Like father, like son
By Steve Hartwig
The title is an open question that won’t get much debate in this era of “new normals.” I’d like to say that I was shocked at the prime minister’s behaviour when he skipped out on Canada’s first national holiday for Indigenous peoples amid the continued sham that is the Trudeau government’s action on Truth and Reconciliation. But I wasn’t shocked. His behaviour is to be expected for a privileged white colonialist with what I consider to be a racist father. Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre Trudeau, was prime minister in 1969 when he co-authored and pushed Canada’s own version of racist doctrine: the White Paper. I think this Liberal Party policy paper was Canada’s version of a final solution of sorts to eradicate Indigenous peoples and their culture by making them “equal” — homogenized according to white standards and assimilated into Canadian society. Fortunately, the outrage and backlash following the release of the White Paper prompted its retraction, but not before Pierre Trudeau confirmed his racist opinions with the words: “We’ll keep them in the ghetto as long as they want.” Clearly, Justin Trudeau’s actions carry on the family legacy, but he governs in an era with no political backlash. He’s unaccountable and he knows it.
Death to breakfast food
By Danaye Reinhardt
Eggs are mediocre at best. I mean, sure, I’ll fry up an egg with salt and pepper once in a while or eat some scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, but I’ve never understood the hype for breakfast eggs. Easy? I guess. Rubbery? Without a doubt. Boring? Absolutely.
Same with pancakes. Please tell me I’m not the only one who likes waffles but not pancakes (and no, they don’t taste the same!). Waffles are nice and sweet, and the waffle squares keep it dense, as it should be. Pancakes are too fluffy and dry, despite slathering it in butter and syrup. Don’t even get me started on maple syrup. Real maple syrup has nothing on Aunt Jemima.
I know, I know — you should revoke my Canadian license right now for all the heresies I’ve been spewing. I just want to live in a world where leftover pasta and BLT sandwiches are welcomed breakfast foods, and my breakfast preferences are not a “fun fact” about myself for class introductions.
Shout out to Facilities and Security
By Andrea Sadowski
I would just like to take a moment to thank the Facilities staff for keeping us all safe from the deadly virus that is COVID-19 by endlessly wiping down the surfaces that we touch. They are truly the unspoken heroes of this school. I want to give a shout-out especially to Sarah, a Facilities staff member who remains invested in my life as a struggling student and interested in my work at The Cascade. I will keep trying my best to be less of a slob to make your job a little easier. I’ll also look into getting some sugar-free candy for you to eat, since you can’t eat the crystal punch bowl full of individually-wrapped sugary goods we constantly keep stocked in the office.
I also want to give a shout out to Heath, a dedicated security guard here at the Abbotsford campus who definitely caught on that I was sleeping in my van in the school parking lot for a few semesters and never snitched. Thanks to all the security guards who disarm the alarms so that we can leave the S building way past closing hours because publishing a paper is a heckin’ lot of work.
Keep being awesome, Facilities and Security!
The future is fun and frightening
By Chandy Dancey
Like many people who have made being a student part of their identity for years, I’m simultaneously excited and terrified to graduate.
On one hand, I could get used to only having one major obligation — work — rather than a daunting to-do list that includes a part-time job, working on a project, preparing for a quiz, doing an online problem set, completing a biology lab assignment, and about 10 other urgent things. During summers when I exclusively work full-time, there’s an element of simplicity to it that’s genuinely refreshing. I go to work, pay the bills, and wait for the weekend — rinse and repeat.
On the other hand, who am I if not a struggling student? Also, imposter syndrome is real. How do I compete with seemingly superstar fellow applicants at STEM jobs where I only learned the lab technique in a lecture? Do I even want a straightforward career path, or do I want to use my degree more creatively? How do I live up to my full potential, and do I even want to try? There are so many possibilities for the future that it’s almost paralyzing. But hey, everyone’s got to take that next step, even if it’s done kicking and screaming. Wish me luck.
Images: Iryna Presley/The Cascade
Steve is a third-year BFA creative writing/visual arts student who’s been a contributing writer, staff writer and now an editor at The Cascade. He's always found stories and adventures but now has the joy of capturing and reporting them.
Danaye studies English and procrastination at UFV and is very passionate about the Oxford comma. She spends her days walking to campus from the free parking zones, writing novels she'll never finish, and pretending to know how to pronounce abominable. Once she graduates, she plans to adopt a cat.
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
