Issuu

Vol. 20 Issue. 15

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

Snap happy since 1993

Through the lens of Akeem Nermo p.10 Get your SEX on with Taboo Talks p.15

Cover Photo by: Akeem Nermo

Curry curing cancer p.19

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

INSIDE THIS WEEK’S ISSUE News

Opinion

Arts & Life

Sports & Health

Waiting at UFV: class sizes

Let us study!

Film review: Dark Shadows

Treadmill vs. Tarmac

Waitlists for class sizes have been steadily increasing as the years go on. Leanna Pankratz interviews students and administration team members to try and uncover why this is and what will be done about it.

Ali Siemens voices her opinion about the need for more study spaces in Abbotsford. If there is anyone looking to open up their own business with a high percentage of success, follow these steps.

Michael Scoular discusses the many Burton-isms that appear in Tim Burton’s latest movie Dark Shadows, and debates whether it’s worth seeing in theatres or if audiences should wait for the DVD release.

Read more on page 14

Contributor Ken Muir gives the pros and cons of exercising on a treadmill instead of outside on the roads. With his expertise he gives advice to the runners, future runner and the inquisitive non-runners. Read more on page 19

EDITORIAL

An unexpected journey paul Esau

THE CASCADE I achieved a remarkable milestone in my personal life last weekend, with the survival of my first inclusion in a wedding party. For the record my friend is now officially married, we are still on speaking terms, and I did not lock him on the roof, in an icebox, or the trunk of a vehicle the day prior the ceremony. I did offer to perform the dance of the seven veils for his father using decorations from the reception, as well as inform his bride that if he didn’t show it was my duty to step up to the altar and take one for the team, but these were minor hiccups in what was otherwise a successful occasion. In my memory at least. Weddings are funny things, especially for members of the party. On one hand there is the profound, awesome joy of seeing people you love embark on the journey of a lifetime, on the other there is the nagging horror that you might sneeze during the exchanging of vows, or somehow upstage the happy couple at a critical moment. It’s hard to be an ornament on a stage, hard not to rock, or slouch, or yawn, or do one of a million other little things. It’s also hard, at least in my experience, to convincingly sing the

third and fourth verses of “Amazing Grace” when you don’t know any of the words, and harder still to not launch into an impromptu solo during a pause in the musical accompaniment. It’s hard to stand in front of a silent congregation knowing your pants are too tight and your shirt’s too wide, and it’s possible you might have scuffed your shoes while roughhousing with the groom during some pre-ceremony jitters. It’s hard to spend your Friday night tying roughly four

art: Anthony Biondi

billion ribbons into cute little bows on the backs of chairs at the reception hall, only to realize that the sister-in-law has tied twice as many in half the time in a different location on the chair. It’s hard when people cry, not because they are angry, but because they want things to be perfect so badly that it physically hurts, because they don’t want anybody to be disappointed. It’s funny the memories you have afterwards, both physical and spiritual. The kiss at the altar

which almost (but not quite) moves you to tears. The look in the bride’s eye the moment before the door opens and she sees the groom standing beside the minister. The tin-foil wrapped cardboard heart that you and your mother made to duct-tape to the back of the wedding vehicle, and the moment of silence when the best man swallows hard and hands the mic to you, to make the toast that he would have made if only he could still speak. At the end, after the events and the ceremony and the photos and the reception and the escape, you almost feel as if you were the one who got hitched. Almost. And at the end you worry, again, because you remember that your idea of a classy wedding gift was a four-foot-long dwarven battleaxe, which seemed hilarious at the time of purchase but in retrospect seems a poor expression of the gravity of the occasion. So you hope that your friend, and his beautiful new wife will understand the confused, convoluted yet powerful love behind that axe, and forgive you all your indiscretions. Congratulations J & L. I wish you the very best. And to everybody else who is supporting a friend or family member this summer, I hope you have a similarly powerful experience.

Volume 20 · Issue 15 Room C1027 33844 King Road Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8 604.854.4529 Editor-in-Chief esau@ufvcascade.ca Paul Esau Managing Editor ali@ufvcascade.ca Ali Siemens Business Manager joe@ufvcascade.ca Joe Johnson Online Editor michael@ufvcascade.ca Michael Scoular Production Manager stewart@ufvcascade.ca Stewart Seymour Art Director anthony@ufvcascade.ca Anthony Biondi Copy Editor joel@ufvcascade.ca Joel Smart News Editor dessa@ufvcascade.ca Dessa Bayrock Opinion Editor sasha@ufvcascade.ca Sasha Moedt Arts & Life Editor jen@ufvcascade.ca Jennifer Colbourne Sports Editor sean@ufvcascade.ca Sean Evans Staff Writers Karen Aney, Leanna Pankratz, Alexei Summers

Contributors Kenneth Muir, Nick Ubels, Tim Ubels, Meghan Helmer, Aaron Levy, Jess Wind, Alicia Williams, Aaron Levy, Nadine Moedt

Printed By International WebExpress

UPCOMING EVENTS May 31 – June 10

May 25-26

May 27

UFV theatre: Droning of Bombers

Scout Handmade and Vintage Market

April Wine comes to Chilliwack

Mission City Farmers’ Market

UFV’s theatre department presents the story of a Dutch child’s view of German-occupied Holland during the Second World War. Droning of Bombers played at last year’s Directors’ Festival at UFV with sold-out shows, and has since been workshopped and polished even further. For tickets or more information call 604-795-2814 or email theatre@ufv.ca

Over 50 vendors bring a unique shopping experience to the Parallel Marketplace, with a selection of goods ranging from homemade objects and jewelry to vintage, one-ofa-kind finds. There will be live entertainment to set the spirit of the market. May 25 will be open to ticket-holders only, but the May 26 will be open to the public for a small entrance fee.

The Nova Scotia band will be playing at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre at the end of this month, pulling a set list from their broad repertoire of music spanning 42 years, 11 Juno nominations, and 16 studio albums. Tickets are $45 before surcharges and available at Centre Box Office (604-391-SHOW (7469)) or online www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca.

The Mission City Farmers Market boasts fresh fruit and vegetables as well as farm-fresh eggs, preserves, and arts and crafts. It is located by the Mission Library in Lane Creek Park, and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This week’s theme is “Water Wise.” Call 604302-5561 or visit www. missioncityfarmersmarket.com for more information.

The Cascade is UFV’s autonomous student newspaper. It provides a forum for UFV students to have their journalism published. It also acts as an alternative press for the Fraser Valley. The Cascade is funded with UFV student funds. The Cascade is published every Wednesday with a circulation of 1500 and is distributed at UFV campuses and throughout Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. The Cascade is a member of the Canadian University Press, a national cooperative of 75 university and college newspapers from Victoria to St. John’s. The Cascade follows the CUP ethical policy concerning material of a prejudicial or oppressive nature. Submissions are preferred in electronic format through e-mail. Please send submissions in “.txt” or “.doc” format only. Articles and letters to the editor must be typed. The Cascade reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity and length. The Cascade will not print any articles that contain racist, sexist, homophobic or libellous content. The writer’s name and student number must be submitted with each submission. Letters to the editor must be under 250 words if intended for print. Only one letter to the editor per writer in any given edition. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of UFV, Cascade staff and collective, or associated members.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

New UFV campus is a glimpse of the future joe johnson

THE CASCADE

UFV took another major step earlier this month in its relatively short history as a full-fledged university; on Friday, May 11, the future of UFV in Chilliwack was realized with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open a new academic building at Canada Education Park (CEP). This 150,000 square-foot building marks a transition away from the previous Chilliwack campus on Yale Road to the 85,000 acre CEP which lies along the Vedder River and is already home to the Trades and Technology Centre. With this new building comes the ability for UFV to better compartmentalize its varied programs. Chilliwack is focused on sciences and wellness; the Mission campus will be centred on the Graphic and Digital Design program; the Abbotsford campus will be more based on the liberal arts. The official opening of the building represents years of planning and working with all different levels of government. While many people were involved with the project in some form or another, particular notables at the ribbon cutting were MP Mark Strahl, Advanced Education Minister Naomi Yamamoto, Campus Planning executive director Craig Toews, UFV president Mark Evered, MLA John Les, and Student Union Society president Carlos Vidal. “I’m honoured and delighted to be opening the second major building on our new campus at the Canada Education Park,” said Evered, when later asked to comment on the ceremony. “This is the fulfillment of the dreams of our predecessors and colleagues

Image:SUS

Cutting the ribbon at the new UFV campus at Canada Education Park in Chilliwack. at UFV and our many supporters in the Chilliwack region,” he continued. “It marks the beginning of a new phase in our development, but one that remains true to our commitment to both quality education and community advancement.” Toews, whose role is the backbone to every UFV capital project, noted another aspect of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The aboriginal community thanked the workers involved with the construction of the building,” Toews explained. “It was a very nice way to open up the facility and thank them for their work.” What began as an idea when the Canadian Forces Base left the

land 15 years ago has now evolved into the building which will now contain approximately a fifth of UFV’s total student population when the fall semester begins. Students from the Kinesiology, Nursing and Dental programs are among those which will be moving in and use the state-of-the-art equipment and classrooms. “There are two level two biology labs, a brand new chemistry lab, dry labs,” Toews noted. “Kinesiology is moving to this campus, so they’re going to have a human performance centre with a first ever EEG room where they hook up students to various test equipment and go through different research activities. And

there’s going to be an environmental chamber so they can do training and testing under different environmental conditions, moisture and temperature and oxygen.” The building itself is UFV’s first to be LEED Gold certified, meaning it follows strict adherence to sustainability. As Toews noted, one of the major features (in addition to solar-thermal heating) is an “open source geo-exchange system.” This involves tapping into Chilliwack’s extremely highquality aquifer to “bring out water to supply the heat pumps to cool and heat the building.” Toews also commented on the detailed aesthetics, such as “pol-

ished concrete floors, wood, glazing, and … colour schemes [to] give it a warm, earthy feeling, [as opposed to] the cold military engineering building that used to be there.” Another important element of the CEP campus is one that students will recognize from the Abbotsford campus – a Tim Horton’s. “Seeing the success of Timmy’s here on Abbotsford Campus, we’ve plugged that into this building,” Toews explained, “and actually very intentionally created an element that hopefully will cause some cross traffic between the Trades Centre. So the Trades students and faculty will come to this building to get their Timmy’s coffee, and the culinary program at the Trades centre will offer a more formal hot entree meals that you can walk over there to get.” In addition to UFV’s extensive planning there has also been considerable work done by the city of Chilliwack. While Abbotsford is planning a U-District buildup of services around the campus, there’s a similar sort of area developing in the vicinity of CEB; the Garrison development is already 10 years in, and includes housing and retail locations. However, transit between campuses remains as a question mark. A bus between the two has long been a topic of debate, but according to Vidal, “right now it would still take about another two to three years to get a city line going.” In the meantime, the SUS will continue to advocate but also assess the feasibility of establishing a temporary private line. And looking even farther into the future, plans for CEP include eventual residential housing, as well as an outdoor sports complex built by (and on land still owned by) the City of Chilliwack.

Volunteer network at UFV rife with student opportunity JEN COLBOURNE

THE CASCADE

Jobs are scarce for students in this economy. However, UFV’s volunteer coordinator Michelle Rickaby believes she has the solution to giving students that extra boost for getting hired: volunteer experience. Rickaby explained that, all too often, students “don’t have the practical experience. They finish a degree, and they haven’t done any work or volunteer experience … It’s going to be harder to get a job than someone who has experience. If you put up a job posting, 50 people apply. Minimum requirement is a degree, so everybody’s got a degree. So what are they looking for next? A degree and experience, your commitment and your skills.” Rickaby added, “[Volunteering is] a good way to meet new people, get involved in the community, get community connections ... I always tell [students] about

A group of volunteers at UFV the potential of volunteering. You never know what will happen.” Most student volunteers ask for reference letters and keep track of their hours and commitments to build a portfolio for their resume and scholarship applications. Rickaby noted that students also can apply to have a certificate issued verifying their volunteer involvement.

Image: Rosemarie Gresham

What people come away with from volunteering, Rickaby said, “depends on the person. For me, personally, it’s helping people … I think for students, it’s a matter of getting involved, getting the experience, developing their skills and using what they’ve been learning. It depends on where they’re coming from.” Consistently, however, Rickaby noticed stu-

dents coming away with “more pride in themselves for getting involved – getting the experience of helping people. I see a lot of pride in them, and something they can relate to their next job.” The Volunteer to Work program initially began in the UFV International department, where Rickaby still works as a program coordinator. “The origin of it was, in the past, international students couldn’t work … were not allowed to work,” said Rickaby. “They ha[d] experience at home, but how [were] they going to find a job without having Canadian experience?” Rickaby began searching for volunteer opportunities, not only so that international students could get relevant work experience, but also so that they could practice their English, develop their leadership skills and make connections in the community. Soon, the international students started getting their Canadian friends involved, and Rickaby’s volunteer program rapidly

expanded to include all of UFV. Now, for students who want to volunteer, Rickaby shares numerous opportunities in the community or on campus for both long-term and short-term commitments, primarily via Facebook. The list is endless: the hospital, the Food Bank, the MSA Museum, the Abbotsford Entertainment Centre, Agrifair, Red Cross fundraisers, the Airshow, Children’s Fest, the BC Cancer Agency … There is no lack of options. Currently, Rickaby is gathering volunteers for several upcoming events, such as the Relay for Life, Abby Fest, Convocation, Run for Water, the Harrison Dragon Boat Regatta and the Valley Gran Fondo. Interested students can contact Michelle Rickaby at volunteer@ufv.ca or join the UFV Volunteer to Work Facebook group. There is also a bulletin board with volunteer postings just outside of UFV International and a webpage at http://www.ufv. ca/StudentLife/Volunteer.htm.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

NEWS

Morgan Freeman proves elusive dessa bayrock

THE CASCADE

Imagine the scene: it’s a week before your final project is due, and your hard drive crashes for the third time. You have lost 60 hours of edited footage, and there is no way to put the film together again in time for the deadline. This is what SFU student Ian MacDougall was faced with at the end of last semester, and it’s a scene from every student’s worst nightmare. Where other students would break down or give up, MacDougall set out in an entirely new direction. With the project irretrievable, and faced with not enough time to cut it together again, his solution was to start a new film entirely – and enlist the help of Morgan Freeman. The idea was one that came up in a screenwriting class a year earlier, pitched by his friend Mack Warner. The concept was deceivingly simple: make a documentary narrated by Morgan Freeman – about the journey to convince Morgan Freeman to narrate the film. MacDougall and Warner decided that the best course of action was to track down Freeman in person, in Mississippi – again, something easier said than done. They managed to speak with Freeman, but only “for about two minutes, and didn’t have time to actually pitch their idea to him,”

Image: David Sifry/Flickr

said Sean Hougan, publicist and events coordinator for the team. However, “a few days later, they met with [Freeman’s] business partner, Bill Luckett,” Hougan continued. “They convinced him to call Morgan Freeman to tell him about the project, which he did, but Morgan said it would have to go through his agent.” Undeterred, the team returned to Canada with enough footage and enough time to edit it into a short film for SFU’s grad screening. “They put together a 15-minute short documentary, and literally edited it less than 13 hours before it was due,” Hougan explained. “The teacher came up to [MacDougall] afterwards, congratulated him, and said he was really impressed.” But the project had evolved by that point, and adding more people to their team, MacDougall

and Warner set out on another trip – this time to Los Angeles, to meet with Freeman’s agent. Even this was not as easy as it seemed; the agent called the team in the middle of the trip “and basically said that Morgan Freeman was not interested,” said Hougan. Undaunted, the team continued to negotiate until the agent relented. “After [MacDougall] explained the philanthropic goals of the film and that all the profits would go towards a scholarship that Morgan Freeman had set up, the agent seemed a lot more interested and agreed to view the film that we put together,” Hougan explained. A deal with Freeman is still, hopefully, in the planning stages, but the team already has a backup plan in place. Taking into account the sheer amount of footage they have, Hougan speculates that they could easily turn the documentary into a series of online “webisodes.” “We’ve met a lot of people along the way, and we’ve done a bunch of TV interviews,” Hougan said. “If we went with the webisodes, having each webisode narrated by someone else, whether that be a celebrity or a Canadian figure, might be a cool way to get other people involved in the project.” Their first choice? “We would love Seth Rogan to do the film,” Hougan said with a laugh. “Since he’s a Vancouverite … we think that would be very cool.”

Weaselicious

Come write for The Cascade! Meetings on Monday at 7:00 p.m. in C1429 OR e-mail: ali@ufvcascade.ca

Agree? Disagree? Comment at The Cascade online at ufvcascade.ca NEWS BRIEFS

Image: Hera Chan, The McGill Daily

Image: Eric Magnuson, Flickr

Image: Reuters

Image: Flickr

Quebec government tries to end protests with controversial bill MONTREAL (CUP) — Quebec Premier Jean Charest introduced special legislation to the National Assembly today to suspend the academic session in hopes of ending the province’s tuition fee crisis. The proposed legislation would suspend the current semester until August, postponing the fall semester until October 2012 for the 14 CEGEPs and 11 universities seriously affected by the student strike. The bill was met with mixed reactions during question period after being tabled by Charest’s Liberals Thursday morning. Newly appointed Education Minister Michelle Courchesne defended the government’s decision, claiming that the bill “defends the right to education and accessibility to education.”

Simon Fraser University receives Fair Trade Campus designation BURNABY (CUP) — On May 4, SFU announced that it had been recognized as the second Fair Trade Campus in Canada, following UBC’s designation in May 2011. Fair Trade is an internationally recognized certification for products such as coffee or chocolate that that attempts to promote higher wages for producers and environmental standards. The criteria required to become a Fair Trade Campus includes serving only Fair Trade certified coffee at all vendors directly controlled by the university or student government, clearly marking all Fair Trade products at these locations, promoting Fair Trade and maintaining a committee to enforce these standards.

Historic Facebook debut falls flat

Obama presses ailing Europe to focus on growth WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama pressed Europe on Friday to shift toward a more progrowth policy and away from austerity to tackle a crisis that threatens to push Greece out of the euro zone and send economic shockwaves worldwide. After White House talks with French President Francois Hollande, Obama said the two agreed that tackling the euro-zone crisis was “an issue of extraordinary importance, not only to the people of Europe, but also to the world economy.”

Canada smartphones soon to double as credit cards TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadians may soon be able to pay for purchases with a quick tap of their smartphones after a major bank and the country’s largest wireless carrier struck a deal to embed credit card information on handsets equipped with a chip to transmit data. Rogers Communications Inc and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce later this year will launch the so-called mobile wallet on some BlackBerry models from Research In Motion Ltd. Devices from other handset makers are expected to follow.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The historic initial public offering of Facebook Inc did not go as planned on Friday, as the social networking company’s sky-high valuation combined with trading glitches left the stock languishing near its offering price at the market close. Facebook shares began trading late Friday morning and opened 11 percent above the $38 offering price, but after peaking at about $45 slid rapidly at the end of the day to close at $38.23. The IPO was the third-largest in U.S. history and valued eight-yearold Facebook at $104 billion. Analysts said Facebook may simply have over-reached in raising the IPO price range, pricing at the top of the range and increasing the size of the offering earlier in the week.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

NEWS

Too many students and too few chairs: waitlists at UFV lEANNA PANKRATZ

THE CASCADE

“It’s the biggest problem I’m facing as a student right now, to be frank,” stated Talia Watson, a third-year UFV student pursuing a Business major and a Psychology minor – incidentally, two of the institution’s most densely enrolled departments, due to their widespread application potential. “Our school is growing very fast, and with growth comes, I hope, the obvious necessity to accommodate more students. There are certain classes I need to complete my major, and there have been three in the last two semesters that I haven’t been able to get into. It’s frustrating when the waitlist is as long as the class.” Tanya Schiffer, a self-described “would-be nursing student” echoed with a similar sentiment. “I need one more credit to get into the nursing program, and one can imagine my disappointment when the professor made himself clear that no waitlisted students would be allowed a seat. It is hit or miss how many, or if any wait-

listed students get into the class, I’ve found. As a result, however, my nursing program goals are on hold for however long it takes me to get this credit. One last credit! I was set to start in fall, but it looks like I’ll have to hold off until winter, or later, if the same situation comes up.” Unfortunately, the cases of these two students are not uncommon, due to the issue of UFV’s disproportionately long waitlists. Sometimes growing as long as 36 people (the maximum occupancy of a class), and left to the professor’s discretion over which students stay and which go, waitlists have been the source of much student frustration, particularly when it comes to a required course. Delinah Marples, UFV’s Enrolment Services coordinator, has time-tested views on the matter. “Students will get on a waitlist, and in the meantime they could get the other course that they truly need and want but they don’t remove themselves from that waitlist. Halfway through the semester we could look at [last] winter semester now and

it would still show students on waitlists because we don’t clear them off,” she stated. “The majority of students don’t seem to worry about the [classes] that they are on a waitlist for that they don’t have any intention of getting registered into. Which leads to sort of an incorrect impression of the waitlist too. I know a lot of departments are concerned about their large waitlists, but yet they aren’t looking at real numbers.” According to UFV registrar Al Wiseman, as of last fall, UFV is “106 per cent overenrolled,” and yet remains “serious about [the]

Toxic weed invades the Fraser Valley SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

The appearance of a dangerously toxic weed has become increasingly common across the Fraser Valley and Vancouver area. BC Ministry of Agriculture cites Heracleum mantegazzianum, giant hogweed, as a threat to both human health and the ecosystem. The large, hairy plant that can grow up to six meters tall was introduced from Caucasus region and Central Asia as a “garden curiosity.” The plant is characterized by its thick, hollow, reddishpurple stem, small white flowers that form a broad umbrella head, and compound leaves that are deeply incised. Giant hogweed is poisonous enough to cause great concern in BC. WorkSafe BC says the sap, found in the stalk, stem, and leaves can cause severe blisters and burns. These injuries do not appear immediately; the sap causes something called phytophotodermatitis, a chemical reaction that causes the skin to become hypersensitive to sunlight. Burn-like lesions appear after 24 hours, followed by blisters in 48 hours. These blisters can cause severe scarring, purple or black in colour. Worst yet, even a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause permanent or temporary blindness. There is no foolproof antidote, but WorkSafe BC suggests immediately washing exposed skin with soap and water thoroughly, and to avoid sunlight one to two weeks after exposure to prevent blistering. Hogweed is especially danger-

small class size policy ... That’s not changing.” UFV’s faculty and administration has certainly not turned a blind eye to the problem, however; several strategies have been tossed around, and some even implemented. “Scheduled registration for this fall is ending earlier than normal by a couple weeks, so what we’re hoping is that by having registration ending earlier there will be a better idea sooner what the waitlists look like and what kind of volume there is. This gives departments time to add more sections or hire fac-

ulty to meet demand,” Marples explained. “We’re also looking at implementing an automated waitlist process for Winter 2013.” It is not a secret that UFV has grown beyond its physical capacity, and the institution certainly shows no signs of compromising its policy on small class sizes. These two features of UFV are in direct conflict with each other, and as time goes by it becomes increasingly imperative for the institution to come to a compromise. However, it’s important to keep in mind, as Marples says, that “many students sitting on a waitlist have no intention of taking the seat.” Perhaps the only tangible solution for a UFV student at this point is to attend that first day of class. Waitlisted students admitted are generally at the professor’s discretion, and that 36 student waitlist may be deceiving; there is still hope of obtaining a seat, and showing up to class is always a good place to start.

Come to

The Cascade’s

Annual General Meeting! Thursday, June 21 in C1429 Image: Credit Valley Conservation

Giant hogweed’s umbrella-shaped blooms ous to those who aren’t aware of the physical dangers of the sap: children, campers and gardeners who take a weed whacker to them, spreading the sap everywhere. Children have been known to use the hollow stems as telescopes or peashooters, according to WorkSafe BC. It is suggested to have professionals remove the plant if you find them in your backyard. For those choosing to do it on their own, WorkSafe BC recommends wearing protective, water-resistant clothing, covering exposed skin completely, and ensuring full facial protection before proceeding. It is also important to wash all clothing and tools following contact with the plant. The proper way to remove the plants is to manually cut the roots, or alternately, to cut near the base at a diagonal angle. Pulling out a whole root causes a soil disturbance that creates ideal

conditions for seeds in the soil to germinate. As well, those removing the weed are warned against composting or putting the plants in a greenwaste bin. Instead, they should place the unwanted plants directly in the garbage – this prevents the seeds from dispersing. Hogweed is tenacious, and new growth may appear even after removal. The main concern about hogweed is the physical danger they pose to people. But hogweed, BC Agriculture notes, is also a detriment to nature. The huge plant grows aggressively, with a tolerance to a wide variety of environmental conditions, making hogweed highly competitive with native species. The shallow root system can also cause soil erosion on steep slopes or river banks. Hogweed is commonly found near roadsides, creeks, vacant lots, ditches and any environment considered moist to wet.

(Dis yo’ chance to critique da press, Holmes!)

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

OPINION

CASA savings VS. CASA cuts DESSA BAYROCK

THE CASCADE

In 2007, UFV’s student body voted to join the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). I’m going to go ahead and assume that most of the students that voted in that referendum have now graduated – in fact, I’m going to go ahead and assume that most of the student body currently attending UFV has no idea what CASA does. In all honesty, for the first three years I attended this institution, I had no idea what CASA was either. In short, CASA is a way for students from universities across Canada to have a common voice in lobbying the government. This really gives a voice to students; CASA currently has 26 university members from coast to coast, and by combining their speaking power into a single unit, they actually get the government to listen. CASA had a hand in the creation of Canada’s Scholarship Tax Credit, the Textbook Tax Credit, and $200 million in student grants. They’ve lobbied to improve the system of student loans within Canada, and have delivered recommendations on the ongoing copyright amendment by the government’s request. This is a pretty cool thing for UFV to be involved in. By joining the CASA team, we lend our voice

and our support to a larger movement, and help bring attention to the problems that students struggle with every day. This is why I was surprised to find that UFV’s Student Union Society (SUS) decided in their last board meeting to move from full membership in CASA to associate membership. Moving to associate membership means a couple of things: that UFV no longer has a vote within CASA, that we have one year to decide if we are completely in or completely out of CASA, and that our membership fees are lowered. I can’t help but wonder if it was the lowered fees that was the biggest deciding factor in SUS’s 9-5 vote to drop down to associate membership. In the SUS minutes, those arguing for CASA talk about the connections we’ve built with other universities and the combined impact we’ve had through CASA. Those arguing against CASA note only the fact that last year we paid $21,000 in CASA membership fees. Dropping down to associate membership theoretically cut those by half—to $10,500—but former VP Kate Nickelchok, who was also a CASA delegate, had negotiated a deal with CASA where UFV could have had half of its fees waived if it remained a full member. The other thing to keep in mind is that as a full member, delegation fees are paid

through CASA – as an associate member, they are not. In all likelihood, we’re not saving ourselves a lot of money. I can understand that SUS is trying to use the money of the student body wisely, but especially take into account that all the membership fees that CASA collects are going towards helping students anyway. Looking at the numbers, it’s easy to think that UFV could save 10 grand in one fell swoop – but the issue isn’t that simple. In reality, once you factor everything in, Nickelchok said that “the difference between full member and associate member is around $2,000 give or take and if we don’t get covered for delegate fees.” Considering that at the same meeting, SUS approved nearly $2000 in other funding towards various other student associations, I have a hard time believing that this amount of money is going to make a huge difference to the SUS budget in the long run. In any case, SUS has a year to decide if they want to be a full member of CASA or completely out. Associate membership is not permanent membership; we only have a year to make up our minds. I believe that CASA is an important and active group to be a part of, and I can only hope that SUS—and the student body as a whole—will come to the same conclusion before it’s too late.

WhistlerU: Party time? JESSICA WIND

CONTRIBUTOR

Towering mountains, a bustling village, sensational restaurants, and now university students? The internationally-known vacation destination for both summer and winter sports will soon be home to students not unlike us. Whistler University will open its doors as early as next year. What good can this possibly bring to the Olympic village? It will be a state of the art facility, constructed on some of the last remaining wetlands in the area. Its programs are clearly aimed at an international market rather than bolstering the local community. An influx of students looking to combine vacation and education is expected. At a projected capacity for only 1500 students, 70 per cent of them will likely be international. Whistler is already the place to be if you want to rub elbows with people from every corner of the planet. University education has already been questioned, with high tuition rates and low employment rates after graduation; this is clearly tourism in the form of a university education. But the community is also ripe with locals that have made their home in the mountain resort, and this university doesn’t seem open to those looking for a close-to-home education. The website claims to have a focus on sustainability that will ultimately benefit the local community. But it also boasts an international draw, appealing to students both young and mature for an exotic learning experience. Programs, while directly relating to the main industries in Whistler, seem to be a random smattering of educational avenues. You are welcome to study tourism, sustainability, leadership, culinary arts (as

Image: kk/Flickr

per request by local restaurants) or a master’s in business application. There are also programs set up to “provide university preparatory programs ... to give our First Nations students a better chance of success in university than they currently achieve.” A fair trade, considering the school is being built in their traditional territory. The question is, what exactly is this school doing to promote the economic industries in the area? I don’t even think they know, as the website overview offers a buzz-word heavy plan to serve the local community. However, the locals have been against it for years. “Pave paradise to put up a parking lot,” a local quoted Joni Mitchell to express his opinion on the matter. J. Wright has lived just south of the village for the last 12 years. He is sure that while the University may accomplish some of the initial goals, it will also create a bigger party scene than the village already experiences. After all, students have to blow off steam somewhere and the village is ripe with pubs, clubs and restaurants all in the University’s backyard. “One day tourists will decide they’ve had enough and stop coming, and no one will know why,” Wright said. Then what will be left of Whistler?

What about other schools nearby with similar programs? The Vancouver Sun reports that both UNBC and BCIT are in support of the project, assuming it will attract more students to their institutions as well. Sure, studying in Whistler would be neat, but it’s one of those too much of a good thing scenarios. You know how it feels, when the snow falls here and everyone is taking a day trip to one of our nearby mountains, but you have to study for that midterm tomorrow. Ultimately, WhistlerU will feature two main types of students. There will be those who are too busy to enjoy where they are, who will hole up in their rooms studying – and therefore not buy into the consumer economy that it seems the village is relying on with the school. Then there will be the other kind of student – the partier. These students will wholly contribute to the restaurants and bars, but will forget that they are there to learn. They will tarnish the winter paradise image that Whistler has maintained. Whether it’s the destroyed wetlands, the lack of support for locals, or the likelihood of party-loving students overtaking the town, Whistler University is just a bad idea, through and through.

Argentina grants citizen’s gender self-determination

SASHA MOEDT

THE CASCADE

Try to define yourself without using gender. Imagine a place that was open to a much broader range of gender identities, where children weren’t as strictly socialized to be wholly male or female, and where simple characteristics weren’t labeled as masculine or feminine. It’s a freedom of identity that’s hard to comprehend. Argentina has recently taken a step closer to these freedoms with a new law that gives citizens the right to change their legal and physical gender without having to undergo medical, psychiatric, or judicial procedures. It’s a right that I’ve never thought about, one that we are far from having: gender self-determination. Now in Argentina, the choice to become a gender different then the one you were born biologically will be covered by public and private health care. Argentineans will not have to be approved by a judge, diagnosed by a psychiatrist, or touched by a doctor to change genders. The barriers have been taken away. Having a valid ID, a legal identity that matches you own, is crucial. It opens up the door to so many other rights, removing barriers in health care, employment, and education. The choice to change gender in Argentina will be seen as rational, not a disorder, which is revolutionary compared to countries like Canada. Gender plays a huge role in defining one’s identity in our society. Being able to choose your gender is central to finding your own identity. But imagine if gender, and all the connotations and expectations that went with it were a moot point in a person’s identity. Wouldn’t defining yourself be much easier? It is exciting to think about the next steps Argentina might be taking. I think eliminating gender completely might be a further step to consider. A person might change from M to F on their driver’s license, but what does it mean to be female? It is a specific socialized role that half the population must conform to. This person will still be trapped in societal expectations.

We are assigned a gender at birth, yet basic biology teaches us it’s not always female chromosomes, XX, male chromosomes, XY. There are people with hormone disorders, people with different chromosomes such as XXY, or with a single X, people born with both genitalia, people born psychologically aware that they are in the body of the “wrong” or opposite sex. Chromosomal make-up isn’t neatly separated. Nothing is. So take away gender, take away the expectations and the conformity, and I think these beautiful, individual people will start showing themselves. Our population will become genuine, comfortable and unique. I don’t believe men and women have different minds. This kitschy idea that men are from Mars, women from Venus is complete bullshit. We behave differently because we are socialized from so early on to be that particular way (male or female), consciously or not from those who raise us. Even physically, the only difference between men and women is that women can have babies. Besides reproduction, there are no characteristics that only men or only women have. Some men even grow breasts. Women can be extremely muscular. When it comes down to it, the physical and emotional differences aren’t much but a whole lot of learned socialization. If we cultivate our own sexuality, our own individuality, I think we will save ourselves a lot of emotional trauma. No wonder we have identity crises left right and centre; we’ve been forced into this role that we just don’t fit, emotionally or physically. Humanity is forced into this dichotomy: man or woman – nothing else, nothing in between the lines. These roles are clearly laid out in front of us, and we’ve never thought we had a choice to be something else; we’ve never been free. Argentina’s legal steps to granting people identity rights is a bold and commendable move, a step forward in human rights that every country in the world has yet to follow. Hopefully we will look to this new law as something to follow, and continue further towards freedom from the oppression that the socialization of gender imposes.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

Lighter coins drive Canadians loony JEN COLBOURNE

THE CASCADE

Most of us didn’t pay attention when it was announced that the government was changing the metal content of loonies and toonies this year. Why would we? It didn’t seem very interesting. Then things got interesting. Suddenly, coins that looked more like play money than actual currency started appearing. Once the surprise died down and it was settled that, no, the bank wasn’t trying to rip us off with fake coins, that should have been the end of it. We would have quickly gotten used to our ultra-light, super shiny toy coins that, honestly, go very well with our multi-coloured toy bills. Ah, but no, though they may not be fake coins, like fakes, they can’t buy you anything. That’s right, your money is useless in pretty much all the places you need loonies and toonies: parking meters, laundromats, vending machines and anything else with a coin dispenser. So what’s wrong? They’re lighter. Quick science fact: steel is lighter than nickel. And this is what is

Image: the Cascade

screwing up the machines. However, steel is also cheaper than nickel. We are told that Canadians will be saving $16 million a year by making the switch. It’s confusing. We want to feel gratified that the government is saving us money. Yet, when our coins are mercilessly swallowed by the machines we’ve trusted and loved for so long, we can’t help but feel pissed. Undoubtedly, the numerous businesses that are stuck paying to alter their machines are also feeling pretty pissed. Actually, I’d say very

pissed. And somehow, I don’t have the feeling that the government is going to make it up to them with any of that $16 million (because they’re not). Doesn’t seem very fair, does it? Just be thankful you don’t own a vending machine company. But back to the savings. Coins that once cost 30 cents to make will now cost something more like five cents to make. Wait, but isn’t a loonie worth 100 cents, and a toonie 200? Yes, right, just don’t think about it too hard. What do we plebeians know? Money isn’t actually worth what it’s worth. Not unless we bring back the

France swings in a new political direction

golden doubloon. It seems to me that physical money is becoming redundant. Do note that we’ve ditched the penny because pennies were deemed too expensive to make. People are already talking about the useless expense of the nickel, too. The fact of the matter is that bills and coins are symbolic, nothing more. We need physical currency to be cheap to produce because literally we’re spending money on nothing. And do you know what’s cheaper than making coins? Not making them. I’m not talking about bringing back the $2 bill. Aside from those few machines mentioned earlier, how often do we really use coins, and for that matter, how often do we use bills? No, it’s all about credit and debit cards. Without noticing it, we’ve already shifted to a primarily electronic-based currency. Coins and bills are expensive to produce. They’re cumbersome. They’re forgeable. They’re dirty. They’re even dangerous – nobody carries large amounts of cash on them, for fear of being mugged. You can’t protect the $100 bill in your

Request: 24 hour coffee shop ALI SIEMENS

LEANNA PANKRATZ

THE CASCADE

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy was defeated during the final election for French presidency, much to the public’s joy. The victor was leftist candidate Francios Hollande, a complete political turnaround for the French people. “I feel that it is the beginning of a beautiful new political era,” SachaMarie Gladeau said, a Montreal resident who was visiting relatives in Paris when the results were announced. Gladeau could not hide her joy at the outcome. “I am from Quebec, but born in Paris, so I still feel a deep familial bond to France, and each friend or relative I speak to has nothing but good things to say about the future of our country that stems from a new leftist government,” she said. “Sarkozy was ridiculed by the public, and continuously alienated his own citizens through unintelligent, bigoted statements, and a lavish lifestyle that is not a reality for most Europeans at this time. Any former president who can have a crowd of eager voters on the street begin to chant ‘Sarko en prison!’ has a serious problem,” Gladeau explained. The excitement of crowds in the streets who cheered wildly when Francois Hollande’s win was announced “speaks for itself,” Gladeau said. “If Hollande’s election can garner such a result, I am very excited for what the future holds.” The election outcome, dubbed by many as a “Bloodless Revolution” certainly bears some traces of another revolution that occurred in the 1700s. It is a fact of life that the common man does not appreciate outlandish displays of decadence, as King Louis XVI and his consort, Marie Antoinette, discovered. Living a lifestyle completely separate from their citizens, dining on brioche and

People learn in all different ways, and we also work best in certain environments. Some of us prefer to lock ourselves in our own homes, some head to libraries, and others support local coffee shops. One thing Abbotsford is lacking is a study environment made especially for students. If I had any advice for business owners, it would be to jump on this market, because the students want it and need it. In Vancouver, there are coffee shops surrounding the UBC area providing spaces for students to go and work on their studies. If any business owner is looking to expand their investments, talking to a student about what is needed for this university town would be a good way to ensure business 24 hours a day. If you are looking for a business venture that will pay for itself, and to invest in the future business professionals of Abbotsford, give them another space to learn: start a coffee shop that isn’t like the others, aim at a new demographic. Buy a building that allows you to have electrical outlets for each person sitting at a table. There is nothing worse than going to the local Starbucks and seeing the only plug being used. We are living in a world where laptops, smart phones and other electronics need to be charged, and without this thought into your business plan, you’ve lost business. Provide big tables. Students have to spread out papers, textbooks and laptops. If we are only presented with a two person table, it’s uncomfortable, and we are less likely to stick around. With free WiFi being a common courtesy from most businesses, owners must monopolize on students who will be spending long hours there. Have student pricing, make it so students want to stay and

Image: Parti socialiste

wine while countrymen scavenged for scraps rings hauntingly similar to the life led by Sarkozy. The former President was criticized by the public for numerous actions; things such as purchasing 50,000 euro watches for his socialite/ model/spare-time-singer wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (who supposedly once bragged that her and Sarkozy had kept a state official waiting while they finished off a particularly vigorous bedroom session), and checking his Blackberry during an audience with the Pope. On top of his unrealistic lifestyle, Sarkozy also spoke strongly of tightening immigration laws in his country, displaying anti-Islamic behaviors such as monitoring Mosques, denying Muslim preachers access to France, and stating in a speech that “France will not tolerate ideological indoctrination on its soil.” The French public has simply had enough of the spectacle, the xenophobia, the bigotry, and enough of the fame game displayed by “Sarko” and his wife. Though slightly less grisly than its Baroque counterpart, The French 2012 presidential election

Image: Architizer

was nothing short of a peoples’ revolution. Francois Hollande, the country’s first Socialist president since the ‘90s, with a citizen-based political agenda, could not only put effort and time into recreating the French financial outlook, but could seriously turn France away from the hyperright-winged focus set by Sarkozy. “Everyone in France will be treated equally, no child of the Republic will be sidelined, abandoned or discriminated against,” Hollande said. “The first thing the President of the Republic must do is to assemble and bring people together for the challenges we face,” he stated in his election speech, to the strains of La Vie en Rose, an old French favourite, on accordion. The outlook for Hollande’s presidency is optimistic. The French need a leader with empathy, with peopleoriented passion and with a good understanding of how the modern world turns. This is the kind of figure Hollande promises to be.

pocket with a pin number. Undoubtedly, the idea of getting rid of physical currency makes us feel uneasy. The reality is, though, that we’re already far down that path. Rather than inconvenience everybody by changing coin composition, I say it’s time to start phasing out coins completely. A lot of companies have already started doing this—most parking meters accept credit cards now, as do a few vending machines—because the fact is nobody carries coins on them. I’m no economist. I can’t tell you how we go about losing physical currency, nor the economic implications of such a move. All I know is that it’s already happening. When was the last time you used cold hard cash, even for a small purchase? Can you pay at the till when a business’s credit and debit machine goes down? Do you regularly carry more than $100 in your pocket? Can you shop on ebay with a $20 bill? My point exactly. Come on, Canada. Let’s really save ourselves some money. It’s time to stop manufacturing it!

spend their money there. In downtown Kitsilano, students are told they must make a purchase every two hours. With this, they are also provided with a stamp card for food and beverages that gives them incentive for the free meal or coffee. Students understand you are running a business, and will comply with the rules in place. “For students, by students” is a great community driven idea. Starbucks has always been known as the coffee shop that hires university students. If running your own store, keep it this way by creating a friendly atmosphere and give students a chance to get hired for a part-time job. Seeing fellow friends behind the counter creates that sense of community, bringing in more customers and more students. Choose your location somewhere in the middle of town, on the bus route and where students can meet in the middle for study groups. Do not spend huge dollars on decorating professionally. Thrift shops would be the perfect place for you to find cheap materials to furnish your establishment. Recreating an eclectic and comfy space allows students to feel at home and relaxed – the kind of atmosphere that evokes a good learning environment. Most importantly, stay open 24 hours. This will be hard in the beginning, especially when staffing through out the night. But once students catch on, and recognize they actually have a place to cram for exams and write their final papers, you won’t be disappointed in your sales. Abbotsford has only been a university city for the last few years, and it is time for business owners to start catering to the student demographic. By starting with this idea, who is to say your hypothetical business won’t expand all over town. If I had the money, I would do it myself, but unfortunately, I’m just a student.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

CROSSWORD 1

American Authors Pt. I

ACROSS

4 8

1. The U.S.A. Trilogy (3, 6 letters) 6. The Pale King, Infinite Jest (7 letters) 10. Sin City, 300 (6 letters) 11. Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi (5 letters) 13. To Kill A Mocking Bird (3 letters) 15. The Bell Jar, Ariel (5 letters) 16. The Road, Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses (8 letters) 21. White Noise, Underworld (7 letters) 22. Cat’s Cradle The Breakfast of Champions (8 letters) 23. Transcendentalist forefather. (7 letters)

11 12

13 14

DOWN

15 16

17 18

2. Catcher in the Rye, Franny & Zooey (8 letters) 3. East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath (9 letters) 4. Carrie, The Stand, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption (4 letters) 5. This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby (10 letters) 6. Native Son (6 letters) 7. Dark Laughter, Winesberg Ohio (8 letters) 8. Maus (10 letters) 9. As I Lay Dying (8 letters) 12. The Scarlet Letter (9 letters) 14. The Good Earth (4 letters) 15. Gravity’s Rainbow, Mason & Dixon (7 letters) 17. On the Road, Big Sur (7 letters) 18. Moby Dick (8 letters) 19. The Bluest Eye, Beloved (8 letters) 20. Wise Blood, Everything That Rises Must Converge (7 letters)

NICK UBELS CONTRIBUTOR

LAST WEEK’S Answer Key Across

3. Commentary the Musical 5. Dollhouse 6. Fray 8. Angel 10. Alexis Denisof 13. Sunnydale 15. Wash 16. Roseanne 17. Drusilla 18. Summer Glau

Down 1. Much Ado About Nothing 2. Malcolm Reynolds 3. Companion 4. The Bronze 7. The Scoobies 9. Giles 11. Dr Horrible 12. Toy Story 14. Reavers

EclipseCrossword.com

Aquarius: Jan 20 - Feb 18 You will be relied on as the peacekeeper in an upcoming situation. It’s a lot to ask, but you are capable of handling things.

The Weekly Horoscope Star Signs from Madame Mystique Gemini: May 21 - June 21

Libra: Sept 23 - Oct 22

Someone close to you will be relying on you to keep a secret.

You are suitably prepared for the zombie apocalypse. It’s probably OK to let your guard down... just a little bit.

Pisces: Feb 19 - March 20

Cancer: June 22 - July 22

Scorpio: Oct 23 - Nov 21

Others are willing to share the load, Pisces, you only have to ask.

Nothing can penetrate your tough outer shell. Still, make sure not to chase away those who are genuinely trying to help you.

You have a stunning personality, but that doesn’t mean you can go around stunning other people!

Leo: July 23 - Aug 22

Sagittarius: Nov 22 - Dec 21

Courage will be needed when you take that first leap of faith at the end of the month.

Others will come to you because you are a straight shooter. Never be afraid to voice your opinion!

Aries: March 21 - April 19 Times are tough if you are searching for employment, but your perseverance will pay off.

Taurus: April 20 - May 20

Virgo: Aug 23 - Sept 22

This is your lucky month, so enjoy all the good things heading your way while they last!

You are feeling particularly youthful this week and will have success when working with youth.

Capricorn: Dec 22 - Jan 19 People will try to get your goat, Capricorn, but you are so quickwitted you will swiftly avoid them.

Visit us at www.monktucky.com!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

ARTS & LIFE

Dine & Dash: The Yellow Deli 45859 Yale Road, Chilliwack BC 604.702.4442

Hours: Mon to Thurs 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed Sat and Sun) Price: $6-$10 (around $5 for just soup)

NADINE MOEDT

CONTRIBUTOR

The Yellow Deli Restaurant is located on Yale Road in downtown Chilliwack. It was formerly known only as The Preserved Seed before extensive renovation expanded the restaurant area. Now the Preserved Seed refers specifically to their produce and organic section of the store. The menu at The Yellow Deli offers a limited selection of soups, sandwiches and salads; the food is decent, though not outstanding. Yet somehow I have ended up eating there a handful of times over the past few months. The selections, although not terribly exciting (turkey sandwich, tomato soup, cranberry and nut salad), are obviously prepared with great care. The food, described as “mostly organic,” is fresh, and the bread is baked on site everyday. With the sandwich combo you get a basket of chips (chips, not fries) and a pickle. I like the “Prince and Pauper” sandwich, which consists of a slice of tofu marinated in what I assume to be tamari soy, topped with melted cheese, avocado, tomato and a house sauce. I find most of the sandwich selections a bit salty, but otherwise satisfactory. The salads are crisp and the soups quite good – one or two soups are made fresh each day. The ginger carrot soup makes a trip for lunch worthwhile. The meals are not badly priced either; the average cost of a sandwich is about $8.

The restaurant also offers a selection of smoothies, real fruit juice and organic pops. And, if you’re interested in dessert or something to take home for a treat, there are fresh-baked cookies. I personally find the selection a bit too wholesome: the ginger cookie with intrusive chunks of ginger, the oatmeal raisin and the fig-flavoured cookie all taste too, well, “healthy.” In doubling the size of the restaurant, the owners have also come up with some interesting choices in décor. Everything appears to be crudely homemade, from the rough-hewn tables to the leatherupholstered chairs and the fruit baskets suspended as lampshades. There is the soundtrack (playing incessantly both inside and out) of folksy music for which the instrument de rigueur is the fiddle. That said, I find that the ambience itself makes a visit satisfying; when there is a fire burning in the stone fire place beneath the exposed roof beams, there is a feeling of coziness and a sense of home, much in contrast to the loud clattering and more trendy milieu of a place like Milestones or Earl’s. The Yellow Deli is run by a religious cult known as “The Twelve Tribes.” Judging by the painted image of Jesus on the wall—looking remarkably like John Lennon, I might add—it can be assumed this group represents a mix of adherence to hardcore Christianity and nostalgic reverence for Hippie culture. The walls are filled with images and writing on free love, justice and something about time travel on a school bus. Under the “who we are” heading of their website, it states they are a messianic community who “love one another so greatly that they are of one heart and mind, holding all things as common property, living together” and “devoted to one

another because they’re devoted to the One who saved them from death and misery.” Those who work there have the look in their dress of Amish farmers and in their expressions of contented devotion. The women have long hair pulled back into low ponytails and they all, without exception, wear long, shapeless skirts or dresses paired with sensible walking shoes. The men’s hair is kept in short ponytails; they all have beards. Anyone who needs glasses wears the iconic round Lennon frames. Another shared quality is their vague approach to waiting tables. Our waiter forgot to bring menus and then tried to take our orders. No matter. Their faces always have a friendly smile and the premises are impeccably clean and well kept. While the servers and cooks are all obviously deeply religious (on one occasion, a young man, after clearing our lunch dishes, skipped away singing “hallelujah”), they never attempt to push their religion on their patrons. I’d recom-

The Cascade Cookbook

Image: Davina Rogers

mend at least one visit to The Yellow Deli, if only to experience its

unique atmosphere. It makes for a very interesting meal.

Drink o’ the Week

Ian Fenwick’s Barley and Mushroom Bake Ian Fenwick is the Theatre Department founder, faculty member and coordinator of the annual Directors’ Theatre Festival.

Cape Sunrise

“This is a great meal that provides for leftovers the next day. Great for hungry theatregoers on a budget. Tastes great with a dry white wine and salsa.” Takes 20 minutes to prep and 55 minutes to cook. Serves 4-6. Ingredients: 1½ cups pearl barley 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 onions, chopped 1 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese 1 cup light sour cream 125 grams mushrooms 2 cups vegetable stock, Knorrs cubes 1 red pepper, chopped 125 grams plain corn chips Heat oil in pan. Add onion and red pepper and cook over a gentle heat 3-4 minutes. Add barley and stir over a low heat for 3-4 minutes. Add stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes. Place barley mixture into lightly greased, ovenproof dish. Spoon over sour cream. Top with corn chips and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 180° for 10 minutes.

Sweet, rosy and tropical, this drink is like dawn poured in a glass. 1½ oz. coconut rum ¾ tbsp. grenadine Guava juice Image: Rick Mawson

Cost: $10-$12 depending on what you have on hand. Buy barley from the bulk section of the grocery store and you don’t have to use low fat cheddar.

Pour rum and grenadine over ice in a highball glass. Fill with guava juice. Ideal for: Sunrise Bad for: Sundown On The Cascade scale: A-

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

FEATURE

Artist Profile: Q&A with photographer Akeem Nermo Akeem Nermo is one of UFV’s most well-known student photographers. He has had both solo and collective shows at the Fall Gallery, Ethical Addictions, the Toast Collective and of course the UFV Gallery, including the most recent Soon This Space Will Be Too Small grad show. Nermo has twice been selected as a Top College Photographer finalist in Photographer Forum Magazine. Enjoying the warm May sunshine, we sat down at a rickety picnic table outside C building to discuss his work.

JEN COLBOURNE THE CASCADE

Why photography? What is it about that medium that attracted you as an artist? Originally I was in English – I think I was studying Ginsberg, and I was introduced to a photographer by the name of Robert Frank, a Beat generation photographer ... I hadn’t seen photos like that ever before, really analytical but at the same time they had their own character and personality … I felt like I wanted to be in photography rather than English after being exposed to him. How long have you been doing photography? For about 10 years – but as fine art photography, maybe about six years. Do you have other artistic interests? I like sculpture and print media, even though I’m no good at it. I’m a pretty tactile person and photography doesn’t fulfil that really in any way. What is your view of photography as art? There’s an ongoing debate about whether or not photography is art – it’s really a pointless debate: it’s in the institution, photography is in galleries, you learn about it in visual arts classes. [The debate] is still going on because it’s such a democratic medium – anyone can pick up a camera and just press a button and start taking pictures. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that really. There’s just different ways you can use the tool … You learn a way of seeing and presenting ideas through a camera. What is your personal approach? The project that I did in the grad show is totally different from anything I’ve ever done before. [With photographers like] Robert Frank … Lee Friedlander, Nan Golden … the whole focus is just capturing the moment, finding some sort of essence to human life and experience. It’s kind of impossible to do, I think. That’s certainly one way of shooting, but I’m starting to dip my toes into photoconceptual art where the ideas take precedent over the physical content. What was your inspiration for your project at the grad show? There are actually three projects. They all exist on their own, but there is a thread that all ties them together. After

shooting in that documentary style for several years, [I was] looking back at all these photographs I had, and I didn’t remember what they meant and some meant more—the meaning grew over time—and when different people looked at the same photo that I had experienced this moment with, they would have totally different narratives behind it. I was seeing the failures of photography – you cannot totally compartmentalize a memory and keep it alive. It’s just a document and an artifact, and so much of memory and experience is ephemeral and related to imagination. That’s what I was trying to communicate with this project. With the first project, Of Endurance & Forgetting, you see all the images that people [are] holding in front of their faces mean a lot to them; you might get an idea of what they mean, but so much of your interpretation is based on your imagination and the narrative really is fatalized in that person. The memorial one, I had to tiptoe my way around because it’s pretty controversial. It can be taken as exploitative if not done properly. There’s 40 people, there’s 40 lives, you know? But I wasn’t trying to say anything about the people who erected these memorials, like they can’t remember their loved ones. That’s not what I was saying. But as an audience, when you drive by and you see [the memorials] on the side of the road, you don’t know anything other than a person died there. It really runs the risk of defining their life by their death and it kind of bookended the whole series in that we have all these documents that we have to remember our lives and maybe even prove that we exist, but even in death we have more artifacts and shrines [that] we erect to keep our memories alive. They all relate to pictures in general and why we take them. How did people react to the roadside memorial collection? When I first started taking [the photos], I wasn’t thinking about the people as much as the project, and near the end of it when I was presenting it, a lot of people approached me and were telling stories about the person, somebody they knew, their own experiences. It got kind of heavy actually … A lot of people mentioned how you had to look up and arch your neck back to see the

whole piece – I had more than one person say that it reminded them of being in a cathedral or a church or something. I like that there was some amount of respect that was taken from it. I didn’t want it to be looked at like exploitation at all. What kind of camera would be your dream camera? Probably a digital medium format, like a Hasselblad or something, but I don’t have $50,000 … Even if I did have $50,000, the technology changes all the time. It’s not really worth it unless you’re already making a lot of money. If you could meet any artist in the world, dead or alive, who would it be? Probably Robert Roshenberg, I really like how he mixed media … I never really liked a whole lot of abstract expressionists from the ’50s, but his works are so visceral and emotive. I’m actually trying to meet an artist, a contemporary one, right now – Jin-Me Yoon. She works at SFU and she influenced a lot of my work. What are your immediate plans for your art? One strength that UFV has is building up the conceptual and theoretical background in photography [and] art history background – just exposing you to different ways of seeing. And that’s hard, that’s really hard to learn on your own, but the technical side I think is a bit lacking … so I think I’m going to try to do a photo residency or apprentice with a commercial photographer.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

FEATURE

Top: From Roadside Memorial

Below: From Of Endurance and Forgetting

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

Book Review

E.L. James - Fifty Shades of Grey KAREN ANEY THE CASCADE

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CHARTS

Elvis Was A Blonde Elvis Was A Blonde Apollo Ghosts Landmark Real Boys Real Boys Chains of Love Strange Grey Days

The Ketamines Spaced Out

The Courtneys Demos

Beach House Bloom

Spiritualized Sweet Heart, Sweet Light

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Grinderman Grinderman 2 RMX The Ballantynes The Message/The Railtown Abbey

Miesha & The Spanks/The Sphinxs Miesha & The Spanks/ The Sphinxs

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Eamon McGrath Young Canadians The Vibrating Beds Sing The Blues CFCF Exercises Tanlines Mixed Emotions

Guided By Voices Let’s Go Eat The Factory

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Cannibal Corpse Torture The Brains Drunk Not Dead

Shuffle ALICIA WILLIAMS

CIVL DJ/LASSIE

Alicia is a silly programmer at CIVL Radio. She hosts two shows: Mood Swings and GRLGRMS. On both of these shows, she can’t play songs with swearing because they are too early. This means she can’t play any songs from her favourite punk album of all time: Dayglo Abortions’ Feed Us a Fetus. Here are some of her favourite songs from this album. “Proud to be a Canadian” A tongue-in-cheek song about being proud to be from Canada. This song exemplifies the problems in the Canadian government in 1986. This whole album is like a time warp back to political issues during the time of its release, but maybe, some issues are still standing today. “Pass me another welfare cheque.” “Ronald McRaygun” Was Dayglo the first band to say McAnything? This song is about Ronald Reagan and his seeming love of war and consumerism, the focus of many a punk song during the 1980s. If you pretend the Dead Kennedy’s never existed, this is probably the best political punk song of the time. “Dog Farts” This is an icky punk song about feeding your dog cheese and then he farts and has to poop. Gross hey? I hated Dayglo Abortions for so long after seeing the album cover of Two Dogs Fucking, I just thought they were gross, not funny gross, but like, that kid in elementary school who always had boogers running out of his nose gross. Gross. “Black Sabbath” This song is amazing. Probably one of the very best on the album. What’s funny about punk bands sometimes is that you don’t know if they’re being jokesters or they think Black Sabbath is actually number one (like I do … sometimes). Toni Iommi is my god, it’s true, but is it true for the Cretin?

Every now and then a book comes along that really gets under people’s skin. Harry Potter is one of them – teenaged wizards get on the nerves of most religions. And republicans. One of the most famous “banned books,” though, would have to be DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The book, which is still frowned upon in Australia, was banned pretty much everywhere because sex was filthy and dirty and terrifying. Naturally, this meant that most people read it as soon as they could get their hands on a coveted copy. The reason that it was banned so prolifically wasn’t really about the extramarital nature of the relations. No, Chatterley was deemed scandalous because it was explicit. Nowadays, referring to all things phallic isn’t so scary. In some circles, it’s downright expected. But there’s still a line drawn in the sexual sand – a boundary between what’s socially acceptable and what isn’t. When that line is crossed, it’s Chatterley all over again. Case in point? Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s firmly ensconced on the New York Times Best Seller’s list, joining the illustrious ranks of works by authors like Hemingway and... Snookie. This is fairly impressive, considering how it got its start in the world. The novel and its sequels were originally pieces of fan fiction based on the Twilight franchise. James fulfilled what women worldwide had been dreaming of for years – she amped up Meyer’s thinly veiled tome advocating abstinence by having someone take whips and chains to the feckless protagonist. This, however, upset 14-year-old fans everywhere, so James put the story on a personal website instead. Then, she realized that people like reading about dirty, filthy sex, so she changed the character’s names and sold it to a publishing company. Ironically enough, the original publishers are located in Australia. Being the investigative type, I had to see what the fuss was about. On a trip to Target with two trusted—and sexually awakened—friends, I picked up a copy for myself at 20 per cent off the cover price. On the drive back to the border, I skimmed, trying to find an excerpt I could read to my friends. The first thing I stumbled across was a sexual slavery contract. I showed it to my friend, and she told me to find an excerpt to read out loud. Now, I’m not the shy type, readers. Particularly not with my friends. But every time I found one of the frequent graphic scenes, I couldn’t bring myself to read out loud. Not because it was that dirty, mind you—I already told you I’m not exactly shy—but because the interactions between Anabelle [Bella Swan] Steele and the exceeding rich and handsome Christian [Edward Cullen] Grey were just too hot. Yes, James can write sex. She does it very well. Unfortunately, her skills stop there. The novel is full of repetition. In fact, I tried to

figure out if Steele’s college roommate was ever introduced into the plot without being called tenacious, but my head got sore from beating it against a brick wall so I had to stop the tally. Also, Anabelle orgasms by shattering into a million pieces. Every time – except for the times she shatters into a thousand pieces, that is. The plot itself is completely secondary to the individual sexual encounters. Nothing really happens; in fact, the entirety of the novel spans the space of about one week. Even a college graduation is overshadowed by how totally hot Christian is and how hot that makes Anabelle. If I’m being kind, this speaks to the author’s strength in writing erotica – but really, it just alludes to her complete inability to portray anything in a compelling nature that doesn’t make areas south of the belt tingle. The characters themselves are virtually indistinguishable from their Twilight inspirations, minus some sparkly skin. In fact, Anabelle is even referred to as Ana— Ana, Bella—see the similarity? Yes, they’re basically the same characters found in Meyer’s novel – which is to say, they’re boring, predictable and completely flat. They don’t change or develop, except when Ana develops bruises and Christian’s muscle tone changes after giving them to her. Ana’s attempts at individuality and independence are laughable,

as they all fail in the face of her being, like, so totally in love with Christian. However, it gives him a good excuse to punish her: the first time she rolled her eyes at him resulted in her being taken over his knee for a spanking. Oh, and then they had sex. So, that’s one thing James has done right; she takes her weaknesses and the incredible ineptitude of the characters, and she uses them as an excuse to write more sex scenes – which she actually is good at. So, it’s a pretty terribly written novel. It has no plot to speak of, and the characters are terrible. The repetition is irritating and inescapable – just terrible. So overall, terrible. But the sex is intense, and can teach you a few things if you’re looking to expand your sexual horizons. And hey, it’s easier than porn – the novel looks like an unassuming story about a lawyer. If the people who see you buying it know otherwise, it’s only because they’ve read it too. It’s a great way to start humanizing kinky sex for yourself, because every instance of it in the novel is completely unassuming and ends safely. It’s also worth noting that Ben Wa ball sales have gone up 300 per cent since the book’s publication – according to the company that makes them. So pick up the book, learn about the importance of safe words, but don’t expect to read it on the bus. You’ll want the privacy.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

Mini Album Reviews

SoundBites

ARTS & LIFE

The Cribs In the Belly of the Brazen Bull

Despite slogging it out with a series of underwhelming early records as labelgroomed understudies to the likes of Franz Ferdinand and The Libertines in the mid-aughts, the Cribs have persevered. Outlasting many of their peers, The Cribs have excelled at making steady improvements to their craft with each subsequent album. In the Belly of the Brazen Bull is the Jarman brothers’ first recorded output since the departure of legendary ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr – who, to the disbelief and insane jealousy of every aspiring musician born in the ‘80s, became a full-fledged member of the group in 2008. The Cribs’ fifth record is a raucous and gleefully sloppy affair full of ‘90s slacker attitude and bravura alt. rock, lightly filtered through the band’s post-2000 major indie British sensibilities. While it lacks the subtleties and dynamic range of last year’s debut record from The Cribs’ compatriots Yuck, faltering in some of the quieter moments, there is something undeniably infectious about the band’s scrappy change of pace. The first five tracks are nearly impeccable, from the Sonic Youth tribute “Jaded Youth” to the more pop-minded “Anna,” but the record is ultimately top-heavy and uneven. Things start to run aground after “Pure O,” suggesting that shaving off a few tracks might have made for a better album overall, but that doesn’t make gems “Glitters Like Gold” and “Chi-Town” any less memorable.

Mac Demarco Rock and Roll Night Club

AM radio pop music tends to articulate a kind of yearning, a feeling that’s just out of reach, and Vancouver-based Mac Demarco of Makeout Videotape follows closely to this typecast. His harkening back to a bygone era should be credited to Ariel Pink, whose straightforward AM pop has found a niche audience with writing so catchy and warm it’s hard to resist. Demarco’s debut Rock and Roll Night Club contains brittle, jangle guitar hooks and laissez-faire melodies, as Mac baits his audience with his goofy rock ‘n’ roll lyrics and smoky crooner-like voice. The title track and “Baby’s Wearing Blue Jeans” both focus on Demarco’s sleazy baritone voice, which strains like that of a drunken Elvis Presley. There is, however, a surreal and more or less dreamlike 1960s quality to Night Club, creating an atmosphere that sounds almost as if director David Lynch has joined forces with group Real Estate. Night Club is a woozy, glam-infused and sometimes creepy 30 minutes of throwback pop tunes, yet Demarco’s approach evokes genuine blue-eyed soul, meaning there’s more to Mac Demarco than meets the eye.

NICK UBELS

TIM UBELS

Album Review ALICIA WILLIAMS

CIVL DJ/CONTRIBUTOR Tired of the same old boring, Strokes-inspired garage-rock? Do you like the sounds of Nuggets, but don’t want to get stuck in the “I was born too late/I was born too soon” tune of American Music by the Violent Femmes? Well, well, look no further! You’ve got what you’re looking for and it’s right here in the FVRD. Elvis Was a Blonde rose from the fiery high school ashes of bands like The WCB (from Canada), Annthronein, A Human Nothing, the Stirs, and, most notably, Women of Britain. Having just released their first EP, Elvis Was a Blonde has been hitting the CIVL airwaves on more shows than just mine and, not to mention, topping the !earshot charts last week in the number one spot. The EP starts off with the track “Gin,” probably my favourite track. Alex makes his voice sound like a Lux Interior Cramps seizure at some choice spots, which is reason enough for me to enjoy this song. Amanda’s voice comes in to

highlight at the perfect time, every time, on this tune and for the whole EP. “Funeral Jack” starts up next. The beginning of it starts off very slow, making this reviewer ready to call it the weakest track on the self-titled EP. But, this song demonstrates Elvis Was a Blonde’s ability to build up a song and raise it to a climax. The instrumentation here mixed with Alex’s vocals sounds drenched in Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds influence. But then Amanda comes in, her voice floating under Alex’s for most of the song, and then in the last 50 seconds she totally kills it. In this last stretch, Alex may be the one yelling, but Amanda takes over as the more prominent vocalist here. The third track is “Sunshine Glorious.” It has high points and low points and is probably my least favourite track on the album. When the chorus hits is when the bomb goes off. On this song you can hear the fun they’re having as a band and it’s really cool, you know? The end hits you fast, so be ready. The very last track on the four song EP is “Walking Wolf.” This

Best Coast

Chromatics Kill for Love

I don’t know if it’s my deep-seated love for all things California, or because Best Coast is just an amazing band, but the title track off their sophomore album The Only Place picks things up where their debut album left them. Mostly. Notably missing is the lo-fi sound they emerged with, and while that may bring up conflicted feelings, given a few listens, you will finally accept what producer Jon Brion has done. It’s still just as much surf pop, but perhaps it’s now more accessible. Also new here is lead singer Bethany Cosentino’s expanded lyrical base. Interestingly, it is “The Only Place” which is actually the only upbeat song in terms of the lyrics. Of course, every song still comes across with a sound that is hard to take as anything but light summer fun – until you pay attention to the subject. It seems that over the past few years Cosentino has been through some experiences. The three standout tracks here are “How They Want Me to Be,” “Better Girl,” and “Up All Night.” But you know what – they’re all great songs, and it’s an outstanding album.

Former punk rockers, presently more electronically inclined, Chromatics made a tour of the popular spectrum last year after featuring in the Drive soundtrack, and subsequently seemingly everywhere. Their “Tick of the Clock” has a descendant in Chromatics’ newest album (“Broken Mirrors”), but Kill for Love, a 90-minute electro/ magnetic magnum opus, is comprised of lyric and guitar drenched tracks as much as moody midnight beats. Vocalist Ruth Radalet infuses every line with the potency of dreams, echoed by electronic guitar/synth skyscapes that lull and awaken on tracks like “The Page” and “These Streets Will Never Look the Same.” As for the penultimate “There’s a Light Out on the Horizon,” it has to be in the running for best lyric-less breakup song ever. The band recently released an abridged, drumless version of Kill for Love for free, which retains the album’s layered instrumentation, perhaps bringing out more of its subtler sounds due to missing cues and underscores, but it’s only a slice of the whole story. For the intoxicating pleasure of Chromatics is found in their mingling of pop and rock influences and instrumentations, which Kill for Love in its prime version pushes forward as near as possible to its ultimate, fullest extent.

The Only Place

JOE JOHNSON

MICHAEL SCOULAR

Elvis Was a Blonde – Elvis Was a Blonde

song is hit single material. It was their first song release and left the Lower Mainland waiting for more. The guitars ease you into Alex’s vocals, which start off smooth in comparison to the previous three tracks. You can hear the garagerock influence in his voice and

again the song is brought together beautifully by Amanda’s sweet vocals on the chorus. Listen until the end – Elvis Was a Blonde knows how to finish a track, and an album. Don’t try to hide. Don’t try to run. Track down an Elvis Was a

Blonde show and buy a copy of their EP, or buy it on their bandcamp.com page. You’ll like ‘em lots if you like bands like: The Cramps, The Sonics, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Thee Headcoats/ees.

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

Haute Stuff LEANNA PANKRATZ THE CASCADE

I find it so ridiculous when I see tabloid photographs of celebrities who have dared to go out in public without makeup—a simple act—and are ridiculed for looking less than their red carpet and magazine personas. Nasty, pseudo-journalists seem to find some gross pleasure in calling shame on a woman who feels compelled to slip on a white shirt and run out the door sans makeup. Actions like this make me question our society, and question whether or not we as North Americans are actually in touch with what makes a woman confident, and what in turn makes her more feminine, beautiful and desirable (if she so chooses). Now, this is not going to be a rant against the objectification of women in the fashion industry, how digitally retouched models are not “real,” or even about the pressure put on women to look good all the time. Those topics have been beaten to death, and in a world where marketing relies on sex, smiles and beauty above all other things, they are widely acknowledged as extremely hard situations to turn around, regardless of the good-willed efforts of many. What many people should know, however, is that sometimes, every woman, aesthetically conscious or not, should take perhaps even calculated time to strip herself down (metaphorically of course; literally, if, once again, she so chooses!). Sometimes, it is only after all the embellishments are removed that we truly can see what lies beneath—the high points, the deficits—all of which are impor-

FILM REVIEW Dark Shadows

The Art of Less

tant to acknowledge if we ever want to become truly self-defined individuals. As the old adage goes, sometimes less is truly more. There are times when I have felt infinitely more confident wearing a simple, unadorned, unpainted look than when I am fully decked out, constantly evaluating whether or not I have achieved my ideal. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones in order to establish a sense of who we are – and, for some, that means taking the time to experiment with less. Spend a day without foundation if you feel displeased with your skin; or leave the house without much skin showing if you find you gain more than due confidence from showing off your body; or cut off your hair, as I recently did, if you feel you hide behind it at times. People Magazine, to my great joy, recently ran an issue titled “Most Beautiful.” Shot by Ben Watts, the issue featured a 10-page spread of female celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel, Lily Collins, Jessica Pare and Modern Family’s Julie Bowen, completely without makeup and without Photoshop. The issue also featured interviews with the stars that gave insight into their health and wellness rituals, many of which pertain to beauty. There was a certain aura of naturalness that pervaded the photos and was incredibly refreshing to see, in contrast to the magazine’s cover, which featured a lovely yet incredibly staged photograph of Beyoncé. Sometimes, I reiterate, less is more. Beauty is subjective, and luminous if it stems from a deep well of self-knowledge and comfortableness.

Image: fred baby/flickr.com

It’s not about taking drastic measures. We don’t need to burn our bras, dispose of our Rimmel London kissproof lipstick in “Old Flame,” or throw away our perfumes and handbags. It’s about developing a confidence that extends beyond such wonderful addons. “Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress,” said Coco Chanel to Vogue in 1928. You will never wear clothes marvelously if you do not feel that you are the marvelous one, and not the scarf or blazer. Being a woman is a wonderful thing, at any age. Audrey Hepburn, famous actress and famed beauty, was perhaps at her most lovely on her final mission to Somalia, at the age of 62 – hair pulled back, without a stitch of makeup and certainly without a thread of Givenchy. Yet she was confident, purposeful and seemed definite, like she knew where she belonged, and it was right there, right in that moment – and that image has touched her fans and admirers for years. We need to begin to see ourselves the way we were meant to be. Nothing matters except for acceptance of the self. The clothing will follow.

CASCADE ARCADE

Games make you fitter, stronger and more productive JOEL SMART

THE CASCADE You’ll have to blame your inability to read your shiny, new textbooks on something other than your latest gaming addiction. A recent study, published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, has shown that video games have the capability to improve your mind. “A team led by psychology professor Ian Spence at the University of Toronto reveals that playing an action video game, even for a relatively short time, causes differences in brain activity and improvements in visual attention,” explained a Science Daily report. The subjects were to play Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, a first-person-shooter, for 10 hours, and then complete a mentally-challenging focus test while their brain waves were recorded. “After playing the shooter game, the changes in electrical activity were consistent with brain processes that enhance visual attention and supress distracting information,” Sijing Wu, a PhD student at the University of Toronto and author of the study, told Science Daily. While it isn’t a new finding that action video games improve “selective visual attention,” the study sought to provide a causal link by ensuring all 25 subjects studied had not previously played a

video game. “Nobody has previously demonstrated that there are differences in brain activity which are a direct result of playing the video game,” said Ian Spence, the psychology professor who led the team, in the Science Daily report. The control group, which played Ballance, an action-free 3-D puzzle game, did not show the improvements in their brainwaves. The findings are significant, specifically considering the various every day activities that rely on visual perception and attention. According to the research, these activities range from driving a car to safely navigating through a messy room. Because of the similarity to driving, Wu saw the potential for video games to help. For example, he told The Toronto Star in an interview that the findings could be used to “develop training programs to help older drivers” who are struggling to maintain the required levels of awareness. Or, if you just convince your grandma to play a round of Call of Duty with you before she heads off to the supermarket, she might actually keep the speed limit for once. Just don’t complain to us when she starts calling you a n00b. Wu also challenged critics of video games to stop focusing only on the negative sides of games. “Before this trend of research started, people always focused on

the violent side of the first person shooter games,” he told The Toronto Star. While he added that violent games are not good for children, he noted that there are positive aspects to these games, and that further research could help bring those aspects to games appropriate for kids. The potential for games to bring about positive changes has been lauded for years. While they’ve successfully been used to teach typing, they’ve struggled to gain momentum in math and English based teaching games. Games even have the potential to help people better retain certain important activities, such as emergency protocols; for example, one Gamasutra article suggested using a game instead of the airline attendant demonstration to prepare passengers in the event of a crash. It’s already well-known that the military uses a specially-designed first-personshooter game to train their soldiers. It likely won’t be long before the DMV includes a driving simulator test before it sends L drivers out on the road. While crosswords and word jumble games have long been seen as positive force for keeping an aging mind mentally fit, it may surprise some to see modern action video games added to the list. Ah, excuses to play your favourite game have never been so sweet.

MICHAEL SCOULAR

THE CASCADE

A typical Burton outsider rides in to the tune of “Nights In White Satin” by The Moody Blues, adopts a pseudonym based off a Victoria, BC, tourism poster (seriously) and attempts to integrate into a practiced, ordered world of material values. Like most of Tim Burton’s work, Dark Shadows is a curatedlike object of Burton’s past inclinations and present aesthetic desires. However, the opening relationships, involving Bella Heathcote’s Victoria, Michelle Pfeiffer’s matriarch Elizabeth and Chloe Moretz’s teenager Carolyn, for a moment resembles the Burton responsible for tragic characters, comic pain and open frames that observe people free/not free to move, rather than calculated brand quirk. And then Johnny Depp rises from the dead. Depp’s collaboration with Tim Burton as wholly defined, in a derisive way, by the makeup masks and phony accents he adopts, isn’t entirely fair – for the best of their efforts (Edward Scissorhands, Sweeney Todd) are similarly powdered and vocally divergent from the real. If there is a dividing line through Burton’s filmography—and with it Depp’s performances—it might be what they seek to find in the outlandish, and where they stand, whether inside or out, in relation to that outlandishness. Dark Shadows, though not as horrid as, say, Alice in Wonderland, sees Depp similarly standing outside the material, not as an outsider/ loner character, but as the ultimate insider – in on the dated, vampiric and innuendo-laced jokes even as he feigns ignorance, and in on the idea that this is a continuation of the Depp-Burton persona, in a way divergent from the rest of the cast. Heathcote, Pfeiffer and Moretz are shifted to the sidelines, bystanders in what was up to a point their own movie. What follows is a variation on Burton’s Corpse Bride, with Eva

Green’s Angelique assuming the role of the otherworldly unlucky lover. Where Depp’s measured, amused with himself, slow-witted diction threatens to kill the picture, Green’s jealousy, all loopy grins and bladed arm gestures, rises above the trivial business deal/rival plotting of the screenplay, which also ignores the class distinction that initially separated the pair, favouring turning her character into just another obsessive scorned manhandler. There’s some portentous dialogue about eternal love, life and immortality, and the importance of family, but it’s around the edges as dialogue or voiceover, never threatening to creep into the substance of the film. This is Burton firmly in “don’t take me too seriously” mode. Which isn’t to say that Burton’s visual work and choice of collaborators isn’t on display as it tends to be. Moments of visual splendour and acuity come and go: an out of focus dance, an emptied bag, a 360-degree turn that’s almost half as charged with eroticism as a similar shot in Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea, and the typical toeing of the line between practical and digital effects that makes people regard “A Tim Burton Film” as one bursting with “imagination.” When one character replies to a line about how magnificent the family’s mansion looks with everyday resignation, it’s intended to be funny, but it’s close to the truth considering how Burton’s movies have progressed. Referencing themselves with diminishing returns, rarely stepping outside of a comfort zone, they’re often as hermetic and hollow as the state of the family in Dark Shadows. Burton’s continued hiding of his best tendencies (the potential of the opening, Christopher Lee again confined to a single scene, emotions sublimated into thin laughs – when the opposite shift is what he’s excelled at) isn’t maddening or disappointing. For Burton it’s typical.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

www.ufvcascade.ca

ARTS & LIFE

Discussions Below the Belt TITS MCGEE

THE CASCADE

Taboo Talks

On Friday, May 10, I went to the Taboo Naughty but Nice Show at the Tradex in Abbotsford. For any of you that went, I was there by myself – and yes, the pseudonym is anatomically apt. Think you spotted me? You probably didn’t, I’m kind of ninja-like when I want to be. Using those ninja skills (note to self: research ninja porn), I snuck up on unsuspecting attendees and interviewed them before they realized they were likely telling me crap they didn’t want to. So, without further ado, here it is readers, the fruits of my ninja labours: the Taboo Talks. Enjoy.

Metro Vancouver Kink: Brandon

I met Brandon after watching him tie a girl up and suspend her from a large metal tower. Now, depending on how your loins work, that either excited you or terrified you. Either way, they both looked like they were having way too much fun, so we had a little chat. So how long have you been in the scene? B: Five to six years probably, all in Vancouver. Is this your first time at Taboo? B: I was here last year and the year before. I do other things as well, but I’ve always really liked rope, fantasies of helpless girls and stuff like that. Metro Vancouver Kink (M.V.K.) is who I’m with. We do dungeon parties, so it’s different than Noir/Sin City/Fetish Fridays, which are all club-like parties… So you work for M.V.K., then? B: Yes. I’m on the board – I’m the guy in charge of the equipment. I really like what I do. Tell me about your partner [that you tied up]. B: Her name is Robin. We’ve been together for about a year. We actually met the year before at Taboo – I tied her up and she managed to find me online afterwards. And do you have a monogamous relationship? B: We’re polyamorous. We try to encourage each other. There’s a trust factor for sure and it’s more about being comfortable in your relationship. We both always had elements of that in our past relationships ... I’ve always felt comfortable with my partners interacting with other people, I don’t see a problem with flirting or anything like that. Polyamory is just an extension of that [but] it requires a lot more communication – but so does BDSM and all this other stuff. I like to think of it as a normal relationship with an extra level of intimacy, because with a normal relationship there’s a level of interpersonal stuff, but with this kind of stuff you have to trust your partner a lot more. You have to tell your partner what you’re thinking and feeling all the times, especially with this stuff. It’s so much more intimate, I love it. If someone wanted to start looking into the kinkier side of things, where would you recommend they start? B: The suspension is not usually where most people start – not being the person doing it, anyway. As the person getting tied up, you can do that: just make sure you’re doing it with someone competent that

knows what they’re doing, because a lot can go wrong with suspensions. You can cause injuries and you can fall or whatever – it can be bad, so you want to make sure you know what you’re doing, same with lots of other activities. We call it R.A.K.—risk aware kink—so just try and be aware of what you’re getting into before you do it. That’s why we try and steer people towards Fetlife (www.fetlife.com – it’s kind of like Facebook for the kinky set) which has so many boards. There’s so much information that people can go and look at before you try any of these things so you don’t do something you’re not ready for. For those who aren’t kinkfriendly just yet, can you explain what the draw is? B: Some people like the challenge of it, some people like to be able to say “Yeah I can do that,” some people get a euphoric rush almost like a runner’s high. You get the same thing with pain: you do and it hurts for a little while, and then you don’t hurt so much, and by the time you’re done, you’re euphoric and so high

[you] can’t even walk anymore. I had to carry [Robin] one time because she just couldn’t walk after a scene. Actually, it was funny: one time we played and she was so high, but it was the end of the night, so I had to take the equipment down ... so I went to give her to her other partner and was like “here, take her” and he couldn’t carry her. It was really cute. He was a little bit older. It happens. [Note: Robin was quite svelte. I could tell, because she was clad in underwear and electric tape. That outfit doesn’t leave too much to the imagination.] So tell me more about M.V.K. B: We have dungeon nights, and classes before the dungeon – so we teach people how to do things in as safe as possible a manner. None of what we do is safe, but we try to make it as safe as possible. We have classes on impact play and ropes and D/s stuff, interpersonal kind of classes, stuff like that. [You can check out M.V.K. at www.metrovancouverkink.com]

The Couple on the Street: Mike and Lisa Sometimes when I’m out and about, I like to try and find the most wholesome looking people possible and ask them really uncomfortable questions. Then, I take pictures of the shades of red they turn just in case they’re perfect for decorating my kitchen with one day. Mike and Lisa* were my picks of the evening, though they didn’t turn any particularly spectacular shades. (*Names are fake, because anonymity makes us say more sometimes! Not that I’d know or anything.) Is this your first time here? M: It’s my first time, but Lisa came last year. L: I came for my friend’s birthday. It was a blast, we dressed in corsets and it was awesome. So what brings you here this year? M: Well ... we’ve been together for just over six months, and are thinking about becoming sexually active soon. We wanted to experience this together. L: It sucks, because so many of our peers have been having sex for years now. We just haven’t, and we don’t want to talk to our friends about it because we’re worried they’ll judge us. Well, that’s how it is for me anyway, but maybe it’s different for girls? M: You think I want to talk to my friends about this? Anyway, we figured if maybe we go to a few classes together, maybe get used to listening to sexual stuff together, it’ll be easier to take that step. Can I ask how old you both are? M: 21 L: 20 And what’s your level of experience so far? L: We’re both virgins. This is the first serious relationship for both of us – for me because I was really busy in high school. Together, we haven’t done much...

Images: Tits McGee

What’s “much?” [Both laugh uncomfortably. I think I’m scaring them.] M: We’ve gotten each other off with our hands. We’ve also— you know—pleasured ourselves while the other person watched. That was easier to do for me. So you have an exhibitionist side? M: No! Well, I don’t know. But it was just easier to do something I was already used to, you know? L: It was harder for me, because it made me self-conscious. But it was a good step to being intimate together. It worked for us. Does your family know you’re here today? [Both laugh, but now it’s kind of incredulous laughter.] L: No! My parents are pretty strict. M: I don’t tell my parents most things anymore. It just makes life easier for me. Lisa, did your family find out you came last year? L: No, thank goodness. I’m pretty sure I’d have heard about it if they did. [See, kids? You too can come to the sex show in secret. It’s kind of like mutually assured destruction, except more interesting than the Cold War – if you see someone from work they can’t exactly judge you because ... yes, that’s right. They’re here too.]

Images: Johnny Roddick

www.ufvcascade.ca

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

ARTS & LIFE

“Talking Dirty” Speaker: Vancouver Dungeon Monitoring Team: Andie Luv Member I went to a bunch of seminars, because they’re more fun when you’re not being graded. One such show was “Talking Dirty,” led by Andie Luv. She gave all kinds of great tips – like making sure you know if your partner has a trigger, and personalizing what you’re saying (for example, she’s not a slut, she’s YOUR slut). I chatted her up afterwards, because when someone’s nice enough to teach you how to call someone a slut and get away with it, that’s what you do. Do you have any advice for people that were maybe raised in a religious environment and are having trouble dealing with that in their sex lives? A: I think it’s about recognizing that God created all of us. He created me kinky; he knew that I had these desires and I have these wants and these needs ... so it’s getting to a place and realizing that it’s not all about sex, it’s about being comfortable in your own body and realizing that you can be a good person, you can be a moral person without ... adhering

to every single edict that came from however long ago. Are you a religious person yourself? A: Absolutely. I was raised Baptist. I taught Sunday school till about four years ago, so I definitely believe in God and Jesus and all that, but I don’t believe in living my life by edicts that were written 2000 years ago. Everything has changed. I’m a consenting adult and a moral person, I don’t steal, I don’t cheat.

“Improving Your Sex Life” Speaker: Dr. Lyne Piche Another awesome seminar was “Improving Your Sex Life” with Dr. Lyne Piche. There were lots of useful tidbits, but the larger message boiled down to communication. Apparently, you need to know what’s going on with your partner before you let them stick their bits inside yours (or vice versa). Huh. Imagine that. Any advice for people beginning their sex life after growing up in a strict family? D: I think there are two things that happen when you come from a family where there’s really structured religion. One of them is that if sex hasn’t been talked about, then it becomes this really taboo thing that people don’t feel they can talk about, that people don’t feel they can communicate about. So one of the things I recommend is really what I talked about today – you have to be able to communicate about sex, and that is a really fundamental skill that has to happen. To be able to do that with your friends and your peers and your partners, and just being able to have some of those conversations, is probably the first place I’d start.

And what about for couples that are just on different pages, because of religion or any other reason? D: One of the things that happens when you have two people together like that, is the person that’s being told everything they like is dirty tends to pull away. Then, what we have are couples where it’s not working very well, because the one person feels like they’re not being respected in their sexuality or their sexual choices. Then there’s a lot of conflict or “I’m going to go over here for sex,” and then you start having problems with infidelity, you start having problems with secret sex, and that’s even worse. So again, it’s all about communication.

UFV Speaks:

Hanging out in the Dungeon section next to Brandon and Robin were some fellows from D.M. – the Vancouver Dungeon Monitor Team. They volunteer at various events, including Sin City. Their job is to keep an eye on things and make sure all the good violent fun is as safe as possible. I briefly chatted with one of the D.M. members about his personal experience in the world of kink. So how long have you been in the scene? M: I’ve been in the scene for 15-20 years. You learn, and when I was taught how to do all this— the bondage and the whips ... the safety of it—I had to promise to teach. Because what’s the point of teaching somebody if they don’t pass on the knowledge? And what’s your experience been like at the Taboo shows? M: The first taboo show in Vancouver, it was like “oh, you freaks” and I [was] like “yeah, I see thousands of them”... So we try to give people the opportunity, [but] we’re educators, too. We’ll show you, we’ll demonstrate, if you want to know how to do something ... I got whips and canes in my bag and I’ll show you how to do it. Half of it is anatomy, you need to know someone’s anatomy: like where’s the jugular … what happens if her head drops down below her waistline? Well, all the blood is going to rush to her head. So how long can someone’s head be below their waistline, do you think? M: No longer than 45 minutes, depending. What you do before you start playing with someone, you have to have an interview. I need to know what you’re allergic to. So [many] people are allergic to all kinds of wonderful things ... you need to know about asthma, blood pressure – if you have high blood pressure getting your head down is a bad idea, because now your veins are trying to expand and there’s nowhere for them to go ... so maybe you have to play it in a different

way. Maybe you don’t want to swing with your head hanging down, maybe you want to be suspended from your side, or you can put it straight up... So how long could someone last suspended? How long is it safe to be doing other activities? M: If you do mummification, 30 minutes because you’re breathing through your mouth and nose and all that. Knife play, whatever you can stand. A whip, maybe 20 lashes. I’ve taken bottoms from 15 minutes to over three hours of play, but it took four years to do it, because you have to build up your tolerance because your body releases endorphins and you can actually get high from it – and it’s not illegal, even in Abbotsford. So you’re actually stimulating the body and you have to bring the body down just as well. You can’t just go around and excite everybody and say “oh ok, bye.” There’s also aftercare. You are in charge. You have to take care of the person you’re playing with. Everyone’s having a good time, just some people have a good time on a different level ... it’s all a matter of communication. It’s more effective communication than “ok honey, I’m tired, I’ll see ya.” Have you ever seen any really serious injuries? M: Um, no. I’ve seen someone break their thumb, but more because they were stupid. All the events I look after, there’s always someone that’s first aid certified. We don’t necessarily want to step in, but we will. Like if we see blue hands, I’ll step in and say “hey, you might want to look

at her wrists.” And usually he’s like “oh!” And how does kink incorporate into your vanilla life? M: I’ve tied up my doctor’s wife. [Apparently, my facial expression registered enough shock that he elaborated.] M: We’ve known each other for 20 years. I’m not shy about who I am. If you ask a question, you may not like the answer, but I will tell you the truth. I went like this to work today because I didn’t have time to change between there and here. I drive a bus, for Coast Mountain Bus Company. [He was fully clothed, though dressed in aptly kinky clothing – leather and grommets abounded.] So some of our students have probably seen you before then? M: Absolutely. Most of them. If you find this community, there’s a lot of honest people running around ... You don’t have anybody that’s lying to you ... How many relationships break because of lies, deceit, all that kind of fun? If you have somebody you trust to tie you up and use knives on you, you’re obviously going to have some level of trust with them. And as a top, I think twice about the people I play with. Some people collect stamps; I hit people for fun. [Want more? You can find the full D.M. member interview on my blog: titsmcgee3.wordpress. com]

Thoughts on the Taboo Show

Jack Forbes What are you studying? Business. Have you ever been to the Taboo sex show? I haven’t been. What do you think about it? Well, I don’t know, I guess whatever makes you happy, whatever thrills you. Why not, right? Do you believe in sex before marriage? Before? Yeah.

Hailly Martin

What are you studying? Fine Arts. Have you ever been to the Taboo sex show? Actually I just worked there the last one that was going on, selling corsets. It was really fun.

What do you think about the show? I think it’s too bad that it’s kind of being cancelled by the Christian groups. Honestly, I feel like if you don’t want something, don’t go to it. It doesn’t concern you, so you don’t have to ruin the fun for other people. I don’t know. It seems unChristian. But I don’t really know that much about that. Do you believe in sex before marriage? Yes, absolutely. The real question is, do I believe in marriage?

Rob Houes What are you studying? Political Science. Have you ever been to the Taboo sex show? I have never been to the show before. What do you think about the show? I think I’d be interested in checking it out if I had some more details, maybe. Do you believe in sex before marriage? Uh, yeah … I do. I’m religious, actually, but I do.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Eliminated from playoffs, Heat face offseason of changes after season of growth MICHAEL SCOULAR THE CASCADE

Up against the forces of bouncing pucks, untimely goals, and the Toronto Marlies, the Heat fell in five games, leading into an offseason that promises as much change as experienced in their record-setting year. Abbotsford’s semifinal exit could be attributed to a number of factors, from their power play, which failed to connect on all 24 opportunities in the series, to their inability to sustain leads. All four losses came in a row, and in three of them the Heat held early leads. But Troy Ward’s team won’t look at things that way. Ward has instilled his team with a mentality that doesn’t look at momentum or statistics for reasons or excuses. His thinking perceives the strength of the other team and the role of unpredictability in the series, and places the weight of responsibility not on individuals but the cumulative effort of the team. So while scoring wasn’t in ample supply for the Heat, who were never able to beat Marlies goaltender Ben Scrivens more than twice in the series, there was also the fact that Scrivens played extremely well. Added to that, before and after the puck got to him, there was the Marlies’ strong group of defencemen; this impressive blueline was led by Korbinian Holzer and Mark Fraser, a pairing that consistently prevented most first and second chances. Heat defenceman J.P. Testwuide commented, saying, “There were times we had them on the ropes, and Scrivens was there.” Traffic, rebounds, and lucky bounces were where the Heat were going to have to find suc-

image:abbotsfordheat.com

cess, and that ultimately eluded them. When they did find a goal in that way, it was only because a rebound went right to Krys Kolanos – where before Scrivens had controlled every one. It didn’t happen again. The Heat were not outmatched, despite being the lower seed, and they certainly were not outcoached. Dallas Eakins—who was talked about as a possible candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ head job this season, before Randy Carlyle was hired—called Ward’s team “the hardest we played all year.” They were, as any team in a close matchup is, done in by the uncontrollable aspects of hockey and the brief lapses that turn into insurmountable advantages: the bounce that turns a power play into a breakaway for the other side, the chance taken for a big body check turned into an open lane. The Heat had those opportunities too, but could not execute, as the Marlies did on their

series clinching overtime power play. Despite the earlier than desired exit, the Heat were mostly optimistic about the team’s season, owing again to the culture that Ward has established in his first year as head coach, an important development going forward both for the on-ice success of the team and its off-ice reputation. Ryan Walter, speaking on The Big Show on Calgary’s FAN 960, recognized the necessity of building a team that benefits from its connections to a big league club, but also has an identity separate from it, saying that the Heat “[need] to become Abbotsford’s team.” One of the possible difficulties in establishing that kind of brand early on was that, in addition to being a Calgary Flames affiliate, in its first two seasons, the Heat played like it. Jim Playfair, who has gone on to have success with

the Phoenix Coyotes as an associate coach this season, came to the Heat from the Flames, and brought that system with him. Ward has changed the type of game the Heat play. If there’s an NHL team they resemble now, if not exactly in strategy but mentality, it’s the Nashville Predators, balancing out offensive deficiencies with hard work. Ward even made his top scorer a healthy scratch for the penultimate game of the Heat’s playoff run for what he’d only say were “issues.” This stems from Ward’s approach to teaching, which stresses “being a good person first,” a method Testwuide said is among the many reasons why Ward is someone who “really, truly understands what it takes.” Captain Quintin Laing saw another benefit to this system. “When you have a head coach that cares about you as a person first, that makes you want to play harder

and compete harder and win for the guy,” he said. This differentiation from the Flames organization, whose workmanlike attitude has been corrupted by the underperforming, overpaid former stars leading them, is critical in establishing an identity, one that might prove more popular than the current rival and politicallyfueled one that sees attendance refusing to grow to respectable numbers. But the ever-changing AHL environment could play its usual part in promoting those that perform well. As the Heat finished their best season of record, the man largely responsible for that is being considered one of the most prominent candidates for the now vacant head coach position for the Calgary Flames. The unanimous praise for Ward’s performance makes a convincing case, but the one thing to consider on the other hand is that the Calgary Flames are not in the same type of situation that usually sees the hiring of AHL-honed coaching talents elsewhere in the NHL. Kevin Dineen, Glen Gulutzan and Mike Yeo stepped into situations that saw an organization building, promoting some of the same players those coaches helped bring along in the AHL at the same time. Flames general manager Jay Feaster has made it a point to shun the idea of rebuilding his club, signing players like Alex Tanguay and Curtis Glencross to long contracts and trading for another weight in Mike Cammalleri. So while players like T.J. Brodie, Lance Bouma and Paul Byron might become permanent members on the Calgary Flames roster, it’s not clear if moving further in the direction of development is the way Feaster wants to take his team.

NHL Playoffs: Zach Parise hides from media KAREN ANEY the cascade

At press time, the Phoenix Coyotes are still hanging on. The Kings have a 3-1 lead in the series – this should look familiar to Vancouver fans. It’s no fun to watch history repeating itself, so my focus has been pretty zeroed in on the Eastern conference. Currently, the Rangers and Devils series sits at 3-2, and it’s garnered plenty to talk about. This is ironic, as a game four shutout for the Rangers led Devils captain Zach Parise to an uncharacteristic silence. The 27-year-old was raised in a hockey household: his older brother is a former NHL goalie who spent time in the Devils organization, and his father played over 900 NHL games and coached as well. After his NHL coaching career, Parisé senior worked for Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, a boarding school that boasts alumni including Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. Oh, and Zach Parise. So yes, the New Jersey captain has some impressive pedigree. This comprehensive hockey back-

ground means that Parise is not only skilled, but typically fastidious in his public habits. Thus, his refusal to make himself available to the media after the team’s second shutout has caused some sensation. The thing is, there’s no actual rule that states players need to be available after every game. Parise was well within his rights to skip the media scrum – so what’s with the sense of entitlement from hockey fans? Since the Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified in 2005, the media has had fairly extensive access to players and coaches. Guaranteed access to the locker room, betweenperiod interviews, interviews with coaches – these measures have brought the fans closer to the game overall. The thing is, it’s also spoiled us – but for what? Coach Vigneault unwittingly addressed the problem fairly succinctly to a media scrum when Daniel Sedin was out at the beginning of this year’s playoffs. “He has a concussion and when we have something more to say, we’ll share it with you. I’m not going to address this every day.” Unfortu-

nately, he’s absolutely right. Increased access means that Coach V, captain Henrik, and Mike Gillis’ water boy can be asked the same question ad infinitum and theoretically they need to come up with some sort of answer. Guess what, fans – we don’t need it. Just like we knew Daniel had a concussion and would be back as soon as he was physically able, we know that Zach Parise was frustrated with the team’s second loss in a row. Do we really need to see his face, crestfallen, when the reporters ask him what went wrong? If he knew, he likely would

have fixed it during the game. And guess what? The clips would likely have been interchangeable with those from the previous game. This isn’t something fans need to have mandated access to. We saw the ugly results of this media guaranteed access in November of 2011. After a good-natured comment from Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov praising his iPhone Compass for helping him actually win a game, the Flyers organization unilaterally soiled itself in terror and announced that Bryzgalov would now only be avail-

able for interviews following games that he had started. The league said nuh-uh, because that doesn’t make for good TV. Now, we all love a good quote from an NHL player – but they are in uncharted territory for a reason. Organizations are terrified to give a bunch of jocks free reign to the media. Eventually, someone’s going to do something terrible like call their actress ex-girlfriend sloppy seconds – oh, wait, that already happened. Again, it makes for good TV, but it debases the player, the coach, the team, and the organization in its entirety. So, the media access rules are there. They don’t prevent players from skipping a post-game once in a blue moon, and that’s a good thing. We don’t need to see Zach Parise repeat himself word for word. While it would be nice to live in a world where organizations let their players have free reign, it isn’t going to happen (thank you Sean Avery, et al). In what may be the most hypocritical article ending of all time, it’s time to lay off the players and focus on the game.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Sports History: the Detroit Race Riot of 1967 SEAN EVANS the cascade

The 1960s was a decade marked by change and tumultuous race relations in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War and the budding hippie movement were just a few markers of the massive societal changes taking place. In many instances, change was propelled through civil disobedience and protest – and in some cases, violence erupted. In the early hours of Sunday, July 23, 1967, Detroit police officers broke up a group of more than 80 African Americans gathered to celebrate the return of two Vietnam veterans. Everyone present was arrested, and as they were taken away, a crowd gathered around the scene in protest. According to The Guardian, violence and looting broke out, and spread like wildfire throughout the city. By the end of the week, there were 43 dead, 467 injured, approximately 7200 arrests and over 2000 buildings destroyed, making it the deadliest riot in United States history. While the riots were sparked

image:blackpast.org

by the arrests made in the early hours of July 23, 1967, the riot was the result of strained race relations in the city. It was black versus white, to put it simply. During the Second World War, and in the years following, African Americans had migrated to cities in the North in search of economic prosperity and freedom. Many were disappointed to find much of the same prejudices they had faced in the South. Local government and police were unashamedly racist, and according to a survey done by the Detroit Free Press following the riots, many blacks lived in fear of police brutality and cited it as the

cause of the riot. With the massive influx of African Americans and the racist response of many whites in the city, Detroit was ripe for violent conflict. Groups of African Americans attacked whites, and vice versa. When all was said and done, Detroit was still on edge. Many were simply waiting for the next outbreak of violence. Detroit was a city divided. It is here that we see the power of sport to bring people together. The Detroit Tigers accomplished through baseball what many thought to be impossible. In 1968, the year following the riot,

the Tigers won the World Series four games to three against the St. Louis Cardinals. That season, known as “The Year of the Pitcher,” saw Detroit pitcher Denny McLain win the Cy Young Award and American League MVP. The Tigers second starting pitcher, Mickey Lolich won three games in the World Series. The pitching that year was impressive, but the impact it had went far beyond the baseball diamond. The success on the field had a palpable impact on the city and race relations. People were brought together by the team; a common bond that went beyond colour. Many of us can remember the feeling of togetherness and community that Vancouver experienced during the 2010 Olympics and the Cup run in 2011 (minus the ending). Sport has the power to bring people together – even in the midst of great conflict. George Romney (father of Mitt), then Governor of Michigan, remarked on the impact the championship had on Detroit in a letter to the clubs owner, John Fetzer: “The deepest meaning of this victory extends beyond the sports pages, radio broadcasts, and the telecasts that have consumed our attention for several months. This cham-

Russia is golden again

The art of angling

KAREN ANEY the cascade

image: Alexei Summers/The Cascade

ALEXEI SUMMERS the cascade

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved fishing. To me, it has never been a sport, nor will it ever be. My family has two sides to it; on my mother’s side of the family, we are Ukrainians – relatives to one of the many lesser-important branch families of the Romanov dynasty who fled Russia when things got to be too much. On my father’s side, my family is a little more humble – simple sailors and anglers that originated from a town in South Devon, England. A whaling village that no longer has whales because they were all fished out many years ago. Because of this heritage, fishing has always been a deeply-rooted ritual passed down from father to son. When I was a boy we used to vacation 10 minutes outside of our town. It was at a cabin on the Okanagan lake. On the lake there was a raft which I would swim out to, and from there I would

cast my line in the water. Often I would catch massive trout. The lake is still full of trout; not many places still are. It was through this act of casting my line in the water and waiting that I learned important lessons of life that can only be learned through living, and through experience. I learned patience and vigilance from the waiting for the fish to bite. I learned to still my tongue, and to keep from moving about too much because the boat or the raft I was on would scare the fish if I did, and from this, I learned to appreciate silence. I learned what it was like to wake up first thing in the brisk dawn, when the sun was barely above the mountain, and what it is like to get in a rowboat and to row several kilometers out into the middle of the lake, out to where no one else can help you. I was independent. Like I said before. I do not consider fishing to be a sport. But some do. I know that my uncle and his side of the family get very compet-

pionship occurred when all of us in Detroit and Michigan needed a great lift. At a time of unusual tensions, when many good men lost their perspective toward others, the Tigers set an example of what human relations should really be.” Sports writer Joe Falls also summed up the impact that the victory had on the city of Detroit in his column in the Detroit Free Press: “My town, as you know, had the worst riot in our nation’s history in the summer of 1967, and it left scars which may never fully heal ... And so, as 1968 dawned and we all started thinking ahead to the hot summer nights in Detroit, the mood of our city was taut. It was apprehensive ... But then something started happening in the middle of 1968. You could pull up to a light at the corner of Clairmount and 12th, which was the hub of last year’s riot, and the guy in the next car would have his radio turned up: ... ‘McLain looks in for the sign, he’s set – here’s the pitch’ ... It was a year when an entire community, an entire city, was caught up in a wild, wonderful frenzy.” The city was brought back together, for a moment, by the love of a game.

itive in their angling, and he often holds family fishing derby’s where we are all invited, and spend the day waist deep in the Vedder river trying to land the biggest salmon. I don’t fish for competition very often. I did as a child, and it was fun. But I came to realize that the real joy I derived from fishing stemmed from a deep inner satisfaction – one that had nothing to do with triumph over one’s peers, as it does in other types of sport. It is a solitary art. One that requires patience and finesse. Fishing is simple to me. It is peace. One can get lost in the great nostalgia of casting a line into that timeless old sea. The rivers and the ocean never truly age. They just change. And we ourselves come from water. We are comprised mostly of it. And in the end we all go back to it. So being one with it— spending time with it—that, to me, is peace. That is what fishing is – a communion with nature.

We won’t talk about the fact that Canada is coming home without hardware. Except for saying that. We’re done now. Yes, the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships have come to a close, and Canada got lost on its way to medal. Whoops, there it is again. Oh well. There was still some good hockey to be seen – if you have PVR or a weird sleep schedule. The main point of interest? Russia came out on top. Yes, the biggest country is taking home gold this year, for the first time since Switzerland in 2009. After their country’s lessthan-stellar showing at the 2010 Olympics, this is sure to be a thing of joy for Russians everywhere. Yevgeni Malkin, alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins, was named not only tournament MVP but also best forward of the championship. This may be surprising, as he tends to live in Sidney Crosby’s shadow – but apparently he’s kind of good. His hat trick against Finland helped garner the 6-2 win that ensured his team a place in the gold medal game. Overall, he netted 11 goals and eight assists in the tournament, which narrowly put him ahead from Norway’s Patrick Thoresen who had a paltry 18 points. There’s a lot of things that went right for the Russians. Yes, they have some fairly prodigious players – but they had them in 2010, as well. What made the difference for the win? There’s a few possibilities. One such possibility is the performance of Alexander Ovechkin. His play for the Washington Capitals has seen a gradual turn this year, and fans have seen him evolve from a player that attempted to do it all himself to someone that actually utilizes his teammates. Indeed, he had two assists in the gold medal game and no goals himself.

His take on their success is pretty run of the mill. He cited the coaching, saying that he was proud to play for coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov. “Bill” is a former ice hockey player himself, who played for the country between 1973-1988. He was also assistant coach for the Winnipeg Jets in 1994/1995 and the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996/1997. Apparently, that’s the recipe for success – at least for this team. Ovechkin went on to say that everything came together for the team: “the whole atmosphere, the whole system. Everybody understood what we have to do to win.” No word on whether or not this alludes to the fact that Russia hasn’t been a super power since the days of the KGB, and maybe what Bilyaletdinov really brings to the team is a special dictatorship brand of coaching that terrifies his players into succeeding. Obvious historical political jokes aside, it’s nice to see a superpower back on top if only because it makes tournaments like this more exciting. It’s nice not to be embattled with our neighbours to the south for once, and tournaments like this give players a chance to shine with their countrymen. They give hockey fans something to look forward to in the upcoming seasons: perhaps in the 2012-2013 NHL season, we can now stomach paying attention to the Capitals, rather than attempting to ignore what could previously be referred to only as the “Ovie show.” Maybe, just maybe, this also means that we won’t be treated to a blow-by-blow report on Sidney Crosby’s... blow dryer, because Malkin’s continued success will remind the general public that Pittsburgh has someone else to talk about. If nothing else, it makes for great, physical hockey – so thanks, Russia. We look forward to re-developing our rivalry of past years with a team that can actually handle it.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012

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SPORTS & HEALTH

Health Kick: treadmill versus tarmac KEN MUIR

CONTRIBUTOR

All my life, I’ve never understood the point of treadmills. I think I’ve spent less than two hours of my life on those blasted machines, and it’s worth noting that I run on a semiregular basis, and have been doing so for the last 10 years or so. What’s the appeal of simulating the lifestyle of a hamster? Treadmills seem especially popular with people who exercise only for fitness: a demographic that encompasses young women, a few young males, but mostly the middle-aged. I’ve always thought the reason for their persistence is that they simply don’t know there are other ways to get their jog on. I am also inclined to think that most people who frequently use treadmills tend to exercise passively. They want to exercise, but they don’t want to become “exercise people.” They’ve seen that one sweaty, hairy Ukrainian guy who plays squash every day, and they’ve thought, “No, I don’t want any of that, thanks.” I promise you, however, that running outside is so much better than tread-milling, and I further proclaim that once you go tarmac, you won’t go back. That totally rhymes, shut up. But if you don’t believe me, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each discipline. Treadmills Really, any stationary aerobic machine falls into this category, so this includes treadmills, stationary bi-

image:endurancetrainingblog.com

cycles, elliptical machines, rowing machines, etc. Pro: Not dependent on the elements. This is probably the largest advantage to indoor machines. If it’s raining out, snowing, cold, and dark (think winter at 8 p.m.), it’s still possible to go for a long run and to stay dry. Con: Treadmills and other aerobic machines are expensive. If you’re actually looking to own one you could be looking at $3000 or more, and visiting a public gym costs around $5 per trip. And that adds up in a hurry.

Pro: Can be a social activity. Since machines are often placed next to each other, if you bring along a friend, you can potentially engage in conversation or just be social while exercising. Spin classes are an example of this concept being put into positive action. Furthermore, it’s possible to stay social no matter what skill level gaps there may be. For example, you can run much faster than your neighbor and still chat with. Con: It’s really, really boring, and extremely monotonous. Time passes

Curry fights bowel cancer NADINE MOEDT CONTRIBUTOR

It has been long thought that the ingredients in curry have been a protective agent against many diseases. In 2007 Science News reported that researchers in the U.S. found that cucurmin, an antiinflammatory compound, reduces the plaque-forming proteins that are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. The spice, which has been used for centuries as part of traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, also raises HDL cholesterol (the good kind of cholesterol) and significantly lowers a person’s overall cholesterol levels. In 2011, cucurmin, the main active ingredient of turmeric (itself one ingredient in curry powder) was reported to have positive effects on stroke and dementia patients. Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have begun human trials with cucurmin after promising results in experiments with rabbits. Dr Paul Lapchak, who led the study, reported that the cucurmin appeared to have an effect on “several critical mechanisms.” Lapchak stated that these mechanisms might help keep brain cells alive after a stroke. The spice works by encouraging new cell growth and preventing the deaths of cells following a stroke. Dr. Sharlin Ahmed, of The Stroke Foundation stated that this is “the first significant research of its kind.” Lab results from the tests run on rabbits also suggest that cucurmin might be effective even if administered up to three hours following a stroke.

that come with them. Steward stated that “once bowel cancer has spread, it is very difficult to treat, partly because the side effects of chemotherapy can limit how long patients can have treatment.” With the addition of cucurmin as part of the therapy, it becomes possible for the patient to undergo treatment longer than is normally the case; therefore, the potential for recovery is increased significantly. While the research is at an early stage, Steward is hopeful. Tests were run image:howtocookhero.com on animals, and those In a recent article, BBC News given cucurmin did “one hundred reported evidence that cucurmin times better” under chemo than has the ability to kill bowel can- those without. cer tumors. Leicester University, When the trial on humans bea research university in England, gins, 40 patients will be given cuis leading the investigation into curmin pills for seven consecutive the potential of curry as a cancer days before they start the stanfighting substance. In the near fu- dard chemotherapy treatment. ture, cucurmin will be tested on The results of their enriched treatcancer patients in tandem with ment will be compared to that of chemotherapy drugs. In 2011, patients undergoing the standard 22,000 people in Great Britain were chemotherapy treatment. diagnosed with bowel cancer. The A representative from Cancer death rate is approximately 50 per Research UK told the BBC that cent of those diagnosed. “by doing a clinical trial like this, Professor William Steward of we will find out more about the Leicester University is heading potential benefits of taking large the study. In an interview with the amounts of cucurmin, as well as BBC, Steward explained that cu- any possible side effects this could curmin’s potential to fight bowel have for cancer patients.” cancer is related to the possibility We can only hope that such a that it increases “the sensitivity of delicious ingredient will continue cancer cells to chemotherapy,” re- to surprise scientists with its posiducing the level of chemotherapy tive health benefits. Now, who is doses needed and thus reducing up for a little curry for lunch? the often devastating side effects

incredibly slowly on a treadmill. Pro: It’s possible to entertain yourself while running by watching TV, listening to music, or reading a magazine. Though in my experience, this doesn’t completely exhume the monotony. Outdoor Running Outdoor running, as a category, includes track running, trail running, and road running. If you know of any other kind of running, please let me

know, because I think that pretty much covers it. Pro: Variation. Outdoor running allows for an excessive amount of choice, and where you run will have an impact on the upcoming intensity of the workout. For example, if you pick a running route that includes a lot of hills, you’ll have your work cut out for you. Con: Dependent on the weather. If the weather sucks, so will your run. It’s not that you can’t go for a jog; you’ll just have less fun doing so. Both your clothes and your spirits will be dampened. Pro: Cheap. All you need is a pair of shoes. Con: Less social opportunities. Though you still can run in groups with other people, they need to be of a similar skill level. You’ll quickly discover how difficult it is to carry on a conversation with someone when they’re a kilometer behind you. Pro: You’re outside. This means you’ll be getting your daily dose of fresh air and sunshine, and plus you can work on your tan. Or develop an awesome new sunburn. Chicks dig sunburns, right? Though it’s possible to go either way, personally the pros of outdoor running are so much more appealing than those of treadmills. I can’t promise that you’ll feel the same way, but at least now you’ll have a slightly more educated position on the subject. In any case, I strongly urge the treadmillers among you to take a heartfelt stab at outdoor running; it’s miles better than running indoors (pun intentional).

The focus of sport KEN MUIR

CONTRIBUTOR

This past weekend at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge, the Slawko Fedechko season opener regatta for sprint kayaking and canoeing took place. It’s a regional event in which paddlers from across British Columbia and the northwest United States initiate the paddling season, and compete for ribbons occasionally, but more often than not, glory (ages eight through 80. Imagine an eight-yearold with bared teeth and you’ll have a small understanding on what it’s like). I spend my evenings as an athlete and as a coach, and at last weekend’s regatta I felt the strain of both roles. My own races went swimmingly enough, but one of the athletes that I train sent me an e-mail shortly after the regatta, stating that a quick lapse of focus, a rogue wave, was enough to completely dissolve her resolve, and effectively end the competitive aspects of her race. Unfortunately I didn’t have the right cadence to address her problem after her race finished, and as a result she spent the rest of the day brooding over the disappointing performance. What she experienced is common among athletes of lower skill levels, and it’s perhaps one of the most difficult problems to master in sport: how do I refocus and get back on track in my competition if something goes wrong? An easy strategy is to simply try to avoid having to refocus in the first place through methods of prevention. Someone who has competed many times over, and has seen and dealt with many different kinds of problems before, is much less likely to lose focus. There comes a point

where dribbling a basketball no longer takes conscious effort; where the mechanical processes become automatic. Sport psychologists speak of a term called “‘limited information processing capacity,” which theorizes that an athlete’s focus can only consciously attend to a limited number of things. The fewer things that demand attention, the greater the likelihood that an athlete will be able to maintain focus. In this manner, an athlete’s focus is less likely to be overloaded with problematic stimuli if the physical motions of the sport, and the routines of competition, don’t require conscious thought. For example, my athlete from the regatta was relatively inexperienced in both racing and paddling mechanics. Because of this, much of the athlete’s focus was spent on going through the correct motions, as well as watching the actions of other competitors. The wave that threw her off balance may have been too much for her processing capacity, which caused her to lose focus. The way to avoid this occurring in the future, and what I shall be telling her in coming days, is to gain more experience by paddling more in general, and to spend time dealing with waves in a competitive setting. Such waves can actually be harnessed and used to your advantage in sprint paddling, if the waves are anticipated correctly; the practice of which is a bit of an art form, but certainly possible without much thought if enough practice is attained. Hopefully all you other athletes who have had frustrating performances can harness this preventative measure in future competition. The key to keeping your focus is to have less to focus on!

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