The University of the Fraser Valley is 50 years old, and with 50 years of life comes marked stages of development and change. What started as the Fraser Valley College in 1975 has blossomed into a booming university with an ever-growing student body. As we look around us, we see our beloved university growing through yet another period of change as our campus is fenced off, deconstructed, and reimagined — making way for new generations of students. It’s got us at The Cascade feeling mighty sentimental, so here are some of our thoughts on what it means to be under construction in the year 2025. We hope you enjoy it.
Darien Johnsen, Features Editor
I think it means to be strategically working toward your true self and being the foreman of your own life to see the project through to completion. People can do this by creating a blueprint for the stage of life they are in and the person they want to become, and finding ways to efficiently achieve it. If we all put effort into ourselves we can create a structurally sound community.
Cassie Williams, Copy Editor
The literal definition is the process of being created or built, and I think this can be taken a multitude of ways. As university students aren’t we all under construction in a way? None of us have reached our final stage of development yet; no one’s cutting a big red ribbon in front of us saying “voilà, all finished!” To me, being under construction is a continual phase. I strive to be in this phase because it means I am constantly growing and improving, even when it feels like I’m not. So to anyone who feels like their structure is still a little unstable, try to enjoy the process and relish in your own self-creation. Enjoy being the foreman of your personal construction.
Catherine Campbell, Managing Editor
As humans living in this weird world, I believe we need to be continually open to improving in our personal and professional lives. I don’t think this improvement needs to be some grand gesture all at once; rather, to take tiny steps each day toward the person you want to be. Being a huge dork, I like to think of it in terms of percentages: being under construction means striving to be one per cent better every day — but not beating yourself up if you don’t make it to that one per cent all the time — and moving toward the person you want to become
Jeffrey Kennett, Sports Editor
It’s short-term pain at the expense of creating a stable long-term solution. Maybe your first choice doesn’t work and you’re forced to adapt on the fly. Sometimes being forced to take an unexpected detour can give you a new perspective on something you thought you already knew. Other times it might be worthwhile to grin and bear the struggles, because it would take longer to go an alternative route. The end result is usually worth the renovation — the mud needs to be dug up before the lanes can be widened.
Natalia Toscano Murua, Opinion Editor
Change itself is ironically the only thing that does not change in life. Being under construction means that one can decide to target that natural state of change into specific goals and achievements. Everyone is constantly evolving, but the choice to take that evolution and use it to build the desired version of oneself is ultimately what I aspire to do. I embrace the potential to constantly deconstruct and reconstruct myself, guiding change into the areas of my life that I want to improve.
Veronica Powell, Staff Writer
I think of my personal goals and the battles I have within my mind on my way to achieving them. Each time I work on one project or another, it means consistently trying to remind myself to be patient, and that good things take time. It’s believing that my creation of something will reach a final product, but trying to enjoy the journey while I’m at it and not rush. Everyone’s future is on a blueprint, no matter how big, small, clear, or unclear it is — it’s there. If we can imagine even one thing about our future, we can progress enough to have it. Being “under construction” is drawing out a plan and seeing it through, even if there are troubles along the way.
Anna McCausland, Arts in Review Editor
It’s tearing out the old and re-building something new on top, which is kind of scary. Over time I’ve learnt that it’s just change, which in itself is a pretty neutral thing, but we label it with the quality of “good” or “bad.” The thing is, it’s always happening, whether we like it or not. We are always changing, always undergoing construction with every choice made or word said. I find everyday, every interaction, every moment as being an opportunity to be “under-construction.”
Sky S. Terrones, Jr. News Editor
Winter holidays and the end of the year, as usual, come in like a wrecking ball, smashing through my utterly exhausted self — leaving me desperately gasping for air as I lay under debris and realize with heartbreaking certainty that I’ve been defeated despite achieving my goals. Yet another year, a new adventure, and a new beginning bring the realization that in every milestone, we restart the process of rebuilding. So, as the pieces of asphalt and cold concrete are cleared to unveil solid ground, I find myself once again in a hopeful state of “under construction,” on my way to weathertight, slowly laying down my foundations — and that’s okay.
Elyssa English, Culture Editor
It’s to be unfinished, rough and unpolished, and full of potential. We’re all works in progress. Every person, every thing. There is space to grow and room for changes, and ideally, improvements. While construction implies an element of structure and planning — blueprints to reference, codes to follow, standards to uphold — life is chaotic and messy. Shit happens. Not every change is positive and not every choice made is going to be an improvement (like sacrificing UFV’s already sparse parking space to allow for more student housing). But you’ve gotta give it a shot anyway. You won’t always know the impact of a change until it’s put into action.
Kiara Okonkwo, Editor in Chief
I accept that a plot of earth must be reduced to its smallest parts before something grand can be built on top of it. I, for the most part, respect the flimsy orange fences and “no trespassing” signs; I tolerate the unsightliness knowing that something better is being built here — even if the ones who are meant to enjoy it will come after I’ve already left. For whatever future glory comes from the promise of development — whether symbolically and personally, or literally and structurally — I recognize the state of becoming I have weathered alongside this university, this town, as I witness it undo itself before my eyes. I hope to bring the patience and respect that I have for impermanent gravel paths to all other undoings, to search for the beauty in dismantling. I hope my feet leave marks.
Joshua Sulpico
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.
Elyssa is a BSc student, pursuing studies in Physical Geography while also entertaining her creative side within the visual arts. She is currently the Creative Director here with the Cascade. Having previously been an Illustrator, Production Assistant, and Production Manager, she's been around a while. In her free time she can often be found knitting and watching reruns of outdated shows from the 80s.
Kiara Okonkwo is a writer and creative. She received a diploma in Screenwriting from Vancouver Film School and is pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Media and Communication Studies. Kiara values self-expression and authenticity.
