Issuu

FEBRUARY 21 TO FEBRUARY 28, 2018

VOLUME 26 ISSUE 6

Misinterpreting the heavens since 1993

Pg. 8–9 eed.”

l be

“Today wil

SUS EGM Quorum was met. Votes were cast.

succ l l i w I y a d . To a good day

Creative Writing First edition of the Creative Writing Club’s column.

Nicole Jasper She’s a Vancouverite, and has a new album.

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Editorial // STAFF Editor-in-Chief Joel Robertson-Taylor joel@ufvcascade.ca Business Manager Quintin Stamler quintin@ufvcascade.ca Production Manager Caleb Campbell caleb@ufvcascade.ca Production Assistant Renée Campbell renee@ufvcascade.ca Copy Editor Cat Friesen cat@ufvcascade.ca Illustrator Amara Gelaude amara@ufvcascade.ca Online Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Distributor Alena Zheng distributor@ufvcascade.ca

Managing Editor Kat Marusiak kat@ufvcascade.ca News Editor Jessica Barclay jessica@ufvcascade.ca

Remind me where this genre came from?

Opinion Editor Jeff Mijo jeff@ufvcascade.ca Feature Editor Laurel Logan laurel@ufvcascade.ca Culture & Events Editor Cassie de Jong cassie@ufvcascade.ca Arts in Review Editor Martin Castro martin@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Aleister Gwynne aleister@ufvcascade.ca Staff Writer Jennifer Klassen jen@ufvcascade.ca

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS Trevor Reid Simran Kaur Aulakh Janice Lang Cover: Caleb Campbell / Renée Campbell Back Cover: Caleb Campbell / Joel Robertson-Taylor

WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA

@UFVCASCADE FACEBOOK.COM/UFVCASCADE INSTAGRAM.COM/THE.CASCADE Volume 26 · Issue 6 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 second Monday at 2:30 p.m. in The Cascade’s office on the Abbotsford campus. In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief, copy editor, and corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 400 words. As The Cascade is an autonomous student publication, opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, The Cascade’s staff and collective, or associated members.

JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hot brass spills into the street. It’s funky, groovy — I groove along, following its lead out of the club and onto the street where a crowd, seduced by the blue light from the Blue Nile, gather like moths sobering on nicotine. They un-sober with praise for loose open liquor laws: beer-to-go. Leaving the Nile, I parade next door. The funk was just right, but somewhere there’s jazz. I hear it, it beckons. As it does for a conga line of scenesters and tourists. I wait behind them with a pleased and in-no-rush expression plastered across my — marked by sun-kissed pink cheeks — jolly face. I laud the last several days of 10 degrees nearer to direct sunlight — my pale body a vitamin D collector running on low. Nighttime now, and I’m still buzzing off Mr. Golden Sun. The line shifts. The line shifts again. Just one more ID to check. “I can’t let you in,” the bouncer tells the monsieur ahead of me. “Huh?” he responds. I was thinking the same thing. He’s clearly over 30. “Your ID is damaged. Bent. It’s no good.” What are you talking about? Blue light ain’t great, and my eyes are a bit fatigued, but that ID looks like an ID to me. “What you talkin ‘bout? This my license.” “Bent. Can’t let you in. Just a moment, sir.” Bouncer man looks at me with a dutiful expression and nods

apologetically. Ain't no thang. The jazz is silk and I’m treading at a pace that matches its cool. “Tight,” I yell back, peering over the monsieur's dreadlock-laden shoulders, still curious about what the bouncer sees that my music-loving friend and I miss. “You can’t let me in? That’s wrong.” I tend to agree. The monsieur shifts side to side, looks around, looks at me, looks back at the bouncer. “A damaged ID isn’t valid.” He’s not much of a communicator, I think to myself. I hand him my B.C. driver’s license. Then it dawned on me. “Alright, if he’s not going in, neither am I,” I say. “Your ID is fine, sir.” The brother in front is a brother, a not so clean looking one at that. I look over, and he’s now on his phone. He lights a cigarette. I wonder who he’s calling. He looks at me, but I break eye contact to check him out. Old shoes, ripped jeans, faded True Religion t-shirt. I wonder if its my polished boots and collared shirt that makes me better club patron material, or something else. “You want in?” “No. Not my kind of club.” I turn back to the street. The celebration misses no beat. The same old song and dance on repeat. Later, I’d read an article in The Walrus titled “How Racism Affects Your Health” by Dr. Mojola Omole, who’s

a surgical oncologist who’s worked in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa. In it, Omole discusses the relationship between health and being a non-white individual. She references — among other studies — a 2017 meta-analysis of 16 studies that measured the physiological effects of discrimination. The analysis found evidence of an association between racism and an increase in cortisol output, which can lead to weight gain and a weakened immune system. She went on to list multiple studies that suggest similar ends. According to Omole the research in links between oppressive structures and health is still in its infancy. Regardless, research has found a gap between the quality of health in visible minorities and white Americans. We were just trying to listen to music. Neither of us were thinking about health. But the article made me reflect on the the bigger picture. I’m still wondering if it was my black boots or white skin that made my ID look not bent. Either way, “[d]iscrimination, as one U.S. researcher has hypothesized, is a “social toxin” that may be sickening and, ultimately, killing people,” Omole wrote.

NEWS

Jessica Barclay — News Editor news@ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Student Union EGM //

NEWS BRIEFS

Public art to adorn pedestrian/ cycling overpass Salton Road overpass is looking for a new art project. The overpass itself is a way for pedestrians and bicyclists to travel over Highway 1 from Marshall Road to King Road. The City of Abbotsford is looking through new proposals for the piece and is taking propositions from professional artists and artist teams. The budget for the artwork will be $57,000 and should be completed this August. The entire bridge project is estimated to be complete September of this year. - The Abbotsford News

Liberals write off $200 million in outstanding student loans The federal government is writing off a substantial amount of student loan debt. Over $200 million will be written off. In the last four years, the government has thrice written off large amounts of money that is uncollectable due to missing debtors, surpassing the six-year limit, or debtors filing bankruptcy. On average, Canadian students take between nine and 15 years to pay off loans, and the government is attempting to make it easier for students to pay them back. Many student groups are asking the Liberal government to make higher education more affordable overall. - Global News

Second attempt at Student Union Society EGM met with success Quorum was reached at the most recent EGM, allowing for the meeting to move forward JESSICA BARCLAY & JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR NEWS EDITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A major change of pace emerged at the Student Union Society’s (SUS) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) second attempt on Feb. 8. Over 110 students gathered in the Student Union Building (SUB) Great Hall to vote on changes to SUS bylaws, the SUS elections policy, and the now nearly over 2017/18 budget. The first attempt was adjourned because quorum — one per cent of the membership, set at 98 students — was not reached; less than 15 students attended. SUS bylaws require a second attempt to be held at the same time and place the following week, but with fifty per cent of quorum, which was set at 49. During question period, several students voiced concerns unrelated to the EGM agenda, and cited the SUS advertising campaign as being misleading, as it positioned the EGM as an opportunity for students to raise any concerns they have with SUS governance and affairs. Some issues raised include the shuttle bus schedule, and SUS advertisements in student study space. Quorum was maintained for three hours before the number of members trickled below 49. Before quorum was lost, the bylaw and elections policy changes were voted on and approved. Some of the proposed bylaw changes were revised by members attending the EGM before a vote of approval was cast. The meeting lost quorum before the budget proposal could be voted on, although the budget was still presented for members in attendance. Bylaws passed One of the changes to the bylaws, 20.2.4, gives annual budget approval to the SUS board of directors, instead of requiring membership approval at a general meeting. Now that the bylaw changes have taken affect, the SUS does not need membership approval of the budget. Gurvir Gill, SUS president, said the reason for this change was to ensure that there would be an approved budget for each year, and to allow changes to the operations aspect of the budget to be made at the discretion of elected representatives. Fixed fees would not be changed in this manner. “The general student body elects students to represent themselves,” Gill said

Lots of students attending the EGM second attempt. Feb. 8, 2018. (The Cascade)

to the membership. “It's unfair for those students to, say, be in my shoes right now, without an operations budget. I couldn’t execute things that I wanted to do this year.” One of the suggested bylaw amendments that proved to be in contention among students in attendance was to increase the amount of votes needed to call a referendum from one per cent to five per cent of the total SUS membership. With current numbers, that would be an increase from 98 to approximately 490 students. A vote was held to keep the referendum number at one per cent. Jaleen MacKay, SUS vice-president internal, said the reason for the proposed change was that there must be a five per cent voter turnout for a referendum to be valid. This change would have made both the number of petition signatures and voter turnout thresholds the same. However, petitioning to call a referendum, and voting in the referendum are different tasks. MacKay added that this number was suggested by the previous SUS executive.

lot under its belt,” Gill said. The VP external will continue in the role of on and off campus advocacy, including dealing with MLAs and MPs, and attending conferences. The VP students will take over the responsibility of student engagement, orientation, events, and volunteerism. Election policy The election policy changes passed with no major discussion. The transition period for new officials was changed to the last month of April, instead of the entire month, to prevent the interruption of student’s exams. The policy which allowed the chief electoral officers to chose the voting method was also removed, as voting is now done online through the UFV student portal. A student suggested an amendment to allow proxy voting for general meetings, though this was not voted on, as the amendment did not involve any of the bylaws being presented, and would therefore require 14 days notice to SUS members.

Vice-president students Another item in the bylaw changes involved the creation of a new executive position, vice-president students, which will divide the role of vice-president external between two individuals. “Previously, the external portfolio had a

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Student Union Budget //

Definite deficit with profits expected to come

Student union presents overdue budget at EGM JOEL ROBERTSON-TAYLOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The 2017/18 budget was presented after 10 months delay at the Student Union Society’s (SUS) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Feb. 8. For the 2017/18 fiscal year, the SUS predicts a $131,940 corporate surplus with an overall $15,826 deficit. The SUS has been operating without an approved budget since the previous fiscal year due to there not being enough adequate information for an accurate budget to be created back in March. The budget was presented by SUS executive director Mark Wellington.

“When I came here a year ago, the financial situation of SUS was extremely, to say the least, a wreck,” Wellington said at the EGM. “There was no finance manager, they left the executive without any financial help. The [previous] executive director left, so no help there either.” Because of the delay, this year’s budget included far more actual figures than projections. Each month up to and including November contains actual figures. Food and Beverage Over the last seven years, SUS food and beverage services accumulated a $762,755 deficit.

“When I came here, the reporting on the Canoe was in two categories: food and liquor,” Wellington said. The Canoe’s sales are projected to total $124,635, but will run a $88,297 deficit for this fiscal year. This is a decreased deficit from previous years. In 2016/17, the Canoe ran a deficit of $113,571.40, and in 2015/16, $79,500. Prior to that, the campus restaurant existed as Aftermath, located in E building. “This is virtually what happens at almost every single student union in the country,” Wellington explained. “I say that with extensive knowledge.” Wellington said this is typical of student unions due to the precarious nature

of the restaurant business. He also noted that campus restaurants face additional challenges to other restaurants. “52 weeks a year, you’re paying overhead. At best, there’s 28 to 30 prime operating weeks in a year, but that’s not exactly true. You start cutting out the long weekends, the holidays, you really only have 22 to 23 prime weeks that you may have an opportunity to make money — in 52 weeks of paying operations and overhead.” The Canoe runs with a 49 per cent cost of goods sold. Fairgrounds is expected to profit $46,700 this fiscal year. It notably runs with a more healthy 32.2 per cent cost of goods sold.

Professor Profile //

More to fish than just the slime Dr. Lucy Lee speaks on the cellular side of fish science

Dr. Lucy Lee presenting her research. (Dr. Lucy Lee)

JESSICA BARCLAY NEWS EDITOR

Dr. Lucy Lee is an invitromatest, a term coined by Lucy and her colleagues to describe the unique work they do growing cells in vitro. Lucy researches fish cell lines, a cell culture grown in a flask from a single cell that continues to grow seemingly indefinitely. The basic characteristics of these cells can then be analysed, or used in a variety of research applications, from toxicology to pharmacology. Throughout her 35 years in research,

Lucy has grown hundreds of unique cell lines that are now used worldwide. Her first cell line, created in 1983 — the rainbow trout liver cell line — is still used today as a standard for in vitro testing. Lucy started her career at UFV in 2012 as the Dean of Science. She will be returning to UFV this September after sabbatical/ administration leave, which she spent traveling the globe, giving workshops and presentations, and advancing her

research program. She presented her research Tuesday, Feb. 20 as part of the Faculty of Science Dean’s Seminar Series, where she discussed her past, present, and her thoughts on the future of invitroomics. What are you most proud of in your research career? The fact that I've created these cell lines. I've done easily hundreds of different cell lines of fish. People do basic research, and then they

find the applications later on. When I started, I loved looking at the cells, and I just wanted to see what we could do. But then, over the years, you see the applications. You see them in toxicology, you see them in medicine, you see them in fish farming, and everywhere. What made you start in this field? I lived in Peru, and I went to medical school there. But this is in the 1970s, and the country was in unrest. There were always strikes. In my third year of medicine, there was a countrywide strike. My dad didn't want me to stay in Peru, because the guerrillas were happening, and people were being robbed. So, I came to Canada. For medicine here, you had to have a few years in university. I went to Waterloo, the university my brother was going to. I took biology courses, which I figured I could use to apply for medicine. But in my third year there, I took a course in developmental biology, and the labs had hands on cell culture work. I loved it. I got to culture chicken embryos, and I was a geek. By the end, I’d cultured every part of this chicken embryo, and had heart cells beating in my flask. So that hooked me. I wanted to do more research with cell culture, and there was really only two people who were doing the research with cell cultures at the time. There was either one with fish, or one with chick embryos. But I didn't like the professor with the chick embryos, so I went with fish. I’ve seen you travel a lot with your work. What's the most interesting country you've ever been to? Well, actually I grew up in Peru, and I still

find that's the most interesting country. I go back almost every year, and there's always something new, and something interesting. It's an amazing country. They have everything. They have all kinds of biodiversity. Not only that, but their Inca culture and pre-Inca culture. There're ruins everywhere. You go dig in the soil somewhere, and you can find clay pieces. What are you working on right now? Right now, I have a new grant for a cell line that is nonexistent in fish: olfactory cells. There are no fish olfactory cells. To get to the cells, I get to chop off fish heads. How do you make fish cells grow in a flask? So that's the thing, many fish have what is called indeterminate growth. They keep growing, and growing, and growing. It’s unlike humans, who have a limit on how much we grow, unless we have cancer. In humans, there are two sets of genes that control how cells grow, a growth gene, and a “stop” gene. There must be a fine balance between the two genes in order for us to be normal. In fish, a lot of those that have indeterminate growth seem to have genes that work differently. So, they continue to proliferate, unlike ours, which will stop at a certain time. It’s an area we should be studying more, especially the expression of those certain genes, because it could give us insight into humans. There’s so many things that are interesting about fish. They’re not just slimy. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

OPINION

Jeff Mijo — Opinion Editor opinion@ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Anthemist //

The stance against changing “O Canada” One man’s bold stance against the quashing of traditions

The Canada flag. Tony Webster/Flickr)

JEFF MIJO OPINION EDITOR

As of February 7, 2018, Canada’s national anthem has been forever altered. On that day, a bill from the House of Commons changing the lyrics was given royal assent, making it law. Where the third line of the traditional anthem was previously “in all thy sons command,” it will now be “in all of us command.” Reaction to the change has been strong, especially in online communities. “What kind of agenda are they trying to force down our throats?” demanded Kyle Milton, a 53-year-old boat salesman and avid CBC.ca comments section poster. “They can try to take away my free speech, but I’m going to keep singing it the way it’s been since the beginning of Canada, and they’re going to have to throw me in jail to stop me.” The song, which was originally written in French in 1880, underwent several versions and translations before being officially published in its most well-known form in 1927. It was adopted as Canada’s national anthem with the National Anthem Act in 1980. Milton is not just upset about there being a change, but also what the change is. “Women won equal rights in Canada decades ago, so I don’t see why we need to keep wasting time and money on these pointless token gestures,” Milton said, in the same month that Macleans released an issue highlighting the wage disparity between men and women, citing numbers that could be anywhere

from eight to 50 per cent. “What’s next, Ms. Dressup?” Milton asked with a laugh. “Kim Hortons? Women’s hockey? Haven’t these people changed Canadian culture enough?” Another fear of Milton’s is that the erasure of male-focused language in the anthem is just the beginning of the changes. “Next thing you know, they’ll be taking out every part of it until we’re just humming the tune! No more ‘true patriot love,’ no more ‘glorious and free,’ no more ‘home and native land!’” exclaimed Milton, who described himself as the son of a proudly second-generation Italian, and a British expat. “See, this is the problem with gender equality,” said Milton. “We just give and give, and they take and take until suddenly, it’s us men who are really oppressed. They police what we can say, who we can say it to ... businesses aren’t able to only hire men anymore, and these left-leaning nuts just keep pushing it further and further. Imagine how bad it’d be if we were ever foolish enough to elect a female prime minister!” The Cascade’s interview with Milton had to be terminated moments later when — after being asked how he’d feel if Canada’s ever-decreasingly Christian population were to eliminate religious references in the anthem — he passed out while muttering something about tradition and the flag.

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Quantico Fever

I still remember how pumped I was when I first watched Quantico. Netflix is like a BLACK HOLE! You dig deeper and deeper…. You never seem to come out for two or three hours once you log in. Anyway, talking about Quantico. Oh boy, oh boy! Whether the FBI agents are chasing down a terrorist plot, or an accused is taking a hostage at gunpoint, it might sound like any usual crime series, but trust me, it’s not! I first heard of the show because I am a great admirer of Russell Tovey — Mr. Ears International. He’s a talented English actor who has quite

a few films under his belt. He plays an undercover agent for the FBI, which is a tough phase that all NATs (that’s what trainees call themselves) are put through. The vigorous maneuvers that they meet on their way through FBI training, and the seeming authenticity of their actions, is just mesmerizing. The series runs back and forth through its timeline. One moment you land in the scenario of a bombing at Grand Central Terminal, while the next takes you back in time to the FBI academy at Quantico.

Simran Kaur Aulakh Urinals are stupid

I don’t understand the concept of urinals. What’s the point of creating a special kind of toilet that can only be used for urination, and only by those who have the necessary equipment? Not to mention there is no privacy, and there isn’t any toilet paper if you want to dab off. (I don’t like feeling damp down there.) There is literally nothing a urinal can do that a normal toilet can’t do just as well

if not better. Believe it or not, I have managed to go my entire life without using one, because they’re totally pointless and redundant. I hope we as a society eventually transition to unisex bathrooms, and then we can all laugh at the absurd olde-timey half-toilets that could only be used by half of the population for half of the things they might need a toilet for.

Aleister Gwynne Illustrations: Amara Gelaude

Pass by those parking metres

S N A P S H O T S

Compared to other major universities around southern B.C., UFV lacks an active campus community. Most students here tend to drive in, attend their classes, and leave quickly to escape the on-duty parking attendant. This ritual leaves for a rather dismal and lonely campus environment. The answer for a better student community that stays on campus longer is parking passes. If more people were convinced to buy one, more people would be able to stay on campus longer, without fear of a penalty. A parking pass is a significant amount of savings in comparison to weeks and months of pay-

ing hourly parking rates. Not to mention that they remove the fear of parking attendants standing beside your car, waiting to give you a ticket the second your receipt expires. The problem here is the amount of students that are still blindly queuing up in line for the metre every morning, blissfully unaware of the fact that their monthly parking expenses could be cut in half by purchasing a pass. Next time you go to pay semester fees, consider purchasing a pass as well, and put your days of feeding the parking monster a steady diet of loonies and toonies behind you forever.

Cassie De Jong Sneaky spiders subvert sympathy

The other night, while I was peacefully laying out the supplies to make a delicious burger, I had an unwelcome surprise. Just minutes after submitting a heartwarming snapshot about how charming and innocent most creepycrawlies are, a large wolf spider scurried across my burger bun. This blatant show of disrespect has slightly altered my opinion of these “innocent” and “misunderstood” critters. If they choose to disrespect my meal, perhaps I don’t want to get to know them after all. Perhaps I will be slightly less interested in taking them

safely outside at 4 a.m., and slightly more likely to bring my spider eating cat into the room. Mongo the wolf spider is now an unwelcome house guest, living under my microwave with no apparent interest in moving out, paying rent, or making himself useful in the slightest. I know it’s unfair to pass judgement on an entire group from the behaviour of a single individual, but Mongo’s insistence that my tea tin is the happenin’ place to be at 8 a.m. is wearing my patience thin.

Jessica Barclay

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Culture Analysis //

Spring fake

“Spring break” isn’t what it’s cracked up to be

ALEISTER GWYNNE STAFF WRITER

Ah yes, spring break, that time of year when we all hop on a jet to West Palm Beach, Florida, get drunk, get high, hook up with people we hardly know, and party non-stop for two weeks straight. Well, if that’s what spring break is, then apparently we’re all doing it wrong. Can anyone here at UFV (or any college or university for that matter) truthfully say that their spring break bears any resemblance to the image peddled by Hollywood? Perhaps a few, but I suspect these people are a distinct minority. For the rest of us, we have reading week. We often use the terms reading week and spring break interchangeably, but I would argue that comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. UFV’s official

name for this period is spot on. In the first place, our “spring break” is not actually in the spring. There will be no frolicking on the beach for us, unless you can actually afford the plane fare to Florida. Second, it is only one week long — the traditional length of spring break is two weeks. I recall it used to be in B.C. schools, but they cut it down some years ago. Lastly, the “reading” part; we are actually expected to get some work done on our time off. Reading break is the time when we have a moment to catch up on work and chores before our workload begins piling up again. All this is a far cry from the lighthearted debauchery shown in movies and TV. Perhaps I’m a bit biased, since I don’t really care for the whole party scene. Still, I believe in letting you do you; I’m just skeptical you can do that, even if you want to. I’m honestly curious about where the

trope of spring break, as depicted in popular media, came from. Perhaps it is a product of a different era, back when the typical college student was not as strapped for time and cash, when they could literally afford to let their hair down, and throw responsibility to the wind for a while. Perhaps spring break is a uniquely American phenomenon. After all, there are a lot of aspects of American university life that just aren’t present here in Canada, like sororities and fraternities, the obsession with college football, and referring to all post-secondary institutions as “college” indiscriminately. Maybe the spring break phenomenon simply isn’t a thing outside the U.S. It is also possible that the Hollywood version of spring break was never very realistic, and reflected what only a small subset of students ever experienced. At times I feel like I’m missing out on

the fun. Most of my reading break was spent at home relaxing, getting caught up on things, and playing video games (which most of the time, I don’t have time for); but you know what, that’s fine, that’s exactly what this vacation period is for. The point is, you are given a breather, and you come back to class refreshed. Wild beach parties might not be my idea of fun, but even if they were, I would rather not come back worn out, and with a pile of work waiting for me that is no smaller than it was before. We are definitely getting short-changed in terms of length, though. I would much rather have two weeks off, either both in spring, or one each in spring and fall. I may not have gotten spring break, but I did get reading week, and that’s good enough for me.

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Bread crumbs Written by: Joel Robertson-Taylor Illustrated by: Caleb Campbell Emotional Faceplant

“Today will be a good day. Today, I will succeed.”

Agitated Solution

“I think I’ve synthesised a concoction that will entirely eliminate anxiety!”

“I usually don’t like speaking in front of people, but I’m not holding out for alternatives to curing anxiety the old fashioned way.”

Group Project

“Get into groups of three or four. Studies show that student-led discussion ranks highly in pedagogy, and other 21st century words.”

“Did any of you do the readings?”

“I came to class today because I didn’t want to teach myself.”

“I watched four hours of infomercials before I ran out of snacks this morning.”

Echo Chamber

“Does that bring clarity to how ribosomes function?” ... “Anybody?” ... “Am I speaking for my own benefit?” Jacob wonders if ribosomes will help him pay off his student debt.

Happy Anniversary

Today marks the 50th and last day Jacob could have studied for his midterm.

Visualizing The Void

Doodley Noted

In counselling, Jacob was asked to imagine his anxiety as a physical object. Planet Earth was since engulfed in a blurry, vague black orb.

“My second French lover was also doing his PhD in Barcelona.” “Did I mention that I taught the Duke yoga?” In his third semester, his note taking skills peaked. Jacob no longer takes notes.

STUDY BREAK Crossword //

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Made by Cassie de Jong

ACROSS

DOWN

1: Greek goddess of women and marriage.

2: An annual publication containing important and statistical information.

3: Welsh breed of long, short-legged, cattle herding dogs.

5: Small children’s building blocks that are murder to step on in the middle of the night.

3: An individual who has studied and now practices various beauty treatments, such as skin or hair care.

7: An MLB baseball player from Seattle.

8: To engrave an object using acid.

6: Salty cheese originally from Greece, and most often made with sheep’s milk.

4: The mineral responsible for helping transport oxygen throughout your body.

9: Another name for the Spanish dollar that is mentioned often in pirate movies.

10: U.S. state between Illinois and Nebraska.

12: A small, red, feminine beetle with black spots on its back.

14: A Tibetan Buddhist monk or priest is also known as a ___.

15: An elegant, long-necked, white bird, which has a ballet named after it. 16: A common name for species of oily fish similar to salmon or char.

17: A small projectile, pointed at one end, with feathers at the other, used in a common bar game.

11: Nordic nation directly below Greenland. 13: Fine particles of matter that usually accumulate on your television or exercise equipment.

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS: Across: 3: Geyser 5: Fairy 6: Sty 8: Optimism 10: Skittles 13: Cub 15: Lunar 17: Kitsch

Down: 1: Lens 2: Boa 4: Radio 5: Fuji 7: Yacht 9: Magic 11: Tsar 12: Steak 14: Buck 16: Asp

Illustrated by Amara Gelaude

Horoscope //

Astrological mysteries rudely interpreted by Lady May

Aries — Mar 21 to Apr 19 It is quite common for an Aries to consider prison a good place to meet people. I think you’ve watched one too many episodes of Orange is the New Black, friend. Dial down your Netflix binges for a while. Taurus — Apr 20 to May 20 Taureans have this strange habit of decking out their apartments with framed pictures of unicorns. Don’t get me wrong, everyone loves unicorns. But you’ve ventured a little too close to the crazy cat lady department. This is probably why no one attends your parties. Gemini — May 21 to Jun 20 So far this week, you have participated in fights at your local bar, barber, Tim Hortons drive-thru, and UFV parking metre. My professional opinion is that you invest in a punching bag. Unless you, like the Aries, so desperately want to end up in the slammer. Cancer —Jun 21 to Jul 22 A Cancer’s greatest dream is to participate in the Olympics, even though you’d give the Russians a run for their money when it comes to “performance enhancement.” Because of this, your role in the illustrious event will likely be as a driver, or another support role.

Leo — Jul 23 to Aug 22 Leos seem to be perpetually stuck in the ‘80s. Their hair is still too big for their head, they still drive their 88’ Mazda, and they desperately cling to the belief that Trump is a business visionary. It is 2018. Now might be a good time to pay closer attention to the news popping up in your Facebook feed.

Sagittarius — Nov 22 to Dec 21 Remember when you had dreams to become an astronaut, or the next prime minister? Sagittarians are often the biggest dreamers of their generation. So, what happened? You’ve recently become lost in your daily routine. Take some time to make your life fun again.

Virgo —Aug 23 to Sep 22 Virgos have a knack for anything automated, specifically how to hack it. You have your friends lined up around the block asking you how to get the better of parking metres and slot machines. Keep your small time “instructional business” fun, and remember to stay within the realm of legality.

Capricorn — Dec 22 to Jan 19 Capricorns love a challenge, but they also get themselves into way too much trouble because of this. Your stubborn nature often leads you to suffer broken bones before you would do any task the easy way. Life hacks exist for a reason. Get a Pinterest account, it will change your life.

Libra — Sep 23 to Oct 22 Libras generally don’t get along very well with the law. The most backwards individuals you could ever encounter are Libran police officers. These are the people you’ll find driving their cop car in reverse down the freeway at 4 a.m.

Aquarius — Jan 20 to Feb 18 This week, you may find that dicey situations will work out in your favour. You have karma to blame for this, and can keep the luck flowing by paying your bills on time, or even eating a vegetable. It won’t kill you. I promise.

Scorpio — Oct 23 to Nov 21 Scorpios, on average, have terrible memories of grade school. You were the one getting pantsed during assemblies, and picked last for sports teams. Just remember that it all gets better from here. If you look back, you’ll soon be headed that way again.

Pisces — Feb 19 to Mar 20 Most Pisceans love conflict, so I challenge you to spend the day fight-free. However, you’ve probably been itching for a brawl all day, and will likely have failed my proposition by the time you’ve finished reading this horoscope.

CULTURE Column //

Cassie de Jong — Culture Editor culture@ufvcascade.ca

Kin Korner

Getting outside! The benefits of nature

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Column //

Physics and Folly

Shipped via airmail

MIKE FRIESEN STAFF WRITER

Physics and Folly applies real world science to familiar and fantastic situations. Discover the answers no one has heard, to the questions no one asked.

TREVOR REID CONTRIBUTOR

Kin Korner is a health and wellness column by the students of Joanna Sheppard’s Kinesiology 360 class. Check back every week for a wide variety of tips and tricks of how to stay sane as a student in an insane world. There is no question that Canada is an absolutely beautiful country that is full of amazing sights, and limitless adventures. Have you ever taken the time to reflect on how nature makes you feel? The role of our stunning scenery in our overall health has the tendency to be overlooked. For example, did you know that frequent outdoor adventures lead to a lower risk of substance abuse? Outdoor activities can lead to more favourable mental health outcomes, and can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, individuals who spend more time outside will feel a greater psychological well-being, improve their mental health, and gain the ability to recover from illness at a faster rate. Believe it or not, nature has a vital role in human cognition. Lower levels of cognitive function are associated with greater distances from natural outdoor environments. This is largely attributed to two factors. The first being that urban residents may be more likely to experience cognitive fatigue, and the second being that, due to their lack of access to nature, they are less likely to achieve mental restoration. Thus, it becomes apparent that natural outdoor environments are crucial to achieving proper cognitive functioning. Consequently, the cognitive benefits of nature may be

impaired when people are distracted by electronics, or other things (ie. crowds) in nature. North America is currently facing an obesity epidemic as the population slowly shifts toward a sedentary lifestyle. Sadly, this shift is especially prominent in children. In 2010, researchers McCurdy, Winterbottom, Mehta, and Roberts, from the academic journal Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, set out to study the importance of nature in combating such an obesity epidemic. Interestingly, they found that, as people spend more time in nature, they also spend more time participating in physical activities, and less time using electronics. Given the fact that physical activity helps reduce the risk of obesity, chronic diseases (ie. diabetes), and helps to build and maintain strong bones and muscles, it becomes clear that nature is vital for everyday living. Additionally, as nature exploration and physical activity levels increase, individuals will experience an overall boost in energy, self-esteem, and feeling of autonomy. Given all the amazing benefits that nature can have on our health, there are no excuses to not go out, and take advantage of what this beautiful country has to offer! If you are still not convinced, consider the numerous benefits nature has, such as improving physical, cognitive, and mental health and well-being. Nature can also promote social relationships, which provide emotional support, happiness, and a plethora of other benefits. It is therefore quite clear that taking part in activities in nature has the ability to greatly enhance overall human health.

I love getting packages in the mail. It makes me feel special somehow. As a result, when I was on eBay and saw a spidery tripod for my phone, and it was only one dollar with free shipping from China, I purchased without looking back. Recently, I received my little tripod, and it’s surprisingly great — but, all I could think about was how someone along the line has to be losing money on this. This thing was manufactured and then shipped via airmail to my very mailbox from halfway across the globe for less than six minutes of work at minimum wage. So, let’s dig into this. Can someone really turn a profit here? First off, what is the cost of materials for our three-legged device? The tripod weighs 45 grams, and is mostly made of a fairly rigid plastic (probably high-density polyethylene for you materials nerds out there), which has a bulk cost of about $500 per tonne. Some simple math says our tripod costs roughly three cents in plastic. That’s not a lot, but remember, we do only have a budget of a single dollar. Labour costs in the factory are hard to even put an estimate on. If the process is highly automated, there would only be the negligible cost of electricity. But, say each of the 36 individual parts on the spidery tripod requires two seconds of labour, one second to grab it from a mould, another to piece it together with the rest of the parts. Workers in a factory in Shenzhen commonly have a salary of about $400 per month. That’s more than me, but I don’t work 12-hour days, or more than once a week. Regardless, that one minute of a factory worker’s time is worth about three cents, so total manufacturing costs would be roughly six cents. Next, the tripod would need to fly across the Pacific Ocean, on a roughly 10,000-kilometre-long flight. The common practice is actually not to use cargo planes, but rather to fill the cargo holds of existing passenger flights with airmail. Since the flight was already going to hap-

pen, the only cost for the plane is the extra fuel that it needs to haul my package. I found a number saying that on a 5,000-kilometre-long flight, having an excess of 1,000 kg of fuel costs an airline 150 kg of fuel. This seems like a lot of fuel to be talking about — and it is — but longdistance jet airliners carry a tonne of fuel. Many tonnes, actually. A completely dry Boeing 787 Dreamliner weighs 110 tonnes — and it has a fuel tank capable of carrying 111 tonnes of fuel. That’s right, on a fully fuelled 787, the jet fuel weighs more than the entire rest of the plane! Regardless, assuming fuel efficiency is roughly the same over a longer flight means that for every pound of stuff we haul across the Pacific, we have to burn a third of a pound in jet fuel. So, the plane burns about 15 grams of jet fuel hauling our tripod to Canada, which costs them about one or two cents. The tripod would then be sent through the Canadian postal service. Because the package is being sent from another postal service, Canada Post will give them “terminal fees,” which are much cheaper than the postal fees you or I would have to pay. On top of that, China is recognized by the United Postal Union (UPU) as a “transitional country,” giving it even lower terminal fees on “letters” under two kilograms — which my tripod would be classified as. Anyway, most of the dirty work of sorting packages and letters is done by machine, so it’s possible the only time my package will be touched by human hands since leaving the factory in China will be when the mail lady puts it in my mailbox. By the way, if she takes 10 seconds to bring her car to a stop, put my package in my mailbox, and then continue on her way, those 10 seconds of her time are the single most expensive part of the entire process — those 10 seconds represent about six cents of labour! In reality, common shipping prices from China for a small international package is about 80 cents, and if we stick to our original guess of a six cent manufacturing cost, they’re making a 14 cent profit. All things considered, that’s pretty darn impressive.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Local Artists //

Q&A with the minds behind “Transparency and Deterioration” Local artists present thought provoking new art exhibition at the Kariton Art Gallery CASSIE DE JONG CULTURE & EVENTS EDITOR

The Kariton Art Gallery in Abbotsford recently opened its latest exhibition, “Transparency and Deterioration” on Feb. 10. The show features oil paintings and Polaroid emulsions from local artists Andrew Booth and Fiona Howarth. We had a chance to sit down with the artists to ask them about their individual practices, and what they think of the show as a whole. First off, what are the main themes of the show? AB: I think between Fiona’s photographs and my paintings there’s this element of texture, there’s an element of destruction, and there’s an element of abstract landscapes. All of which we wanted each viewer to interpret a little differently from another viewer. We leave a lot of the elements scratched away, or abstracted a little bit, leaving half of the piece to be developed in the viewer’s own mind. We might purposely strip something away or block something out, or in Fiona’s case, an interesting medium to apply the photograph to, just to add an element of uncertainty or abstraction. How do you think each artist’s work relates with one other? What sort of joint message do they share? AB: I think there are a lot of similarities. Visually speaking, I think we have a similar focus on wanting to blur things up intentionally. We want to modify these images to encourage the viewer to then finish the pieces in their own mind. FH: I want to leave it open for interpretation, and for each person to bring their own emotions to it, and to create beautiful imagery that also makes people think, as opposed to being put out there to be easily understood. AB: I do appreciate any type of art. But, what I really enjoy is when not everyone is going to see it the same way. Someone might see something different compared to someone else. If we can make people tap into the right side of their brain a bit more, we’re doing our job. Tell me a little bit about the practices and concepts behind your work. FH: In my practice I do environmental photography, and want to bring awareness to environmental issues. This work in particular is about the pulling of status from the national monuments in the U.S. for mining, oil, and timber rights. The areas I was specifically looking at were Utah and Arizona. In some of those areas, [the government] has pulled the national monument designation back so that existing uranium mines that sat right on the edge of the parks can now mine further within the parks. I use copper and silver leaf in my Polaroid emulsions, as copper and silver are the by-products of uranium mining.

FH: I’ve been working in photography for about fifteen years now. I do exclusively film and darkroom photography and I’ve never veered away from it. I do a lot of darkroom work like silver gelatin and platinum plating, and stuff like that, but I wanted to do something that was more striking, and more abstract. With photography, especially traditional photography, it’s very hard to do abstraction when you’re not digitally manipulating things. I wanted to find a way to do just that, so I’ve been working with emulsion for a while now. There’s so much ingenuity and enthusiasm present within your work. What fuels your creative spirit? AB: I’ve thought about that a lot. Seeing other art, regardless of what it is, somehow taps into my creative mind. I fully recognize that the urge or desire to paint comes and goes. So not every single day for eight hours am I motivated to paint. But if I just continue to immerse myself in any type of art, whether it’s photography or painting, I continue to feel the conceptualization of art in my mind. Then at some point in time, the spirits move me, and say ‘Okay, now I need to paint,’ and I get those ideas onto canvas. FH: I’m like that too. It really comes and goes. There are big gaps where I don’t do a whole lot, and then it kind of comes back to me. I really want to do something impactful to do with the things I believe in. So I have to think about how to go about doing that. This is the way I feel, like I can make some sort of difference. What do you wish audiences will take away from your work? FH: I hope that they have an appreciation for the art and the work that has gone into it. Also, I hope that it will provide some sort of thought provoking material, whether it be from mine or Andrew’s work. It doesn’t have to be an environmental issue, but art that makes you think, and engages you, has the power to change. AB: There’s a great quote I heard one time: ‘Art is meant to engage and enrage.’ You need to engage emotionally with art to interpret a piece. Then you become more emotionally involved, which becomes a far more rewarding process, as opposed to being given the answers right off the bat. “Transparency and Deterioration” will be on display at the Kariton Art Gallery until March 13. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

What drew you to use these mediums, initially? How long have you been working with them?

Creative Composition of the Month In the Land of Monsters

JANICE LANG CONTRIBUTOR

AB: For me, a lot of the work that I do, whether it be landscape or portraiture, is all pretty textured and abstract. So with no real motive behind that, I’m just creating landscapes or portraiture. Scratching elements away or covering certain elements adds a lot, and keeps those pieces open for interpretation.

AB: I’ve been working with oil on canvas for about six or seven years now. My first love was photography, but now I work with paint because I can blur those lines even more by creating them with my hands as opposed to taking an image of something that exists. I wanted to create things that didn’t yet exist and put them on a canvas.

Column // Creative Writing

The Kariton Art Gallery (Cassie de Jong/The Cascade)

Creative Composition of the Month is a monthly column courtesy of UFV’s Creative Writing Club. Every month, one short story, poem, descriptive essay, or other form of original work from UFV students will appear in The Cascade to enlighten your creative spirit. Happy reading! “Name?” asks the DJ, as he stands in front of me with a clipboard. “It’s Brittney,” I answer. He hands me a schedule for my upcoming shows, and a room key. In the back of the bar are five small rooms, each with a red number on the door. Swinging open the door before I enter, in hopes of scaring away any lingering rodents, I notice a small cot, a rickety nightstand with a yellowed, crooked lamp, and a chipped, foggy mirror that’s screwed to the wall. “Oh lovely,” I declare. “The Hilton.” Right before my show, I hand the DJ my cassette with my show music on it. He barely looks up while he blurts out the regular DJ spiel he says to every girl. “Have a good one,” he says. “Time to feed the pigs,” I tell myself. I paste on a fake grin, and walk up to the stage. As soon as the music starts, I go someplace else. My eyes are open, but I can’t see their faces. As I finish my show and get off the stage, an elderly man steps out in front of me. “Lizzy?” he asks, “Is it really you?” Not sure what to say, I answer, “I’m not Lizzy, sir. You’ve got the wrong girl.” The old man stares at me intently, “You ARE Lizzy, I know it.” Just then, the bouncer approaches us. “Is this old guy bothering you?” “No,” I reply, “It’s just a case of mistaken identity.” The bouncer then stands in between me and the old man, so I can make my way up to the DJ booth. The old man pleads with the stone-faced bouncer. “She’s my foster daughter, she ran away.” Just before the bouncer ushers the old man outside, the old guy hollers; “Lizzy, please, just talk to me.” “Wow, what’s his problem?” the DJ laughs. “Yeah, that was kinda weird,” I chuckle. Back in my room, I flop down on the cot. As I lay there, my mind starts to reflect on the old man in the bar. I feel bad for him: he seemed so genuine. My eyes wander around the room. There’s hundreds of names on the wall. It kind of reminds me of a list of soldiers sent off to war that never found their way back home. Which leads me to reflect on my own home, or what I could remember of it. I picture my sisters, standing at the gate. They looked so beautiful in their gingham dresses, sobbing as the social worker took me away. The cold child services lady yelled at me to sit still on the back seat. I turn to the back window, and placed my hands upon the cool glass. I wonder if they knew my heart stayed with them that day. I feel a warm tear roll down my cheek and, for the first time since that day, I start to cry. I cry until there are no more tears left. Wiping my face, I sit up, and exhale a huge, heavy breath. Suddenly, I feel a powerful strength come over me. I quickly slide on my street clothes, and leave all my stripper remnants behind. I have no idea where I’m going, I only know that BACK is not an option. As I walk along the path to the parking lot, I pass a woman jogging. After getting a few feet past her, she calls out, “Hey, is this your wallet?” “Oh, shoot. Yes, I must’ve dropped it when I was putting on my jacket,” I answer. The lady picked up my wallet to hand it to me and a few cards fell out. As we gather the cards, she hung on to one. My licence. Reading it, she said, “Oh, what a pretty name you have, I’ve always loved the name: Lizzy.” It’s dusk as I roll on to the freeway and head south. The most amazing sunset casts neon colours in the sky. A huge orange sun hangs at the end of the flat road. Throwing on some cool-grind blues. Opening the window, I let the warm summer wind blow over my face and through my hair, washing away all of what I’ve been, a victim, a sinner, and a throwaway. This is my moment, my time to shine. Everything that I was, is no longer, I clench the wheel and press hard on the gas, speeding off down the road to chase the sun.

CULTURE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Fundraiser //

A new “Galentine’s” day tradition Women supporting women in business, life, and family JEN KLASSEN STAFF WRITER

February 13 has been dubbed, by a loveable character in “Parks and Recreation,” as Galentine’s Day; a day to love your lady friends. This year, I was honored to be part of the “Galentine’s Day” event at The Reach, rightfully held on Feb. 13. This was a fundraiser for Matthew’s House, a local establishment that provides respite care for children with specialized needs, and rest for the parents of those children. The event was for women only. Put on to help them connect with one another, and to encourage each other in their endeavors. When I walked into The Reach that evening, I was blown away by the amount of women who came out to support this cause, as well as to support one another. It was a black tie dress code for this affair, and we were all dressed to the nines. Sparkles, glitter, high heels, and stunning dresses were abundant, and thankfully, there was a photo booth to capture all the glitz and glamour. It was also catered, and I can happily say I ate at least three raspberry brownies in a very short span of time.

There was also wine, from which all the proceeds went directly to Matthew’s House. Coffee was provided by Jack Coffee, a mobile coffee bar based in Vancouver, so we could drink wine, and then be warm and alert for the drive home. This service was fantastic, since that night, snow was falling by the time I went to leave. I went alone, but as a raging introvert, I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of remarkable women that surrounded me. I was also incredibly nervous, and hoped it wasn’t showing too much on my intensely expressive face. But it must have because many of the other ladies turned to introduce themselves to me, and included me in conversations. Their generosity in my vulnerable moment speaks volumes of the quality of women in our community. As the night continued, a few notable ladies spoke about their lives, sharing a bit about their businesses, but mostly desiring to promote a sense of camaraderie among the women. One of the ladies from Matthew’s House, Laura Ullock, clad in a beautiful red dress with matching heels, spoke about the origins of the company, and why it began. Tara Teng, Miss World Canada 2012, CEO of her own business, and a human rights activist, spoke to the importance of having a group of supportive women in your life. In

addition to these two powerful speeches, Jenna Liesch, a mother whose youngest was born premature, and lives with cerebral palsy, shared her journey. It was powerful hearing from these mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, women just like me, doing amazing things in our world. Accompanying the powerful speaking and the amazing food, there was a silent auction, and a fashion show. The silent auction had incredible goods from local Abbotsford vendors, and there was an impressive array from moderately priced wares, to more high-end goods. The fashion show was put on by Below the Belt, and showcased clothing items that were the epitome of west coast fashion: flannels, jeans, rain boots, gorgeous sweaters, and beautiful outerwear. Overall, this gala was a beautiful event filled with even more beautiful women. It was a testament to what a compassionate heart can accomplish with the backing of a community of people who believe in a goal. Matthew’s House is an oasis of hope and love, filled with people who genuinely desire to be helping hands to those who need them most. This Galentine’s Day Gala was the first annual. Let’s hope the tradition continues and grows.

Cascade Events Calendar

February - March

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

Indigenous Film Series: “The Road Forward” @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus), 6:30 p.m.

Indigenous Film Series: “The Road Forward” @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus), 1:00 p.m.

Robotics World Series: VMS PRO Abbotsford @ EcoDairy (Abbotsford), 1:00 p.m.

Robotics World Series: VMS PRO Abbotsford @ EcoDairy (Abbotsford), 3:00 p.m. Ewan Macintyre Band @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

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Fraser Valley Women’s Expo @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 4:00 p.m.

Opening Night: Annie, Jr. The Musical! @ Clarke Theatre (Mission), 7:00 8:45 p.m.

Panic Squad and Friends @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Fraser Valley Women’s Expo @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 10:00 a.m. The Kwerks @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Sore Points, REDS, Like Bears & Nioi Neko @ The Vineyard (Chilliwack), 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Mount Cheam Dog Show @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 9:00 a.m. “Being Ts’elxweyeqw” Book Launch @ Stó:lō Tourism (Chilliwack), 6:00 8:00 p.m.

Country Dance Party with Steve Hillis @ The Stage in Mission, 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Alive N Kissin! with LDThrills + The Spewers @ Gator’s Pub (Abbotsford), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Woody James Band @ Captain’s Cabin Pub (Mission), 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Jana @ The Wellington Social House (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

SwitchCraft @ Historic Dewdney Pub (Mission), 8:00 - 11:59 p.m.

Dear Father w/ Waves Crash Down @ The Stage in Mission, 7:00 - 11:59 p.m.

Johnny Reid Revival Live @ Abbotsford Centre, 7:00 p.m.

Vancouver Pet Lover Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Old Time Country Night with Boots and the Hoots @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. Vancouver Pet Lover Show @ Tradex (Abbotsford), 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Celtic Night with Knacker’s Yard @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 9:30 p.m. Learn to Curl for Free! @ Abbotsford Curling Club, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

CR Avery @ Tractorgrease Cafe (Chilliwack), 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.

The Jim Cuddy Band with Devin Cuddy and Sam Polley @ Chilliwack Cultural Centre, 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. LGBTQ Panel @ Room B101 (Abbotsford Campus), 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Sto:lo Career Fair @ Tzeachten Community Hall (Chilliwack), 10:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

Casinos w/ Chica, and Nice @ Vicinity Lounge (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

04 05 07

Fraser Valley Women’s Expo @ Chilliwack Heritage Park, 10:00 a.m.

Film Screening: The Big Picture - Rethinking Dyslexia @ Abbotsford Arts Centre, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Long Night Against Procrastination @ Chilliwack (CEP) Building A, 3:00 10:00 p.m. & Abbotsford Building G, 5:00 p.m. - Midnight Santana - Divination Tour 2018 @ Abbotsford Centre, 8:00 p.m. Sumas Mountain Film Festival @ Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (Abbotsford), 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Shakespeare Names / Sto:lo Memoryscapes @ UFV U House F125 (Abbotsford Campus), 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

ARTS

Martin Castro — Arts Editor

arts@ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Local Artist //

CHARTS

SHUFFLE

Freak Heat Waves Beyond XXXL

AARON LEVY

Palm Rock Island

U.S. Girls In A Poem Unlimited

Laurie Jane & the 45s Midnight Jubileey

CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy postulates on the nature of life, and our value of it, while drawing on the words of a man whose performance as a high school student may have influenced UFV students growing up!

Nice Apple/Cruel Sport Cruel Apple Nice Sport

Hovvdy Cranberry

Crystal Shawanda Voodoo Woman

Kellarissa Ocean Electro

Oscar Wilson One Room Blues

Devours Late Bloomer (reissue)

Janiva Magness Blue Again

Haley Blais Zero Charisma

Kuniuiki Takahashi Early Tape Works: 1986-1993

Cecil Frena The Gridlock

Brigid Mae Power Brigid Mae Power

Loma Loma

Pizza Bath You Are What You Eat

Khari Wendell McClelland Freedom Singer

Car Seat Headrest Twin Fantasy

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The Olympic Symphonium Beauty In the Tension

SEDUCTION EXPERT

Nicole Jasper’s april reminds us to listen up

Drake — Look Alive Drake’s return to singledom, on the charts at least — see what I did there? — looks quite lively in this brand new two-verse turn featuring BlocBoy JB in the finale. Drake complains about flip floppers among the hip hoppers, and declares his newfound appreciation for name-brand gear with tags. Pearl Jam — Alive Eddie Vedder first crooned to the world over distorted twangy guitars on the now 27-plus-year-old masterwork Ten, featuring this top 16 charting hit, along with a bevy of other grunge favourites. This particular track even reached magic #66 on the Billboard Digital singles chart in 2009. Modest Mouse — Lives One of the most harrowing lines I’ve ever internalized from popular music is from the penultimate long-form track (third last overall) of Modest Mouse’s 2000 masterpiece, The Moon and Antarctica. “Everyone’s afraid of their own lives / if you could be anything you want / I bet you’d be disappointed.” Right? Modest Mouse — Life Like Weeds The properly penultimate track from that epic release mentioned above leaves yet another poignant and frustrating line that speaks directly to the aftermath of all of these tragic school shootings we keep seeing: “All this talking all the time in the air builds up, up, up / until there’s nothing left to breathe.”

MARTIN CASTRO ARTS IN REVIEW EDITOR

You’re a writer, or you’re trying to be. That’s more accurate. After all, what does it mean to be a writer? Or a poet? Or a playwright? Of course, we must write, each to our own, manuscripts and poems and plays. After we’ve cobbled together a script, or a chapbook, are we then writers? Can we then stop, sufficed at what we are, and throw our proverbial boots up? These are questions for another time. For the moment, suffice it to say that I am trying to be a writer. Surprisingly (although not too surprisingly), writing means being. It means being, among many other things, present. Your English professors might have you believe being present is all about being in the moment; open your ears, eyes, and be present. Being present also means being in attendance. In this case, it meant being present at The Paper Hound Bookshop for the reading of various independent works, all published by Quebec’s Metatron

press. Last week, on Feb. 13, I tagged along to a reading hosted by Metatron. I’d never really been to these kinds of events in Vancouver, despite my presence in the writing community here in the Fraser Valley. What I found was striking. As some 30 people sardined themselves into The Paper Hound and sipped on complementary wine, a selection of some four or five readers took the stage, and shared either poetry or excerpts from short stories. Awkwardness is unavoidable at events like these, but what was perhaps more striking than the poetry (some three chapbooks of which I ended up walking away with), was that what I saw evident before me was a community. Looking up in surprise and finding friends or acquaintances across the room after entering the shop seemed to be the flavour of the day for many of the people in attendance, and it was in the middle of that crowd that I stood as an outsider. I say “outsider,” but only in the sense that I lacked the context of the room, or

of the people in the room, to aid my presence. As far as a community of writers exists in the Valley, it is not so evident as Vancouver’s. And, the writers I know, I know more because they are my friends than because they are writers. This, I imagine, is also the case for most Valley-based writers. We are a community seemingly only because we have been pushed together through the happenstance of geography. There are some efforts to remedy this, such as UFV alum and Valley local Alex Rake’s attempts at putting together a local zine of writing from residents of the Valley. While examples like these are great in their encouraging of community, I think that, if my (brief) exposure to Vancouver’s writing community taught me anything, it’s that we need a place, a platform, and a line of communication between us to really cement our burgeoning community. How this manifests itself in the future is up to us.

ARTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Vancouver Lit Scene //

Finding community by pressing ourselves together MARTIN CASTRO ARTS IN REVIEW EDITOR

The modern music landscape is dotted by a surprising amount of lo-fi releases, even going so far as to affect releases published under labels. That this trend (if it can even be called a trend at this point, since it shows no sign of waning) has garnered such support within its own small community, is perhaps the latest wave of recycling trends of years past. It’s impossible not to think of more lo-fi new wave acts like Sonic Youth when confronted with the not-quite-pop, not-quite-punk, not-quiteanything independent releases that permeate the internet music library. Vancouver-based Nicole Jasper has, wittingly or not, tapped into that same stream of music production. “strawberry blonde,”

the first track on april, although ethereal, recalls the kind of hazy, washed-out production synonymous with Elvis Depressedly or, on the rock side of things, Car Seat Headrest’s early recordings. What’s more interesting than the aesthetic qualities of the recording, is that there seems to be emerging a kind of dissociation from markers used to traditionally determine value in music production. Sure, that’s literally all punk aimed to do, but what records like april seem to do, is stack themselves up against the refined production standards of pop music. Where this leads, it seems, is not so much an affront on the mode which is achieved by pop music (because by its very definition as “popular,” the genre reveals itself to be as transient as trends in the fashion industry), but to the opening up of an alternative. Where

punk perhaps struck back against the homogenization of popular music, Jasper’s april occupies a space apart from the pop/ not pop scale. It is not so much oppositional as much as it is escapist. What’s more, there are tracks on april, such as “cough syrup,” which are as defined by genre lines as the pop on top 40 charts. It may not be Bob Dylan’s brand of folk, and it may be depressive in tone and lyrical content, but it’s a blues-based confessional. The difference is that there’s next to no forethought given to the refinement of the recording. The song itself is unassuming in form, which is to say that it does not force itself on the listener in the same way that punk, or some early rap, or even (it could be argued) modern pop does.

Representative perhaps of a less-energetic behavioural state in a society that, through its focus on technology and trends emphasizes and rewards brashness, releases like april might, in the long run, prove to be more than the diary-entryturned-song that they are derided as by some. Constantly, we’re being reminded to look inwards and take care of ourselves, our mental well-being, and our health. Artists like Jasper seem to be doing so by taking the performative function out of music production. Here’s hoping that it allows us to better understand one another. april reminds us that instead of focusing on how we can connect better, we ought to focus on how we can listen better. Do that, and connection will follow.

Wake Up Call

“Who are you!?!”

“You hired us to help you get out of bed in the morning.”

More bread crumbs, page 8-9