2011.01.10

Networking every which way I go since 1918

“rethinking leadership”: the

inhale, exhale

student leadership conference successfully draws crowd of over one thousand.

salvia, your brain and the law. page 3

page 4

the ubyssey

JANUARY 10, 2011 • volume 92, number xxx • room 24, student union building • published monday and thursday • feedback@ubyssey.ca

On your mark, get set...

AMS Elections begin today.

Our coverage on Page 3 and ubyssey.ca/ams.

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events

january 10, 2011 volume xcii, no xxx editorial coordinating editor

ongoing events

news editor

Ubyssey Production • Come help

Justin McElroy : coordinating@ubyssey.ca Arshy Mann : news@ubyssey.ca

Micki Cowan : mcowan@ubyssey.ca

us create this baby! Learn about layout and editing. Expect to be fed. • Every Sunday and Wednesday, 2pm.

Jonny Wakefield & Bryce Warnes : culture@ubyssey.ca

Auditions for Brave New Play Rites Festival • Call for actors for

assistant news editor

Kalyeena Makortoff : kmakortoff@ubyssey.ca

senior news writer culture editors

assistant culture editor

Ginny Monaco : gmonaco@ubyssey.ca

culture illustrator Indiana Joel : ijoel@ubyssey.ca

sports editor

Marie Vondracek : sports@ubyssey.ca

features editor

Trevor Record : features@ubyssey.ca

photo editor

Geoff Lister : photos@ubyssey.ca

production manager

Virginie Ménard : production@ubyssey.ca

copy editor

Kai Green : copy@ubyssey.ca

multimedia editor

Brave New Play Rites Short Play Festival. Actors needed for short play festival which runs March 30, 2011–April 3, 2011. Nonunion, non-paying but great acting experience with exciting new playwrights and directors. • Auditions take place Jan. 9–10 , email bravenewplayrites@gmail. com for more information.

Man Ray, African Art and the Modernist Lens • A groundbreak-

David Marino : video@ubyssey.ca

ing exhibition exploring the pivotal role of photography in changing the perception of African objects from artifacts to fine art.

• Ongoing til Jan. 23, Museum of Anthropology.

Jeff Blake : webmaster@ubyssey.ca

Monday, JAN. 10

Room 24, Student Union Building 6138 Student Union Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 tel: 604.822.2301 web: www.ubyssey.ca e-mail: feedback@ubyssey.ca

Hip Hop Karaoke (HHK) Vancouver • Love karaoke? Love hip

Tara Martellaro : multimedia@ubyssey.ca

associate multimedia editor Stephanie Warren : associate.multimedia@ubyssey.ca

video editor webmaster

Room 23, Student Union Building print advertising: 604.822.1654 business office: 604.822.6681 web advertising: 604.822.1658 e-mail: advertising@ubyssey.ca

hop music? Well look no further! Welcome to HHK Vancouver, where you can spit out the soulful beats of your favourite hip hop tunes without being ridiculed! So if you’re down with being trippy, then grab a mic and shimmey some rhymes like a dawg. Peace! • 9:30pm-2am, Fortune Sound Club (147 East Pender St).

business manager

arts wellness week • Arts

business

Fernie Pereira : business@ubyssey.ca

print ad sales

Kathy Yan Li : advertising@ubyssey.ca

web ad sales

Paul Bucci : webads@ubyssey.ca

accounts

Alex Hoopes : accounts@ubyssey,ca

contributors Noah Burshtein Raymond Huang Drake Fenton Brian Platt Ricardo Bortolon Jonathan Chiang Alissa Westergard-Thorpe Photo on page 5 by Josh Curran Cover illustration by Indiana Joel

legal The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate.

Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.

The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles.

Letters to the editor must be under 300 words.

Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. “Perspectives” are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750 words and are run according to space. “Freestyles” are opinion pieces written by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity of the writer has been verified. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff.

It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

students can check out daily health and wellness events during Arts Week. A mini Wellness Fair, yoga, a Wellness Matters workshop and other free events will be held. Attend three events and you will be entered to win prizes! • Runs until Jan. 15, 11:30am, Meekison Arts Students Space and Buchanan, email ausacademic@gmail.com or kelly.white@ubc.ca for more information.

UBC-EGB: Pulse Energy seminar • UBC EGB/EP proudly pres-

ents a talk featuring Pulse Energy, a Vancouver-based company that is advancing energy management systems in buildings. Come to learn more about this company, their industry and project development. Participate in an interactive discussion of

energy and the role of building occupants. • 4–5:30pm, Room 120, CK Choi Building, more information at sites.google.com/ site/ubcegb. ams elections radio debates •

CiTR 101.9 FM will be hosting debates for the 2011 AMS Elections on January 10, with the candidates for VP Administration, VP Academic and VP Finance. On January 14, you can tune in for the AMS Presidential and VP External debates.

Debates start at 5pm and you can listen live by streaming at citr.ca or at 101.9 FM. • Do you have questions for the candidates? E-mail news@citr.ca or tweet @CiTRnews.

Tuesday, JAN. 11 Better Sex Yoga Class • Intune

Holistics founder Stephanie Lafazanos will teach how the practice of yoga can improve your sex life. • 7:30pm, The Art of Loving (1819 W. 5th), $30. arts week free yoga sessions • The Arts Week Wellness Fair

features two free yoga sessions on January 11. • 5–5:30pm and 5:30-6pm, MASS room 140, Buchanan D.

of virtuoso Trio Sonatas from the 17th century, featuring leading musicians from Canada and the West Coast. The programme will include music by composers such as Schmelzer, Rosenmüller, Reinecken, Erlebach, Legrenzi, Leclair, Rebel and Clérambault. • 5–6:30pm, Green College, free.

Film Screening: Spin the Bottle —Sex, Lies, and Alcohol • As

part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) at UBC we invite you to join us for a screening of Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies and Alcohol, a film by activists, professors and filmmakers Jean Kilbourne and Jackson Katz. This film discusses issues of alcohol and sexual assault and explores the roles that media play in how we think about sex and intoxication. A question and answer will follow with on-campus experts in sexuality, sexual assault, health and wellness. • 6:30pm, Woodward 6, e-mail sa.awareness@ubc.ca for more information.

Friday, JAN. 14

kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UBC! Come out and to learn about Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UBC, find out about the events planned for the month and what we can all do as a community to help make campus safer and more inclusive. • 5:30–6:30pm, Centre for Student Involvement, Brock Hall, for more information on this or any other SAAM events, e-mail sa.awareness@ ubc.ca.

UBC’s Got Talent • Be a part of history in the making—UBC’s very first campus-wide talent showcase! Watch participants as they perform their way into your hearts on the world-renowned stage at the Chan Centre. Don’t have a ticket yet? Just go online and claim one. Need more incentive to make it down to the show? UBC President Stephen Toope and AMS President Bijan Ahmadian will sing a duet if all the seats are claimed!

• 8–10pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are by donations at the door, book online at talent.ubc.ca.

wednesday, jan. 12

The AUS Presents: MARDI GRAS •

saam opening reception • Help

Haiti Earthquake Anniversary Memorial • With the anniver-

sary of the earthquake this is a memorial to remember and celebrate the lives of those who were lost as well as the people and country of Haiti. This is NOT a fundraiser. • 6:30–10pm, Global Lounge and Resource Centre.

Thursday, JAN. 13 Stylus Phantasticus: Mystery and Exoticism in 17th Century Trio Sonatas • A programme

What other way to end an awesome week dedicated to everything arty-farty but a Mardi Gras dance party! Dig up your old love beads and put on those glowsticks and face paint because it’s going to be awesome. With winner of the CiTR DJ contest, Vinyla Xtrax, opening up the show, followed

by Hood Internet, be sure to come early to dominate the dance floor. $2.50 ciders and beers. • Jan. 14, 8pm-12am, SUB Ballroom. Ticket info unreleased. 19+ event.

discussion and video screening featuring local aid and solidarity activists. This event is organized by Haiti Solidarity BC and co-sponsored by Help Hear Haiti, Hands Hearts and Minds for Haiti at stopwar.ca. • 7pm, Harbour Center, 515 W. Hastings St, call (778) 858-5179 or go to canadahaitiaction.ca for more information.

Saturday, JAN. 15 Great Piano Concertos • Piano

students of Corey Hamm present an evening of piano concertos by Barber, Rachmaninoff and Liszt. • 7–9pm, UBC Music Building Recital Hall, free.

monday, jan. 17 breath of the world • This talk,

led by David Prest, Green College Resident Member, addresses how poetry can cross the boundaries of culture, race, gender, sexuality, politics, religion, science and the arts. No matter what your field of study, this interdisciplinary evening will focus on what we have in common through the global language of poetry. • 8–9pm, Coach House, Green College, free event, go to greencollege.ca or e-mail gc.events.@ubc.ca for more information.

Movie Screening: Inside Mecca and the legacy of muhammad • The UBC Muslim Students

Association is presenting two film screenings as part of Islam Awareness Week on campus: Inside Mecca and The Legacy of Muhammad. • 1–2pm and 3–5pm, Woodward 1, free.

tuesday, jan. 18 la marea • La Marea is an out-

door, site-specific performance conceived by artist Mariano Pensotti of Buenos Aires. Made up of nine different scenes, audience members move freely from street corners to illuminated store windows, creating their own narrative. A man lies on the ground following a motorbike accident; an insomniac tosses and turns; a couple has their first kiss. Projected subtitles reveal the intimate thoughts of the characters in these poignant vignettes showcasing the beginning of love, the end of love and everything in between. • Runs until Jan. 22, 7–9pm, Gastown, Zero hundred block Water St, free admission.

wednesday, jan. 19 dead man’s cell phone • An in-

cessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man—with a lot of loose ends. So begins Dead Man’s Cell Phone, a funny, affecting and often otherworldly exploration of modern life from American playwriting sensation, Sarah Ruhl [The Clean House]. • Runs until Jan. 29, 7:30–9pm, Telus Studio Theatre, $22/$15/$10, go to book tickets online at ubctheatre.universitytickets.com.

islam awareness week discussion panel • The UBC Muslim

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Haiti’s Humanitarian Crisis One Year Later • There will be a panel

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Student Association presents four different discussions as part of Islam Awareness Week on campus. The discussions include: Pillars of Islam and Articles of Faith, the Prophets, and the Scriptures, Women in Islam: Oppressed or Honoured?, What is Jihad? and Are all Muslims Arab? A Glimpse into the Multiculturalism in Islam. • 3:30– 6pm, Woodward 2, free.

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News

editor ARSHY MANN » news@ubyssey.ca assistant KALYEENA MAKORTOFF » kmakortoff@ubyssey.ca SENIOR WRITER MICKI COWAN » mcowan@ubyssey.ca

AMS Election campaigns in full swing Arshy Mann news@ubyssey.ca And they’re off.

The campaign period for AMS elections begins today. In the upcoming two weeks, 35 candidates will be vying for 18 positions in UBC’s student union, student legal fund, senate and board of governors.

The presidential race will be fought between current VP External Jeremy McElroy, former Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) President Omar Chaaban and Michael Moll, who serves on the Commerce Undergraduate Society (CUS) board and as Vice President of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. Also running is joke candidate Bijan “Tender Hugs” Ahmadian, who is not in any way related to current AMS President Bijan Ahmadian.

The VP Finance race will pit incumbent Elin Tayyar against Arash Ehteshami, who serves as the VP Internal of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS).

Whoever is voted in will have to deal with a projected $140,000 deficit.

Arts Councillor Mike Silley will run for VP Administration against Gordon Katic, who is heavily involved in the Social Justice Centre (SJC) and is a VP of UBC Allies. Kathy Yan Li, who sells print ads for The Ubyssey, is also in the race, but it is presently unclear whether or not her candidacy is serious.

The race for V P Externa l may be the most competitive, as Associate VP External Mitch

Friday’s All-Candidates Meeting. Geoff Lister Photo/The Ubyssey

Wright, Chair of the University and External Relations Committee Katherine Tyson, Arts Councillor Rory Breasail and a joke candidate posing as famed MIT linguist and rabble-rouser Noam Chomsky are all vying for the position.

VP Academic and University Affairs, which has the most diverse portfolio of all of the VP positions, will be contested by Justin Yang, who has held a number of positions in the

Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), AUS and AMS, Inter-Fraternity Council President Matt Parson, and Legislative Procedures Committee member Jennifer Wang.

Seven people will be campaigning for the two available spots on the UBC Board of Governors, including incumbent Sean Heisler, who is running for a second term. Both the current VP Academic and University Affairs Ben Cappellacci and his

Associate VP Sean Cregten are in the race, as well as SUS President Sumedha Sharma, Senator AJ Hajian, Silley and joke candidate “SuperSexySass” Sangsari.

Finally, eight candidates, three of whom are incumbents, are in the running for five senator positions, while six people are running for the six available spots for the Student Legal Fund Society.

An elections contest for Voter Funded Media will be happening again this year, with UBC Insiders, AMS Confidential, Eleven 11 and the newly formed UBC Vanguard already dedicating posts to the elections.

Uncertainty remains over whether the AMS will use a firstpast-the-post system or stick with Condorcet, with a final decision to be made at Wednesday’s AMS Council meeting.

No referendum questions will be on the ballot this year. In order to take advantage of the huge number of students that are likely to vote in a UPass referendum planned for March, all referenda questions, including many that will be proposed by the AMS, are being postponed until then.

Voting will take place in the week of January 17, with results announced on January 21. U

U

Online exclusive

Check out our AMS Elections application at ubyssey.ca/ams.

Leadership conference draws over a thousand Micki Cowan mcowan@ubyssey.ca A record number of attendees, big name speakers and dozens of student-directed workshops crowded campus on Saturday, Jan 8, as UBC hosted its ninth annual Student Leadership Conference under this year’s theme of “rethinking leadership.”

One of the four staff advisors who helped direct the students involved was Shannon Sterling, student development officer. “We have 1220 registered delegates for this year, plus 95 unpaid volunteers and 22 committee members.” Her advice for students looking to get involved with the conference or leadership in general is to not be afraid.

“There’s no harm in trying somet hing and building on that,” she said. “It’s transferable skills, it’s work, it’s friendships and you only start that if you take the plunge.”

Crystal Hon was one of the student workshop presenters, and walked away with the Best Individual Presenter award for her workshop, entitled “Rethinking your Weaknesses.” She said that this was one of the most spectacular SLCs she’s been to.

“I learned that a lot of students are thinking the same way I am. It means that I’m not alone and that students our age are challenging themselves and are taking the time to think about what they are doing,” she said.

“My main thing was that everyone knows what their strengths are, but people should really be taking a look at their weaknesses and how their weaknesses affect their outcome and affect other people.”

The conference ended with the four co-stars of the hit MTV reality TV series The Buried Life (Ben Nemtin, Jonnie Penn, Duncan Penn and Dave Lingwood) taking the stage as keynote speakers. Before their speech, which received a standing ovation, the group discussed their philosophy on leadership and the conference itself.

“I think for us, we get so inspired by young people (and) the things they are doing...speaking to our peers is our top thing to do,” said Nemtin. “I think that any time you bring young people together to talk about what they want to do it’s important. There’s not a lot of venues for that sort of conversation,” he said.

The TV show follows the four young men as they encounter

NEWS BRIEFS Toonie Tuesdays return to the gallery lounge The AMS will be returning to a much-loved tradition, as two dollar pints will be back on special at The Gallery. This comes after a recent budget deficit reported by the AMS showed that AMS business projections overshot by nearly $300,000, a loss that blamed economic conditions and a lack of student jobs as decreasing students’ spending money last year.

Toope to address AMS council Stephen Toope will be attending this Wednesday’s AMS Council for a question and answer period, where students will get the chance to be face to face with UBC’s president.

Also on the agenda is a presentation from the Student Life Committee that will help decide the fate of Block Party, and a finalization of last semester’s controversy regarding a donation by the Social Justice Centre to Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights that is intended to fund the Canadian Boat to Gaza.

UBC Professors receive Order of Canada Four UBC professors have received the Order of Canada, an award which recognizes lifetime achievement and contribution to Canadian society.

Professor Emeritus Robert Hare of the psychology department was recognized for his contributions to forensic psychology and studies in psychopathy.

Dr Michael Hayden, a geneticist and professor in the departments of medicine and medical genetics, was honoured for his contributions to the study of Huntington’s disease and other genetic disorders such as Type two diabetes.

Dr Rober Taylor, clinical associate professor in the department of surgery, was honoured for humanitarian contributions to improving surgical care and medical services in the developing world.

Dr Angela Enright, a clinical professor of anesthesiology, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for working to provide training programs for anesthetists in developing countries, increasing surgery availability to the people of those regions.

Federal funding for summer employment

Students wait before The Buried Life. Chris borchert Photo/SLC

both challenges and triumphs in their quest to take on their formidable bucket list—a list of 100 (and more) things they want to do before they die. To add interest, each time they complete one of their goals, they have to help a stranger complete one of his or her own as well.

This perseverance is one of the things that they focused on in their speech.

“We’ve created this mentality that you just don’t give up. We just pretended that anything was possible in the beginning.

Now we really believe it,” said Penn. U

Stephen Harper’s federal government has recently invested in Canada Summer Jobs in a move that aims to create 3500 more positions for summer employment throughout the country.

The Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program is being permanently increased by $10 million starting this year, increasing total funding of the program to $107.5 million, but critics say that full-time students are reaping all the benefits while parttime and mature students are not receiving adequate attention. CSJ requires applicants to be full-time students between the ages of 1530 and returning to full-time studies the following September.

The Conservative government invested $10 million in both 2009 and 2010 into the summer employment initiative as part of their Economic Action Plan.

U

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culture

editorS BRYCE WARNES & JONNY WAKEFIELD » culture@ubyssey.ca SENIOR WRITER GINNY MONACO » gmonaco@ubyssey.ca ILLUSTRATOR INDIANA JOEL » ijoel@ubyssey.ca

Over-the-counter cosmic consciousness

Drugs

Salvia divinorum offers a legal trip for the psych-curious

Ginny Monaco gmonaco@ubyssey.ca “Everything turns to water— like cel-shaded water, and I fall onto a pirate ship as I’m smoking it.

Then I start hallucinating. All of a sudden I’m in the world of Zelda, like the Deku Tree area.

And I try to run, but on salvia you can’t really move. So [my friend] tries to hold me back, but I fight him off and I run but my legs give in and I fall forward and hit myself on the bed. The hallucination only lasts about a minute for me. Then I’m just really happy and really hungry, so I go back to my own dorm room and I put all my bedding and my mattress inside my closet, and just sit there and listen to the Radiohead song ‘Treefingers’ on repeat.”

These are the words Nick Workman, a University of Western Ontario student, used to describe his first experience with Salvia divinorum, or Diviner’s Sage, an entheogenic Sout h American plant which can be legally sold and purchased in Canada. While Workman first tried salvia several years ago, the drug has been gaining users via unconventional channels.

In early December TMZ posted a video of Miley Cyrus, former Disney star, smoking from a bong at her 18th birthday party. In the video, the “Got Milk” girl giggles, slurs and says she wants “more of that shit.”

According to TMZ’s sources, the “shit” in question is salvia.

Chris Bennett, owner of Vancouver’s Urban Shaman, counts salvia among his inventory of shamanic aids, though it’s not widely used. “It was more popular a few years ago,” Bennett said. “It’s gone through its novelty potential.”

The Cyrus video sparked some renewed interest in the drug among an unlikely demographic. “Usually when something like that happens, I get a bunch of older people in, middle age type people. The kids already know about it,” says Bennett, in reference to the Cyrus video.

“Kids” is a broad term, as Bennett does not allow minors into his store. However, the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey study showed that 7.3 per cent of Canadians between 15 and 24 have taken the drug at least once.

The sale of salvia is a grey area. In Canada, the plant is classed as a natura l hea lt h product (NHP), meaning it cannot be sold unless it has been reviewed and authorized by Health Canada—which it hasn’t.

A loophole in the law allows salvia to be sold openly so long as the consumer is informed that their purchase is not intended for human use.

“To date, Health Canada has not licensed for sale any drug or NHP which contains salvia as an ingredient,” said Christelle Legault, a spokesperson for the Ministry.

This means that the sale of the plant is largely under the jurisdiction of Health Canada’s

Hea lt h Product s a nd Food Branch Inspectorate. Their enforcement of these laws has been slack, according to a CBC article dated October 19.

Bennett says that salvia is not meant for human consumption.

“Traditionally, it’s burned as an incense. It was used as a visionary oracle, so people would consult it with a question and from their vision try and decipher an answer.”

Using salvia can be an intense, powerful experience. Salvia trips are a popular topic of discussion in Bennett’s store.

“I probably talk to more people about those experiences than anything else,” he said. “There are a lot of commonalities. A lot of people report they have a vision where everything is made out of Lego or pages of a book.”

“A lot of people report they have a vision where everything is made out of Lego or pages of a book.”

Chris Bennett Urban Shaman owner

In the video, Cyrus complains that she is having “kind of a bad trip.” Bennett himself is not a user of the plant. “I don’t really like salvia myself. It’s not

Processed Salvia. Raymond Huang photo/The Ubyssey

something I can see myself doing again. I find the loss of identity and personality too overwhelming or something.”

Recently, a woman from Burnaby shattered her jawbone after jumping out a third story window while high on salvia.

Bennett isn’t sure the drug is to blame, comparing the situation to “a drunk person blaming booze for their car accident.

With some common sense and some safe precautions—like having somebody there with you— that sort of danger is negated.”

According to Legault, “Health Canada is currently assessing

whether the regulation of Salvia divinorum…under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is warranted.”

Given its reputation, it is unlikely that the drug will ever receive approval. Bennett sees this less as a vote for public safety than an act of suppression.

“The biggest concern about salvia is not any proclaimed health effects, it’s that, for five minutes, people are having a visionary experience,” he said.

“It’s like our culture somehow fears that sort of thing.” U —With files from Bryce Warnes

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SPORTS editor MARIE VONDRACEK » sports@ubyssey.ca

Pandas maul T-Birds Drake Fenton Contributor Statistics can bend the truth or even create complete fabrications. Statistics are also capable

of slapping the truth in your face so hard that you have no choice but to accept it. Such was the case for Friday night’s women’s hockey matchup between the UBC Thunderbirds and the Alberta Pandas.

UBC lost 3-0. A difference of three goals doesn’t appear enormous. Perhaps Alberta potted an empty netter to seal the game. Perhaps UBC didn’t catch any lucky bounces. Perhaps the referee

made a couple of controversial calls in Alberta’s favour.

Perhaps not. Here’s the statistic that leaves a hand print on your face and sends you to the freezer to grab the ice pack, pea bag, steak

or bottle of vodka. Shot totals for Alberta: 41. Shot totals for UBC: 8.

There are a host of ways to lose a game (see Canada’s emotional collapse at the World Juniors) but to win a game, at hockey’s most fundamental level, there is only one way—shooting the puck.

Of course, to generate shots, a team must win the small battles in the finer intricacies of the game. Winning battles along the boards, crisp breakouts, a strong forecheck and proper positional play all play a part in creating shooting opportunities. On Friday night it was in these faculties of the game that Alberta dominated and UBC faltered.

Thunderbirds coach Nancy Wilson quickly attributed the outcome of Friday’s game to these lost battles.

“We’ve got some skilled players up front, but there wasn’t any close support. The player with the puck seemed to be all by herself.

The one-on-one battles, we have to win more of them.”

Wilson was also unimpressed with her team’s inability to create puck pressure.

“We generate a lot of offence when we’re pressuring the puck, and we didn’t do that as smartly as we [have] in the past. When we did generate turnovers, we didn’t support the puck.”

The lack of pressure on the puck couldn’t have been more apparent in the final Alberta goal of the game. Midway through the second period, the Pandas’ Alana Cabana streaked out of the neutral zone into UBC territory, where she found herself one on one with a UBC defender.

She wasted no time deking, instead firing a shot from the high slot. It ricocheted off her opponent’s leg and back on to her stick.

She shot again and fell to the ice at the skates of the Thunderbird defender. UBC goaltender Melinda Choy quickly jutted out her right leg pad to make the save, but was unable to prevent a rebound. Cabana, getting to her feet in a 360 degree rotation, agilely backhanded the puck into a wide open net.

Though Choy was unable to salvage that situation, she was the lone bright spot on the UBC roster. She made 38 saves and was able to blank the Pandas in the third period.

Little changed on Saturday night as UBC lost 6-1. Kirsten Mihalcheon scored the lone goal for the Thunderbirds, deflecting a shot from rookie forward Lauren Ruggiero.

Sustaining a prolonged offensive attack proved difficult for the T-Birds, and a lack of pressure on the puck, both offensive and defensive, continued to be the theme of the weekend series.

UBC currently sits last in the Canada West standings at 4-9-1.

The ‘Birds will once again be challenged next week as they take on the Hayley Wickenheiser-led Calgary Dinos. U

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Making an impact off the bench Nathan Yu adds a consistent spark Noah Burshtein Contributor You won’t hear his name announced over the loudspeakers to begin the game. You won’t even see him on the floor at the opening jump ball. But late in the fourth quarter, when the game is on the line, Nathan Yu’s number 8 jersey will almost certainly be one of those out on the floor, helping secure another UBC victory.

Coming off the bench in the role of the “sixth man,” Yu has contributed immensely to the Thunderbirds’ success, and has eyes only for the national championship.

For Yu, a fourth-year guard from Prince George, it wasn’t always that easy. As a starter, leading scorer for Duchess Park High and younger brother of former Thunderbird Jordan Yu, he came into university with high expectations for himself and a lot of pressure to perform.

“He came in as every freshman does, wanting to start, thinking they can start and t h in k in g t hey k now ever ything about the game,” UBC head coach Kevin Hanson said.

“It is always a difficult transition for players to get used to, as the glory of high school stardom fades quite quickly once university begins.”

When Yu arrived at UBC, his position was occupied by former T-Bird star Chris Dyck, so Yu quickly figured out that “[his] job was to come in and give [Dyck] some rest and provide some scoring off the bench.”

Throughout his time at UBC, Yu has always been able to score, but in the past few years he has improved his defensive and rebounding abilities, earning himself more and more playing time.

Now a senior member of the team, Yu’s time to shine has arrived. Yu says he has “embraced [his] role,” and that “stats don’t matter to [him].” Of course, that’s not something he has to worry about, as he is currently averaging 12.1 points per game, the second highest on the team, despite only playing 20.4 minutes a game. But for Yu, it’s team results, not numbers, that matter.

“Every year we are trying to finish right and win the nationals. We lost the past two years in the championship and it’s in our heads, it’s what we constantly hear in practice. We want to win the whole thing,” said Yu. Coach Hanson can only smile when he hears the determination and grit in Yu’s voice. “Nathan put extra time in over the summer and it has really paid off. He has played more hoops in the off-season and this has helped with his confidence and play,” he said, acknowledging the progress Yu has made.

As UBC continues to roll, Yu expresses a desire to improve further, saying he “needs to improve [his] consistency.” For the Thunderbirds, this can only be a good thing, as UBC continues to progress towards their collective goal of winning a national championship. And if they get there, there can be little doubt that Yu will be a major reason why. U

Bird Droppings Women’s Basketball extend winning streak to seven

Alex Vieweg led the Thunderbirds with 26 points to help UBC pick up their seventh straight win in a sweep over the Manitoba Bisons.

Friday night was held up by Zara Huntley, who led all scorers with 16 points as the Thunderbirds cruised to a 73-37 win.

Lia St. Pierre also contributed immensely with a game high of eight rebounds.

On Saturday night, Devan Lisson and St Pierre had 16 and 12 points, respectively, as the Birds went on to win 66-55. UBC was strong defensively, and held the Bisons to a mere 21 points through the first three quarters.

UBC head coach Deb Huband was pleased with the team’s work. “We showed our depth and we came prepared with a good effort.”

UbC mEn’s Basketball sweep Manitoba

Nathan Yu battling for the Thunderbirds. Jonathan Chiang photo/ The Ubyssey

UBC men’s basketball (12-2) further solidified themselves as a powerhouse team with a weekend sweep over the Manitoba Bisons (7-5) to extending their eight game winning streak.

On Friday, the Thunderbirds were lifted to victory by contributions from across the floor to win 106-91.

An 87-72 victory the next night was spurred by a memorable team performance at the free throw line. UBC was a nearperfect 26 of 27. Alex Murphy led the effort with a 10-of-10 night.

The Thunderbirds now sit in a comfortable second position in the west behind Trinity Western University. U

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editorial Ahmadian’s video indicative of legacy Before we turn to next year’s AMS executives, let us quickly close the door on this current incarnation. Namely, the President.

In his waning days, Bijan Ahmadian has decided to hit the internet to tell you humble students all the fantastic successes of his year. Go to bijan.ca and watch his amazing, Mercer-inspired video. Why did he do it? Because he feels like “the campus media” isn’t “telling the full story.”

Never mind that a failed leader going on the airwaves to do revisionist history is much like any of Sarah Palin’s appearances on Fox News. Ahmadian is over 30 years old, about to finish a joint Law and MBA degree and is president of a $15 million society. We remind you of this to highlight the fact he has much better things to do than to spend hours trying to convince people that he is/was an awesome president in student politics.

If he truly has a beef with “the media,” why not be specific? What publications have erred, Bijan?

Which specific facts have gone unreported? The reason for simply saying “the media” is that once you start to list specific media and specific allegations, they can rebut with, you know, the facts.

So let’s get into them, because we might be tempted to ignore this vanity plea if his attempt to “tell the full story” wasn’t so full of holes.

First, he claims the AMS executives work well as a team, when we’ve had every single one of his fellow executives complain about him to us (many, several times) and Council demanded an investigation into his actions on land-use issues. Yes, it found no wrongdoing, but it certainly didn’t make him look good. He’s also attempted to ban people from speaking with the media, gone over the head of his fellow executives and didn’t even tell them he was making this video. So yes, the AMS works well as a team, in the same way that the BC Liberals worked well as a government over the last two years.

He claims that when he came into office, SUB negotiations had “gone on, straining relationships, without any light at the end of the tunnel for two ridiculously long years.”

This simply isn’t true. Under AMS President Michael Duncan and Blake Frederick, the AMS and UBC signed a memorandum of understanding, worked to finalize many arrangements in the new SUB and agreed that Properties Trust would be the project managers. To take full credit for successful negotiations may be a way to make yourself look great instead of merely good, but is galling to others who put in their time.

Bijan also cites “a grassroots advocacy campaign pushing for rapid transit along the Broadway corridor, all the way to UBC.” He said “we made great progress doing it,” but doesn’t go on to say what type of progress. That’s because there wasn’t great progress—Metro acknowledged that UBC rapid transit was important in the future, and that was about it—and the “grassroots campaign” was, in fact, funded by UBC. This was, according to Ahmadian, “another type of teamwork that I bet people are not hearing about.”

Except we put it on the front page, wrote editorials supporting it and gave Bijan himself a space to talk about it. Twice. Since there wasn’t much more to say about the matter, things would become boring pretty quick if we continued coverage.

So we report on other things. Like how the AMS has a $200,000 deficit, after a year where executive benefits were increased. Or that Block Party might be cancelled. Or that pro-Israel and Palestine groups are at each other’s heads because of the AMS’s inability to resolve a dispute quietly.

Bijan hasn’t been a terrible president, can be likeable when not discussing politics and has done good over his many years on campus. But his arrogance, thin skin and inability to detach his personal views from his responsibilities has undermined his role as a leader time and time again.

Finally, at the end of the video he talks about UBC’s Got Talent. Yes, it is happening and is sold out. We may even put it on the front page! However, there are dozens of events featuring students at the Chan Centre each year. That another one is happening because of the AMS President is nice, and to be celebrated, but not a major accomplishment. He’ll be singing “Sweet Dreams” with UBC President Stephen Toope, and if there’s a piece of advice we can give him from that song, it’s this: Keep your head up—but move right on. U

bryce warnes graphic/the ubyssey

opinions: UBC Vanguard on the AMS elections The UBC Vanguard (ubcvanguard. wordpress.com) is written by Brian Platt and Ricardo Bortolon and between us we have a wealth of experience in the AMS, the AUS, SUS and the media environment at UBC. Our blog will be a dialogue for the most part, operating something like this.

(and deriding, when necessary) the candidates, the administrators, the media and anyone else silly enough to get involved. We have our own biases and our own personalities and you’ll see that in the back and forth that’s unique to our blog.

Brian: Plus we just want to have fun.

Brian: Good coverage of an AMS election requires at least four things.

First, the ability to be humourous about serious things and serious about humourous things. Second, enough involvement in student politics to be capable of explaining the various aspects of issues that come up, especially the petty and ridiculous ones. Third, a good bullshit detector. And fourth, the willingness to say what you really think, as long as you can back it up. This pretty much serves as the mission statement of The UBC Vanguard.

Ricardo: And that’s what the election coverage is. The AMS is an important institution that deserves serious attention but political coverage comes in all shapes and detailed analysis doesn’t require dry, stuffy verbosity.

We address election coverage with the same tone we would discuss it with anyone who cares: serious consideration salted with off-the-cuff comments from personal experience. And trust me, it’s salty. Brian, what kind of things do you see us covering during this election period?

Ricardo: Besides just being more awesome than other blogs, we also aren’t trying to act like some pretentious column that holds the key to understanding the AMS Elections. We’re two guys who’ve been around for a while in student politics and enjoy discussing

Brian: There’s so many different match-ups that are going to be fun to watch; the resource groups versus the fraternities versus the hacks. I love it! And there’s enough personalities involved to guarantee that we’ll have plenty to talk about. Plus I’m

sure there’ll be occasions for us to get wonky, to go into the voting system and code requirements and so on. But really, as long as we find it interesting, we’ll cover it.

Ricardo: And there’s plenty that’s interesting, so expect lots of coverage. It was easy to have expectations as soon as the candidates were announced but I’m excited to see how candidates take care of their support groups and expand their voting blocks. How will some of the wild cards change the dynamics of the election? How will the unfortunate lack of Condorcet voting affect the outcome of the election? Will the dark horses be able to play the game strong enough to make themselves real contenders? Who will be the first candidate to put their foot in their mouth?

Brian: So make sure you come by the Vanguard and contribute to the discussion. Buckle up! The fun’s just getting started, and it’s gonna be a hell of a ride.

The Ubyssey will be profiling the different voter-funded media outlets throughout the AMS Elections.

perspective: Alissa Westergard-Thorpe on resource groups Generally my political work is nonelectoral due to philosophical preferences, but also because harassing strangers into voting me into an often harsh institution is somehow more intimidating. Street-level organizing, communicating about complex marginalized issues by accessible means and facing the occasional police beating, surveillance, public defamation or unwarranted slander (‘terrorist’ was bad, but ‘hippie’ hurt more) is a familiar if not more comfortable arena than the ballot box.

You’ll spend half your time struggling to fundraise for photocopies, rounding up one pro-bono counsel to fight a dozen government lawyers, recounting police abuses to unsympathetic robes and enduring endless meetings while biting your tongue or talking ‘til hoarse. Then after years of work and minor movement forward, you’ll sometimes find yourself fighting the same battles again. I guess those last items aren’t entirely dissimilar but in exchange for influence and resources, candidates must pretend things will be different.

During the ongoing struggle to access a mere $700 for the Canada Boat

to Gaza—and the surprisingly contentious demonstration of dirty tricks, legal threats and frivolous complaints— a formal position momentarily appealed. After the December 1, 2010 AMS Council meeting, as supporters of the donation and the majority of council believed that the transfer would proceed, I softened slightly toward these institutions. For a few hours it seemed that speaking the truth and using ethical tactics, while demoralizing and demanding, might prevail and it wasn’t only those best connected to power or most viciously accusatory that occasionally won.

Within a day, though, the AMS President, perhaps returning political support from the Israel Awareness Club (IAC), had stalled the funding again while forcing the VP Finance to play terrorist-hunter and Council was reconsidering the independent status granted to the Resource Groups by referendum.

Currently, the Resource Groups face several threats of re-structuring or defunding. As volunteer-run groups, the debt-plagued AMS couldn’t afford to reproduce them as pure bureaucracies. Denying students the opportunity to develop and be supported through them

shows a lack of trust in the UBC community. The SJC has publicly accessible meetings, website and email lists (things not provided by the IAC) and every student can participate who supports the principles of social justice.

It is claimed that SJC is too open but, while funded by one sixth of $1.50 per student of annual AMS fees, it would be criticized more if students couldn’t participate. When social justice, environmental, racialized, queer or women’s rights were first fought for, they were on the margins and years of dedicated activism have brought these critical voices forward. The AMS can handle political issues that are easy or instantly popular, but the Resource Groups support mandated freedom from political interference for good reasons. While considering the upcoming election, students should recognize that limitations of elected offices are group-imposed if we fail to demand more accountability and honest conduct from those people brave enough to fight for them.

—Alissa Westergard-Thorpe Communications Coordinator for Social Justice Centre

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president profile: omar chaaban Arshy Mann news@ubyssey.ca Israeli-Palestinian politics often are at the centre of the most ferocious debates on university campuses. But AMS presidential candidate Omar Chaaban is not one to shy away from a fight.

The soft-spoken 20-something has been involved in Palestinian political activism since he began attending university and was until Friday the president of the UBC wing of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR).

However, Chaaban doesn’t want his political leanings to be what defines his campaign.

“People shouldn’t have prejudice against candidates because of a political position,” he said. “[They] should look at candidates and evaluate them based on whether they can get the job done or not, whether they’re going to represent [students’] opinions or not.”

And in the race for President, Chaaban believes he is that person.

Born in Vancouver but raised in a refugee camp in Northern Lebanon, Chaaban came back to Canada in 2004 in order to pursue an Engineering degree at the University of Waterloo, before transferring schools and degrees. He now studies international relations at UBC. According to Chaaban, even in his Waterloo days, he had an interest

in running for elected office. But it wasn’t until this year that he finally decided to take the leap.

“After the end of this year, a lot of people told me, ‘why don’t you run for a VP position?’ So I thought about it and I decided to run for VP Academic and University Affairs. But then I thought about it a little more and [said], what the heck, I’ll run for president.”

As AMS President, Chaaban’s biggest priority would be to fix what he perceives to be a “damaged” relationship between the AMS and the university. Chaaban is looking to find a balance between what he believed was the overly-hostile presidency of Blake Fredrick and the overly-subservient presidential position of Bijan Ahmadian.

“Our job isn’t to be the enemies of the [university], [nor] to be sleeping in the same bed. [It’s] to ask students exactly what they want and [tell] the university.”

However, if he wants to get elected as AMS President, Chaaban has a hard fight ahead of him.

Coming in with no experience in student government and a set of political baggage, Chaaban will have to appeal to students that he is the best person to represent their interests.

But Chaaban promises to give the other candidates some competition.

“I’m run n in g to w in t h is election.”

Despite the fact that he’s never before held a student government position, Chaaban already has more fame—or perhaps infamy—than just about any student politician in the country.

In 2009, as an executive of the Canadian Arab Federation (CAF), he created a small national controversy when he posted “Fuck Canada Day” on his personal Facebook page. He went on to call Canada a “genocidal state” and that he “couldn’t be more ashamed to be Canadian,” referring to the country’s treatment of its aboriginal peoples. His words were condemned by the CAF and shortly after he resigned from his position as Vice President.

“I’m surprised that wasn’t the first question,” laughed Chaaban when asked about the incident.

According to him, the comment was intended to incite discussion.

“Part of being a Canadian student is being able to say something so controversial without fearing the consequences so you can shed some light [on] an issue that has been buried for a long time,” he said. “And that’s exactly what I wanted to do.”

He also said that he doesn’t, in fact, hate Canada.

“The whole point of having Canada Day is to celebrate the fact that Canada is an awesome country where you can say your opinion as freely as possible.” U

geoff lister photo/The ubyssey