Lately, it has felt like the world is experiencing a continual earthquake. Like the ground beneath our very feet is shaking, and there doesn’t seem to be anything anyone can do about it. There is unrest settled deep in the soil of our society. Political division is at an all-time high and freedom of speech seems threatened. Fall claims its place within these seasons of change, bringing cooler temperatures and brittle leaves.
In times as precarious as these, it’s important to keep yourself centred. So this week at The Cascade, we urge you to take a moment to step back and reflect.
Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which coincides with Orange Shirt Day.
Reconciliation is defined as a journey toward the restoration of friendly relations — which has felt shaky in Canada for quite some time. This is why we at The Cascade feel that engaging in difficult conversation is an essential component to a healthy democracy. Our article on page 10 introduces a guide for facilitating these types of discussions.
Our cover this issue, designed by Chelsea Isbister from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, reflects the power of Indigenous artwork.
Past the cover, our pages contain articles rife with discussion surrounding Indigenization and knowledge. On page 4 we sat down with Professor Emeritus Dr. Marcella LaFever to discuss her debut novel in which she explores and grapples with her family’s own colonial history — an integral part of reconciliation for non-Indigenous folk — and her advocacy for Indigenization at UFV.
Unpack topics of decolonization and respect for the land through the practice of weaving pine needle baskets with Lorna Andrews — UFV’s Teaching and Learning specialist on Indigenization — on page 17. Then on page 19 we have an article that explores a local barrier to reconciliation — Indigenous art on campus that was vandalized.
If you’re looking to get involved or learn more about how you can attend a workshop right here at UFV — stop by the Indigenous Student Centre or visit their upcoming events page to see how you can participate. You can also engage by checking out our back cover which offers a map to Indigenous art spread all over our very own Abbotsford campus.
The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper and alternative press for the Fraser Valley. It originated under its current name in 1993, and achieved autonomy from the university and the Student Union Society in 2002. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds, is a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published in an entirely student-run setting and is overseen by The Cascade Journalism Society Board, a body run by a student majority.The Cascade is published every other Wednesday with a print circulation of 800 and is distributed at Abbotsford, Chilliwack (CEP), Clearbrook, and Mission UFV campuses and throughout the surrounding communities.
In order to be published in the newspaper, all work must first be approved by The Cascade’s editor-in-chief and the corresponding section editor. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length and will not print any articles or be a platform for any contributor or contractor who has shared racist, sexist, homophobic, or libellous content online in any form. Letters to the editor, while held to the same standard, are unedited, and should be under 200 words. 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. WWW.UFVCASCADE.CA
While the global political landscape feels overwhelming, there are still opportunities to engage in local efforts toward reconciliation and community betterment, which are more vital than ever.
Cassie Williams
NEWS BRIEFS
Former Brazilian president’s conviction angers Donald Trump Robert Munsch gets approved for MAID
On Sept. 11, Jair Bolsonaro, former Brazilian president, was given a 27 and a quarter year prison term by a panel of justices from Brazil’s Supreme Court. He was found guilty after his attempted military coup in 2022, when he lost the election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He was convicted on five charges, including participating in “an armed criminal organization” and violent attempted abolition of the democratic rule of law.
In an X post, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Justice Alexandre de Moraes — rapporteur in Bolsonaro’s case— and threatened retaliation, although no specifics were given.
“The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt.”
This echoes earlier statements from President Donald Trump, who imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Brazil and revoked visas for Moraes, his family, and his allies. Trump also accused Brazil’s judiciary of persecuting Bolsonaro. This rhetoric sparked outrage from President Lula, who condemned it as an attack on Brazilian sovereignty and reaffirmed their stance on democratic freedom principles.
“In Brazil, freedom of expression is not to be confused with aggression or violent practices.”
Despite previously having over a dozen coup attempts, this is the first time in history that Brazil has convicted a former president for undermining democracy.
Beloved Canadian-American author Robert Munsch made headlines on Sept. 16 as word spread that his application for MAID had been approved. The Times recently published a profile piece on the author of The Paper Bag Princess (1980), where Munsch disclosed that after his dementia and Parkinson’s diagnosis, he put in a request for MAID. This came after he witnessed one of his brothers slowly succumb to Lou Gehrig’s disease, according to CTV News.
In 2021, Munsch told CBC News that he has “ongoing dementia” and has already lost many cognitive functions. His daughter took to Facebook to clear up rumours stating that Munsch “IS NOT DYING” anytime soon.
MAID stands for Medical Assistance in Dying, an intricate procedure that is aptly described by the Government of Canada.
“[It] is a process that allows someone who is found eligible to be able to receive assistance from a medical practitioner in ending their life.”
Candidates must be at least 18-years-old and mentally competent in order to give consent, as well as make a voluntary request and be living with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition.”
While Munsch has been approved for MAID, that doesn’t mean the procedure will take place soon.
UFV // Chai, Kickback, and campaigns
A one-on-one interview with SUS president
In late May, The Cascade met with SUS (Student Union Society) President Bilal Faisal Faheem regarding his experience during the election process and his plans for the summer. Now, as the fall semester begins, Faheem shared a recap of the summer, upcoming projects, and updates concerning the FVX 66.
“Summer was great. Exactly how I wanted it to be — a very balanced summer.”
By connecting with the board, pushing advocacy, and engaging with government officials in B.C., Faheem has focused on leading his team through building momentum and organizing and connecting with students over the summer. This includes Summer Fest, Baker Barbecue, Game Site, and Day ONE.
Faheem spoke fondly of his initiative “Chai with Bilal,” expressing his contentment with meeting his goal in student engagement.
“Chai with Bilal has been going great. Summer is a slow time, but still, getting to talk to so many students who feel welcomed, and that [the] space is a safe space — that was my vision when I started it initially in January, and I’m very glad to see that’s where it’s headed right now.”
by UFV President, Dr. James Mandigo, who, Faheem has indicated, is just as enthusiastic as he is. This is also an opportunity for students to discuss any topics they are curious about.
“There’s no agenda to it. The students bring the agenda — whatever they want to talk about. It’s going to be a regular ‘Chai with Bilal,’ just a different location.”
Faheem explained that the idea came from Mandigo as they were having a conversation at one of the Canuck games during Community Night. He shared that it sparked out of their similar connection as newly elected presidents.
“[Mandigo] started his new term as the president [and I] started my term as the president as well. So, it just came to life from there.”
Faheem also discussed Kickback 005: The Vibe Check, which he described as the biggest event of the year. It marked the fifth anniversary of Kickback, and this year, Faheem said it was their most ambitious one to date.
“We have a photo booth, more stations, more food trucks, [and] better food vouchers. This year we have the most activities we’ve ever had at any Kickback.”
Abbotsford Chamber teams up with UFV
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, UFV President James Mandigo gave an address to the business community at a Leader’s Lunch event. Following this, an announcement was made that the UFV Centre for Experiential and Career Education (CECE) and the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce had partnered to set the Campus to Commerce program in motion.
This new initiative intends to connect local Abbotsford businesses with in-house research from UFV students — for free. These businesses will gain practical insights to problems based on research and fresh innovation. Also, the students involved will gain firsthand knowledge of business challenges and have the opportunity to deal with them as part of their academics at UFV.
When a business identifies a challenge, they can then submit it via an online survey to UFV and get matched with a student team.
Larissa Horne, an experiential education coordinator at CECE expressed to The Abbotsford News how this partnership is a win for everyone involved.
“Together, we’re building stronger businesses, deeper connections, and a more resilient Fraser Valley economy.”
B.C. is still ablaze in September
In the midst of September, there continues to be concern that more wildfires will pop up throughout the province, especially in areas like Southeastern British Columbia and the Cariboo region.
According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, these areas continue to be at risk due to dry conditions, which have a greater chance of catching on fire. Their update indicated that the weather is also not helping the situation.
“As a result of the late summer’s record-breaking heat wave, combined with ongoing drought, people in B.C. are encouraged to be prepared for the risk of wildfire this fall.”
Affected areas such as the Cariboo region have been warned by the B.C. Wildfire Service to be careful when participating in outdoor activities.
The B.C wildfire Service app is one way for people to receive regular updates and remain safe. While the Cariboo region continues to have an active evacuation alert, the evacuation notifications have been lifted for areas such as Holtry Creek.
The next “Chai with Bilal” is set for Sept. 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, unlike past sessions, this one is an RSVP-only event due to the limited space, as it will be hosted in the Friesen House. The event will also be co-hosted
Kickback 005 isn’t the only event students can look out for — on Thursday, Sept. 25, at 5:30 p.m., SUS will hold its ‘Backyard Flix’ event. Featuring The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and free popcorn, SUS is encouraging students to bring their blanket and enjoy a chill night on campus.
The Cascade inquired about the FVX 66 as well, to which Faheem commented
SKY S. TERRONES
SKY S. TERRONES
ANNA MCCAUSLAND
CASSIE WILLIAMS
RACHEL TAIT
Photo submited by Bilal Faisal Faheem
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 03
that over the summer, his team met with key government officials to advocate for better student transit access. They’ve gathered data showing more UFV students are commuting from places like Surrey and Langley, and are preparing to present this during provincial lobby week.
He’s also collaborating with other universities to launch a unified provincial transit campaign across B.C. Each school
is advocating for its own transit needs — like UBC pushing for a SkyTrain extension, UVic seeking reduced ferry fares, and UFV focusing on the Fraser Valley Express 66 — but by working together, they aim to amplify their collective voice.
“If we go alone, we are representing 11,000 students. UBC goes there representing 60-70,000 students, [and] SFU goes there representing close to 35-40,000 students. If we all go together, we are
representing a hundred and something thousand students. And numbers speak.”
Faheem explained that it’s more about the government’s purview regarding SUS’ plans to expand the opt-out to those who have accessibility issues but don’t own the government issued BC Bus Pass. He stated that the card is the only official way to verify a student’s eligibility — without it, the decision would fall to the student union’s discretion, which they’re not legally allowed to make. He
UFV // Retired UFV communications professor publishes first book
Looking at over 400 years of family history
RACHEL
TAIT
Dr. Marcella LaFever is a professor emeritus from the School of Communication at UFV.
Written under her pen name, Cella Anne, Dr. LaFever has published her first book called 404 Years. It is an autobiography of her life as well as past generations in her family history dating back to the first settlers in the 1600s. Dr. LaFever spoke with The Cascade about working at UFV, her new book, and how it relates to Indigenization. Her book can be purchased at Friesen Press, local and second hand bookstores.
What did you like most about working at UFV?
I liked that we had one of the most culturally diverse departments in the university, which I didn’t realize until I was at a college-wide meeting one day. People were going around saying who they were, and I realized we had people in our department from all corners of the Earth.
Can you talk about your past advocacy for Indigenization at UFV?
My dissertation that I completed at the University of New Mexico was looking at the communication in the modernday BC Treaty process … [Dr. Shirley] Swelchalot Hardman, who is now the AVP [Associate Vice President] for Indigenous programming … recruited me into working on Indigenization, which was really a new, concerted effort at that time to look at that … Every time anybody asked me to do anything that was related to that, I said yes. And, so I learned a lot in that process … I contributed a lot, but I think I learned [much] more.
Why is Indigenization at university so important today?
It’s really important for all schools, but
“It’s really important for all schools, but certainly for universities, to be conscious of making the university a place where Indigenous peoples actually feel like they can come to and be themselves...“
certainly for universities, to be conscious of making the university a place where Indigenous peoples actually feel like they can come to and be themselves, and recognize their identity within the work that they do, the programs that they choose, and the projects that they take part in.
What inspired you to write this book?
I had no intention of writing it, but as I was retiring, three different people … asked me if I was going to write a book. I said, no, absolutely not, why would I do that? … But when the third person asked me, I started thinking about why they [were]. Maybe there’s something that I need to tell, and if that’s true, then what is it? So, I had to start thinking about what is it in my life that would be worthwhile to tell.
…I knew that my great-grandfather got his land through a land run in Oklahoma, and that was certainly a displacement of Indigenous peoples … I had played with [researching] it a little bit, but I hadn’t really seriously gone back and looked at who these families were and what they did. So I thought, for my own education, I need to do that; and maybe this is also a track that I can use to formulate this book.
…I did discover that my ancestors did own slaves but that there were some that also fought against slavery, and all of these things I brought into the book and told that story. [I] also paralleled it with my own story of growth and coming to the work that I did do. I told it from the women’s voices as I told my own story from my voice.
Were there any challenges?
I was using Ancestry and also looking in other archives and things, but I discovered there’s a lot of wrong information. So verifying your information is super important. I had to spend a lot of time on that, more so for some families than others … because [maybe] there’s other people in your family doing the genealogy work as well, and they may have a lot of wrong information that they haven’t verified, so verifying [and] not just trusting that people have the right information. That’s one area, and being able to find certain kinds of records and not giving up on finding [them].
acknowledged that they may explore other options in the future, but the red card remains a requirement for now.
Faheem encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities SUS provides and take care of themselves.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s a lot. I know everybody has that tendency to get the most out of themselves, but sometimes it’s fine not to give your 100 per cent. Sometimes it’s fine to take a break.”
How does your book incorporate Indigenization work?
One of the things that I did in the book, in the spirit of continuing the reconciliation and indigenization work, was [that] every section and chapter is headed with the year … the indigenous territory in which that particular story takes place, and then the modern name of that place. So, recognizing that territorial acknowledgement for every place where the family lived [and] travelled to.
What advice would you give to authors wanting to publish their work?
Get out there and do it. Some people have been holding their stories in their life for years and years … I recommend they do it, because even if you only write it for yourself and your family, it’s important to pass it on.
Interview has been edited for length and clarity
Photo submitted by Marcella LaFever
Photo submitted by Marcella LaFever
Dr. Brett Pardy discusses teaching MACS to inmates
CAITLYN CARR
Dr. Brett Pardy is an assistant professor for the School of Culture, Media, and Society at UFV.
As part of an initiative led by Dr. Martha Dow, the director of the Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) Hub, Pardy taught MACS 110: Introduction to Communication Studies last fall to Abbotsford’s Pacific Institution inmates. He shared with The Cascade what he learned and why higher education matters in rehabilitation.
What drew you to this initiative?
I’m always interested in how [to] reach education with populations that we [may not] traditionally think of as being university students. I’d never specifically thought about teaching in a prison but [Dr.] Martha [Dow] had this connection and this idea … When the prison started [the] program, I was one of the instructors they asked to do it because they liked my ability to not be too forth-carrying in the classroom … to be conversational and connect what they’re interested in with general ideas of media theory.
How can media and communication studies be valuable to incarcerated students?
One of the big issues in media is that we hear a lot of things, and we have no way to experience them or have the context for them. That is intensified even more when you’re in prison, because you don’t have access to a lot of things going on in the world. So they take in all this information, and then it’s like, ‘well, what do I do with it?’ For example, [I] had a lot of questions about AI, but none of them have seen AI in action. They’ve just seen news stories about AI. So there’s this feeling that a lot is going on in the world, but they don’t have a frame of reference to make sense of it.
Can you describe the structure of the course?
There were a couple less weeks of instruction than there were for a regular class. I tried to approach it [in] the same [way] as [much as] possible, and not [to] think about the situation we’re in too much other than just the obvious adjustment needed — that guys in prison don’t have access to social media, internet, [or] smartphones. So the sort of media they engage with is quite different than students. Which in some
ways, was easier for me, because a lot of classic media study stuff is on television viewing … Guys in prison watch a lot of TV. So stuff on TV news bias, they were very excited to discuss. But for the most part, it was the same lecture discussion set up that would be in a typical class.
How did the students respond to being taught?
I think they weren’t sure at the beginning exactly how it would go, but the guys really loved it, and they seemed excited for it. Every week, they came with questions, they had a lot of things going on in the media they wanted to talk about. It’s a bit of a skill to keep it on track enough that it’s still related, but we did a good job of that. I think they were just excited to get out of the normal routine and try something new. It felt like it definitely did spark interest in at least a couple of them, that if the opportunity was available to do more, they would definitely do it.
What was teaching students in prison like for you personally?
It makes me feel that we should do a better job to try and help rehabilitate people back into society because these guys all have skills they can definitely offer, and
UFV //
SASI welcomes new director, Dr. Jatinder Mann UFV course brought to federal prison
New vision, and what lies ahead for SASI
PRATI KAPOOR
After wrapping up her time at the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI), Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains — founding director of SASI — retired on Aug. 15. Succeeding her is Dr. Jatinder Mann, a former visiting researcher from the University of Reading in the U.K. Mann spoke to The Cascade about his new position, upcoming projects, and what he has in store for SASI.
Stepping into Bains’s big shoes, Mann shared that he feels fortunate and inspired by the hard work SASI has already accomplished. He values the connections built over the past two decades and looks forward to engaging with the community while strengthening those relationships. Mann is proud of the work SASI has achieved so far. He believes anyone who wishes to collaborate with SASI won’t hesitate for long, considering their strong foundation and the institute’s achievements so far. He also believes that the
South Asian Canadian Digital Archive is SASI’s biggest achievement and sees much potential in these projects.
As for his plans for SASI, Mann will prioritize moving them in new directions with more projects and added that his approach isn’t about choosing between existing initiatives and new projects — he believes SASI can do both. He wishes to use his connections to help build lasting relationships through projects, collaborations, and more.
“I want very much [to] continue the strong work that SASI has been doing, especially in terms of the archive of South Asians in B.C., but also broaden its scope a bit as well and look at [the] South Asian community nationally, internationally, and transnationally.”
One of the projects he is eager to start from scratch is a transnational family project — the roots of which stem from his personal life experiences. Born and
raised in the UK and descended from Punjab, India, Mann resonates closely with the international South Asian diaspora. According to him, this project holds immense educational value as it aims to educate communities unfamiliar with the South Asian Diaspora about the diverse experiences spread across different countries.
“Quite often you’ll have family in several different countries, and I think being able to highlight that especially [to] a non-South Asian audience would be really interesting, and also quite important to educate people [that] we might originally be from India, but we also come from many other places and we have roots there as well. It’s not like we’ve just recently arrived.
“...my family [has been] in the UK for over 70, maybe close to 80 years, and [there] are families who have been here for over a century. Those are deep roots.
[I’m] not sure that’s really being taken advantage of … They’re already working very hard to find ways, once they get out, to be good citizens again, and it’s nice to be able to find a way to help do that.
Has the experience taught you anything that you didn’t know before?
I don’t know if it really changed anything, but [it] furthered my belief that it’s important to try and show that education is something you can do [in] any circumstance, [at] any age, and that it’s important to try and reach as many people as you can.
What are your short-term and longterm goals regarding this initiative?
It would be cool if you could actually do a university degree in prison, which you used to be able to do when distance education was mostly paper-based. But now, with distance courses being online and there not being a way for [inmates] to do courses online, that’s not a feasible solution. There are a couple of courses they can take by distance on paper … but it’s not a wide selection … Short-term, I think it’d be great to do another class. Interview has been edited for length and clarity
And I think it would be really important to show that kind of global transnational phenomenon.”
Mann wants students to know that they are always welcome and that SASI has something for them to take away that will leave them with a desire to return. He believes SASI does what it can to build something meaningful. The institute not only caters to academics, but also stands for the wider community beyond it.
In Mann’s eyes, SASI is an extremely unique institution. The way SASI makes everyone who walks in feel seen is something he wishes more organizations had. He acknowledges the responsibilities and honours the trust that comes with his role.
“I’m going to do my best to continue that legacy, which is a huge responsibility. I acknowledge that straight away. But it’s also a privilege and an honour to be given that trust.”
Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains retires from SASI
A reflection on Bains’ academic journey, retirement, and future
PRATI KAPOOR
Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains, director and founder of the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI), bid goodbye as she retired in August. In an interview with The Cascade, Bains reflected on her experiences at SASI, her hopes for SASI, and what comes next.
“I feel good. And of course, I feel very emotional as well. It’s been my job for 24 years. I’ve been doing this work and it’s hard to let go of something you’ve created, but it’s not in a bad way.”
Despite feeling emotional, she expressed confidence in SASI’s future, and emphasized that she’s leaving it in capable hands.
“It’s a very positive feeling that I have amazing staff that work here and really good people I interact with … It’s with real comfort that I leave SASI.”
Under Bains’ direction, SASI completed multiple projects such as the Komagata Maru Exhibit and built meaningful relationships with the community. The Institute grew to be an important stakeholder in communities across B.C., and developing these relationships has been one of SASI’s biggest achievements so far.
“[Community has] been long building and embedded in our work. Whenever we make a partnership, we always make sure there’s four or five times that we connect with this person in different ways, not just [during] this one act of the work that we need to do. I think SASI will continue
with the good grace of the folks that are here and the [ones] that will come in the future as well.”
Bains further explained why these connections are so crucial to all aspects of SASI.
“When you start building a house you start with one brick at a time. Every connection is a brick that’s allowed us to build this building and this [is] not just the physical building, but the actual heart and soul of SASI.”
Bains emphasized the importance of keeping track of what SASI has been doing over the years.
“I think my biggest success is that we’ve been able to put [our work] down on paper and record them for the future generations.”
For her, meeting new people and exchanging real-life stories was the most gratifying part of her role, as it allowed her to discover a space where her background and lived experiences were not just acknowledged, but genuinely valued.
“To find a place where I feel like I can talk about things without having to explain them, it’s a beautiful thought. It’s a beautiful experience. I’ve been very fortunate to have had this opportunity.”
The constant exchange of stories has also shaped her understanding of the South Asian diaspora and the extended community across B.C.
“There’s more [similarity] in all of us than there is difference, and finding that continued thread of our relationships, I think that’s been a big [lesson] for me; to
plans.
keep unraveling that ball of thread to say there’s more and there’s more and there’s more.”
Bains values being an agent of change with a forward thinking approach.
“While culture and tradition and society gives you the roots of where you are, you can also create new branches, and so for us the evolution of how we understand culture and society to say we are agents of change [is] to keep ourselves open to whatever change is coming our way.”
As Bains passes the torch to Dr. Jatinder Mann, she shares her hopes for SASI under new leadership as well as how she hopes her own tenure will be remembered:
“Hopefully the goodwill and community interactions we’ve created will continue ... I want [people] to remember us as an active ingredient at UFV, not a passive, quiet institute but as a very active agent of change.”
Retirement, for Bains, means that there will be more time to relax and enjoy being with her family, but it does not mean she will no longer be working. She may be stepping down as the director of SASI, but she still has a lot on the go.
“I still chair two organizations in B.C., so that work will continue. I have a farm, children, [and] a grandchild. I’m gonna enjoy the fruits of our labour … [but] pause is good. [It] gives you new energy, new vigor, [and] new ideas … But I know I do want to continue to be engaged [with] SASI and enjoy the work that they do.”
Say goodbye like you mean it
I’ve said a lot of goodbyes as I get ready to leave for my year abroad. Elderly dogs and relatives that I hope not to receive a late night phone call about, friends that won’t be the same when I return, siblings that will have projects and plays I won’t be able to attend. Goodbyes are hard and I feel hesitation to face them, but all that it has brought me so far is regret.
In 2021, my favourite band, Bleachers, released the song Stop Making This Hurt and it quickly became a favourite. But I didn’t really listen to the lyrics until recently. The chorus reads, “Stop making this hurt, say goodbye like you mean it.” It felt like it was calling me out. Stop hesitating, stop holding back, write that card, run back for that second hug, hold them tighter, buy the flowers, and say I love you over and over. Make sure they know you will miss them. Once I started acting on it, I haven’t looked back. As I move forward into this adventure that is bound to have plenty of goodbyes, I hope I keep listening, and keep saying goodbye like I mean it.
Column // THE ENVIRONMENTALIST: when America stalls, the world suffers
I rode the Hellevator so you don’t have to SNAPSHOT
Iryna Presley / The Cascade
As I craned my neck to look up at the ride from my place in line, my eyes widened with fear. While everyone around me eagerly moved down the line, I reluctantly inched closer and closer to my fate: the Hellevator that was awaiting me.
As soon as I sat down, I asked the attendant if it was too late to chicken out. After deciding to tough it out (and tying my shoes twice), I silently accepted my fate, took some deep breaths, and waited.
Soon enough, we were flying. Travelling at 75 km/h, the boost of adrenaline was unlike anything I’d experienced before. Up, down, up, down. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I blacked out until we raced up again for a much-needed pause.
At last, my heart calmed at the sight of the dark Vancouver sky lit up by a mural of bright lights, and the feeling of the cool breeze blowing through my hair. It was as if my problems and responsibilities were temporarily abandoned as I sat high above the rest of the world.
Even after the heart-racing plummet back down to earth, I can confidently say that the view was worth the fear.
BY CAITLYN CARR
How fossil fuel loyalty in the U.S. puts the world at risk
FABIOLA CRUZ ALDERETE
Welcome to The Environmentalist, your column for understanding the natural world. This article will address the United States’ contentious environmental policies and why it is an international issue.
Fossil fuel is made from decomposed remains of prehistoric plants and organisms, which can be used and transformed into energy. Despite producing our electricity, heating our homes, and fueling our cars, planes, and ships, it is the leading cause of climate change related to human activity. This creates one of the most politically charged topics regarding the health of our planet: global warming is good for no one, but individually we have no control over where our energy comes from.
The United States is the country with the second highest carbon dioxide emissions, with China being the first. Despite China’s carbon dioxide emissions being higher, the U.S. has higher emissions per capita, meaning a person in the U.S. produces more emissions than a person in China. Even though the U.S. has a federal sustainability plan, which includes transitioning to zero-emissions electric vehicles by 2035. However, the plan itself is likely to face more obstacles given that the steps the U.S.’ government has taken are unfavourable for its environmental program to carry through as it should.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mission is to “protect human health and the environment,” and yet it received a 54 per cent reduction in funding for 2026
— a result of President Donald Trump’s administration. Furthermore, Trump initiated the rollback of more than 140 rules that seek to protect diverse environmental areas and an overall healthy climate. We can certainly say that the United States is not moving forward, and is rather taking significant steps backward.
Trump promotes the fossil fuel industry, as its presence is still strong in the U.S., but despite this, oil and gas stocks have declined. This is a silver lining when considering the tendency observed in the last nine U.S. presidents was to support the fossil fuel industry — but now, change is happening. The impact of excessive carbon dioxide emission can impact not only the quality of the air we breathe, but also the acidity of the oceans, the rising global temperature, and biodiversity loss. It is paramount to take action in defense of the environment before it deteriorates even further, and causes more strain on the lives of both U.S.’ inhabitants and people worldwide.
The world is watching, and how the United States chooses to handle this problem can set an example of either how to solve the problem, or how to worsen it. Here’s hoping it is for the best. Even when these actions are not taken inside our country, we need to understand that climate change knows no borders. As the Lorax once said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.” So, let’s care.
Illustration by
Photo
Lifestyle // You are what you smell
Scents! Tag yourself, I’m woody, aromatic, and floral
NATALIA TOSCANO MURUA
What if you could influence the way people subconsciously perceive something —or someone — without saying or showing anything? Turns out, you can. Pulling it off isn’t a magic spell, but it will turn you into a wizard — a scent wizard. The sense of smell is a powerful sensory tool that can render essential information to the brain almost instantly. Harnessing the power of scent can open the door to another dimension of identity, expression, and connection.
Emotion, memory, and smell have strong links because of how close the areas of the brain that control memory and scent are to one another. This means that different aromas can evoke different responses in people. Many companies are aware of this, which is why some even have trademark fragrances that they use to create distinction for their brand. Singapore Airlines, for example, uses their unique fragrance called Batik Flora to enhance their customers’ experience by recreating the feel of their warm welcome in a scent. Lush is another great example of a brand with a distinct smell; its aroma invites people to come inside. Scent creates a strong impression by tapping straight into your mood through your nose and communicating a message. You can create a scent identity based on the aromatic notes you choose in any scented product of your preference. There are different aroma families, each associated with different qualities. Every fragrance has top notes, which are the ones you will pick up first. They also have heart notes that lie at the core of a fragrance and give it its “true” scent, and base notes that serve as the anchor to the fragrance, lingering long after direct contact with the smell ends. Now for the exciting part, here’s each fragrance family and their qualities:
• Fruity: This family of lively, playful, rich, and exotic notes is distinguished for its refreshing and colourful character. Everything from red berries to tropical fruits, this category is a popular pick for top fragrance notes, like apple, peach, strawberry, melon, mango, and many more.
• Green: Crisp, noble, sharp, and light, the family of greens bring the power of nature and life with it. You’ll find notes like lemongrass, verbena, aloe, bamboo, and succulent in this category.
• Ozonic: This family is named after the scents that linger in the air, like sea breeze, clean linen, mountain mist, and stormy wind. These notes convey cleanness, relaxation, transparency, and pureness.
• Citrus: This family of notes has a bright and energetic character, perfect for conveying originality and spark, while promoting alertness and concentration. Popular citrus notes include lemon, verbena, orange peel, passion fruit, and bergamot.
• Floral: Elegant, timeless, delicate, luminous. The floral family is big in perfumery because of the many notes it has to offer, some of which are gardenia, blossoms, roses, jasmines, lavenders, and lilacs, to name a few.
• Aromatic: This family represents the many notes you often encounter in nature, specifically in trees and herbs. They are fresh, centred, uplifting, and balanced. This is where you’ll find notes like eucalyptus, black tea, sage, mint, and pine.
• Amber: Complex, warm, resinous, and exotic, the amber family are closely related to the woody family, with the distinction of being juicier
and more fragrant. Staples of amber notes include myrrh, embers, santal, and copal.
• Woody: This family is distinguished for its longevity and full-bodied notes that will last long after the fragrance is used. They are usually smooth, deep, sensual, and elegant in quality with notes like patchouli, oak, cedar, palo santo, and sandalwood.
• Gourmand: This family is all about sweetness and cheerfulness, whose notes are caramel-like, milky, comforting, and soft. If you’re a fan of hazelnut, butter, chocolate, and sweet vanilla notes, this is your go-to!
• Spicy: They are rich, intense, hot, and sharp, which can help to add a crisp and strong layer that tingles the nose. You’ll find notes like ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, and pink pepper here. If you identify with certain qualities, you can look at notes to reflect and use them regularly to accentuate your presence and identity. Say for example you consider yourself a calm, easy-going, and cheerful person with a charismatic twist — going for a fragrance with ozonic notes at its heart and citrusy, fruity top notes sounds like a perfect match! Personally, I always gravitate to notes like patchouli, oak, and black tea, often accompanied by sage, eucalyptus, or lavender, which I feel speaks to my character accurately. If you consciously pick the fragrances you use, people are likely to associate you with those notes and their qualities subconsciously. Also, next time you encounter a new fragrance, you can challenge yourself to identify its different layers, and what message it’s trying to tell you. You’ll find that there is a whole world of personality hiding within each scent!
SNAPSHOT
Pick up your damn trash!
Illustration by Iryna Presley / The Cascade
I hate litter.
Truly, I despise litter. And from the very bottom of my heart, if you litter, you disgust me. There is never a good reason or an acceptable excuse to toss your unwanted crap on the ground. Argue with me all you like. I do not care.
Do not litter.
How thoughtless, how careless, how self-absorbed must you be to be okay with leaving your detritus behind you wherever you go?
Not only is it disrespectful and impolite to litter, it’s also just plain gross. If you have an empty bag of chips, a Starbucks cup, cigarette butts, banana peels, or whatever other trash you find yourself in possession of, it’s yours. Wholly and entirely, for the rest of time. It is your responsibility to dispose of it properly. You will hold on to it until you find the appropriate receptacle, be it compost, recycling, or garbage. No garbage bin nearby? Too damn bad! You are stuck with that chip bag. You will not drop it on the ground. I don’t care how far you have to travel, carrying that empty bag of chips, it remains in your possession until you find a garbage bin.
That’s it. End of story.
BY ELYSSA ENGLISH
Illustration by Hannah Bricknell / The Cascade
Someday, I believe SNAPSHOT
The movie comes out, you watch it, you love it, a sequel is hinted at, and you wait for it to come. I’m sure many are familiar with this sequence of events, but I find it funny how the movies I love the most have such long wait times until the sequel is released.
The first few that comes to mind are The Incredibles (2004) whose sequel came out not five, not 10, but almost 15 years later. There’s Avatar (2009) and Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) with a 13 year gap between them, and by the time Tron: Ares (2025) releases, 15 years will have passed since its predecessor Tron: Legacy (2010) came out.
Even if those movies took a long time to release, I’m glad they did. The fact that there’s no sequel to Eragon (2006) — despite its ending clearly hinting at it — still haunts my soul. That doesn’t beat the yearning for my all-time favourite movie, Alita Battle Angel (2019), to get its sequel. I scour the internet for updates every month, hoping, waiting. First, I plead that it gets confirmed and released someday, and second, that it won’t take more than 15 years.
Science // The true colours of colour
You have a favourite colour for a reason
VERONICA POWELL
One question that I find has become general practice for me to ask a new person I’ve met is “what’s your favourite colour?” It might not be the first question you ask someone when you meet them, but it’s a piece of information that has become routine to inquire about. Mine has been blue for as long as I can remember, but it’s worth pondering why. Why do we have a favourite colour? On behalf of all those who have never known the answer, but continue to stick by a specific colour’s side like it’s a beloved pet, I’m here to tell you how psychological the answer is. I don’t know about you, but when I find out someone’s favourite colour, I immediately make certain associations about them. It’s my way of trying to understand that person. If it’s yellow, I tend to think they are generally a happy person. If it’s red, perhaps they’re a little feisty and live on the edge sometimes. If it’s black, they might be heavily emotional and into rock bands. It’s not out of judgement, but I learned instead how much of it is psychology. It’s based on the emotional and mental effects that colours have on a person, cognitively and behaviourally.
Everyone interprets colour differently, and it may influence how one understands someone else. In terms of understanding ourselves, we associate colour with experiences we’ve had and objects we like. For example, if you have fond, happy memories of camping or other outdoor experiences, and your favourite colour is green, you could be connecting your memories to that colour because green is associated with the environment, peace, growth, balance, and restoration. It works both ways too, where green can also represent materialism and may become a dislikeable colour.
The colour wheel is quite fascinating when you attach a personality to it.
Everyone has their own tastes, likes, dislikes, and feelings. It’s why everyone’s
favourite colour is different. For myself, I prefer winter and the colder side of things, and I value communication and honesty. Those are some things that showcase why blue is my favourite colour. On a more common note, blue is the one of the most liked colours in the world, and it reminds others of clear water and blue skies — two natural things that satisfy people. Colour preferences can come from feelings as a result of personal experience. In a colour study test conducted by Karen B. Schloss and Stephen E. Palmer, some participants presented with the colour red thought of a positive image like strawberries, so it’s likely that they had a positive experience with the colour. On the other hand, others thought of negative images such as skin lesions.
The personal and familial connections we’ve made influence our liking to the colours we are drawn to. We might have a favourite colour, or just one we strongly
like, because it reminds us of a significant person in our lives. For example, I often think of my dear aunt who loved blush pink. She had pink furniture and, for a long time, pink slippers she never went without. At the same time, I think of my grandmother because of how much she hates pink.
Not only can “your colour” tell others a lot about you, but it’s a part of how you discover your individual colour palette that sets you apart from the next person. It contributes to you learning what kind of style you like in a home and what kind of clothes you wear. I find that having a colour” provides us with a profound sense of comfort and happiness with our lives. Of course, your favourite colour can change, but when you have one, it feels like a lifelong companion. You can depend on it to see yourself more clearly; because when we know ourselves, we’re content with who we are.
BY NATALIA TOSCANO MURUA
Illustration by Hannah Bricknell / The Cascade
Illustration by Iryna Presley / The Cascade
Politics // Kirk: conversation the wrong way
Why engaging in civil discourse is paramount to society
DARIEN JOHNSEN
It is easy to write off the case of the assasination of Charlie Kirk as one of irony. A right wing conservative who advocated against gun control is shot and killed by a gunman: wild. But that seems too simple.
Most of us would agree that violence is never the answer, but after I heard the news of Kirk’s death, my highly-biased and left leaning Instagram feed seemed, well, not that upset about it. Many people were re-sharing Kirk’s words and politics as a reason that he was shot.
I didn’t really feel bad either, to be honest. I’m a woke liberal lefty and this guy was, in my eyes, a total far-right asshole who was perpetuating harm against others through his speech.
While some parade Kirk as a champion of debate and civil discourse, Moira Donegan in a piece for The Guardian mourns the fact that many are painting Kirk in this way after his death.
“Charlie Kirk’s ‘debates’ were aggressive, unequal, trolling affairs, in which he sought to provoke his interlocutors to distress, shouted them down and belittled them, spewed hateful rhetoric about queer and trans people, women, Black
people, immigrants and Muslims, and selectively edited the ensuing footage to create maximally viral content in which his fans could witness him humiliating the liberals and leftists they perceived to be their enemies.
This was not ‘debate’; it was not reasoned, good-faith discourse; it was not the kind of fair deliberation that democracy relies on.”
It’s safe to say that Kirk didn’t deserve death for the way he engaged in debate, but this incident made me consider the art of conversation. I know what it feels like to sit down across from a community member, or someone in my family, and listen to redundant arguments about why “critical race theory is thought control,” or why “Trudeau should be jailed,” or that “Mark Carney is a pedophile” because of some fake news they saw on Facebook. It’s infuriating; but what makes us a civil society is our ability to engage in conversation. This is what we need to be talking about in the wake of Kirk’s death — especially because we are not America and we don’t exist in a climate that has gone as publicly far right as they have. This is about the preservation of the value of civil discourse.
I often ask myself: is it worth it to try and talk to someone who thinks certain people or groups shouldn’t be recognized or have rights? The question that follows is: what else can we do? It is part of being a citizen in a collective society. I’m not saying we should try to engage with people like Kirk, instead, we should find spaces to have constructive conversations with those who are equally receptive to them. Learning to engage in discourse is what we should be doing as students. We protect human rights, we strive toward civic equity; and I believe that it is worth it to continue to engage in the conversations that make this an ongoing reality.
Nora Delaney, director of Communications at Harvard Kennedy School, encourages civil discourse in her essay “For the Sake of Argument” precisely because of our widening political divides. At the same time, she acknowledges the fear that allowing discourse in these arenas may give space to those with harmful views.
“Rather than dismiss or ignore those with whom we disagree, we should listen to them, try to understand their perspectives, vigorously advocate our own views—and then look for ways to work
Advice // How to have a conversation
A field guide to civil discourse
ZACKERY FITZPATRICK & DARIEN JOHNSEN
It can be difficult to navigate conversations where opinions might conflict, and where emotions can become charged. Discussion around politics, activism, marginalized communities, and similar topics often have real world impact on peoples’ lives, making it easy to get upset or frustrated during these discussions. Talking about sensitive topics can elicit strong emotions, which contributes to an all-too-common tendency for such conversations to shift away from a search for understanding and common ground, and instead descend swiftly into antagonistic rhetoric.
In order to work toward a productive back-and-forth dialogue on challenging topics, here is a brief refresher on how to practice civil discourse.
1. Know your bias: We all have biases, formed from any number of lived experiences, pre-conceptions, societal conditioning, etcetera… but being cognizant of them is of utmost
importance. It can be hard to contribute to a conversation rationally and from an objective standpoint without first acknowledging what might be informing your understanding of the topic, and what underlying biases have contributed to it.
2. Good faith intent: Discourse can’t occur if participants aren’t willing to approach the conversation candidly, and without malicious intent. Evaluating ulterior motives, being sincere, and outlining the parameters of the conversation are generally good practices toward achieving something constructive while deliberating charged topics. Regardless of where you stand, there’s no need to resort to attacks on an individual’s character, their background, or other identifying factors (also known as the “ad hominem” fallacy). Doing this might help keep conversation from getting too impassioned, which is important to ensuring everyone feels safe and heard. It’s for this reason as well that it’s worthwhile to
have others present — whether or not they participate — in order to observe and deescalate if need be.
3. Listen actively and carefully: It is inevitable that disagreement and discomfort will occur, but it’s important not to dismiss anything immediately. Try to listen and see things from other perspectives. Take the time to consider, give each other space and time to finish thoughts, and properly voice points. It’s likely that there will be some common ground that can make it easier to understand another viewpoint — even if you disagree and aren’t entirely aligned on the issue.
4. Be open to being wrong: Part of good debate is facing up to the possibility that you may ultimately be wrong. Despite how much research you do, or how confident you are in your conclusions, we are all fallible to logical blindspots. It’s not a good look to be arrogant about your argument. Remain curious and humble so that others will reciprocate that same energy.
across differences that do not require us to abandon our principles but do allow us to move forward.”
It is not responsible to avoid engaging in discourse for fear of heated debates, nor is it responsible to engage in disrespectful behaviour for the sake of debate. As a university, we should embrace and refine our ability to have intelligent conversations with each other and be open to what each person has to say. It is truly an art that takes time and energy to learn, but it is worth it.
Perhaps I am being naive, but I refuse to say that we are beyond this, that our political extremes have made us incapable of engaging in decent ways, or of succumbing to the notion that we need to be aggressive in our politics. Shying away from conflict and difficult conversations helps no one. It only serves to drive our society further into madness, anger, hatred, or worse: silence. It benefits no one to look at what happened in the States and assume that is what will happen here. We can control our own narrative, we can refuse to become a society that reacts violently to those who don’t believe in what we do.
We can speak and we can listen.
5. Know your boundaries: If a situation escalates, it is important to exercise patience and regulation. Breathe, pause, and refocus on the core subject at hand. Often it can be easy to lose sight of the initial intent or grow defensive and retaliatory, but there’s a difference between being challenged and disagreed with, and being attacked or belittled.
Similarly, look out for fallacious arguments, or those trying to pass off opinion as fact. If someone is being disingenuous, dishonest, or unwilling to listen to reason, the best and easiest way to handle the situation is to remove yourself. Sometimes it’s difficult to “agree to disagree,” but if the conversation seems unlikely to lead to anything productive, you are not obligated to continue participating.
In short, conversations like these are a central part of a functioning democracy and a healthy society. It’s important for us to challenge ourselves to listen to other perspectives and worldviews — even if it’s challenging.
Now go forth and converse!
CHOOS E YOUR S E A S O N !
What is the best time of year? The Cascade team weighs in
THE CASCADE
It’s started. The wind, the rain, the bite in the air, and the darkness that’s creeping in earlier and earlier in the evening. Fall is just around the corner, and we’re noticing a trend here at The Cascade: everyone seems to be either very excited about fall, or already counting down the days until spring. We’re not exactly sure why that is, so we decided it would be fun to play a game of seasonal chance. There’s no winner or loser to this game, just an opportunity to argue. We’ve assigned each player a season, their task is to argue why their season is the best. For what purpose? Honestly, none. We just love an opportunity to write a compelling argument.
Illustrations by Natasha Zilcosky / The Cascade
Season one: FALL
Player: Natalia Toscano Murua
Favourite season: SPRING
The flavours, the colours, the celebrations, the weather, the aesthetic. What is not to love about fall? I believe this season is so popular for a reason; there’s something in it for everybody. I’ll start by saying, neither winter, summer, nor spring have a posh name alternative like fall does. Autumn. It’s so sexy. There must be a ton of reasons why so many people love the fall, so I’ll start with mine.
Speaking personally, this season lands at the time of the year when I am feeling the most inspired. It’s like my heart and mind know that it’s past the midway point of the yearly journey; this is the make or break point for any character arc I put myself through during the first six months of it. It’s a time for reflection just as much as it is a time of action — the year hasn’t ended and much more is to come. The nostalgic aspect of preparing for the year’s end, coupled with the tranquility and joy of knowing there’s still time for a lot of things to happen, influences the way people feel in the fall.
On another note, I think fall’s aesthetic is second to none. The way the colours of the landscape shift to reveal warm bright tones creates an atmosphere of coziness. It’s the best of all three seasons: with summer’s bright sun, spring’s foliage (although with a different colour palette), and winter’s chilly air. It’s not too cold to stop ordering iced lattes — pumpkin spice is undoubtedly a fall staple and can be just as good served cold — but it’s also chilly enough for you to start indulging in hot pies and meals. Who doesn’t love a warm, hearty soup? Lastly, fall is stacked with celebrations. Off the top of my head, I know there’s Thanksgiving, Oktoberfest, Diwali, Halloween, and my personal favourite, Day of the Dead. Every year it feels like everybody has something to celebrate or look forward to during the fall, and it’s that festive spirit that I think contributes to this season feeling as great as it does.
I love fall, I love everything that comes with it, and I love how it’s such a beloved time of year that it sparked a whole debate about seasons here at The Cascade. It doesn’t get any cooler than that!
Season two: WINTER
Player: Darien Johnsen
Favourite season: ???
I used to utterly despise winter, mostly because my seasonal depression kicks in really hard around this time whereas summer always brought emotional highs. As I’ve gotten older though, these seasonal highs have subsided and I don’t feel the same excitement when the hot weather hits. So, my appreciation for winter has grown — but not in a positive way, and I fear it’s only because of my morbid acceptance of the misery of life. The inner teenage emo Darien clearly hasn’t left the building and has only reared her monstrous head more so now that I’ve hit 30. So, what is my stance? Winter: the best time to suffer and justify suffering.
Summer brings with it so much possibility: time off from school, long warm evenings that can be enjoyed out in the fresh air, everlasting sunshine to get that sweet serotonin high, and a dry, non-icy climate that makes travelling easier and enjoyable. But I have to say, I feel a deep relief when winter hits. There’s no pressure to enjoy things, being miserable has an easy excuse: it’s cold and dreary outside, and I can complain about so many more things than usual. My inner pessimist rejoices at this season of excuses not to leave the house, to eat more sweets, and to rot in bed all day. Winter is one for the misery
lovers and introverts, for those that love to stay home, bake bread, and brood. The darkness comes sweet and early, an excuse to crawl under the comforter with my cat, sleep deeply, and not wake up until 10 a.m. “Sorry, I can’t make it to class, we’re snowed in.” Ah, that sweet, sweet sound. I can’t wait to sit by the window after a fresh snowfall when everything is quiet and the streets are empty. Let me complain about the cold, tell people I’m too tired to go out, and overindulge in endless pots of soup. Plus, this dark night of the soul brings me such creative inspiration. Winter, how the sad girl in me loves the sad boy in you — thank you for the gift of suffering.
Season three: SPRING
Player: Veronica Powell
Favourite season: WINTER
There’s no other time of the year where we feel more revived. Spring means a sense of freedom and new beginnings, and that could be interpreted as performing a satisfying spring cleaning, reading a new book, or cracking open your window and finally smelling fresh air after what has felt like years. We feel more refreshed than ever, and we find ourselves more satisfied because the sun is coming out again. The best part about the weather? It’s not too hot, and it’s not too cold. In between some rainy episodes, the temperature doesn’t make us sweat the second we move, but doesn’t make us freeze either. It’s just perfect, and our days seem to feel much simpler as we stroll through them — plus, there are more hours in a day and us students need all the time we can get.
The world becomes so much sweeter when we see the blanket of blossoming pink buds scattering the ground, and lush leaves return- ing to the trees. I mean, all you have to do is look at buttercups to feel like life is content. Nature practically sprouts happiness and lets us eat directly from its stem. I’m talking about eating the first ripe, juicy peach right from the tree and making a salad with fresh, raw vegetables straight from the garden. No other season gives you that kind of gratifi- cation. Plus, farmer’s markets are back and better than ever, baby. On a peaceful Sunday morning? Mood boosters = activated.
Furthermore, time with family is always my most valued time. My personal gratification for Spring comes from Easter and the start of many family celebrations. Once March hits, it’s birthday after birthday, but Easter is where the fondest memories lie for me. Between chocolate bunnies, egg hunts, and having to fight my brother for the gold one between the couch cushions, Easter is a time for religious appreciation and reflection, colouring eggs, and wearing that cute pastel outfit that’s been waiting for its debut.
Spring has a lot of cherries on top of the cake. There’s picnics and tea parties in the park, eight o’clock sunsets, dancing in the rain, picking tulips, and bicycle rides in the mead- ows. So, the next time you think another season is better than spring, think of being in a warm, pastel world where freshly sparkling dew rejuvenates you and time becomes long and cheerfully spent, and then reconsider.
Season four: SUMMER
Player: Zackery Fitzpatrick
Favourite season: WINTER
Something felt different this summer. As an introverted, self-conscious youth who was easily over-stimulated, the heat and the sweat that came with it were always a pairing I was very much averse to. But 2025? June somehow snuck up and promised change. And as June turned to July, I couldn’t help feeling optimistic — enthusiastic, even — at the idea of beach- es, concerts, and barbecues in the scorching 35 degree heat. It’s safe to say, somewhere along the line, my opinion of the season changed. I think it’s a sentiment of an overall more grim worldview. In times of global (and local) economic, social, and political strife, remaining positive is like a new little act of rebellion. Doing what you can for yourself and your com- munity, engaging in meaningful conversation — what better time of year for such acts of commiseration and advocacy than when outdoor plans are already being made? Sometimes warm breezes beat out rising electricity bills courtesy of constant AC. For some, it may just be the sun that helps brighten the mood through that little dose of vitamin D fighting to keep you sleeping well and feeling fresh. And though you should wear SPF year-round, it’s certainly more
encouraged when it’s bright and blistering out. The sweat has me taking more routine showers and wearing clothes less frequently between washes, leaving me feeling fresher than usual. The more I linger on these little acts of self-care (often overlooked), the more it seems that the healthy habits which contribute to a more optimistic mindset are almost passively easier to uphold over the summer season. Moisturize, keep clean, photosynthesize — you know, house plant activities.
So, much as I am loath to say it — and as much as I will take solace when the leaves start to change colour — summer is not my favourite season, but damn if it isn’t good for me… and it’s probably good for you too.
SPORTS
Q&A //
Cascade Q&A: Cameron MacIsaac
ETHAN PAULSON
Cameron MacIsaac is a first-year midfielder on the Cascades women’s soccer team from the competitive soccer region of Burlington, Ontario. Playing soccer at a university level was a goal for her even if that meant being thousands of kilometres away from home. Despite the distance, MacIsaac’s friends and family are behind her every step and cheering her on as she begins her Cascades career under the tutelage of head coach Ari Adams.
How did you get your start in soccer?
I started playing soccer when I was eight-years-old — I switched between a couple of clubs, and then finally found the right one for me — which kind of led me to playing here.
What is the soccer scene like in Burlington? It’s really competitive, every team that we [played] was always a super hard game. Getting onto teams was always pretty competitive. Even going into high school soccer, there was always a lot of competition between the girls.
Were there any other sports that you played?
I played a little bit of volleyball in high school. I’m a runner, I like to run … me and my mom love to play pickleball together. When I was little I was always playing all the sports, but strictly soccer once I got older.
Who has been the most impactful coach in your life?
Casey Downey was really influential for me. Not only did he help me a lot throughout my recruiting process, he also taught me many things I know as a player and as a person. Leaving his team to come here was definitely tough, but great for me to continue with university soccer, and that was his goal for all of his players, and especially for me, I had a great relationship with him.
Do you have any other meaningful connections from soccer?
I’ve had some amazing friends through soccer, [it] has brought a lot of friendships for me. I would [also]
Photo by Joshua Sulpico / The Cascade
say my sister, [Brogan MacIsaac]. She plays soccer at the university level as well. She’s two years older than me, and she’s definitely helped me grow as a player.
How have you been handling the transition between youth and university level soccer?
Coming in as a rookie, it’s a big change. My teammates have helped me through this transition, even just the competition at our practices. I already feel like I’ve become a better player just [from] playing with this level of soccer and these girls.
How did you first hear about the UFV program?
Throughout my recruiting process I was looking at many different schools, and then I just got in contact
with Ari and came and saw the school. And once I got here, I really fell in love.
Did you set any goals for yourself coming into your rookie year?
One goal for me was not even games — it was more practices. I just wanted to prove myself in practices, because I knew practices were going to be something that I always had — I didn’t know if I was going to get the games, but I knew I was always going to get the practices. I knew I wanted to show up in practices 100 per cent of the time and work hard every chance that I could get.
How has the move to B.C. been while being away from home?
It’s been really tough being so far away … I can still FaceTime my parents and my friends and keep in contact with them, and they have been so encouraging on my journey … So even though I’m far away from them, I still feel supported and encouraged.
What has your head coach meant to you so far?
Ari has been really great for me. So far, she’s already taught me so many lessons and helped me as a player. [She] definitely has already made an extreme impact on me in the short time that I’ve been playing on her team.
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster start to the season for you guys, one weekend with two losses, another with two wins. How have you and your teammates been able to handle that adversity you’ve faced so far?
Going into our first weekend we knew it was going to be a tough one, and we have just continued to grow from that start as a team. We’ve all become so competitive and going on the field every single person has put [in] 100 per cent and I see that growing throughout the season.
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity
Coaches //
From U SPORTS to the CFL, UFV’s S&C coach preaches a humble approach
JEFFREY KENNETT
Donning a freshly buzzed head to begin the 2025/26 season, Matt Chapdelaine lifted up the garage door and showed me around what’s functionally his office, better known as the Cave in Building E — notably painted with one forest green wall.
While the space existed prior to his arrival as UFV Cascades strength & conditioning coach in 2019, Chapdelaine has given it life. The previous layout of awkwardly arranged squat racks and mirrors has been transformed to create a fitness studio for varsity athletes to train more effectively — with a computer tucked into the corner for the coach to send emails.
The Cave is one small part of UFV’s campus, but there’s a tenable energy between those four walls within the bowels of the UFV Athletic Centre. Chapdelaine calls it the idea of transformation, based on both the teachings of the Stó:lō nation and what UFV can offer those unsure where they belong.
UFV is a place where you can transform yourself. A place where you can begin without any prospects and turn your life into whatever you want it to be.
“UFV is probably one of the most accessible universities in the country,”
Chapdelaine told The Cascade. “It’s a place where you can be anybody, and you can find a place to belong here.”
Chapdelaine comes from a storied sports family. His father, Jacques, is a former professional CFL football player and three-time Grey Cup champion as a coach. His mother, Kim, was a track and field coach at Trinity Western. His older sister, Kaela, played basketball at the University of Oregon, and his younger brother, Justin, won a Vanier Cup alongside Nick Sirski in 2009.
It’s not hard to see how Chapdelaine found himself in football.
After winning a B.C. provincial championship with Abby’s W.J. Mouat Hawks in 2005, Chapdelaine found himself in the starting line-up with the University of Alberta Golden Bears roster in 2006. He admittedly refers to himself as a hot-shot receiver at this point in his life, and although no one in their right mind would refer to him as undersized as he currently stands, he was undersized within the sport of football at 175 lbs. in his first year.
“I had a lot of bravado,” said Chapdelaine. “I thought I was the premier receiver coming out of my grad class in Canada… And I had nothing to back that up.”
Chirping his defensive backs or even his coach during practice was a
regular occurrence for the young and brash Chapdelaine — in one instance even going as far as suggesting that the defensive unit would need to recruit new players capable of covering him.
“It’s embarrassing to look back at that and be like, wow, you could have really used a dose of humility.”
A moment of clarity came years later when the opportunity to meet Jason Clermont — then of the BC Lions — arose. Chapdelaine recalls asking Clermont why the longtime pro athlete never celebrated after a touchdown. Clermont replied he’d done it before. It was part of his job to score touchdowns. From that point on Chapdelaine would opt to take a similar step toward humility with more muted celebrations on the gridiron.
Chapdelaine sustained multiple concussions during his first season in Edmonton, an early warning sign that perhaps a sustained career in football might not be possible. With hindsight, he thinks a more beneficial path would have been to redshirt his first year of football and further develop his skills as a practice player, a path he encourages all student-athletes to take advantage of, should they have the chance.
Another concussion the following season with the Golden Bears forced Chapdelaine onto the sidelines yet again,
Soccer // Humility over skill: the Chapdelaine theorem Defend the fortress
From ‘Caps to Cascades, De Souza aims to keep the consistency in net
ETHAN PAULSON
Big shoes are never easy to fill. The UFV Cascades men’s soccer program knows this all too well. Following the departure of a five year stalwart in net by the name of Jackson Cowx, the program needed to pivot to find their keeper of the future.
With second-year goalie Lewis Hiebert being the only netminder returning this season, the Cascades signed rookie Matheus De Souza out of Surrey, B.C. to compete for the starter’s position. De Souza joins UFV from the Whitecaps FC MLS Academy, where he played from 2021 through 2024. What some might call a challenging transition into Canada West, De Souza acknowledged the familiar feeling between the two leagues and emphasized that the difficulty of every match at the Canada West level was something he was akin to.
De Souza has wasted no time making his presence known on the pitch. Just like Cowx before him, De Souza has played every minute for the Cascades in 2025/26, marking a new era between the posts for UFV. Through his first six starts with the Cascades, De Souza earned Canada West player of the week on Sept. 16 after posting a program high four consecutive shut-outs over a total of 462 minutes and 35 seconds before the streak was snapped in a 6-2 victory the following weekend over the Saskatchewan Huskies
Coach Tom Lowndes had glowing remarks about his new keeper.
“Matheus has come in and been excellent. His shot stopping ability is really good, his distribution, his communication, and he’s a great kid, really good character. The lads love him.”
Trusting the players to defend and block shots is vital in both the success
of a keeper and the team as a whole. With veteran defenders in front of him, a talented group of forwards, and midfielders who can score in bunches, De Souza can settle into a difficult Canada West division. Mistakes lead to growth, and Lowndes has insulated the rookie with an experienced defensive core.
De Souza was quick to credit his teammates when discussing the team’s success
“[We have a] really good back line, unreal. I was talking to some of the guys and they said that they got my back, I got their back, we have that connection with all of us.”
De Souza stays vocal and focused on the action by constantly communicating with teammates and staying locked on the ball throughout the 90 minutes of playing time. He told The Cascade that the second he loses his focus could be the one that the ball ends up behind him or that the game
followed by a stress fracture that derailed a 2009 comeback attempt with SFU — football seemed like it was slipping out of his grasp.
“When the game gets taken from you so many times you realize, what am I entitled to? You just have no sense of entitlement anymore because you realize it’s a gift.”
Despite not being able to play the entirety of 2009, Chapdelaine once again ramped up his training and was picked by the BC Lions in the sixth round of the 2010 CFL draft. Serving as a practice player the following season, he was starting at the bottom, a humbling position for the young man who was undoubtedly a longshot. He found enjoyment tutoring his teammates on the coach’s playbook, the sign of a player that truly embraced their role as a teammate on his squad.
After giving up football for good, Chapdelaine has found a new calling in his work with student athletes at UFV. On the sidelines at every Cascades game, whether it be sporting a quiff, sidepart — or buzz cut — he’s always repping green, rain or shine.
“Maybe it’s the kick-off to a championship era here,” Chapdelaine said of his new look.
slides another direction.
Having a strong duo of keepers is essential for the Cascades’ tandem to develop their skills alongside each other, but also for the players in front of them to learn how each goalie controls the game and stays sharp in practice.
“Matheus knows every day when he comes to training that Lewis is going to push him. It’s a perfect relationship and one that will only get better as the season goes on.”
As both De Souza and Hiebert continue to gain valuable experience playing against top-ranked teams in Canada West, and if the long-term results are as promising as the early success, the Cascades net is in good hands, or gloves, for a long time.
Event Coverage // Connecting community
Atangard Community Project celebrates 16th anniversary
ZACKERY FITZPATRICK
I’ve been in and out of the Fraser Valley my whole life, but have never truly planted roots. Every attempt of mine to establish community fell short. Family grew distant, classes transitioned online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and hobbies always waxed and waned in interest.
After years of online classes, and a renewed determination to return to the Valley and to UFV, I had to ask: what does the search for connection look like when you have nowhere to start? How does one muster up the motivation to put themselves out there? Well, the time and energy aren’t likely to go ahead and just fall in your lap but for me, it truly was something of a stroke of luck.
Enter Atangard. This community housing project has been on my radar for awhile, mainly from a distance. Acquaintances mentioned the name on and off for years, without fully explaining its scope or intention. When I was invited to their 16th anniversary party on Sept. 13, I saw an opportunity to get a better idea of what it entailed, and who was involved in running the place.
I sat down with one of the organizers, MacKenzie Kroetsch, president of the board at Atangard, to discuss how it contributes to the community, and what its future holds.
What does community mean to you?
Atangard provides a sense of community, where [roommates] aren’t just people you live with, they’re people that you interact with, that you lean on for support, and that you know will also in turn, support [you] when [you] need it.
What are some things Atangard does to uplift and support its local community?
We do comedy shows here, and we find local artists to come perform for talent nights and other things and we try to make the majority of our events free, so that it’s open to the community … there’s a place that everybody can come to and have easy access to.
You had your 16th anniversary party recently. What goes into putting those larger events together?
Honestly, it’s a lot of work … We had Gord and [Morse Code Literature] … two bands that we had never had here before … Generally, it’s a volunteering platform. That way we don’t have to charge anybody tickets.
Beyond just celebration, do you think such events bring awareness to Atangard?
I definitely do. Our anniversary party is one of the only ones that we do outside … and that’s because we want it to be right in the community for people to wander up and figure out who we are. We don’t do that with a lot of our other events … We really do want people to wander around and just be like “Oh, what’s that?”
Do you think awareness itself is helpful toward future goals for Atangard, or is there a way for like-minded people to contribute to the project?
The whole goal is to spread awareness so that we can give everybody a place to go, even if they’re not living here — to have friends and community close by and easily accessible. So, the more people talk
about it — the more we can get our name out there — the better. That also gives us a chance to get connected with more businesses that want to support Atangard and keep us here for longer.
What do you hope Atangard’s future looks like?
Our immediate future is just keep Atangard here and make sure that we have enough residents that we can pay rent, and make sure we can keep doing
events in the long future. Though the ideal plan we’ve all talked about is that we would love to have more Atangards … Bring community housing to all of the Fraser Valley, instead of just this one area.
Is there anything coming up that people should be aware of?
We’re doing a blood drive starting in October, so we’ll have an account at Canadian blood services so anybody can go and donate blood … and then we’re going to have a party [at the] end of October. It’ll be our Halloween party but it’ll also be the end of the blood drive, so we’ll be celebrating however much we end up donating … We’re here and we love people to come just ask questions … New people are always welcome.
We are [also] working with the Abby Arts Collective open show. So we’ll have artists there, we’re also doing some film showings, and, you know, food and liquor. It’ll be a good time.
Where can people find you?
Our Instagram (@atangardcommunityproject) is all about the events. We also have info@atangard.com, anyone can email us there, reach out about anything. That’s also where you would send your application and we would get you an interview.
Interview edited for length and clarity
Photo by Silas Bush
Photo by Silas Bush
Indigenous // Indigenous ways of creating
Lorna Andrews teaches the traditional practice of pine needle weaving
ZACKERY FITZPATRICK
These transitionary seasons seem to be the time of year when everyone has their attention drawn toward the natural world. In the fall the leaves change colour and the corn and pumpkins are ready for harvest, while in the spring new growth is hard to ignore. But year-round, the evergreens loom, occasionally shedding their needles, though not quite as dramatic as their deciduous cousins. We often overlook these stalwart conifers, but they too provide a sustainable, harvestable resource, and have for generations.
Lorna Andrews, UFV’s Teaching and Learning specialist focusing on Indigenization, runs a series of workshops titled Pining for Needles, which seek to teach the craft of pine needle
weaving whilst unpacking topics of decolonization, teaching humility toward the land, and imparting the history of the trade. These workshops result in participants coming away with their own pine needle baskets, yes, but they also detail the specifics of harvesting materials and how to do so with respect. It’s not just about method and craft, but also about praxis — how to go about things properly.
A part of this practice is thanking the tree that the needles are taken from, not taking too many (only what is needed and will be used), and acknowledging what it is providing for you or how you will use them. Traditionally, offering tobacco during this acknowledgement is seen as proper form when asking for assistance. This sets a perfect example of the respect and humility that is brought to the trade.
These practices also shine a light on westernized ways of thinking which typically position people as above nature; however, an Indigenized, decolonized outlook reminds us that one depends on the plants and animals of the land to survive. This sustainable, environmental practice, encourages a sense of reciprocity, giving back, and viewing nature as equal, or even a relative, and goes to show why it’s worth passing on — beyond practicality or artistic pursuit.
That’s not to say all things modern ought to be thrown to the wind, however. Andrews, through her workshop, explains not only the traditional methodologies of pine needle work, but also some of the benefits that have come from modernization. Traditionally, sinew (or plant fibers) and sap are key material components,
but now imitation sinew and beeswax are often used instead, improving the longevity of the baskets, medallions, or other pine needle creations. On the subject of preservation, Andrews shared that pine needle baskets weren’t very well known for their half-life, often considered disposable or single-use, much the same way we view paper plates or takeout containers today!
Andrews is offering this workshop as a continued series over several sessions throughout the coming months, with dates on Sept. 24 and Nov. 26. Continued education on Indigenization is a major emphasis in her role with the Teaching and Learning Centre, and what better time to continue the labour of decolonization than with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on the horizon?
Column //
Campus Fashion: a guide to popular fall footwear
Five of the most comfortable shoes for fall
This is Campus Fashion, your source of inspiration for seasonal trends, cool finds, and wardrobe basics to keep you looking stylish throughout the year.
In fashion, your feet matter too. Every season there are several types of footwear that look great, feel comfortable, and are weather appropriate. With busy classes on the go and little time to get there, it’s time to take a look at five of the most popular and comfortable foot apparel this season has to offer.
Sneakers
Arguably one of the most comfortable shoes out there, sneakerssneakers are the way to go for working out or running to class (because you couldn’t find parking). Opting for black or white running shoes are the most versatile options. They go well with anything. Try pairing blue jeans with a black T-shirt, black running shoes, and an oversized black sweatshirt for a casual day out. You can also dress running shoes up by wearing a plain white pair of runners with a denim dress and a white cardigan.
Loafers
Flat and classic, loafers are a great shoe to wear with skirts, dress pants, and jeans. Trying a pair that comes in a rich colour, like wine or burgundy, can add depth and character to an all black outfit. A pair of neutral black or dark brown leather loafers goes well with indigo wash jeans, a red crew neck sweater, and a dark brown barn jacket.
Ballet flats
Another versatile piece, the ballet flat is both a comfortable and fashionable shoe for the fall. To emulate the traditional look, try wearing a pair in baby pink with a white floral fit and flare dress. For a more casual look, wear black leather ballet flats with a grey turtleneck sweater, a black leather jacket, and ripped jeans.
Boots
Tall, ankle, riding, or over the knee, boots are versatile, practical, and classic. They can both dress up an outfit and keep your feet dry from the rain. For a trendy look, wear black ankle leather boots with an orange and black flannel shirt dress and black leggings. For a more practical look, it doesn’t hurt to pair rain boots with jeans, a hoodie, and a rain jacket for the wetter days ahead.
Walking shoes
As the name suggests, these shoes are designed for that exact purpose, and can look great in a bold colour with jeans and a sweater, or in a plain neutral with more polished garments such as dresses and dress pants. Try wearing white vegan leather walking shoes with khaki corduroy pants, a white cable-knit sweater, and a denim jacket. For a more formal occasion, pair black walking shoes with black dress pants, a pink cardigan set, and chandelier earrings.
There you have it, a look at some of the most comfortable and snazzy footwear that fall has to offer. With so many different types of shoes and boots to choose from, here’s hoping you find the right ones that suit your style. May your feet be comfortable this season as you commute your way through university.
Illustration by Linnaea Mallette
RACHEL TAIT
Crossword // STUDY BREAK
Sudoku //
Horoscopes //
By: Minerva the Mystic
Aries - Mar. 21 to Apr. 19
Change is coming; much needed change. I can’t say if it will be good, bad, or ugly. I simply don’t know. But what I can say is that it’s not optional. On the bright side, this will probably be good for you. You’re on track to finding some new inner strength. Should all go well. See you on the other side.
Taurus - Apr. 20 to May 20
You work hard and you’re proud of that fact. But this “no luck, all skill” mentality is getting to be a bit too much. Seems like lately, all you do is work. You’re losing sight of the bigger picture. It’s not just me saying that. Your friends agree. They miss you! Rebalance, reschedule, reconnect.
Gemini - May 21 to Jun. 20
Teamwork makes the dream work, they say. But what happens when the team refuses to work? This is where you step in. Every good team needs leadership — someone willing to take initiative and light the way. Now’s your time to shine.
Cancer - Jun. 21 to Jul. 22
Have you heard of the sunk-cost fallacy? You’ve put so much into a project that you’re hesitant to quit even when that’s the best choice to make. Here’s an ancient proverb for you to ponder this week: “If it sucks…hit da bricks!”
Leo - Jul. 23 to Aug. 22
Things are looking good right now. Fortune has favoured you. Don’t take it for granted though, and don’t get cocky. Just take it easy for a bit. Now is not the time for spontaneity or frivolity, for that matter.
Virgo - Aug. 23 to Sept. 22
Bullshit begone! No time for nonsense. You are charging forwards, goals in sight. A direct, head-on approach is definitely for the best. Just remember to keep your eyes open and be careful. You don’t want to run headfirst into a wall.
Libra - Sept. 23 to Oct. 22
You, like so many, have a dream for your life and there are those around you who don’t quite understand it. So when will you start acting on those dreams? Why not now? You have to get your head out of the clouds at some point, dreamer.
Scorpio - Oct. 23 to Nov. 21
Adventure awaits! The crisp autumn air has you feeling recharged and full of life. There is work to be done and many a sight to see. Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er! But… um… hey… would you mind sharing some of that energy and enthusiasm? The stars have not been so kind to all of us.
Sagittarius
- Nov. 22 to Dec. 21
You have mastered the subtle art of not giving a fuck. Because of that, you’ll find yourself called to action — slow, deliberate, and decisive action. If you’ve been thinking about starting something new, this week is looking like a good time to begin.
Capricorn - Dec. 22 to Jan. 19
Oh boy. Life is messy. Don’t go making any big swings right now. Hunker down and take your time. Don’t get stuck in the mud of muddled emotions. Keep moving forward. But, slowly. Not erratically. Random flailing will make you sink faster. Think carefully. Seek advice if you need it. No, not just from me, I mean from someone who really knows you.
Aquarius
- Jan. 20 to Feb. 18
My dear Aquarius, your work is never really done, is it? The world is in turmoil and your compassion and kindness are in high demand. You are the emotional rock that we all need in our lives. Sensitivity and empathy are your strengths right now.
Pisces - Feb. 19 to Mar. 20
When people say listen to your gut you have no idea what the hell they’re talking about. Your gut is asking for snacks and that’s about it. Right now, I agree with its advice. It’s hard to work with an empty stomach. Fuel up. You’re going to need it.
Indigenous // Support Indigenous art, don’t harm it
A teaching moment toward Indigenous art arises for the UFV community
VERONICA POWELL
As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation nears, the UFV community is called to reflect upon an unfortunate incident involving Indigenous art on campus, where a cherished Indigenous painting was vandalized. To focus on and bring awareness to the featured art, as well as offer a chance for sincere reflection, The Cascade spoke to Paul Brammer, director of UFV’s Xwexwílmexwawt, and Teresa Carlson, curator of Research and Engagement at Xwexwílmexwawt.
Xwexwílmexwawt, UFV’s own mini museum of Indigenous art, has been a part of UFV since 2009. The museum is one of the primary outlets we have to express our acknowledgement and understanding of Indigenous communities and their presence. Carlson explained what the art means for Indigenous individuals — importance of identity and belonging.
“The development of Indigenous art is a reflection of the cultural and spiritual resurgence, and strength of Stó:lō culture… Having [Indigenous] art on the campuses is an opportunity for scholars, students, and Stó:lō faculty to see themselves reflected in the art.”
Carlson noted how it’s just as much a reflection of UFV building and maintaining a relationship with Stó:lō people. The Indigenous Teaching Garden, for example, is Brammer’s highlight of the Indigenous markings on campus that showcase their progressive efforts to make the culture’s art presence strong.
“Its impact is multifaceted and can mean different things to different people, but I think for non-Indigenous students especially, [they can] look at the beautiful new cafeteria and the fish that are on the outside — [these] designs are important, atmospheric pieces of our campus.”
The artwork welcomes Indigenization and allows us to build our show of respect and knowledge for them. Vandalizing that art becomes a learning opportunity for all where we reflect on what exactly that art represents. It’s not just a piece of art, but a part of an Indigenous artist’s spirit.
“The creator is sharing a piece of themselves, so to deface a piece of [their] art [is] hurtful to the artist and disrespectful of the culture and the teachings that those artists are generously trying to share with people.”
Even though Brammer and Carlson claim the vandalism was not a purposefully malicious or targeted act but rather a “misadventure,” reconciliation is something we show through our actions and we have a responsibility to practice it. Brammer emphasizes that cultural humility is one way to do so.
“I think that’s a key part of the way forward, is for us to show cultural humility, gratitude, and respect that I hope comes from that humility.”
Ultimately, when the art is harmed, the artist is harmed too. Art plays a huge role in Indigenous history, and therefore Canadian history, and despite the trials and tribulations they’ve endured, Carlson noted that their generosity to share part of their spirits with us still remains.
“...they’re still willing to develop relationships and to share and foster reconciliation. Each piece of Indigenous art on campus shows that willingness and it’s also a huge reflection that Indigenous people are transcending. They’re not just reviving or revitalizing their culture. It was never gone. It’s just becoming stronger.”
The bottom line? A part of showing respect for Indigenous culture is appreciating the art they put out into the world.
by
Photos
Juwon Park
Columns // Cascade Rewind: why ripping up Nazi flags is unsurprisingly timely
SKY S. TERRONES
The Cascade pages are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung for 60 years. The Cascade fills my heart with the sound of music; my heart wants to sing this 700-word article on how great this movie is.
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the iconic film The Sound of Music (1965), sparking worldwide celebrations and the announcement of its cinematic return, which had me scrambling to get tickets. As a musical fan, come hell or high water, I wasn’t missing the chance to see this remastered 4k cinematic masterpiece on the big screen.
If you say this is a movie about Maria, a rebellious novice (Julie Andrews) sent to work as a governess of seven children, who falls in love with Georg, a retired sea captain (Christopher Plummer), you’d be right. But also, wrong. While Maria’s calling to find where she belongs kickstarts the story, the first act is really an exploration of grief and how music gently mends the wounds of a fractured family.
As relationships heal and progress, so does the looming rise of Nazism that threatens to overcome the narrative. Act two shows our protagonists finally getting together, and the adorable von Trapp family singers deal with the Anschluss (annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany).
Although the real von Trapp family did not climb mountains to escape the Nazis, the captain did refuse to join Hitler’s navy and even turned down an invitation to sing at his birthday party. Eventually, they fled to the United States, where they toured and ultimately stayed.
There’s much controversy surrounding the real Maria von Trapp. Her strict and often harsh parenting style was far from the cheerful governess we see in The Sound of Music. Alas, how do you solve a problem like Maria? Raised under rigid discipline herself, Maria was very much a product of her time — when physical punishment was common and rarely questioned. Still, this has made some of those who are privy to the information hesitant to celebrate her character. It raises a broader question of ‘how much should the truth behind a story shape our perception of the story itself?’ Should it shape it at all? Even so, while the reality may be darker, the story and characters we got still carry light that is worth holding onto.
The cast is pure perfection, with Plummer expertly tearing down the Nazi flag and ripping it
in half in a no-nonsense fashion, and with — the absolute queen — Andrews, who soars beyond every musical note thrown at her.
This was my feel-better film growing up. Even though it was all in English and I understood none of the words, there was just something wonderful and magical about feeling a story rather than simply knowing what happens. Rewatching it as I grew older, with a deeper understanding of its layers, made me fall in love with it all over again.
No words can express the utter heartbreak I felt watching Georg sing “Edelweiss” at the Salzburg Festival, and finally understanding why his voice trembles and breaks mid-song. It’s not just a performance — it’s a farewell. To Austria. To freedom. To a world that’s disappearing. All seems lost until Maria, the children, and even the audience join in song, helping him finish the tune. There’s strength in that unity. The Edelweiss flower, known for surviving harsh winters, acts as a metaphor for this resistance and resilience in the darkest of times.
There are countless reasons why, even six decades later, this movie remains a beloved classic that goes beyond its flawless photography and sound design. I’d argue its legacy endures in its quiet, yet powerful statement on political apathy in the face of tyranny.
“You know I have no political convictions. Can I help it if other people do?” says Max Detweiler (Richard Haydn), defending his neutrality to von Trapp, who answers: “Oh yes, you can help it. You must help it.”
It’s baffling to think that despite several inaccuracies, a movie can hold up and even become extremely relevant after so long. If only its popularity in the United States prevented them from repeating those same fascist patterns…
So, what is the sound of music?
To me, it’s hope. And this movie celebrates it in a way that has become a rare commodity nowadays — but what else is there left to do?
Creative Corner showcases original creative work from UFV students.
Momentary
A piece of paper covered in ink splotches. A cup of tea that’s steeping after midnight. A phone call with only whispers shared. A smell of something sweet lingering from the kitchen. A dance in the dark. A flash of lightning. A fireplace crackling. A clock is chiming. A record playing music. A car’s tires whoosh in the rain outside the window. A glow of light inside a home while the end credits roll. A hand held in the cold. A laugh that echoes.
Skin brushes skin while breath feels breath.
what is short will stay.
love suspended in a time, a space where time does not grow.
Television // Abbott Elementary deserves an A+
Teaching is messy, but meaningful
JASLEEN SANDHU
Abbott Elementary (2021-) (Abbott) is charming, chaotic, and colourful. It has everything a mockumentary series needs: running gags, one-liners, vibrant characters, and stellar holiday specials packed into 20 minute episodes across four seasons. The series focuses on an underfunded and underappreciated career path as it follows a handful of teachers in West Philadelphia who navigate their lives with humour and a whole lot of heart. It’s the ultimate comfort show.
Abbott centres around a diverse cast of characters: unprofessional — yet capable — principal, Ava Coleman (Janelle James), young teachers like Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), who make mistakes despite trying their best. Then there are the seasoned professionals, such as Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), and finally, the distinguished janitor Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis).
Despite where these staff members are in their careers and how different they are from each other, what unites them all is their love for the students. From the regular school day to after-hours programs, these educators give just about everything
they have to make sure the public school system does not fail the next generation.
The appreciation for teachers is evident throughout, and it helps that the series’ creator — Quinta Brunson — was inspired to create the show based on her mother’s career as an educator.
The sitcom represents the many challenges of working in a public school system, from an obstinate district to overly-invested parents. While there are over-exaggerations of conflicts in the plot for comedic effect, such as a parentteacher brawl in season four, viewers have
to keep in mind that it is fiction. Despite the aims of Abbott intending to portray the teaching experience fully, it ultimately comes from a script.
Conversely, the show excels at remaining socially and culturally relevant by highlighting themes and issues of identity, maintaining boundaries, family dynamics, and the sacrifices that come with being an educator.
Abbott Elementary is silly and whimsical, but it’s also honest about the struggles educators face, whether that be considering retirement or having to get new rugs
for their classrooms. The series provides an insight to the reality of being a teacher — no matter how dedicated you are, things can still go wrong, but there are always people that can help.
Hilarious high jinks ensue, but the show makes sure to highlight quiet moments too. There are battles with bureaucracy which coincide with reassuring conversations between co-workers. The series impressively balances both the professional and personal lives of the characters.
With the show’s fifth season coming soon, Abbott has not lost its spark. Its integrity remains intact with each new season, but additions of new conflicts and resolutions make sure that no season falls short. The central theme of working in education and how to be a good educator intermingles with sub-plots which not only make for an enjoyable viewing experience, but also give the characters — main and recurring — more personality.
Abbott does what a sitcom ought to do. It makes viewers laugh, maybe even cry,
Movies // The case that ended it all?
The Conjuring: Last Rites is (maybe) the end of an era
CAITLYN CARR
After over a decade of serving as a horror classic, the Conjuring series (2013-2025) comes to a close with The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025). The fourth and final film in the series was released earlier this month, and as a long-time fan of the franchise, I gave this movie a firm 3.5/5 stars on Letterboxd; enjoyable but not quite satisfying.
Based on a true story from 1986, renowned demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren — played by iconic duo Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga — are settling into a comfortable life of retirement from fighting the supernatural. Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, the Smurls family is experiencing a series of terrifying events
mimicking an unresolved case from the Warrens’ past. With the help of their daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson), and her boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy), Ed and Lorraine must come out of retirement to confront the evil that nearly tore their family apart many years ago.
After directing The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) Michael Chaves returns to work on the newest addition to the franchise — however, he isn’t the quadrology’s original director. While there is no such thing as a bad Conjuring movie, Chaves’ films are no match for the first two in the series, both directed by James Wan — especially The Conjuring 2 (2016), which is still one of my top comfort movies.
To the surprise of no one, Wilson and
and ensures that a common, yet underrated path in life is celebrated. Abbott, in its own quirky way, is a love letter to public education.
If you haven’t seen Abbott Elementary I implore you to give it a chance, especially those of you aspiring to become teachers. It’s the essential guide for teaching in this decade. Don’t just take my word for it, the series’ critical acclaim speaks for itself with 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four wins.
So, toss those books to the side and turn on the TV instead, because you may learn something from Abbott Elementary.
Farmiga’s on-screen chemistry remains as strong as ever. A staple of the franchise, the adoration that they exude both on and off-screen is highlighted by the costume department every time they match Ed’s tie with Lorraine’s skirt. My heart physically ached whenever Ed or Lorraine were in peril in this movie because of the unbreakable bond between these two characters. Honestly, if you and your partner aren’t looking at each other like Ed and Lorraine do, is it really love?
If you ask me, the success of the Conjuring series relies on a combination of two crucial elements: Ed and Lorraine’s heartwarming relationship, and the bond they form with the family being haunted. Unfortunately, The Conjuring: Last Rites neglects the latter and instead heavily centres around Judy, which left me feeling dissatisfied. What happened to Ed’s Elvis renditions to help the struggling family through their fear, or Lorraine sitting on a swingset listening to an exhausted child? Rather than being fleshed out as actual characters, it felt like the Smurls’ only purpose was to serve as victims of the movie’s supernatural villains. While
Judy was a fine character, and Tomlinson delivered a superb performance, I would have preferred to see less of Judy, and more of the Smurls.
The Conjuring: Last Rites has its fair share of jumpscares and tense moments that sent my friend (who had never seen a Conjuring movie before) retreating deeper and deeper into the comfort of her hoodie. While there were a few scenes that definitely had me unnerved and anxious for what was hiding in the dark, I ultimately found this movie to be less scary than its predecessors — or maybe I was just too attracted to one of the film’s ghosts.
Could The Conjuring: Last Rites have been better? Absolutely. Is it still worth watching? One hundred per cent. But now that the series has come to a close, what’s next? The idea of passing on the torch to the next generation was a large element of The Conjuring: Last Rites, and if rumours are to be believed, a Conjuring TV show is in the works at HBO Max. All of this begs the question: when is enough enough? Are prequels, sequels, remakes, and spin-offs the new normal? Does anything ever truly end?
Video Games // Become a bookseller from the comfort of your own home
Tiny Bookshop is the coziest game
ANNA MCCAUSLAND
As much as 2021-me wishes, I’m no gamer girl. I’ve tried, I really have, but the only games I’m good at are Mario Kart 8 (2017) and button-mashing Super Smash Bros (2018). After much of my friends’ pleading and prompting, they eventually realized I have very little hand-eye coordination, making me the worst at fastpaced video games. Thankfully I learned about cozy role-playing games (RPGs), otherwise my Nintendo Switch would sit gathering dust for the rest of its life.
I found Neoludic Games’ — an Indie game developer — TikTok page and instantly fell in love with the design and concept for one of their first video games. TikTok unfortunately introduced me to Tiny Bookshop (2025) three years too early. I had to wait in anxious anticipation for this game to finally hit online shelves. To be completely honest I almost forgot all about it until I went to the Nintendo Shop to look up Batman Arkham Asylum (2010) after a friend encouraged me to try to get back into gaming… and there it was.
Tiny Bookshop is a cozy RPG where you play as a bookseller travelling through unknown towns, getting to know locals and suggesting the best books that fit their wants. You can choose how your little bookshop looks by adding decorations you collect from patrons, buying furniture at the local flea market, or choosing the colour of both your interior and exterior walls. The choice is yours.
Being able to move through the game at your own pace is huge for me. One day
in the game is only about 15 minutes in real time. It’s perfect if you don’t want to commit to spending hours playing but also hate leaving a game in the middle of a level like me. I’ve also found that it doesn’t require all of my attention which means I can feel doubly productive by not only playing but also watching a movie or catching up on whatever new show the internet has told me to like.
The muted colours and hand-painted look of the game really adds to the coziness factor. In the first town you pass through, you can sell books to crowds at a local coffee shop, at the beach, in front of a lighthouse, and in the parking lot of a big box store. The spots to stop at are all very scenic and if I could, I’d crawl into the game just to live in the peace and quiet of that beach.
As a bookworm, one of the best features of the game is the fact that almost all of the book titles are real. Of course if you don’t know the specifics of a title, there’s a helpful synopsis to guide you. This game has single-handedly built up my TBR for the rest of the year. It’s even got me to go back and start reading titles that I’ve bought years ago but completely forgot about.
If you’re a booklover and want to get into gaming, look no further. If you’re a gamer looking for something a bit slower, this game is for you. As the semester picks up it’s nice to take things slow, have lower stakes, and just explore a new place without the stress of getting killed or racking enough experience points to be able to defeat the final boss.
CHARTS SHUFFLE
AARON LEVY
CIVL’s Aaron Levy has a grab bag of tunes here and wants to remind you to be kind to one another, as if he’s Dr. Henry or something.
Nap Eyes - “I’m Bad”
Very stoked to see this modern Halifax band that sounds like a classic New York 70’s band, in Vancouver this weekend opening for modern troubadour extraordinaire, MJ Lenderman, who himself has been dubbed, supposedly, a new-age Bob Dylan, or so I’ve heard in my travels. I’m there for Nap Eyes.
BADBADNOTGOOD ft. Baby
Rose - “On My Mind”
A couple weeks ago, this Toronto new-age jazz band made their own stop in Vancouver, along with American soul-R&B singer Baby Rose, with whom they put to wax an instantly nostalgic EP/release of collaborative originals in the style of classic Motown assembly line tunes. They do a great Roy Ayers tribute.
Big Wreck - “Believer”
Heard this song from a friend on social media last week, and it reminds me of how every technical guitar wiz in Toronto in the 2000s worshipped Big Wreck and singer/guitarist Ian Thornley, not for the amazing songwriting and catchy tunes, but for the fancy guitar riffage also showcased here. Run the Jewels - “a few words for the firing squad (radiation)”
Re-shuffled today for obvious reasons arising from obvious global contexts and developments that we obviously don’t want to say much about, because obviously it’s a difficult time to be speaking one’s mind politically right now, only because tensions are high and folks are quick to (mis) interpret so much.
01. NOURISHED BY TIME The Passionate Ones
ALEX G Headlights
KIMMORTAL S unniest of Days
MECHATOK Wide Awake
DEBBY FRIDAY The Starr of the Queen of Life
GEORGIA HARMER Eye Of The Storm
DOMINIQUE ADAMS To Keep
BELLS LARSEN Blurring Time
EMPANADAS ILEGALES Sancocho Trifásico
TOPS Bury The Key
ADA LEA when i paint my masterpiece
NO JOY Bugland
KARMA GLIDER From the Haze of a Revved Up Youth
INDIGO DE SOUZA Precipice
DEMARCO Guitar
MEN I TRUST Equus Caballus
JIM LEGXACY Black British Music (2025)
KOKOROKO Tuff Times Never Last
FOG
THE BEACHES No Hard Feelings
25. DIJON Baby
Photo by Gabriela Gonzalez / The Cascade
Community:
Piece: “Canoe”
Artist(s): Una Ann Moyer
Community: Tahltan/Tlingit
Location: Library (Main Floor)
Artist(s): Qwetollhmelhet, Nikki LaRock
Community: Yeqwyeqwí:ws First Nation/
First Nation (Stó:lō)
Piece: Plant murals
Artist(s): Xemontalot, Carrielynn Victor
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B351
Piece: “Frog”
Artist(s): Swaleusa, J. Luke Pike
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Library (Main Floor)
Piece: “Eagle”
Artist(s): Swaleusa, J. Luke Pike
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Library, G270b
Piece: “Skwówéls” (raven) mask
Artist(s): Xotxwes qas Kayse’eme, Jonny Williams Shaw
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B309
Piece: “Skwówéls (ravens) & spog’es (eagles)”
Artist(s): E’yies’lek, Rocky LaRock
Community: Sts’ailes First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Indigenous Teaching Garden
Piece: Salmon mural (staircase)
Artist(s): Gani, Fred Jackson (with Dr. Chris Friesen and VA390 students)
Community: Ch’íyáqtel First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Outside Bldg B
Location:
“S’ólh Téméxw” mural
Artist(s): Gani, Fred Jackson
Community: Ch’íyáqtel First Nation (Coast Salish)
Location: Outside Bldg B
INDIGENOUS WORKS (UFV, ABBOTSFORD CAMPUS)
Artist(s): Annabel Stewart
Community: Skwah First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B101
Location: B309
Piece: “Padula” pattern panel
Artist(s): Lisa Shepherd
Community: Métis
Location: B309
Artist(s): Yvonne Joe
Community: Semá:th First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B101
Artist(s):
Community: Ch’íyáqtel First Nation (Coast Salish)
Location: Outside Bldg B
Piece: “Medicine Wheel” carpet design
Artist(s): Xotxwes qas Kayse’eme, Jonny Williams Shaw
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B309
Piece: “Thunderbird”
Artist(s): Unknown – Gus family (Vancouver Island) Location: Outside B101
Piece: “Spirit Bear”
Artist(s): Swaleusa, J. Luke Pike
Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Library (Main Floor)
Piece: “Four Seasons” Floor Mural
Artist(s): Xemontalot, Carrielynn Victor Community: Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: B351
Piece: Spindle whorl
Artist(s): Khut-whee-mul-uhk, Dr. Francis Horne, Sr.
Community: Lummi First Nation/ Tsawout First Nation (Coast Salish)
Outside Bldg B
Piece: Spindle Whorl
Artist(s): Khut-whee-mul-uhk, Dr. Francis Horne, Sr. Community: Lummi First Nation / Tsawout First Nation (Coast Salish) Location: B101
Piece: “Bear”
Artist(s): Swaleusa, J. Luke Pike
Xwchíyò:m First Nation (Stó:lō)
Location: Library (Main Floor)
Piece: “The Stó:lō Story” (“story blanket” weaving)
Piece: Weaving (traditional patterns)
Piece: Weaving designs (on concrete)
Gani, Fred Jackson
Piece: “Matriarchs” mural
Sts’ailes
Photos by Juwon Park / Photos “Four Seasons Floor Mural” & “Plant Murals” by Teresa Carlson / Map courtesy of the University of the Fraser Valley
