Hello, University of the Fraser Valley students. My name is Bradley Duncan, and I am your editor-in-chief here at The Cascade, UFV’s autonomous student press. I’d like to welcome you all to the fall semester with a little introduction (or reintroduction for those returning students) to the UFV Abbotsford campus.
To kick things off, the Student Union Society has arranged its third annual Kickback event which will be held Sept. 21 on the UFV Green. You can spot the Green by its rich, baby-turd brown hue. Last year’s event was a rousing success, so it’s safe to assume that this year will be no different. The festivities will include music, games, and plenty of food trucks to choose from. Fill your belly, because eatery options on campus are sparse. The Cascade has sponsored $1,000 in ice cream vouchers, as it was the most efficient calorie delivery system to fuel your road to finals, so carb load while you can!
After you’ve stuffed your face, feed your mind with some art! UFV has some beautiful murals, paintings, sculptures, and expressive creations dappling the corridors and adorning the halls. Take yourself on a tour between courses! However, if you like your art in a more compressed space, the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery is the place to be! Exhibitions change frequently, so don’t be a stranger — but, you know — also don’t be creepy about it.
Feeling sleepy? Coffee can be found in strategic locations around campus — and by strategic, I mean strategically inconvenient — clumped together as far away from the poor suckers in Building K as logistically possible. Tired learners can find a Tim Hortons in Building G, or Fair Grounds Coffee in the Student Union Building (SUB) — but as hours of operation are based on a congruence of astrological signs and the predictions of a Magic 8 Ball, availability is… mercurial. Building A also contains a small Spirit Bear Cafe kiosk, last in operation during the Vietnam War. Groovy.
Can’t get your caffeine fix from the local barista? Treat yourself to a vending machine Monster Energy Drink for the price of a midsize sedan. And please refrain from bringing your beverages into the laboratories, no matter how toasty the Bunsen burners keep your latte.
Students looking for a quiet place to study, listen to a podcast, or swipe for matches on Hinge, can find lots of little hideaways around campus. Check out our feature on some of the best places to study on and off campus, but some of my favourites are right here in the Cascade office. If you’re a business major, there’s a quiet room set aside for you to really focus on those forms and spreadsheets. Keep your chin up and you’ll find it!
If quiet solitude isn’t your thing, feel free to be a little more social by grabbing a table in the SUB. If you find one that doesn’t wobble, you’re entitled to a free 6-inch SUB sandwich. Just ask the good people at CIVL (no matter how confused they appear by your request), and don’t leave without that cold cut trio.
Long ago, when DeLoreans roamed the earth, Brad was born. In accordance with the times, he was raised in the wild every afternoon and weekend until dusk, never becoming so feral that he neglected to rewind his VHS rentals. His historical focus has assured him that civilization peaked with The Simpsons in the mid 90s. When not disappointing his parents, Brad spends his time with his dogs, regretting he didn’t learn typing in high school.
