The Cascade Vol.27 Iss.10

MARCH 20 TO MARCH 26, 2019

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 10

This is Reuben here since 1993

wrestling season review

pg. 16

sus election q&a

pg.3

Local band blessed’s new album

pg.19

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca

Production Assistant Uyen Nguyen uyen@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Carissa Wiens carissa@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca

Multimedia Editor Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca

Digital Media Manager Jeff Mijo-Burch jeff@ufvcascade.ca

Illustrator Kayt Hine Illustrator Simer Haer Illustrator Cory Jensen

Sports Writer Alex Jesus Staff Writer Andrea Sadowski

Staff Writer Caleb Silveira

Social Media Writer Laurel Logan

Social Media Writer Uyen Nguyen

CONTRIBUTORS Aleister Gwynne Christopher Smith Nadia Tudhope

Cover Design: Mikaela Collins Back Cover: Mikaela Collins

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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 200 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.

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18 19 12.......Events Calendar

Study Break.......17

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 every Monday at 2:30 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus.

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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 1,000 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

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Snapshots.......9

Volume 27 · Issue 10 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

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Staff Writer Darien Johnsen

Event Reporter Alexandra Johnson

OPINION

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

ARTS

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Managing Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca

Creative Director Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor (interim) Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca

18.......CIVL Shuffle

NEWS 4......Student loans

Chilliwack Q&A.......3

OPINION Reducing plastic waste.......6

7.......Public transit

Dear Robin.......7

8.......Editorial

CULTURE Committee spotlight......13

13.......Cascade Kitchen

Valley Fest finale.......14

15.......Riverdale

SPORTS Men's volleyball.......16

16.......Wrestling

ARTS Head Above Water.......18

19......SALT

news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

NEWS

SUS //

More candidates than students at Chilliwack Q&A

NEWS BRIEFS

Both election candidate Q&A sessions see low student turnout

Canada extends military missions Canada’s military missions in Ukraine and Iraq, initially expected to come to an end later this March, will be extended until March 2022. This change comes about as an effort to suppress Russia’s forces in Eastern Europe and Islamic militants in the Middle East.

At present, Canada has 500 military members in Iraq: 200 of which are part of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) training mission and 120 of which who are focusing their strength on helping Iraqi troops locate Islamic State insurgents.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, says Ukraine can expect solidarity from Canada, especially with their upcoming election taking place March 31, which Russia is expected to interfere with.

“We are steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as it works toward a stable, democratic, and prosperous future,” said Freeland.

UFV Chilliwack Trades and Technology Centre. March 14, 2019. (The Cascade)

JESSICA BARCLAY - Abby News B.C. seeks judicial approval to say no to Trans Mountain pipeline expansion On Monday, March 18, B.C. will attend court to discover whether, at a provincial level, they are able to say “no” to the continuation of the federally owned Trans Mountain pipeline project.

In order to protect their environment, B.C. is endeavouring to gain judicial approval of draft regulations that would allow them to restrict oil transportation across the province. The federal government will oppose them — in what they have stated as national interest — in order to continue work on the pipeline.

“The risks of such harm are too serious, too pervasive, and too interrelated with provincial responsibilities to be of exclusively federal concern,” B.C. said in its opening court submission.

- The Globe and Mail

The Student Union Society hosted two Q&A sessions as part of this year’s Board of Directors election, both with few students in attendance. The first Q&A in the Student Union Building (SUB) in Abbotsford saw a turnout of around 10 students, while the one hosted in Chilliwack in the Trades and Technology Centre saw only one student in attendance.

Kristina Anderson, chief electoral officer for the SUS elections, said that the trades building had been chosen for the second Q&A in hopes of engaging more trades students in the SUS elections, but there appeared to be few students in the building on that day at 2:30 p.m.

All five candidates were present for both the Q&A sessions. Jaleen Mackay, SUS’s previous VP internal, and Tripat Sandhu, a UFV athlete and second year criminology and criminal justice student, will be running for president. Gurvir (G) Gill, having finished his two terms as president, will be running uncontested for VP external. Two new candidates, Kimberly Hunter and Thomas Cohen, are running for VP students. Andrew Stahl will again be running uncontested for the College of Arts board representative position.

At the Abbotsford discussion, the candidates for president were asked to discuss what two issues they would bring up to UFV president Joanne Maclean. Sandhu said she would look to discuss increasing collaboration with other organizations within the university and finding

ways to make the SUB hall more accessible to UFV groups and students.

“We need to collaborate together to have better events, better engagement,” Sandhu said. “If we want to be like the other big dog universities we need to do that by working together with all the different associations and committees.”

Mackay said she would like to discuss academic issues, such as academic accommodation for students wanting to attend important SUS events and group work policies, and issues with the sovereignty of SUS space being ignored.

“They have forced policies down our throat that I don’t agree with,” Mackay said. “In that, I found there is a problem in the relationship between SUS and UFV, where SUS was regularly being ignored on its sovereignty in its own space that students pay for.”

The two VP students candidates were asked questions regarding events they had planned that aligned with UFV’s “Wellness Wheel,” as well as the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) learning outcomes.

Both candidates said they were hoping to host a sports day on campus, as well as cooking events that incorporated multicultural elements.

Hunter hoped to host a cookoff event with trades students where students would pick recipes from different cultures, while Cohen discussed a soup cook-off with unique

ingredients from different cultures.

There was disagreement between the candidates for president and the VP external candidate over which student society alliance they supported being a part of. Mackay supported SUS being a part of the B.C. Federation of Students (BCFS) but not the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), while Sandhu supported being a member of both the BCFS and CASA. Gill is a member of the CASA board and supported membership to both alliances. In terms of key concerns for students, Gill said as VP external he would look to advocate to the BCFS on needs-based grants and funds for sexualized violence prevention programming.

Voting will take place from April 1 to 4.

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NEWS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

UFV //

UFV indigenization plan revealed Plan offered for feedback

B.C. //

UFV celebrates interest fee student loans Melanie Mark attends UFV event to celebrate changes around removing interest on B.C. student loans ALEXANDRA JOHNSON UFV welcomed Melanie Mark, minister of advanced education, skills and training, last Friday, March 15. Her visit was to celebrate a change for students in the wake of the Feb. 19 announcement by Carole James, minister of finance and deputy premier, that there would no longer be interest on student loans granted by the B.C. government.

This announcement marks a commit-

Indigenization draft plan discussion. March 2019. (The Cascade)

ALEISTER GWYNNE After three years of planning, UFV has released a draft of their plan for indigenization at UFV. The indigenization project has been in the works for nearly 20 years now, and is one of UFV’s responses to the Calls to Action of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The plan outlines a series of recommendations for the direction of UFV’s indigenization work. It concludes that while there are many activities and initiatives ongoing, more needs to be done. Specifically a less hierarchical, more Indigenous organization structure is recommended, as well as hiring more Indigenous staff and increasing communication and coordination across the university.

The specific terms of the new policy are not yet set in stone, and it was presented for feedback at two meetings at Chilliwack and Abbotsford campus last week.

The meeting was presided over by senior advisor on Indigenous affairs, Shirley Hardman, who was a major contributor in crafting UFV’s new indigenization objectives. Other members of the planning committee including Vice-Provost Peter Geller, Jacqueline Nolte, and Sylvie Murray were also present.

Several community members were in attendance, including one student, First Nations community members, and UFV faculty not involved with the planning committee.

Attendees at the meeting raised a number of comments on the indigenization plan.

There was some discussion over the term “decolonization,” despite that word not being used in the official release. Several commenters felt that “decolonization” is too negative a term, and carries an element of blame for past injustices, which would interfere with healthy and constructive dialogue.

There was also discussion of what nonIndigenous people can contribute. One First Nations commenter said that among the Indigenous community that they themselves have had to do all the hard work in terms of education and advocacy, and that non-Indigenous people ought to take a more proactive role in the reconciliation process. This led to

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a discussion of what makes a good ally.

Another First Nations commenter noted that even though the legacy of the residential schools and other forms of oppression continue to haunt the Indigenous community, much has changed over the years, and changes over the past 10 years especially have been overwhelmingly positive.

The commenter said that university events such as the Witness Blanket ceremony and the place names tour last year have also been helpful. Exposure of students to local Indigenous culture was one recommendation from the discussion, such as familiarizing students to a few words of Halq’eméylem, such as the words for “hello,” or “thank you.”

UFV’s school motto, “Iyaqáwtxw,” was cited as a good example of this, since its meaning, “house of transformation,” can refer not only to the process of education, but also to the transformation that indigenization intends to achieve.

During the discussion, questions were raised about how the Chandigarh campus and its staff and students would fit into the indigenization plan, since many aspects of indigenization and the issues that led to it do not apply there, and what would happen when students from Chandigarh come to the Fraser Valley without the indigenized educational background that is increasingly expected of students in B.C. Commenters also pointed out that the past and present abuses of the First Nations are an uncomfortable subject for many, and not everyone is emotionally ready to grapple with this legacy and the process of overcoming it in an up-front manner.

UFV’s new indigenization plan is neither the first step in the process nor the last, and it remains open to review and revision at this time. One commenter stated that the process is just as important as the destination, and the process will likely never be complete. In any event, our house of transformation will likely remain just that.

Those who missed the meetings and are interested in the subject can read the official report and are asked to provide feedback via email at indigenizing@ufv.ca.

“When we invest in people; the return investment is healthier, stronger communities.”

good family-supporting jobs, and we want people to be able to count on those services that matter most. Here at UFV, post-secondary education matters to people and when we invest in people the return in investment is healthier, stronger communities.”

This exciting announcement means a burden will be lifted off the shoulders of many students, according to the presenters at the event. UFV President Joanne MacLean joined Mark on stage with UFV student union president Gurvir Gill, as students set off streamers in celebration of this change. This announcement means students in British Columbia will be able to attend post-secondary institutions without the financial burden of accumulating interest on their B.C. granted loans.

Mark said one of the next steps in postsecondary education for the B.C. government will be to make funding more accessible for students, something brought to the government's attention by the lobbying of student unions.

“A lot of the student unions come to the legislature. They have their lobby days, they meet with MLA’s, and they have made it very clear to me as minister, as well as MLAs, that they want upfront grants,” Mark said. “Our ministry

ment by the B.C. government to help people gain access to post-secondary institutions, according to Mark, and is part of the B.C. NDP government’s Budget 2019 plan. One of the goals of this year's budget is to help communities gain access to further education, and to many at UFV it could help remove some of the financial stress related to tuition fees.

“An nouncing that interest would be free on B.C. student loans was a major call to action from students,” said Mark.

“It’s too bad it took Students celebrate interest free loans. SUB atrium. March 15, 2019. (The Cascade) this long. The opposition who were in already contributes millions of dollars in government for 16 years didn’t take ac- student aid and student financial assistion when they could have.” tance. What we are looking at is streamBack in August the NDP government lining those resources.” announced a reduction by 2.5 per cent During the ceremony, Mark expressed to prime for B.C. student loans — an $11 the desire to make post-secondary destimillion investment in B.C. students. nations for more people looking to gain “[This] was a key mandate item from formal education and training. With afthe premier [John Horgan] to me to take fordability in mind, Mark said, schools action on,” Mark said. like UFV offer a solution to some of the This call to action is part of B.C.’s NDP housing issues by allowing students to Budget 2019 plan to make education more stay close to home, and still attend postaccessible. Mark said other changes in- secondary. cluded making adult basic education “There are 900,000 jobs that are going free again, as well as investing in student to be available in the next 10 years and housing. Mark also said the B.C. govern- 77 per cent of those jobs are going to rement plans to invest in tech seats, early quire students to have some level of postchildhood education, trades, and trades secondary experience and training, so I equipment. feel that it’s incumbent upon me as min“Government is all about your values ister to make sure that we are investing … we believe in addressing affordabil- in people to create those opportunities,” ity,” Mark said. “We want people to have Mark said.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

SUS //

SUS asks for changes to student fees in referendum

After reviewing finances, SUS will ask for $2.50 less in clarified referendum question JESSICA BARCLAY The Student Union Society’s (SUS) second referendum question was reannounced Friday with a $2.50 deduction in the requested SUS fee increase.

The question was initially retracted from the referendum due to lack of clarity and reassessment of SUS revenue.

The question clarifies the requested change in fee structure, asking for a decrease of $20 per year to the health and dental fees, a decrease of $5.37 per semester to the U-Pass fee, and an increase of $6.50 per semester to the general SUS fee.

Previously, the question had requested a $9.00 increase in the general SUS fee, which SUS said they decreased after reviewing revenues from the current semester.

Drafting of the referendum question began this February. Gurvir Gill, president of SUS, did not comment in time for publication on why a review of revenues had only occurred after the referendum question was released and not during the drafting period.

The questions requests a series of three fee changes. According to the press release sent out by SUS, the decrease in the health and dental fee is due to a low ratio of claims to premiums. The decrease in the U-Pass fee is stated to be due to the the reduction in fitness costs after initial startup costs for the Qube fitness room and programs in Chilliwack, the fitness options that replaced the Cheam Leisure Centre passes for Chilliwack students.

SUS is asking for an increase in SUS fees, according to the press release, because of the upcoming minimum wage increases and to increase hosted events, such as concerts, advocacy campaigns, and cultural programming. SUS has also increased its fulltime staff members from two to six. In addition to the executive director, SUS has three senior managers: an events and programming manager, a receptionist, and a manager of finance, facility operations, and services and marketing.

There has not been an increase to SUS fees in six years.

These three fees are separate, and only go to funding programming associated with that particular fee: funds collected from the U-Pass fee cannot be used to hold concerts. Gill did not comment in time for publica-

tion on why students are not able to vote on each proposed fee change separately.

Due to the retracement of the first question, students will vote on the referendum in two parts. The question stated above will be voted on April 15 to 24, and the second question from the original referendum announcement will be voted on from April 1 to 4.

The second question of the referendum asks students for annual increases to SUS and SUB fees by the average CPI percentage posted by Stats Canada each January. In the question, it states that by indexing the fee it would prevent SUS’s revenue from decreasing in value each year.

Part of the reasoning stated for the indexing, according to the press release, was a 25 per cent increase over the past three years in the operations of the SUB. “We are looking into why they charged us this amount but that is on UFV,” Gill said over email.

UFV’s finance department clarified over email that the 25 per cent increase was due to four years of inflation and SUS’s request for UFV to take over janitorial services for the SUS-run portion of the SUB. This question also contains a mathematical error, claiming that SUS fees would have seen a 51 cent increase each year for the last three years following annual CPI increases. The statement averages the CPI percentages from 2016 to 2018 and doesn’t account for compounding percentages, which when taken into account would result in a total SUS fee increase from 2016 to 2018 of $1.62, or 54 cents per year.

The statement also only does the math for one fee proposed in the increase. In 2018, students would have seen a fee increase of $1.50 total for the SUS and SUB fees to be paid semesterly. Over the three years calculated in the statement, students would have seen a total SUB and SUS fee increase of $3.51 to be paid semesterly.

Gill said SUS would be reviewing the math in this statement. The board gave final approval of the referendum question, but Gill said other members of the SUS staff did have the opportunity to review the question. He was unsure if the financial department had the opportunity to review this aspect of the referendum question before it was published.

Correction: In Volume 27, Issue 08, the March 6, 2019 issue of The Cascade, the feature article “Development at the cost of human rights” had an incorrect spelling of Mike Goold’s name throughout. We apologize to Goold for this error.

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OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Carissa Wiens — Opinion Editor

Lifestyle //

Canada //

A student’s guide to using less plastic

Corruption is not a partisan issue Why Canadians won’t vote in October

Plastic is actually the devil

CHRISTOPHER SMITH

Illustration by Kayt Hine

ANDREA SADOWSKI Every piece of plastic you have ever bought, used, and thrown away is still hanging out on the planet somewhere, either in a mountain of garbage at a dump, or maybe in the stomach of a bird or a turtle who thought it was food. According to the Canadian government, less than 11 per cent of Canada’s plastic gets recycled and manufacturers continue to make new plastic from fossil fuels. The problem with plastic is that even though it has potential to be recycled, 89 per cent of the time it just isn’t. Plastic bottles are among the most widely recycled plastic, because people generally know which bin to throw it in, but other items such as drinking straws and bubble wrap are not as easy to recycle and end up getting thrown away.

It’s easy to discard plastic wrap and styrofoam containers because once we throw it away it’s out of sight and out of mind. The problem is that “away” ends up being the ocean, seriously endangering and killing marine life, and ultimately ending up in our food chain. The World Economic Forum predicted that if we keep dumping plastic in the ocean at our current rate, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish when measured by weight. When considering all these facts we need to seriously reduce, or even eliminate our plastic usage, lest our world end up a toxic waste dump similar to the setting of Wall-E. You may be thinking, “I am just a student. Not using plastic is too hard and too expensive; ain’t nobody got time for that.” But reducing your plastic waste involves just a few simple lifestyle changes that anyone can do, which will save you money in the long run. Here are some of the easiest ways to cut plastic out of your life: 1. Get a water bottle: There are refill stations all over campus for those with water bottles: beside the ATM machine in the SUS building, beside the elevator in the library, or right across from Spirit Bear Cafe in Building A, to name a few.

It makes absolutely no sense why anyone would spend money on a plastic bottle of water when we have constant access to clean water in nearly every hallway.

2. Bring your own coffee mug: Did you know that most coffee shops give you a slight discount if you bring your own

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mug, including Fairgrounds? But not every coffee joint is as responsible as Fairgrounds, whose coffee cups and lids are all compostable, so get yourself a good coffee mug; maybe even splurge for a Yeti that will keep your coffee warm for hours.

3. Stop using plastic bags: You would be surprised how many reusable bags you can get free at conventions and the like. Instead of relying on plastic, start a mini-collection of canvas bags and keep them in your car to use while you grocery shop; don’t be responsible for a sea turtle who eats a plastic bag thinking it’s a jellyfish.

4. Carry your own cutlery: UFV is great for free food options: Waffle Wednesdays in the Global Lounge, various meals that different clubs give away — sometimes you can even find the Student Lounge giving away bowls of soup. But make sure that you carry around your own spoon, knife, and fork to avoid using plastic cutlery. It really doesn’t take up any more space in your backpack, and saves that much more plastic from ending up in landfills.

5. Start using menstrual cups or period underwear: Ladies, stop using an ungodly amount of plastic and save a ton of money during your red tide by buying one of these alternatives. The average woman uses 11,250 pads or tampons in her lifetime. These single-use items take 500-800 years to degrade; that’s why using these alternatives are guartuneed game-changers.

6. Buy in bulk: So many grocery stores have expanded their bulk section and you can now buy anything from beans, cereal, rice, spices, or candy in bulk.

These options are usually cheaper than buying packaged items, and you are able to bring your own jars to use instead of the plastic bags they provide. Check out PickEco Refills in Chilliwack or the Bulk Barn in Abbotsford to find literally everything imaginable in bulk form. These places exist in the Fraser Valley, not just hipster neighbourhoods of Vancouver!

7. Buy a bamboo toothbrush: Your dentist probably recommends you change your toothbrush every 12 weeks, but that ends up as a whole lot of plastic being throw out. However, you can get a threepack of bamboo toothbrushes online for

Over the last six months Canadians have seen what might be an unprecedented amount of news surrounding corruption in our political system. Questionable moral and ethical decisions and actions are found at all levels of government ranging from appointed civil servants all the way to our country’s top politician. Canadians are now left feeling disenfranchised as levels of government across the political spectrum continue to do their best to show why voting for them was a mistake.

“Corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power are a plague across the Canadian political landscape.”

The SNC-Lavalin affair is a mess. There is significant evidence to suggest that the prime minister’s office went too far in trying to influence the independence of the Canadian justice system. Many Canadians feel affronted by the actions and words of Justin Trudeau who campaigned on promises of being a “people’s prime minister” and not the career politician that we had grown so tired of. Federal Electoral reform is all but dead in the water and the Canadian government now owns a pipeline that might not even be built. Let’s also not forget Mr. Trudeau’s paid for vacation on a private Carribean with Aga Khan which was found to break 4 sections of Canada’s conflict of interest laws for cabinet members and their staff. But here we are four years later with the same old story and the latest polls are reflecting how Canadians are feeling with the Conservatives pulling ahead of the Liberals over the last couple of weeks.

In reality this type of corruption, betrayal,

just $5 that are natural and compostable.

8. Buy better toiletries: From the moment you start getting ready for your day in the morning until you get ready for bed at night, plastic is part of that routine. Canada made a big step in plastic waste reduction by banning most products that contain plastic microbeads, but something serious still needs to be done about how much plastic goes into packaging the many items that online ads tell us to buy. I know I’m not the only one with a hundred different plastic bottles under my bathroom counter with everything from hair gel to elbow cream. Marie Kondo would not be proud of us. Minimalize your toiletry collection and try to buy from companies that use less plastic, or recycled plastic packaging instead, such as Lush.

9. Stop buying new things: This one may seem a tad extreme, but hear me out. Anything you

or abuse of power is not isolated to a single party or political leaning. In our own backyard we have appointed officials under investigation for unreasonable and lavish spending; such as when 4 officials received around $660 000 dollars in long service bonuses $250 000 (more than double the average MLA salary) of which went to the Clerk of the house. Or when the Clerk of the house expensed $140 for a tech support visit to his house for a iMac mouse that was out of battery. Much of this was carried out under the oversight of the long standing B.C. Liberal government, leading to former speaker and B.C. Liberal MLA Linda Reid being removed from her post as assistant deputy speaker.

Much of the overspending now leaves British Columbians wondering what else happened with taxpayer dollars over the last 10 years.

On the other side of the country in Ontario we are wrapping up a despicably obvious display of nepotism and abuse of power from Premier Doug Ford. Former interim Ontario Provincial Police commissioner, Brad Blair, was fired when he blew the whistle on Ford’s attempt to purchase a $50,000 vehicle equipped with a mini-fridge, TV, and Blu-ray player. Furthermore, Ford was simultaneously lowering the requirements for the open position of OPP commissioner so that his close friend, Ron Taverner, could easily move into the position. Taverner has since withdrawn his name from the race for commissioner and Deputy Chief Thomas Carrique has since been appointed.

Corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power are a plague across the Canadian political landscape. These damaging failures of human character are fuel to the political narratives that seek to create turmoil and divide a united Canada. Furthermore, it erodes the public trust in our systems of government and discourages people from voting and participating in the political process. Instead of political parties trying to convince Canadians to vote for them, the challenge might be for parties to convince Canadians to vote at all.

could ever want, you can probably find used: in thrift stores, on eBay, on Craigslist, or on Facebook marketplace; the options for buying used items are endless. You will save money and save all of the packaging involved in buying a new item. Nearly half of the world’s plastic waste is from plastic packaging materials. Not to mention the massive carbon footprint your Amazon prime membership produces by having your purchases shipped to your doorstep in just two days. So please stop buying new clothes, camping equipment, kitchen appliances, furniture online and try finding them from alternative sources instead where extra packaging can be avoided. Trust me, you will save a vton of money along with plastic.

There you have it: nine really simple ways to reduce your use of plastic and save a ton of money and sea turtles while doing so.

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

B.C. //

Held hostage by hopeless public transit

Advice //

Dear Robin

Transit woes make life harder than it should be ALEISTER GWYNNE There are three things university students like to complain about, in my experience: the weather, school work, and transportation. For those who drive, the griping is mostly about trying to get a parking spot on campus. However, those of us who rely on public transportation (like me) have a smorgasbord of misery to choose from.

Let us begin with my observation (based on about three years’ experience now) that the local bus drivers in Chilliwack, where I live, seem to treat their schedules as more of a polite suggestion than something they are expected to adhere to. Now, to give credit where credit is due, they have gotten better about this since I arrived, but occasionally I still have to put up with buses showing up several minutes late, or even not showing up at all. Things like this will happen even in the best transit system, but I find myself having to budget enormous amounts of travel time to compensate for this.

Recently I went on a field trip to Vancouver for one of my classes. Travel time one way using public transportation was about three hours. When returning from that same class on other days, my

compared with other students.

Buses in general do not run as frequently as they should in the Fraser Valley, nor do they go to as many places as they should. I understand there are only so many resources to spare for public transit services, but some areas seem conspicuously underserved, even at peak travel times. To those of us who do not have ready access to a car, this greatly limits where we can go and when.

“Bus drivers in Chilliwack, where I live, seem to treat their schedules as more of a polite suggestion.”

Getting more specific, I have a real problem with the Fraser Valley Express (#66) that goes from Chilliwack to Langley via Abbotsford being an exception to the U-Pass program, while other Fraser Valley public transport is included. I do not see why this has to be the case; it makes no sense to me. This came as a nasty shock when I first found out about it. Fortunately, I had a fiver on me to pay at the time. A young man trying to get home on the last bus on a freezing New Year’s night was not so fortunate. The driver refused to move and threatened to have him arrested if he didn’t get off, ignoring that it would leave him stranded in the middle of nowhere. I would have given him some of my own money if I had had enough. The young man stuck to his guns, and the driver gave in. He didn’t get arrested that I know of. I hope he got away.

Sadly, this attitude of callousness and disrespect is not unique. Sometimes bus drivers will refuse to stop where passengers are waiting. Other times, they will refuse to open the back doors and let people off.

Sometimes they will do things that make no sense, like stopping much longer than necessary for no apparent reason. One time I had a driver come over to my seat and hassle me for pointing out that he was unacIllustration by Cory Jensen ceptably late earlier. Honestly, the only reason I don’t give these drivtime travelling from Abbotsford to Chilliwack is ers a piece of my mind is because I need them to also three hours. Something is wrong here. This get where I need to go, and I can’t risk getting situation is a bit of an extreme case. I have the banned from my only means of transportation. It double misfortune of having a Friday evening is like being trapped in an abusive relationship. class. Commute times are not so bad from mornI could go on and on, but you see what we have ing to afternoon on Monday through Thursday, to deal with. I haven’t heard good things about but on Fridays, the UFV shuttle bus does not run transit in Abbotsford either. My experience of the frequently enough, and in the evenings, neither Abbotsford system is limited, but based on that, does the city bus. Also, the UFV shuttle and city and experiences elsewhere in the Fraser Valley, I buses do not make any effort to synchronize their am inclined to take others word for it. Frankly, I schedules. If only my shuttle home on Friday left am sick to death of being treated like a second15 minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have to wait almost class citizen just because I do not own a car. Even an hour for the next bus at Chilliwack. Even at the if the number of buses and their routes in the Frabest of times, my commute one way is an hour ser Valley remained the same as they are now, it and a half. By contrast, travelling the same diswould be a huge improvement if they could only tance by car takes about half an hour. This is time have more convenient and consistent schedules I could be spending studying, running errands, and staff with better attitudes. or relaxing. I wish I could get an allowance in my marks for all the work time I lose commuting

Rude awakening

ROBIN HALPER Life is tough and confusing and weird. We all need help sometimes, and when you need an expert opinion, you turn to an expert opiniongiver like Robin Halper. Whatever problem you’re facing in life, Robin will have a solution. The Cascade cannot guarantee the effectiveness of Robin’s unique approach to life, but if you’re in a jam, get some advice by writing to halp@ufvcascade.ca

Dear Robin, Popcorn is my fave snack. I eat it constantly. But after years of blissfully shoveling it into my mouth, those little popcorn kernel bits are now getting stuck in my teeth. I have no idea how to prevent this. Any ideas?

From,

Crunching for answers Hello,

Reality check Dear Robin, Today I learned that mermaids aren’t real. Are there other things that we have grown to believe are real but actually aren’t? Any help would be appreciated before I embarrass myself in my human biology class again.

Sincerely,

Shocked about science Hey, That’s a tough reality to face. I remember when I discovered the same thing just a few years ago. It was a difficult mourning process. Some other things that you need to know aren’t real are dolphins, the North Pole, 12-hour lasting sunblock, submarines, and instant rice.

I wish you all the best as you discover yourself and the lies of this world.

This is a real problem. After you’ve started a social media campaign to raise awareness of this pressing issue (#kernelkare), I would purchase dental floss and keep that on you at all times. If you can’t afford dental floss at this time, take two or three hairs from your head, pull them out, and use them in place of dental floss. The latter option may be better than dental floss because you’ll never forget to bring your hair with you when you’re eating popcorn, and I’m pretty sure hair is biodegradable. Happy munching!

Robin

Robin

7

OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

Editorial //

Stop turning a blind eye to hate CAT FRIESEN As of Tuesday, March 19, 50 have been confirmed dead after attacks on two Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand last Friday, March 15. There were also 50 left injured, and countless more family members affected by the attack.

It goes without saying that hate crimes are disgusting and unacceptable — there’s no excuse for even the smallest discrimination toward those different than you.

But when something as repellant as what happened in Christchurch occurs, people pay attention; it’s hard not to when it’s as inexcusable as this.

Despite the media coverage of Christchurch, I’m not sure people are aware of the extent of hate crimes occurring toward the Muslim community. Between 2012 and 2015, the amount of reported hate crimes targeted at Muslims grew by 353 per cent (going from 45 in 2012 to 159 in 2015). In 2017, the number of reported hate crimes targeted at Muslims soared to 349 — an increase of 219 per cent. These statistics are for Canada alone; add in hate crimes in the U.S. and other parts of the

8

world and this number skyrockets.

Islamophobia is everywhere, and saying what happened in New Zealand doesn’t affect the rest of the world is not only ignorant, it’s dangerous. Turning a blind eye toward hate, even if it’s a small act, even if it’s coming from someone you know and believe to be good, is a problem. It shows there’s a misunderstanding or an unwillingness to learn about or accept another

way of living; it shows closed-mindedness, and this closed-mindedness and hatred can expand into dangerous territory if we let it.

If we allow ourselves to be complicit to even the smallest display of discrimination, we’re part of the problem. So, we need to find a way to help, rather than hurt. At the least, what we can do is offer support. Members of UFV, and by extension, members of the Fraser Valley and everywhere else need to make an effort to learn about the Islamic faith in order to discard false beliefs of what it is. (A good way to do this is to attend an open mosque day — Abbotsford Islamic Centre Illustration by Cory Jensen

holds these regularly.) We need to ask the Muslim community what we can do for them. We need to call people out when they’re being Islamophobic, and we need to step in and do what we can to protect them in moments of discrimination or violence.

I want to believe that people are good, and overall, I think we are; in hard times, the majority of us are willing to show support, if not take measurable actions to help. At the time of writing this, more than $6,666,923.81 has been donated to Christchurch victims and their families through Givealittle. There are several other organizations offering support through donations, as well urging people to attend vigils.

It’s upsetting that it takes a mass tragedy such as the Christchurch masacre to make us pay attention to a problem we should already be trying to fight, but here we are. I urge you to reevaluate how you treat the Muslim community, and step up when you see acts of violence occurring.

No matter your faith, we’re all human, and we’re all equals; we should treat each other as such.

BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Illustrations by Simer Haer

Too many shoes One of the main advantages of having the same shoe size as my father and brother is the interchangeability of shoes. Some may think that’s gross, but I don’t.

When people look into our family closet they might assume that we (I) have too many shoes. And although it may look like a lot, and it is, I like the choice when I get up in the morning.

Variety matters and often I get complimented on my shoe choice.

But hey, haters be hating. And if

I’m going ghost they don’t like my rockin’ Botellis, well that’s ok. Personally, I’ve always had an affinity for shoes and there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes, especially after the holidays when I get many for gifts, they pile up and creative solutions must be made.

I guess that’s why our garage has a wardrobe entirely dedicated to the storage of shoes.

Caleb Silveira

The ghost emoji doesn’t get enough love. Please take a moment and really look at him. No other emoji captures a whimsy, laissez-faire attitude like the ghost. With those playfully raised arms, the stuck out tongue, and yes, even the unsettling different-sized eyes, he expresses an emotion that no emoji has expressed before. I don’t know exactly what this emotion is, but I feel it. The ghost understands me, and I understand him.

However, this spectral sunshine of a boy is drastically underutilized. Only during spooky season

does he really get to shine. He deserves more.

So please, rather than reaching for the winking tongue-out emoji (who is far too 2010, and also hideous), the sideways laughing emoji (a grotesque plight on mankind), or the beaming jazz-hands emoji (an absolute gem to be honest; I love them), consider the ghost to express any feelings of whimsy, mischief, or generalized euphoria.

It’s what he deserves.

Nadia Tudhope

HELP Hello, I’m Cat, and I’m addicted to hobbies. And although this sounds like a great way to spend your downtime, I assure you it’s not. As with everything else in my life, I become so entirely enamoured with a certain hobby (or song, or person, or idea) that it’s the only thing I can think of. I live it, I breathe it, and after a few weeks I find a new hobby or song or person or idea and I latch onto it with the same intensity as the previous one. And you know, I’m beginning to realize that’s not an entirely healthy way of living. I’m becoming more self-aware, and that’s a start, right?

Wrong. Because yesterday, despite knowing I have minimal free time and an obsessive/dismissive personality, I bought myself an electric keyboard. Never mind the perfectly good piano at my mom’s house. No, I wanted an electric keyboard so I could make all the cool “doot doot” noises that come along with it. (Regular pianos can’t do that, obviously.) So this is my plea for help: if you see me, ask me how it’s going with the keyboard. Help hold overzealous Cat accountable for the pledges she’s made to herself.

Cat Friesen

Beer thoughts If I could create my own brewery I would make sure the tasting room was the best place to hang out in Abby. Taking notes from Fieldhouse, I would obviously have an all-year patio full of blankets and candles. We would mainly focus on hoppy beers and make the most delectable IPA known to mankind. After those two priorities were achieved, I would move into the food realm, making sure only top-quality,

vegetarian-f r ie nd l y mu nc h ie s were available to enjoy with the brews — alongside endless tacos, of course. I would fight all liquor laws and serve buckets of beers for the people, not limiting them to a 20 oz. glass. There would never be a capacity limit, so no one will get turned away and no lines waiting to get in. Expect a soft opening by 2028.

Carissa Wiens

9

Jessica Barclay

What have this year’s Student Union Society executives achieved?

Jaleen Mackay (vice president internal) Gurvir (G) Gill (president) The president is the face of the Student Union Society (SUS). They provide strategic direction and oversight for the organization’s programming and plans, and leadership for executives, employees, and volunteers.

[Y]

Advanced Leadership Programs (ALP) ALP launched last year and has since brought over a dozen speakers in 10 modules to the Student Union Building (SUB) to discuss topics ranging from the opioid crisis to domestic violence.

[Y]

Open door policy The door may not be physically open but the sentiment still stands.

While there is no evidence of the hundreds of one-on-one meetings claimed from Gill’s previous term as president, his online executive reports indicate at least 20 one-on-one meetings with students over his current term.

[N]

Videos introducing students to SUS services Gill’s goal was to create a series of eight videos discussing various services provided by SUS, including the Pride Centre, the computer lab (which doesn’t exist), and the health and dental plan. Only one video has been published on the student union website featuring UFV President Joanne MacLean welcoming students for the fall semester.

This was also one of Gill’s goals last year, which was not achieved for reasons unspecified.

[Y]

The food bank The on-campus food bank was relaunched this fall in collaboration with UFV’s Student Life. SUS’s contribution to the collaboration was donating a room and freezers for the food bank to use on the second floor of the SUB. Student Life organizes the entire food bank, putting together the hampers and acquiring the food, and provides the staff to run it.

[Y]

UFV/SUS IT centre When SUS’s previous contract with Geeks Are Us was up, they partnered with UFV’s IT services to allow for personal student devices to be supported. The fee students previously paid toward the SUS FixIT service of $5.16 now goes to the SUS-UFV tech support service.

[Y]

Outdoor project The student union spent an undisclosed amount to add in a small bus shelter in front of the SUB and to extend the pathway leading to the shuttle bus stop. They also built a large cement platform outside of the SUB that has two basketball hoops. SUS has balls available for students to borrow from the front desk.

[?]

SUS orientation

Last year Senate granted SUS a two-year trial for a dedicated New

Student Orientation day, effectively moving the academic calender

back one day. SUS held an orientation day in the fall semester that saw

around 400-500 students throughout the day. However, in the winter

semester SUS decided to host the orientation day on Monday, the first

day of classes, instead of the given Friday, due to concerns of potential turnout.

When Gill presented the results of the two days to Senate,

concern was expressed over the lack of data collected for the winter

orientation day and the separation of genders for the sexualized

violence orientation training. [?]

Exam study space Evered Hall had tables placed in it this fall exam period for student use, but the building was not open any later than usual, as it has been in the past.

[N]

UFV/SUS Reconcili-ACTION There have been no announcements or comments from SUS regarding any reconciliation initiatives.

[N]

Sexualized violence training mandate There has been no mention of mandated sexualized violence training from SUS. During their Fall 2018 orientation, SUS ran two sexualized violence orientation workshops: one on toxic masculinity, restricted to males, and one on consent, restricted to females.

The VPI is the secretary and treasurer of SUS. They arrange board meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM), ensure bylaws and policies are being followed, and oversee financial matters, including the creation of the annual budget. They also provide support for clubs and associations and help in their operations.

Main Goals [?]

Release test survey regarding mission, vision, and value statements Last summer a test survey was sent out to some students. The survey, according to Mackay’s report, had three questions (two of which were the same) and received between 45 and 46 responses per question. The executive report does not clarify the questions asked in the survey, and we were unable to find anyone who had actually received the survey.

[N]

Develop mission, vision, and value statements for SUS There has been no announcement or comments regarding work on the SUS mission and value statements since August 2018.

[?]

Complete comprehensive policy review Mackay did not comment in time for publication, but from the executive reports online it appears to be a work in progress.

[Y]

Revise clubs and associations (C&A) policies and documents Throughout this term Mackay revised all of the C&A documentation.

Major changes included only providing funding to C&A for fundraising initiatives, and allowing student groups to request funding from the C&A budget. Student groups will be eligible to receive 70 per cent of the approved funding upfront, while C&A are eligible to receive 50 per cent of funding upfront.

Mackay said part of the reason for the change was to encourage C&A to ask for membership fees, as well as to allow C&A to be more independent with their money.

[N]

Work closely with Student Life to make event proposals and cocurricular records easier Student Life said they have had no discussions with SUS specifically regarding co-curricular records.

[?]

Review and make edits to the SUS website Mackay did not respond in time for publication regarding any review she has done on the SUS website. There is no mention of the review in any of the available executive reports.

MacKay had a number of goals labeled as “other goals.”

[N]

Board of directors meetings to start at a consistent time On paper, SUS board meeting public sessions are supposed to start at 5 p.m. in the room indicated on the schedule. In practice, there are often unannounced room changes and the occasional last minute, unannounced meeting cancellation. Meetings can start anywhere from 4-6 p.m., and not always at the posted time.

[Y] Put a temporary draft land acknowledgement into board of directors agendas/minutes

There is a land acknowledgement statement in the current posted

minutes, starting in July 2018. The previous land acknowledgement had

been omitted from the minutes in October 2017 for unknown reasons. [?]

Prepare revised draft bylaws for presentation to the board We are unable to confirm this as, although board minutes are supposed to be posted within two days of being approved, no minutes have been posted since October 2018.

[Y]

Plan a C&A week with SUS’s VPS and UFV’s Student Life U-Join did happen this year as a collaboration between Student Life and the Student Union Society.

[Y]

Solicit student input on board reform A survey was sent out this January asking students their opinions on changing the structure of student representative positions on the SUS board of directors. The reason given was that SUS thought the low participation on the board may be due in part to the board structure, which requires students to be registered in a particular program to run for a position.

A year of SUS in a nutshell: September:

Announced official closure of the Canoe restaurant due in part to $300,000 deficit Built a half basketball court for an undisclosed amount Relaunched the food bank in collaboration with UFV Cancelled $20,000 concert

October:

Cancelled by-elections due to the only candidate dropping out of the election Added school buses to the Langley shuttle bus route Changed clubs and associations policy to allow funding only for fundraiser events

January:

Raised prices at Fair Grounds Created an Equity-Diversity-Inclusivity (EDI) team that hosts biweekly chat sessions

February:

Launched an Anti-racism campaign

Rajdeep (Raj) Dhaliwal (vice president external) The VPE acts as liaison between SUS and the academic side of the university.

Their primary role at SUS is advocating for the students on academic and student-related issues, and communicating with local partners.

The VPE also represents SUS on a number of academic and policy issue committees; Dhaliwal is part of many committees, including CASA’s federal policy committee, and UFV’s Senate, Senate awards and honors, and South Asian Community Advisory Committee.

[Goal Item Advocated For] / [Goal Item Implemented] [Y] [N] Additional paid for course materials to have an assessment cap of five

per cent

Dhaliwal advocated for educational materials such as MyLab Writing

and Mastering Chemistry that students have to pay for to have a limited

assessment value on students grades, but said this is something that

cannot be mandated according to the Collective Agreement with the

Faculty and Staff Association (FSA).

[Y] [N] International student tuition changes

International students at UFV are charged a flat rate of 15 credits per

semester, even if they take under 15 credits. Dhaliwal advocated

to Senate for international students’ tuition to be credit-based, as they

are for domestic students. Senate said in January that recommendations

for international student tuition changes would be presented in May 2019.

[Y] [N] Sexual violence/bullying and harassment policies

SUS has spent considerable time advocating for changes to the sexual

violence policies to UFV’s vice president students and various

committee. According to Mackay’s executive report, an “action plan”

draft was created with Dhaliwal for UFV, but Dhaliwal said that SUS is

at a standstill in negotiations around the policies.

[Y] [N] Fall reading week

Dhaliwal said that advocating is ongoing for a fall reading break. A

proposed schedule will possibly be presented to Senate that includes

the provincially required 61-day semester instead of UFV’s 63 to 65.

[Y] [N] Course offerings

Making course offerings mandatory for all departments three years in

advance was advocated for, but Dhaliwal said this is something that

cannot be mandated according to the Collective Agreement with the

Faculty and Staff Association (FSA).

[Y] [N] Course evaluations

Dhaliwal advocated for students to be able to evaluate their professors

at the end of every semester. This was again something that cannot

be mandated according to the Collective Agreement with the Faculty

and Staff Association (FSA). It is being looked into to allow students to

do course evaluations for each semester.

[Y] [N] Exam schedule

Course exams are not always in line with the course times. While this

was advocated for, it may not be something that can be achieved

because of the method UFV uses to generate the exam schedule.

[Y] [?] Counselling services

UFV has agreed to mention the Empower Me service offered through

the SUS health and dental plan when discussing counselling options at UFV. [N] [N] Review Baker House policies

Projects [?]

Group study guidebook The guidebook will look to “encourage fair grading [on the] amount of work being done by members.” It is not yet complete but is expected next semester. No other updates have been given.

[N]

Short monthly surveys No monthly surveys have been sent out to the student body.

[Y] Land acknowledgement

There is a land acknowledgement statement in the current posted SUS

board minutes, starting in July 2018. The previous land acknowledgement

had been omitted from the minutes in October 2017 for unknown reasons.

[Y]

Municipal Q&A Dhaliwal organized a Q&A session for all mayoral candidates on the UFV Abbotsford campus during the recent Abbotsford elections.

Sharnpreet (Sunny) Cheema (vice president students) The VP students is a new portfolio involved in student engagement and programming organization. As a new portfolio, there have been some changes and tweaks over the year. Most notably was the hiring of an events and programing manager within SUS, changing the focus of the VP students from event planning to a more oversight and student engagement-oriented role [Y] Ping Pong Tournaments [Y] Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 [Y] Paint Nights [Y] Halloween Party [Y] Clubs & Associations Week [Y] Winter Funderland [Y] Restart Foodbank [N] SUS Intramurals [N] Nap Time [N] Sports Day [N] Condom/Tampon Availability [N] Year-End Party [N] Events Calendar [N] “Hug Me” Drink Machines [N] Second Looks [N] Martial Day [N] Showcase Mindfulness Practices [N] SUBZero [N] Holiday Gift Exchange [N] Activities in the Atrium [N] Clean Up @ UFV [N] Tabling In progress [?] Multicultural Day [?] Rape Kit

Legend: Mar 20 Life Drawing Studio Session 2 w/ instructor Jesse Klassen @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Mar 21 Virtual Reality Event @ Yarrow Library (Chilliwack), 2:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Art Battle @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Naomi Shore and Corwin Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Fox

@

Five Alarm Funk @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Mar 22 CreativFestival @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Family Nature Festival 2019 @ Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve (Chilliwack), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Science World On The Road @ Clearbrook Library (Abbotsford), 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Science World and their Science on the Spot: Demonstration Stati @ Chilliwack Library, 2:00 - 2:45 p.m.

Inanimate Alice Perpetual Nomads Launch: A VR Experience @ Mission Library, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

2019 Startup Hackathon @ Building A (Chilliwack Campus), 5:00 p.m.

Mar 23 CreativFestival @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sideshow: Army of Sass @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 10:15 p.m.

The Kwerks @ Tractorgrease (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Luca Folgale @ Acoustic (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Cafe

Emporium

Mar 24 Max Marshall @ Tractorgrease (Chilliwack), 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Cafe

Roots and Blues Arsen Shomakhov Band @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Mar 26 Science World and their Science on the Spot: Demonstration Station @ Yarrow Library (Chilliwack), 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Student Research Day @ Evered Hall (Abbotsford Campus), 11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

LEGO Bridge Building Challenge @ Abbotsford Community Library, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Mar 27 Self Studies in Higher Education @ Room C1429 (Abbotsford Campus), 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Paint and Sip @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus), 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Buckman Coe & Tonye @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Mar 29 ‘We are Hockey’ Exhibit @ Sikh Heritage Museum (Abbotsford), 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Reel Change: Cedar: Tree Of Life + Hands of History @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Meditation Class @ Two Dragons Tai Chi Academy (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Motherhood, Casinos and Stephen Carl O’Shea @ Carport Manor (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Abigail Lapell @ Tractorgrease (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Cafe

SNAFU Presents: Dark Originn, Neveranother and Subverter @ The Railyard (Mission), 7:00 p.m. - Midnight Welcome to the ‘60s @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.

Dead City w/ guests Warplan Red @ Captain’s Cabin Pub (Mission), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Mar 30

Bike Frame Building Open House with Paul Brodie @ UFV Aerospace Centre (Abbotsford), 5:30 - 7:20 p.m.

Free Army of Sass Promo Class @ The Goddess Movement (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

UFV Aerospace Centre Info Session @ UFV Aerospace Centre (Abbotsford), 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Kitty and the Rooster @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Mar 28

Citizen Jane @ Acoustic (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Emporium

Sideshow: Army of Sass @ 9525 College St. (Chilliwack), 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

12th Annual Fraser River Cleanup @ Gill Road (Chilliwack), 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Spring Break Special: Science World on the Road @ Mission Library, 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Family Nature Festival 2019 @ Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve (Chilliwack), 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Electronics & Hard Drive Secure Destruction Day @ Abbotsford Police Department, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Planter Arrangement Demonstration @ Sardis Library (Chilliwack), 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

PNT Acrylics w/ Nan @ House of Fine Art (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Goat Yoga @ Maan Farms (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

Harry Potter Event @ Chilliwack Library, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

The Slocan Ramblers @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

12

Welcome to the ‘60s @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 7:30 - 10:00 p.m.

Mar 31

CULTURE

culture@ufvcascade.ca CULTURE Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

UFV //

Committee Spotlight: WUSC

Column //

Cascade Kitchen: Coconut curry pasta

How a committed group of students are bringing a refugee to study at UFV ANDREA SADOWSKI Out of the few student groups on campus who come together, sacrificing many hours that could have been spent writing essays or binging Netflix, to make a tangible, positive change in this world, World University Services of Canada (WUSC) stands out. This August, after 16 months of hard work, they have obtained the funds to sponsor a refugee to come study here at UFV. WUSC is a program that runs in association with the Canadian government that sponsors refugee students to come to Canada through local committees. Since the program began in 1978, 98 universities have chosen to create a program on their campus; UFV’s committee formed in Janu-

“The whole point of having privilege is to use it well.” ary 2018. In August, 2019, WUSC UFV will welcome their first refugee student on campus.

Michelle Murray-Schlitt, co-chair of the committee and a third-year global development studies (GDS) student, said that the formation of the committee was thanks to a former staff member here at UFV, Adaly Molina. She had gone to a conference and heard about WUSC there. Being a refugee herself, she was incredibly passionate about the idea of bringing a refugee to study here at UFV, but the timing was never right to make it happen. Michael Duong, the other co-chair of the committee, worked with Molina for his GDS internship to get the committee up and running last January. After this, a group of roughly 10 dedicated students came together to push the initiative forward.

The committee’s efforts are focused on raising financial support within the university’s different departments and colleges to be able to sponsor a refugee student’s tuition. Murray-Schlitt described the process of obtaining the funding to be an arduous one, but the payoff was worth it.

“There’s lot of meetings, and a lot of time spent talking with different faculty and staff members and pitching the idea to people. A lot of them were on board and were really supportive],” Murray-Schlitt said.

The committee also focuses on raising awareness among the student body about the refugee crisis with events such as the Human Library that

was held last September, which told the stories of newcomers to Canada. WUSC is also involved in building community here on campus and is the group behind the highly popular Bob Ross paint nights. As well, they just hosted “Voices from Home,” an extremely successful concert featuring local artists such as Samson Crowe, Ben Cottrill, Tyler Born, Cambree Lovesy, and Josh G. When asked why she decided to co-chair the committee and give so much of her time for this cause Murray-Schlitt answer highlighted the passion she felt towards helping refugees.

“I think this matters. It is important that people in Abbotsford and other privileged people in Canada take initiative and make it a priority to welcome others and to advocate for others who don’t have the same opportunities as we do. The whole point of having privilege is to use it well,” Murray-Schlitt said.

In the GDS, people and conflict studies (PACS), and PoliSci programs students learn a lot about different crises going on in the world; it can all be incredibly discouraging and disheartening. It’s easy to feel as students with such limited resources that there is nothing we can do about these horrible things that are happening. However, the

“It is important that people in Abbotsford and other privileged people in Canada take initiative and make it a priority to welcome others ... who don’t have the same opportunities as we do.”

WUSC committee is making an actual, tangible difference in the life of one refugee student every year. You don’t need to wait until your degree is over to make a difference; you can start taking action now. This committee is an example of how you can use what you are learning in your program while you are learning it and make a difference in the world while doing so.

Right now the committee is making preparations to receive their student in August. Everyone is welcome to join WUSC’s meetings, held Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. in S3103, follow them on social media @WUSCUFV, and to come to future events.

They will be back putting on advocacy and awareness events in September when students are less exhausted.

JOSEPH AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT LYRICS BY TIM RICE MUSIC BY ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Coconut curry pasta. (Cat Friesen)

CAT FRIESEN When it comes to food (and everything else) I’m protective of my time.

And when I have limited time, I don’t want to spend an hour of it in the kitchen making something that will take me 10 minutes to eat.

Enter coconut curry pasta, your new favourite dish to make when you don’t feel like cooking. All together, it takes about 15 minutes and is very low effort, and only has a handful of ingredients. It’s creamy, it’s filling, and it’s unintentionally vegan. (Unless you add meat. Whatever floats your boat.)

There are a lot of really great things about this meal: it’s simple, it’s cheap, and if you’re making it for yourself, you’ve got enough leftovers for at least two more meals. (Hello lunch you don’t have to buy at UFV.) It’s also versatile: you can sub chicken bouillon for veggie, you can throw in prawns or chicken or sausage, and, if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can spice it up with habaneros and/or green curry paste in place of the red.

Make it for your friends and family and bask in the glory of being the best chef they know. Just don’t tell them how easy it was or you’ll never be allowed to make anything else.

Ingredients Half a box of linguine 1 pepper 1 onion 1 can coconut milk 15 ml (1 tbsp) red curry paste 15 ml (1 tbsp) curry powder 30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable bouillon Salt and pepper Instructions 1. Cook those noodles, dudeles, and set ‘em aside.

2. Thinly slice the pepper and onion, and fry ‘em up in a large pan. If you’re adding meat, now’s the time.

3. Add remaining ingredients to the veggies and cook until it thickens (about 5 minutes).

4. Throw the pasta in and toss it about until everything is soaked in sweet, sweet sauce.

5. You did it! Eat your creation!

Presenting Sponsors

LIVE ON STAGE MARCH 22 – 30 IN ABBOTSFORD BC For Tickets & Info

WWW.GALLERY7THEATRE.COM

13

CULTURE

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

UFV Event //

A night of music, art, and community Valley Fest Finale showcases local talent

UFV Abbotsford caffeteria Valley Fest. March 2019. (The Cascade)

CASSIE DE JONG They had diverse performances, they had a conference, they had a play, and finally last Saturday, March 16, UFV’s Valley Fest concluded with a finale jam-packed with food, art, music, and dance. The event somehow transformed the Abbotsford campus cafeteria space into a polished banquet hall and vivacious venue space.

Before the evening’s proceedings, organizers took a moment to acknowledge the event took place on the traditional unceded territory of the Stó:lō territory, and thanked the College of Arts and the viceprovost’s office for providing funding.

For a festival, which celebrated everything great about creativity in the Fraser Valley, it seemed very fitting that its conclusion included several performances from some of the Valley’s best creative individuals.

The first performer to take the stage that night was Carrielynn Victor, an artist fueled by the passion to leave positive footprints on the earth. Victor presented two thought-provoking, texture-rich pho-

14

tographs mounted on canvas. The pieces are part of a body of work made for the RezErect: Native Erotica exhibition at the Bill Reid Art Gallery in Vancouver in 2013.

They remained present beside the event stage all evening.

Victor is from the Indigenous community of Cheam. She spent her time on stage telling the story of the mountain people of Cheam, which captured the audience’s attention. She also spoke of her right to interpret the story for herself. Her interpretation is present within the artwork she presented, and carries themes of gender politics and sexual positivity.

Next to the stage was Theresa Warbus, who goes by Keliya onstage. Warbus is a local artist and hip-hop persona who draws from her Coast Salish heritage. In addition to her music career, Warbus is a filmmaker and a mom, and carries many titles. Warbus was first inspired to pursue hip-hop when she witnessed other successful women in that community.

Warbus’ set inspired participation and movement within the audience. In between tracks she took a moment to thank

organizers of Valley Fest for bringing so many people together for such a successful cultural event.

“I think this is something that is really unique. We really need this in the Valley.

More exhibition of culture, talent, and traditional stories about the people that live here in this traditional territory,” said Warbus. “I haven’t had many opportunities to come home and perform, so this is really amazing.”

Warbus’s music video for her song “Take Us” will debut on social media this April.

You can follow her on SoundCloud as Keliya and on Instagram @tkeliya.

Last but certainly not least, Robert Wiersema claimed his time onstage. Wiersema is UFV’s current writer in residence, and is the best-selling author of the novel Before I Wake, Bedtime Story, and four other books. He has also been published in the Globe and Mail and The Inquirer. He was born and raised right here in the Fraser Valley before moving to Victoria, where he is now an English professor at Vancouver Island University.

Wiersema read a captivating passage

from Bedtime Story before releasing his audience to the “pleasures of dinner,” and also took a moment to describe his gratitude for the opportunity to be UFV’s writer in residence.

“This has been a powerful and lifechanging experience both as a artist and as a person,” Wiersema said.

Following a scrumptious dinner provided by Stó:lō Catering, DJ Kookum, also known as Cheyanna Kootenhayoo, livened things up for finale attendees. Kootenhayoo is a Dene/Cree filmmaker and DJ. She is a member of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, and is based out of Vancouver. Her set was accompanied by colourful examples of Indigenous dance, which provided a fantastic finish to the night.

Organizing events like Valley Fest, where participation is key, can be difficult given that UFV is a commuter campus.

Thus, it is very rewarding to see students and staff take part in community-related events. Ultimately, Valley Fest showcased our diversity as a university, and its finale set the pace for future on-campus multicultural events to come.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

UFV Event //

UFV Event //

Open discussion at Riverdale world UFV offers solutions subject of UFV on marginalization conference in Abbotsford Cultural studies: semi-academic Riverdale conference

Community workers address issues of discrimination DARIEN JOHNSEN

The Social Construction of Difference event, hosted by the events coordinator for the Criminal Justice Student Association, Liam Cook, was a series of talks from community service workers in Abbotsford followed by a Q&A period. The event was held in the Student Union Building last Tuesday, March 12. For those students and faculty members who were there, this took form as an intimate discussion on the work being done for different groups of people in the community who have been discriminated against and marginalized.

Speakers included Alison Gutrath, Megan Capp, and Allen Doerksen, who all do community work in Abbotsford to combat issues created by social marginalization and discrimination. The afternoon began with an introduction from Cook, who stated that the intention of the gathering was to be an engaging experience where those in attendance could address issues concerning power and privilege, and discuss resolutions. Each speaker took their turn at the stand to share their work and the meaning behind it.

The first speaker was Gutrath from Abbotsford Community Services (ACS), one of Abbotsford’s main social service agencies. Gutrath is

“You are all artists of change. From here, everything starts.” a UFV alumni and has 19 years of experience working in the social services field. Gutrath is currently the coordinator for Diversity Education and Resource Services at ACS. For the past five years, she’s also been serving as the community coordinator for the gang prevention and intervention program, In It Together.

Gutrath spoke about how to support victims of hate crimes and the importance of people being aware of the definitions of discrimination and educating each other.

In response to an audience question about how we can respond to hate crimes on social media, Gutrath spoke about the different types of witnessing: active, passive, and ethical. She said that where active witnessing would be responding to discrimination by calling the perpetrator out, passive witnessing is noticing discrimination and ignoring it.

“Ethical witnessing is where we try to create change,” Gutrath said. “So, if it were, say, a post that was in a group on Facebook that you belong to, then maybe contacting the admin for that Facebook group and saying, ‘I think we need to look at the rules, because there’s hateful things being posted.’ Or, ‘People are being racist, what can we do about that?’”

She also introduced the attendees to the Abbotsford Community Protocol, a resource guide to assist community members and stakeholders in responding to critical incidents of discrimination and hate crimes with a step-by-step guide.

Capp, also from Abbotsford Community Services, spoke about her role as manager for supportive housing. She was essential in establishing the Hearthstone Place supportive living facility in Abbotsford two years ago. Capp said Hearthstone Place is low-barrier, long-term housing facility with 30 beds that supports men and women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. She explained her struggle with the city and resistance from local business owners and citizens throughout the journey of opening this long-term supportive housing project, and the success it’s been since its inception. She stated that many community members and residents who lived around the area where Hearthstone was built were opposed to the project and had concerns about an increase in needles, condoms, and other harm reduction supplies being littered on their properties.

“As you can imagine, that didn’t happen … there’s always these community conflicts, there’s always this resistance, and always, once the building has been up and operational, you find that there’s not an increase in property crime, there’s not an increase in nuisance,” Capp said.

Finally, we heard from Doerksen, a priest and a chaplain at two Anglican churches in the Fraser Valley. Doerksen studies the philosophy of religions and is passionate about bridging the gap between the queer community and religion, the later of which, he said, has acted exclusionary towards the LGBTQIA+ community.

He spoke about church leaders interpreting biblical passages out of their historical context, and how it has led to misunderstanding and the enabling of homophobic beliefs within the church.

He spoke of the present as being a “Kairo’s moment” in that it is a time pregnant with change.

The question periods after each speaker were thoughtful and open conversations about each speaker’s work and how the broader issues of social marginalization could be addressed. Students and faculty didn’t hold back in their questions, some even openly challenging speakers on their statistics and asking hard questions about the purpose behind their work, while others made connections. Overall, this was a learning experience for everyone in attendance and a way for local community workers to spread awareness about the work they are doing.

Coming together as a group to openly discuss issues in the community and ask hard question of ourselves and others is how change happens. I believe Cook closed the event best with his words: “You are all artists of change.

From here, everything starts.”

CALEB SILVEIRA

The reboot series Riverdale has brought Archie comics back into the pop culture spotlight. Whether you detest the series for its absurdity or are a diehard fan, no one can deny that the show is here to stay. Currently the show is in production of its fourth season.

On March 13, UFV hosted its second ever Riverdale conference: a conference available and accessible to academics, students, and the aver-

“So much of the show is selfconscious. The idea here is that the show acknowledges that we have changed Archie.” age joe. With seven scheduled panels and 16 presentations, the discussions ranged from religion and revolution to gender and goblins. Overall, the conference dealt with Riverdale and its related series, occuring in the same fictional universe, Sabrina. The conference served as an opportunity for both nerds and the academically inclined to discuss and review the varying series with a critical eye.

Ron Sweeney in his presentation “Archie Must Die Again: Parody and Adaptation in the Riverdale Universe,” suggested in his critique of the televised series that the stvory will ultimately end with Archie’s death.

He also acknowledges how the series differs from the mass market comic publishings.

“I do think the series needs to regenerate as a whole; then again, Archie is a publishing company and it will adapt to various media landscapes,” Sweeney said. “So much of the show is self-conscious. The idea here is that the show acknowledges that we have changed Archie.”

Not only is the series a binge, and possibly cringe, worthy show, but it’s well known for filming around the Fraser Valley. The local ‘backyard nature’ of the show draws a connection between the residents of the Fraser Valley and the series. This connection was clearly felt during the conference proceedings. It was fitting that a show filmed in the valley has a conference local to the valley.

Heather McAlpine, the conference

coordinator and associate professor of English, can attest that Riverdale is overtly capable of sparking intense conversation, skepticism, and fandom across not just the Fraser Valley, but all over the Western world.

“It was a weird organic mushroom of a process in which on Twitter, we shared our experiences,” McAlpine said. “We soon decided to organize a conference in which we could just talk things out. It happened last year because all of us wanted to just sit in a room together and hash out all of our various takes on the show. It was so much fun that we decided to do it again.”

This year, like the last, the conference demonstrated that cultural studies can also take form in a contemporary setting, and that people from all backgrounds can come and enjoy the process of looking at a production of pop culture and viewing it through a critical mode of thought.

“I hope what we can do with the conference is show people that doing cultural works isn’t just about looking at the great works. It’s about everything. We can interrogate everything

“Archie is a publishing company and it will adapt to various media landscapes.” produced around us culturally,” McAlpine said.

The cultural critique that is available to us, by watching the two series and thinking on their popularity, should not be forgotten and the Riverdale conference was an excellent reminder that critical perspectives can be applied to any cultural production.

Naturally, critiquing one cultural production will lead to the critiquing of another. This rabbit hole of reviewing and dismantling modern cultural works is not only a fascinating process but a fun one. This was clearly demonstrated in the energy shown throughout the conference. People and the presenters were there because of a mutual love, interest, and fascination of an absurdist TV show.

Conferences such as these serve as a gateway into the broader field of cultural studies and are definitely worth visiting.

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SPORTS CULTURE

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

sports@ufvcascade.ca The Cascade — Sports Editor

Wrestling//

UFV wrestling season recap

Cascades national performances show top-level talent, despite lost ground in team scores ALEX JESUS

Looking back, a new storyline began to emerge through the Cascades 2018-19 season. Yes, it was incredible that UFV continued to perform well on the biggest stages in the nation, but this quickly became something else.

UFV wrestling, when it comes to individual performance and talent, is truly among the highest clubs in USPORTS and in Canada. With that said, there is a challenge ahead and a clear path forward for the team, even though they continue to reach the podium.

The season really took a turn at the Canada West championships, which were hosted by UFV. Brad Hildenbrandt, Ana Godinez Gonzalez, and De’Andre Williams all picked up golds. Add five silver and three bronze medals and that rounded out the podium hall for the squad. This event showcased the incredible potential of the UFV Cascades, but also highlighted their only flaw.

The Cascades men, despite their clear edge and skill, finished third in team standings for the tournament. The women’s team finished fourth, sporting a last place finish that is hardly representative of the championship-level roster. How is this possible? Size. The saying “strength

in numbers” is very important to understanding team wrestling statistics and placements.

For every wrestler that stands to compete at a tournament, points are given.

They aren’t given for not competing, but in the event that a team fields a wrestler and the other team does not have a competitor, the team with the able athlete gets points. This is why it can be confusing sometimes watching UFV, as they dominate their competition at times, and still lose the team score (and therefore, the banner) by large margins. This is no fault of the Cascades program, but it begs the question: will we see a roster increase soon, as the program continues to impress?

The Cascades sauntered into the national championships with confidence after their stellar showing at the Canada West championships. Their confidence would pay off, as they took home five national medals — a record for UFV. Two gold medals, a silver medal, and two bronze medals highlighted the Cascades season and served as a perfect cap on a remarkable 2018-19 campaign.

However, the team scores prevented UFV from obtaining a national banner, just as they did in the Canada West championships. The Cascades now have the right to call themselves a nationally

recognized and respected program on the podium, which is incredible for a program that has only been active for five years.

Now the question becomes whether they

can increase their roster size and take the final leap towards not only individual accolades, but team titles and banners as well.

Canada West Wrestling Championship. Feb. 8, 2019 (UFV Cascades flickr.)

Men’s Volleyball //

UFV men’s volleyball in search of new head coach

After a rough season, the Cascades officially parted ways with former head coach Kyle Donen ALEX JESUS After five years at the helm of the men’s volleyball squad, Kyle Donen and the Cascades decided to go their separate ways.

This comes after a hard-fought season for the program, which saw the team go 2-22 and miss the playoffs. The uncharacteristically poor season was not all for nothing, as the Cascades played with incredible passion and commitment. The same can be said for Donen, who continued to rally the team and be a positive reference for them all season. The departure was tough but needed for the Cascades as they plan to take their program to the national level with Canada West and USPORTS. His record with the team stands at 5268, which sounds lower than average until you factor in this year’s contribution. Prior to the 2018-19 season, Donen maintained a winning record at 50-46. In his five years as coach, Donen’s highlights include a 17-win, second-place regular season campaign in 2016-17 as well as two CCAA AllCanadian nods for former players Adam Chaplin and Joel Kleingeltink.

The change of staff comes at a time when UFV awaits a decision that could

16

fundamentally change the program: the Cascades have their sights set on moving to the Canada West stage, a conference already containing their basketball, soccer, and wrestling programs. It would be quite a statement for the school, as they would

then be one step closer to having their entire range of varsity sports in Canada West.

Director of athletics and campus recreation Steve Tuckwood spoke well of Donen upon his departure from the program.

“We’re thankful to Kyle for his com-

Men’s volleyball. Feb. 16, 2018 (UFV Cascades flickr.)

mitment to the program over the past five years and wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” Donen said.

This rings true for many, as the commitment of Donen cannot be questioned on the court. A somewhat reserved coach, Donen was always there for his players come game time and could be seen on the sidelines giving advice and directions as the Cascades played.

Donen also spoke highly of UFV in comments to UFV Athletics, expressing his gratitude for his involvement with the Cascades.

“I’m thankful for my time at UFV, and the experience I had with the athletes I was fortunate enough to meet and grow with. I also enjoyed working with the staff at UFV Athletics, and I wish all the best to the program in the future,” Donen said.

It is comments and quotes like these that communicate coach Donen’s respectful approach to his time with the program.

He will be missed by not just the players, but by fans as well.

Now the program will look for their next head coach as they prepare for their 2019-20 season which begins in the fall of this year.

STUDY BREAK

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Crossword //

Made by Cassie de Jong

ACROSS

DOWN 1: Passing someone else’s work off as one’s own.

2: Area of science dealing with the paths of space vehicles.

3: A variant of a particular chemical element which differs in neutron number, and consequently in nucleon number.

1: An often illegal form of investment where each paying participant recruits two further participants, with returns being given to early participants from money contributed by later ones.

6: The action of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work, usually after a certain age.

4: A mark left on the skin or within body tissue 8: A precious stone consisting of corundum, usually deep crimson in colour. where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed properly and fibrous tissue has developed.

9: A long, distinct period of history, with a defining feature or characteristic.

5: Health practitioners that diagnose and clinically manage disorders of the blood and 11: A pale gemstone consisting of a form of bone marrow. hydrated silica, typically translucent and 7: A measuring unit in cooking, equal to about showing many small points of shifting color. half a fluid ounce 12: The act of embalming and wrapping a 10: A commander of a fleet or naval squadron, deceased body in cloth. or a naval officer of very high rank.

14: A group of stars forming a recognizable 13: The money paid by a passenger for services pattern that is sometimes named after a in public transportation. mythological figure.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS:

Cascade Calamities

Horoscopes //

Down: 2: Parasite 3: Affinity 4: Earl 8: Forensic 9: Noble Gas 12: Zeus

Goodbye Winter

Across: 1: Humpback Whale 5: Coma 6: Immortal 11: Barn 12: Zeppelin 7: Deli 13: Exam 8: Fungus 14: St. Patrick’s Day 10: Bakery

Hello Spring

Astrological mysteries interpreted weekly by Morgana the Mystic

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 The sun enters your sign on Wednesday!

Prepare for a burst of energy. Use this wisely; your knack for burning out could get you into trouble if you prioritize fun over responsibility.

While it may be tempting to shake things up, tread carefully — you don’t want to upset the balance quite yet.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 You’re often too comfortable with keeping to the status quo, but this is not one of those times. Any urge to make a big change should preferably be put off until you’ve had time to think it through. This rare sense of impulsivity should peak sometime this week, letting you return to your steady lifestyle sooner rather than later.

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 With your patron planet Mercury skewing communication quite effectively until March 28, you’re bound to be feeling the effects of its retrograde the most. Conversations can be confusing, messy, unsatisfactory, or most likely, all of the above. Don’t admit defeat; you can tackle anything with a little bit of patience.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 The spotlight has found its way to you, and you might not be used to it. While shying away might be your knee-jerk reaction, try to overcome this urge. You work hard and people have noticed. You’re finally getting the recognition you deserve; welcome it with open arms!

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 You’re a natural leader but this doesn’t mean you have to be in charge all the time.

Sometimes there are others who are better suited to the situation. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer insight and advice — you’re a valuable ally — but you’ll want to avoid stepping on others’ toes.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Variety is the spice of life, Virgo, but you seem to only recognize this when it doesn’t pertain to you. Shake it up a bit; change isn’t as scary as you might think. Explore new paths that open up. In fact, following them might provide you with a long overdue boost of confidence.

Illustration by Elyssa English Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 While you usually relish in being the centre of drama and entertainment you may be currently experiencing an unheard amount of it. Don’t let this energy overwhelm you.

Go with the flow until the escape you need appears — it’s much closer than you might think.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 You’re back to your hard-working ways it seems. (If you ever left them in the first place.) The dedication you have to yourself is admirable and as long as you keep your spirits up, you should prosper! If you feel yourself start to wane, take a break! Wanting to relax isn’t a weakness.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 While the sun may be in opposition, the full moon on March 20 occurs under your sign. Don’t be afraid to embrace whatever onslaught of emotions comes your way because of this — whether they be good or bad. Expression is the key to change, and it’s not like you need an excuse to be dramatic.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 You’re always looking for new ways to improve both yourself and the world around you.

Innovation can be exhausting, especially if you’re primarily concerned with the “bigger” picture. This outlook can come at your own expense. Look for ways to regenerate without reinvention; this process could help you put yourself first for once.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Encourage your creative side, Scorpio. Your sensitive side might be buried deep, but you’ll find it a well of inspiration for new endeavours. Ignore feelings of hesitancy.

While this may be new to you, it’s a journey worth your time. You’ll find new ways to express yourself that aren’t so upfront and intimidating.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Expect a smooth transition between your season and the next. While this week should be focused on finding closure — by either finishing up projects or finally having that conversation you’ve been dreading — don’t shy away from new prospects. Just make sure to get rid of any baggage before you really dedicate yourself.

17

ARTS

arts@ufvcascade.ca Martin Castro — Arts Editor

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

Album //

CHARTS 1

Blessed Salt

2

Swim Team V

3

Primp Half-Bloom

4

B.A. Johnston The Skid is Hot Tonight

5

Homeshake Helium

SHUFFLE AARON LEVY

SUNSHINE COLLECTOR

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy is excited to host Fredericton, N.B.'s Motherhood in Abbotsford on March 29, and in honour of the occasion, here is an opportunity for you to follow him down the rabbit hole he falls into whilst looking for/at things online!

Motherhood - “Bird Chirp (Ft. The Hypochondriacs)”

6

Low Double Negative

7

Colin James Miles to Go

NCT NCT 2018 Empathy

This song is one of the rare occasions in non-hip-hop-oriented "indie" music where you'll see a song released that has a “featured” artist involved on the recording — in this case, The Hypochondriacs, who wail this traditional folk-psalm sounding bit. You can catch this on their BANDCAMP VIDEO!

Sasami Sasami

The Hypochondriacs - “The Meeting Place”

Helado Negro This Is How You Smile

Said Hypochondriacs also have this song that speaks to me due to its name, which is the English translation of the traditional Indigenous word that phonetically translates to the language I'm typing in as "Toronto," which is (the more you know) why our central municipal business hub is so named.

8 9 10

Firrenes 11 The Door Too Wide

12

Ally Venable Band Puppet Show

13

Stella Donnelly Beware Of The Dogs

14 Lomelda M for Empathy 15 16

17 18 19

Red Mass Killrush Drive

20

Jessie Munro On My Own

18

Johnny Cash and Family “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”

This is the song the aforementioned Hypochondriacs perJohn Primer formed at the end of the MothChicago Plays the Stones erhood track “Bird Chirp,” and this is how it was performed by Bunny Numpkins & Johnny Cash and Family as reThe Kill Blow-Up leased on the summer 1999 reJackpot cord Johnny Cash — Live! It also Bunny Numpkins & the features a track called “Casey Kill Blow-Up Jackpot Jones,” but not the Grateful Dead's.

The Vegas Strip Kings Jackpot

Julia Holter Aviary

Lavigne struggles to keep her Head Above Water in new album

The Grateful Dead - “Casey Jones” THIS is the aforementioned version of said song named after Casey Jones, but not the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles version of Casey Jones who thought you had to know what a crumpet was to know about cricket while he was fighting with Rafael after following him out of a movie.

DARIEN JOHNSEN Avril Lavigne’s sixth studio album, Head Above Water, was released on Feb. 15 after a three-year wait. Lavigne hasn’t released an album since 2013, and the singer/songwriter says that this album reflects the struggle of her battle with Lyme disease. She’s stated that most of the songs were written and recorded on her couch. The songs portray a mature, but still full of angst Lavigne. The moodiness in her voice is classic for those who grew up with her music.

While I have hesitations to even critique the music, as this album clearly means more to Lavigne than just that, I’m going to do it anyway.

The first track, “Head Above Water” was released as a single before the album came out.

Lavigne is quoted as saying: “I wrote [this song] from my bed during one of the scariest moments of my life. I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down. I felt like I was drowning.” The end of the music video encourages people to research and look into Lyme disease. While the track is undoubtedly powerful, it sounded a bit stock.

Themes of overcoming a toxic relationship are present in tracks like “I Fell in Love with the Devil.” It makes me wonder,

who hurt you, Avril? If it were her ex-husband, Chad Kroeger, she doesn’t say so. He even produced and wrote songs for the album, so clearly she doesn’t have as much disdain for him as the rest of our society does. At this point in the album, I felt my mind tiring from trying to process the same generic beats and song structure as the previous tracks.

And then there was Nicki Minaj.

This was probably the weirdest and most unexpected collaboration I’ve experienced since Eminem sang with Elton John at the Grammys in 2001. The song is called “Dumb Blonde” and it does not do justice to blondes anywhere. Picture Lavigne’s 2007 track, “Girlfriend,” but with rap. Something about Lavigne’s voice sounds immature in this track, like she’s trying really hard to relive her glory days.

For an album that featured Lavigne posing nude with an acoustic guitar I expected more guitar. Often, it was drowned out by over-produced beats.

“Goddess” is the only track that shines through with some sweet acoustic sounds and carries with it a positive message about being treated like a goddess by a partner. Maybe it was just the two cans of cider I had drank by the time I reached this track, but it spoke to me. Heck yeah I want to be treated like a goddess!

The vocals on many of the tracks were overproduced, and as a result sounded artificial and dull. This is especially apparent in, “Bigger Wow,” a track that reflects the hallmarks of early 2000s pop and “Love Me Insane.” (Which has way too many “yeah-e-yeah”s for my liking.)

Looking at the YouTube comments, all I can say is, you Lavigne fans are hardcore and with her until the end. A lot of people really liked this album. Lavigne clearly put her heart and soul into these tracks. This is a more grown-up Avril, one who had been on the verge of dying, but lived to tell the tale. It seems that this album has touched people and she’s engaged the hearts of many listeners with her music, which may be what matters most out of it all.

Ultimately, I don’t share the same appreciation for Head Above Water as so many do. I found it to be a bit boring, rehashed, and overproduced. Lots of the songs sounded the same and nothing stood out to me as particularly unique. (Well, except maybe the Nicki Minaj track, if unique is the right word for that.)

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this album unless you’ve been a long-time fan of Avril’s and want to see what she’s up to these days, or if you just love yourself some basic top 40.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

Album //

Abbotsford art rockers Blessed flourish violently on SALT Blessed are moving forward, moving up, and taking us with them MARTIN CASTRO In April of 2016, “Waving Hand,” Blessed’s debut single, premiered on Noisey accompanied by a write-up which acknowledged difficulty trying to place the Fraser Valley band “into one, two, or even 100 genres.”

Three years and two critically-lauded EPs later, Blessed have continued to evolve, eschewing artistic boundaries, categorization, and the creative entropy that often threatens to overtake many new or up and coming acts as they set out to make a name for themselves.

The band is poised to release their debut LP SALT on April 5 at the Abbotsford Rugby Club before pressing on with the rest of a staggering 47-stop tour of North America (covering at least 34 provinces and states). It’s a daunting schedule for any performer, but right now, Drew Riekman (vocals, guitar) says he’s taking it all in stride.

“I’ve stepped outside of the house we’re staying at,” Riekman tells me over the phone. “It’s probably 30 degrees and sunny. Maybe a little bit of clouds, but nothing terrible today. It’s a beautiful day in Austin, Texas.”

The rest of Blessed are in the house, perhaps grabbing a bite or relaxing: biding their time as best they can before the first of three gigs at SXSW, where they’ve been showcasing material from SALT, such as the record’s second single “Disease,” a lurching, anxious track whose overlapping rhythms and keenly defined melodies, stacked atop one another, deftly avoid becoming overcrowded or cacophonous.

While overlapping or competing elements have been part of Blessed’s repertoire for some time (see II’s aptly-named “Headache”), what’s most striking about “Disease” is the amount of space it gives those elements to unfold, a trait that applies generally to most of the material on SALT. (Even the frenetic, wide-eyed “Pill”; especially the shapeshifting, hypnotic “Caribou.”) In addition to being reflective of the band’s ever-broadening stylistic pallette, Blessed’s willingness to dive into uncharted territory on SALT is (unsurprisingly, at this point) entirely deliberate.

“We kind of had a rule while we were writing,” says Riekman. “We would try everything once. No idea was off the table. We couldn’t say no to something until we had tried it. That helped push things in directions that maybe you didn’t think would work initially.”

Although there’s new ground being broken in just about every cut on SALT, “Anchor” will likely stand out to listeners as the farthest out the band has gone in experimenting with new ideas: marrying percussive elements in a starkly digital environment, the track is at once groovy and deeply unsettling. Further still, that SALT incorporates as many electronic elements as it does coincides with multi-instrumentalist Matt McKeen’s entry to Blessed.

“Everyone was starting to become more interested in the textural, ambient side of things,” says McKeen. “Synthesizers were thrown around a bit prior to me joining.

When I got in here, they had someone who was able to focus on that specifically, and it really came naturally out of what we’re all excited about.”

As evidenced by the three singles currently out, however new a direction Blessed is moving in throughout SALT, they remain, at their core, the same band.

“Zealot,” for example, grows out of a central melodic theme with a determination that’s explicitly organic. It’s during the moments on SALT that stand out as progressive within Blessed’s already progressive ethos, such as that at “Zealot”’s threeminute mark, when the band sustains one of its characteristic voltas for just long enough to pull the context of familiarity out from under the listener (taking with it our ability to anticipate a return to an earlier melody or harmony, and in turn leaving us in a state of discomfort and suspension, struggling to make sense of the new sonic space we have entered) that it’s made clear just how much growth the band has made on SALT. Given how evident Blessed’s movement into new territory is throughout SALT, it might come as a surprise that rather than setting sail with a destination in mind, the band has opted for a deliberate habit of continuous, relentless curiosity.

“We had such a natural evolution from EP one to EP two,” says Riekman, “I think you could hear elements of the expanding range of music we wanted to create.

Blessed has always been dictated by this idea that we wanted to have no limits, we wanted to be able to write whatever we wanted without boundaries.”

Taken in this context, tracks on SALT which would otherwise be considered a jarring departure for the band (“Anchor,” “Caribou”) instead come across as completely natural steps taken by a band looking to find whatever there is to be found by taking the scenic route as opposed to the highway. Blessed seem to understand where many don’t that if what you’re looking for is to find something new, it makes just as much sense to park the car and walk.

Just as the band chose to explore new sonic avenues while recording SALT, they chose to endure more uncertainty in the process by releasing the record independently.

“That’s definitely been a massively eye-

opening experience,” says Riekman. “The band, in the last year and a bit, has started working with a lot of new people in the industry side of things. We made the conscious decision to release the record by ourselves, instead of with a label. Which has been a wildly interesting ride on how to release a record properly. But I think it’s been an amazing experience learning everything, [and] going forward we know what it’s like to release a record.”

Certainly indicative of the creative freedom that Blessed afford themselves, the decision to release SALT independently places them in a sort of limbo: no longer the scrappy home team punching above their weight, the band’s acumen and progress has given Riekman an appreciation for the retention of control afforded by a DIY release, especially in a notoriously grueling industry.

“If I could go back and tell myself anything,” says Riekman, “it’s that releasing independently and doing everything as much as you can in a DIY sense is actually the best way to move forwards. I’d reassure myself that this is actually a really good way of doing it. The more you have control over your own project, the more you have control over your own finances, the more you can rely on yourself to get things done instead of other people, that’s what’s going to make things actually happen. I know a lot of people want booking agents. A lot of people want management. But realistically, the more you can do on your own, and the more you can grow on your own and the more you can be the person of contact for your project — and I think this applies across the board — if you have the capacity to take those things on, or if you have friends who are willing to help you and [can] keep everything independent for as long as possible, if you can keep growing creatively and independently, there’s a huge value in that. As much as it seems nice to have someone else come along and take on the workload for you, they might not do the job that you want them to do, they might have other ideas in how they see something proceeding. You have to really implicitly trust the people you work with in this industry because it moves so quickly and people forget about you so fast. So if you can just work on your own and form those connections and be a generally nice person, clean up after yourself when you stay at people’s houses. There’s so many facets to it that all play into the end result.”

Taking initiative, even when facing

down bleak realities, is only half the job.

The other half, says Riekman, is compassion.

“A lot of people are going to say they’re interested in what you’re doing, and that doesn’t necessarily come to fruition,” says Riekman. “It’s not the fault of the band, and it’s not the fault of the person either.

The industry is just so inundated with a million people wanting a million things that it’s very easy for you to [get lost in that].”

It’s refreshing to hear Riekman speak so frankly, and yet with no resentment in his voice. Immediately afterwards, drummer Jake Holmes makes a point to drive home his appreciation for the support that Blessed has seen both at home and abroad.

“Seeing the team of people that we have working with us,” says Holmes. “Banding with us and having faith in us and believing in what we’re doing. That really pushes me and us as a band forward.”

As we finish up, I offhandedly ask the band whether they’re excited for their April 5 Abbotsford date. Without skipping a beat, Reuben Houweling chimes in, his answer ringing clear above the rustling caused by his leaning forwards.

“This is Reuben here, yes I am.”

Almost immediately afterwards, Riekman launches into an answer that embodies the passion, gratitude, and work ethic behind Blessed’s resplendent output, not to mention his hometown pride.

“The bands that are playing [the Rugby Club on April 5] and Jamison (Teen Daze) DJing it I think is an incredible culmination, but not an expansive coverage, of the amazing art the Valley is creating right now,” says Riekman. “Art that the city doesn’t care for at all to the point where we had to rent a private club as a venue, because there’s no venue in town to facilitate all the amazing people creating art.

So, I’m incredibly excited that we found a venue willing to host it. And [grateful to] this city that supported us from day one.

Our first show was in a basement in the Fraser Valley. We wouldn’t be in Austin, Texas if it weren’t for so many people in the Fraser Valley caring about what we were doing initially. Not only am I stoked, but I feel like we owe us putting on the best bill and show and having all our friends play. It’s probably the show that I’ve been most excited for in the Valley in a long time, [excitement] which has nothing to do with Blessed playing, as much as it has to do with showcasing all the other unreal artists that are also doing things in the Valley.”

As we finish our conversation, the boys head out to find lunch.

You can catch Blessed at SALT’s April 5 Abbotsford release show at The Rugby Club accompanied by Kristin Witko, The Sylvia Platters, and Warm Amps, on April 6 at Red Gate Arts Society Vancouver with Swim Team, Primp, and Warm Amps, and on the road through North America for the next couple of months.

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Abby \ April 5 \ 7 p.m.

Abbotsford Rugby Club

Van \ April 6 \ 7 p.m.

KW Studios