernmentanduniversities will followthe recommendationsand put fundinginto online education.

Georgethinksthisis an areawherethe provincialgovernment will invest.

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"They have been fundingin targetedways for thingslike technology,"she saicl.

The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universitiesis non-committal aroundany targetedfunding and insteadsaid that it is up to universities themselves whetheror not theywillfocus on onlineeducation.

''It's entirely up to them. Universitiesare autonomous organizationsthatmaketheir own decisions about how they are going to offer their education,"said DavidBooth of the ministry'scommunicationsbranch.

Booth Is concernedthat an emphasison online education will pull money and resourcesout of publiceducation.

"If youstartto put a lotof moneyintoonlineeducationit could affectresearchqualityand the qualityof instruction."He also citedproblemsWithaccessibility,sincenot all studentshave accessto computers.

There is consensusfrom all groupshowever,that ~ffectlve onllneteachinghasnotbeenfoundto be a cost-savingdevice and that the price of developingand implementingonline coursesis high.

''Whilesome peoplehope that one could reducecosts by usingmodemtechnology, it hasn'tturnedout thatway,"said Clark.

The Councilof OntarioUniversitiescreateda task forceon learningtechnologiesthat also releasedthe report."TimeTo Sow."It calledfor "significantinvestment''by government,the privatesectorand institutionsthroughpartnerships. Thatcommitteewas alsochairedby DavidJohnstonandsimilarseniorrepresentativesfromindustry.

''Therearea lot of goodinitiativesin Canadafor providingthe hardwareconnectionsbut what we need is content.That's wherethe MITprovidingaccessto itscontentis a terrificmove in that direction,"said Ian Clark,presidentof the Councilof OntarioUniversities.

TheCanadianFederationof Studentsis morecriticalof Mlrs decisionto offerfreeonlinematerial.

"They'renot reallyprovidingpeoplewith education.It's a way to get freeadvertisingfor MITtoday."saidGeorge.

NDP leader hopes sentiment goes beyond , Summit protests

By DarrenStewart Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA(CUP) - In the final stretch before the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiationsin Quebec City, Alexa McDonough is working fervently to ensure Canadiansare aware of just what is at stake.

The federal leader of the New DemocraticParty believes it is crucial that public awareness of the Issues being protested continuesbeyond the Summit of the Americas meetings in Quebec City this April 20-22, when leaders from Alaska to Argentinameet to discussfree trade in the region.

"This movement has momentum and it's growing," she said. "It is late in the game, though. Peopleare just beginning to understandwhat's at stake with these trade deals." Many feel that the growing civil protest movementis at a critical mass, and this time must go beyond hoppingfrom trade summit to summit.

McDonoughsaid she hopes the growing public focus on trade Issues and lack of democratic process at these meetings can translate into a better partnershipbetween progressive members of parliament and civil society.

McDonoughsaid that this is an essentialstep in the con• struction of a viable alternative agenda to globalization, which her party supports.

"Without that partnershippeople can protest forever and exhausttheir resourceswithout gettingthroughto governments who negotiate these trade deals," she said. "Just protestingisn't enough. What needs to happen is a genuine mobilizationof civil society.And we need to demand the attentionof elected officials."

Because of the recent focus on the "Shawinigate"scan•

dal, McDonoughis the only party leader still grilling the governmentabout its position on trade in the House of Commons.Prime MinisterJean Chretienis critical of the party's stance on the Summit of the Americas, calling them advocatesof civil disobedienceand anti-trade. McDonoughsaid her party doesn't plan to let go of the issues after the meetings.The NOP recently created a Web site to inform Canadiansabout trade issues and the threat they pose to democracy. The party members believe Canadiansshare their concernabout free trade's effect on everydaylives and the potentialto transferpowers away from governments into the hands of multi• nationalcorporations.

NOP and the FTAA Continued on Page15

National News Briefs

Anti-free trade groups worry about focus on violence in Quebec

QUEBECCITY(CUP)- As activistgroupsprepare to protestin QuebecCity later this month, theyareencouragingthe publicandthe mediato embracetheirmessage,ratherthanfocuson the potentialfor violence.

As many as 20,000 people are expectedto demonstrateoutsidethe Summitof theAmericas meetingsin QuebecCity this April 20-22,when leadersfromAlaskato Argentinameetto discuss freetradein the region.

Many groups advocate peaceful protest and believethat the policeand the stateare moreto blamefor violencethanactivists.

PhilippeDuhamel,spokespersonfor SALAMI,a largeanti-tradeagreementcitizen'sgroupbased In Montreal,said the movementcould grow strongerwith a solidarityin nonviolentprotest, andthatthe mediais alreadyfocussingwrongfully on protesterviolence.

"I oftenwarn reportersthat therewill be a group of peopledressedin black,runningaround,car· rying sticks,throwingstuff at people,"he said. "Thesepeopleare the police."

Duhamelsaidhe hopesactivistscanagreeon an approachof peacefulnon-violentprotestgoing intoQuebecCity,whichwill makethe movement stronger.

He worriesthat a few isolatedviolentIncidents will distractpublicattentionfrom the realissues, much like they did at similar anti free-trade protestsin Seattleand Windsor,thoughhe suggeststhatthe antifree-trademovementis much better organized and prepared for peaceful protest.

Pascal Durand, of the Forum Populaire de l'Outaouais,arguesthatgovernmentsareleaving peopleno choicebut to expresstheir opinionin the streetsduringprotests.He worriesthat the statewrongfullyusesvariouselementsof intimidation,suchas a securityperimeterandtheemptyingof Quebecprisons,to preventpeoplefrom voicingany concerns.

''The messagefrom the police is simple:'Don't take advantage of your democratic rights,"' Durandstated.

Maude Barlow, director of the Council of Canadians,agreed that public attentionis too focussedon the violenceof protestsbut ignoring the violencein the systembeingprotested.

"FreetradehasInvadedareasof lifeit was never supposedto be in,"shesaid."It is intrudingon all areasof the commons."

Peopleprotestbecausethey'resickot livingin a worldwherecorporationsholdall the power,said Barlow.

Education at risk under GATS, critics charge

WINNIPEG(CUP)- Canada'sparticipationin a little-knownWorldTradeOrganizationagreement could have dire ramificationsfor higher education,studentandfacultyleadersare warning.

"We feel that if [the government]goes forward with this agreement,it will posea tangiblethreat to post-secondaryeducation," said Michael Conlon,the chairpersonof nationallobbygroup the CanadianFederationof Students(CFS).

ConlonsaystheCFSis worriedaboutthe WTO's GeneralAgreementon Trade in Services,or GATS.Criticsfearit wouldwaterdownCanadian educationstandardsand couldfurtheropen the door to foreign investorseager to provideforprofiteducationon Canadiansoil.

Canadiantrade officialswere in Geneva last week to take part in GATSnegotiations - an event that receivedlittle media attention and raisedthe eyebrowsof few multilateralfreetrade opponents.Despitethe GATS' apparentlylow profile,TradeMinisterPierrePettigrewstressed beforethe talks that protectingsocialprograms wouldbe a top priority.

"We will not negotiateour health,publiceducation or socialservices,and we will maintainthe flexibilityto pursueour culturalpolicyobjectives,'' Pettfgrewsaid.

HoweverConlonsays,''EducationIsoverrunwith privateinstitutions"and thereforenot protected.

WHAT'S IN A NAME ANYWAY?

I y Christopher Bolster

Okanagan UniversityCollegewants a name change. 1 What are we really talking about? More importantly, i where does that leave the rest of BC's universitycol- \ leges? Should UCFV be jumping on the 'university I legislationand name change'bandwagon? I My first reactionto this issue was that it is absurd.We have enough headacheswith the limited degreeswe already offer. How could we possibly expect to expand our mandate when we can barely fulfill the one we already have?

In retrospectthough, I usuallythink a lot of things are absurdand they nonethelesshappen.'The University of the Fraser Valley'does have a bit of a ring to it. The recent announcement that the Okanagan UniversityCollege(OUC)has appliedto the provincial government for a change In legislation has sent a

The heartof the universitycollege modelis that the school is 'teaching' oriented, and offers comprehensive educational programs, from the most basic high school completionprogramsto degree $-d).r~~-~._;ft~: programs. In other words, the idea behind a uni•...:.-~ 7 .:\... "~ --·:.~-. versitycollegeis that it shouldbe responsiveto the ~-,.J'i. · , .; ....,,_~; , community's educational needs. In contrast, the -r J .' 'university'model is based in the idea that the uni~1-, • • ._: ~. varsityshould be independent,operateon more of l!J1llliiw.li.f-....;.;'_;..· a national level, and be faculty researchoriented, while offering both undergrad and graduate , degrees.

I wonderif the OUC decision has somethingto do with a feelingof inadequacyof not fitting it in either with the universitiesor the colleges. I've always d thoughtthat the idea of the universitycollege was f one worth exploringand offered more than the tra: dltlonal universitymodel. I would hate to see the universitycolleges give up so early in the project. After ten years, our collective situation is getting better.

I guessthis developmentbegsthe question,"Is the universitycollege model a long term model or Is it a transitionalphasefrom communitycollegeto unishock wave ripplingthroughthe other four BC univer- 'cold.' I wonderif this will c~usea dominoeffect? versity?" slty colleges. As soon as OUC announced that it If OUC succeeds In getting new legislation and a intendedto pursuea namechangeand new mandate, name change it would be provincially mandated to the University College of the Cariboo hopped on conduct faculty research and have some graduate

It also begs the question that if we do change our name and mandate,can we get a Masters degree In animal husbandry? board so that they wouldn't be left out in the political programs.

• April Musings

By VictoriaJordan

April,they say, comesin like a lion and goes out like a lamb. It Is an interestingmonth,bothfor the studentand those 'in the outside world;' those who don't always understandor comprehendhow horribleAprilcan be tor studentswho are pressuredto perform,who are expected to turnout brillianceon eightpagesof 8 1/2 x 11. It can be dauntingandoverwhelming,something I don'thaveto explainto moststudents(is it reallya coincidencethatthe monthbeginswithApril Fool'sday? I'm not so sure). Interestinglyenough, we also have Passoverfor the Jewish people, Easterfor Protestants,Paschafor the Orthodox,Ridvanforthe Bahai,andEarthDayfor the rest of thefilthygoyimto fillup the calenderweekendsforApril - an interestingmonthIndeed. April 20 will also be the two year markcommemorating the fatal shootingsat ColumbineHigh, In Coloradoin 1999- what a way to end a century.Unfortunatelyour responseto the sacrificesmade by some duringthese shootingsis all too typicalof our shallowNorthAmerican lackof spirituality,and our misunderstanding of whatreal convictionsare. I'm speakingof CassieBurnell,an ordi· nary student,muchlike most of the studentswho roam the hallshereat UCFV.UnlikeCassie,however,our lives carry on while hers was mercilesslystolen that day becauseshe wouldn'tsell out [ed note: she refusedto denounceher faith in God while a gun was held to her head]. While I realizethere is some debate aboutthe

exactaccuracyof the accountof whatwenton thatday,it doesn'tdiminishthe importanceof the responsethat the storyevokedamongpeople. It is a verytellingresponse. "What a waste,"we complain. After ail, they're only words. She could have just given her assailants their desired response and lived.Insteadof hon• ourlng this girl for her strengthand integrityand recognizing her as a modern day martyr, we say that convictionsare all well and goodbut cer• tainly aren't anything to throw your life away for. In fact, there were many who readilydenouncedtheirbeliefsthatdayin exchange for theirlives,not believing(as she did) that" whosoever willsavehislifeshallloseit: butwhosoeverwill losehis lifefor my sake,the sameshallsaveit." (Luke9:24)

I findit ironicthatwe are morbidlyawe•inspiredby a poet who killsherselfby stickingher headin a gas oven and inhalingthefumeswhileherchildrenarein thenextroom, or a prize-winningauthorwho shootshimselfin the head while his wife is making him a sandwichdownstairs (SylviaPlath & Ernest Hemingway).Yet we say of a younggirl who won't sell her convictionsto a deranged teengunmanthat herdecisionwas quitefoolishand she

needn'thavewastedher life that way. We can respect the angst-riddenartistthat takeshis or her life,but abhor the idea that somebodymightactuallydie tor their convictions.

Our commonunderstandingof deeply-heldconvictions doesnotextendpastsomerowdyloggingprotesterswho mightactuallyspenda nightin jail, or a bunchof PETA protestersmarchingup and down In front of their latest 'project'in their leatherDoc Martins,or WTO protesters lootingdowntownSeattle.

Understandably,we have no context in which we can relateto a storylikeCassia's,To mostof us it is perhaps just a senselessand tragicwaste of life. It dependson whatyoubelieve.Andthatmaybe exactlymy point:what do we believe,if anythingat all? Do we haveconvictions as a people,as a nation? How do we defineourselves. Aprilmarksthe celebrationof manyfaiths. It is a time of renewal.Hopefullyit canalsobe a tirneof spiritualrenewal for someof us,whetherwe be Jewish,Christian,Bahai, or otherwise.We'regoodat feedingour facesand satisfyingour physicalcravingsbut notalwaysas quickto satisfyany spirituallongingswe may have.

It mightbe a crazyidea,but perhapsAprilis a good time for rediscovering the contemplative aspect of life. Perhapsit is alsoa goodtimeto figureout or remindyour• self why you are doing all this. Why are we here, and what is our purpose? A little purposein life never hurt anyone(much).

Welcome to the Dark Side

By Adam Kraszlany

For as long as it has existed,musichas influencedman. Despitethis, a lot of peopletendto ignorethe wholepie• ture. By this, I meanthat mostpeoplefinda singlestyle or genrethey like and continueto listento it to the exclu• sionof all others. However,peoplewho do thisdon'tgive themselvesa chance to expandtheir musicalhorizons. For example,a lot of people hear the words ''Heavy Metal"or "Dark Music"and immediatelydismissthese genreswithoutfirst givingthe a listen. Becausea lot of the issuesthattheseartistsaddressare highlycontroversial, and their languageabusiveand hurtful,peoples'lni• tlal the music is understandable.But there are many "Dark''artistsout therewho havesomethingvaluableto say for those of us who care to listen. Many of these artistsuse their own hardships,ad how they overcame then,as materialfor theirsongs. Someof themalsowrite aboutcurrentcontroversialissues,whileothersexercise political activism through both their lyrics and their

lifestyle.

"HeavyMetal"and "Dark"musicchieflyattractan audi• enceof youngerlisteners- a generationof individuals

who feelthat"Dark"and"Metal''artistsare moresensitive to theirmindset andissues.Theyrelateto the musicand it gets their"adrenalinepumping." "Dark''musicis also criticizedfor theywayit leadspeopleto altertheirappearance. Somefanssportspikedcollars,darkor blackcloth· ing, and occasionally,makeupas a resultof the way the artiststhemselvesdress.

Althoughit can be a touchyissue,the point I wantto get acrossis thata littlediversificationin whatyou listento is important.Personally, I like "DarkMusic,"althoughI still listento othergenresin orderto get a feel for the whole musicalspectrum.A few influential''Dark"musiciansthat I admireareTrentReznorfromNine InchNails,Maynard JamesKeenanfromToolandA PerteetCircle. I also like Deftones,RageAgainstthe Machine,and others.

DarkmusicIs not just for dark people;limitingoneselfto thismindsetdoesnotgivea persona competeviewof the worldof music.

coordinatin editor: Christo her Bolster

The Spark Neglected Burns the House

Industryand the AmericanGovernment. The internal combustionengineand the use of fossil fuels are the basisof the currentworldeconomy.Mostof us knowit hasto be changed;it'sjust a questionof when,andwill it be too late?

By KyleWebb

The academicyear is over, summerapproaches,and optimismIs in the air. Is this a coincidence?I think not! So what can I say? Thingsare lookingup; lookslike the workof this pessimistIs over for yet anotheryear. Whatcan I leavemy fellowstudentswithfor this off-sea• son then? I feel the needto impartto you somesort of understandingin my own particularidiom. I hope that until now,someof you havereadand understoodwhat I was tryingto say In thesepast issuesof the Cascadethis semester.Forthoseof you who haven'tread,or haven't

The Liberalswill be our next provincialgovernment,but thatdoesnot meanwe shouldvotefor them. If the Feds areanyindicationof whatprovincialLiberalswillbe like-this beingthe first time EVERthe Libs have been the governmentin BC--then, my friendsandfellowcitizens, we arein for it. The regimeof corporateandwealthytax cuts,andcuttingin socialspendingwill be theorderof the day,and we will be muchworseoff for it all.

"TheNOPIs horrible''you say. Yeah,they'reso corrupt and evil becausethey try to save the environmentfrom the loggingcompanies.At leastthey care aboutspendingon environment,educationandhealthcare - whichis in tattersnotbecauseof the provincesbut becauseof the understoodwhereI was comingfrom,I will hereattemptto sharewith you someof the The World accord in thingsI standfor and why they are important. I leaveit to you to decideif they matter to you on somelevelas well. Whatdid 1talk about?

Through my researchand rather limited involvementin SE2 - comparedto many Othermorededicatedand caringcitizensof this great city - 1 have learnedthat the poweragainstus Is great. SE2and its parent companyNESCO,who are backedby the enormousoil industry (which means Shell,BP,Chevron.and ARCOto name a few), and the Bush administration in Washingtonare all agaihstus in onewayor another. Just today "Oubya"approvedhis newbudgetfor the fiscalyearwhichincluded boostingthe militarybudgetby $14 billion US to $31O billion US, meanwhile slashing the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA)budgetby $500millionUSto a paltry$7.3billionin comparison.Didyou double take on that? I should hope so. That means that the environmentgets 2.3%of the fundingthatthe militarydoesin the US. This is a countrythat created60 per cent of the world'spollution and deniesthat globalwarmingevenexists. This is a presidentthat, as governorof Texas,managedto get the city of Houstonsmoggierthan Los Angeles. This ignoranceof the environmentis now what we face just acrossthe borderin Iii'ol' Sumas. We standto loseimmenselyfromSE2. Thebeneficiaries are the power companiesand the oil companies-I'm not evenso'sure anymoreaboutUS consumersbenefit· ing from this. The losers are the Fraser Valley and WhatcornCounty,and the worldas a whole. The stand against fossil fuels which is taking place here in Abbotsfordis part of an enormousstruggleagainstthe mostpowerfulforcesin the world:BigOil, theAutomobile

Feds'transferpaymentcuts - and at leastthey try to improveOUR lot by spendingOUR moneyon what we need. The Liberalgovernmentrejectsincreasedsocial spendingin the belief that wealthyindividualsand big companieswill makemore moneyand pay moretaxes. The realityIs that they do make more moneywith less regulation,but they don't put it back in the pocketsof workers- rather they concentrateon expandingtheir operationsthroughtakeoversand Investmentand whatnot. Theenvironmentandthe well-beingof the peopleis not high on the prioritylist for businessand their short term profits;they HAVETO BE FORCEDto complywith the longtermgood. The NOPdoesthisand the Liberals don't,frommy experience.

I talkedaboutregionalismandnationalismas veryimpor-

tant attributesthat we need,Whichthe current "global" regimeis attackingandundermining.Bordersaresuperfluous impedimentsto the flow of their products and labour,and environmentalstandardsare anathemato their bottomline. Regionaldifferencesonly slow down "progress,"they say. Ethnic,linguistic,andculturaldifferencesareoddcuriositiesthataregoodto marketandsell, but ratherunimportantand an impedimentto the bettermentof humanity.

Whoarethey? It is certainlynotthe Madagascariansthat are beatingdownour door tryingto sell us SUVs,Soap Operas, and the XFL. It's not the Russiansor the Chinesethat are anythreatto our environment,our way of life,andour nationalsovereignty.It's not the Frenchor the Germanlanguagesthat are takingover the worldby anystretchof the imagination - notethatthe spellcheck on yourcomputeris usuallybasedon American-English, not Canadian,spellingandgrammar.It's not the Soviets that won the Cold War. It's not the Japanesewhodroppedthe bomb. It'snot the Mexicanswho come out on top from NAFTA,or the Brazilianswho will benefit mostfrom FTAA. It's not the peoplewho the policeareprotectingin QuebecCityin a coupleweeks.

Youcanstartby changingyourselves,and doingwhatyou knowis good. Stop buy· ing things made in third world countries where, chancesare, workers are being exploited:stopbuyinggas fromBig Oil, at least buy from PetroCanor Husky or Mohawkwhichare Canadianand reflect our more progressive,environmentally consciousvalues. Stop ec1tingfast food, whichis not only bad for your health,but bad for the teenagerswho get paidsquat to workthere;stopbeinga consumer,and start being a citizenof your community. Thinkwhenyoufeeltoo lazyor too coolto put somethingin a garbagecan,andthink about what you put in your garbage. These are a few simpleand easy things we can do to make things better in our livesandin manyothers·.

We will all have to stop this and turn things around. Somedaywe will haveto changethe systemor reformit considerably.This pointis comingsoon:QuebecCityis anothermajorbattlein the war. SE2 is anotherbattlein thatsamewar if you see the connection.Shell,Walmart, Nike,and McDonald'sare symbolsof just a few of the forcesgatheringinsidethe wallsof QuebecCityin order to determineour future;they are liningup on the other sideof that borderto forcetheirwayson us. Theytry to stopthetidesof historyandmoldus intotheirconception of whattheysee as rightand proper.Theyalwayshave, they alwayswill. And we will alwaysrebel againsttheir ignoranceandtheirdenialandtheir coercion.

Pyramidal vs. Bipolar Authority

By Jon Besler

On the eveningof MondayApril9, BrianDonohuegraced the halls of the UCFVAbbotsfordcampusto delivera speech on the CanadianConstitutionas part of the President'sLectureSeries. Mr. Donohuehas studiedat the Universityof SudburyCollegein Ontario.He has a backgroundin Business,Law and Philosophy,and has taughtat LaurentianUniversityfor 16 years. Donohuestartedoff his lectureby explainingwhy the Americanmedia was so aggressiveand sensationalin theircoverageof a story. It was notjust becausethey are in such a competitivemarket,but because"theycan get awaywith it." The FirstAmendmentrightto freespeech, as upheldby the SullivanRule,meansthatthe mediacan say anythingthey want to abouta looselydefinedpublic figurewithoutfearof retributionunlessthe individualcan provethat a damagingfalsehoodwas offeredout of malice or recklessdisregardof the facts. This leavesthe pressvirtuallyunaccountable:an exampleis whenform~r PresidentClintonwas accusedof murder. Canada,1n contrast.has libel laws that help restrictsuch sensationalismin the media.

This is an exampleof the differencesbetweenCanadian and Americanphilosophy.In the US, individuallibertyis held as the ultimatebenefitof a free and just society;In Canadait is respectand civilityin the well-orderedgroup

that providethe libertyof the freesociety.Donohuethen wenton to differentiatebetweenthe modelsof pyramidal andpolarauthority.

Underpyramidalauthority,thereis an acknowledgedulti· mateauthorityempoweredwith the finalsay in the medl· ationof disputes.Platosaidthat,as a fatheris to hischild, so the stateis to thepeople. In the US thisauthorityconstitutes the SupremeCourt, and in Britain it is the Parliament'sHouseof Commons.The differenceis that the SupremeCourtupholdsthe Constitutionallyguaranteedrightsof the peoplewhereasBritishParliament,with its lack of Constitution,restrictsthosefreedomsthat are deemedharmfulto society. These restrictionsmust be justified in the speeches made during parliamentary debate. Donohuetook e1<ception to RonaldDwarkin's supremacistreviewof R. V. Butlerby statingthat he was tryingto comparethe applesof thissystemto the oranges of ours.

In the Canadiansystemof bipolarauthority,specifically andsimilarlyin the multi-polarsystemof the EU,a system of checksandbalanceshasbeenputintoplace. Boththe courtsand the legislatureshareauthorityin the production and enforcementof the law and Constitution.The legislaturerestrictsthe rightsof the individualto protect the fundamentalvaluesof societyand the courtsensure the rightsof the peopleare not unnecessan.·1ylimitedor otherwiseeliminatedby parliamentaryacts. The two

organizationswork togetherto promotea tree society. This allowsfor a reciprocalreviewof the other's decisions,and meansthat their rulingsare not set in stone. Thiscanbe comparedto theconceptof 'duediligence'as practicedby executivesof a joint stock company. This holdsmemberspersonallyresponsiblefor failingto prevent a foreseeableproblemto the best of their abilities, evenif that meansfiringtheirgeneralmanager.

Whenaskedhowour Chartercomparesto the American Bill of Rightsas beinga greatdocument,Donohuesaid, "Wh~ all the hyperboleIs removed, I believe the CanadianCharterof Rightsand Freedomsis as greata documentas the Bill of Rightsand one of which we shouldbe proud."

Donohuewas also asked how free trade issuesmight affectour values,if we wouldbe overrunby the pyramid systemof the US. He answeredthat due to the born• bardmentof violencein the mediaand its reportedemulationby youth,the Americansseemto be movingaway from their pyramidsystem. Canadiansmay be able to exporttheirvaluesto forma multi-polarsystemas is done by the EU nations. This wouldprovidea basisfor equitablenegotiationsin whicheachmembernationwouldbe liable for Human Rightsviolations,environmentaland socialconcernsif it did not do everythingin its powerto preventthem.

THE QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

By Kashi Tanaka

At the end of this month The Summit of Americas will begin. At the top of delegates' agendas will be the concept of a free trade agreement that will per• manently affect humans from Ellesmere Island to Drake Passage. Outside the conference thousands of protesters will attempt to have their concerns heard and recognized. A fundamental concern of protesters will be the consideration of human rights for the citizens in the countries effected by a t!ade agreement. However, I feel anxiety over human rights Is often misguided. Do human beings have rights? As students of UCFV, we legally have a claim to several rights under the Canadian Constitution. Some of these rights are widely accepted in Western Society. For example, the right to equal representation or the right to a fair trial. Conversely some of our rights are quite unique in the global community such as universal medical care or, more recently, the right we have been given to marry whomever we so desire, even If our intended spouse is the same sex. Although these rights affect human beings, are they human rights? I would argue they are not, but rather Canadian rights for those entities that are considered human. This qualification would also apply to the United Nations Charter of Human Rights. This covenant does not identify human rights; it indi· cates what rights should be extended to the citi· zens of the countries who have ratified this docu• ment.

Therefore, what Is a human right? In answering this question, perhaps we should ask what do we want a human right to assert and to what degree? American philosopher Delos B. McKown empha• sizes that, when regarding rights, "[nothing] is gained by proclaiming an alleged human posses• sion whose principal condition, it would seem, could be denied or violated.• He is in essence stating that there Is no point establishing a human right if that claim can be refuted or ignored. It would seem, therefore, that a human right should be unalienable. Moreover, I would suggest that the justification of claiming a right needs to be logically fundamental to being human. That is to say a rigl1t should be based upon human need and not on human desires. Therefore, I would propose that if we are going to declare a human right it Will have to be absolute, universal, and have appeal to the t1umanity of an Individual.

argue can provide adequate justification for legal rights but are incongruous for establishing human rights. The second source appeals to nature. This appeal can either refer to a natural power from which we derive a system of human rights or it can refer to a right that is an inherent part of our nature. In the former case I would suggest that this argument is implausible, however, if we consider the latter then I think we have a legitimate basis for a claim.

What both of these philosophers refer to is what the lay man would call the law of nature or the notion of survival of the fittest. Consider the shipwrecked castaway; nature certainly does not grant this Individual a right to food. shelter, or even life. It is clear that humans are not favoured by nature and therefore an appeal to nature as a source of human rights seems illogical.

Let's consider the source of what should be con• sidered a human right. American professor Anselm Atkins stipulates that, ''A right is something furnished, granted to, or bestowed upon someone. It comes from outside - something "extra" to the being. It is something on which a claim is laid.'' In the American Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson imparts that "all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." The appeal to a Supreme Being is an ever-present method of determining the content of humar, rights. However, this is a problematic source if you do not have faith. Personally I do not find the notion of God bestowing rights upon us appealing or logical. Therefore, I propose that reli· gious influences have absolutely no weight in determining human rights. If we adopt an atheistic position, then there are two additional argued sources of human rights to consider. The first is based upon moral foundations, which I would

The concept of using morals to justify human rights Is popular because morals usually appeal to notions that we generally consider good for humanity. For example, most societies consider murder - the deliberate taking of another's lifemorally reprehensible, and thus the preservation of human life would logically seem to be an important human right. However, using moral theories to substantiate human rights is problematic because I would argue that morals are mutable. Reconsider the notion of murder; a society may declare the preservation of life to be a human right while also condoning capital punishment or the use of lethal force in protecting economic concerns. In this simple case it would appear that societies could draw up ideal human rights using a moral argument without ever realistic'ally adhering to them. That is to say that societies prescribe to human rights they will not or can not enforce. Rights that in essence are neither absolute nor universal. Perhaps I am wrong in this reasoning and lf so I challenge any students of moral philosophy classes to show me a moral right that can be legitimately considered a human right.

I conveyed previously that nature could be regard· ed in two distinct approaches when it is being used as a basis for human rights. Classical approaches like John Locke's Second Treatise of Government appeal to a natural power that bestows rights upon humans. In his work regarding natural rights, Locke imparts that "[the] state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges everyone."

The reasoning seems that regardless of the exis• tence of a Supreme Being - which I have already disregarded - nature has levied certain rights for human beings. I think that this line of reasoning Is fundamentally flawed, as there does not appear to be any proof in the natural world that nature has given us any rights whatsoever.

In his essay ''Human Rights are Cultural Artifacts," Atkins suggests that the natural world does not bestow rights upon us. Humans, like any other living entity, have no natural claim to sustenance, shelter or the chance of procreation, to talk about a "natural right" to life or any other good seem absurd. Nature guarantees nothing, and we in turn, have no claims on nature. We have wants and needs, to be sure. and we try to satisfy these as best we can. But whether or not we succeed is of no concern to nature.

McKown also recognizes nature's apathetic lack of regard for human kind. In his essay "Demythologizing Natural Human Rights'' he asserts, if we [humansJ have objective, inherent, natural rights and Immunities while animals have none, it is very puzzling that nature treats us all so indiscriminately and disregards the interests of individual organisms - whether human or animal - with such sublime indifference. Nature seems oblivious to any natural right to life, to say nothing of similar rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

The alternative approach to assuming natural rights is to examine what it is to be human in nature. If we are to claim a right by virtue of our inherent nature as human beings then I think there is a credible candidate for a human right. If we refuse to regard human rights as prlma facie entities, that instead they must be concrete and consti· tute something that humanity has funda• mental claim to, then I would propose that humans have one right. That right is the right to be considered human. I would suggest that this right requires that when other humans regard you - because we can not apply this to any ,other enti· ties (i.e. telling a horse he has to recognize me as a human would be silly) - they regard you as a being that possesses the qualities of a human. I would propose that this right satisfies both the need for universality and the notion of absoluteness. There is no situation where a human can be deemed any less or any more than a human being. I accept that this right may initially appear to have little significance or magnitude. Regardless of whether a person is recognized as being human, one can still be king or cannon fodder. One's existence may still be marginalized and one's plight may still be treated with disdain, but I think the recognition of humanness is of paramount importance. Acknowledgement of humanness means that every member of human society must concede that all other members have similar physiological, sociological and psychological attributes.

This belief of equality is wonderfully articulated by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. In this play the protagonist Shylock is defending his race, but he also extolling the equality of man. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands. organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer. If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?

Being recognized as human ls not a right about safety, sustenance or survival. On Its own it will not prevent or permit action to be done to humans, nor does it limit what humans do to each other or the environment around them. What it does is force humans to regard all members of humanity as enti· ties like themselves.

Any member of society can demand the recognition of humanness as a right. As I have alluded, this right will not guarantee that all individuals are treated fairly, kindly or even humanely. However, if this right were universally known I would suggest that we would treat our fellow man better. In this century prejudices and intolerance gave rise to Auschwitz and Hiroshima. While I realize several factors led to these atrocities, I think the recogni• tion of the humanness of our fellow man would have prevented these tragedies. In Quebec City negotiations will start on April 20th: I wonder if the delegates WIii consider their fellow humans as equals? It they did I would feel no need to protest the ambitions of this summit. Sadly, I have misgivings that this will not be the case. The protesters in Quebec City deserve our wholehearted support because they are ensuring that the one true human right we possess Is respected.

By Susan Magnusson

If I thought anyone was actually going to read this, I would have to come up with a different title. No one wants to read anotherdiatribe by a socialiston socialism. But I was told that people do not read their own newspaper,therefore I can be honest and I still won't get in any trouble. The other reason I'm doing this is because I listenedto a fellow student complainabout all the mature students in her classes. She complained of individualswho had exciting and varied life experiences and she wondered how she was sup• posed to compete with their knowledge. I am constantly amazed by the intelligenceof the students in my classes. I find it very intimidating and thrilling because I'm not very bright myself.I have lived for fifty years ("Oh no· a fitly year old socialist"). Not an exciting or varied life, but I have stumbledthroughall those years and I wonder if I learned anything along the way.

Okay, now that I have lost the rest of my readership, what do I have to say? Why was I asked to write an article on socialism? From readingthe Cascadel can see that there are many very knowledgeablepeople who are obviously a lot smarter than I am, and Who have studied socialism and all the other -isms. But I am one of the few card•carrylng members of the Socialist Party in the Fraser Valley and so I guess I should try to explain why, after all these years of abysmal failure to elect a member of my party from my constituency, I still continueto support the socialists.

A recent experience with large corporations has influenced my continued support of socialism. My son, through hard work, achieved several scholarships in high school. One of these scholarships was from the Government of Canada, we thought. He went to university, did well, and decided to go into veterinary medicine. To our shock and amazement,his scholarshipwas discontinued. When we inquired why, we were told that the scholarship was only administered by the government. It was actuallymoneyfrom chemicalcorporationswho would not support students who did not go into training that would qualify them to work In chemical factories!

Another scholarshiphe got from the TeamstersUnion continued to support him for the entire time that they had originally awarded the scholarship. They did not ask him what he was training for, they just wanted to know that he made good marks. He has completed his training with a huge debt load that he will carry for many years. Although as his parentswe have tried to help him as much as we could, the banks are profiting from his education. This needs to be changed. Scholarshipsand charity are distributed in the same arbitrary way all charity is distributed. We need to work towards universal education. Someone take care of that please. "Who me? No, I'm too afraid." History is another reason. My parents were young people raised on Saskatchewanfarms who started out life together in 1933. Reading about the thirties now, I wonder how people had the temerityto continue living and bringingchildrenInto the world when the world around them was disintegrating. But they did, just as young people forever have optimisticallycontinued in whateverconditionsthey must. to live, work, play, reproduce,and strive for happiness.They had to

On Socialism

leave the farm because it could no longer support them. They could get work in the city and send the moneyback to the Iarm to help save it. They got food from the farm in the form of abundant canned supplies, and they returnedto the farm to have their chil· dren. They could not afford a doctor,but there were old womenwith no formaltrainingwho went about the district assisting the young mothers. My mother had four babies on the farm, one died. Each time they returnedto the city to earn money. The womenin the neighbourhoodbabysatfor each other which allowed my parentsto go out and listento a charismaticleader who was tellingthem fantasticthings. Universalmed· ical, old age pension, unemployment insurance. "lmposslble,''they thought,but he was a great speaker. So they went from village to village listening to Tommy Douglas. There was a sense of community about their struggle to achieve these great things. Everyonewas fighting for these goals: farmers,small business people, doctors, lawyers, carpenters. The proudestday of my mother'slife was when she could walk into a hospital•the land of the rich• to give birth to me in , 951. As a woman who has had three miscarriagesand two children, I am eternally gratefulfor these people's struggle even though having an

assured medical system all my life makes me complacent.

Anotherthing they worked for was Old Age Pension, When Grandfatherwas too old to work on the farm and so passed it on to one of his children, he did not have to live with his sons. He was proudly independent with $50 a month O.A.P.When my mother had a stroke in 1995 and needed constant care, she wept Into a government-fundedfacility with caring, well• trainedpeopleto look after her.At over $2500a month for privatefacilities,my parentswould have run out of all the money they had In a very shori time. Then l would have had to quit my job to stay home and look after morn.My parentsworkedvery hard all their lives and so have I, but we are not rich. What is rich? I know all you peoplein politicalsciencehavethis down pat but just to clarify it in rny own mind

The way l have it figured out is there are the people with capital called capitalistsand then there are the peoplewithoutcapitalcalledworkers.The peoplewith capital make their money work for them. Some of them are poor enough that they have to work hard at making their money work for them. Unlike the really rich who do not work. These middleguys are always trying to get rich so Ihey don't have to work anymore. The workers know they will never be rich. They are called socialists.

As I said before, I'm not very smart and I can barely balance my cheque book, but I am trying really hard

to understandthis capital thing. I think it works like this: If you have capital, you use it to buy something, change it somehow and sell it for more than all the money you have put out. Farmers understandthis process very well. Let's take an egg farmer. He buys chickens at the best price he can find, feeds and housesthem as cheaplyas he can, while still keeping the chickens as healthy as he needs to get them to produce an egg. Then he can sell the egg tor more money than he has spent in the whole process. (Do you feel like a chickensome days?) Okay, say I have a brilliant idea for an improvedwidget and l have cap• ital. I only have one problem.The process to change this widget cannot be performed by animals or machines.Darn, I need humans.There is a difference between animals and humans.These humans have more skills than animals, but they are also more demanding (they are constantlytrying to get into a better chicken coop). Now these humans have a negotiatingtool • their labour,which I need. But wait, I have a negotiatingtool too. I can go to another country and buy this labour cheaper. I think I'll form an organizationcalled the World Trade Organizationto protectmy negotiatingtool. This works really well too, becauseI have to live in this country and I do not like '-

to see poverty, starvation and illness on my doorstep. It is much nicer to have it all happeningout of sight in some Third World county.

But wait, now the workers in this country have to compete with starving desperate people in a Third World country for the sale of their labour. That's okay, it is a market place out there. We'll go to twotiered medical, so the poor can cut back on this extravagantsocial• istic idea of Universal Medical. Maybe we'll even cut out govern• ment medical. Is there a capitalist who would like to sell us medical coverage and call himself an insurance company? I'm sure there is good money in it, after all look at the waste:poor people actually having knee operations!What'swrong with canes? This way is much better,peoplewho are rich can budge in line and have body parts sewn on any time. Instead of changing contact colours, they can have the latest fashion in eye transplants. •

The way I see it is that socialism is a state of mind. You are either a rich personor you are a poor person. I am a poor personwho was born to poor people. No matter how much money or proper1yI have, I will alwaysbe a poor person. My money,propertyor pos· sessionscan disappearin a moment.A poor housing market when I need to sell. An increase in Interest rates when I have a huge mortgage.S poor Invest• ment decision, Never getting fired because I always worked too hard, but loss of my job for marketplace reasons.As a socialist I am constantly aware of the very real threat of poverty,unlike capitalists who are dreamers and always think "It can never happen to me." That is why I live in the FraserValley.I love capitalists because they are such dreamers. They think they are invincible(it's so cute). I lived amongstsocialists once. I could not stand the levels of worry. They worry about our planet. They worry about animals. They worry about the weal. Very depressing. And finally the last difference between animals and humans:chickensdon't vote,

THE DILEMMA OF CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION

By Ron Dart

Knowledge, Wisdom, Citizenship?

All means prove but a blunt instrument if they have not behind them a living spirit.

~Albert Einstein

The older view of education, which is rapidly passing away in America, but which is still dominant in the great universities of England, aimed at a wide and humane culture of the intellect. It regarded the various departments of learning as forming essentially a unity, some pursuit of each being necessary to th\3 appreciation of each But what I protest against is that each of these studies Is apt to be regarded as wholly exclusive of the others, and that the moment a man becomes a student of German literature he should lose all interest In general history and philosophy.

~Stephen Leacock ( 1907)

I was sitting the other day in a public sauna with a retired farmer from Saskatchewan. We chatted for a few minutes about rattier bland, banal and predictable things, then he asked me what I did for a living; I told him I was a teacl1er at our local University College. He then, in a rather halting but inquisitive manner, asked me this question in the form of a reflection: ''I have noticed," he said, "that many who graduate from universities have much knowledge, facts and Information, but they are often not very wise about basic issues of life. Many farmers I know who have little formal education seem to be much wiser about the important things In life than all these students who have learned all sorts of skills, have all sorts of detailed facts but are not wise." He, then, looked at me and asked, ''Why Is this the case?"

There is little doubt that the rather astute observation of the retired farmer goes straight to the heart of much that passes as education in these early years of the 21st century. Many of us are fat and bloated with facts, information, skills, technical expertise and knowledge, but the ability to make sense of all this and discern what it is all for is often and tragically absent. We are overdeveloped in one area but underdeveloped in another area. We have facts and knowledge but wisdom and insight are in short supply.

The recent publication of Skills Mania: Snake Oil in our Schools (2000), by the well-known Canadian educator Bob Davis, sums up these concerns in a compact and succinct manner. In his book Davis walks us ever so surely and clearly into the dilemma of modern education. The fact that we have substituted skills and facts for wisdom, insight and legitimate self knowledge in modern education means that we have - In a deeper and real sense - betrayed the older and more substantive mean• ing of education. We have placed immense faith In the snake oil of skills, and the mania for them, and forgotten that skills, knowledge and facts are not what - In the deepest sense - education is all about, even though such things may socialize one and all to flt into the hurly burly of our western culture. It is not until we get off the treadmill of a certain view of education that we will see we are going faster and faster but going nowhere on the important issues. The ever-frantic quest for better and more up to date facts and skills can divert, deafen and deflect us from the Holy Grail of education: wisdom and insight. This is what Skills Mania walks the extra mile to tell us.

Bob Davis took his BA at Dalhousle University from 1952-1956, and when he was there he studied with George Grant. George Grant (1918-1988), throughout much of his life, thought long and hard about the purpose of education and how modern education had come to distort and betray the original purpose of education. Grant turned to the Classical tradition, and to Plato in particular, as his guide, teacher and mentor on these issues. Plato

made an important distinction between two types of education: 'techne' and 'paideia'. The purpose of 'techne' was to teach a skill or technique for a job, and it would be foolish and silly to deny the Importance of this as a beginning. The purpose of 'paldela' was to awaken, stir and draw forth the deeper life or a person; this is the sacred site of conscience, vocation, public responsibility. Those who are only trained in the lower craft of 'techne' are often lacking in the more important aspects of self-knowledge; this is what 'paideia' is all about, and this is why, in a classical education in the humanities, a student is exposed to and expected to hear and learn how those before them have thought and felt about important issues of religion, ethics, aesthetics and political life.

George Grant, like Bob Davis, dared to interrogate the reigning monarch of skills, 'techne'. the preoc• cupation with specialization and endless searching tor more and more facts and information. Grant's important essay, "The University Curriculum" (1968) did much to highlight how modern liberal education had become equated with skills and technical expertise, and in the process become a servant of corporate power. Was this, Grant rightly asked, the aim and purpose of education? The spirit, in short, of education cannot be netted or reduced to the snake oil of our present 'skills mania'; when we do this, we betray the deeper purposes of education and lead students down a path and trail that will not be life giving in the fullest sense of the word. Grant and Davis, and many other Canadian educators know this in the marrow of their bones, and they are doing their best to retrieve the real meaning of education. This one-dimensional addiction to facts and skills is not a new thing, though. The well known Canadian humorist, educator and political theorist Stephen Leacock ( 1869-1944), saw the writing on the wall and wrote about it at the turn of the 20th century. Leacock's novel, Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich (1914j, and his many essays on the decline of education (such as, ''The apology of a professor: an essay on modern learning'' ( 1907) and "Literature and Education in America" (1908), speak volumes about the way modern education was turning to factf, information, specialization and business as its guru and guide rather wisdom and a thorough grounding in the humanities. Our word 'education' comes from the Latin which means 'to draw forth.' The purpose of the educator is to awaken and assist in the birth (as a midwife) of the student's slumbering nature or vocation: It is not merely to pass on facts or teach skills. The task, though, is much greater even yet; it is to produce citizens with an enlivened conscience for the important and substantive issues in their culture and nation. In the last few decades many educators have come to see the importance of having an informed conscience, critical abilities and a political passion for justice as part of being properly educated. When these aspects of education are denied us, we cease to be educated in any serious sense.

George Grant once said, ''Man is by nature a political animal, and to know that citizenship is an impossibility is to be cut off from one of the highest forms of life." Those who genuflect and bow to the creed of education as 'techne' restrict and reduce the meaning of education to the smallest circle turns. Those who realize that education is about something much grander, much fuller, and much more about the longings of the spirit for meaning and purpose have the real issues in the crosshairs.

Dennis Lee, a well-known Canadian poet and essayist, winner of the GG award for Civil Elegies and friend of George Grant and Bob Davis, summed up some of the dilemmas of being mod· ern in his recent book, Body Music (1998):

There are certain things that speak to us at the core, but that scarcely exist within the assumptions of modern thought. I have in mind the kind of reality people once pointed to with terms like 'good', 'evil', and 'the sacred'. It is not that we have lost contact with such things in our lives, but rather that

educated thinking no longer recognizes them as having any substance. Over the last few centuries our traditional languages of meaning have largely faded; they seem passe in the world described by science. And the language of fact that superseded them has no place for evil or beauty - except as subjective 'values' which we project onto a neutral universe. This account of facts and values is taken for granted in most modern thought: we have trouble thinking of things that matter without adopting its substance What we know by living our lives, and what we can think within the categories of educated discourse. are no longer on speaking terms.

Surely the time has come when the big issues must be on 'speaking terms' again; we have lived for too long in two cultures and two separate worlds to the detriment of education and society. The issues raised for us by the Saskatchewan farmer, Bob Davis, George Grant, Stephen Leacock and Dennis Lee cannot be ignored. We cannot, in good faith and with a clean conscience, repress and deny such questions and concerns; we do so to the detriment of our souls and society. Can genuine and authentic education exist if such dilemmas are not faced? If moral vision Is reduced to the private world of opinion and subjective values, then silence becomes the ominous stance on substantive and public Issues. When 'techne' comes to dominate, a worrisome will to power will rape both the land and human souls for profit. Surely, education as critical thinking must raise some probing questions and dare to act on such questions.

The dilemma of modern education is the definition of education itself. Will we reduce public education to 'techne' or will we realize that the older notion of 'paideia' has much yet to teach us? Will we give ourselves to the snake oil and silver bullet of technical skills or will we heed the warnings of Grant and Davis? Will the retired farmer from Saskatchewan speak to us about the distinction between knowledge and wisdom or will we pass by on the other side of the road? Will we open ourselves to Einstein's insights about 'means' rather than 'living spirit' or wlll we not set our sights as high? The dilemma of modern education hinges on both how we answer these questions and how we have answered them up to this point. Indeed, the home of our souls, society and the greater good of what it means to be an educated Canadian depends on how we answer such queries. Surely the battles fought by those like Robin Mathews and James Steele (as told in The Struggle for Canadian Universities (1969), must go on in each generation; those who flinch from the struggle capitulate to power and demean and distort what it means to be both Canadian and educated in the time tried meaning of the word. If to be a civilized person is to be both civic minded and civil (In the midst of conflict), and a good education prepares us for such a notion of citizenship, then a committed turn to epaideiaf is a must as a corrective to the domi• nance of 'techne' in much of modern education and is its dogma and creed.

Gracie interview

When It comesto a bandwith a namelike "Gracie",one would expectto hear melodiousharmoniesand would probablyguessthat thereis at leastone femalemember who had a stubbornsay In namingthe group(no stereotype Intended).Instead,localband"Gracie"Is comprised of five guys in their 20's creating"heavyand hard rock", claimsdrummerRyan.

When I finally had a chance to chat with drummer/managerRyan,he had a lot to say that he's already said before,or so he told me. He also said that they wentnamelessfor two years untilthey basicallypulledGracieout of a hat.

So the most obviousquestionhere Is who Is Gracie?To answerthat, they are a "heavy band" based in Abbotsford with members from Mission, Chilliwack and Aldergrove. Theyare:A.J.(leadvocals),Brian(guitar), Mat (guitar),Andy (bass), and Ryan.After a few recentline up changes,most notable addingAndyon bassandanotherguitarplayerin theform of Brian, Graciehas developeda distinctsoundslightly separatingthemselvesfrom other all-male punk-rock bandsout there.

''There'smore of a currentstyle involvedin our music" says Ryan."Weinfusemoremelodyand sounds.While a lot of similarbands out there screamand yell, we're about ninety percent singing and maybe ten percent yelling."

Tommy Floyd, President of Outlaw Entertainment, describesthem as "WarriorSoul meets the BeastieBoys".

Wherethe bulk of Gracle'slyricsinitially comeacrossas depressingand morbid, Ryan gave credit to writer A.J. for expandinghimselfas a lyricwriter.

In responseto the question/accusation about possibledistressinglyrics, Ryan pointsout that '1hey·renot all incredibly obvious,take 'So Good'for example.It's aboutself-identityandtakingresponsibly for it. You needto listento our songsa fewtimesbeforeyou'llunderstandthem.''

So I was put in my place.

Formedin 1995, It took the band four years to get Into a local studio to recordtheir first full length CD titled Flow (now availableIn HMV stores acrossCanada).It quickymadea spot for itselfon The Fox'sTop10 IndependentCD'sof 2000list.Theyalsoget rotationof their single''id" on XFM, the UBC and SFU

campusesas well as The Fox.

As far a musicalinfluencesgo, Ryanclaimsthey range fromthe good ol' soundsof the eightiesby LionelRichie and Ah-Hato morecurrentToriAmos (for Ryanspecifi· cally)and MassiveAttack,BeastieBoys and RoniSize. Ryanactuallyhas a particluarfacinationwith Roni Size and ErikahBadu.Who knows.

WhenI askedRyanhow they felt aboutthe controversy surroundingNapster,he quicklyrepliedthat Graciehas full supportof Naspterandthe servicesIt offers:"Napster benefitsthe musicindustrymorethanwe know.The idea of samplingmusicbeforeyou buy it is a greatidea.Sure they'llstill be thosekids out therewho use and abuseit, but for now it's great."

For the remainderof the month,Gracieis hard at work promotingthemselvesat their shows throughoutthe Lower Mainland. You can also check them out at www.gracieband.com.

Checkout Gracieat their upcomingshows:

April 13th@ The PicadillyPub In Vancouver(9pm) April 14th@Area 51 in Chilllwack(9pm)

April 18th @ City LimitsIn Abbotsford(9pm, free tix at A+B sound)

April28th@ JavaJointIn Surrey(all agesshow) May4th @ StudebakersIn Burnaby

Martial Law comes down on Abbotsford

called "The Force" about Star Wars and "Branasle" about female witchcraftwhat else could you ask for? Ryan is on lead vocals and describes his sound as unusual.

"It is not a maintstreamsound by any reach. It is fast and slow and both at the same time," he said.

As for now, they are playing at Area51 in Chilllwack on April 21st with Lost Vega. It is an early show with doors at 8pm and show at 8:30pm. I have two free tickets for the first two people who come into the Cascadeoffice,A226 in A buildingat Abby.

By Jessica Danylchuk

Desribing themselves as "punk rock like no other", Martial Law out of Abbotsfordis a "high enery, interesting and highly entertainingfour-some,"or so says lead vocalist Derek.Their lives shows usually consist of fire breathing or setting something else on fire. They usually concluded with a hardcore version of TLC's ''No Scrubs"or DestinyChild's"Say My Name". Oh yah, Ryan also tends to make a habit of stripping down to his undies during these shows.Their goal of entertaining is certainly achieved if you're into that kind of thing.

Something else that may peak your interest Is their female guitarist, Anne. Most punk bands are all male so this is great. Other members include Ryan the drummerand Mark who is anotherguitarist. Formed in 1998. Martial Law releaseda five song EP with Soldout Recordsthat same year. Just last month they recorded a full length eleven song demo. They expect the first single to be a song titled "Kids in Indonesia Make Cool Clothes". With other songs

When I asked Ryan about the band's musical influences he rambledon a heck of a ot of bands.

"We really like Spaz, SNFU,AFI, Misfits, and ACDC. Some of us like more hard stuff like Tool, Nine Inch Nalls, Casualtiesand Virus," he said. Most surprisingly,Ryan admitted his appreciationfor classic music.

"There's a Vancouvergroup called Godspeed, You Black Emperorwho is a big influencefor me personally. They are Instrumentalfocusingon the cello and violin. Sometimeswe try to incorporatetheir sound and melody into our music."

I always have to ask about how the band feels about Napster.

"I love itl" exclaimsRyan."It forces recordcompanies to make CD's with more than one good song. They are forced to put better work to create better bands." This summerthey will engage in a two week Western Canada tour. With a kick off in mid July, Martial Law will hit up confirmeddates in Vancouver,Kamloops, Saskatoonand Calgary with last second editions to come along the way.

ART GALLERY

At left and at right two etching printmedia pieces produced by Luke Fulgham. The titles of the artwork were not available at press time.

UCFV athletics expands with rowing team

By Peter Darvlll

Look out UCFV. come next September there will be a new dimension to the Cascade athleticarsenal. Starting in the tall of 2001 we will have teams owning the hardwood, dominating thepitch and conquering the water. That's right the water. Right now there are plans in themaklng for UCFV to become a founding part of the Fort Langley Rowing Club. If everything goes according to schedule, the Cascades will compete in their first regatta on October 14th.

UCFV will be joined by Kwantlen College and Trinity Western University to form the Fort Langley Rowing Club. Although the schools will share a head coach and' fitness coordinator, they will compete individually. Former UVic rower David Jordan will be in charge of getting the squads ready for competition. Prospective rowers should know that previous rowing experience is an asset but is not required. One thing Jordan will be looking for is height. According to UCFV athletic director Jane Antil, there is an ideal body type for a rower. "Tall and lanky is what they (the coaches) will look for. In rugby your size determines where you'll play; The same goes for rowing".

T h e Bedford Channel will be the home for the club. It ls a branch of the Fraser #,, River that ':f:r u n s through F o r t Langley. The rowing club is building a ramp that will make ,Ji> accessing •" the water easier. The

prompted the federal government to create Rowing 2000. Rowing 2000 is a group whose job is to spur interest In the sport at the collegiate level. Using government funds, they purchased the equipment necessary for UCFV to become involved in a sport that would otherwise be to costly to take up.

In addition, there were many students inquiring about the school starting a rowiflg team as early as last March says Antil. ''The timing was just right. I had been looking into rowing since last spring. Lots of students were asking me about it and the funding from feds helped a lot," she adds.

There will be a small cost for the students who do get involved with the team.

"We're trying to make it as minimal as possible." states Anlll.

The rowing club is looking to institute a team fee that will be paid for by the schools thus taking most of the financial burden off the participants.

Students who are interested in joining lhe rowing team should be on the look out for an informational pamphlet that will be circulating this week. Antll says that anybody is welcome to try out.

"We are looking for students who are keen and interested," says Antil.

Sport group will charge at Liberals come election time

government that will support this."

PacificSport Is also pushing for the Uberals (assuming a Liberal victory) to create a Minister responsible for sport. This way the government will! be closly corinected to amatuer sports on a regular basis.

By Jessica Danylchuk

PacificSport will take advantage of the upcoming provincial election in B.C. to raise awareness of the ablsmal situation of amatuer athletics in British Columbia. Joining forces with Collective Voices on Sport. a representation of each major sport in B.C., PacificSport will seek out Gordon Campbell to make a stand on the issue.

"We will utilize the election to find where the Liberals stand on sport." says Carla Tadla, General Manager of the PacificSport Regional Center in Abbotsford. "It Is very important that we have a

"We are looking to get back the recognition of sport in British Columbia." said Tadla.

PaclficSport is also using the 201 O Olympic bid as a leverage poinl. While most governments would be in full support on an Olympic bid, Tadla says they must also be willing to support what the Olympics stands for. In the case of the 201 O bid, It would be providing the amatuer athletes of B.C. with funding to improve their programs. This ranges from coaching clinics to athletes training facilities to parent Information sessions.

"The government In power must be responsible for the'big show' as Well as supporting groups such as

ours in aiding the athletes along the way. The two go hand in hand," she adds.

In their effort to make the siutation an important part ot the Liberals platform, PacificSport also understand that their window of opportunity may be minimal.

"Our lobby sounds like common sense to those familiar with the circumstances but people outside sport view it as less of a priority." continues Tadla.

PacificSport plans an aggressive case leading into the election. Their piece also touches on the issue of B.C.'s failing health care system.

"If we get this support It will affect not only those in sport, but ultimately those in health care. Promoting active lifestyles creates a healtheir community which will have a positive impact on our health care system." says Tadla.

So don't be surprised if sport is a hot topic of dis• cussion as the politicians gear up for an election.

LACROSSE: A STOLEN SPORT MEETS ITS MAKERS

By Jessica Perry The Manitoban

WINNIPEG (CUP) - Lacrosse, now the sport of Ivy League yuppies everywhere, holds an Interesting place in Canadian history. In many ways, lacrosse's development and acculturation into its current mani• festation has reflected the colonization of North America.

Originally, lacrosse was played by First Nations Peoples and each region had a variation of the game. The three prominent versions - distinguished by equipment, type of goal and stickhandling techniques, as well as ceremonial differences - were the southeastern, Great Lakes and Iroquoian.

Lacrosse was widely used as training for battle or for settling disputes. The Iroquoian name reflected the fact that lacrosse was often a surrogate for war itself. The name, guhcheegwuhai, means "Little Brother of War.''

Lacrosse, said to be a gift from the Creator. was also a spiritual exercise. When lacrosse was played, it was with the understanding that the game was a gift and worthy of great respect.

Just as the Canadian government sought to "clvlll2e" First Nations people. so too did Europeans "civilize'' lacrosse.

Lacrosse was adapted for European aristocratic ath· letes by a Canadian named W. George Beers, who set out to standardize the sport. In 1867, he estab• lished field dimensions, put limits on the numbers of players per team and developed other rules. In fact, Beers is largely credited with pioneering modern lacrosse, even though it was developed by First

Nations.

"The National Lacrosse Association was formed in 1867." said Bruce Miller of the Aboriginal Access Program. "Essentially, 13 years later, is when they

decided to bar Aboriginal participants based on the fact they received payment or subsidy to attend lacrosse matches both nationally and internationally." Because of economic difficulties that many First Nations faced at this lime. they were frequently unable to cover expenses without outside assistance. This assistance came In different forms. First Nations people were often paid by promoters to play against non-Aboriginal teams. This is because matches between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal teams tended to draw a large crowd. Furthermore, because the Canadian government has a fiduciary responsibility to First Nations. the teams would occasionally receive funds to travel to games.

Because the Aboriginal teams received money from outside sources, the NLA labeled the teams professional and they were barred from competition at the national and international levels, which required an amateur status. Players from non-Aboriginal teams were overwhelmingly affluent and could, pay their own expenses.

It came to be that only Aboriginal teams were designated as professional. First Nations were ultimately excluded from the world championships and other amateur competitions.

This trend was only recently reversed, when the Iroquois Nationals, a team consisting of First Nations players, formed In 1984. It was not until 1989 that the Iroquois Nationals were recognized by the International Lacrosse Federation. A year later. in 1990, the team played its first tournament, ending over 100 years of exclusion of First Nations teams from competition.

Initiative for the club resulted from Team Canada's horrendous showing at the Sidney Olympics. The sub-par performance by Canada's rowing team

STREETERS

pee. I've yet to come acrossa wine that I like. Franjelicois tasty."

Kyle Webber,fifth year historystudent:"Beer,becauseI'm Irish. I also like it hard, Russianstyle (Stoli)."

Jed Blunder,student for so many years we can't count that high on our fingers, the main way that we manageto stammerout the numbers:"I like it blunt."

Unknownand namelessperson:"I don't drink beer,beer is for commonpeople."

Steve Beketa,second year engineeringgenius and wacky beer-processingunit: "Dependson what I'm in. I drink beer casually,and I drink hard when I want to get drunk."

Conrad Skuce, graphic design student: "All one needs is good ol' canadian rye, becauseit goes down one's_gulletquite nicely"

By BelvedereChlvas,and FranjellcoBaileys

The question:Do you prefer wine or beer, or hard?Why?

Angela Funk, second year Arts student:"I like hard. I like shots, how it tastes,and the variety."

MelissaCongo,first year, part time student:"It's an equaldraw betweenhard and beer. I don't like wine. But I guess it dependson what I'm doing."

Dave Peters,illegitimateCascadegenius: "I prefer it hard, becauseit gets the job done more quickly."

Amy Banterlende,first year GeneralStudies student:"I don't drink alcohol."

Amanda Debruyn,first year Associateof Arts student: "I'm not allowed to drink, I'm too young."

Jessica Danylchuk,first year Associate of Arts student and fervent foliage fan fledgling:"I hate beer,becauseafter you get through half a can it starts to taste like

Upcoming Events and Dates of Relevance

IMPORTANTSTUDENTLOANINFO!

As of March 1, 2001 banks an.dcredit unions will no longer issue funds for the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP). Instead, any new Canada Student Loanswill comedirectlyfromthe Governmentof Canada throughthe NationalStudentLoansServiceCentre.To provide better service, one division of the National Student Loans Service Centre will be responsiblefor servingborrowersattendingpublic institutions(universities or public colleges),while the other divisionwill be responsiblefor servingborrowersattendingprivatevocationalinstitutions(careercollegesor tradeschools).

Nominationssoughtfor LleuteftlantGovernor'sMedal

The LieutenantGovernor'sMedalis awardedto a graduate of a substantialVocationalor Appliedprogramof less than two years duration,who has not only excelledin his/herstudiesbut has also contributedin a positiveway to the life of the collegeor his/hercommunity.Student

candidatesare recommendedfor the above award by writtennominationby eithera facultymember,communi· ty member, or fellow student. Nominationswill be receivedby StudentFinancialAid Servicesfor the UCFV AwardsSelectionCommittee.Thisawardwill be presented at the 2001Convocationceremonies.The nomination deadlinefor the LieutenantGovernor'sMetalis May 10. PleasecontactStudentFinancialAidServicesif you have anyquestionsregardingthisaward.

SpringCleaning?

The CommunityWomen'sCentreat UCFVis lookingfor donationsfor their SpringGarageSale fundraiser,to be heldon Saturday,April28. Donationscanbe droppedoff at the women'scentreat A224In Abbotsford.For large items,pick-upcan be arranged. For more information, call local4669and leavea messagefor Ann.

Nominationssoughtfor the ExcellenceIn StudentleadershipAward

The Excellencein StudentLeadershipAward,sponsored by CompassGroupCanada,will be presentedto a studentto recognizean outstandingcontributionthroughstudent governance,leadership,and studentlife. Student candidatesmust havemadea significantcontributionto student governanceat UCFV in one of the following ways: 1. Throughhis/hercontributionto the Student Union Society. 2. Through his/her contributionto a DepartmentStudentAssociation.3. Throughhis/hercontributionto UCFVformalcommitteestructureeitherat the board level,or throughthe UniversityCollegeCouncil. Nominationswill be madeto and secondedin writingto the Presidentby anytwo UCFVemployees,boardmembers, Student Union Society members,or students. Nominationswill includea statementof the reasonfor the nomination.Nominationswill be receivedby Student FinancialAid Services.Thisawardwill takethe formof a

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certificateand $1000 presentedat the UCFV Annual AwardsCeremony,whichwillbe heldThursday,June7 at the ClarkeTheatrein Mission.Thenominationdeadline for the Excellencein StudentLeadershipAward sponsored by CompassGroup Canadais May 10. Please contactStudentFinancialAid Servicesif you have any questionsregardingthis award.

NewStudentResource!

UCFV Student Servicesis pleased to announcethe launchof anothernewwebsite. Thisnewsiteis desi9ned to helpstudentsconsidercareeroptionsand educational opportunities.It guidesstudentsthroughthe admissions andcourseplanningprocess,helpsthemlearnto usethe Internetto get labourmarketinformation,helpsthempreparea financialplan,andprovidessometipson surviving the first year of studies. A great new resource: www.ucfv.be,ca/crc.pes.htm

Braveheart

By JesseMacpherson

"I couldn'tbelieveIt whenBraveheartwalkedup to me

No! Not MelGibson!Brave-fucking-heart, all right!? Braveheart, Yeah,he saw me outsideand rushedout to greetme.

Why? Wellto showme respectandfriendship Why! Whatthe fuck do you mean?!

·causehe'sa goodguy that'sfuckingwhy. Anyway land

I musthave -in the middleof a casualwalk- inadvertentlystrolled,casually 1 onto his No, I don't mean'lawn' I meanland that'swhy I saidland I strolled,onto his 'land' okay?

Okay.

So I'm there,strolling,whenI hearsomeoneshouting.Not yelling,so muchas shout• Ing.It was Braveheartl He was runningout of his house,callingoverto me,wavinga ceremonialclub in the air as a sign of welcome.

Yes,I'm sureit wasn'ta baseballbat. No, he didn'tseemangry. -Look!Can I pleasefinishmy story?thanks so wherewas I, oh yeah -club, He comesrunningup to me wavingthe ceremonialclub,and I lowermy binoculars andextendmy

what? .whydid I havebinoculars? well...uh -to look at the amazingvarietyof avian speciesin the area. Yeah. I was birdwatching.That'sitl Birdwatching.Asa matterof fact, that'swhy I was on his lawn er, land,in the first place. I was birdwatching.Okay huh? oh right,right. I was loweringthe uh,yeah, right...

So I lowermy binoculars,for birdwatching,and extendmy armsin the ancientCeltic friendshipgesture:two clenchedfists.

He thoughtthis was terrific,he couldobviouslytell that he was m~etinga kindred spirit,someonehe couldcall a comrade.We playfullysparredfor a few minutes,t~enwe jokinglywrestledon the grass. He evenpretendedto try to strangleme -whata kidder. It wasn'ttill I gentlytappedhim on the backof the skullwith his ceremonialclubthat he finally let go of my neck.

Thensomepolicecame,but theymisunderstood.Theyobviouslydon'tstudyCeltic tr~ditions,beca~seth~y _-you'llneverbelievethis- ~he~thought...thatBraveheartand I -get this- werefighting! Fighting!!Me, and Braveheart,fighting. Usl!

So anyway,they pulledme off of my pal and helped himup, andthentheybeatme for awhilewhileBraveheartwatched.Thatjokesterevenkickedme in the ribsa coupla

t I• 't '(i times,just for a gag.

Thenhe told the coppersthathe's Mel Gibson. Causehe can'tvery wellgo aroundtellingpeoplewho he reallyis, they all think he died yearsago. There'dbe reporterseverywhere. So he let the policecuff me and shove me In the backof theircar. I noddedto him,andgave him a wink -to let him knowthat I understandwhy he hadto lie aboutwho he is- Then,just as a gag, I yelledout 'l'M GONNA KILLYORWHOLEFUCKINFAMILYAND SHIT ON YORSTILLFRESHGRAVES!YOU COKSUKKA!I!'He actedangry, for the sakeof the cops, but I couldtell he was tryinghis hardestnot to laugh.

Just beforewe droveaway,Braveheartgaveme the traditional Scottishsendoff: a quickblowto the facewith the butt end of his ceremonial club. Gladthe windowwas openor he wouldn'thavebeenable to displayhis respectfor me likethat. I wavedas we droveoff.

LookingbackI saw Braveheart,standingproudlyon his familyland, againsta blazingsettingsun, salutingme with a mightymiddledigit raisedhigh. he was silhouettedby the crimsonday'send, but I swearI couldsee a singletear rolldownhis cheekas I dlssapearedoverthe last hill.

So whatare you in for?"

Letter To The Editor:

Re: "Swear to God" by Jesse MacPherson, Cascade Issue 5 - March 30, 2001.

Dear Editor,

The Cascade continually seems to stoop to new lows in its articles. In particular, the article "Swear to God" by Jesse MacPherson (March 30, 2001) was offensive. blasphemous and disgusting. It is ironic that In a culture which continually emphasizes tolerance, it is permissible and widely accepted to use a student newspaper to blaspheme God and slam Christians (Michael W. Smith and Arny Grant in this particular article). On the one hand, you refuse to print "any letters that contain racist, sexist or homophobic or libelous content" but then you yourselves print equally offensive trash deemed acceptable since it Is directed against Christianity.

As a student funded newspaper, the Cascade should reflect the issues and events from UCFV rather than using the paper as a means to promote a particular political, social or religious (or should I say anti-religious) agenda. If you want to cover a religious topic, please do so in a respectable and educational manner rather than openly blaspheming God to the extreme.

Mark Penninga

NDP and the FTAA

Continued from Page 5

The NOP party is calling on Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew to make the text of Canada's position on free trade public. Pettigrew has replied he must first convince other countries to release the details of their positions, though most are doubtful this consensus can be reached, or is even realistic.

On Monday in Ottawa, 500 protesters blocked access to the Department of Foreign Affairs building during a mock "search and rescue" mission intended to retrieve the texts of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) agreement. The NOP endorsed the peaceful protest.

McDonough is also preparing to lead the 13 NOP MPs in protest on the streets of Quebec City, where tens of thousands are expected to march in opposition to the FTAA. She met with the city's Mayor Jean-Paul L'Allier this weekend. And she has already discussed plans for the upcoming international free trade meetings with local student and activists groups.

Recently, she witnessed the beginning of the construction of the controversial three-metre wall, which she calls "the fortress," being put up around the city centre to keep protesters away from delegates.

"I saw concretely what we've been talking about - the walling off of democra• cy/ she said. "It really does look like a fortress."

She said L'Allier shared many of her concerns over the excessive security measures hampering meaningful protest. "I certainly got the impression that he is looking actively to do everything possible to ensure that protest is peaceful and meaningful," she said. "I think he has a great deal of sympathy for the issues.''

She said she believed the mayor was making an effort to extend as genuine a welcome to those attending the People's Summit, an alternative summit organized by activists, as he was to the 34 leaders of the countries attending the Summit of the Americas.

"He's actively making every possible effort to ensure people have the opportunity for peaceful and meaningful protest," she said.

Quebec's taxi drivers. waitresses and hotel staff are also concerned about the upcoming meetings in their city, according to McDonough, who made a point to not just consult public figures and activist groups on her recent trip.

"It was very, very interesting,'' she said. "People expressed apprehension about whether they would be able to get to work or lose a couple days pay, and whether family needs would be met and so on. But they went on to say that they were very concerned about globalization. They had a real sense that this was about elites that don't care about their interests and about governments who are buying in."

, A somewhat anonymous letter hand delvered to the

artist and the gallery owner ' of the somewhat controver-

sial art piece "Gentle

Discipline".

Beer the Great Equalizer

Another Adieu to a year at the Cascade

Props go out to everyone that has supported the Cascade over the last school year and to Chris Bolster our outgoing editor, we wish him well on his new endeavours.

Kyle Webb our new incoming editor is a sadist. Current staff are already running in fear of being burnt at stake, put in a vice, tortured, boiled in oil, tickled by plush fuzzy pink toys, or many other unimaginable forms of punishment Cower in fear

The Cascade Staff