Addressing the Dissenters…
Every year we get complaints. Some are insightful, articulate criticisms of The Cascade’s policy and content, and some remind me of stray Youtube comments, hurled indiscriminately our way by people I hope I never meet in person. Par for the course I guess, when running a publication that is considered controversial by some, and not controversial enough by others, yet every year myself and my predecessors have felt the need to explain what The Cascade is, in the hope that a minority of you will stop complaining about what it isn’t.
Greetings fellow Academics
My name is Paul Esau and I’m the Editor-in-Chief. For those of you who are returning to UFV, welcome back! For those of you who are new, welcome to the good life!
It was fun while it lasted
Welcome to the last issue of The Cascade for the 2010/2011 school year (if I may still call it that). It’s been a long year, a tough year, a challenging yet utterly fantastic run for those of us here at your student newspaper, and we’d like to thank all of you out there for your support and your readership. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Cry Havoc and let slip the fans of Vancouver
I’ve always been a closet fan of riots. I find the idea of arson, civil disobedience, and general hell-raising fairly attractive, even romantic, in the right context. I’d give my left arm to be able to whip my shirt off, set a vehicle on fire, and shout “Freedom or death!” and really mean it.
Facing the Stegasaurus
The Cascade has several articles this week about the changing nature of media in our modern world. Whether in chronicling the swift decline of the soap opera (Nick Ubels 12), or discussing the changing roles of libraries (Ami Van Veen 6), it is easy to see the ways in which human modes of communication are evolving, adapting, and improving (hopefully). What is perhaps harder to recognize is the relentless acceleration of change in our culture, a process driven by ever more fickle consumers armed with infinite options, and the irritating knowledge that true entertainment is only one more click away.
Elevating the discussion
Linus Van Pelt once said that there are three things you should never discuss: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin. While this editorial may be The Cascade’s only mention of that benevolent, yet frustratingly absent Halloween spirit, there are five articles about two of these contentious topics in this week’s issue.
Editorial: UFV Theatre – A closer look
The opinion article “UFV Theatre Department Steals From Students” in last week’s publication raised some questions about the casting practices of the UFV Theatre, and particularly in the casting of this year’s production of The Tempest. Although certain elements of the article were, unfortunately, inaccurate, the central query concerning the participation of non-students in university productions is both relevant and valid. Why are members of the larger community given opportunity to compete against tuition-paying students for roles in UFV plays? Why was Glen Pinchin, allegedly a non-student, awarded the leading role of Prospero in The Tempest? Is UFV indeed unique in this practice, or do other university theatre programs cast from outside their student body as well?
Editorial: Nobody knows the trouble men see
The recent economic downturn has seen a rise in male depression. This is primarily the result of men losing their jobs and being unable to support themselves or their families. Although male depression due to the loss of jobs is certainly understandable, this latest downturn in male purchasing power is part of a larger trend. The real wage of the North American worker, or the ability of the average worker to buy the necessities of life, has decreased steadily since the late 1970’s. The traditional nuclear family, where a wage-earning male supported his wife and children singlehandedly, is an archetype that developed after WWII, and was based on the fact that men were actually able to support a family on the wage of a low-level factory or office worker. In times past, many working-class families had to have two incomes in order to survive, and in the traditional agrarian model the entire family would work long hours on the farm in order to support themselves.
Editorial: Too much freedom for Middle East?
The popular uprising of the Egyptian people that forced long-serving ruler Hosni Mubarak to step down has received mixed reviews in the west. Pundits who were for the Iraq war because it might bring democracy to the people of that country are now questioning whether the people of Egypt are going to be able to govern themselves. The Muslim Brotherhood is often cited as being a potential ruling party, which would essentially turn the government of Egypt into a theocracy similar to that of Iran. Bill O’Reilly questioned President Obama on Fox News, asking whether, “The Muslim Brotherhood, a great concern to a lot of people, are they a threat to the USA”. These concerns are being voiced despite the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood received less than 1 per cent of the vote in a presidential straw poll, according the Washington Institute for Far East Policy.
Editorial: A poet by any other name
Poetry is a dirty word. Often when people think of poetry, they think of some tragic soul spewing nonsensical drivel or otherwise torturing the audience with their vision. Perhaps we have seen one too many parodies of beret-wearing beat poets reciting pretentious rhymes, or maybe modern society lacks the attention span and desire to think deeply about what poetry requires.
Editorial: The price of apathy
In this week’s paper we cover two issues that directly affect the students here at UFV. Usage based billing (UBB) was recently approved by the CRTC and could effectively raise the rates that many students pay for their internet usage. This decision makes it possible for internet service providers to charge more for internet usage depending on the amount of information that a customer downloads. Many students struggle to pay the current internet service bill that they receive, so any increase in the rates will affect this vulnerable and generally impoverished group more than it would the general working populace.
Editorial: Freedom of the press
There are a couple of issues covered in this week’s paper that have raised the question of what we should or should not print in the paper. The term “freedom of the press” is loosely defined as the ability of media in general to act autonomously apart from government and other influences in order to fulfill their obligation of responsibly informing the public about important issues.
Editorial: The controversial Louis Riel
In this issue of the Cascade we cover the celebration of Métis day at UFV, which is also essentially a celebration of the life of Louis Riel, the most famous Métis – a man who was hanged by the Canadian government for treason, yet is celebrated by the Métis and many francophones today as a freedom fighter. It is interesting to note that if he were active today, Louis Riel would be labelled a terrorist. In fact, it often seems that a terrorist is simply a soldier without enough money to buy a uniform. While we currently honour the likes of Nelson Mandela or Ché Guevera, these men were also labelled as terrorists by the governments which they fought against.
Editorial: Vive le Quebec!
When I was young, I was a bigot. I thought that French Canadians were unreasonable in their demands to be recognized as a unique society within the federation of Canada, and as such I didn’t want to learn French in school or have anything to do with Quebecois culture. How wrong I was.
Editorial: Stereotypes are us
In this week’s Cascade, we have included an article entitled “Interview with a homosexual.” While some people might find it offensive that we are interviewing one member of a particular group and asking him to speak for the group as a whole, this is how society often treats people. When they talk about the “gay agenda,” people act as if every single gay person has this so called agenda on their Iphone and uses it to organize their life. What is often found when talking to a member of a certain group is that no social grouping is homogenous, and there is infinite diversity that exists within some of society’s most stereotyped groups.
Editorial: In Defence of Art
The cover of this week’s paper is not devoted to Sports, News, or Opinion. Instead it features former UFV student, and rising singer/songwriter, Billy the Kid. Billy is typical of Fraser Valley artists in that she had to leave her home town and gain acceptance in the rest of Canada and the US before she gained any credibility locally. Many times this phenomenon is inevitable as artists leave for the larger markets of Vancouver and beyond. Abbotsford seems to be a microcosm of Canada as a whole in that we rarely recognize and support our own talent until someone else does.
Editorial: Do not run away from this woman
If while walking the halls of UFV you are photographed by a mysterious woman with blonde hair, don’t worry, you are not being hunted by the feds. Those days are over. You got out of the game. You are in fact being captured for posterity by our new photographer, Brittany Wiesner. If she approaches you to ask questions for UFV SPEAKS don’t fret, it really is a feature in The Cascade. We just want your take on UFV and life, so we can print it in the paper. Often our questions relate to the quality of UFV life in general and also your personal take on Star Wars; tie fighter or x-wing? Please let your voice be heard. It is important for students to speak out on the issues at hand because if they don’t things rarely change for the better. All of your input is valuable even if change for the better comes from slagging the sub-par food here at the good old U of FV.
Editorial: I am a feminist
My name is Jed Minor, and I am a feminist. This statement might sound ridiculous coming from a man, but it is a valid one in that I believe women should be given the same rights as men in our society. Feminist is a non-gender term that belies a belief in the fair treatment of women and nothing more. While women have made large gains in the workforce and society as a whole, there are still many areas in which they lag behind, such as pay-scale and representation in media.
Editorial: Hello, dear readers.
Good morning UFV! I am excited to be incoming Editor-in-Chief of The Cascade and look forward to improving the product we deliver to you students out here in the good old Fraser Valley. The recent addition of our website allows us to deliver content online and also for you students to provide feedback on the articles we write. My advice to you is: use it! Make your voice heard! We are always looking for student input and feedback and we may even print your comment in the paper, making you a published author of sorts.
Editorial: Goodbye, dear readers
In light of the fact that our illustrious premier has resigned, I thought I, too, should sit down, do some soul searching, talk to my family, and decide what would be best for the Cascade.
Editorial: UFV is great, too bad the food isn’t
Once again, UFV has received high marks in the Globe and Mail university report card. It’s getting to the point where it’s almost expected. What will happen if UFV doesn’t receive top marks? Will Dr. Mark Evered and all the faculty end up unemployed?
Guest Editorial: Canada should be cautious with future US trade agreements
This week we feature the second part of US Consul General Philip T. Chicola’s interview with The Cascade. In part one Chicola expounded upon the possibility of expanding the scope of the North American Free Trade Agreement likening the situation to the European Union which began as a way to integrate Germany into the European economy but eventually became the all encompassing political union it is today.
Guest Editorial:Can a career be found at the Career Fair?
The selling of the student body began last week, with the coming and eventual passing of another Career Fair. This event, occurring yearly, brings together a motley assortment of employers and other interested parties to make their pitch to students and allow all those interested to speak to potential employers. Officially billed as an excellent networking opportunity – especially for those students nearing graduation – the Career Fair marks the pinnacle of the awkward logic that has both given birth to our particular institution (a regional, special purpose teaching university) and continues to drive government policy toward post-secondary institutions to our collective detriment.
Editiorial: Too many students, not enough money… but we need the SUB
It’s really unfortunate that the student building has been put on hold.
Obviously, after having contributed to the SUB fund for a few years, I was eager for construction to being.
However, when I came on as editor-in-chief of The Cascade, my eagerness was replaced by wariness. The previous SUS board talked about charging The Cascade for space in the building; the university’s officials told us we were moving from our current office into the new building. This would have been a horrible plan because The Cascade runs on a very tight budget as it is. To add rent to that budget would result in either a fee increase and less issues in a year or a much smaller paper. After researching how other university newspapers fared in student buildings when forced to pay rent, I became convinced that this was a very, very bad idea.
