The Cascade Vol.27 Iss.16

SEPTEMBER 4 TO SEPTEMBER 10, 2019

VOLUME 27 ISSUE 16

Looking at your first facebook photo since 1993

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Are you there freedom?

It's me society

3 STUDENT LIFE/SUS COLLABORATion 5

A NOTE ON FREE SPEECH

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MIDSOMMAR: DISTURBING YET ENGROSSING

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca

Opinion Editor Carissa Wiens carissa@ufvcascade.ca

News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Arts in Review Editor Chandy Dancey chandy@ufvcascade.ca

Culture & Events Editor Andrea Sadowski andrea@ufvcascade.ca

Digital Media Manager Anoop Dhaliwal anoop@ufvcascade.ca

Feature Editor Darien Johnsen darien@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Kayt Hine

Sports Editor Alex Jesus alex@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Avery Dow-Kenny

Event Reporter Alexandra Johnson

Sports Writer Nic Jackson

Social Media Writer Katee Clements

Staff Writer Karen White

Photographer David Myles

Social Media Writer Uyen Nguyen

CONTRIBUTORS Remington Fioraso Aleesha Switzer

Cover Design: Avery Dow-Kenny Back Cover: Elyssa English

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@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 27 · Issue 16 Room S2111 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. This means that The Cascade is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley.

The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, and is overseen by the Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a print circulation of 1,000 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.

The Cascade is open to written, photo, and design work from all students; these can come in the form of a pitch to an editor, or an assignment from an editor. Pitch meetings are held every Monday in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus at 2:00pm.

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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OPINION

Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca

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10-11 ARTS

Production Manager Elyssa English elyssa@ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Creative Director Mikaela Collins mikaela@ufvcascade.ca

CONTENTS

FEATURE

Business Manager Aneesha Narang aneesha@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Nadia Tudhope nadia@ufvcascade.ca

CULTURE

Executive Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

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Snapshots.......8 Study Break.......16

9......Events Calendar 18......CIVL Shuffle

NEWS Student Life and SUS collaborate.......3

4......SUS board meeting summary

OPINION Editorial.......5 Safely sending sexy pics.......6

5.......Dear Robin 7.......Precious Frog

CULTURE Pride culture conference......12 Mill lake concert......13

12.......Kaleidoscopic 13.......Cascade Kitchen

SPORTS Rob Giesbrecht interview.......14

15......Soccer

ARTS Midsommar.......17 Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.......19

18......Cuz I Love You 19......Phildel

news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

NEWS BRIEFS Abbotsford’s teen climate change activists stage weekly protest

UFV //

Student Life and SUS collaborate on orientation programming for incoming students

A group of Abbotsford youths have been protesting outside Abbotsford City Hall for more than five months as part of a worldwide movement: Fridays for Future. There are over 60 protests planned worldwide that look to push governments to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The Abbotsford group, one of the smallest in the movement, was inspired to participate in the spring after watching a YouTube speech

by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who initiated this worldwide movement of teenagers spending their Fridays organizing protests outside government offices. The protestors hope this activism will gain momentum as students return to class for the fall.

New Student Orientation Day. Sept. 3, 2019. (The Cascade)

JESSICA BARCLAY - The Globe and Mail

Wastewater: the next election issue With climate change commanding environmental issues, local governments hope that politicians in the federal election take up the issue of sewage dumping into Canada’s waterways. As a local example of the issue, a 30-year-old sewage pipe in Mission is so loaded it cannot be inspected for damage, and would dump 11 million litres of rancid water into a critical salmon habitat every day if it were to break.

There have been few specific promises made by any federal parties at this time. The Conservative and Green parties promise to end sewage dumping, the NDP has promised a national freshwater strategy, and the Liberal party has not released their environmental promises for this election.

- The Canadian Press

NEWS

Senate has transferred the leadership of UFV’s dedicated New Student Orientation (NSO) day from the Student Union Society (SUS) to Student Life after concerns were expressed regarding the previous orientation programming run by the society.

SUS, the on-campus, student-run society, and Student Life, a UFV department focusing on student engagement, have agreed to work collaboratively on the day, combining activities they both had planned into one large event.

At the July 2019 meeting, Senate revoked SUS’s leadership over the dedicated orientation day originally granted to the society as a two-year trial in the fall of 2018. Previously, UFV did not have a dedicated orientation day as part of the academic calendar. Organizations within the university planned orientation events around class schedules or before the start of classes over the Labour Day long weekend.

When SUS had presented to Senate this February on the success of the first year of orientation days, it was mentioned that they had chosen not to use the orientation day in the Winter 2019 semester. Gurvir (G) Gill, SUS president at the time, said they were concerned over attendance rates as orientation was scheduled for the Friday before the start of classes. SUS had not collected data on attendance during the winter orientation but reported between 400 and 500 students at the fall orientation event.

Members of Senate had also expressed concern after the presentation over a workshop choice during the fall orientation, where males took a healthier masculinity workshop while females took a consent workshop.

At the following Senate meeting, SUS and Student Life were invited to Senate to discuss the future of the orientation day, and it was decided that a collaborative approach would be taken with Student Life taking a leadership role over the day.

“I think both groups were passionate about the day … and Senate had agreed it should be a collaborative approach, but one of the senators brought up that someone needs to be responsible,” Greg Mathers, manager of Student Wellness and Development at Student Life, said.

“It’s more of a logistics things, organizing the volunteers and getting some of the bigger things. It just kind of made sense where we’re positioned within the university.”

Tripat Sandhu, SUS president, had run for election this winter on a platform of increasing collaboration between SUS and other organizations within the university. She said that the collaborative efforts were in line with her vision of the way SUS can work with UFV. “There are so many different skills and assets that both UFV Student Life and SUS bring, and combining them together can bring a great student orientation that is super engaging for the new students and something they can always remember as first-years,” Sandhu said.

Unlike in previous years, where Student Life and SUS had two separate orientation programs, the coordinated effort allowed for a single NSO schedule. The day started off with a breakfast handed out by the women's volleyball team, followed by an introduction ceremony that included speeches from Sandhu, UFV president Joanne Maclean, and Chantelle Trainor-Matties, the Indigenous artist and UFV student who designed the NSO T-shirts.

UFV received a Halq'eméylem word

for the event: Tl'etl'axel, which refers to the first runner who would invite people to Sto:lo community events, opening the doors for them to get involved in the community.

“We’ve welcomed and opened our arms and invited students, new people, to be part of our community. They have an opportunity to see all the different parts of our community and see where they fit in,” Mathers said.

The word is featured on the NSO Tshirts along with an Oregon spotted frog, an endangered local frog whose recovery strategy has been taken on by many UFV alumni and community members.

After the invocation ceremony, students divided into groups that cycled through three stations. One was a faculty welcome session where every faculty at UFV, excluding the Faculty of Applied and Technical Studies which were already in session, organized a personalized welcome event for their students.

Another was an interactive introduction to UFV’s “wellness wheel.” The last was a “How to University” panel hosted by representatives from both SUS and Student Life where students could ask questions on university life or have the panel discuss pre-written, frequently asked questions.

The day finished with a midway hosted on the Green featuring interactive midway fair games. Clubs and Associations, community members, and university departments hosted a variety of games including a dunk tank, rock climbing wall, and fishing.

Over 1,300 students signed up in advance for this year’s NSO, which Mathers said was certainly more students than for previous orientations that took place on or before Labour Day.

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NEWS

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

SUS //

SUS board meeting summary By-elections and new executive team reports JESSICA BARCLAY The Student Union Society (SUS) board of directors is the highest governing body of SUS. In addition to discussing matters related to oversight of the society, the board approves changes to policies, the annual operating budget, and project initiatives. They are also responsible for both supporting the SUS executive team and holding them accountable. Executives give a report at the monthly meetings on their activities and the progress of their goal plans.

There are currently four members on the SUS board of directors. SUS executives president Tripat Sandhu, vice president external Gurvir (G) Gill, and vice president students Kimberly Hunter currently sit on the board.

Of the 10 available student representative positions, only one is filled by Andrew Stahl, College of Arts representative.

Upcoming by-elections SUS announced the dates for their upcoming by-elections. By-elections are the midyear elections for open positions. Currently, nine of the 10 student representative board positions are unfilled as is the vice president internal executive position.

Last year the SUS by-elections were cancelled when the only running candidate dropped out of the election. Gill said during the board meeting that SUS will work to better market the open positions, but did not say what this would en-

tail when asked. In the future, the board said they would be looking into changing the student representative positions from being program-based to more general requirements, mentioning women and Indigenous representatives as examples.

Candidates will begin campaigning for the by-elections Oct. 1, with voting taking place from Oct. 15 to 18.

Executive reports Sandhu, SUS president, reported on her ongoing work planning the upcoming New Student Orientation programming.

She also mentioned a proposal regarding a tutoring program run by SUS but did not provide details.

Gill, vice president external, has been working on the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ (CASA) Get Out the Vote campaign, which encourages post-secondary students to vote in the upcoming federal elections. He has also been preparing for the Alliance of B.C. Students’ (ABCS) 2019 Lobby Days, where the organization meets with MLAs to advocate for B.C. students.

Hunter, vice president students, has been working on communicating with Clubs and Associations (C&A). Monthly meetings have been set up with Student Life to discuss ongoing support options for C&A.

SafeCampusesBC.ca

SEX WITHOUT CONSENT IS RAPE. Consent must be voluntary – otherwise it’s assault. Make campuses safe for everyone.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Advice //

Editorial //

A note on free speech JESSICA BARCLAY MIKAELA COLLINS Over the summer The Cascade received a blatantly bigoted and homophobic letter to the editor in response to an article in the Abbotford News about the vandalism of a UFV instructor’s Pride flag.

The Cascade will publish unedited letters to the editor that are signed and under 200 words long on almost any topic ranging from article critiques to responses regarding ongoing community discussions. We are not, have never been, and will never be, however, a platform for racism, hate speech, and discrimination against the community we are a part of.

The specifics of the letter are not relevant as it will not be published, but generally, it contained homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, mixed with a cry for freedom of speech and the platform to express a contrary opinion to “them.”

The topic of whether or not a university, or in our case a university newspaper, should promote all discourse, hateful or not, in the name of free speech has come up frequently in the media as of late.

Earlier this summer, protests and outrage followed the announcement of controversial speaker Jenn Smith being invited to UBC. Smith is an activist who is currently campaigning against the SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) curriculum recently implemented in B.C. public schools, which was designed to reduce bullying and foster inclusivity.

Despite outcry from various communities at the university, the administration allowed the talk

opinion@ufvcascade.ca Carissa Wiens — Opinion Editor

to take place, publishing a statement that said: “Behaviour that obstructs free and full discussion, not only of ideas that are safe and accepted, but of those which may be unpopular or even abhorrent, vitally threatens the integrity of the University's forum.”

Due in part to this decision, UBC was banned from participating as an institution in the Vancouver Pride Parade, sparking a debate on freedom of expression within universities and among the political left.

The traditional, romantic ideal of a university that is often brought up in discussions of free speech is one where thinkers could say controversial, subversive, and offensive things without much fear of backlash. However, if that university ever truly existed, it was only because these universities were historically filled with only the privileged, and furthermore, the ideas extolled at the time would largely be seen today as progressive for the time, rather than regressive or traditional.

The fact is, in order to maintain a healthy discourse, we sometimes are forced to draw a line where we encounter arguments which are designed to provoke hatred and preclude any reasonable, dialectic response, such as those founded purely on baseless rhetoric.

As cliche as it sounds, freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequence, and we cannot allow an idealized, biased vision of free speech to reiterate marginalization and reinforce hatred.

Freedom of speech protects citizens against censure by the government, not The Cascade. Take hatred elsewhere.

Dear Robin

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 opinion-giver 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

and since I love her I decided that I was going to be excited too. Eventually the baby came and Bridget got busy and we drifted away, but that’s life. We didn’t have some heart-wrenching breakup over an innocent baby; we just drifted on different paths. I still see her and her daughter, who is now three years old, and we still laugh, but things are different and that’s okay.

So the moral of the story is don’t be mean to a pregnant woman.

Baby bummer Dear Robin,

Robin

My bestie and her boyfriend just announced that they’re pregnant. My initial reaction was like oh no, but they’re all yay and confetti emojis. Since we’re only 19 I thought they’d be on my vibe trail. Guess not. Now all she instagrams about is expensive baby strollers and gender-neutral nursery wallpapers. She only hangs out with me in her apartment in the morning and won’t even go to Townhall with me on Friday night. Like, I get that she shouldn’t drink but, like, have some fun in your life and get a virgin cocktail, ya know? And ALL she talks about is baby things. It’s definitely driving a wedge between us. What should I do?

No time, no friends Dear Robin,

Sincerely, #nobabe4me

Hello, Thanks for reaching out! I’ve been in your situation once before. My gal pal (let’s call her Bridget) had a whoopsie baby several years ago. Yeah, she couldn't stop talking about baby things but hey, for lots of people having a baby (even if it’s totally unplanned) is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many others in this world may not have the chance to experience. So I decided to embrace it. Bridget was excited

I’ve gotta take 18 credits this semester in order to graduate on time (I slacked off big time in my first year) so I’ve decided I don’t wanna waste my time having friends or acquaintances in my classes and around campus. Any recommendations on how to repel people?

Sincerely,

Favouriting Friendlessness Hey, It’s good that you’re getting your priorities straight. The best way to ensure that people never feel the need to say “Good morning!” or “Hey, how’s it going?” to you ever again is by wearing some massive ass headphones. Don’t skimp by using those tiny AirPods, get the chunkers. This way people will immediately see those thumpers around your ears when you walk into class and forget why they ever enjoying engaging in small talk with you. And obviously, avoid eye contact at all times. Peace and blessings as you embark on this exciting journey.

Robin

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OPINION

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

Life //

Send nudes A guide on safely sending sexy pics ANDREA SADOWSKI Everyone should explore the fine art of the nude selfie. Taking a risque photo of yourself is a radical act of self love and self acceptance; it is empowering and liberating to celebrate how damn fine you are. Once in a while, you might take a selfie so good that you are inspired to share it with someone else who can appreciate your beauty.

However, what if things go sour between you and this person you have entrusted with such a photo?

When a nude photo leaks, people often place the blame on the person in the photo, remarking: “if you didn’t want photos of your tits and ass spread all over the internet, you shouldn’t have ever taken or sent such a photo in the first place.”

So why is it that the victims are not blamed in other forms of privacy invasion?

If my credit c a r d i n form a tion gets stolen, wa s I a s king

if someone shares a nude or even partialnude photo of you that was consensually taken.

However, our neighbors to the south are not so fortunate. Only seventeen states find the non-consensual distribution of intimate images as a criminal offence. Women are taking matters into their own hands by copyrighting photos of themselves that they send to their partners so they can sue for copyright infringement if the image ever gets leaked.

So is there any way to safely send a nude selfie to your partner? One of the best ways you can protect yourself in case the worst does happen is to never include your face o r identifiable markings, such as tattoos or birthmarks, in the photo. Secondly, if the relationship does end, you should both assure one another that you have deleted all racy photos that were exchanged during your time together.

Delete them in front of each other if that gives you a greater peace of mind. This should go without saying, but you should never under any circumstances s e nd an unsol icited nude pho to of

UFV //

Freshening up UFV’s courses

What if UFV took some hints from a favourite fictional TV show to expand their course offerings?

CARISSA WIENS If we were students at Greendale Community College we would represent the “E Pluribus Anus” flag and be offered courses such as Celebrity Pharmaceuticals, A Modern History of Middle Earth, The History of Ice Cream, and Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design.

Unfortunately, those courses which Jeff Winger, main character from the sitcom Community, calls “blow-off classes” are not offered here at UFV, nor anything like them. The closest thing to a unique and offbeat class (like Greendale’s selection) that UFV offers would be the media and communication studies course Star Wars — A Cultural History (MACS

Illustration by Kayt Hine

for it because I have a credit card?

Sharing these highly sensitive images is a much more nefarious invasion because of the intent behind it to humiliate and shame the person in the photo and the intense betrayal felt by someone you once trusted.

When a relationship breaks down in a catastrophically unhealthy way, an expartner could be bitter enough to resort to using what is now known as “revenge porn.” A 2013 study by McAfee in the U.S. found that one in ten ex-partners have threatened to expose intimate images their ex sent them during the relationship, and sixty percent of those partners follow through with their threats.

If you put your trust in someone enough to send them a nude photo of yourself and they betrayed you, don’t despair! You live in the true north strong and free where the non-consensual distribution of intimate images is punishable by law. While you cannot penalize someone for sharing photos of you that are simply unflattering, it is within your rights to seek legal action

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yourself to someone.

Even if you want to send a photo to your partner, make sure that they agree to it first, otherwise it’s sexual harassment.

Nude selfies can be wonderful. However, if you decide to share it with bae, take the proper precautions to protect yourself.

If you have been a victim of having intimate images of you being spread without your consent there are a number of steps you can take. You can document all the places these photos are posted, remove the photos from social media sites and search engine results, contact the authorities, and seek legal counsel. Most importantly, remember that this is not your fault. The fact that you took that photo and willingly sent it to someone you trusted does not mean you deserve to have those images viewed by others.

would take Pottery I, II, and III. Maybe the culinary arts program should offer courses for students outside of the program, like classes available for students who are majoring in mathematics but still want to take an elective to broaden their horizons. I’d be game for that. A course to sharpen one’s tasting palate would be phenomenal.

UFV offers only two women’s studies courses. But if the university offered it as a major, the department could include courses on feminist literature, women in politics, and Beyonce and female power, offering countless eyeopening courses for students to learn more about the world around them.

Last semester there was a MACS

Illustration by Kayt Hine

299G).

I’m not necessarily looking to register for “blow-off classes,” as I’m at that point in my degree where in order to graduate by April, I need to take all the classes I didn’t take in my first year like PHIL 100 and a lab credit. However, I think it would be nice for those first-year students who aren’t ready for an intense course load right after high school to have some breathing room for their entry into university by taking a class that studies contemporary young adult fiction or a class focusing on cooking for one.

When I look at the psychology courses offered each semester I see that the department has all their bases covered.

They offer Environmental Psychology, Neuropsychology, Adolescent Psychology, Memory, and the list goes on. I can’t even think of what a psychology slacker course would be.

But I often think about the visual arts department. Do they even offer pottery?

I would take that in a heartbeat. Heck, I

course that studied social media. One course. Presumably every student at UFV interacts with social media in some way, shape, or form. Why is something that is only becoming more prevalent in our lives so underrepresented in our course offerings? I feel that it would be an excellent idea for students to have the option to learn about Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and God knows whatever else the youths of today are using, through a critical lense in an academic setting. When registering, students may view these as “blow-off classes” because social media is not a new concept, but by taking these classes, students get the opportunity to take a deeper look into our culture in a less traditional manner.

Obviously, UFV is not Greendale Community College. Under no circumstances is UFV required to provide “blow-off classes,” but in light of thinking about various course offerings, it wouldn’t hurt our university to continue to expand the selection they present us with.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

OPINION

Community //

When a frog is more than a frog ALEESHA SWITZER The New Student Orientation (NSO) of 2019 seemed to mark the beginning of a new relationship between the Oregon spotted frog and the University of the Fraser Valley. The symbol of a frog marched ahead of the academic procession, sat on the chests of student leaders, and rested on ceremonial banners at this year’s NSO. As an amphibian biologist attending this orientation as a guest, I pondered the sight of this rare, endangered species in such an unfamiliar habitat; what does this frog have to do with UFV? I can tell you, as a UFV alumnus (B.Sc. in Biology, 2014), that Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) and UFV go way back. In the very first year of my undergraduate degree I was taught the importance of volunteer and work experience when on the path to becoming a scientist. In the summer of 2009 I volunteered with another UFV alumni, Andrea Gielens (B.Sc. in Biology, 2002) at the Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre. Andrea was raising these special frogs from tadpoles to little froglets in captivity for release into the wild, giving them a better chance of survival.

I fell in love with the conservation field, and since then I have continued to work and volunteer with Andrea and other Oregon Spotted Frog (OSF) Recovery Team members. Today, I am a professional biologist and member of the OSF Recovery Team, working to recover Canada’s

most endangered amphibian.

I’m proud to say I am continuing the tradition of mentoring future UFV graduates in the way of the frog, introducing fantastic students like Sasha Tuttle (OSF team summer intern, 2016) to the important work we are doing.

Now, I am blown away to see the Oregon spotted frog front and centre in an event welcoming students to this fantastic institution that has not only changed my life, but has changed the lives of other Oregon spotted frog team members and, ultimately, the trajectory of conservation for this species.

The truth is, whether you are a science student, arts student, child care, or criminology student, the Oregon spotted frog is an important symbol for all of us. They are the most endangered amphibian in Canada and are only found in the Fraser Valley. Yes, right below our feet lies some of the most important land for conservation in this country.

When frogs are missing from an ecosystem it is like a canary in the coal mine, alerting us that something is wrong. The way we are living in the Fraser Valley has fallen out of balance, and I believe it is the responsibility of all Canadians to work to recover our home, regardless of your profession. New students of 2019, in the spirit of metamorphosis, the frogs call on you to take up the mantel and become the leaders of tomorrow we need to make sure the symbol of your orientation does not become a eulogy to a lost species. Together, let’s protect this frog and our future. We are UFV students; it is what we do.

New Student Orientation volunteer. Sept. 3, 2019. (Aleesha Switzer)

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BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY

SN S AP HO TS

CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS

Illustrations by Mikaela Collins

The Little Garden Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?

Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the girl, the girl who has everything? Look at this plant, green it’s so grand. How many wonders can one garden hold? Lookin' around here you'd think, sure, she's got everything. I've got red toms and green toms aplenty. I've got dried stems and green stems galore. You want juicer ones? I’ve got 20. But who cares? No big deal. I want more.

I want to be where the planters

are. I want to see, want to see 'em growing. Walking around on those (Whad'ya call 'em? Oh!) crocs. Flippin' the bird you don't get too far, ‘matoes will shoot up how they all want. Strolling along in the (What's that word again?) sun.

And when they’re grown, and when they’re ripe, and when they’re picked off of their own branch.

Chopped up all small, diced for them all, in that Greek salad.

Carissa Wiens

The Jesus shrew Did you know that Pacific water shrews can literally walk on water? The hairs on their tiny feet trap air bubbles that allow them to run across water for up to five seconds! These little buddies live around here but are very rare, mostly because we are building farms and subdivisions on their homes but also because they just weren’t that abundant to begin with. They like forests with slowrunning streams, which are becoming increasingly uncommon in the Valley with urbanization.

Pacific water shrews’ favourite

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hobbies are needlepoint and scuba diving. In fact, they are the smallest diving mammal in the world — about the weight of a triple-A battery. They can smell their prey underwater using tiny air bubbles they blow out of their noses. Truly adorable!

Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of “Mostly True But All Delightful Conservation Facts.” Come back next week for “Angry and Afraid”: facts about our local at-risk barn owls.

Jessica Barclay

Hello fresh start fall New Year’s is famously a time for reinvention — what with all those pesky resolutions — but personally, I feel the itch for a fresh start most ardently when summer is ending and school is starting up again. Is this due to years and years of backto-school shopping giving me the idea that a new school year is the time to cram in as many new looks as possible? Is it because I’m more used to running on a school calendar? Do I just really hate New Year’s resolutions? Maybe! But I think part of it is that summer is a kind of

limbo; all the structure and a lot of responsibilities evaporate, and the only person in charge of what you’re doing and whom you’re interacting with is you. You can roll back into school a completely different person to all the people you didn’t see over the summer. Or, let’s be honest, a person with some new clothes who is determinedly pretending she is going to follow through on her resolution to be a fashion icon every day she’s on campus.

Nadia Tudhope

My “Hot Girl Summer” When Megan Thee Stallion released her single “Hot Girl Summer,” she was really on to something. Honestly though, I really didn’t get up to anything “wild,” but during the summer semester, I made the decision to not take classes for the first time in my academic career. Instead, I went on hikes, met up with friends, went on dates, and basically sat in circles singing “Kumbaya.” While I really did connect with those around me and get out of the house more, I also didn’t push myself to overdo it. If I didn’t want to wake up, I slept all

day. If I felt like doing nothing, I gave myself permission to laze around the house. This summer really reminded me that I don’t need to overly organize my free time. When I finally get some downtime from school, I always feel compelled to jam pack all the “fun” I possibly can into a day until it starts to feel like work.

So here’s a message to all my young workaholics out there: give yourself permission to relax once in a while, and have yourself a “hot girl season” this fall!

Chandy Dancey

Note:

Some of these events require tickets, most are on Facebook. If something catches your eye, take to the internet for more details.

Events Calendar • The Sturgeons @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m • Maan Farms Goat Yoga @ Maan Farms (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

• The Fraser Valley Sunflower Day @ Chilliwack Sunflower Festival (Chilliwack), 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

• An Evening with Jack Saddleback @ Evered Hall (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

• UFV Health Sciences Welcome Back BBQ @ CEP Green (Chilliwack), 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• The Unbranded @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

• AFCM Farmers Market @ Jubilee Park (Abbotsford), 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

• Hockey Marathon of Hope 2019 @ The Rinks at Summit Centre (Abbotsford), 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

• Kept in Stitches @ FVRL (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

• Fear The Wolves w/ Out Of The Black @ Corky’s Irish Pub (Chilliwack), 8:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.

• Pride on the Green Fair @ UFV (Abbotsford), 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

• Pride Culture Conference @ UFV (Abbotsford), 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

• Kaleidoscopic: Exhibit Opening Reception @ Kariton Art Gallery (Abbotsford), 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

• Fraser Valley Literary Festival Keynote Speakers @ UFV (Abbotsford), Room F124 U-House, 7:00 p.m. - 9p.m.

• The Kwerks @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

• Fraser Valley Taco Fest @ Abbotsford Centre (Abbotsford), 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

• Fraser Valley Literary Festival @ UFV (Abbotsford), Room F124 U-House, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.

• Mexican Independence Day Party @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

• 15th Annual Arty Awards @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 7:30 p.m.

• Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 1:00 - 9:00 p.m.

• Sunday Family Arts @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.

• BC SPCA Paws for a Cause @ Vedder River Park (Chilliwack), 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• Painting & Drawing Open Studio @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre (Chilliwack), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

• Graphic Design Student Association – Welcome Lunch @ UFV (Mission), Room D227, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

• School of Creative Arts – New Student Welcome & Orientation @ UFV (Abbotsford), 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. RSVP soca@ufv.ca

• School of Business Welcome Back BBQ @ Envision Athletic Centre (Abbotsford), 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• Abbotsford Arts Council Annual General Meeting @ Kariton Art Gallery (2387 Ware St., Abbotsford), Registration at 6:30 p.m., Meeting at 7:00 p.m.

• C3 (Culture, Coffee & Cookies) Cultural Series – Dignidad Migrante Society @ The Reach Gallery Museum (Abbotsford), 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

9

few weeks ago, as I was sitting down with a couple of A friends over a meal at Fieldhouse, the topic of anarchy came up. Anarchy is often considered, by its proponents, the

truest form of freedom from systemic control. Though it does come pretty close, I suggested that true anarchy could only be achieved for a short amount of time before people eventually start organizing themselves into some sort of system of hierarchy. My friend countered that while that was true, at least people could choose what type of system they wanted.

In the end, I do doubt that this would last. Someone would find a way to exploit whatever system was formed. We’d end up with corruption in the end. A utopia where perfect democracy, that directly serves and responds to all people in a society, likely won’t happen on this earth, at least not in this lifetime. It did get me thinking about true freedom, though.

It seems that today’s society is one that vigorously strives towards freedom, and it’s little wonder why: our society is riddled with extreme control; our institutions have become tools of modern day slavery on both a global, and to an extenent, local scale. Slavery is defined as “a person owned by someone” and slavery “is the state of being under the control of someone where a person is forced to work for another.” The form of slavery we’re under in the developed world is not one of physical ownership over our bodies; rather, it’s an ideological and financial slavery. Our debt owns us. The values of our society demand that we have to be producing something to be valuable members. We have to have a job and work for someone else or we cannot survive in our current economic system — even some small business owners who work for themselves are struggling to be financially free. Just look at downtown Abbotsford: how long do small businesses last before they go bankrupt?

We’ve become hostages to an extreme form of capitalism; specifically, one that follows a neoliberal ideology — one that emphasises a completely free-market with no regulation. It

defines people as consumers, insists that competition is inherent to human nature, encourages deregulation of the economy, and the privatization of industry. From a Marxist perspective, a form of exploitation results from the commodification of labour in free-market capitalism. Labour is the most valuable commodity. In Richard Peet and Elaine Hartwick’s book Theories of Development: Contentions, Arguments and Alternatives, they argue that “The apparent individuality, equality, and liberty proclaimed by the Enlightenment theorists disappeared in the production process.” That includes the buying and selling of labour as a commodity. Human beings have become the most essential tools in this form of capitalism.

Despite its name, it is difficult to be free within a society that is completely dominated by a free-market capitalist system. This was bringing me down, but as I was doing some reflecting and reading, it became clear to me that the current economic system thrives off of this feeling, and actually, my personal desire for freedom was mainly a need for mental freedom — in other words, I didn’t want to feel burdened by the system anymore. Many of us recognize the daunting and seemingly impossible task it would be to overhaul our economic system into one that works. It’s a lot to handle, understandably, and as a result, many of us are over-indulging in escapist coping mechanisms and cheap, easy gratification.

Desire chasing could be seen as a limitation to mental freedom. We desire feelings of acceptance and admiration from others. (This is especially apparent in society’s addiction to social media.) We desire and envy each other’s belongings and beauty. Our society worships celebrities and social media influencers who fuel the idolization of lavish lifestyles, sex, and money. It could be argued that free-market capitalism fuels, exploits, or even creates these desires and then promises a path to attaining them.

he problem with constantly chasT ing cheap desires is that they’re addicting; they become ingrained in the pleasure and reward pathways in our brains. For example, we get likes on our Instagram photos and get a rush of good feeling. If we do this over and over, our brains learn that it will bring happiness, but does it really? What do you feel when you’re not getting likes? Through this chase, many of us just end up creating mental prisons for ourselves. I’m reminded of the Buddhist saying: “The root of all suffering is attachment.” Are we too attached to our desires, and does capitalism rely on this? (Surprise — the answer is yes.)

Since we inhabit seemingly inconvenient flesh suits that are ingrained with pleasure/reward systems, we humans become easily addicted to our desires, and therefore tend to fall for capitalism’s addiction schemes. In their 2002 book, The Mind & The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force, Jeffery M. Schwartz and Sharon Begley explore the concept of the mind-brain relationship. Mainly the idea that our minds (or our consciousness, the awareness of self), which are intangible, can physically reshape our tangible brains. Many neuroscientists believe that after a certain age, our brains become permanently stuck in the reward pathways that we develop as we age. This would be why capitalist marketing tactics work so well: they condition us from an early age to believe that buying and indulging in certain things will make us happy. Now, neuroscientists and physicists are realizing that we might actually be able to change our brains at any age, and without anything physical at all, just our consciousness. That’s some pretty divine stuff right there. Indeed, it just might return to us power over our own brains and restore our concept of free will.

The question that remains in the field today is which came first, the chicken or the egg? Does the mind affect the brain or does the brain affect the mind? Can we regain our freedom, at least mentally, by rewiring our brains?

Schwartz believes so, coining the term “mental force.” It would be something similar to what the mainstream has been referring to as “mindfulness” (appropriated from Buddist philosophy), or in psychology, cognitive therapy.

Schwartz explains mental force as “A way to convey the notion that through intense efforts we can resist our baser appetites.” The author backs his theory by expanding the idea into the realm of quantum physics. Schwartz explains that “Integral to quantum physics is the fundamental role played by the observer in choosing which of a plentitude of possible realities will leave the realm of the possible and become actual.” (This theory is fleshed out in the Schrödinger wave equation, for those interested in reading more.) The field of quantum physics, and in particular, quantum consciousness, is shaking up the field of physics and neuroscience.

I’ll bring it back to Earth. As I look around at our society, I can see that the system we’re in is an absolute disaster, and it’s massive and it’s probably not going anywhere anytime soon.

It is limiting our freedom, mentally and physically — unless we do something.

We can see incremental changes, but what we really need is massive ideological change, which is beginning to happen. But in the meantime, we’re being weighed down by the feelings of hopelessness and entrapment from the freemarket system. I’m having flashbacks to that scene in The Neverending Story where Artex gets sucked into the sadness of the swamps as Atreyu desperately shouts at him: “Fight against the sadness, Artex!” They too, were fighting against an all-consuming “nothingness.”

By taking back control of our brains, and actively shifting our minds away from obsessing over and indulging in fruitless desires, we might be able to find a way out of this mess we’re in and find healing as a society. In a way, it’s a form of mental minimalism: get rid of the stuff that’s no longer serving you — the stuff that’s cluttering your mind.

That way you can focus on what’s truly important.

We need to find things that make us truly happy. Try going out into a forest (a real forest, not some city park) and meditating, clearing your mind and letting yourself go. In a book of essays from the University of British Columbia, titled Aboriginal Peoples and Forest Lands in Canada, a Cheam First Nation participant who was involved in a study on First Nations’ spiritual concepts of forests is quoted: “Like our elders said a long time ago, if you’re feeling sad and something’s bothering you, just go walk through the forest and let the branches and things brush against you to take away your bad feelings and things like that. And be by yourself so that you are able to meditate, if you want to, and do some praying to the Great Spirit to help you in whatever is bothering you.”

Find some way to nourish your soul, because relying on the consumption of material items or other people to try and satisfy yourself will never work.

Those things come and go, and will let you down. These positive subjective experiences, though, will always be there and readily accessible (I mean, as long as we don’t burn down all our forests), but we’ve got to clear our minds of the fuzz that society fills them with. The more we clear our minds of all the fuzz and desire, the more we can retrain our brains to access true forms of happiness — not the happiness that capitalism tries to sell us.

In the end, I think our society needs to start nourishing our spirit, not our desires. The concept of tapas is found in multiple spiritual philosophies. The term tapas, in Hinduism, represents restraint, inner-cleansing, or self-dis-

cipline; in Buddhism, reason-based, moral self-discipline; and in Jainism, observance of austerities. In a Christian sense, freedom is achieved through following the life of Jesus Christ as an example of a perfect being, and freeing yourself from desire.

I was reading Damien Keown’s Buddist Ethics: A Very Short Introduction the other day, and this quote stood out to me: “Early sources emphasize the importance of cultivating correct dispositions and habits so that moral conduct becomes the natural and spontaneous manifestation of internalized and properly integrated beliefs and values, rather than simple conformity to external rules.… Although few have perfected these capacities, in respecting the precepts they habituate themselves to the conduct of one who has, and in doing so come a step closer to enlightenment.”

In each of these spiritual contexts is a self-care path to follow that leads to enlightenment, and what is enlightenment if not mental freedom? Society is just on the cusp of realizing the importance of self-care, but it’s at risk of being (and in some ways already has been) corrupted by capitalism.

It comes down to this: we’re constantly working, we’re always busy and tired, mental illness is affecting almost everyone, and we have to keep working more every year because things keep getting more expensive, which makes us all sicker, which makes us lose time at work, which makes us have to work more, which makes us sicker. It’s a circle of insanity, and it needs to stop. It is the furthest thing from freedom, no matter what it seems like at the surface level. We need to slow down.

The task ahead, then, is two-fold: rewire our brains away from capitalistic pursuits of desire, and heal ourselves spiritually in the process. (Simple, right?) If we can work towards healing ourselves mentally and spiritually, we will be more clear-headed and better equipped to work towards a solution together. Our consciences have been corrupted by the socialization that comes from the free-market capitalist ideology running rampant in our society. I think this is where we should be critically analyzing everything around us, taking a step back and looking at what we’re prioritizing so we can seek out something different.

We don’t have to be perfect, but we can at least try for something better.

We need to remove ourselves from what society has brainwashed us into thinking is important or all-consuming, take care of ourselves, reprioritize, and heal in the hope that we can achieve some level of freedom.

CULTURE

CULTURE

culture@ufvcascade.ca Andrea Sadowski — Culture Editor

Preview //

Discussing pride and reconciliation Preview of UFV’s first Pride Culture Conference and Fair JESSICA BARCLAY UFV will be hosting their first Pride Culture Conference and Fair this weekend, featuring keynote speaker Jack Saddleback, in an event they hope will become an annual conference celebrating pride in the Valley. The focus topic for the event will be Progress: Celebrating Our History and Envisioning the Future.

The event will start off the evening of Friday, Sept.

6 with keynote speaker Jack Saddleback in his talk titled “Embracing Our Authenticity.” The evening will run from 7 - 9 p.m. and include the presentation

by Saddleback, dessert, and discussion.

Saddleback is a Cree, two-spirited, transgender, gay man from Alberta who is a strong advocate for gender and sexual diversity issues, Indigenous engagement, two-spirited issues, and mental health awareness.

He is the former president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union and recipient of the Red Cross 2018 SK Young Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition of his advocacy for human rights causes.

“It’s going to be a really amazing day; we’re really excited to have Jack with us. He’s very powerful and I think the impact is going to be really incredible,” Sheila Mackay, operations coordinator of student engagement at Student Life and one of the organizers of the conference, said.

The conference will be held the next day, Saturday, Sept. 7, in Evered Hall. Saddleback will start the conference off at 9 a.m. with an interactive workshop on the ways the two-spirit community is working to advance decolinization and reconcilliation efforts titled “Queerlonial: Addressing Decolonization Efforts in the Queer Community.” A variety of other panels and workshops will follow until 4 p.m., with a break at noon for the Pride on the Green.

According to the event page, topics covered at the conference will range from “decolonization and reconciliation efforts in the Queer community to creating dependable allies to dating in the transgender world to sexual health.”

“We’re working to [bring] the community an inclusive and diverse event that will have some good impact and will bring some great insight,” Mackay said.

“We hope that the students will come out and learn a little bit about inclusivity, build community, and start to develop a greater, broader conversation around the LGBTQ world here at UFV.” The fair portion of the event, “Pride on the Green,” will start at noon and run until around 5 p.m. There will be local vendors, artisans, organizations, and community groups, as well as food trucks available on the Green for attendees to purchase lunch at.

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Preview //

Kariton Art Gallery promises a Kaleidoscopic experience MIKAELA COLLINS From Sept. 7 to Oct. 1, the Kariton Art Gallery will be hosting “Kaleidoscopic,” a new exhibition by four local artists that promises to create an explosive dream world of colour.

Artist Meghan Spence’s practice is firmly centred in British Columbia; originally from the Okanagan and now a coastal transplant, themes of nature and our climate’s future run throughout her current works. Texture and time are also key elements of her paintings.

Beth Stewart, PhD, began painting after doing post-conflict research in Northern Uganda, and uses her work to reflect on issues from her academic and her personal life. Her creative process is shaped by reflection, discomfort, and acceptance, and her pieces are often impermanent, vulnerable to being painted over or sanded away as the artist’s relationship to the idea behind a given piece changes.

Erin Caskey’s unique practice involves using found objects to create her paintings, and incorporating them into the final works.

She uses mainly primary colours to create grounded, accessible abstractions, and is focused on process.

UFV alumni Tara Faulks is focused on the interplay of colour and texture and draws from a variety of influences to form her own creative ethos.

The opening reception will be held at the Kariton Art Gallery (2387 Ware St.) on Sept.

7 from 6 - 8 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to come talk to the artists then, or return for a series of informal talks throughout the run of the exhibit, where they will also be able to watch the artists paint. Erin Caskey will be at the Kariton on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Beth Stewart on Saturday, Sept.

21 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; and Meghan Spence on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 1 - 4 p.m.

The Kariton is free to visit and open 11 a.m.

- 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. There is a new exhibit every month.

The event is free for all UFV students, $15 for UFV faculty and staff, and $25 for community members. All advocates, allies, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcome and invited to attend.

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Community //

Column //

Mill Lake Concert Cascade Kitchen: Series kept toes Rent life pasta tapping all summer long JESSICA BARCLAY The Abbotsford Arts Council finished off another successful year of evening concerts in Mill Lake this Saturday to a happy crowd.

Western Jaguar performed on the steps of the Kariton Art Gallery to a crowd of over 80 people, despite the ominous black clouds over the venue and very real threat of rain.

The Mill Lake Music Concert Series, presented by the Abbotsford Arts Council, took place every Saturday from June 15 to Aug. 31 for the second year in a row.

The show was free to attend, with many Mill Lake walkers pausing during their evening strolls to enjoy the open-air, local music.

The average attendance ranged from 60 people on the final day up to 400 people on the grassy lawn outside of the art gallery.

Previously, the concert series had taken place in other locations around the Valley and was called the Fraser Valley Concert Series or Envision Concert Series. Some iteration of the concert series featuring local artists has been going on in the Fraser Valley for the last several years, but this is the second year where there was a dedicated location for the entire event.

The series began with the Abbotsford Arts Council co-hosting Indigenous Performers Night on June 8 with Aboriginal Arts and Culture Day. Dakk’One, an In-

digenous hip-hop artist from Saskatoon, performed at the events along with Chris Silver, the dance group Butterflies in Spirit, and Rudegang Entertainment.

The Cambree Lovesy Band, with local country music singer/ songwriter Cambree Lovesy, played on June 15, followed by the Cascadia Wind Ensemble on June 22. The Moonliters, a local big band society, performed on June 29 to an audience of nearly 400 people.

In July, the Valleyfyre Band played a lively set of classic rock and country rock music on July 6. Kellen Saip played the following week, bringing soft blues and folk derived from his family gospel roots to the park. Sydney Beau followed with her poetic folk, pop, and orchestral-influenced songs and the Lonesome Town Painters with their bona fide bluegrass tunes.

August saw performances from Rachel and Ted, with toe-tappin’ jazz and swing; the Molten Blues Band, a four-member crew with high-energy music; Thistle Dew, a three-part female folk choral group; and Innerwild, a crowdpleasing, do it all, dance-along band. The series ended with a performance by Western Jaguary on Aug. 30, an alternative indie rock group that had the crowd excited and the kids up and dancing despite the light rain.

Rent life pasta. September 2, 2019. (Mikaela Collins)

MIKAELA COLLINS The Cascade Kitchen is a student-run food column that brings you budget-friendly recipes and cooking tips.

Check back bi-weekly for something new to try in the kitchen, or if you want to see your own recipe featured next, get started by reaching out to culture@ufvcascade.ca.

We’ve all heard of “rent week chicken” or “rent week potatoes” - cheap, filling recipes to stretch a buck after you’ve e-transferred your landlord and overdrawn your chequing account to buy toothpaste. But what if you’re so broke that you’re having a whole rent month? Rent semester? Rent year?

Rent life? This recipe is for you, and it uses nine eggs because it will last you - literally - an entire week. If you don’t need that much, use less, or use what you have. The proportions of this dish, including the sauce, are flexible; just try to make sure you have enough sauce for your noodles.

Ingredients: 1-2 lbs of dry pasta (something with more texture than plain noodles, e.g. macaroni) 9 egg yolks Olive oil 1 head of garlic 1 bag frozen peas or green beans 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 package mushrooms 1 big pinch red pepper flakes Salt Pepper Optional: fried eggs, tuna 1: It’s best to fry the mushrooms on their own over medium-low heat until they release their moisture and are soft and meaty, then put them to the side while you make everything else.

2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, leaving room for both your pasta and your peas. This is your one chance to make the pasta itself not taste like wet flour, and the noodles will only absorb a small portion of the dissolved salt, so don’t hold back on seasoning.

3. Mince as many cloves of garlic as you think you would like. Heat a generous amount of olive oil (approx ¼ cup) over low heat and sauté garlic gently until it softens.

4. Separate 9 eggs (Don’t throw the whites away! Make a pavlova — a giant, crispy marshmallow ­­— for dessert). Pour warm garlic and oil into a large serving bowl and whisk together with egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Don’t add salt yet.

5. Cook your pasta according to package, and when it’s almost done, add your peas. If frozen, this will lower the water temperature significantly, so wait for the water to boil again, then time it for thirty seconds and drain.

6. Add hot noodles, peas, and mushrooms into sauce bowl and toss to coat immediately. Season to taste and serve. To add more protein, top it with fried eggs or canned tuna; otherwise, enjoy!

Kariton Art Gallery August 31, 2019. (The Cascade)

Recipe adapted from Andy Baraghani’s Sad Boy Pasta

13

SPORTS

sports@ufvcascade.ca Alex Jesus — Sports Editor

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

Interview //

Pre-season look at UFV women’s soccer with head coach Rob Giesbrecht ALEX JESUS In sports, building a team that can succeed on sheer talent is difficult. What is often overlooked is another kind of talent — a kind found off the field. Coaching is the foundation of a team. The leadership, mental preparation, and commitment all start from the top, like with Rob Giesbrecht, the head coach of Cascade’s women’s soccer. This week, Giesbrecht sat down to talk about UFV women’s soccer and its direction, beginning with last year’s season.

“Last season was a positive season.

We progressed throughout the year. I thought we got better as the season wore on and we’re hoping to carry that into this season.”

With all the growth that came with last season, the Cascades are certainly heading in the right direction.

“We were relatively young last year and relied on some first- and second-year players. The learning curve is a bit steep in Canada West women’s soccer, but I was pleased with the progress we made last year,” Giesbrecht explained.

When it comes to the coach’s biggest takeaway, Giesbrecht reflected specifically on the end of the season and what defeat can mean in terms of team growth and learning.

14

“I think the biggest takeaway is we pushed but we lost, and our season ended in the Canada West quarterfinal to Trinity Western, who went on to narrowly lose a national championship final...

We’re a young team and we’ll return all the pieces, so that’s something we’re excited about.”

“The learning opportunities that come along with being tested, with being pushed to your limits is fantastic.”

When asked if it was difficult to move on from last year’s season after such a close finish against a highly skilled team, the head coach offered a different perspective.

“One thing I’ve taken away from this last offseason is getting the girls to surrender the outcome and trust the process.

We tell the girls that if you’re in a battle, you want to be beside the person that’s willing to die to win that battle. That’s an extreme example, but we want the girls to have the freedom to fail — to have the freedom to lay it on the line and come up short.” He went on to say, “We feel we will get the best out of our group if

we have that mentality. That’s something I, as a coach, have learned. To not get so wrapped up in results but more focused on ‘How are we progressing as a group?

How are we performing in moments?’ so we can then give ourselves the best chance to be successful.

“The learning opportunities that come along with being tested, with being pushed to your limits is fantastic.”

Though there are obstacles that come with bringing in new players each year, cycling new talent into the program is a huge benefit for any growing team.

“We brought nine girls in, and some of them will likely start games for us, which is exciting. We want to have a competitive environment in our program where girls know it doesn’t matter what year you’re in; you have the same opportunity to be an impact player, and that motivates the returning players to not get complacent and to stay hungry and know that there’s coaches bringing in some talented players, and they’ve got to continue to progress.

“It also excites the young players coming in. They know they have the opportunity to play — to be a contributing player right away. I think it’s the best way to run a program. To give the opportunity to all and to get as much competition among the players as possible.”

As for this year’s goals, there is a steep

UFV Cascades Sports Scores Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, 2019

Men’s Soccer Game/Date: UFV Versus UNBC Friday, Aug. 30 Result: Tie (1-1) Game/Date: UFV Versus UNBC Sunday, Sept. 1 Result: Win (3-1)

hill to climb in order to obtain the prestigious national title every team sets out to win, but Giesbrecht believes the goal is attainable and the Cascades squad is ready to face adversity as they reach for the nationals.

“We have to take steps along the way, and we have to make sure that we’re performing well, day in, day out, on the training pitch. And when games come on weekends, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to take steps forward.”

The Cascades are now set to defend home turf when they take on Manitoba and Winnipeg in their home opening weekend, this Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Women’s Soccer//

UFV women’s soccer goes 4-3 in pre-season After a successful August, the UFV women’s soccer team heads into regular season with a positive record NIC JACKSON After seven preseason games, the UFV women’s soccer team looks to be getting the results they were hoping for heading into the regular season. Despite starting the preseason with a 6-2 loss against the Eastern Washington Eagles, the Cascades were able to turn the month around with a 4-3 record overall.

Although the first game in the preseason saw the Cascades down by three within the first nine minutes, a pair of goals late in the game from Bryana Buttar and Simi Lehal kept the Cascades from being shut out in their first outing of the year.

The Cascades were able to bounce back with a four-win streak against the Idaho Vandals, Northwest Eagles, Western Washington Vikings, and Simon Fraser Clan. The first two of these four games saw the Cascades defeat the Vandals and Eagles both with a score of 2-1, while the second pair of games saw them shut out both the Vikings and Clan.

Unfortunately for the Cascades, they weren’t able to continue this streak through their last weekend of the preseason. Starting out the weekend at home, the Cascades hosted the Concordia Cavaliers in a 3-2 game, favouring

the Cavaliers. The Cascades second goal

by Bryana Buttar brought them to within one goal in the 55th minute, but the Cascades were not able to capture another one.

The final game for the Cascades’ preseason against the Seattle Pacific Falcons saw them down by two early in the game. With a pair of goals from Brittney Zacharuk and Kate Fisher, the Cascades were able to tie the score before halftime.

While the score remained tied for most of the game after half, the Falcons were able to net two goals near the end of regulation, finishing the game with a 4-2 score for the Falcons.

This preseason was a success for the Cascades for many reasons other than the final scores of each game. It is important to note that during the regular season, the UFV women’s soccer team will not see any of these teams. All of the universities the Cascades have faced over the month of August are from the NCAA’s division two, except division one’s Eastern Washington University.

The UFV women’s soccer team begin their regular season on the road with two back-to-back games against the University of Victoria on Friday, Sept. 6 and University of British Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 7.

Taylor Nekic. August 18, 2019. (UFV Cascades)

Men’s Soccer //

Successful weekend at UNBC for UFV men’s soccer

UFV Men’s Soccer team defeated the UNBC for their first win of the 2019 regular season NIC JACKSON

Ethan Duggan. August 23, 2019. (UFV Cascades)

After losing their first two games of the season to the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria, UFV’s men’s soccer team headed north to Prince George for two games against the University of Northern British Columbia’s (UNBC) Timberwolves. The weekend started with UNBC holding a record of 1-1, and the Cascades a record of 0-2.

The first game of the weekend saw the Cascades pick up the first goal early on. Parman Minhas was able put one in the net only two minutes into the game. For most of the game after, neither team was able to advance the scoring. Near the end of the game, however, the Timberwolves’ Aboubacar Cisse was able to find the top corner of the net, tying up the score. With just over 15 minutes left in the game, neither team was able to score again, ending the game in a tie.

The major highlight from the first game of the weekend was the Cascade’s exceptional goaltending. Keeper Ethan Duggan, a freshman at UFV, faced nearly double the shots compared to the opponent, and made a total of 12 saves.

Following up the tie, the Cascades were

still looking for their first win of the season.

Once again the Cascades started the game scoring. This time it was Jhaj Gurmaan who was able to find the back of the net, while Tyler Henderson picked up the first assist of day. While the Cascades were able to carry the lead into the second half, shortly after, the Timberwolves’ Michael Henman was able strike one past UFV’s goaltender, Ethan Duggan, to tie up the score.

For much of the second half the Cascades and the Timberwolves were back where they were two days prior: 1-1. This score, however, would not be the final. At the 72:16 mark in the game, Jhaj Gurmaan decided to take matters into his own hands and scored his second goal of the day — this time unassisted.

Shortly after, in injury time, Atle Koellmel was able to put the ball past the UNBC Timberwolves for his first goal of the year, and third for the Cascades in that game. The final score saw the Cascades picking up their first win of the year with a score of 3-1.

After a three-game road trip, the Cascades will have four home games before hitting the road again. Their next games are against UBC Okanagan on Sept. 6; Thompson River, Sept. 7; Calgary, Sept. 13; and Mount Royal, Sept. 15. All games mentioned are scheduled at MRC Sports Complex in Abbotsford.

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STUDY BREAK Crossword //

VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16 Made by Jessica Barclay DOWN

ACROSS

2: Hospital worker.

1: A clear transparent hard protective finish or film.

3: The lightest element in the periodic table.

4: A dangerous or difficult feat, often done to attract attention.

5: A salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, olives, salt, oregano, and olive oil.

8: Where Aragorn looks for Gandolf, at the first light of the fifth day.

10: A small sled, used in a downhill Winter Olympics event.

9: The hard structure that protects the internal organs of a living thing.

14: The longitudinal structure along the centreline at the bottom of a vessel’s hull.

LAST ISSUE’S

ANSWERS: Across: 1: Oktoberfest 3: Synthesizer 6: Essential Oil 8: Cerebral Palsy 11: Bounty Hunter 14: Solar Plexus 15: Yellowknife

Horoscopes //

12: A common amphibian.

13: If you’ve got all these in a row you’re doing quite well.

15: Extremely wicked.

16: Circus performer with a beach ball.

Down: 1: Oasis 2: Turtles 4: Niece 5: Zoo 7: Italy 9: Embassy 10: Annex 12: URL 13: Ensue

Illustration by Elyssa English Astrological mysteries interpreted weekly by Jess the Incompetent

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 Change is in the air for you, Aries. You can feel it, smell it, taste it even. Take your strong sense of motivation this week and put it towards a daunting task, like learning to taste air which is quite difficult as oxygen is an odourless and tasteless gas.

Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 This is a great week to embark on a new creative endeavour or start a new hobby.

Might I suggest macaroni art or rock climbing, depending on your desired level of adrenaline rush?

Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 It may feel like you’re floating this week, Gemini, but the laws of physics prevent this.

Try to keep your mind grounded if you can, and stay focused on making it through this first week back.

Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 You may find yourself overburdened with cookies this week. Try taking the initiative for once and share those cookies around before they become an overwhelming stack. Your friends and family are more willing than you think to shoulder some of your burden.

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7: The national flower of England.

9: Animal viewing expedition.

11: Slang for many.

Cascade Calamities

6: Brilliant red; also a fever which can occur as a result of a group A streptococcus infection.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 According to people who know a lot more about astrological predictions than I do, you have a moon in your financial zone. You should really get that looked into. I predict financial opportunities involving flying squirrels this week, though what this entails is entirely up to you.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Your usually high level of organization and meticulous planning has been slipping, but this is the week to get back on track. Break out that 500 page hourly planner and pack of markers because it’s color coding time.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Things are looking bright for you this week, and not just because of that new lightbulb that is oddly brighter than all the other ones in the house and a slightly different colour.

Enjoy the start-of-semester excitement and smell of new textbooks while it lasts.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 It’s time to party, Scorpio. Plan an event, or five, this week to get all your necessary socializing in before the fall semester sucks away your soul.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Jupiter is doing something this week, Sagittarius, which makes sense as it is a constantly moving heavenly body. Luckily it’s a great time to view Jupiter. Take some time for yourself and go check out what your planet is up to in it’s nightly rounds of the sky.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Look at you — it’s only the first week of the fall semester and already your plate is overflowing like it’s Thanksgiving dinner. Take a word of advice from Coco Chanel, but instead of taking one piece of jewelry off before you leave your house take fifty things off your schedule.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 With the way the planets are existing in their orbital alignments this week, you may feel more passionate and energized. This is a great time to do something! Anything! Run around the block, start a new painting, learn to skip rope; you have energy to spare.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 You’ve been splitting your attention a few too many ways. It’s time to adjust that fine tune and bring your slide back into focus, or that paramecium is going to escape again before you can sketch it.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

arts@ufvcascade.ca Chandy Dancey — Arts Editor

ARTS

Movie //

Midsommar, a disturbing trip that is completely engrossing KAREN WHITE Based on the director Ari Aster’s debut film Hereditary, a pleasant and relaxing movie going experience should not be anticipated anyone going into the film Midsommar. Right off the bat the audience experiences uneasiness as the main character, Dani, portrayed by Florence Pugh, loses her entire family. We don’t know much about the family, just that Dani’s sister struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts. At the start of the film, Dani’s little sister kills herself and their parents by leaking gas into the entire house. Her sister plays a very small role in the film, but she is pivotal to the events that eventually play out.

In the mix of dealing with the loss of her family, Dani is also going through tough times with her boyfriend Christian, played by Jack Reynor. The timing of her family’s death prolongs their inevitable breakup. In an attempt to salvage their relationship, Christian invites Dani to join him and the boys on their trip to a remote village in Sweden.

This combination of relationship failure and loss of family creates a mood that continues for the rest of the film.

The group of adults have no idea what is in store for them. Aster takes no effort to make plot points in Midsommar subtle. Much like his feature-film debut last year with the epically upsetting Hereditary, Aster creates an extraordinary film that keeps you on the edge of your seat because you know that these characters are entering a bloodbath. Throughout the entire film, Aster lays out everything in store for his characters to the viewers. There are even scenes where we see vibrant murals on the walls of the commune that foreshadow what is going to happen.

The reason why the group decided to go to Sweden is because Pelle, portrayed

by Vilhelm Blomgren, invited them to join him on his way back to his commune. Pelle is a classmate of Christian's and he's very excited that they have agreed to come visit because the midsummer festival is taking place, which only happens every 90 years. This festival is significant because the group becomes involved in the events and celebrations that are not so pleasant.

Aster does a fantastic job at creating

a horror in complete daylight. The commune is in the middle of nowhere, and the sun never sets. The beautiful village is surrounded by grassy hills and everyone wears flower crowns and embroidered clothing. Everything seems peaceful and calming to the main characters. But they are blind to the unfathomable violence and brutality hiding around the corner.

Midsommar isn’t really too concerned with why or how things are happening.

As the group gets welcomed warmly into the commune, they are invited to eat strange foods and drink strange things that none of them question. Later, they are even made to take drugs they don’t want and be a part of weird ceremonies that end with people walking off cliffs to their deaths; we even see their heads smash open once they hit the ground.

The characters who witness the viscerally gory scene obviously react to the event, but apparently that's not enough for them to want to leave the commune.

Soon, even these characters start disappearing, and no one really cares until it's too late. Aster seems to be laughing at how obvious he has made things for his characters and how they still remain utterly clueless. It is not until late into the movie that Christian finally asks the question we have all been waiting for: “What is going on?” But, he is not given an answer. Instead, the audience is further confused; the old man that he had asked claps in his face, sending Christian into a psychedelic trip.

By the end of the film, we are left uneasy yet sympathetic towards Dani and the choices she has made. Along the way, she finally finds a family that she feels connected to and loved by. But we are left to question if Dani’s actions are justified because of everything she has had to endure, including the deaths of her family. She is finally happy, but at what cost?

When going in to see Midsommar, get ready to buckle in because the running time of this film is 147 minutes, and it is not a film that has high-energy, fastmoving scenes. It is a mood piece that at times feels long and eerie, but the journey is alluring enough to keep you engaged and the wild and unnerving acting is spectacular.

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VOL. 27 // ISSUE 16

Album //

CHARTS 1 Fet.Nat Le Mal

2 Black Mountain Destroyer

3 Orville Peck Pony

4

David Ivan Neil What Is Love

Lucky 5 Zachary The Ballad of Losing You

6 Dumb Club Nites 7 Lia Gronberg 8

The Shady Pines EP

Snotty Nose Rez Kids Trapline

9

Purple Mountains Purple Mountains

Ninkovic 10 Becky Woe

11 Mauno Really Well 12

B.A. Johnston he Skid is Hot Tonight

Lamb 13 Lady Even In The Tremor Mulligan 14 Richard I Never Met You

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KOSM Eyes On The Inside

16

Guerilla Toss Plants (Single) Crumb

17 Jinx 18

Julia Jacklin Crushing Prince Rama

19 Rage in Peace

King Gizzard & The

20 Lizard Wizard

nfest The Rats' Nest

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SHUFFLE AARON LEVY

OREGON SPOTTED FROG

With school back in this week, CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy wants you to be excited about the upcoming Run the Jewels 4 release that should be coming ANY WEEK NOW! In order to enjoy this occasion, please review the following quotes from these excellent RTJ 3 songs, each tackling a flurry of topics, such as:

Cuz I Love You: A strong message about loving yourself

RTJ - “Talk To Me” “Brave men didn't die face down in the Vietnam mud so I could not style on you / I didn't walk uphill both ways to the booth just to not wile on you / You think baby Jesus killed Hitler just so I'd whisper? / ... Talk real good cuz I'm smart at stuff.”

RTJ - “Legend Has It” No more white powder: "We are the murderous pair / That went to jail and we murdered the murderers there / Then went to Hell and discovered the devil / Delivered some hurt and despair / Used to have powder to push / Now I smoke pounds of the kush / Holy, I'm burnin' a bush."

RTJ - “Call Ticketron” “You can tell by the stench in the air / Blood's on the ground, opportunity is here / I'm lookin' into space like, ‘Is anybody there? / And if aliens are here, please tell me how near / Do you come in peace or should everybody fear? / I'll wait your reply with a blunt and a beer.’"

RTJ - “Everybody Stay Calm” “Presidential suite, got a fuck boy jealous / I'm the Nelson Mandela of Atlanta dope sellers / I, I'm a goddamn savage / Eat with no hands I don't even use napkins / Mark says number one bastard, show up in jorts with a hatchet laughing / Hey EI, the AR's an option for any asshole wanna talk and pop shit.”

KAREN WHITE Cuz I Love You, the third album

by American rapper and singer Lizzo, has a strong message about loving yourself and fully embracing who you are. The album is fun and energetic; Lizzo’s carefree attitude will have you singing and dancing along with every beat. The tracks incorporate many different elements of funk, pop, and R&B, which come together to create a spectacular album.

With each song, Lizzo is able to show off her vibrant personality and humour. Empowerment and self-confidence run through the album, as seen in “Like A Girl.” This song is about living your life the way you want and not how anyone else wants you to: “Got nothing to prove / But I’ma show you how I do.” It is a celebration of women being more than just their physical appearances. Lizzo is changing the phrase “like a girl” to mean something more. You own what you do and being “like a girl” shouldn’t be said with a nega-

tive connotation anymore.

The song “Soulmate” doesn’t just have a great beat, but it is also about never lowering your standards. Again, Lizzo is stating that you are your own person, and you do what you want.

The witty lyrics of “Look up in the mirror, like damn she the one / I’m my own soulmate / I’m gonna marry me one day” are an enthusiastic party starter.

There are so many different levels of volume and colour in these songs that it creates a risky but bold album. The song “Tempo,” featuring Missy Elliott, even explicitly states: “Slow songs, they for skinny hoes / Can’t move all of this here to one of those / I’m a thick bitch, I need tempo.”

In the song “Exactly How I Feel” featuring Gucci Mane, Lizzo is probably her most defiant. She has a message to all her haters out there: “Love me or hate me / Ooh I ain’t changing and I don’t give a fuck.” It will have you dancing away. Featuring Gucci Mane makes it more than just a fun pop song, adding in R&B elements which makes it even more enjoyable.

In Cuz I Love You, Lizzo is fully embracing who she is and telling everyone else to do the same but stating it in a way that sells the message of self-love and hope to the audience. In the past, Lizzo has struggled with body issues, but since then she has become an advocate for body positivity and self-love, especially for plus-sized women.

Lizzo said herself that, “I don’t think that loving yourself is a choice. I think that it’s a decision that has to be made for survival; it was in my case. Loving myself was the result of answering two things: Do you want to live?... Or are you gonna just have a life of emptiness, self-hatred, and selfloathing? And I chose to live, so I had to accept myself.”

There are no downsides to Cuz I Love You. Well, some might say it’s too snarky, but who doesn't like a bit of attitude? Lizzo has had a slow start to stardom. She has been building her music career over the course of three albums, multiple extended plays, and collaborations. Almost a decade in, Lizzo is finally reaching her full potential.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Movie //

Childhood horror books brought to the big screen Revisiting childhood horror in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark REMINGTON FIORASO Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a new horror flick that takes its inspiration from the short story collections written by Alvin Schwartz. For those who drifted away from reading scary stories as a child, like myself, expectations for the movie are based on previous horror/thriller flicks rather than how well the original stories are being brought to life. Although the original book collections were presented as separate stories, the movie is not told in separate sections. Multiple stories from the collection are presented, but they're told using the same characters and settings instead of introducing new ones, creating one cohesive narrative.

The premise is set up quickly to allow the movie to progress without incorporating a lot of filler. Without going into spoiler territory, a small group of teens in Mill Valley, Pennsylvania enter a “haunted house” on Halloween. They find a hidden room belonging to Sarah Bellows, a girl held in seclusion by her family. As she wasn’t allowed to be seen, Sarah would tell scary stories to the children through the walls for entertainment and subsequent mysterious events would happen involving the children. The teens find the book of Sarah’s scary stories and take it from the house.

Although the book has written stories already in it, one of the lead characters, Stella, notices that a new story is being written in the book with blood involving a bully named Tommy. In reality, the story is foretelling what is going to happen (or what is happening). Similar events happen with “new stories” being written in the book as the movie progresses.

In terms of “scariness,” Scary Stories does fall into the typical horror movie realm by incorporating a lot of jump scares. However, the monsters themselves are creepy and help to create an intense atmosphere while in darker settings. For example, the scarecrow “Harold” coming to life while being written in Sarah’s book kept me on edge. Harold resembles a corpse mixed with a scarecrow who takes revenge on Tommy for beating him by turning Tommy into a scarecrow himself.

The other monsters within the film have a similar eerie feeling to them. The film does not focus on simply adding a lot of gore to emphasize the suffering and fear of victims. As an audience member and

fan of horror movies, this stood out to me for having the most originality.

While the visuals in the form of monsters and attacks are the strongest qualities of Scary Stories, the film’s actors and writing make the movie even stronger.

The actors are believable and look as though they are actually experiencing the events of the film. It is a quality that I feel is lacking in a lot of new horror movies.

The writing captivates fear, humour, and an ongoing intensity while avoiding plot holes.

The movie does conclude with a satisfying ending but, in typical horror movie fashion, it does leave off with some un-

certainty that screams “This will be answered in the sequel, if there is one.” If the film is a success, and with many of Schwartz’s stories left untold, I would love to see a sequel in the future.

In the current state of the film industry, it seems as though originality has diminished through book-to-movie adaptations, remakes, and sequels. Scary Stories does fall into this category, but it still manages to feel fresh through its visuals and overall storytelling. It does its job in entertaining the audience regardless of whether it feels genuinely scary or simply creepy.

Overall, it is a good film, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Album //

Phildel waves her flag, and it isn’t white CHANDY DANCEY Phildel’s Wave Your Flags is a powerfully emotional album that manages to surpass the bar set by her acclaimed debut in 2013 with The Disappearance of the Girl.

Her new album focuses on similar themes from her first: independence, grief, and needing to speak one’s truth. With each track she cycles effortlessly from brooding, turbulent reflections of what she’s lost to celebratory, upbeat anthems of coming into her own. Phildel poured three years of her life into this album, and it’s paid off in that she’s created a beautiful experience that combines her gentle, pure voice with heavy themes that will have listeners playing Wave Your Flags on repeat.

The adversities Phildel has faced strongly influence her sound and her lyricism; she grew up under the control of an abusive and religious stepfather who enforced a ban on music in her household.

Her recent attempt to apprehend him through the justice system ended with no conviction, and since then she’s made the decision to estrange herself from her mother and sister. Wave Your Flags depicts a journey of intense pain and healing, es-

pecially in tracks like “Lamb,” an ethereal lullaby written about her mother. Other songs like “A Great Wave” offer a vulnerable glimpse into a night where she imagines walking into the River Thames, overwhelmed with emotion over the failed conviction of her stepfather.

There’s a degree of minimalism to Phildel’s tracks where she gives extended pauses a chance to breathe and allows background instrumentals to be simple but effective.

This lets Phildel’s voice be the focal point, and she experiments with this in small ways. By using a vocoder to warble her

voice in “A Great Wave,” for example, she creates a haunting, ghostly vibe for it.

She also shows her adaptability in “Glide Dog,” a gory fantasy of simmering anger towards toxic relationships.

The sultry tone she evokes when she sings, “I need more blood than you can pour, love” is new to her sound, but she manages to make it her own.

Additionally, she plays with echoes all throughout the album, but they’re especially powerful in “Floods” where she manipulates them to produce an entire choir featuring only her own voice.

A particular strong suit of the album is that it both begins and ends on a huge crescendo. It’s obvious that Phildel meticulously arranged and put thought into

the organization of Wave Your Flags. “Electric Heights,” for example, opens the album with an infectious beat that begs to be replayed. When listening to the final track, “Glorious,” it’s easy to understand how Phildel got her start in the music industry by writing songs for commercials.

It finishes off the album on a major high note, both in pitch and with an incredibly catchy and pop-like sound. “Glorious” also imprints us with the parting reminder: “Here, I win my day / I make my kill upon the grave / And need no hero to be saved.”

Phildel bares her heart in each track of Wave Your Flags, making it a breathtaking experience from start to finish. When taken at face value, the album offers catchy tunes and synthy beats for those wanting exactly that. But for those wanting something deeper, her tracks are full of thought-provoking lyrics that read like poetry. Although not as well-known as she deserves, Phildel proves again with this album that she’s a force to be reckoned with and that her sound is akin to a fine wine; it continues to improve with age and maturity.

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hen you dont have a back page but your editor says you can use a meme