SEPTEMBER 18 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
VOLUME 27 ISSUE 18
Juggling a lot of balls since 1993
“Everyone has a unique story.”
The opioid crisis pg.9-11
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
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
Social Media Writer Katee Clements
Sports Writer Nic Jackson
Social Media Writer Krizzia Arcigal
Staff Writer Karen White
Photographer David Myles
CONTRIBUTORS Remington Fioraso Krystina Spracklin
Cover Design: Avery Dow-Kenny Back Cover: Mikaela Collins
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
OPINION
Copy Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca
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9-11 13
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Snapshots.......7
@UFVCASCADE
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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
Study Break.......16
8......Events Calendar 18......CIVL Shuffle
FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/UFVCASCADE Volume 27 · Issue 18 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. The Cascade is published on the traditional, unceded territory of the Stó:lō peoples. We are grateful to be able to work and learn on this beautiful land.
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NEWS Digital Manufacturing diploma.......3
4......Canada's energy future
OPINION Editorial.......5 Criticism becomes apathy.......6
5.......Dear Robin 6.......Sweets aren't for me
CULTURE Fraser Valley Literary Festival......12
13.......MCC sale
Cascade kitchen......13 SPORTS Brittney Zacharuk interview.......14
15......Men's and women's Soccer
ARTS Farewell Daniel Johnston.......17 First Reign.......18
17......Blinded by the Light 19......Atomicrops
news@ufvcascade.ca Jessica Barclay — News Editor
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
NEWS
UFV //
NEWS BRIEFS Oil industry threatened by high costs and renewable energies
Problem-based learning in the classroom UFV announced the new Digital Manufacturing diploma, set to launch in Fall 2020
According to a new report by BNP Paribas, a French international banking group among the largest of the world’s banks, oil production costs must fall significantly in order to compete with renewable energy in a decade. To remain competitive as a transport fuel, oil prices must fall from the current global benchmark of approximately $58 (USD) per barrel to $10-20 (USD) per barrel. “The oil industry has never before in its history faced the kind of threat that renewable electricity in tandem with electric vehicles poses to its business model,” Mark Lewis, global head of sustainability research at BNP Paribas, wrote in his report. - Huffington Post
Bear foraging season may result in tickets for citizens As bear foraging season approaches, conservation officers are taking action to warn B.C. residents against leaving food out. Bears being lured by the food and garbage residents leave out pose a public safety risk, and in response conservation officers will be conducting “attractant audits” in recreational, residential, and commercial areas. These audits can result in tickets costing up to $575, under violations of the B.C. Wildlife Act. “Once animals become foodconditioned and habituated, they are dangerous to the public — these are not good candidates for relocation,” said the province’s conservation service.
- Abby News
Trades and Technology Center, Chilliwack. Sept. 2019. (Karen White/The Cascade)
KAREN WHITE UFV is going to see a new diploma in Fall 2020 called the Digital Manufacturing diploma. The diploma will look to address the industry’s need for digital talent by offering a class that is structured to focus on problem-based learning. The program will include 3D modelling, computer numerical controlled machines, fabrication strategies, and much more. It will employ a learningbased system model, where students will be given a problem to solve with the help and expertise around them, if needed, instead of a lecture-based class. “The application, the places where this [diploma] is relevant is going to be in places you can't even think of right now,” John English, the dean at UFV’s Trades and Technology Centre, said. “I think when we get some students here with this background they are gonna blow us away. We are going to have a hard time keeping up with them.” English said that the provincial government provided funding for postsecondary schools that were able to create ideas for technology seats. “I think the objective was to generally increase the accessibility and the choices for programs that help people launch into careers in the technical
field,” English said. UFV has been preparing for the Digital Manufacturing diploma for two years and was able to stay within the budget estimations of the program. UFV has an area created specifically for the program at the Trades and Technology Centre in Chilliwack that will have new specialized equipment and materials to work with. There is also a lot of technology already in place in the trades areas. For example,
“I think when we get some students here with this background they are gonna blow us away. We are going to have a hard time keeping up with them.” the carpentry department has a computer numerical control (CNC) router that students can have access to if needed. The government has provided UFV with around half a million dollars in
total, some of which will be used to buy new equipment that is needed. The local industry has also been supportive of the program and has donated UFV materials and surplus items. A plastic shop in Langley has given the university a few truckloads of cutoff ends of huge plastic pieces to use in classes. The diploma will require a broad range of professors from different backgrounds, but the professors already at UFV will be able to use their expertise and knowledge to help students within the program. There will be one new staff member added next September who will have expertise in manufacturing itself. Since the courses will be based more on solving problems in class instead of having lectures, UFV is currently working to see how this diploma would transfer to other degrees at UFV and other universities. “I’m hoping that they [universities] will be a little more receptive to the idea that I’m not just bringing in someone who has just mastered a particular topic, but someone who can actually think themselves out in real time what they are faced with. That said, we are working with other parts of this university internally to see that some of these would be recognized for transfer credit,” said English.
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NEWS
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
UFV //
How Canada can make a difference with energy
CEO of Seven Generations Energy speaks on the future of Canada's gas and oil industry in the global economy JESSICA BARCLAY
Last Thursday, the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce hosted the CEO of Seven Generations Energy, Marty Proctor, for a presentation and roundtable discussion on the future of energy in Canada. The event was hosted in partnership with the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) as part of Energy Week, an initiative organized in partnership with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Resources of the Future project to discuss global energy demands and Canada's role in the future of energy. Proctor was accompanied by Allie Blades, energy and corporate relations advisor at CAPP, and Katerina Anastasiadis, executive director of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce. The event started with a luncheon at the Sandman Hotel and presentation by Proctor on “Liquefied natural gas (LNG): How Canada can make a difference.” A roundtable discussion at UFV followed, where students were invited to give their thoughts on the global need for energy and Canada's future in the energy industry. LNG is a natural gas that has been cooled down into a liquid state, which makes it take up a lower volume for storage or transportation. According to FortisBC, natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel and releases low emissions. It is used either by warming it up into natural gas or in a small number of cases as a fuel for transportation vehicles. Currently the U.S. is Canada’s only customer for natural gas, due in part to the difficulties in transporting the raw product overseas. Natural gas requires liquefaction at a specific fa-
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cility before it can be transported on specifically built tankers, otherwise it needs to be transported by pipeline. Canada has had difficulties, according to Anastasiadis and Proctor, building pipelines and refining facilities. Political interference and the changes to approved project legislation with the changing of governments has affected Canada's re-
“I want to be able to see the mountains, I want to be able to hang out on the ocean, I like the fisheries to be strong. I love the environment.” liability and international business reputation, which in turn affects local jobs. “That’s the flipside of the argument that doesn’t get out there as much,” said Anastasiadis. “All people see and hear on the news is a small percentage of First Nations who have not bought into it when in fact the majority of First Nations actually supports the projects and it brings them economic benefits as well.” Statistics from Proctor’s presentation placed Canada as sixth-highest producer of crude oil and fifthhighest producer of natural gas worldwide. LNG production facilities, according to Proctor, could help Canada reach its emissions reduc-
tion targets and could help provide the world with access to this fuel source. “What should happen is you’ve got to develop the energy sources that are best for minimizing environmental disturbance while also improving the quality of life for people that don't have the same quality of life that we have,” Proctor said. Proctor said that the demand for hydrocarbons is predicted to increase over the coming years, with much of the demand coming from developing nations that don’t yet have ready access to enough energy to meet their needs. Statistics from his presentation indicated that in countries with “lower living conditions,” such as Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sudan, around 100 million barrels of oil equivalent per day is needed to meet demands. Proster said that if countries don't get the fuel from Canada, they may go to other countries with less responsible production methods. “I know we’ll do it better than anybody else,” Proster said. “So should we kill our own economy and then spite all those in these developing nations that need the hydrocarbons that we can produce even more responsibly?” Locally, Proctor said, his company works for the shareholders and will supply a product in the most environmentally responsible way they can as long as the customer continues to demand it. “Why [reduce greenhouse gas]? It’s just the right thing to do,” Proctor said. “We all love clean air; we love clean water. I want to be able to see the mountains, I want to be able to hang out on the ocean, I like the fisheries to be strong. I love the environment.”
UFV //
A virtual tour of UFV’s newest building JESSICA BARCLAY On Wednesday, Sept. 11, UFV offered a glimpse into the ongoing renovations of Building K, the old Finnigan’s restaurant, through a virtual reality (VR) tour of the room designs. The Finnigan’s building and surrounding lot was purchased last year for over $10 million. While there are plans in the distant future for the space, its current function will be relocation of classrooms and offices during ongoing renovations. Nicole Bourget, project manager, was present at the event to answer student and faculty questions on the progress of the renovations, and Lisa MacIntosh, Interior Construction Consultant at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, ran the virtual tours. DIRTT has been brought into the project to create a functional and aesthetically pleasing space for faculty and students in the old restaurant. In the library rotunda, a television and VR headset were set up, allowing students and staff to tour offices, hallways, and several different classrooms in Building K. “It’s just the most vibrant and beautiful of projects; it has so much life in it,” MacIntosh said. The company specializes in the design and manufacturing of prefabricated interior spaces, putting together modular rooms with panels that can be adapted to meet future needs of the university. When the needs of a space change, the panels can be moved around or entirely changed out to add in new doors, walls, or integrated smart screens. In this way, MacIntosh said, DIRTT works to reduce or eliminate the disposable nature of temporary spaces. The company also works with sustainable materials, and MacIntosh emphasized their commitment to finding eco-friendly solutions for their projects. DIRTT’s projects are designed using 3D modelling technology, allowing for real-time project estimates and the opportunity to tour parts of the project in VR.
OPINION
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
opinion@ufvcascade.ca Carissa Wiens — Opinion Editor
Editorial //
Pizza for participation JESSICA BARCLAY The Cascade will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, Sept. 26, and there will be pizza. You did hear right: pizza will be there for all who wish to attend and participate in the annual governance of the society that you contribute $6.24 per semester to as part of university fees. And yes you, students paying fees at UFV, are members of the Cascade Journalism Society (CJS) and are invited to participate in our governance and partake in the pizza. In an attempt to engage the student population and gather a quorum of 20 students out of a population of around 11,000, every year The Cascade draws students into our meeting with food. Either the upward struggle of engaging the student population is a strange but welcome testament to the trust the student body has in our monetary decisions and current strength of our board of governors, or a symptom of a larger issue on campus. UFV lost its university-college status back in 2008, moving from being the UCFV to the UFV we know today. Taking a step back in time, UBC was established in 1908 and SFU in 1965. The largest parts of UFV’s growth and development have happened over the last 10 or so years. UFV is considered a community campus and despite the university's best efforts to evolve the on-campus culture to something seen at larger universities, there’s still a strong taste of the temporary in many students’ presence here. This is not helped by only having one rather small on-campus residence and limited
food choices after 4 p.m., but I digress. There has been a small but steady increase in student retention over the years at UFV. In Fall 2008 the retention rate for new students was 62.2 per cent compared the Fall 2012 retention rate of 65.7 per cent. UFV’s goal for 2019 is a retention of 68 per cent of new students, so if you’re here, there's a chance you will be here for a little while at least. So why not get involved? At The Cascade's AGM we will be presenting on our 2018/19 budget and our recent initiatives, such as the Zine, workshops, and new positions. If you are feeling extra inspired to participate in the governance of the paper, there will also be a period for voting in new board members. We have a number of student board seats open to any student in good standing with the CJS. (In other words, that you have paid your fees.) The fine print adds you can't be a paid staff of CIVL Radio, the Student Union Society, or the paper, and you can’t hold a voting seat in Senate or the Board of Governors. This is a unique way of getting engaged on campus: learn about Robert's Rules of Order, be involved in the budgeting of an actual society, and help provide a student voice to the strategic direction of a university newspaper. It’s a two-hour commitment per month, plus discounts on parking passes and priority registration. In the end, the only reason we hold AGMs is for the members — for you. We’re buying pizza with your money to convince you to come and participate in the governance of a society you, by virtue of being a student at UFV, have to pay to be a part of.
The Cascade Journalism Society will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on September 26 @ 4:00pm in S2111.
Advice //
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 Roomie please Dear Robin, I have been looking for a new roommate recently and posted my place in a local rentals group on Facebook. The other night, a girl messaged me who is, frankly, too beautiful to live with. She’s super thin and seems to always be wearing a full face of makeup. I’m not usually insecure about my appearance but the thought of being in my sweatpants or eating anything other than a salad in front of her makes me want to drop through the floor into a pit of flesheating beetles. I can’t lie and say the room has been taken, because I need to leave the ad up; right now I’ve left her on read. What should I do? Sincerely, Insecure in the 2nd bedroom Hey Insecure, I TOTALLY get where you’re coming from. It’s tough to be around people who are very different from ourselves, and that would be even harder living with them. But, keep in mind, you’re a student and you work
and she probably has a life of her own, so it’s not like you’ll be around each other all the time or need to be best friends or anything. If that doesn’t persuade you, then I think it would be best to let her down easy. Maybe just say, “Hey, thanks so much for applying but I don’t feel like we’d be very compatible at this stage in our lives. Best of luck!” What do you think? But if you chicken out, just settle for whoever applies next so you can take that ad off Craigslist ASAP. Robin Canadian politics Dear Robin The federal elections are coming up. Can I still register? If so, how? Sincerely, Choosing Change Hey hey, Thank you for bringing this crazy important issue to light. Everyone needs to be registered to vote and everyone SHOULD get registered. In order to save our beautiful land and keep this country’s head above water we need to vote for change, and we are the only people who can do it! Fun fact: you can actually just show up on voting day to register and vote then, but it’s nice to register before so that you get a letter in the mail instructing you where to go, which helps with minimizing lines. Electionscanada.ca has all the info you need. Head there as soon as possible and register before Oct. 15. Robin
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OPINION
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
Politics //
Life //
When criticism becomes apathy When the Re: hopelessness sweets aren’t for me DARIEN JOHNSEN
Last week I read an article called, “Why there’s no ‘ethical consumption’ under capitalism.” The article discusses two main things: under the current capitalist system, it is impos-
“Get friends together who are passionate about something and make change happen.” sible for everyone to make ethical buying choices due to economic limitations (as ethical products tend to be more expensive), and the desire for ethical consumption by consumers has, itself, been made into a profitable commodity, enabling corporations to continue production processes that facilitate economic inequality and environmental devastation. In other words, as long as we leave the structure and ideology of the neoliberal capitalist system (i.e a free and unregulated market) intact, ethical consumption (such as fair and sustainable trade) is, at best, treading water. While I agreed with everything the article said, I wondered if it was reinforcing the idea that we, as a society, are too weak to change “the system.” I’ve been concerned lately about the alarming t r e n d of people expressing hopelessness and becoming apathetic towards activism. Let’s be clear, people, this isn’t an excuse to just give up and keep shopping. On the contrary, it should make us angrier; it should make us want to take radical action and demand that something be done about a system that continually limits our freedom of choice and freedom to live how we want. No, there is no ethical consumption under (neoliberal) capitalism, and yes our economic system is a toxic, global, corporate machine, but it is not infallible. We can change it; but the more people become indif-
ferent towards it, the stronger the machine grows. It thrives off of our apathy and depends on draining us of energy. Just criticizing it isn’t enough — we need to find ways forward. In Richard Peet and Elaine Hartwick’s book, Theories of Development: Contentions, Arguments and Alternatives they state that “We need to be more actively aware of modernity as a form of capitalist practice guided by social relations rather than as a discursive formation. In other words, we should learn to live with modernity by criticizing and changing it!” Activist burnout is a thing, a very real thing, but I know from experience that we
in the midst of all the chaos, remain peaceful towards each other, we could destroy what causes the chaos and create what we want to see. I was listening to the podcast, This Cultural Moment and pastor Mark Sayers said something that stood out to me: “Corporate renewal begins with personal renewal.” Destruction breeds creation; we need to hit the reset button on ourselves and our economy. My advice to you is to get active: get friends together who are passionate about something and make change happen. Wake up, get angry, stay angry, channel that anger. Skip school, skip work, start a farm with friends, occupy corporate land — heck, move right onto corporate land and start a commune. Protest until all garment workers and coffee farmers are paid fair wages, until all soy and catt h r ive tle are sustainably sourced, off each until we’re actually paid Illustration by Kayt Hine o t h e r ’s enough to support those goods energy. I that include the true, environmental, would go so far as and human cost of production, until to say that we can corporate charters are re-oriented amplify each to suit the best interest of society. other’s energy. Am I oversimplifying this? Maybe. Get a few people So come up with something better, who are passion- something impactful. Just do someate about some- thing. There are millions of us and a thing in a room handful of them. How could we postogether: if each sibly think that we, as a unit, couldn’t person goes in with impact change? That’s crazy talk; it’s a grain of sand, each illogical. Money is paper and we are will walk out with a blood, flesh, and bone. What power beach. If you don’t believe me, try it. What’s important in your life right now? School, a future, your children, your significant other? What’s the point of all these things if our world continues as it is and few of us are able to live a decent and satisfying life? We need to stop tiptoeing around capitalism like we’re grounded children. I had a friend recently say to me: “People need to stop acting like a Martin, and start acting like a Mal- does a piece of paper really have if com.” The truth is, they go hand we don’t let it have power over us, all in hand, but our societal Malcom of us, as a whole? We either take back X needs a reawakening. We can be power or get accustomed to all sorts peaceful, but be peaceful with each of extreme climate conditions and other, not our government or econ- hope we survive, because that’s the omy. Stop fearing revolt. If we can, reality we’re facing right now
“Yes, our economic system is a toxic, global, corporate machine, but it is not infallible.”
Explore Your Future Vancouver Convention Centre
Sunday, September 29 International University and Experiential Travel Expo www.studyandgoabroad.com
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What can I have for dessert that isn’t sugary? CARISSA WIENS
Let me make this clear: I’m not on a sugar cleanse. I’m not part of a pyramid scheme diet where I need to purchase pre-packaged food that I ingest several times a day. I’m not following the religion of maintaining ketosis. I’m just a person who doesn’t like eating dessert, or anything sweet for that matter. If it were up to me, post-dinner treats would usually be a healthy serving of Ruffles All Dressed chips. When that isn’t readily available for me at dinner parties I just pass on dessert. When I was growing up I was taught to eat (at least most of) whatever food was given to me, even if it smelled fishy. Since switching to vegetarianism several years ago I’ve still kept this mindset; if someone makes me dinner but doesn’t know I eat a vegetarian diet, I will still consume the food they give me. I would rather have an animal’s body that has been prepared for eating be digested than thrown in the trash by me. But something changes in my mind when it comes to dessert. Even when my mother makes a delicious Toblerone cheesecake, I can’t stomach the slice that’s been offered to me. I find that sometimes in a group, when the dinner plates are cleared and dessert is next on the agenda, women will often decline dessert. When one female declines, the standard is set for the other women in the group. Often I feel that it’s a shameful act to eat dessert in a group, that it shows a lack of control — a weakness. It breaks my heart to know that many people follow this unsaid protocol. And I hate that I contribute to this because I’m often the one to decline dessert, therefore setting a standard for the others in my group. But I don’t think any less of people who do order dessert. Please, eat all the sweets you want, I just won’t have any because I don’t like it. Sweet foods are genuinely unappetizing to me. Unfortunately I never know how to get that message across to the others in my party. Of course I could simply say, “I won’t have any dessert but don’t let that stop you,” but so often we overthink things and others in my party might not believe me. It’s all very complicated. If people would offer potato chips instead of dessert, I would be all over that. But usually, restaurants and hosts don’t. So I’m proposing that in order to help people feel accepted no matter what they eat after dinner (or during dinner on that note), we should offer savoury desserts as well. Maybe some mac ‘n’ cheese bits, just deep fry them like a donut. Or let’s continue to keep this cheese plate trend alive. By offering these salty after-dinner snacks, people like me can still feel indulgent after dinner without being the person to set the tone of declining dessert.
BRIEF BITS OF BITE-SIZED BREVITY
SN S AP HO TS
CURTAILED COMMENTARY ON CURRENT CONDITIONS
Illustrations by Mikaela Collins
Battling with math, tooth and nail
Just a beer please I had a beer at lunch yesterday with my mom. It was a pale ale from Fieldhouse on tap. We went to a nice restaurant after I finished my first lab class ever, so I was in the mood to treat myself after my laborious day. Of course I always want a beer with lunch but I’ve got to exercise self-control for most days. On top of my beer I ordered a delightful gnocchi dish with heirloom tomatoes and who knows what else. After we finished our food I was begin-
ning to feel my post-eating-sleepies come on. It was only 1 p.m. and I still needed to drive home. So I ordered a coffee with Baileys. My rule is to never mix alcohol: start with beer, stay with beer. Of course I wasn’t tipsy in any way but when I got home I realized how sad it was that this was the most wild I’ve been in years.
Carissa Wiens
Night of the living phone walkers I’m getting real sick of all the phone walkers on campus. You know, those people who walk extremely slowly with their noses pressed desperately into their phones like they’re snorting some sort of highly addictive substance? NEWS. FLASH. I’m late for class and need to power walk past you, friend, so if you could stop swerving around like a drunk driver coming home from a rager, that would be greatly appreciated. You could at least try to stay to one side of the walkway. We need some no texting and walking laws in place, in my opinion. I feel like I see the tops of people's heads more than
I actually see their faces these days and it’s not really helping me feel any less like I’m living in a FRICKIN’ DYSTOPIA. The next generation of children is probably going to be born with crooked necks and social media addictions ingrained into their DNA. It’s like I’m surrounded by a bunch of sleepwalkers living in a fantasy dreamland. Get a grip, phone walkers, there’s a whole world in front of you if you just stop to look around once in a while. (Ferris pun intended because he would be disappointed with us.)
Darien Johnsen
As a kid I remember questioning why anyone would be unable to stop biting their nails. It just seemed logical to me: it’s a bad habit, so you just put your mind to it and stop. Joke’s on me though because I’m in the same boat years later. I’ve tried chewing gum, fiddling with Play-Doh, giving myself a manicure, and they’ve all worked to some degree. But the most successful method I’ve tried? Avoiding triggers. I had never even considered nail biting to have specific triggers until I realized the bad habit cropped up whenever I had math-related courses. Calculus, physics, and statistics
are all classes where my nails have suffered the most, and it’s easy to see in retrospect that it’s because they’re mad stressful. Math-related courses have an onslaught of due dates for quizzes, online assignments, written assignments, tests, and more. Sometimes I’ve even spent hours on a single question where I feel I do everything right but still can’t produce the right answer. What I’ve learned is that although you can do your best to cope with stressful situations, sometimes it’s just best to avoid them altogether.
Chandy Dancey
I don’t watch it for the plot Hot takes on the Cats trailer are now passé by a couple of weeks, but among the resulting constant stream of derision, I’ve heard a common refrain: “It doesn’t even have a plot!” And I’m here to say: yeah, it doesn’t. I mean, it kind of does, but you don’t have to pay attention to any of it. And that’s great! Because what makes Cats fun to watch is the way the characters interact in the background. Those actors are rolling around, making kitty-paw hands, and rubbing their cheeks together like 14-year-old furries in a high school stairwell for your enjoyment without a shred of irony, and you
have the audacity to worry about the plot? You should be worried about whether Tugger kisses Mistoffelees on the cheek, or how the kittens make fun of Munkustrap for his crush on Jennyanydots, or even just watching Old Deuteronomy head bopping. The movie is definitely going to firm up the plot and give less time to minor characters (read: people who aren’t Taylor Swift), so take to YouTube and check out some old recordings, because Cats doesn’t have a plot, and it is not supposed to.
Mikaela Collins
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BY: ANDREA SADOWSKI
Many people are aware that Canada is facing a national opioid crisis. In April 2016, the government of Canada declared a public health emergency for “the growing number of overdoses and deaths caused by opioids, including fentanyl.” B.C. has the highest rate of deaths in Canada, with 20 out of every 100,000 people dying from using illicit drugs including, but not limited to, opioids, with a steadily climbing rate every year. In other words, four people die every day in B.C. alone from overdoses. At this rate, it’s likely that you or someone you know has been deeply affected by the use of opioids. It’s time we educate ourselves on what is making this a crisis, and what we can do as a community to prevent further loss of life.
WHAT IS AN OPIOID? Opioids are pain killers, commonly prescribed after surgery to manage pain. They can be naturally derived from the seed pod of the opium poppy, which is used to create morphine or codeine. Some are semi-synthetic, such as hydromorphone, which is derived from morphine, and some are fully synthetic, such as fentanyl. Opioids are not meant to cure an ailment, but to reduce the suffering felt from pain caused by ailments. Some commonly used opiates are Tylenol with codeine (T3s and T4s), oxycodone (sold under many names such as Percocet and OxyContin), Dilaudid, and fentanyl. These drugs can be either prescribed by a doctor as pain killers or, more dangerously, can be purchased on the street in stronger doses. A street drug that has popped up recently is carfentanil, which is a form of fentanyl, except 100 times stronger. Its original use was to sedate large animals, such as elephants, and was never intended for human consumption.
WHAT MAKES OPIOIDS SO ADDICTIVE? When opioids are consumed, either swallowed, snorted, smoked, or injected, they travel through the bloodstream and attach to the opioid receptors in your brain cells, which in turn release endorphins, suppress feelings of pain, and heighten feelings of pleasure. These feelings of pleasure are what facilitate addiction to these substances. When opioids are taken over long periods of time, your body responds by slowing its production of endorphins. Of course, many other factors contribute to addiction, such as poverty, unemployment, family history of substance abuse, stressful situations, history of depression and anxiety, and regular contact with high-risk people and/or environments.
WHO USES OPIATES? One of the main reasons people start using and continue to use opiates, is to manage chronic pain. The B.C. Coroners Service released a report in 2018 investigating over 870 overdose deaths between 2016 and 2017. This report stated that 45 per cent had visited a doctor for pain-related issues and 52 per cent had reported receiving a mental health diagnosis. Fatalities amongst the homeless population, which includes those living on the streets, in shelters, temporary rentals, and rehabilitation facilities, more than doubled between 2015 and 2016. Half of those deaths were due to drug overdose or alcohol poisoning, with many cases linked to the use of fentanyl. However, there is no typical population that is more prone to taking opioids, and the reasons why people start taking them vary greatly. Everyone has a unique story. A fellow editor and I talked to some of the street-entrenched population in downtown Abbotsford to get their stories and opinions. For Linda, her use of opiates stems from the need to manage chronic pain after being hit by a car and breaking both her legs four years ago. “When I got out of the hospital, the doctor gave me a prescription for T3s to help with the pain, and that is not even going to touch it,” said Linda. “I’m still recuperating … It has nothing to do with getting high; it’s the only thing that will allow me to get up and move around.” Opioid use could also result from traumatic life experiences and childhoods, when individuals turn to drugs as a way of masking or coping with emotional anguish. Harry, a man we talked to outside of his tent, theorizes that the opiate crisis has become so rampant amongst the younger generation because of rapidly advancing technology and our inability to keep up with the pace.
“Society is moving at such a fast clip right now ... Technology is moving ahead at a pace where our emotions are not keeping up. I think this computer communication age is the age of miscommunication. I think what we have is an inability of society to cope with the new world order. People’s inner self, their emotions, their being, their soul, it is not learned, it is not moving at the rate of what technology is.”
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO TREAT OPIOID ADDICTION?
Chief Constable Mike Serr of the Abbotsford Police Department started his career in 1990, working in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. It was there that he got a real perspective on some of the issues with drug addiction. I sat down with Serr at his office in City Hall, where he gave me his insights on the opioid crisis.
Other people may be ready for opioid-assisted treatment. For many, the drug hydromorphone is administered, which is a synthetic opioid. Serr is an advocate for this type of treatment, which just recently became legalized in Canada in May 2019. Methadone is another medication used to treat chronic pain and opioid use disorder. As of May 2019, medical practitioners are able to prescribe, administer, sell, or provide methadone to their patients freely without requiring an exemption from Health Canada.
“What we’ve learned if nothing else, through the opiate crisis, is that everyone has been impacted... There isn’t one thing that can make people become addicted,” said Serr. “I think everyone has a unique reason for going down that pathway. Unfortunately now with fentanyl and carfentanil and some of these incredibly dangerous drugs that are on our streets, we’re just seeing the impact of how dangerous those choices are now.”
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS VS. STREET DRUGS? According to the Canadian Pharmacists Association, in 2015 53 opioid prescriptions were written for every 100 people in Canada, prescribed to treat acute or chronic pain. The association recognizes the need for increased monitoring and management of opioid prescriptions, as it is increasingly common for community pharmacists to receive prescriptions for inappropriate dosages. Fentanyl is typically prescribed by doctors to patients who suffer from long-term severe pain in the form of slow-release patches. “I started using with Dilaudids, which is just a pain medication like OxyContin,” said James, an opiate user living in Abbotsford. “A friend of mine at work offered them to me and I didn’t really know what I was doing at the time, and after I took them I felt pretty good, and I started doing them recreationally. “You start with the pills, and then you upgrade yourself, I guess you could say, to heroin, which is cheaper. Then all the sudden it becomes a habit just as expensive as the pills, so I tried fentanyl and figured maybe I could save money doing this. Nobody wants to move up the scale. I guess my last step would be to start shooting it up, and that is a threshold I haven’t crossed and don’t want to cross. “The high is good for a little bit, but not very long... Unfortunately, everyone thinks they can control it, but that’s not the case. It becomes a disease because you need it. You wake up, feel sick, and you don’t want to do anything to get your day started, to be a functional member of society, until you get your dope fix, and once you get your dope fix you’re worried about your next one.” Prescription drugs are what get people hooked on opioids, but the street drugs are what kill them. There are some dealers that are sloppy and the drugs become mixed as a consequence of this, but some dealers are purposely mixing fentanyl into other drugs because they know how addictive opioids are, and it’s a way to get people even more addicted. “We’ve seen fentanyl, carfentanil, in almost all drugs, except for marjauana,” said Serr. “We’ve seen it mixed with meth, cocaine — almost all drugs. For anyone buying illicit street drugs, including MDMA, there is a potential that it will be contaminated with fentanyl or carfentanil. “Sadly, people know that the drugs on the street are incredibly dangerous and have the potential every single time that they take it to kill them, yet the drug addiction, or the urge for that drug, is more powerful than the rational thought that I shouldn’t do it because I could die. And the drug dealers are continuously making these drugs more potent, even though they know they’re killing their clientele.”
Treatment looks different for every person. Some people are ready to make the step to enter a detox clinic or rehab centre, and others just need someone with lived experience to walk alongside them and support them until they are ready to make that step.
There is also the easier to access medication buprenorphine, which goes by the trade name of Suboxone, a prescription drug that helps people achieve long-term sobriety. The positive effects, such as reducing drug cravings and preventing withdrawal symptoms, are felt in a matter of days, and the side-effects are less pronounced than methadone. “It’s a safe supply, and it’s proven itself over and over again,” said Serr. “So instead of a drug dealer giving someone a very poisonous, dangerous dose of fentanyl, what we do is through a doctor we give synthetic heroin, and the bonus of that is that a drug dealer is typically going to try to get people to take more drugs, where I am hoping that doctors will try to moderate a person’s use, so a person can maybe go on with their life. “With opioid addiction, everyone thinks you can go into treatment, you can do your 60 days and you’ll be fine — that’s just not the case. Most people are unsuccessful eight, nine, or 10 times before they are successful, so we need to find a way to support people, and part of that will be through a clean supply of drugs” Charles, an ex-opiate user who is currently in the treatment centre Joshua House, credits his sobriety to Christianity and spirituality. “You have to replace your will and the drug of your choice with something greater than yourself and with a positive environment that will influence you to look into the future, to get over your bad habits, and get out of your own will and start living in God’s will,” said Charles, currently four months sober. “That’s easier said than done; it’s going to take work. But you are worth so much more than dying on the street with a needle in your arm. There is just so much more to live for than dying under a bridge in Hastings.”
WHAT HAS THE GOVERNMENT DONE TO RESPOND TO THIS CRISIS? In May 2019, in response to the severity of the crisis, Canada became the first country to legalize injectable hydromorphone (i.e. prescription heroin), used to treat patients with severe opioid addiction. However, this drug is only to be administered under the supervision of an experienced physician who is trained in injectable opioid treatments. Before the change is legislation, the only clinic offering it nation-wide had been Crosstown Clinic in Vancouver. There are currently two overdose prevention sites established in Abbotsford, including Riverside Shelter, just down the street from the UFV Abbotsford campus, and Positive Living Fraser Valley. Here, opioid users can consume substances in a safe and clean environment, under the supervision of trained medical staff. As well, the government has passed the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act which provides “legal protection for people who experience or witness an overdose,” protecting overdosing users from charges of possession of illegal substances.
HOW TO SAFELY USE DRUGS IF YOU REQUIRE OPIATES: “What we’ve learned if nothing else, through the opiate crisis, is that everyone has been impacted.”
WHAT IS ABBOTSFORD DOING TO COMBAT OPIOID OVERDOSES? Serr saw that the strategies used to treat drug addiction had created a revolving door, where first responders would inject naloxone into someone who had overdosed, revive them, only to see them in the same situation the next day, never really fixing the problem. He has played a crucial role in chairing the Abbotsford Opioid Working Group, which started in 2015, and received a grant from the provincial government of $100,000 to fund Project Angel. This initiative, staffed by a Peer Support Worker who has lived experience using drugs, is all about connecting drug users with resources. When the police, fire, ambulance, or anyone in the community sees someone who is in need of help, dealing with problematic substance use, they are connected with an angel and led to different pathways of assistance and care. “When someone is struggling, they can contact the program and we can help them find the resources, and start the dialogue so they’re not alone. What a lot of people experience is that they find they have nowhere to turn,” said Serr. “If you can’t get someone quickly into a bed, then at the very least we can build that relationship so that when they are ready we can help them and support them.” Serr highlighted the fact that this crisis is not simply a policing issue, but requires a joint effort on behalf of the entire community. That’s why the Abbotsford Opioid Working Group has included a seat at the table for everyone who can bring solutions: the police, community, and social services — such as SARA for women and Positive Living, Fraser Health, the city, UFV, and Indigenous communities.
If you are going to use drugs, please do so in the company of someone who is staying sober and can administer a naloxone shot and call 911 in case of an overdose. Avoid any drug use if you have been drinking alcohol. If you choose to inject drugs, use needles only once, never use someone else’s needle or allow them to use yours, and safely dispose of your needle in a safe sharps disposal.
Take advantage of the services that offer BTNX Fentanyl Test Strips, which allow you to check your drugs for contaminants like fentanyl. These strips are available at Public Health Units in Langley, Mission, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack, as well as Abbotsford Community Hub Centre. Consider alternatives for managing your chronic pain, such as less-addictive pain medications and nonpharmacological therapies.
WHAT YOU CAN DO IF SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS USING THESE SUBSTANCES: Before having a potentially life-saving conversation with someone you are concerned about, make sure they are fed and rested. Let them take a nap, while cooking them a healthy meal, or ordering some food. Make sure to have the conversation in a safe environment, while you are both relaxed, and not overcome by strong emotions, such as anger. It might even be helpful to have this conversation while driving, or walking, as it is less confrontational than being face to face. Start the conversation by letting them know that you deeply care about them and their well-being, and you are concerned and want to understand their reasons behind their drug use — and most importantly, listen with an open mind, without any judgement, shame, or guilt. Most of the time, people struggling with opiate addictions want to get help, but need assistance taking that first step of calling clinics and making appointments. If you are able to help them book an appointment, and drive them to it, that could be the best thing you can do for them. Call the B.C. Alcohol and Drug Information Referral Service at 1-800-663-1441 for access to treatment centres and clinics.
WHAT HAS THE UNIVERSITY OF THE FRASER VALLEY DONE TO RESPOND TO THIS CRISIS? Any student is able to obtain a naloxone kit free of charge from Student Life, after passing a short online orientation on how to use the kit. Naloxone can be injected if you encounter someone you think has overdosed from opioids. It will temporarily reverse the effect of the opioid and buy enough time to get them to the hospital. An important step for people with drug addiction is to seek counselling, to see where the trauma and triggers are coming from that may cause opioid use. UFV offers bi-weekly counselling services free of charge for its students, with counsellors trained in drug addiction counselling. Although there is a longer wait time to see a female counsellor, you can usually get in to see someone within two weeks. However, if you or a friend are experiencing a personal crisis, you can get in to see a counsellor right away on the Abbotsford or Chilliwack campus. To book an appointment to see a counsellor, visit the Counselling Services office in B214 or call 604-854-4528. If you have a personal crisis outside of UFV counselling office hours (weekdays, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.), you can call the Fraser Health Crisis Line at 604-951-8855. If you are a member of the student health care plan, you can call the Empower Me hotline, which provides counselling services over the phone 24/7, at 1-844-741-6389.
A note for those who use opiates or care about someone who does: Substance use disorder is a legitimate health issue, NOT a failure of character. This is not your fault. Drug use does not make you any less worthy of love or compassion. There are resources out there for you — take advantage of them. Recovery is possible, but it will take perseverance and extreme amounts of patience to see that happen.
The names of opioid users interviewed for this article have been changed for their protection and safety.
CULTURE
CULTURE
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
culture@ufvcascade.ca Andrea Sadowski — Culture Editor
UFV //
If a story isn’t told, does it turn into a ghost?
Discussions of marginalization and appropriative storytelling were prominent throughout the Fraser Valley Literary Festival KRYSTINA SPRACKLIN UFV hosted its second literary festival, a celebration of local talent, on Sept. 13 and 14. The Fraser Valley Literary Festival opened on Friday evening with a wine and cheese event and reopened on Saturday afternoon, presenting two writing panels that featured the works and conversations of various local authors. “The goal with [the] Fraser Valley Literary Festival is to introduce students and the Fraser Valley community to a wide variety of writers contributing to the current literary community. B.C. has a lot of very talented writers, so we were really blessed with a plethora of options,” said Andrea MacPherson, artistic director of the Fraser Valley Literary Festival and UFV associate professor. “We chose these writers for a number of reasons: variety in genre, new publications, diverse backgrounds, gender [inclusivity]. It’s really important for us to curate a festival that is representative of the vibrant writing community in B.C.” The keynote speakers for Friday’s event included lectures from Shazia Hafiz Ramji, a poet and author of Port of Being, and Michael V. Smith, author of Cumberland and Progress. Both teach creative writing. Ramji reflected on her journey as a writer,
her language both enchanting and relatable. Smith shared the concept of “Writing from Silence”: a concept to recognize who is erased, excluded, or reduced to shallow representation within our stories. These themes would resurface the following day. On Saturday, Ramji returned to moderate the first panel of the afternoon. “The Terrible and the Sublime: From Monsters to Saints” generated discussions from transformation, to romanticizing trauma (and writing through it), to the role of community that exists within these stories. The panel consisted of authors Marita Dachsel, Danny Ramadan, Doretta Lau, and Jonina Kirton. “Transformation is at the heart of what we do everyday,” Ramji remarked on writing. “The only legacy we have is our stories,” said Dachsel. The topics expanded into cultural appropriation and the domineering presence of white-centric stories during the Q&A portion. The authors distinguished the borders of which stories are our own to tell and which are stolen by privileged writers outside of marginalized cultures. Ramadan left us with these thoughts: “You can do your research, interview, even pay [sensitivity readers] money if you can or baked goods if you can’t, but at
the end of the day, [writing appropriative stories] is a challenge. Because there are things that you will miss and not understand [about that culture]. Ask [yourself] if you are taking away a space from someone else.” After a short intermission, the second panel moved to the themes of “Myth, Secrets, and Ghosts,” offering readings from Hasan Namir, Minelle Mahtani, Jaye Simpson, and Alex Leslie. Namir awed the audience with personal anecdotes to expand on his readings, and Mahtani’s belting voice filled the room with applause as she recounted the burden of loss and comfort from ghosts. Simpson bewitched the audience with poetry that punctured the room and drew visible reactions during their delivery, and Leslie’s essay broadened the scope of myth and secret: who decides what truths become myth and the dangers of those who wield that decision. These talented wordsmiths spared no minute as they bounced from discussions of ghosts of the land, the colonial violence against Indigenous peoples, and the delicate permissions of writing for the deceased. As the event came to a close, the final keynote speaker, UBCO’s Laisha Rosnau, shared a circular piece that explicably, though unintentionally, tied back to the conversation of community in stories and
the connections that resonate through sharing what we know and stepping back from narratives that don’t belong to us. In a private interview, she surmised: “There are still imbalances and abuses of power and privilege in [schools], colleges and universities, funding bodies, the publishing world, and in any institution in which maintaining a status quo is advantageous to those who benefit from, and have gotten used to, holding the power — unconsciously or not.” “Books, articles, op-ed pieces, tweets, and Instagram stories can never substitute what happens in a room with people talking and listening,” Rosnau wrote, reflecting on the impact of the literary festival, “and listening to that which we’ve not heard or considered in quite those ways before — and this is the most important and valuable thing of all.” For students who wish to participate in the Fraser Valley’s literary scene as we wait for next year’s festival, MacPherson suggests “the Vancouver Writers Festival, the FINE reading series, the Real Vancouver Writers Series, and other UFV literary initiatives, [such as] the Writer in Residence. My general advice for anyone who is passionate about writing: read! Attend events! Read some more!”
Fraser Valley Literary Festival. Abbotsford, BC. Sept. 14, 2019. (David Myles/The Cascade)
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CULTURE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Community Event //
MCC Sale is another success
Column //
Cascade Kitchen: Getting saucy Red curry lime sauce is good on almost anything
Kaitlin Wiens and Victoria Friesen. Abbotsford, BC. Sept. 14, 2019. (Carissa Wiens/The Cascade)
CARISSA WIENS The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Festival takes place every September at the Abbotsford Tradex. This year they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the event. Attending is not so much of a choice for me. It’s just what I do — what we do. It’s who we support. Some might go as far to say that it’s who we are. I don’t think I’m that dedicated though. To people of my kind (Mennonites), we simply call the festival the MCC Sale. Simple and easy. I will now refer to the event as such. Many assume Mennonites to be a type of Amish people, but here in the Fraser Valley, we are just like you, but attend church, eat a lot of various forms of deep fried dough, and can often be defined through our last names (i.e. Janzen, Thiessen, Penner, Sawatsky, and of course, Wiens). I consider myself a Mennonite; therefore, I attend the MCC Sale year after year. The MCC Sale is a community event, so people from all over the Fraser Valley attend. It’s a place to gather and support worthy causes that help people all over the world where the MCC works. The nonprofit always has many projects on the go, and for last weekend’s festival, most of the funds raised went to providing food assistance to displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, nutritional education to marginalized women and children in Nepal, kitchen
supplies and food vouchers to people in Columbia, and education to farmers in Haiti about improving their crops. The main attraction of the event is the copious amounts of booths serving up some fresh and delicious Mennonite food like vareniki (pierogies filled with cottage cheese and smothered in cream sauce with farmer sausage on the side), borscht (beef broth with all the vegetables and a zwieback, double-decker bun, on the side), rollkuchen (deep fried dough slices covered in icing sugar with watermelon on the side), and portzelky (deep fried raisin fritters). For many people who attend the event, it’s all about the food. I don’t blame them. Not everyone has an Oma down the road with a freezer full of all of the above waiting to force it down your throat. I do though, so I veer away from the enormous Friday night lineups and mingle around. The people who run the food booths are from local churches, usually labouring the weekend away by cooking everything fresh on site. Food isn’t the only draw: there are live auctions, kids’ activities (like a climbing wall), fair trade goods and thrift items for purchase, a cyclathon, and live musical entertainment by local artists. I go to the event for a semi high school reunion (I attended Mennonite Educational Institute in Abbotsford from K-12), to catch up with people from my past (I grew up a part of King Road Mennonite Brethren Church), and to see my family
(cousins, aunts, uncles, Omas and Opas, and my parents). I do this all on the Friday night of the event, when the crowds are lush and energy is high. They continue the event on Saturday afternoon, but less people are there and the vibe is slower. Of course many would like that, but Friday nights are for me. The event last weekend brought on a new experience for me: I attended on Saturday afternoon instead of Friday evening. Other commitments kept me from attending my normal time slot, so I settled with the second best. I didn’t see all the people from my past and present whom I was hoping to have a quick chat with, but I did have the opportunity to have just a handful of pleasant conversations with two cousins whom I haven’t seen in a while. Another bonus for attending on Saturday was that we could actually hear each other when we talked. The Tradex was filled with a calmness that I didn’t think I would enjoy as much as I did. No fear of missing out (FOMO) was experienced and I even purchased some food this year — another first for me. Two bags of portzelky and a massive farmer sausage for my husband and I was good to go. After last weekend, I’m almost certain I will attend the event on Saturdays from now on. It’s a great event to enjoy some tasty food, search through the curated racks of thrifted clothes, and know the money is going to excellent causes.
Red curry lime sauce. Sept. 14, 2019. (Carissa Wiens)
CARISSA WIENS 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. Several months ago I purchased Thug Kitchen’s official cookbook. Everything in the book is vegan and low maintenance. The recipes are easy to follow and allow for quick substitutions when you just don’t feel like running out to the store for one item. Their red curry lime sauce is an absolute winner. I usually pour it over rice noodles and baked broccoli and asparagus then sprinkle chopped green onions over top. It’s quick, healthy, and super tasty. Ingredients: 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth 30 ml (2 tbsp) red curry paste 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) grated lime zest 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice 30 ml (2 tbsp) minced ginger 15 ml (1 tbsp) peanut butter 15 ml (1 tbsp) brown sugar 15 ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce (sometimes I add a little more because soy sauce is great) 15 ml (1 tbsp) cornstarch 1 clove garlic, minced Method: Put broth in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add curry paste, lime zest and juice, ginger, peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Mix it well and make sure there are no peanut butter chunks. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of water until there are no more chunks. This is for making the sauce thick. Pour this mixture into the simmering saucepan and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, which should be about one minute. Taste and add whatever you’d like more of. Simple as that. Pour it over ramen noodles, roasted veg, perogies, meat — anything really.
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SPORTS
sports@ufvcascade.ca Alex Jesus — Sports Editor
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
Interview //
Interview with Cascades Midfielder Brittney Zacharuk Fifth year Midfielder Brittney Zacharuk talks about her journey at UFV through the Cascade’s Women’s Soccer program and where she’s going now
UFV Cascades Sports Scores Sept. 13 – Sept. 15, 2019
Men’s Soccer Game/Date: UFV Versus University of Calgary, Sept. 13 Result: Loss (2-3) Game/Date: UFV Versus MRU Sunday, Sept. 15 Result: Win (1-0)
Women’s Soccer Game/Date: UFV Versus University of Manitoba Friday, Sept. 13 Result: Win (4-2) Brittney Zacharuk. Abbotsford, BC. August 18, 2019. (UFV Athletics)
ALEX JESUS Much in the same way that classroom experiences differ between first year students and those who have been around the block a time or two, time spent on the field shapes the way athletes play over the course of months and years. For Brittney Zacharuk, a fifth-year midfielder on the Cascades women’s soccer team, the role she’s played has evolved through the years. Now, as a leader, with aspirations of coaching and helping others, Zacharuk goes into her last year of the program determined to leave a mark. Her journey began as many soccer journeys do. “I have two older sisters and I kind of took after them, wanting to play,” Zacharuk said. “My dad [was a] big soccer guy growing up. Played for team Canada, U-18, U-20, so I think that was a big influence.” With her dad as her coach and so many role models to follow, there’s no doubt that her love of soccer took root early on. However, figuring out that soccer is something you want to pursue, like
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any sport, isn’t easy. The commitment that athletes need to pursue collegeand university-level careers is tough, but it often starts long before they choose a school. For Zacharuk, ascending through the levels of the sport brought the realization that a post-secondary career could be a reality. “There’s different levels of U-soccer,” Zacharuk explains. “There was BCSPL (British Columbia Soccer Premier League) and that’s the highest level. When that first was introduced I stayed at Metro and I knew I could play BCSPL, but it was just a matter of where. So, instead of leaving my little hometown of North Delta I just stayed there and played Metro. Then I went to a different program, TSS [a private soccer academy].” Then, UFV entered the frame when Rob Giesbrecht, the head coach of Cascades women’s soccer, saw Zacharuk’s highlight reel. “Rob contacted me, asking me to come out for a visit and that’s that,” Zacharuk said. Zacharuk knew that UFV was small, but saw it as a good thing. According to Zacharuk, going to a lesser known school can yield different benefits
than the recognition and prestige that can come with joining other, larger programs. “I had never heard of UFV, ever,” Zacharuk said. “You always hear [about] the big schools like UBC, SFU, Kwantlen is not too far from my house, Douglas. So, you know the key ones, and then, UFV, I didn’t even look into it. When Rob contacted me, I knew it was out in Abbotsford somewhere and I was like ‘Oh! This could be interesting. Sure!’” For some newcomers, UFV seems large and overwhelming, but they may be surprised to find that others get the opposite impression. “First impression was, it was super small,” Zacharuk said. “But, I like that idea because sometimes, being in bigger crowds and stuff, I get anxious and I feel like I thrive in a smaller environment.” Zacharuk’s positive outlook doesn’t only extend to the soccer program, but also the classes and the school itself. “I like the appeal of the classrooms; [that] was a big thing for me. The soccer team itself seemed like a good fit for me, and I got along with Rob really well,” Zacharuk said.
Game/Date: UFV Versus University of Winnipeg Saturday, Sept. 14 Result: Win (3-0)
Zacharuk also found a home in her academic life, in the arts. “My first year, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” Zacharuk said, echoing a common experience for many new students. “I took political science, sociology, psychology, which did not go well. I took astronomy which I thought was really cool, but I ended up [in] my second year, I was like, ‘You know what? I enjoyed history in high school, so I’m going to go with that.’ Then I could be a teacher, because I coach a lot and I think that connects to teaching very well.” With a major in history and a minor in geography, Zacharuk says soccer and her aspirations of coaching have ultimately helped her discover teaching as a career path. “I think [playing] soccer and transitioning into coaching has shaped what I wanted to do: to be a teacher.”
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Men’s Soccer//
The Cascades go 1-1 at home After two games at home over the weekend the Cascades are at a record of 2-3-3
Brady Weir. Abbotsford, BC. Sept. 15, 2019. (UFV Athletics)
NIC JACKSON Heading into the weekend the UFV’s men’s soccer team held a record of 1-2-3 and sat in fifth place in the Canada West Pacific standings. This weekend saw the Cascades host the Calgary Dinos on Friday, Sept. 13, and the Mount Royal Cougars on Sunday, Sept. 15. On Friday, the Cascades took a deficit early on. Only 20 seconds in Dinos player Eryk Kobza was able to open the scoring. This goal came when Kobza shot the ball from over 18 yards out on the right side, hitting the top right corner of the net. With the quick goal by the Dinos, the Cascades refused to let one goal deflate them. Although it took over 20 minutes for the Cascades to answer, Atle Koellmel did just that. After the ball was passed from Trevor Zanatta, Koellmel was left with the ball, and no defenders around him. For his second career goal, Koellmel struck the ball, aiming for the bottom left corner of the net. After the first half of regulation the score stood at 1-1. Unlike the first half, the Cascades opened up the scoring early into play. With just over six minutes into the half, Nawaf Binsaleh was able to grab his first goal of the season. This goal came when Binsaleh was awarded a penalty kick. Although Binsaleh’s goal saw the Cascades take the lead, this advantage would not stand for long. Only four minutes after the Cascades’ second goal, Sam Gagne of the Dinos was able to score off a rebounded penalty kick. Once the score was tied, the Dinos remained on the pressure. With the ball bouncing in the
air in front of the net, Kobza was able to grab his second of the night with a header past the Cascades’ goaltender, Ethan Duggan. With Kobza’s second goal, the Dinos would go on to defeat the Cascades 3-2. While the Cascades ultimately came out of Friday night with a loss, Duggan left facing 17 shots. With 10 of the 17 hitting the net, he was able to make seven saves. Despite losing Friday’s game, the Cascades came back to Matsqui Rec Centre on Sunday determined to best the Mount Royal Cougars. Although the game was scoreless after half, both teams were determined to find the net. The first half of play saw the Cascades and the Cougars take five and four shots, respectively. After 32 minutes of play in the second half, one of the teams was finally able to find the back of the net. The goal came when Cascades’ Gurmaan Jhaj received a pass from the left side of centre field. On the run, Jhaj was able to break away from the opposing team, setting himself up for a one-on-one with the goalie. With no time to make a move, Jhaj shot the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. Although the Cougars would take more shots than the Cascades in the second half, they were unable to beat Cascade goaltender, Duggan. With Jhaj’s goal in the second half and Duggan’s shutout, the Cascades were able to win the second game of the weekend, 1-0. With the Cascades grabbing one win and one loss this weekend at home, the team will be heading back on the road. The Cascades will be hosted by the Lethbridge Horns on Sept. 21, and the UBCO Heat on Sept. 28.
Women’s Soccer //
Strong home opening weekend for the Cascades
UFV’s women’s soccer team capitalized at home with a weekend record of 2-0 NIC JACKSON After a two-game road trip, The UFV women’s soccer team headed home for back-toback games. Before starting the weekend, the UFV’s women’s soccer team sat at a record of 0-1-1. Although the team was unable to grab a win in their first two games of the season, the Cascades were determined to capitalize on home soil. The first of the two games saw the Cascades host the University of Manitoba Bisons on Friday at Matsqui Recreation Centre. The game started at 5:30 p.m.; however, it wasn’t long after that the first goal was scored by the Cascades’ opponents. With just over five minutes of play, Jessica Tsai entered the offensive zone with the ball. With no Cascade players around, Tsai lobbed the ball just enough to beat Cascades’ goaltender Joven Sandhu’s diving effort. Although the Cascades started off the game behind, the team answered with three goals of their own during the first half of play. The first came when Bryana Buttar was able to find the ball close to the Bison’s net, after a scramble, and shot the ball low at the far corner. After Buttar tied up the game, it took 13 minutes for the Cascades to take the lead. This time it was Cascades’ Katie Lampen scoring off a pass from the corner on the field. After the Bisons’ goaltender, Karina Bagi, made a diving attempt to intercept the pass, Lampen was left with the ball alone in front of the net. As the ball bounced into the air, Lampen directed the ball into the net with her waist. The third goal came less than five minutes later when Brittney Zacharuk was afforded a free kick from the
right side. Once Zacharuk struck the ball, Tavia Jasper was able to track it perfectly. Right before the ball hit the ground, Jasper lunged forward and deflected it into the net. Heading into the second half, the Cascades held the lead 3-1. The Cascade’s last goal of the game was delivered by Simi Lehal. After receiving a pass from Kailyn Halvorson, Lehal tapped the ball past the Bison’s goalkeeper. With a score of 4-1 for the Cascades, UFV’s women’s soccer team was able to obtain their first win of the season at home. Three of the four goals scored by the Cascades in Friday night’s game were scored by players who had yet to score this season. Lehal, Lampen, and Jasper all were able to get their first points of 2019. Buttar’s goal, however, marked her second point of the season. Following their first win on Friday, the Cascades hosted the University of Winnipeg’s Wesmen the next day. In this game, the Cascades were able to capitalize on three of their shots. Starting out the scoring again was Buttar, for her third of the season, followed by Zacharuk’s back-to-back goals. With a dominating effort, the Cascades were able to keep the Wesmen to only one shot on goal, which Andrea Perkovic was able to stop. After the full 90 minutes of play, the Cascades left with their second win of the weekend with a score of 3-0. After a short homestead, the Cascades are headed out to Alberta for two away games next weekend. On Saturday, Sept. 21 the Cascades will be hosted by MacEwen University, while the following day will see the Cascades face off against the University of Alberta.
Tripat Sandhu. Abbotsford, BC. Sept. 14, 2019. (UFV Athletics)
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STUDY BREAK Crossword //
VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
Made by Andrea Sadowski ACROSS
DOWN
6: The lesson of a story that is supposed to teach you how to be a better person.
1: An exercise in which you jump a lot.
7: Bowls of cooked oatmeal.
3: The way freshmen look _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and bushy-tailed at the beginning of a semester.
9: A dream that could contain people chasing after you, trying to murder you. 10: The loss of full control of bodily movements.
2: Mary, the former prostitute, friend of Jesus.
4: The colourless fluid part of blood. 5: A completely exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally. 8: The type of property you pay month-to-month for.
LAST ISSUE’S
ANSWERS: Across: 3: Okay 5: Outrage 6: Bro 9: Odourless 10: Toe 11: Obi 12: Panicking 13: Eat 14: Lacking 15: Anoa
Down: 1: Monopolist 2: Intersection 4: Anthropology 6: Bathing Cap 7: On Edge 8: Go Home
Cascade Calamities
Horoscopes //
Illustration by Elyssa English Your weekly life predictions as told by Ang the Great
Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 It’s time to have that tough talk with your friend. You know the one you’ve been dreading? The one that seems like it could be really awkward, but also extremely necessary for that friend’s well-being. Take some deep breaths, invite them to go for a walk, and have a talk. It’s time. Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Get off Instagram this week! Find something else to do with your time during class breaks or while waiting for the shuttle. Get out of the comparison trap and start appreciating all that is around you.
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Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 When is the last time you had a great, big, deep belly laugh? This week, do something that will cause you to have that infectious kind of laugh that shakes all the tension out of your body. You need it. Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Are you already feeling the stress of the course-load you took on this semester, with that stack of fresh syllabuses and pile of used textbooks sitting on your desk? Just remember this week when things start to feel overwhelming: it seems like a lot of reading, assignments, and projects now, but it will all get done, and you will do great!
Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 It’s time for you to be bold! Make an appointment to try a brave new hair colour, or maybe even bangs, buy those funky pants you tried on in the store that made your butt look out of this world, or do the most daring thing of all and tell that person that you love them. Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Encourage others this week. Thank your barista at the Fairgrounds for making you an awesome latte, or tell your classmate that her coat looks fabulous on her. Send out good vibes and make every person you come in contact with this week happier after they have been in your presence.
Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 You will connect deeply with someone you do a group project with this semester, and you guys will ace the damn thing! Just remember to keep each other accountable for due dates and responsibilities, and go out for drinks after the project is finished.
Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 It’s time for you to make some new friends. Lucky for you, with dozens of clubs on campus it should be easy to find your people. You should definitely hit up U-Join to see what UFV has to offer, and aim to sign up for at least one club, not just take loads of free pens!
Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 With the moon in Aquarius this month it will be difficult to maintain composure when you just want to give people a piece of your mind. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar, so be sweet as honey this week to people who are determined to harsh your buzz.
Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 Take advantage of the “fresh-start” feeling that September gives and take another stab at those long-lost resolutions you have yet to complete, yet can’t shake out of your mind. If one of your resolutions involves writing more, The Cascade is always looking for new contributors!
Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Be kind to people this week, dear Scorpio. You may need to show more patience and loyalty than you normally do. When it feels like people are testing your patience beyond limits, remember that everyone is fighting their own battle that you can’t see, and be compassionate towards that.
Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Ah, compassionate, creative Pisces. Do not fret now that the days are getting colder, and the nights are coming faster. Embrace all the beauty autumn has to offer and get excited to stomp on some crisp, orange leaves on your walk to the bus stop.
arts@ufvcascade.ca Chandy Dancey — Arts Editor
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Music //
Bidding farewell to experimental lo-fi artist, Daniel Johnston DARIEN JOHNSEN Experimental, low-fi artist Daniel Johnston passed away last week. His music was a deep exploration of self, the dark side of life, quirky characters, and just downright silly stories. Johnston was most active throughout the 1980s and ‘90s but progressed into the 2000s as well. He struggled with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was never overly popular in the mainstream, but rather was more well-known in the underground scene. Johnston was best known for his talk-singing folk songs often recorded out of his own home. Most of his songs are compilations of him playing either warm or frantic piano chomps (often jumping both in the same track), random sounds that come from who -k nowswhat, phone and out-ofcontext conversations, and family arguments (including recordings of his mother yelling at him). W h a t ’ s most touching about his music is the rawness in his sound and the deeply personal lyrics. I couldn’t really choose what album to review in response to his passing, so I thought a celebration of all his works would be most suitable. There’s a clear progression throughout his music over the years, but it always retained a strong dichotomy of light and dark. When Johnston was on the upswing so was his music. He was a man full of love and compassion, heavy with feeling, often contemplative of God, and aware of the world around him. His early albums consisted mostly of piano and low-quality recordings, but as he aged, he began incorporating drums, horns, keyboard, guitar, violin, and other string instruments, and the quality of production
improved (as much as it can for low-fi). Johnston, even as he aged, always had a distinct sound to his voice. He never sold out, became truly mainstream, or altered his sound to accommodate listeners. He was Daniel Johnston, straight through to the end. Most of his music explores concepts of love, self-loathing, and never quite living up to expectations, portrayed well in the lyrics of “My Yoke is Heavy”: “Somewhat disturbing is the sound of birds singing / When you know you don't deserve it.” Johnston’s songs often feature themes of longing as can be seen in “An Idiot’s End”: “I could catch her standing naked / I could catch her cold / I could catch her breath and bottle it / But I could never catch her off guard.” Johnston still held on to a strong sense of humour, though, shining through in tracks such as “Walking the Cow,” “The Goat Show,” and “Harley Man,” but these songs always carried something heavier beneath the surface, even when they made you laugh or smile. The albums “Songs of Pain” and “Don’t Be Scared” are sadder, while “Hi, How Are You” is more fun, energetic, and quirky. Whatever the mood, Johnston’s music will always be a timeless classic worth revisiting. It’s relatable because of its imperfection, because he lost tempo occasionally, because his singing wasn’t in tune, because there was minimal production and fine-tuning involved, because it was purely him. His music might make you sad, but if you like sad music it may be for you. I only hope that Johnston was able to experience a bit of happiness before his life on this earth ended; he deserved it. Rest in peace, sweet, sad boy. We love you.
ARTS
Movie //
Blinded by the Light: Finding your first passion
KAREN WHITE Inspired by a true story, Blinded by the Light is a coming-of-age story that is fueled by the music of Bruce Springsteen. Any fan of Springsteen’s will find so much to enjoy about this film. The director, Gurinder Chadha, known for Bend It Like Beckham, has created a cheerful, uplifting film experience. The movie is more than just a coming-ofage story; it dives into topics such as racism, sexism, class, and cultural divides. The film is set in the United Kingdom during the 1980s, a few years after Springsteen had received critical acclaim. Viveik Kalra plays the main character, Javed. As a new actor, Kalra does a remarkable job in the film. He is able to genuinely show his emotions and his passion, making the audience share his character’s connection to the music. Kalra plays a shy teen who has a passion for writing. His family is run by his domineering father, portrayed by Kulvinder Ghir. Javed’s father wants him to go to college for something practical like economics, but instead Javed secretly enrolls himself into English so he can continue to follow his love of writing. At school he meets Roops, played by Aaron Phagura, who introduces Javed to Sprinsteen’s music. They instantly become friends over their shared passion of music. We get to see when Javed plays Springsteen’s
music and is immediately connected to it. The lyrics are literally typed out and become part of the background, which allows the audience to see how the lyrics mean something to him in different scenes. While popping a cassette into his portable player Javed says, “It’s like Bruce knows everything I’ve ever felt.” Blinded by the Light is about that first time that you felt so deeply and utterly connected to something. Like that first time you relate to song's lyrics and just play that song over and over again. Springsteen’s music helps Javed realize his potential, and it helps bridge a gap that was between Javed and his father. The music aids Javed in communicating how he really feels about his life. He doesn’t like that his father is making all his decisions for him; he doesn’t like where his life is headed. Once Javed is engulfed in the music it gives him the push that he needed to voice his feelings to his father. The film has a couple moments where it almost turns into a full-on musical. Those moments are the only scenes that feel out of place, almost like Chadha is really trying to reach out to the Springsteen fans, which isn’t a bad thing; the scenes are just over-exaggerated and over-hyped. At times, the film feels slow. Blinded by the Light has a great message about the importance of one’s identity, but it takes a long time to get there.
Chadha does an incredible job of creating a joyful film that also encompasses realistic depictions of racism. There are several moments in which Javed’s family witnesses racism towards other Pakistani families in his neighbourhood. In one scene Javed watches in horror as local kids pee through the mail slot of another Pakistani family's house. Even worse is when we see the depiction of Britian’s fascist National Front movement, marching through the town as an organized neo-Nazi group. The film is set in the late 1980s when Britain was suffering a recession. At the time Luton, which is the town the film takes place in, was under siege by the racist National Front party. Luton had a mostly Asian population and one of the highest number of Muslims in the country. Chadha is able to maintain the feelgood tone of the movie while acknowledging the terrible racial elements of the time. Overall, Blinded by the Light is a cheerful ride that makes it hard to remember the flaws. The movie covers hard topics like racism and cultural divides, because those were important matters during the time in which the film took place and that still matter today. Mixing together the serious elements with Springsteen’s music, the film carries a meaningful message that will have you walking away from the theatre with a smile.
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VOL. 27 // ISSUE 18
Q&A //
CHARTS 1 Ada Lea
what we say in private
2 Becky Ninkovic Woe
3 Necking
Cut Your Teeth
4
Snackland Anyway, Wizard Time
Ivan Neil 5 David What Is Love Spoon 6 Rae Mental Health
7 Jom Comyn 8
Crawl Mr. Merlot City Sex Vol. 2
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Bridal Party Too Much
First Reign harvests their way back onto the scene
SHUFFLE
A discussion with Abby melodic death metal band, First Reign
AARON LEVY FLAME BROILED
CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy was SHOCKED and exuberant to discover that NCRC36 in Abbotsford headliner Haviah Mighty of the Flower City, Brampton, Ontario, is the champion of the 2019 Polaris Prize, beating out some incredible competition, some of whom will be touched on below!
Haviah Love”
Mighty
-
“My
With a verse whose lyrics are so resonant with not only me but so many artistically inclined individuals: "Music is the reason that I ever spoke / There's a lot of feelings it evokes / Music is the dream treating me a free but ironically music is the reason that I wrote." Shad - “The Revolution/ The Establishment”
Mountain 10 Black Destroyer
11 12
… is complying with city bylaws and minimizing innocent lives lost from my bosses both King Gizzard & The at home and abroad. For inLizard Wizard stance, drones with a bomb can resolve conflicts all while Infest The Rats' Nest limiting high cost, so why not? All businesses strive to Orville Peck expand; wars just provide us Pony a chance to supply a demand. Lina Tullgren
13 Free Cell
PUP - “DVP”
You'd think the PUP album would be the one I really 14 Mauno Really Well wanted to win — I may or may not humblebrag regularly King Bee and the Sting- about a personal connection 15 ers with a band member who may or may not remember me Meet Me in Memphis or otherwise want to communicate either, but regardless, it Rich Aucoin 16 Release just isn't my favourite. Diplomats 17 Foreign Monami
18 Fiuran Faoinsgeulan 19 Lisel
Angels On The Slope
20 Purple Mountains Purple Mountains
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Fucked Up - “Son the Father” Finally, to commemorate and celebrate the start of The Cascade’s new retro rewind column, please enjoy this standout track from the 2009 Polaris Prize winner, whose live show I've seen twice and not once recognized a single song: the inimitable and Earth-shaking Toronto megaliths, Fucked Up.”
We missed playing live for fans. We missed playing fast. We took a four-year detour Self-described as “hailing from writing slow, melodic, heavy the frozen north of Canada,” Ab- music, and while it taught us botsford melodic death metal band, a lot about songwriting it ultiFirst Reign, has made a reappear- mately wasn't fulfilling, and we ance with some new music and are decided to get First Reign back back on the scene after a five-year online.. hiatus. They’ve brought with them some changes to line-up and sound. What changes have you For many Abby metalheads, this brought as you approach the band is a staple and a pleasure to project again? have back. A healthy mix of technical and melodic, First Reign presWe now approach songwritents a sound that’s heavy, catchy, ing differently as we have a stuand captivating. I spoke to the band dio at our disposal, and we try via email to talk about their new to do more with less while still music, new sound, and the progres- playing fast and heavy. sion of the Abbotsford music scene over the years. You released a new single last year, “Endless Facade,” Give me a brief overview on the first one since 2014. What your history. How did you first brought this about? form and what were your intentions or purpose with the We had the skeleton of this music? song written before we initially took a break, and so it was natu[We] formed in late 2004 ral to revisit it as a reason to get through a combination of posts back together and start writing on SHzine and a hand-written again. poster at Classic Rhythm. The five of us started practicing to- I'm interested in what the gether in a barn on the flats, and meaning behind your new our sole intention was to write song is. What's the message music with as many riffs as pos- behind the lyrics "No one is sible in a single song. Our sound blessed"? Is that a possible nod has always been described as or goodbye to previous spirimelodic death / thrash — on tual themes, or is it a revival/ the progressive side. The lyrics critique? always had a positive and spiritual leaning, written by Dallas We all believe in different Erickson, our original vocalist, things. The word blessed is because… Abbotsford, the land just thrown around so much of a million churches. A few al- regarding trivial matters that bums later and a split with Dallas in 2014, and we more or less grew out of that. Ryan did backing vocals with Dallas, so it was natural to try and attempt lead vocals, and we think it worked out OK.
DARIEN JOHNSEN
So, would you still describe yourself as spiritual and positive? What would you say your current intentions are? We're alive and breathing. That's all we know for sure. These days I think we'd rather leave existential thoughts and spirituality to philosophers. We still like the idea of positivity; life is a mess of good and bad times. We try to enjoy as much of it as we can. First Reign disappeared from the music scene for a while. What made you guys want to jump back in?
it doesn't even mean anything. If you are #blessed because you look good and enjoy fancy shit, then what of the people/kids who die without enjoying any of the good that life has to offer? Would they be #cursed? You’ve been doing a lot of new music teasing. Will you be releasing another album soon? Most likely a new EP, but yes, definitely new music. It's all written. It's all recorded. We need to find a promotional channel to boost the release so people actually hear the new material. You guys have been around for a while. How have you seen the music scene change in Abbotsford over the years? What’s your take on it now? We've definitely seen it go through many phases — punk, indie, dance-rock, metal — and then all the venues got shut down, and it's gone more to house shows and obviously lots of singer-songwriters. I think there's a lot of new blood and big talent in Abbotsford; [we’re] looking forward to seeing the new artists that emerge. We need more venues, and we need more all-age shows. If you want to check out First Reign, they’ll be playing at Replay Boardshop this Saturday, Sept. 21 with Trollband, Cyclopsis, and Edith.
ARTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019
Video Game //
Atomicrops enters its salad days, and it’s delicious
CHANDY DANCEY Atomicrops, released by Bird Bath Games, is a new farm simulator that combines the rustic charm of farm life with the intensity of nuclear warfare. It’s only been available to play since Sept. 5, but it’s already been referred to as the love child of popular games such as Stardew Valley, Fallout, and Nuclear Throne. The player’s goal is to grow mutant vegetables on the last remaining farm in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. By day, seeds must be foraged from surrounding biomes where the wildlife isn’t afraid to fight back, and by night crops have to be defended from pests that aim to ravage them. The game is currently in early access, meaning that a playable but unfinished version can be bought, allowing developers to receive feedback, funding, and time to fix bugs. For what it is though, Atomicrops is an incredibly charming game with a lot of potential that’ll give even seasoned gamers a challenge with its easy to pick up, difficult to master playing experience. Atomicrops draws from different genres, representing them well with only mild frustration in terms of the learning curve, and anyone drawn to role-playing games, shooters, or strategy games will find something to love about it. The controls are simple: left click to shoot and right click to do anything farm related. There are few instructions given beyond that. This can leave some new farmers in the dark since a string of text might pop up to describe what to do with an object, but you won’t have time to read it amongst the fast-paced gameplay. This makes learning the game a slippery slope. Atomicrops also offers a fair challenge, both as a shooter and as a roguelite game — a term meaning if your character dies, your progress is reset. Crucial to future updates will be the ability to close the game and continue your run later, instead of having it reset, as it’s currently unavailable. There’s progression in the game as seasons change and new enemies are introduced. Time goes by quickly, and the pace at which the difficulty goes from easy to
stressful is swift. However, this only makes the game more addicting since it’ll only be 10-20 minutes before you die at the hands of deformed slugs and want to have another go. At times, the onslaught of enemy attacks even borders on bullet hell-esque, a shooter game subgenre where the entire screen is filled with projectiles to dodge. One of the strongest points of Atomicrops is that it greets players with stunning pixel art that oozes bright, saturated colours and gives the game its cartoonish feel. It uses this art to push its aesthetic over the top. For instance, mutant vegetables on your farm will grow to have faces that giggle and grin when they’re harvested. The design of the game is also particularly well done in regards to the human characters. There are currently only two marriageable candidates available, but the design of each does a great job of allowing players to immediately get a feel for their personality through their expression and colour palette. Rue, for example, has a dark purple colour scheme, horns, and can be seen in town performing a ritual involving a pentacle and a mutant carrot. Clearly, she’s wife material. The music goes hand-in-hand with the visuals to sell the game’s goofy but endearing atmosphere. It’s both chaotic and upbeat, offering an amalgamation of horns, bells, whistles, and cheery humming, giving the idea that the post-apocalyptic musicians picked up whatever instruments they could find. Joonas Turner, the sound designer, also has a great video on YouTube demonstrating how he makes the sound effects in the game. Many of them end up being mouth sounds overlaid with action sounds that gives activities like tilling the soil of your farm a squishy and surreal feel. Atomicrops manages to mix and match genres to produce an eye-catching farm simulator that keeps you coming back for more with its fast-paced combat and visual charm. Nabbing it while it’s in early access is wise for those interested, since it ensures you’ll get a copy of the finished product but have a chance to play the game right now. It might not be the cream of the crop yet, but Atomicrops is planting the seeds for a great game in the making.
Rewind //
#Rewind: 1990’s It floats further away from the remake
REMINGTON FIORASO It has been 29 years since Stephen King’s It first made an appearance on television screens in a made-for-TV special that aired on ABC. Since then, the series has been rebooted with a theatrical release of It: Chapter One (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019). The question arises of whether the original miniseries stands its ground, or if it will float away and be forgotten in time, overtaken by the remakes. The 1990 It miniseries is essentially one movie, but was broadcast in two parts to cut down the threehour flick for the televised release. The movie begins with the character Mike calling the "Losers" as adults, informing them that Pennywise the Dancing Clown has returned, which triggers flashbacks of their childhood encounters with the clown. The characters spend half of the movie trying to progress the slow storyline and their experiences before reuniting in Derry, Maine for the second half of the movie. Having two parts could have been effective if they sped up the storytelling, used the gap between movies to reflect the age gap of the characters, or simply expanded the storyline by producing more than two episodes. However, 1990s It seemed to just drag on. The 2017/19 version avoids this by separating the parts based on the ages by the characters. The characters in the original — as children or adults — don't have the same likeability as those in the recent remake. When the child protagonists, Bill and Georgie, interact, the older brother Bill is angrier and more annoyed about his brother's presence.
When Bill talks about Georgie's disappearance later, there is no real sadness or remorse. Because of this lack of sympathy, I actually wanted Bill to be taken by Pennywise. The standout performance from the 1990s It was Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise. Pennywise has a more friendly and playful appearance than the new adaptation, building on the notion that clowns are for children. Yet, Curry is able to be creepy and be feared. For example, when Richie (as an adult) waits in the library, Pennywise is waiting with him and offers him a balloon. However, a lot of balloons appear, covering the ceiling. A couple of balloons burst, revealing them to be filled with blood. Pennywise follows up by cracking jokes — just like a regular clown. I can understand if more cases of coulrophobia (the fear of clowns) arise from this film, as it’s difficult to see them in the same way after watching. Regarding the effects of the movie, it is kind of obvious that it was a made-for-TV production. The effects are subpar when comparing it to other films and are not scary in terms of what we expect in 2019. However, it is impressive knowing that real effects were used instead of relying on CGI. When deciding to watch the original It, I had high expectations that left me with disappointment and a desire to rewatch the new flicks. I am glad they remade It, as the ‘90s flick does not do justice to the source material by Stephen King. I love the creepiness, effects, and storytelling of the emergence of Pennywise when the Losers are children, his reemergence 27 years later when the Losers are adults, and the subsequent defeat of Pennywise.
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At the Cascade Journalism Society’s
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH
4:00PM in s2111 WE WILL BE ELECTING OUR 2019/2020 BOARD MEMBERS All students who have paid their fees by the beginning of the AGM are members in good standing of the Cascade Journalism Society and are invited to nominate or run for board positions (or just to vote and eat).
UFV’s student press since 1993
WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA