The Cascade Vol. 25 Issue 10

MARCH 15 TO MARCH 21, 2017

VOLUME 25 ISSUE 10

Not part of the conversation since 1993

the who’s who of the sus elections pgs. 9-12

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

EDITORIAL

There’s a SUS election?

Low interest in SUS election could be prevented VANESSA BROADBENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The first time I voted in a Student Union Society election was during my second year at UFV. I don’t remember why I didn’t vote during my first but it probably had something to do with either not caring or not knowing there even was an election. Regardless of what it was, I wasn’t a very engaged student and it’s likely that my ignorance on the operations of SUS was self-induced.

This year, the last year that I’ll be able to vote in a SUS election, I find myself in the nearly same position, almost unaware that the election is even happening.

But the difference between first-year me and fourthyear me is that I now care and want to know more about the elections. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

On Tuesday, the first of the all-candidates debates was held in the atrium of the Student Union Building, for a small handful of students that attended (I remember a much larger crowd last year). This could have been a result of the debate being on a Tuesday evening, or that it’s the busiest point in the semester and attending a SUS debate doesn’t seem like the best way to spend time. But I think it was because no one had any idea that there was even a debate happening.

Because all-candidates debates are part of the SUS election process, I just assumed that they would be happening this year. But I only heard from someone who heard from someone else who heard from one of the candidates that it was on Tuesday. And none of us knew what time it was going to be at. Checking SUS’ website and Facebook page and the events page on UFV’s website didn’t help either.

Last year was the opposite, almost to the point where I was slightly sick of hearing about the elections. Anyone following SUS’ social media had no problem knowing when and where the debates were, and regular posts were made during campaign period with candidates statements.

I believe this directly correlated with the record voter turnout of last year’s elections: 1350 people voted, compared to 473 in 2015, 315 in 2014, and 388 in 2013.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that this year will be another topper, or even a close call. Instead of building

on the involvement and interest of last year, SUS has once again returned to the dark age of hoping and praying that students will remember to vote, while forgetting to tell them that they can.

The lack of student engagement is something that is over-discussed at UFV, and even in the interviews The Cascade completed in this issue for the upcoming elections, nearly every candidate mentioned engaging with more students on campus in the hopes of having more get involved. Coincidentally, it’s something that all of SUS’ current executive addressed while they were campaigning last year as well. Normally these conversations tend to feel redundant; I have yet to hear someone at UFV say that they’re content with the amount of student involvement on campus. But it’s even more depressing when in this situation there’s an obvious solution that’s being ignored.

I don’t know why this strange drop in advertisement for the elections has happened, and I really hope there’s some reason behind it rather than that SUS simply didn’t feel like it or just forgot. Whatever reason they have, it’s still questionable and likely going to impact the amount of involvement.

Not only is this unfair to students, who are not being reminded of one of few opportunities they have to have a say in how their fees are spent, but it’s just as unfair to the candidates.

When you’re looking at only a few hundred votes cast, it’s not hard to assume that a lot of those are coming directly from people the candidates already know and coerced into voting for them. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s part of running in any election, but when those are the only votes cast it turns the election into more of a popularity contest than an actual representation of who students want to represent them.

I think I heard from someone that there’s another allcandidates debate on Friday, but I can’t say for sure, and I definitely can’t say where it’ll be or what time it’ll be at.

But I can say that voting is from March 21-24 — just in case no one else tells you.

Photo: Joel Robertson-Taylor

STAFF Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Broadbent vanessa@ufvcascade.ca Managing Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

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CONTRIUBUTORS Opinion Editor Panku Sharma panku@ufvcascade.ca Culture & Events Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Production Assistant Molly Jones molly@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Features Editor Bradley Peters brad@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca

Varsity Writer Harvin Bhathal harvin@ufvcascade.ca

Photographer Alexandrah Pahl Alexandrah@ufvcascade.ca

Production Manager Brittany Cardinal brittany@ufvcascade.ca

Distributor Griffy Vigneron distributor@ufvcascade.ca

Jesse Boyes Jennifer Trithardt-Tufts Ekanki Chawla

Cover: Joel Robertson-Taylor Back Cover: Brittany Cardinal

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA @UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE

Volume 25 · Issue 10 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,250 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Writers meetings are held each Monday at 12:00 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

NEWS NEWS BRIEFS

UFV innovators climb to the summit Two UFV related projects will present at the BCTECH summit

Effort to see more government funding Langara College faculty along with the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of B.C. are working on a province-wide campaign to persuade the B.C. government to increase funding for higher education.

Langara faculty and students have created ads for transit that show students who are overloaded with debt and exhausted from needing to work to pay for tuition.

Part of the issue centres around the B.C. Liberal’s reliance on what they perceive to be far too much foreign student tuition money to help subsidize costs.

- The Vancouver Sun

Human Books The human books library will be back on display at the UFV Chilliwack campus atrium Wednesday March 15.

The library will have people sit on display and in a speed dating type format, visitors can engage in conversation with each human book, asking questions or talking about anything. The goal of the display is to challenge people’s understandings of stereotypes and share influence.

The library will host a Buddhist monk, university professor, and firefighter among many others.

- The Chilliwack Progress

Poetry book copyright infringement Concordia University’s centre for expanded poetics was caught scanning various poets’ books and posting them to its web page without their permission.

According to The Globe and Mail, the books had been scanned and uploaded to the centre’s website by centre director Nathan Brown.

Most of the poetry books retail for less than $20, but were available for free to anyone with internet access.

After calls from the Writer’s Union of Canada and The Globe and Mail, and complaints from publishers, the links to the books were removed Tuesday afternoon. Some of the links dated back as far back as 2015.

- The Globe and Mail

Photo: Facebook

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR

A quality assurance test for radiation therapy designed by UFV students and a high-tech greenhouse will be shown at British Columbia’s tech conference this year. The displays are

by UFV’s mechatronics program and the Agriculture Centre of Excellence. UFV will also have a general display.

The BC Tech summit is an annual two-day trade show for British Columbia-made tech innovations and industry-related networking.

As B.C.’s biggest tech conference, it draws in technologies from medicine, robotics, aerospace, and other sectors. The show runs March 14 and 15 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The mechatronics project, Automating Mechanical Quality Assurance Tests for Medical Linear Accelerators, was last year’s graduating and the first UFV mechatronics’ graduating class’ final project.

Lin Long, associate professor and co-chair of the engineering and physics program oversaw and instructed the project, which was the capstone course project and took four months to complete.

The purpose of the device is to calibrate and align the radiation machines used in cancer radiation therapy so that they can deliver their beam directly at the tumor. Cameras within the device, which is only about the size of a microwave, process the aim of the linear accelerator and send feedback to remotely align the apparatus until it’s centred.

During radiation therapy, the beam from the linear accelerator will strike the tumor. It can be dangerous to irradiate the tumor’s surrounding healthy tissue so the machine must be precisely calibrated. Over time, the machine falls out of alignment and must be adjusted regularly to insure accuracy.

For their work on the quality assurance test device, Cameron Appeldoorn and Brandon Vangenderen, both students in the Mechatronics class were hired by the BC Cancer Agency to continue development on the quality assurance test device.

“So what we’d normally do for calibration is set up a measuring device and align it with the linear accelerator’s isocenter to then compare the lasers to that device,” said Appeldoorn. “So we’d take a reference point, compare the laser to the

“Using camera’s, we can get the accuracy from around .5 millimeter to about .1 millimeter. We’re fairly consistent around .1 millimeter.” reference point, and visually check it.”

But this manual method could take upwards around 30 or 40 minutes if all four lasers need to be adjusted.

“What our device does is instead of having to visually check it, we take an image of a projection of that laser, then compare that to an image of the actual laser so we can subdivide the offset a little bit better with a camera’s vision rather than a human vision,” Appeldoorn said.

Essentially, instead of measuring the aim of the machine manually, the device that Appeldoorn and Vangenderen worked on sights the laser itself and automatically adjusts the machine accordingly. It does this in less than five minutes.

With the process’s speed increased, what was normally a monthly test can be done more frequently, once a week or daily if necessary.

Time is a valuable resource with the linear accelerator because it is so heavily booked for treatments. With a faster quality assurance test, the machine can be used more frequently and more accurately.

“Time is probably the most significant factor, and then the accuracy,” said Vangenderen.

“Using cameras, we can get the accuracy from around .5 millimeter to about .1 millimeter.

We’re fairly consistent around .1 millimeter.”

The device is currently in its third generation, but designs for the fourth are ready. While the machine isn’t used for clinical purpose yet, Appeldoorn and Vangenderen hope to publish a paper on their on their findings of the precision and accuracy of the machine. They’re also hoping that the machine will be picked up for production for the medical market.

The BioPod initiative is a partnership between the City of Surrey, the John Volken Academy, and the University of the Fraser Valley. The BioPod itself consists of two greenhouses connected together in a U-shape formation. One side is used for research and development while the other is used as a control.

These high-tech greenhouses are used for research, training, and the production of food used at the John Volken Academy, an addictions treatment and rehabilitation centre.

The BioPods feature innovative designs, for which they won an award last year.

In their current capacity, the BioPods have been used to test what is called a high diffusion poly covering the greenhouse. This material distributes sunlight multi-directionally and more evenly than a traditional greenhouse poly covering.

Within the greenhouses, B.C. tech company, Affinor Growers’ (also at the tech summit) tested their vertical growing system.

The vertical growing system is made up of a vertical post with four levels of troughs that hold plants. The tower is mechanically driven to rotate in order to distribute sunlight evenly over the plants. With this system, more plants can be grown per square foot than on level ground.

Both projects will be shown at the BC Tech Summit until March 15.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

NEWS

Program migrates into approved status New graduate level programs for UFV JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR

A new program focusing on human movement, resettlement, and belonging was approved by the UFV senate last week.

The migration and citizenship program offers three related graduate-level credentials: a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, and a master degree. Because the certificate and diploma can be approved by the university, they will both be offered in Fall 2018. However, the master degree requires additional external approval from the B.C. ministry of advanced education which may delay the degree another year.

Currently there are no programs in western Canada the share the same focus. While there are a few similar courses in Canada, they are only offered at Ryerson University as an MA in immigration and settlement studies, at the university of Toronto as a graduate program in diaspora and transnational studies, and ethnicity, immigration, and pluralism (which is not a standalone credential but added it onto another program), and York University’s graduate diploma in refugee and migration studies.

“It’s very Toronto-centric, there’s nothing in B.C. and there’s nothing in Alberta, so we thought that this would be a good program,” said Dr. Nicola Mooney, program working group chair and associate professor in UFV’s social cultural and media studies department.

From both a Canadian and global perspective, the program will examine human migration in its many forms, whether forced, voluntary, permanent, or temporary. It’ll also address issues in both contemporary and historical contexts.

“If you look at particular decades, different people were coming in at different times, and facing different challenges,” said Mooney. “So looking at the specificities of what is the immigrant experience; and also to realize that whatever the immigration situation looks like today, there may very well have

been precedents for this kind of moment in terms of different people’s experiences throughout history.”

The program will be organized so that students can stack their courses onto one another. After starting off with a certificate, the classes required for it will count towards the diploma and then also the MA. “So if you don’t know if you can commit to a degree and don’t know if you have time or the money, you can start with the certificate and ladder it into a diploma,” said Eric Davis, provost and vice president academic. “If you want to go on, and then you

“It was in development for a number of years, but even before the present moment we’re in, which is the world is witnessing the most serious refugee crisis since the second world war.” can ladder that into the degree.”

Some of the classes required may also be taught at the 400-level of an undergraduate degree and count towards the graduate program.

“We want to give as many options as possible and for the program to be as flexible as possible for students,” said Mooney.

The migration and citizenship credentials may predominantly

appeal to students who are looking to work, or are already working in community services, healthcare, non-profit organizations or the legal field. Further preparing students for the workforce, the diploma and MA will include a practicum requiring work placements, and the MA will also include a thesis.

Program development began back in 2014 when the university board of governors approved a list of planned programs allowing the programs’ working group to move ahead with developing a full program proposal. After approval, the Migration and Citizenship programs were included in the 2011-2015 Education Plan, as well as the 2014 Update to the Education Plan.

During the budget approval process in January, it was noted that the typical financial model creates difficulties for launching new programs where tuition is the only source of revenue.

However, the risk was recognized and with the dean’s approval of the budget risk, the program’s costs were approved by the budget committee.

“So it was in development for a number of years, but even before the present moment we’re in, which is the world is witnessing the most serious refugee crisis since the second world war,” said Davis.

The National Household Survey revealed that the number of immigrants living in Abbotsford increased by 26 per cent from 2001 to 2011. According to the government of Canada, 40,081 resettled Syrian refugees have been accepted as of January 2017.

Even though development of the program began before the Syrian refugee crisis became fully realized, the global issue that it presents has been strongly considered through the planning process.

“We’ve had a lot of support institutionally because of that coalescence of factors,” said Mooney. “We’d rather the refugee crisis not be the major pressing issue that it is, but it’s only threatening to become worse with what’s happening in U.S. politics.”

Stories worth paying attention to #TrustUSWe’reSpies

#YukonGenderRights

CSIS not honest about information plans

The Yukon makes changes to protect transgender rights

Liberals defend investigation into fundraising

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) is being accused of going back on its word to share information with judges concerning a secret data hub.

The Yukon territory has moved to change two laws with the hopes of bettering the rights of the transgender community. The acts affected will be the Vital Statistics Act and the Human Rights Act. The amendments come with the commitment of erasing discrimination based on the gender an individual identifies with.

As the province heads towards elections in British Columbia, the B.C. Liberals launched an independent commission on political donations and are receiving some backlash in regards to the timeliness of decision.

This data centre is called the Operation Data Analysis Centre (ODAC) which was created with the intention of organizing and holding data for potential relevant need in the future.

CSIS director Michel Coulombe said that they had conducted themselves within the limitation of the CSIS Act, though Canadian judges oppose the claim, and have pursued the matter in court.

Coulombe had stated to Liberal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale that a fallout from CSIS would be rather embarrassing and that he pledge to ameliorate the practices of CSIS. Early this week Coulombe announced he will be retiring.

-The Globe and Mail

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#JustAnInvestigation

This legislation comes with the promise of Yukon citizens possessing equal rights and access to government services and plans.

Keeping up with the rest of the Canadian provinces, the Yukon is trying to maintain similar societal and legislative standing.

Yukoners have the ability to comment on the changes until March 24, 2017 -The Toronto Star

The decision was to employ a non-partisan panel to decide on issues and controversies surrounding the financial topics of a campaign that fall into the greyer areas.

The current donating regulation allows for any individual around the world to donate an unlimited amount of money to a political party.

The B.C. Liberals track record in terms of donations has been questionable, and has drummed up concerns from opposing parties. The implementation of a third party panel should provide more clarity with regard to political party donation conditions.

- CBC

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

SPORTS

Wrestling for gold Cascade’s Brad Hildenbrandt discusses his recent victory HARVIN BHATHAL VARSITY WRITER

The UFV Cascades wrestling team’s Brad Hildenbrandt edged his way to the top of the men’s 120 kg category at the national wrestling championships hosted by the University of Winnipeg last month, bringing home the first U Sports gold medal for wrestling in UFV’s history. The second year athlete from Surrey, B.C. sat down with The Cascade to discuss his recent victory and how he got to the point of being a national champion.

Now that it’s sunk in, how do you feel about winning the first U Sports gold medal for the Cascades?

I’m proud of myself, I wrestled well.

It really shows the improvement that has happened in the last couple years.

There were guys I used to lose badly to, but now it’s the opposite. I think for me, it’s not so much about being a U Sports national champion, it’s about confirming that I’m improving.

What do you think this gold medal win will do for you in the future?

Obviously, being All-Canadian looks great on a resume. It opens up a whole lot, it shows people you’re not just an athlete but a student-athlete. You’re a national champion while going to school. It shows you’re balanced [in being] athletic and intelligent.

What do you do differently to put yourself ahead of the competition?

I’m working harder than everyone else. For me, I always had the physical part, it was trying to get the technique down. These last two years have been a lot of focusing on technique and strategy.

Photo: UFV Flickr

How does it help having two head coaches rather than one?

I’ve been working with Raj [Virdi]

since I was in grade 11, he’s my club coach as well. Then he introduced me to Arjan [Bhullar]; having someone who’s an Olympian in your own weight class can teach you exactly what you need to do. He’s been there, done it.

Raj as well, he’s been a Commonwealth Games champion. They’ve both been at the highest level. That’s something a lot of teams don’t have.

What made you go into wrestling; what does your passion stem from?

I wanted to be better than everyone else. I’m not like that in regular life but in wrestling I did want to be better than everyone else, I wanted to be a champion.

When did you get into wrestling?

In grade eight, through my high school team. They made an announcement saying they were having a meeting for anyone who wants to join the wrestling team and I wanted to.

What made you want to try out?

I had always done different martial arts. I used to do karate and at the time I was doing taekwondo as well.

[Wrestling] seemed like a different [martial art] that would be useful and I wanted to try it.

How do you think doing karate and taekwondo helped you in terms of wrestling?

It gave me balance, flexibility, and it taught me discipline.

Do you see wrestling as a future for yourself?

Hopefully. I’m trying to make the 2020 Olympic team.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

UFV rowers pull through at Head of the Fort Last weekend, UFV Cascades rowers hosted its ninth annual Head of the Fort regatta.

The 6.5-kilometer race took place at the Bedford Channel in Fort Langley featured 59 boats from juniors, university, and Masters crews from local rowing clubs from the Lower Mainland and The Cascades and the Simon Fraser men’s and women’s teams.

In the junior varsity fours, the Cascades women’s four finished third. The boat featured Karen Chung, Erin Steele, Angelica Evans, and Michelle Olive. The UFV men’s four also came in third place. Their boat featured Clayton DeVries, Graeson Lounsbury, Andrew Stahl, Kyle Fischer, finishing only 15.8 seconds behind a UFV alumni boat.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

OPINION

The who’s who of the NDP Leadership Debate Did we mention Jack Layton? Jack Layton.

Photo: Canadian Press

PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR

Unless you’re bringing your own celebrity or scandal with you, it’s a tough climb to make a name for yourself in Canadian political leadership races. While the first round of voting won’t start until September, four NDP hopefuls met this past Sunday in Ottawa to take part in the party’s first debate. Granted, both because it’s so early and because quite a few other rumoured hopefuls have yet to throw their hats (or turbans, re: Jagmeet Singh) into the ring, the debate itself was more of a free microphone opportunity to lay out the introduction to their agenda and campaign message rather than fight amongst each other.

Going in order of names you might recognize we’ll start with Niki Ashton, the 34-year-old MP for Churchill—Keewatinook in Manitoba, who last year gained a certain amount of exposure when she describe “elbowgate” as traumatizing and likened it to assault and violence against women. However, while that might be some baggage she’ll look to drop (I would) she also has a solid history of committee and critic experience in the House of Commons and a strong academic background.

She opened the debate by describing herself as “a democratic socialist [and] intersectional eco-feminist” with a platform based on curbing climate change, wealth inequality, and nationalizing services and industries.

While her youth, energy, and strong leftist language might be an asset, I can also see the phrase “intersectional eco-feminist” giving people pause until they see what it brings in action or whether it’s just a messaging choice by her campaign. She believes in public and social ownership helping society, bringing in grassroots activists, making the party proud and vocal in its left politics, and was a critic

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of the Liberals lack of follow through on promises. Overall she gave a great progressive performance that will be popular with the younger generation (she was a standout for me), however, I wasn’t sold both on her opposition to free trade (which as someone who’s not an economist I think should still be approached with nuance and not posturing) or her ability to explain her labels, politics, and activism to an older generation.

Charlie Angus is a 54-year-old former punk rocker (the band L’Etranger also featured former NDP MP Andrew Cash) and current MP for Timmins—James Bay in Ontario.

He described himself as having a pragmatic vision, and is rooted in a very working-class, labour-focused platform in his messaging and key issues. Wealth inequality, good jobs, strong social services, and leadership abroad (particularly when it comes to Trump and negotiations of NAFTA) and against corporations are important to him. While he may have had fewer specific policy plans than his opponents, Charlie Angus definitely had the most charisma and charm in the room. He was funny, frank, and likeable, at one point promising to bring the fun back to “the party.”

Considering how often Jack Layton was name dropped by all of the candidates, and his own pointed story of disappointment in their last federal campaign (with no mention of Mulcair), he will be someone to watch out for as out of the four current candidates he’s the only one with Layton’s stage presence, which in a campaign can be just as important as policy.

Guy Caron, the 48-year-old MP RimouskiNeigette—Temiscouata—Les Basques and an economist, used this opportunity to drill into the audience not only his specific platform agenda and expertise, but also his past relationship working for Jack Layton, whose legacy and vision he wants to implement. If

you are going to associate Guy Caron with only two words, he’d love it if those were “basic income.” This probably wasn’t the arena for him to elaborate on how it will fit into existing social services support or to cite ongoing studies and practical applications, but he at least put a proposal forward that was unique and not a strained rephrasing of wealth inequality and climate change.

Guy gave two of the most impressive answers that really stuck out for me during the debate, and ones that make me hope that regardless of outcome he has a role to play in the party going forward. The first, in a question about balancing a resource-based economy against the environment, he took a step (that is divisive in the party itself ) by praising the work being done by the Alberta NDP who supported pipelines as a way to reinvest, transition into, and diversify support for a green economy and retraining. This is probably the closest to my own view on the matter, as pragmatic as it is, because as it stands only political will or money will see these transitions happen, and I don’t think the political will is there when so many people are struggling to find jobs and secure housing. The other answer I liked was when he didn’t outright dismiss free trade agreements as anti-worker (which works as a populist message, but so would blaming robots), and instead focused on renegotiating NAFTA to emphasize respect for human rights, workers, and the environment in addition to reciprocity and access that is fair for everyone involved.

Based on what I’ve heard from him, while he might come off as a policy wonk, he at least has a vision for the party, platform, and country that is thinking well past just the next election.

And lastly, Peter Julian, the 54-yearold MP for New Westminster—Burnaby.

With a background in community activism, working-class history, and his work with the

party since 2004, Julian is a strong choice on paper and might receive a lot of support from westerners considering the leadership raced is based on one member, one vote and not riding.

However, out of everyone on stage he made the weakest impression, and during some of his long-winded answers was unable to engage the audience and, in fact, was draining some of the energy out of the room. Think a nicer Stephen Harper with a heart. Unlike Caron, he is against the western pipelines, but for the most part half of his answers started with the phrase “I agree with [my opponent],” which is not a strong first impression for someone vying for leadership. Conciliatory is good in team building and leadership, but it leaves the door open for everyone else to run with the issues when it’s done on a stage and in front of cameras. In one of his few outbursts of energy, when asked about how he would work with Trump, he said he didn’t believe Trump would be around by the time he was elected and took a pretty firm stance against the president. I hate Trump too, but I feel like he could have handled that without coming off either as pandering or unprofessional. While this might not have been the best showing for Julian, I’m going to keep an ear open going forward for his leadership in regional interests for our province and how he’s going to adapt to the changing landscape of the race.

Overall, this debate was much easier to watch than the Conservative race not only because of my politics but because they have around eight less candidates that I would have to Google. It was quiet, and definitely didn’t sate my blood lust, but I look forward to the months ahead to see how these candidates really draw the lines and offer different visions for the next federal election.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

STUDY BREAK v CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

3: Natural scene, or non-portrait photo

1: Detailed, often late-night television ads

5: Sherlock Holmes saying, “The game is _ _ _ _ _”

2: Popular hat design (two words)

6: The rate of speed for an action, often performing music

3: Food saved to be eaten at a later time

7: A group, typically of witches

4: An obscenity or swear word

8: Bumpy-backed desert mammal 9: Forgiveness or compassion when hostility could be taken, or Overwatch’s angelic healer 10: Liquid state of matter 11: An inability to progress towards victory for anyone involved; a chess term

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: Across: 1: postage 5: igloo 6: voice 8: meow 9: Nile 14: llama 15: otter 16: empathy

Down: 1: pulp 2: Spock 3: anvil 4: edit 5: Ishmael 7: emperor 10: swamp 11: trout 12: mace 13: stay

Made by Jeff Mijo

v HOROSCOPES

Astrological mysteries interpreted by Master Moji

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 You will succeed this week! Not at the thing you want to, but at something, at an unpredictable moment in the week, you will have absolute and excessive success when you least expect it.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 You may be highly susceptible to a lawsuit this week, so be sure to maintain a detailed documentation of everything you do, say, and especially eat.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Nothing can prepare you for the level of excitement you’ll feel when you see what’s on the next pizza you’re going to be served.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 There’s no shame in sneaking out to your car for a quick nap between classes.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 Fun tip: when designing a website, consider not just which colours you like, but which colours can be used together without rendering the reader blind, dazed, and fighting a crippling headache.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 When the apocalypse comes, nobody knows what will be used as currency. Won’t be money, I can tell you that. Bottle caps and leaves are odds on favourites, but I’m investing in rubber bands. Worst case scenario, I have a big rubber band ball and can use it to crush anyone who tries to kidnap me for my ability to tell the future.

Actually, it’s too bad the stars haven’t told me about post-apocalyptic currency just yet….

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Why do people hate slugs but think snails are cute? Maybe I should get a shell.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 That thing you heard about years ago and dismissed as stupid? Go reread the description on Wikipedia, because you might realize it’s so far up your alley you can’t believe you didn’t check it out sooner.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Feeling like you should be working but don’t want to actually work on anything you’re supposed to be doing? Try rearranging your living space for a thrilling rush of accomplishment with none of the stress of actually solving the problems hanging over your head!

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Hey, well you’re sitting here reading this paper, charge your phone and/or laptop.

You’ll thank me later.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Ever tried to count all the stars up there?

Not easy, is it? That’s why it’s important to respect your friendly neighbourhood astrologer.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 This week, a swarm of butterflies will deputize you, saying to memorize plans to destabilize a franchise built on french fries.

Depersonalize the franchise in your eyes so you can internalize the lies as you prioritize attempts to vandalize their merchandise and minimize the chances anyone dies.

Exercise caution! Catch the bad guys eyes and you’ll jeopardize the whole enterprise.

Just get a disguise and plan your surprise!

7

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

OPINION

SNAPSHOTS

Curtailed commentary on current conditions Breaking the school year mould

Jeff Mijo

Panku Sharma

Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

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I’m far from the first person to say this — I’m not even the first to write a snapshot on it — but I’m well past the point of being ready for this winter to be over. As nice as a snow day is, I’m paying good money for these classes and want to get everything I can out of them. I was trying to figure out a better solution than UFV transplanting its campus and students closer to the equator when I realized I could just break out of the standard schedule.

Why not work all summer and take my break during the winter? Sure, it might mean I can’t be as picky about my courses because of the limited selection in the summer, but at least I’m not a big vacation guy, so I don’t care if my time off is when it’s hot and sunny or freezing cold. In fact, it might be nice to sit in an airconditioned classroom in the summer.

Am I actually going to do this? Probably not.

I’m trained to follow the traditional structure of the year just like everyone else. But maybe it’ll provide me a little bit of comfort next time I’m complaining about the snow to know that I don’t have to be doing this, but that I’m choosing to.

Being jaded

Martin Castro

Do you people know how hard it is to be informed and still be cheerful? It’s goddamn hard. I’ve got a part-time job selling clothes and this lady walks up to me demanding I bring her the top featured on one of the store’s wall graphics in a medium.

“Can you believe this?” she says, pointing to a man in a turban who’s clearly being dragged around by his teenage daughter as she throws clothing items at him.

She says the man should at least have the decency to speak English. And to find the right top because the one I brought her isn’t the right one. It’s not the one she wants.

Lady, I brought you the one on the wall.

Also, lay off this poor guy, he’s just trying to buy his daughter some clothes.

Every second night I check in on policy decisions made down south. “Republicans confirmed substance abuse and mental health coverage would no longer be mandated under the Medicaid expansion.”

I lament the crippled, ineffective joke the EPA has been turned into.

I really wish Scott Pruitt would fuck off.

I talk to my sister about our youngest cousins in the States. They were born there but they look foreign.

At least the people around them are educated, my sister says. I know, I know. But I still worry.

Fuck off, Scott Pruitt.

Maybe it’s prolonged post-reading-break winter semester depression at work, but I doubt it.

Fat Cats

Anything goes

In an ideal universe every sentient being will be free to live their life without misery and violence, and we as a society will have moved on from the shackles of a worldview defined by capitalism and nebulous market forces.

However, until such a time, can we talk about how the real leeches on society and oppressors of the common folk are pets? Yes, we love them, but it should be an equal twoway street. Why don’t I get the most expensive brands of prescription food? Why don’t I get to sleep the entire day? Why don’t I get to damage property unaccountably? Why can’t I poop in expensive chemically-treated sand? How much social capital, time, and energy do we devote to them? How often do they say thank you?

The step before our utopia will be bringing my lazy, ungrateful cats into the workforce, thereby giving them a seat at the table. I want an egalitarian world; I want to do away with these hierarchies. Either we all work or none do.

We either all pay bills, or we all take naps and occasionally puke hairballs on the carpet.

Words don’t have meaning, but this sentence might.

I can’t help but notice the inherentness of a major descriptive field described entirely in metamorphosis. Allow me elaborate.

Taking cues from late Adamantism combined with a contemporary self-centered instructive migraine, it would be better to say nothing than to say nothing at all. The formulaic, insert-buzzword-here model has disseminated throughout the pole and tariat masses. Nearly indecipherable from the trooth, this cownterfit, might, appear, worthy of merit but merit never be so.

Where do we trace the routes of this new movement? The answer lies; or perhaps it merely misunderstands. Information is cheap, it’s now nearly worthless. Having gone off the knowledge standard, information is majorly overinflated. This is because information travels faster than the speed of sound reason.

Oxfam dictionary’s word of the year for 2016 was post-truth. I think the era of “post-truth” may be an inaccurate analysis. I propose, calling upon the theories of Kantietzsky, Praxheim, and Zjong Chlee, a new perspective: The era of “I’ve made up my mind, don’t bother me with the truth.”

Joel Robertson-Taylor

www.ufvcascade.ca

FEATURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017

SUS Elections

Your guidebook to help you figure out who to vote for What is the Student Union Society?

The Student Union Society (SUS) is a student-led, nonprofit organization made up of elected student executives, faculty representatives, hired student staff, and permanent staff members. The purposes of the SUS are many: they are to represent its members (over 9,000 UFV students) and advocate for postsecondary education on their behalf, organize clubs and associations, and connect them with students, and to provide engagement opportunities for students.

Who is on the SUS board?

President — The president is the official spokesperson for the Society and is responsible for its strategic direction and leadership. The president supervises the executive and is expected to represent the interests of students at all times.

Vice president external — The vice president external is responsible for developing engagement and interacting with the student body. They also develop and coordinates SUS advocacy efforts, oversee the operation of the food bank, and manage the advocacy, equalities, and engagement officers.

Vice president internal — The vice president internal ensures the long-term financial sustainability of the Society and oversees all financial processes. They provide support, resources, and oversight to clubs and associations and manage the finance and clubs and associations officers.

Student representatives — Student representatives act as a voice for the body they represent, including the Board of Governors, Senate, the Aboriginal community, and each of UFV’s faculties.

What kind of fees does SUS get (semesterly)? $27.23 — Campus Connector $4.98 — FixIT $35.00 — SUB Building Fee $43.13 — U-Pass Program $215.59 — Health and Dental Plan (annually) $30.00 — General operations

What services does SUS offer?

• • • • • • • • • • •

U-Pass program Campus Connector shuttle bus Health and dental coverage Food bank IT tech support Emergency student grants Premier entrance scholarship Funding for clubs and associations The Canoe restaurant Fair Grounds coffee shop Campus engagement events including Welcome Week

What has SUS done this term?

July 2016 •

•

SUS designates space for pride centre and women’s centre installs international flag display in SUB atrium

September 2016 •

creates working groups to draft mandates for pride centre and women’s centre

October 2016 •

•

SUS hosts byelection with one candidate running and a total of 10 votes cast SUS promises to install condom and feminine hygiene dispensers after condoms in a SUB bathroom were tampered with. (Dispensers have not yet been installed.)

January 2017 •

•

SUS hosts key-note speaker event featuring Margaret Trudeau SUS hires Mark Wellington as their new executive director

February 2017 •

•

SUS reinstalls international flag display after a nearly six month hiatus SUS creates “seeking reconciliation” student award

Interviews completed by Bradley Peters.

All interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017

PRESIDENTS Gurvir Gill

Study Area: Fourth-year Business Major Experience: Residence Association VP / President and Residence Assistant at Baker House, Global Engagement Volunteer with UFV International, Student Engagement Team member, Go-Team and Ambassador with Student Life, member of the UFV Rowing Team, Welcome Week volunteer, Angel Tree contributor, Co-Host at UFV Bookstore’s Annual Student Recognition fashion show

What are you hoping to accomplish as president?

One of the biggest things I’m going for is building a better culture and community on campus for students. I’ve been here for four years now, and I’ve seen what’s happened; there’s been a shift of UFV’s, and I’m left questioning, like many students attending this university, “What’s our thing?” I want to create an identity of UFV by students and for students, that’s my biggest thing. Other universities host large events to welcome first-year students, and I think that is something that we could take from them. I kind of want to work with our Welcome Week, which is something that’s been happening every year with SUS for sometime now, so I’m intending to develop that and make it better.

Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

One thing I can think of at the moment is the Welcome Weeks in the second semester. I find that they are lacking energy compared to how it functions in the first semester. I know that we don't have a big intake in our second semester compared to the first, but I think it's important to keep the energy level high for students coming off of the break. I want to give students an option for things to do on campus and to give UFV more community-based stuff for our university. I know we’re such a commuter campus and I know that’s a big issue regarding student involvement; I totally get it, for students that might not want to stay here because they have commuted from far away, and they just want to go to class and go home. I totally get that. But I am still thinking about giving those students options. I want to focus on what we can do for students that are spending time on campus to make their time here more enjoyable, like more info booths and free food here and there. It’s so important because the classroom education is only a percentage of the education that students gain from their experience at universities. A lot of the education gained from attending university is happening outside of the classroom just as much as it has inside of the classroom. There’s more to a student than just classroom life.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

I want to have a bigger online presence, making sure we are on all types of social media. I feel like we also need to do more classroom visits to first-years and second-years at the beginning of every semester, just to let them know what's happening on campus. I want to have an open door policy. Students should feel free to walk in and see what's going on with SUS and learn about the campus. I know as the president I’m really just the face and the voice for students; I know how important it is for students to be able to come and speak with me. I want it so that each student will know at least one person that represents them in SUS on a more personal level. My goal is to have every student know what’s going on with us, either learning about it online or in person. In my first year, I didn’t have a clue what was going on with SUS, so I understand that, and that really helps me know how important it is to communicate and get in touch with students to get them involved and help them understand what’s going on with SUS, and I know that will have a meaningful and long-term impact on our university’s quality of student life.

Are there any specific policies or bylaws you are wanting to change or implement?

The one big thing that I realized is how difficult it is to get events done.

I know how important this is. If we’re trying to get students engaged, I know that events on campus play a major role in this. So, if there’s something that a student loves doing and he wants to have an event for it, I want to make that happen. Another thing is making it easier for students to bring off-campus food to these events. At the moment it’s very difficult for students hosting events to bring food that isn’t catered through the UFV food service provider. Simplifying the policies around hosting events, and making it simple and straightforward for those groups to bring food from anywhere, are both immediate priorities for me after the election; just to make things simple and less expensive.

If I was elected, there’s already a goal plan that the president has to follow in place from the previous semester. The upcoming year will be the third year of a three-year goal plan that the previous president and his executives had come up with. As president, your job is to follow that plan, listen to students, to be the face of students on campus and to be the voice connecting students to the faculty.

Cameron Stephen

Area of Study: Third-year Bachelor of Science, Biology Major Experience: Manager and Supervisor of SUS Food Services Department, SUS Faculty of Science Rep for 2014/2015

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What are you hoping to accomplish as president?

My main goal is to move SUS in a direction that feels more focused on the benefits of students instead of SUS being more of a benefit towards the Society itself. This seems to be a trend in the past couple of years, where the thinking has been geared towards benefiting the Society first, and students second. My main goal is to make sure that everything that SUS is doing is working towards putting students first in the end, whether those students necessarily support us or not. I will accomplish this by working to have students be more aware of SUS. Students know there is a SUB, but they don’t necessarily know what SUS does. This will help increase the engagement of the university. Right now the board has three members running for it, which is significantly low. It’s pretty disappointing to see, because it just shows that students are getting less engaged, especially with how many departments we have on campus and how many students we have. To reach the students, I know in the past SUS has done classroom visits. I don't know if they're doing them at the moment, but we might work on doing those again. Also we could set up more tabling booths and get things set up in more public areas rather than just here in the SUB. Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

Some of the handling of the stuff over the summer. The biggest issue that comes to mind is, after the pride shooting in Orlando students wanted to fly the pride flag on campus, and how quickly that was shut down. I believe that the students should’ve been allowed to fly that flag, at least for the entirety of the day. It was a time of mourning, and they should’ve been allowed to keep it up. I know it wasn’t university policy but, at that point who cares? It’s not like they’re damaging property or anything with it up. The flag was only up for maybe half an hour before SUS took it down, and I think that was a mistake. I definitely would’ve handled that differently. Maybe just in general, not handling policy so stringently, and being more understanding and thoughtful towards certain situations. If something happens, and for example a group of students need to work a table in the atrium for an issue, but they don’t necessarily have the paperwork for it, I wouldn’t be too strict on those

issues. I want to be more thoughtful and understanding of nuanced issues that come to SUS. I want to put the individual student before paperwork.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

I will definitely work on having more announcements and things coming out from SUS. I know that there was a president’s blog that was started, but it only ever had one post. Actually working on utilizing that and having constant posts going out would be a start, as well as using the Facebook page to present more than just the services side of things we could present more things like, “Hey, we have this board meeting coming up,” or “We have these other events coming up,” or “This policy is up for review,” and constantly have information going out to the students for them if they want it. Even if it’s not as widely read as we would like, just to have that going out is important. Utilizing social media via Facebook and Twitter and things like that is key. Having things simply out at the front desk, like policies and agendas for board meetings on the front desk open for students to come in and see and know that this is what SUS has and this is what we’re doing.

Are there any specific policies or bylaws you are wanting to change or implement?

Some of the elections policies are a little wonky and could use some reworking and rewording in some areas. They aren’t the most clear and concise and open about what you can and cannot do. If anyone has to go through election stuff in the future, I wouldn't want them to have all of these strange ambiguous questions, wording that raises more questions than they answer on the forms. I want to make things a lot more clear. We need to go over all of the policies and bylaws, making sure that everything lines up and makes sense, making sure that if a student comes in with those policies it should make sense, it should be clear and concise and it should not be worded confusingly. Clear, concise, able to be understood by the average student. You shouldn’t have to be involved with SUS to understand what anything means.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017

VICE PRESIDENTS Vice President Internal

Jaleen Mackay What are you hoping to accomplish as VPI? We A) don’t really have a platform for effectively communicating to students, B) we don’t regularly update the website, and C) the vice president internal needs to be constantly contacting people to keep on top of really the contact we have with all of clubs and associations. So what I hope to accomplish is a lot of ways of improving the efficiencies of the Student Union Society. I want to have clear minutes from the board meetings, I want the budget to be balanced carefully and for it to be looked over on a regular basis, and I want more communication with clubs and associations.

Current area of study: Bachelor of Science Biology Major, pre-medicine concentration Experience: ESports Valley Public Relations Manager, 2014 - present; UFV Advocacy for Men and Boys, 2016 - present; Equalities Committee Member, 2016; SUS Volunteer 2014 - present

Is there anything that SUS has done in that past that you would have done differently?

Yes, but it’s not a type of criticism necessarily, more to say that I as an individual would have done things differently. But for something very specific in recent memory, I remember them saying that the condom dispensers were going to be installed sometime quite early like December or January, and it’s several months later and we’ve heard nothing about it. I probably would have been a little more transparent about why it took so long and the breakdown in communication there.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

I would like there to be a more active Facebook presence because that seems to be where a lot of students are engaged, so if at all possible, similar to what I’m doing in ESports Valley, I would like to run a very active social media profile. In addition, I would like to update the myUFV platform so that it’s A) more user friendly and B) it can be used to gather metrics from the student body. What I mean by that, we already do the student elections through myUFV, but we don’t really use it for anything else when we could be using it to poll on certain things: What do you think the Student Union Building should be used for? What do you want to see out of the Student Union Society?

Are there any specific policies or bylaws you are wanting to change?

I know it’s kind of a broad answer, but what I hope to do is hopefully, if I was on payroll and not before then, I would want to look through all of the policies we have and eliminate anything that is deadweight. What I would like to do is make it legible, I would want to make it accessible to the student body so that they actually understand how things work, anything that’s outdated that we don’t need eliminated, and then clarify the rest of the policy.

Vice President Internal

Manbir Sandhar What are you hoping to accomplish as VPI? I want to make sure that all the clubs and associations are getting out because I notice when you look on the website there’s a lot of clubs and associations but you only hear about the few that throw really big events. I want to make sure they all are aware of their resources and funding that they have available and making use of it. Also, if any club needs extra funding I want to make sure that we can get than for them as well. And then for all board decisions that are made, I want to make sure that all the non-board students’ voices are getting heard so we’re not just making the decisions behind doors but we’re actually asking the students how they feel about it.

Area of Study: Second-year Bachelor of Business, Accounting and Finance Major Experience: Grade 12 leadership team member, receptionist at H&R Block

Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

No, there’s not. SUS is doing everything really well. I’ve noticed this year that there’s been a lot more events. Maybe I’ve just walked through the building more but it looks like there’s a lot more events and there’s a lot more students in the building as well. I want to make it bigger and better.

I feel like a lot of students don’t really know who the Student Union Society. I think we should be going out and talking to the students, not only in the Student Union Building but the rest of the buildings, especially the library where a lot of the students are, and online. I know that SUS has a Facebook page, but it need to be a lot more active, at least one or two posts a day so that it’s showing on everyone’s page. I don’t know if they have Instagram but that would be good too.

Are there any policies or bylaws you’re wanting to change?

There’s none that I know I want to change, because I don’t know a lot about the policies and the bylaws at the moment, but as the VPI one of my responsibilities is to revise all the policies and bylaws so as I’m in position I’ll make changes as necessary and ask the clubs and associations if they have any problems with the policies and we can make changes to them if necessary.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

Vice President External

Alyson Gher-White What are you hoping to accomplish as VPE? Part of what I would like to accomplish would be to see that all the officers are creating, with my supervision, permanent programming that will have lasting effects on campus. I would also like to promote sustainability on campus as in the economic and environmental sustainability because right now we don’t have a lot of composting other than we promote composting on campus. Another thing is as VPE, vocalization of student issues, so addressing things like why we don’t have a fall reading break, also addressing students sexual and gender diversity.

Area of study: Third-year Criminology Experience: Volunteered in martial arts community for over five years. Current Advocacy officer, helps run events and programming

Is there anything SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

Maybe the responses we have to student needs that are miscommunicated, they’re ambiguous or they’re vague, and students may have misinterpreted in the past what we’re trying to address. I think back to certain times when students have asked us questions and we’ve responded in ways that were administrative and appropriate for how our policies work, but students didn’t understand that or couldn’t reciprocate it. Maybe communication with students probably should have been a bit more open, but specific wise, I can’t really say. If I was in

the same position as them under the same stress or the same situations that they have, I’m not sure.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

Just talking to people one-on-one; sitting down in the atrium, going to classrooms and having little forums every so often. I know that’s what people may have said they were going to do previously, other executives may have said that and they didn’t. It’s a matter of time constraints because when you’re running events, when you’re implementing permanent programming, you get swept up and you get swept in the whole scheme of it. But communication needs to be through email because we lose a lot of what we’re trying to say and what we mean to say when we talk over text.

Are there any specific policies or bylaws you’re wanting to change?

I would like to review and have a policy doc. I’d also like to review, once it comes out, the sexual violence policy from UFV. I’m part of the committee, but I want to see how others reciprocate it or how others feel about it. Another thing I would like to look into is international fees.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017

REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES Aboriginal Representative

Cody Dumas What are you hoping to accomplish as the Aboriginal representative?

I'm running uncontested for this position, and that's a blatant sign of the level of involvement with Aboriginal students at UFV. Before I ran to become a member of the board halfway through last year, there was nobody that was in the position either. My main goal is to try and facilitate some of these younger students to help them get involved with SUS as well. The first thing that I’ve been trying to do since I started is establishing aboriginal clubs to try and get a place for first-year students to meet some of the older students. The biggest thing is getting the firstyear students, getting them active with some events on campus with the Aboriginal community. I want to provide some incentive for them to stick it out and then make it through.

What are you hoping to accomplish as the faculty of science representative?

I'd like to be the voice for my peers and the faculty of science. I want to help everyone feel comfortable and feel like they’re able to be open and bring their concerns and questions to me. I'm on the board of directors and I feel it's important that students have a say in making policies that ultimately affect us. Essentially, I’ll make sure that the science community is being heard.

Area of Study: Sciences, Biology major Experience: Senator on Student Appeals Committee, current Senate representative on the SUS Board, volunteer campus tour guide during New Student Orientations, current Vice President of UFV Circle K club

Are there any specific policies or bylaws you are wanting to change?

I can’t think of any specific policies that I would want to change. I want to influence the culture of SUS to be more patient and thoughtful.

Another thing I’d like to do is to make it so that Aboriginal students going forward have an association rather than a club, because there’s a lot of restrictions on clubs. You have to have certain meeting times and it’s very structured and you have to have a lot of cooperation between the group. I think that having some policies that make it easier to branch out and have a little less restrictions would help student communication and the community.

Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

I’m a current board member, so I’ve been able to have my say in recent policy decisions. I don’t think there’s anything we could have done differently. I think SUS is doing an amazing job and we’ve been working really hard to keep the students happy.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

I think communication is definitely key and it's important to keep transparency, so I'd like to attend meetings with different clubs and associations and faculties. SUS could provide them with bi-monthly updates and present reports on what's happening on the board, and also give them a chance to ask questions. In an age of social media I think that we should be taking full advantage of these platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. MyUFV is also a great place to start. We could make a page for the faculty of sciences and provide updates on what’s happening with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Are there any specific policies or a bylaws that you are wanting to change?

If a policy or bylaw does come up in the near future that’s negatively impacting the students, then I definitely will take it to the board for amendment. As of now, there is no specific bylaw that I can think of at the moment that needs to be altered.

Andrew Stahl What are you hoping to accomplish as the college of arts representative?

I was previously the chair for this term and that gave me a good idea of what the students want to have, what they're aiming for, and how the board representative should actually represent them regarding the in-camera meetings and public sessions. I'm having a meeting right now that includes all of the people of leadership from all of the different associations, and I want to see where they’re going, and see how I can make my position work with them and go in that same direction.

What I want to do is talk to a few of the leaderships and establish what common ground the students want to see, and that’s going to be my platform I will take forward as I enter onto the board. I want to talk to the leadership before I get voted into this position because I don’t want to be voted in and begin working autonomously.

Area of Study: Criminology/History Major Experience: UFV Rowing Team, Youth Leader, current SUS board chair

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How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

That's something that SUS has been struggling with since I've been there. We keep asking how we can get input from the students, because we recognize that everybody has different opinions on things and everybody has their best ideas. I think trying to branch out to electronic platforms for meetings would be very helpful. Communication really is a challenge that is ongoing, and I know it’s something we are working very hard on.

Ekanki Chawla

College of Arts Representative

Faculty of Science Representative

Area of Study: Fourth-year Philosophy Major Experience: SUS Aboriginal Representative for the last six months

Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

My worry is that a lot of the first-year Aboriginal students coming into university don't have anything to look forward to. They don't have an identity in the future to look up to, so that’s kind of the thing that I would like to change. I want to focus on providing goals and hopes for these students, as well as positive role models. I want to show them potential avenues that would work for them and I want to offer them all of my support. Aboriginal people bring a unique perspective to the different avenues they are involved in, so to help first-year students recognize this,

and enable them to see that they have so much to offer for numerous university subjects, is a major priority of mine.

Is there anything that SUS has done in the past that you would have done differently?

So far, in the year that I’ve been a part of SUS, I don’t have anything negative to say. The past leaderships have been very selective with what they’ve done because, well, it hasn’t been an easy year this past year. It’s been very unique from what our normal leadership would have had to deal with. I would say I want to work with the student body to see if there’s anything they want done differently, but in regards to the leadership, I would probably stay with the current experience, and work

with their experience and apply it to my own position.

How are you planning to improve communication with the student body?

I’m personally going to sit down with the other representatives before my elected day and communicate with them and establish a common ground. In regards to a more broad communication with the entire student body, I think that I would like to have boots on the ground and be involved personally with specific events. I’m in rowing, so I want to get in touch with the athletic community and see what they want done. I want to hear from students and see what is needed from me.

Are there any specific policies or bylaws that you are wanting to change?

SUS employs an organization called CASA that acts as an advocacy group for our student body. I support renewing their contract and continuing the push toward more student assistance from our provincial government. CASA is employed by other universities province wide and they have the ability to speak on behalf of students to put continuous pressure on our provincial government to bring in more provincial grants to UFV students. I want to advocate for policy that fights for student grant funding in one of Canada’s only provinces that doesn’t have this kind of policy in place.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

CULTURE

Long Night Against Procrastination proves a continued success EKANKI CHAWLA CONTRIBUTOR

Students and procrastination go together hand in hand, so to combat the GPA-killer, the Academic Success Centre hosted its second ever Long Night Against Procrastination (LNAP) event at both the Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses on Thursday. Starting at 5:00 p.m., various stations were sprinkled throughout the halls of G building at the Abbotsford campus, educating students on academic integrity policies, procedures for using different citation styles, as well as Language Exchange Leader (LEL) — a free new program launching soon that will offer language lessons. Some stations required you to get moving and burn some calories with the options of climbing stairs, performing hopscotch, or using a hula-hoop. Inside the library were knitting lessons, as well as a draw table that handed out goodie bags stuffed with stationary items to a few lucky students.

The cupcake and cookie-decorating table was swarmed with students and appeared to be the most popular — for obvious reasons!

Registered student attendees were provided a “report card” at check-in that was used to collect stamps from select booths.

Upon receiving five stamps, students were eligible for the grand prize — a free three-credit course. Draws also took place every half hour from 6:00 p.m. to midnight for smaller prizes such as gift cards to the Canoe, UFV merchandise (hoodies, mugs, water bottles, etc.), and chocolate bars.

At 7 p.m. sharp, the best guests of all arrived: therapy pet dogs from St. John’s Ambulance. Students cuddled with the friendly, warm creatures as an attempt to forget about upcoming assignments.

Free yoga sessions, fitness classes, and guided meditation were also offered at the event. One room, designated as the Global Lounge games room, was filled with board-game junkies and demos for making stress balls to take home. Students also had the chance to relieve their stress by popping a seemingly neverending supply of bubble wrap. Another impressive feature was the free black and white printing, which students took full advantage of. (Ink ran out at all stations by the end of the night!)

The night ended with free pizza from Ricardo’s at 11 p.m. outside of the Academic Success Centre. The library and the halls were buzzing with energized students and when the clock struck midnight, many were sad to leave — whether they beat procrastination or not.

Photos: Vanessa Broadbent

A new dawn for literary arts at UFV

Literary arts week brings industry veterans and aspiring writers together JESSE BOYES CONTRIBUTOR

Kai Gleusteen and Catherine Ordronneau Friday, March 24, 2017 7:30 pm Violinist Kai Gleusteen is the immensely talented concertmaster of the opera orchestra in Barcelona, Spain. His wife Catherine Ordronneau is just as sublime a virtuoso at the piano. At home in the concert halls of Europe and in BC’s Gulf Islands, this stunning duo has played to rapturous audiences worldwide.

web: www.valleyconcertsociety.com All concerts will be presented at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium 32315 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford

PLATINUM SPONSORS

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SILVER SPONSORS

The News

Clearbrook Grain & Milling Co. Ltd. Best Western Regency Inn

King’s Music John Morrow Photography Godoy and Ververgaert Insurance Hub Motor Service Richard Friesen, Seniors’ Real Estate Specialist

SINGLE CONCERT TICKET Regular: $28 |

Senior: $28

| Student: $15

Order Form in Brochure or Phone: 604.289.3377

email: valleyconcertsociety@gmail.com

BRONZE SPONSORS Alicja Jaholkowski Legal Grounds Coffeehouse

For readers and writers, something exciting is budding at UFV. In November 2016, student writers asserted that learning practical information about where to take their creations would mend the one missing link in becoming full-fledged writers and UFV’s English department has responded energetically, in cooperation with the Kuldip Gill Writing Fellowship.

On Monday, the techniques of getting published were divulged by the creator of Anvil Press and SubTerrain magazine, Brian Kaufman and marketing coordinator / publisher Karen Green, who together have released over 170 book titles. A crowd of avid writers were inspired by their advice, as well as the words of Michal Kozlowski who told of his path to taking over the Canadian literary magazine Geist. Kozlowski started off volunteering for the zine, but eventually got his own writing published in it’s pages. He said his priority was to get to know the intended tone of Geist, which is exactly what led to his work getting accepted, and two years ago he was chosen to take over the magazine.

Karen Green shared that connecting with people to build a network is one of the most important aspects of getting one’s writing in print.

When she first decided that she wanted to get into publishing, she started having coffee with every single person she knew who was involved in the field. That is part of what is so exciting about this surge of movement in the campus literary community. When countless people with similar goals and those who have achieved them start getting together in the same space, it suddenly becomes achievable. Every successful writer has faced self-

doubts, rejections, and many trials. The doubts pale in comparison to the encouragement that comes from community and stories from accomplished professionals who were also once timid beginners.

The event wasn’t the first of its kind hosted by the Kuldip Gill Writing Fellowship, and for literary arts week in February past students were invited back to talk about the process of becoming published authors. Katie Stobbart showed that it really is possible for a young writer to get noticed and explained what’s involved in running the online magazine Raspberry. This years’ writer in residence, Jordan Abel, mesmerized listeners with the multilayered sounds of the performance piece that compliments his book Injun. Abel’s indigenous heritage is a substantial element of this book, which can be found in the campus bookstore. The founder of Ekstasis Editions, Richard Olafson, spoke about the future and trends of publishing, mentioning that poetry is on the rise and not going anywhere. Students from various writing classes, as well as former students, were able to mingle and encourage one another at this event.

The same week, UFV was visited by an exuberant couple, poet / writer Gary Geddes and his wife Ann Erickson. Geddes read from his book Medicine Unbundled, covering the troubling topic of the poor treatment of indigenous people in Canadian healthcare. Erickson read a melodic excerpt from her new novel, The Performance, about a classical pianist who becomes intrigued by a regular member of her audience who seems to be homeless. It was a real treat to encounter the energy of this bookish husband and wife.

Keep your eyes open to keep up with the developing community of UFV literary enthusiasts.

There is a bright future here for poets, writers, and storytellers.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

CULTURE

Coevality: the final exhibition of 2017’s graduating visual arts diploma students UFV’s graduating visual arts diploma students will be presenting a selection of their best work, in formats ranging from photography, to paintings, to sculpture, among others. The exhibition, called Coevality, will run from March 15 – April 5 in the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery (B136 on the Abbotsford campus), and will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

There will also be an opening reception on Friday, March 17 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

The graduating class consists of Lynden Chan, Gavin Cox, Kevin Do, Amanda Garcia, Jesse Klassen, Yongshi Li, Elora Vennes Ouellet, Zaira Ramirez, Katherine Searle, and Susan Thompson.

Photos: Alexandrah Pahl

International Women’s Day event draws crowds Photos: Alexandrah Pahl

A crowd gathered in the Student Union Building on March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day, where a variety of speakers discussed their own stories and the issues facing women today. This was followed by a march around the Abbotsford campus, complete with signs, balloons, and drumming.

Oxfam UFV also marked the day with a week-long art display on the green, featuring a number of bras hanging from a tree, with a label on each one offering a statistic or fact about the present reality of women.

A

GALLERY 7 THEATRE production of

MAR 24 & 25, 29 – APR 1, 2017 @ 7:00 MATINEES MAR 25 & APR 1 @ 2:00

Disney’s

Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice Book by Linda Woolverton

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com.

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Originally Directed by Robert Jess Roth Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions

ABBOTSFORD ARTS CENTRE 2329 Crescent Way, Abbotsford | www.gallery7theatre.com

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

CULTURE

Life is a box of Swiss chocolates: Managing your time, money, and alcohol abroad JENNIFER THRITHARDT-TUFTS CONTRIBUTOR/PHOTO

Life is a Box of Swiss Chocolates is a weekly column showcasing the life of a UFV student studying abroad. Jennifer is in Lucerne, Switzerland at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts this semester, and documenting the process as she goes.

Studying abroad is all about discovering a different country, a different school system, a different culture, and a different you.

I am a firm believer in detaching from your friends back home and living in the moment, but this is also much, much easier said than done. I am saying this out of experience because I held onto my life at home for almost all of February, but now I’m starting to detach myself and I feel 200 pounds lighter. I am realizing the importance of taking this time to really push yourself and get to know yourself, but there are a few things that you should definitely be secure and confident in before you leave for a study abroad trip, or at least be aware that you might struggle with them.

The first is knowing what to spend your money on. Before I left for this trip, I researched a lot of travel blogs and one tip I came across was that if there’s something you really want and it’s under $10, go for it. An $8 cab fare might make your night much easier than walking by yourself in the dark, or that amazing cup of European coffee will be the perfect pick-me-up in the middle of your busy day trip, or even a little item that will be a great souvenir and keepsake to remember your trip. If you’re someone who lives for food and you highly value the experience then I think you should absolutely splurge on a nice authentic meal once or twice a week. But if you are just being too lazy to grocery shop and meal prep so you eat at McDonald’s 3-4 times a week (Big Mac meals cost 15 francs, roughly $20 Canadian dollars), then that is a huge avoidable cost that could leave you out from a day trip with the rest of the students.

When I arrived I purchased containers from IKEA, and I make sure I meal prep for a few days at a time so that when I want to spend 15 francs on a delicious Swiss-style coffee and a couple high quality mystery pastries, I don’t even blink.

The second suggestion is knowing your limits with alcohol.

Drinking culture in Europe could not be more different than in Canada. One of the first parties I attended in Lucerne was hosted by Canadian boys, and it was interesting to see the way the Europeans interacted differently with alcohol than the Canadians did. The Canadians were sitting on the couch taking shots of Absolut vodka and high fiving while the Europeans

were just staring at us as they enjoyed their beer / wine and nice conversation. As Canadians, we are so used to having a limited time to party before the club closes at 1 or 2 a.m. Here clubs stay open until at least 4 a.m. (Probably longer, but by then my sore feet are ready to go home.)

So if you combine the Canadian attitude of consuming alcohol in a more binge style and the European attitude of frequently consuming alcohol, you could have a problem on your hands if you don’t know your limit. It’s also important to remember that you can be whoever you want to be on exchange because no one knows you here, but do you want to be the person that puked all over the club floor in the first week? I can guarantee it will come up at least five times in the four months that will follow. Alcohol here is cheap when you buy it from the store; 11 francs for a 26 oz of gin but 13 francs for a single gin and tonic at the bar. Because of that, it is extra easy to fall into the temptation of drinking at home all the time. I am definitely not saying stay home and don’t have fun, I am just saying take it easy and get a feel for your surroundings and the atmosphere of the party before you pull out the raspberry Sour Puss and Blue Curaçao.

My third tip is you should be aware of your time. I have noticed that a lot of local students don’t expect much from me in terms of group work because exchange students have a reputation of not taking school seriously here. I find school in Switzerland much more intimidating. No one has said anything about it, but it’s

just the feeling I get when I walk in the room and everyone is prepared and taking school seriously. When I was at home, I tried to limit myself to one late night a weekend because that gives me enough time to get my homework done and prep for the next class.

But here I want to do everything all the time. It’s definitely hard to pick and choose, but now that everyone isn’t as new and we are sometimes repeating activities it is getting easier to say no to going out because I have to study. It is definitely tricky to find a balance, but at the end of the day I’m here for school, so if I can pass everything and still see lots of Switzerland and a few other places in Europe, I will be very happy.

On that note, I spent the weekend in Zürich, and it’s the first time I’ve fallen in love with a city here. Don’t get me wrong, there have definitely been lust situations, but never love. I plan on going back a few more times. The city felt very much like Montreal, where you could sense the business part of the city but also experienced the fun art, fashion, and culture side. I spent the night at a friend’s house and enjoyed amazing Swiss craft beer (nice change from my 0.45 CHF grocery store go-to), lovely coffee and croissants in the morning, and got to learn more about Switzerland from a Swiss family perspective. Swiss people are known for being kind of cold, but once you break down the initial barrier you have friends for life. They are very welcoming and courteous people.

I find myself missing home less and less everyday and enjoying new experiences more and more.

Afghan Culture Club to host UFV’s first Nowrooz celebration JEFF MIJO CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

On March 17, UFV will play host to a celebration of Afghan culture and the region’s new year with a traditional dinner and dance, as well as a fashion show. Shabnam Qanbery, the president of the newly founded Afghan culture club said, “We thought that holding this Nowrooz celebration would be a great first event because of the significance that the new year brings, and us being a new club. Our goal is ultimately to unite the Afghan and Iranian population here at UFV and bring all the students together.”

Nowrooz is celebrated in numerous countries other than Afghanistan, including Iran, Kazakhstan, and Albania. Signifying the first day of spring, Qanbery explained that the celebrations vary between the cultures and the Afghan culture club hopes to

see interest from people of all cultural backgrounds. “We think that this would be a great event where anyone from any community can come and ask questions or learn about our culture and traditions,” said Qanbery. “We have already received so much positive feedback about this club and event from all the student bodies here at UFV, and it’s exciting to see so many people interested in attending the event.”

While this is the Afghan culture club’s first official event, they promise it won’t be their last. They have plans for summer picnics, Iftar dinners during Ramadan, and an Eid celebration, but Qanbery’s current focus is on Nowrooz. “We want to educate students about what Nowrooz is while having fun, eating, dancing, and [creating] an overall inclusive and enjoyable environment.” His final goal for March 17 is simple: “At the end of the day, this will be a successful event when everyone leaves happy, having had lots of fun, and learning something new! We hope this will be an event that will spark new friendships and

bring the university together!”

The doors open at 5:00 p.m. in the Student Union Building’s Great Hall, with the event kicking off at 5:30. It will begin with a dinner of authentic Afghan food, including rice, salad, and kebabs, all completely halal. It will be followed by a fashion show highlighting traditional Afghan clothing, and Qanbery suggests that anyone interested in modeling their own outfits should reach out to the club at afghancultureclub.ufv@gmail.com. After that, “a mix of cultural music” will play and attendees will have a chance to dance, mingle, and socialize for the remainder of the evening.

Admission is free for UFV students, and $5.91 for non-students (who must be accompanying a student), though for security reasons both groups will need to reserve their tickets online ahead of time, as they will not be available at the door. Tickets can be found at Eventbrite and on the group’s Facebook page.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

CULTURE

Career pen affair JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR MANAGING EDITOR

Didn’t make it to the job fair last week?

Here’s what you missed. Not all booths supplied free pens, but of those that did, here are the results: CIBC: Weight: 8.51 g Length: 141 mm Ink colour: Blue Pen colour: Cherry burst red and metallic For the most part, a pen of average quality. Nothing terribly surprising or unique about its maneuverability or balance. Under 9 grams, it’s in the light pen category and does feel that way. There’s a slight rattle caused by the ink cartridge in the pen but overall it’s an adequate pen for note taking.

— 4/10 Communitas: Weight: 8.04 g Length: 144 mm Ink colour: Blue Pen colour: White and admiral blue Communitas pulls no punches. Their pen doesn’t pretend to be metal and it knows what it’s worth. It’s still on the light side for a pen but its full plastic jet moulded construction gives it an appearance of durability. Its blue highlights may also be considered a plus by some because they serve as a reminder of what the ink colour is.

— 6/10 MNP: Weight: 13.45 g Length: 151 mm Ink colour: Blue Pen colour: White, metallic, black grip Not surprisingly, the accounting firm supplies a true accounting pen (comes with a highlighter), with a classy twist-click to open. This, and being the second heaviest of the pens puts it in the heavyweight category, in both weight and quality. It boasts quite a tight fit and finish, and bringing up its rating even further, the pen sports a comfortable rubber finger grip. A potential negative is the contoured shape, combined with its length and weight may make the pen feel slightly top heavy. With that said, this pen shouldn’t pose a problem for extended writing tasks. MNP nearly scored a perfect five star rating but their use of blue ink and the weightiness of the pen only just brings them down to four stars.

— 8/10 Canada: Weight: 11.12 g Length:151 mm Ink colour: Blue Pen colour: Gloomy economic future grey Not surprisingly, the Government of Canada has the most unique and expensivelooking pen. Plastic construction, doubleended, featuring a highlighter on one side and a blue ink tip on the other. This pen

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scores some major style points. However, it loses even more points, because once opened up, you’ll notice that its ink cartridge is half the size of any other. No surprise here, Government of Canada.

— deficit of 4/10 Cintas: Weight 7.62 g Length: 136 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: Metallic royal blue, silver metallic highlights Another conventional design, similar to CIBC in styling. A small plus for this pen is the added rubber finger grip. Where this pen truly pulls ahead of the pack is its black ink cartridge. Feel free to sign documents with this bad boy, no one will think you’re still in grade school.

— 7/10 Lexxon Training: Weight: 8.33 g Length: 138 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: Ruby red, silver highlights This translucent red pen with a red rubber finger grip falls in the mid-grade range for style and functionality. There’s nothing outstanding about the design; however, its rubber finger grip is the softest of the group. This is also a black ink pen, a feature that brings the pen slightly above the pack and out of the low-mid category.

— 7/10 Elements Casino: Weight: 8.48 g Length: 141 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: Silver and metallic silver The casino’s pen shares the same design as the CIBC pen but is for some reason 0.03 g lighter. Mostly the same can be said for the casino’s version of the pen, style preference will come down to colour. This pen will receive a full star more than the CIBC pen for offering black ink.

— 6/10 Communitas: Weight: 10.45 g Length: 143 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: Fancy-pants blue, black, metallic silver Some may call it cheating or double dipping but for whatever reason, Communitas offered two different kinds of pens. This is definitely the better of their two pens.

It fits into the higher quality category and while it may not be a contender for top three, it is by all means a solid choice, certainly because of its black ink.

— 8/10 Langley Fiat: Weight: 7.45 g Length: 138 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: White, vermillion

The only pen to challenge cylindrical pen norms and attempt the three-sided triangular prism. Most people are accustomed to a full cylindrical grip but a three-sided pen does provide a good grip, especially if you use the conventional pen grip technique taught in elementary school. Consider this a fancy Bic pen. Its two impressive features are the three-sided design and black ink, other than that it’s quite standard.

— 6/10 Pacific Coast Fruit Products Ltd: Weight: 11.40 g Length: 139 mm Ink colour: Blue Pen colour: Silver, metallic silver, black grip A notable feature to this pen is it has by far the most rigid pocket clip. It might be your pen of choice if you expect to be doing a lot of aerobics in between signing and writing tasks. After taking the pen apart, it was reluctant to slip back together smoothly. But as a counterpoint to that, it also contains a large ink cartridge. That would be fantastic if it wasn’t blue.

— 6/10 City of Chilliwack: Weight: 10.30 g Length: 144 mm Ink colour: Black Pen colour: Emerald, clear The City of Chilliwack does some good work. Theirs is the only pen to say “no way” to the typical ball point ink and try gel ink. This Paper Mate design also utilizes its “Zany grip” rubber finger grip, not quite as comfortable but comparable to the Lexxon pen grip. While this pen doesn’t try anything too bold style-wise, its writability is strong and it may be the top writer’s pen.

— 9/10 BC Corrections: Weight: 14.77 g Length: 153 mm Ink colour: Black, blue highlighter Pen colour: Silver, royal blue BC Corrections quite surprisingly offers a relatively unique pen style. On one end is a blue highlighter, on the other, when activated by a slide mechanism, a black ink tip appears. The most unconventional feature is the abovementioned slide mechanism. It is simple to use and after several test phases it was easy to see that this feature is quite a functional one. Rather than picking up the pen to click it, then repositioning the pen in your hand to write, it can be picked up in writing position and engaged with the thumb. This pen is the longest and heaviest of the group and may be unwieldy at times, but for the most part functions very nicely as a go-to, everyday carry pen.

— 8/10

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW v ALBUM REVIEW

CHARTS

1

Loans Self-Loaning

2

Century Palm Meet You

3

Career Suicide Machine Response

4

Lee Rosevere Trappist -1

5

Tops Sugar at the Gate

6

Run The Jewels Run The Jewels 3

7

The Magnetic Feilds 50 Song Memoir

8

The Painters Supermoon Lunam Eclipse

9

Jenny Banai Live @ CIVL

10

Gen Gorman For A Friend

11

The Courtneys II

12

Terrifier Weapons of Thrash Destruction

13

Childinsh Gambino Awaken My Love

14

Gold Gloom C My Baby

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY

STATION MANAGER

Because this week’s mini-school session brought to you by CRFC and CIVL (Saturday 6-8 p.m. in B101) features The Imposter, and their look at Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, here are my personal favourite songs by the ‘back!

(Might’ve done this before? So this time it’s in chronological order, High Fidelity style.)

Nickleback Worthy to Say This was the song that, fourth single in, convinced me way back in the year 2000 to purchase the first-ever Nickelback full-length release, The State. Wow, this song had it all!

Growin’ dope round the block, stealing for gasoline, distrust — how could I not fall under its spell?!

Nickleback Breathe Biting into the album, and BOOM, right out the gate, there it is, a killer buddy-flick song about old boys, regrets, and lack thereof. Don’t forget the brilliant rhyme scheme: “Here we are again just face to facing each other another day.”

Such excellent phrasing, Archer couldn’t do better.

Nickleback Leader of Men

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Terra Lightfoot Live In Concert

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The Shins Heartworms

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Jack Mack Back to the Shack

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Rob Montgomery And Celine Dion Friends My Heart Will Go On Guitar Stories

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Fleet Foxes Crack-Up

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The Flaming Lips Oczy Mlody

The song that really broke bank for Nickelback, way (a full year and change, at least) before “How You Remind Me” became the most non-shazamed preshazam release, Chadlocks told us exactly what he was all about: “I am not a leader of men, cuz I prefer to follow.”

This was the first single off of the original dad-joke release — what massive, world-class concert can you see for less than half a dollar?! 50 cent plus Nickelback! Thanks to fleet-footed, tying homer hitting, World Series hero and former Blue Jay Rajai Davis for that one.

Little Wild blast back onto the scene with BODIES MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Abbotsford’s resident rockers are back from an almost four-year-long release drought, and they’ve brought new music with them.

“Weeks,” the first single Little Wild released in anticipation of BODIES, which officially comes out on March 16, gave listeners an updated version of what Little Wild had offered before: blues-based, screech-laden, balls-to-the-wall rock ‘n’ roll.

And while the obvious comparisons between frontman Layton Keely and Jack White invariably come up when discussing Little Wild, on BODIES, the band proves it has the capacity to both refine its staple material, and grow beyond the limitations of its monochromatic early work. On BODIES, there’s more of everything.

“Mongo,” an early track on the record, is an example of how over-the-top Little Wild can be. They’re a conventional band in the sense that what we get from them is rock ‘n’ roll (although it might be argued that that makes them unconventional these days), but where they leave the realm of the mundane is in their devotion to the theatrical, the excessive.

One of the band’s biggest leaps forward on BODIES is a result of their broadening of the palette used throughout the record to include surf-rock and more moody iterations of the blues they so staunchly base themselves on. Tracks like “DEL” are much more surf-rock influenced than the band’s earlier work, and while they wisely chose to sparingly drill

the early-rock back catalog for influences, the most striking element of the track comes by way of Keely’s vocals, which lean much more towards the crooning rhythm and blues songs that took up airwaves in the ‘70s. It’s an odd mix of genres that works exceptionally well. The takeaway being Little Wild’s evolution from their garage-rock roots to a sound that’s much less simplistic in the way that it’s presented. It seems Little Wild’s members are much more aware of specific elements that a bass or drum line can add to a track, and that awareness rounds the record out.

While not all the tracks on BODIES are put together with as much awareness as “DEL,” most are more ambitious than Little Wild’s earlier work, built, it seems, with much more than just a main riff in mind.

Except of course for “Jam,” which is just that — a jam.

While most jams are fun, but ultimately aimless, this track shows off a much less focused Little Wild. Riffs are slower, there’s more space between them, distortion picks up a lot of the slack. And it works, the track’s a nice little bridge between the start of the record and its tail-end.

“Things” ties the record off with as big of a bang as “Weeks” started it off with. While lately Abbotsford’s favourite flavour of rock has been more experimental (I’m looking at you, Blessed and Villain Villain) and punk in nature, BODIES marks the triumphant, thundering return of one of Abbotsford’s most veteran bands.

And what an earth-shattering return it is.

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www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW

SOUNDBITES

Loans

Thundercat

Self Loaning Abbotsford punk / hardcore outfit Loans’ debut record Self Loaning is a short but comprehensive overview of the energy and potential in the band. Loans demonstrates a mastery over the bread-and-butter of the punk genre: the playing is at once focused and unruly. Tracks like single “Bell Tower” incorporate memorable riffs with an uncompromising vocal delivery that’s one of Loans’ greatest strengths.

However, despite the relatively short runtime of the EP, the material suffers from one fatal affliction: ambition.

“Introspect” for example, focuses dissatisfaction into a rowdy wall of sound that’s held together by a tight bass line and drum kit foundation. The pre-chorus immediately

Mini album reviews

Drunk resonates with us, but the track lulls before the first verse, losing energy. Howling vocals pull us back in at the 1:50 mark, but dissolve into an instrumental outro that lacks structure.

“Slough” also ebbs and flows between peaks which boast a synthesis of the band’s separate structural elements, and instances which could have been left on the cutting room floor.

The Loans boys are sitting on a gold-mine.

They have skill, charisma, an uncanny ear for jangly hooks couched within a beautiful cacophony. They just have to focus on refining those elements and structuring tracks economically.

After listening to Thundercat’s Drunk, I must say, I need a drink myself. Drunk must be the quirkiest album I have ever sat down and listened to. If we are being honest, which I am, I will not touch this album again, even with a 10-foot pole. The songs reminded me of Mario Kart race track songs, just cruising along, dodging shells and banana peels, mindlessly; it is just filler music. I guess someone has to create it, I mean what would we listen to in the elevators? Maybe, just maybe, silence would be

okay instead of resorting to Thundercat’s album. It would lend perspective if they were actually drunk during the creation of the songs, but that would be a lengthy binge. Now in Thundercat’s defense, not every song is bad; “Lava Lamp” and “Jethro” have some solid rhythm, I found my head bobbing at some points. Overall, not my style, but maybe it is for you, the reader — don’t pass over something just because of my opinion.

Quintin Stamler

Martin Castro

v ALBUM REVIEW

Hot off the press, The French Press impresses MARTIN CASTRO ARTS EDITOR

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s 2016 debut Talk Tight delivered indie pop tunes that, despite their engaging, surf-pop brightness, came off as incomplete; a bit too bland. The French Press suffers from none of that blandness. Apart from the considerable jump in recording quality, Rolling Blackouts’ latest EP is less impulsive than its predecessor.

“French Press,” the first track on the record, is perhaps its most passive. A watery guitar meanders over a simple indie rock backing that allows the track to build upon the melodic theme while varying enough to keep us entertained. We blend the tempo of ‘80s pop with the slick disposition of early-2010s indie.

The French Press, while placing less of an emphasis on rock as its predecessor, maintains the danceable grooves that made the band’s first record so appealing. And to our surprise, most of the record is eerily familiar. There’s no plagiarism going on, it’s just that Rolling Blackouts constantly riff on ‘80s-flavoured indie-pop tropes.

Bass playing is more apparent in tracks like “Julie’s Place,” which manages to offset a vaguely melancholic vocal performance by driving the tempo up. Simple but well-placed guitar licks cement the track’s cheer.

A lot of the appeal is due in part to the band’s multiple guitarist-singers, which afford them the opportunity to trade sweet little licks back and forth between each other, all over an already-solid backdrop. (One whose appeal has already been cemented by a whole slew of early-2000s indie pop bands.)

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Surprisingly, it’s Rolling Blackouts’ restraint, especially while throwing guitar licks back and forth between each other, that holds the record together.

Multiple instruments seem to just ride the same wave together. If a guitar takes centre stage, the others fall back and supply rhythm. But always there are at least two different guitars throwing subtle licks back and forth.

Faster-paced tracks like “Colours Run” use this to their benefit, adding an acoustic guitar to the mix. As if to drive the point home about collaboration, “Colours Run” also benefits immensely from the vocals, which blend into harmonies on the chorus, and seamlessly let a single voice ring out through the verses.

There’s really no other band I’ve seen that’s managed to synthesize its sound so well in such a short timespan. On The French Press, it’s all salt-stained boardwalks and half-empty shores. (The element of melancholy never does seem to be fully exorcised from the record, even though the same can be said for its odd, sometimes almost-out-of-place cheer.)

“Fountain of Good Fortune” is the only track that’s straight indie pop. But oh man. More of a ballad than anything else, “Fountain” retains the multiple melodies of the tracks that came before it and uses them to end the record with just as much playfulness, but none of the energy. We’re walking home here.

If The French Press is any indication, more really is merrier. What could have been a messy, repetitive project, turned into one of the most cleanly-cut, welldefined indie pop records to come out this year.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

ARTS IN REVIEW v GAME REVIEW

v ALBUM REVIEW

Horizon Zero Dawn: worth switching consoles for

Lion is an emotional tourde-force

HARVIN BHATHAL VARSITY WRITER

When the PS4 exclusive Horizon Zero Dawn was pushed back to late February this year, it was met with a mixed response as the E3 conference in 2015 led the game to have a fan base even before release. However, now that the game has been released, it was worth the wait. The small kinks Guerrilla Games, the developers, fixed in those extra months made the game what it is today: PS4’s next great exclusive.

Upon first playing the game, what immediately stands out are the graphics in the beautifully crafted open world environment.

The world is to be marvelled at as the design is of a post-era dominated by robots. Essentially, the world and concept of the game is a mashup of historical ideas through the view of the future. The robots that have decimated the world give off the impression of futuristic dinosaurs. The idea of Horizon Zero Dawn is one that more games should follow in the future; in the video game world, marrying the past and the future is best for the present in regards to fan appreciation and dollar value.

While the environment is key to craft a story, an intriguing plot and characters ultimately determines if a game becomes a timeless success, one that is playable multiple times over, and Horizon Zero Dawn certainly fits that description. The story revolves around the life of Aloy, who is an outcast to her tribe, and the mystery surrounding her birth. It progresses parallel to the main quest.

The game continues the trend of the strong-willed and skilled female heroine, such as Emily Kaldwin (Dishonored 2), Evie Frye (Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate), and Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). In her journey, Aloy comes across other characters and their tribes, all of whom have their traits mastered. The characters are as detailed as the surroundings they live in.

However, a flaw within the characters is the voice acting, which at times sounds contrived and forced, and the game gives away too much information at once in the dialogues that characters share as well. It would have been much better if the game gradually gave information in regards to the background and storyline as it progressed, rather than stopping the game for a dialogue and giving it away all at once.

Guerrilla Games kept the flaws of Horizon Zero Dawn to a minimum though, and instead of letting the gameplay lag behind the stellar environment and plot, it in fact shines. The game plays out as a combination of Rise of the Tomb Raider and Uncharted 4 but it isn’t a negative that it took inspiration from elements of other games. If there were any two RPGs to base a game’s gameplay on, one would be hard-pressed to find two better. Like Croft, Aloy primarily uses a bow and arrow, and her gameplay movement was like that of Croft and Unchartered 4’s Drake. Furthermore, Aloy’s focus feature which allows her to see the weaknesses of the mechanical creatures and much more is merely a different version of Croft’s survival instinct and Drake’s thief vision. Though the game took elements of other games, it is by no means a copy, or else it would not have been critically acclaimed.

Horizon Zero Dawn is Sony’s biggest new franchise launch on PS4 to date, beating No Man’s Sky, and the biggest launch for the console in general since Uncharted 4. It’s not difficult to see why. The game is beautifully balanced between its breath-taking environment, well-developed plot and characters, and refreshing gameplay that will never let the feeling of boredom set in while playing it. Although the dialogues can be a bit extensive at times, they can be thought of as a break from Aloy’s long journey to learn of the answers to the questions she has been asking her entire life. And most importantly, the game is definitely worth switching consoles for.

PANKU SHARMA OPINION EDITOR

I have been consciously seeking out emotionally devastating movies in the past few months as I work my way through some of the more high profile and critically acclaimed projects of the past year. There’s something cathartic about watching a film that tugs at the heartstrings and tear ducts; and between White Helmets, Manchester by the Sea, and now the Oscar-nominated Lion, I’ve run the full gauntlet of 2016-17 heartbreakers.

Lion is a biographical film based on a true story about Saroo (played by Sunny Parwar as a child and Dev Patel as an adult) who is tragically separated from his family in India and has to survive alone on the streets of Calcutta until he is adopted by a Tasmanian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). Later in life, haunted and compelled by the memories of a life lost, he tries to trace his journey backwards in time and find the home and family that he left behind.

Sunny Pawar as the younger Saroo delivers one of the most compelling and powerful performances I’ve ever seen out of any actor, child or adult. He is charming, with a smile and enthusiasm that lights up the screen, but also incredibly vulnerable.

When he’s on screen he draws the audience in very effectively.

The first half the film charts his relationship with his brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate in what I believe is one the film’s other standout performances) and their separation at a train station. When the older boy goes out to look for work, Saroo accidently falls asleeps on an unoccupied train that takes him hundreds of kilometers away from home into Calcutta where

he doesn’t share the language (he speaks Bengali, they speak Hindi predominantly) or know his way back.

This half of the movie is incredibly engaging, and it reminds me a lot both in terms of subject matter and narrative as well as in its quality and effectiveness, of the 1988 film Salaam Bombay (Directed by Mira Nair of The Namesake and Queen of Katwe fame) which also dealt with the brutal realities of life for poor street children. Both films can be bleak and uncompromising, but in their characters there is heart — something for the audience to connect with.

Where Lion falters is when the story jumps forward to Saroo as an adult. It’s not necessarily the performances (Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman do fine with what they are given, but they’re not outstanding), but just the fact that it is overshadowed by the tour de force that was Sunny Pawar, and it loses its sense of urgency and pacing. It’s compelling, but almost as a different story, one that could be connected with the first half, with perhaps a few more drafts of the script to keep it from slogging down and becoming aimless. The romance angle between Saroo and Lucy (Rooney Mara) is uninteresting, and not enough time is given to the relationship between Saroo and his adoptive family, including his troubled brother Mantosh (Divian Ladwa as an adult) who also came from a broken background in India but brought with him his own set of traumas. It would have been interesting to draw more parallels between Mantosh and his brother Guddu, or to spend more time delving into his guilt or lack of identity as an Indian.

Yet, even with that said, this is still an impressive film that everyone should go out and watch.

19

UPCOMING EVENTS

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017

MAR

15

HUMAN LIBRARY COMES TO LIFE

@ UFV Chilliwack Atrium 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

(DIS)ENFRANCHISEMENT 1907 – 1947: THE FORTY-YEAR STRUGGLE FOR THE VOTE EXHIBIT TOUR

MAR

18

@ Sikh Heritage Museum 10:30 AM

SAVING BBC

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM THE IMPOSTER PODCAST RECORDING LIVE FROM ABBOTSFORD: CHAD KROEGER’S MANSION

UFV THEATRE: BAKKHAI

@ UFV Performance Theatre 7:30 – 9:30 PM

@ B121 (UFV Abbotsford) 5:00 – 7:00 PM

GET A FRESH TASTE OF SPRING

16

@ Global Lounge – B233 (UFV Abbotsford)

HARM REDUCTION FORUM & NARCAN TRAINING

@ SUB Atrium (UFV Abbotsford) 3:30 – 6:00 PM

MAR

19 MAR

22

UFV THEATRE: BAKKHAI

@ UFV Performance Theatre 7:30 – 9:30 PM

MAR

17

MAR

23

@ UFV Performance Theatre 2:00 – 4:00 PM GETTING TO ROOM TEMPERATURE (PLAY)

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 PM

@ Eagles Hall (Abbotsford) 7:00 PM

MAR

28 MAR

29

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:30 & 10:00 PM

INDIGENOUS STEWARDSHIP OF MOTHER EARTH WORKSHOP

@ TBA (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 – 3:00 PM MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

GAMES NIGHT

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM ALL STAR WRESTLING

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:30 – 11:00 PM

ST. PATTY’S DAY AT THE CLUBHOUSE

SHAWN FARQUHAR’S CABARET OF WONDERS VII

UFV CREATIVE WRITING CLUB PRECISE POETRY: SONNETS

@ The Canoe (UFV Abbotsford) 3:00 PM

@ SUB (UFV Abbotsford) 5:00 – 10:00 PM

@ UFV Performance Theatre 7:30 – 9:30 PM

@ The Reach 10:30 AM

STUDENT UNION SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

@ S’eliyemetaxwtexw Gallery – B136 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

UFV THEATRE: BAKKHAI

RACE AND ANTI-RACISM NETWORK EVENT: CITIZENS CREATING CHANGE

@ B121 (UFV Abbotsford) 10:00 – 11:30 AM

STUDENT RESEARCH DAY

@ SUB (UFV Abbotsford) 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM

OUR UKRAINIAN ADOPTION: BRINGING ZHENYA HOME

@ The Reach 10:30 AM

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 PM

TRAVEL AND PHOTOGRAPHY: A MONTH IN PROVENCE

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM

VISUAL ARTS GRADS “COEVALITY” EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION

@ Abbotsford Rugby Football Club 9:00 PM

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 PM

MAR

30

MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM GAMES NIGHT

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

NOWROOZ CELEBRATION

20

UFV THEATRE: BAKKHAI

@ SUB (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 – 1:30 PM

@ Global Lounge — B223 (UFV Abbotsford) 4:30 – 6:30 PM

@ Mennonite Brethren Church (Abbotsford) 6:00 PM

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (PLAY)

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (PLAY)

GAMES NIGHT

UFV POSITIVE LIVING ROUNDTABLE

@ Clarke Theatre (Mission) 7:00 PM

BILL DURST

MESA LATINA (SPANISH LANGUAGE GROUP)

@ A305 (UFV Abbotsford) 1:00 – 2:00 PM

TANYA TUCKER

@ Chilliwack Cultural Centre 7:00 PM

BOYCOTT DIVEST SANCTION: PANEL DISCUSSION

STUDY OF VOLUNTEER IN SPAIN INFORMATION SESSION

25

THE CENTRE ROCKS! VIII

@ SUB (UFV Abbotsford) 12:00 – 1:30 PM

MAR

MAR

@ B101 (UFV Abbotsford) 7:00 PM

UFV CREATIVE WRITING CLUB PRECISE POETRY: VILLANELLES

@ Rivers Dining Room (UFV Chilliwack) 6:00 – 8:30 PM

MARCH

MAR

24

KAI GLEUSTEEN AND CATHERINE ORDRONNEAU

@ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (PLAY)

@ Abbotsford Arts Centre 7:00 PM

MAR

3RD ANNUAL CYC SLEEP OUT

APR

WHAT IS CANADIAN CUISINE?

APR

NURSING & DENTAL INFO SESSION

31 4 5

@ Bookstore parking lot (UFV Abbotsford) 7:00 PM

@ UFV Abbotsford Library 2:00 – 3:00 PM

@ UFV Chilliwack Campus 6:00 – 8:00 PM

HOSTING ANY EVENTS YOURSELF? WANT TO SEE THEM POSTED HERE? Send the date, time, location, and any relevant info for the event to: jeff@ufvcascade.ca