February 11, 2014

february 11, 2013 | VoLuME XcV| IssuE XL Spending time with family since 1918

TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT

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LAXING LIQUOR LAWS STAYIN’ ALIVE Potential changes to booze rules would streamline event licensing process

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Men’s hockey still in the playoff picture — for now

PASSED UP An in-depth look at the state of UBC Counselling Services reveals underfunding and lukewarm student satisfaction

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

this week, may we suggest...

OUR CAMPUS

2

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

TuesDAY 11 a Greenpeace DropOut’s confession 5–6:30 p.m. @ Buchanan A103

Join for a discussion with Patrick Moore about his career with Greenpeace and the campaign for Golden Rice. Greenpeace opposed. Free

wednesday 12 festevolve 2014

10a.m.–5 P.M. @ BEATY BIODIVERSITY CENTRE

Come join the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for a celebration of Charles Darwin and the evolution of life. Join the museum tours, activities and crafts. Create your own fossils and watch DNA extraction demos.

Free for UBC students and staff

Photo CPT. MUJI/Wikimedia Commons

Davis will start his full professorship at UBC in fall 2014 and will be on campus starting July 2014.

thurSDAY 13 TODD ICE HOCKEY CASUAL LEAGUE 8a.m.–9a.m. @ SRC

Drop in for guaranteed play time with the structure of our traditional leagues. Participants will get an official and game equipment. No pressure to show up each week or be responsible to a team.

Free

There are 113 students on the cover and they represent the 113 who couldn’t see UBC counselling immediately. The inspiration for the dejected student icon was from George Michael Bluth’s sad Charlie Brown walk from the TV show Arrested Development. Design by Ming Wong.

Video content Make sure to check out our coverage of the AMS election results, airing now at ubyssey.ca/videos/.

U The Ubyssey editorial

Coordinating Editor Geoff Lister coordinating@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Print Ming Wong printeditor@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Web CJ Pentland webeditor@ubyssey.ca News Editors Will McDonald + Sarah Bigam news@ubyssey.ca Senior News Writer Veronika Bondarenko vbondarenko@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Rhys Edwards culture@ubyssey.ca Senior Culture Writer Aurora Tejeida atejeida@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Natalie Scadden sports@ubyssey.ca Senior Lifestyle Writer Reyhana Heatherington rheatherington@ubyssey.ca Features Editor Arno Rosenfeld features@ubyssey.ca

Video Producer Lu Zhang video@ubyssey.ca Copy Editor Matt Meuse copy@ubyssey.ca

Photo Editor Carter Brundage photos@ubyssey.ca Illustrator Indiana Joel ijoel@ubyssey.ca Webmaster Tony Li webmaster@ubyssey.ca Distribution Coordinator Lily Cai lcai@ubyssey.ca Special Contributor Danielle Tan Staff Catherine Guan, Nick Adams, Kanta Dihal, Marlee Laval, Angela Tien, Carly Sotas, Alex Meisner, Luella Sun, Jenny Tang, Adrienne Hembree, Mehryar Maalem, Jack Hauen, Kosta Prodanovic, Olivia Law, Jethro Au, Bailey Ramsay, Jenica Montgomery, Austen Erhardt, Alice Fleerackers, Nikos Wright, Milica Palinic, Jovana Vranic, Mackenzie Walker, Kaveh Sarhangpour, Steven Richards

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Meet Wade Davis, the afffable anthropologist Richard Sterndale-Bennett Contributor

Tibet, Togo, Vanuatu — these are just some of the places famed anthropologist Wade Davis has been to for his work. But come fall 2014, the B.C. native will be arriving home to start his first full professorship at UBC. Davis has spent much of his life globe-hopping, travelling to places forgotten, disregarded, or ignored by much of the modern world. Before he went around the world, he first made the move to Massachusetts to attend Harvard University. He arrived in the city of Cambridge for school, but it turns out he arrived two weeks early.

“My mother had made a mistake, and so I had to drag my trunk through Cambridge until I could find a church that would take me in.”

Wade credits serendipity for most of the choices he’s made, including his choice of major at Harvard.

“You had to declare your major the next day, and I came out by chance at the Peabody Museum of Ethnology ... and my eyes were just filled with these images of these dioramas of shaman and strange outfits, all the colours of the rainbow. And I ran into a friend of mine on the street and I said, ‘Stewart, what are you going to declare as your major tomorrow?’ and he said, ‘Anthropology,’ and I said, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Well, you study Indians.’ And I said,

Write Shoot Edit Code Drink COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS

‘Wow — that’ll do.’”

Those humble beginnings led to three Harvard degrees (anthropology, biology and ethnobotany) and possibly the coolest gig in anthropology: being National Geographic’s explorer-in-residence. Since 1999, he’s been working with the National Geographic Society to carry out programs and fieldwork.

Even with all his success, what’s most obvious when meeting him is that he’s an affable guy.

It’s difficult to meet him and not like him.

A big part of that is how he’s made a career out of areas in between – between disciplines as an ethnobotanist, between islands of modernity as an explorer and researcher, and between the academy and the public as a popularizer of anthropological research. In short, he’s put a lot of practice into bridging divides.

But he considers himself a storyteller first. For Davis, storytelling is an important tool, one of the many legitimate skill sets anthropologists should be allowed by their peers to pursue.

“For the longest time, if you spoke to the public, if you wrote even a popular trade book, it was almost an act of academic suicide.”

But that’s changing. One reason he chose UBC was the support he has here for his approach.

In addition to an introductory anthropology course, he’ll be working with graduate students to develop their skill at engaging

the public with anthropological research, something he believes has the potential to bring about real change.

He’s passionate about languages going extinct. “We’re losing half of humanity’s ecological, social, spiritual, psychological knowledge in a generation. And it doesn’t have to happen.”

For Davis, the goal is to be just one small part of a changing world and help people make informed choices about how to direct the flow.

“You come to really recognize as I have that despair is an insult to the imagination, that pessimism is an indulgence.”

Which is, of course, just one more reason to like him. U

ACCOLADES FOR THE ANTHROPOLOGIST Davis has written over 20 books, over 200 articles, had his photos exhibited, produced and hosted 18 documentary films and has been a professional speaker for 25 years.

Other past National Geographic explorers-in-residence include Avatar director James Cameron, Sylvia Earle and Jane Goodall.

Thursday, February 6, 2014 |

EDITORS WILL Mcdonald + Sarah Bigam

Translink >>

3

Drinking >>

UBC mulls changes to liquor policy

Photo Steven Durfee/THE UBYSSEY

The 99 B-Line, which runs along Broadway, is often over capacity at peak times.

The policy changes would make it easier to serve alcohol at campus events.

Panel recommends Broadway rapid transit

Jovana Vranic Staff Writer

file photo geoff lister/THE UBYSSEY

Sarah Bigam News Editor

At a presentation on Thursday, a panel from the Washington D.C.based Urban Land Institute (ULI) said an underground rapid transit line should be built to improve transportation along the Broadway corridor, and that UBC should help pay for it.

“The existing transit along the Broadway corridor is essentially a failure — it barely works,” said Dick Reynolds, one of five panel members at the presentation.

The ULI read 1,100 pages of documentation on the subject and spent three days in Vancouver meeting with the city, TransLink and residents before making their recommendations.

NEWS BRIEFS AMS waives fees for formerwards of the province On Wednesday night, AMS Council passed a motion to waive student fees for former wards of the province.

The code change will waive all AMS fees for these students, including the $91 core AMS fee, the opt-out fees for services like CiTR and the Bike Kitchen, $219.31 for the health and dental plan and $140 for the U-Pass.

Former VP finance Joaquin Acevedo brought this idea forward in September after UBC decided to waive tuition for these students.

Though the number of students this motion will directly impact is small, Acevedo said the effect for those it does impact will be huge.

Study finds advertising opportunity in horror movies A UBC study may lead to more product placement in horror movies.

The study, from the Sauder School of Business, found that when people watch horror movies alone, they may be more likely to feel attachments to brand names.

“People cope with fear by bonding with other people. When watching a scary movie, they look at each other and say ‘Oh my God!’ and their connection is enhanced,” said Sauder graduate Lea Dunn. “But, in the absence of friends, our study shows consumers will create heightened emotional attachment with a brand that happens to be on hand.” U

“If the economic funding for this line is put aside, if we look at simple movement of people ... the smartest thing to do would be to put the line underground,” said Alan Boniface, chair of ULI BC, in an interview.

The panel was invited to do the study by ULI BC. Building an underground line is predicted to cost up to $3 billion.

The panel also recommended that major employers along the line such as UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority should help pay for the system. According to Boniface, UBC was invited to discussions with the ULI, but did not attend.

The 13-kilometre stretch between UBC and Commercial Drive has been called the busiest bus route in North America, and many

buses along it are over capacity at peak hours. This is without considering future growth, which is a predicted increase of 1,000,000 people and 600,000 jobs in Metro Vancouver by 2041.

The panel also recommended that the city not rezone areas because of the line. Residents in the West Side, for example, were opposed to increasing density in the area.

“You guys do high-rises very nicely, but you’re sort of drunk on high-rises,” Reynolds said at the presentation. “You don’t need towers everywhere.”

Finally, the ULI recommended better collaboration and communication between stakeholders in planning this line. Boniface said that while construction of the

Canada Line was rushed for the Olympics, there is time for a Broadway line to be done right.

“It would be useful to take that time to have all the stakeholders come together,” said Boniface. “A sober second thought, if you will, that engages everyone.”

Boniface said that although this idea has been discussed for a few years, some groups have not been consulted to the degree they are happy with. “If you want to make this efficient, you need everybody in the same room,” Boniface said.

Boniface said the ULI will have donated $50,000 in consulting time by the time their full report is released in six weeks.

UBC did not provide comment by press time. U

Real estate >>

University disputes rights to Binning House Danni Shanel Contributor

UBC and the B.C. Land Conservancy are locked in a dispute over a B.C. historic house.

Built in 1941 by Canadian artist Bertram Charles Binning and designated a national historic site in 1998, the B.C. Binning House has since been subject to an ownership dispute between the B.C. Land Conservancy and UBC. Each party claims the right to proceeds of a potential sale of the property.

The Land Conservancy was created in 1996 as a land trust to preserve “certain lands with ecological, agricultural or cultural importance.”

TLC works off of income generated by private donations and membership fees, as well as corporate donations.

TLC acquired the Binning House after the passing of Jessie Binning, who received the property from her late husband. The executors of Jessie Binning’s will turned to TLC in order to ensure the house was preserved.

As part of a financial recovery plan, TLC attempted to sell the Binning House to art collector and investor Bruno Wall for a reported $1.6 million.

Photo David Zeibin/Flickr

The B.C Binning House was designated a national historic site in 1998.

UBC contested the sale, stating that if the house was sold, the profits should be transferred to the B.C. Binning Memorial Fellowship Fund.

B.C. Binning founded the UBC department of fine arts in 1955 and served as its head until 1968.

According to UBC spokesperson Lucie McNeill, Binning approached UBC in 1978 to create the B.C. Binning Memorial Fellowship for fine arts students. She made 11 separate donations to the Binning Fellowship Fund.

But the TLC claims that the house was transferred to its care after Binning’s death, so UBC holds no claim to the proceeds of the sale.

They took the issue to court, and on Jan. 22, 2014, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Fitzpatrick issued a judgment dismissing UBC’s claim to the house, and preventing the TLC’s attempted sale.

Justice Fitzpatrick noted that the Binning House could not be sold, and dismissed UBC’s claim, as “Jessie Binning stated that it was her ‘hope’ that it ‘will be preserved for historical purposes.’”

The decision also said TLC’s sale of the property is in violation of the Charitable Purposes Preservation Act, which prohibits the sale of donated property to “support the charity in advancing any of its goals.”

The sale may only be suspended for a short time, however, as the court said the TLC may file another application to sell the house “This is a complex judgment and we will need time to review it with our legal counsel to determine our legal options going forward,” McNeill said. “As the beneficiary of charitable bequests, UBC has a responsibility to our donors to ensure their final wishes are respected.” U

UBC is considering amending its liquor policy to make it easier to serve drinks at campus events.

The university approved its current liquor policy in 1998, and last reviewed it in 2005. On Feb. 4, the Board of Governors discussed changes to the policy that aim to align it with recently announced changes to provincial liquor regulations.

The goal of these amendments will be to improve efficiency approving events where alcohol is to be served.

“The key changes are primarily in the area of streamlining,” said Hubert Lai, university counsel. UBC plays host to roughly 430 events each year, which have all previously required special occasion licenses (SOLs).

“That’s obviously a lot,” said Lai. “So, with the streamlining, what we’re trying to do is make sure that when students or faculty are trying to organize events, if they don’t really need to have a special occasion license, they don’t get forced to jump through the hoops necessary to get one.”

Under the revised policy, small, invitation-only events not open to the public will, in most cases, become easier to organize. Certain events like this will not need to apply for an SOL if they meet a set of conditions, including that there be no fee for entry, entertainment, alcohol or other services. These events will still require venue approval from the license exempt approval authority, but hosts will be free to serve alcohol to guests without additional licensing.

Additionally, licenses will not be required for catered events.

“As long as you’re using a caterer with [a] catering authorization, you don’t need to go and get your own special occasion license,” said Lai. “The caterer can just take care of the alcohol [and] all of the regulatory compliance requirements associated with the service of alcohol.”

“I don’t think it’s a particularly exciting set of policy changes, and I can imagine students who look at this might be interested,” said Lai. He said the changes should make it easier for students to host events with alcohol.

The final revision of the policy is expected to take place in June 2014. U

4 | News |

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Mental HEalth >>

Complaints and constraints: the state of counselling at UBC Sarah Bigam News Editor

You’re finally going to do this.

You walk into Brock Hall, hoping no one sees you. You duck into the frosted door in the corner marked “UBC Counselling Services,” and hope, again, that nobody recognizes you.

“There’s an enormous locking cell door right when you walk in. It’s very intense,” said Logan*, a firstyear Arts student who has been to UBC Counselling Services six times this year. “The immediate thought is this is something I need to be embarrassed about.”

UBC Counselling Services aims to provide free, confidential counselling to UBC students. They offer individual and group sessions, and can provide documentation of health concerns to Access and Diversity and help students get academic concessions if necessary.

Last year, UBC Counselling Services saw 2,777 students. They also weren’t able to see 113.

“When a student isn’t able to get in, it’s typically because of one of two reasons,” said Counselling Services director Cheryl Washburn. “Either they have come in the middle of the day and there’s a bit of a wait and they are not able to wait at that point because they have another commitment, or they might come in at the very end of the drop-in period and it’s not urgent or emergency.”

Washburn said that regardless of wait times, students in emergency situations are seen day-of.

UBC Counselling Services is underfunded, so wait times to see a counselor can be long. Once inside, students have also said their counsellors were unhelpful or seemed apathetic.

Although UBC’s strategic plan places “a specific focus on mental health,” of the 13 students interviewed for this article, only five said their experience with Counselling Services was good overall.

Long lines Wait times for a first appointment at Counselling Services can range from 15 minutes to several hours.

According to Washburn, wait times are typically short in the mornings but increase throughout the day.

“I always find it’s difficult to even make yourself walk in there,” said Kristen*, a kinesiology student.

“When I finally built up the courage to do that, I was with my boyfriend — they gave me an appointment for about an hour and a half’s time and I had to stay there, but he wasn’t allowed to wait with me unless he was going into the appointment.

“I thought that was pretty unnecessary as I was quite distressed at the time and nervous about the counselling appointment.”

Kristen was eventually seen, and said her experience with the counsellor herself was good. But some students, like Caroline*, are discouraged by the wait and don’t come back.

“I was asked to wait three hours for an appointment on a day when I had classes,” Caroline said. “I wasn’t allowed to come back later — I had to sit and wait through my classes or receive no appointment at all.

That to me seems unreasonable for a service that is such a necessity for a university campus.

“I walked away and never came back. I still have received no help to date. Part of the problem is that I felt embarrassed — I was ashamed that I needed to go to counselling and it took a lot to go in the first place.”

Lack of resources

FILE Photo Josh Curran/The Ubyssey

UBC students most frequently go to counselling because of depression, stress and anxiety.

Students like Caroline who leave while they are waiting were included in the 113 students turned away between September 2012 and August 2013. According to Washburn, all students who cannot get in the first time are added to a priority list if they choose to return another day.

Counselling Services does not track how many of this number actually choose to reschedule, and they do not follow up with students to ensure they come back.

Washburn said that regardless of lineups, emergency cases are seen day-of through “backup emergency slots” held for this purpose. She said determining if a case is an emergency is based on the student’s sense of urgency.

“If they feel it’s something that can’t wait until tomorrow then we would regard that as an urgent need.”

Both Hannah and Victoria requested a switch and had a good experience with their second counsellor, though Hannah returned six months later. “[Counselling Services] handled it very well and promptly, and within a few days I was seeing someone new. My new counsellor was very nice and respectful and paid a lot of attention to detail, which meant I never had to repeat myself,” Victoria said.

However, switching counsellors has not helped everyone. One Arts student, Eva*, said she had bad experiences with multiple counsellors. “I was not actually treated, from the start, like a whole human being, but rather I was looked at as a student with specific needs that would fulfil my being a student,” she said. “It often felt like I was trying to prove that I was depressed enough to warrant help.”

Mixed feelings

A group solution?

Seven of the students interviewed for this article did not feel the services provided by their counsellor were up to par.

Second-year international student Victoria* attended UBC counselling for four months last term.

“Initially I was given a male counselor who I didn’t like,” Victoria said. “He kept forgetting my name and the details of my situation, which was very frustrating as it was painful to keep repeating my story and I felt like we were making little progress.”

This counsellor also pressured her multiple times to report an incident she was involved in, which she did not want to do. “It scared and frustrated me and I think it was unprofessional.”

Hannah*, a third-year international student, was also disappointed with the counselling she received. “When I sought counselling, I made it clear that I was feeling depressed and suicidal, and even explained that when I felt out of control in daily situations, the only thing that would calm me down would be imagining the details and steps of my suicide.

“After half an hour of talking to [the counsellor], she decided that the solution to my problem was a group workshop focused on time management. It was so non-sequitur I did not know how to react.”

Washburn said students experiencing difficulties with their assigned counsellor are encouraged to switch, which they can do by notifying reception. “That’s really the most critical thing, because if we know, we can help them address that.”

Washburn said UBC Counselling Services has tried to open up access by running group counselling programs for students’ most frequent troubles, which are depression, anxiety and stress.

“For certain concerns, group counselling has been found to be at least as if not more effective than individual,” Washburn said.

However, some students are uncomfortable with the idea and decide not to go.

“After a couple of months of sessions they wanted to put me into a group session for anxiety, but the idea of being open and vulnerable with a group of strangers that I’d never met before scared me and, ironically, made me incredibly anxious, so I elected to stop going,” said fourth-year Arts student Julie.

“When I told [my counsellor] that I didn’t feel comfortable in a group session ... she kind of brushed me off and said that I should try it first and if it really didn’t work we’d reassess the problem,” said Hannah.

Both Hannah and Julie stopped going to counselling after the suggestion.

However, some students, like Logan, found the program to be helpful.

“At first I was a little skeptical about being in a group session — what it’s going to look like, how embarrassing is it going to be ... but it gives you a chance to see [you’re] not the only one going through this,” said Logan, who is part of a mood management group for depression.

“I just wanted the help. You feel a little bit like you’re brushed off [when a counsellor tells you to go], but then you go and realize it isn’t like that.”

UBC Counselling Services’ problems appear to be caused mainly by a lack of resources.

“We certainly do need more resources in our centre,” said Washburn. “We would like to be able to have more capacity to provide followup counselling for students.”

Kristen, for example, said that following her initial appointment, she was only able to get an appointment for approximately half an hour every two weeks. “I was having a really tough time — ended up having to go back home to the U.K. and pull out of my courses — so this wasn’t nearly enough for the situation I was in.”

Counselling Services currently employs nine full-time counsellors, hired based on a national search for registered clinical counsellors, social workers and psychologists who have experience dealing with a student population and a broad range of mental health issues.

UBC also has four masters students completing practicums at Counselling Services, and typically has four pre-doctoral and two post-doctoral interns as well.

Renovations Counselling Services is well aware of the issues they face. Washburn said she and her colleagues have been able to increase their resources by one or more full-time counsellors per year for the past two years by lobbying the university during the budgeting process.

Counselling Services is funded through the university’s general operating budget. Full-time counsellors are paid between $57,417 and $130,146 annually.

Three years ago, Counselling Services introduced a “rapid access model” where most students are seen in a quick initial appointment by a full-time counsellor or intern.

This appointment is used to assess the student’s concerns and the urgency of their situation.

From there, a student might be referred to any of the counsellors, interns or master’s-level students, depending on the assessment — students with emergency concerns such as suicidal thoughts will not be seen by master’s students. Students also may be referred to a group program or outside psychiatry.

“Sometimes in the initial appointment the student themselves makes a request and says they were thinking of working with a male or a female or some specific aspect and we do our best to honour that request,” said Washburn.

Washburn said Counselling Services is trying to maximize their efficiency by tracking demand and making more counsellors available at times when more students are coming in.

“That’s always an estimate, and that’s always based on last year’s data,” said Washburn. “[But] to the degree that we have resources available, we try to allocate them as specifically as possible to the level of demand, and we will always continue to do that.”

Counselling Services also runs a survey twice a year to gather students’ opinions. “The vast majority of feedback that we get from our survey is very positive,” said Washburn.

Silver linings Some students report mainly positive experiences with Counselling

Services. Spencer Keys credits UBC Counselling with his success as AMS president during the 2005– 2006 school year.

Keys went to weekly sessions for almost a year during his term as president to help him deal with procrastination related to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. Like many others, he didn’t get along with the first counsellor he saw, but did well with the second after requesting a switch.

“I probably couldn’t have done that job without the support I received,” said Keys. “I definitely wouldn’t have turned myself around academically or been able to embark on a reasonably successful career.”

Victoria said that despite initial difficulties, her experience was good overall.

“My counsellor provided me with some activities and worksheets to deal with my depression, but I felt they were very basic, and in the end I decided to see a medical doctor for antidepressant medication. It is a safe, positive space for talking about problems but if, like me, you are impatient and want to be ‘fixed,’ it may be a slow process,” said Victoria.

However, the stories of others are much more bittersweet.

“My opinion of UBC counselling has been extremely mixed. I feel that there are some staff ... that recognize the weight of their job and practice extremely professional empathy,” said Hannah. “But at the same time, I believe the repercussions of my first experience would have been astronomical had I not had an outer web of support. There are a lot of students that are not so lucky to have as diligent, patient and empathetic friends and family as I do.”

After finding counselling to be unhelpful, Julie went home for Christmas break to visit her family.

“I went back to exercising and lessened my course load so I could pull my GPA up from the sad state term one had left it in,” she said.

“However, I don’t feel like these positive changes in my lifestyle or mood were attributed to my counselling experience. It came from going home, seeing my family, and regrouping with their support.”

Julie and Kristen, who both went home to recuperate from their mental health concerns, are back at UBC today.

Washburn encourages all students with any concerns about their counselling experience to come forward. “We have to know about something in order to address it,” she said. “We really value hearing about students’ experience if they’re feeling like they’re not getting what they need, and that helps us support them to get the service that they need.” U *Names have been changed to protect sources’ identities.

Counselling

BY THE

NUMBERS

2,777 students seen between September 2012 and August 2013 113 students not seen on their first day during that time 64 per cent of those students were female 19.4 per cent were international 8 female counsellors currently employed 2 male counsellors currently employed

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

| TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT | 5

GO PLACES The point of this travel supplement is to get you excited about traveling and give you the resources to get out there and see as much of the world as you can in one week, with only a few days to plan. Several stories from UBC students who have travelled abroad might inspire your sense of adventure — though if you love our piece about Ghana, we’re sorry to say you’ll have trouble getting there by reading week. But if reading about a trip to Pakistan makes you want to get out of Vancouver and see the world, we’ve offered you some more realistic trip options available just by using your U-Pass, or if you’re feeling really adventurous, grabbing $20 and your passport and heading south of the border.

It’s easy to waste reading week sleeping and procrastinating. But even if you’ve set up a rigorous studying schedule, we can assure you that taking a quick trip to Portland or even to Fort Langley will be a better use of your time. Especially given that most of these trips can be accomplished in anywhere from a few hours to a day or two, you’ll have time to get out of the house and stay on top of schoolwork.

Have fun!

—Arno Rosenfeld, Features Editor, and Rhys Edwards, Culture Editor

travel stories Trips

Countries

Where you can go on the Bolt Bus P6 The U-Pass universe P7

Christmas in Pakistan P8 Chinese pollution P8 A taxi ride in Ghana P9 ‘Taken’ in Macedonia P9

WEB EXCLUSIVE: An emotional welcome to the Gambia. ubyssey.ca/features

AND: American vs. Canadian exchange students P8

6 | TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT |

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

B.C. W WA AS SH H..

BEST OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST LOWER MAINLAND

B

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR U-PASS

S

tudents have a love-hate relationship with their U-Pass. While the little blue card brings free rides on public transit, those rides often mean standing shoulder-to-shoulder on a cramped bus with top 40 beats emanating from an oblivious passenger’s headphones. But those moments typically occur on buses going to and from UBC. Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, buses and trains can offer more pleasant trips to more exciting locations.

239 bus routes, four trains and a ferry — they’re all accessible at no cost with a U-Pass. A lot can be learned about not just Vancouver, but many other locations around the Lower Mainland as well, and contrary to popular sentiment, TransLink usually does a good job of getting you there and back.

A couple of transfers might be needed to access these locations, but that just adds to the fun (and be sure to angrily tweet at @TransLink if the bus doesn’t show up).

White Rock It’s become more of a tourist destination over the past years, but White Rock still has a laidback oceanfront sense surrounding it. Its main feature is the pier that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, offering views of the United States in the distance, but the beach — which also features the famed white rock — makes for a relaxing walk. A wide range of restaurants line the waterfront strip, and after sunset there’s a bit of a nightlife on weekends.

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480 Bridgeport Station → 351 White

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Rock Ctr (~ 1 hour 30 min.)

Bowen Island Hike, kayak, bike, eat, take photos of the scenery and upload them to Instagram. Bowen Island truly offers a laid-back island lifestyle, with a variety of local shops greeting you right away in the aptly named Snug Cove. A short venture can take you up trails of varying difficulty that offer spectacular views of Howe Sound. Killarney Lake is another secluded gem. There are also shuttle buses that take you around the island if you want to explore more areas — just tell the driver where you want to get off, and wave it down when you want to get on. Seriously.

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44 Downtown → 250 Horseshoe Bay (scenic route) or 257 Horseshoe Bay (express) → Ferry (~ 2 hours 15 min., including ferry) Fort Langley When I visited Fort Langley, the actor hired to play a mid1800s butter churner was telling us about how the fort moved from a fur trading post to the capital of the newly created province of B.C. Then her cell phone went off. That anecdote doesn’t really have much significance, but the restored fur trading post does provide a rare look back into how B.C. came to be. Outside of the national historic site, the entire city out in the Fraser Valley features restored buildings that provide a relaxing escape from city life and truly makes you

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Ride the lightning on the Bolt Bus

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feel like you’ve gone back to a simpler time.

44 Downtown to W Georgia St. → Expo Line to Surrey Central Stn. → 502 Brookswood to Langley Centre → C62 Walnut Grove via Ft. Langley to 96 Ave. at Glover Rd. (~ 2 hours 20 min.)

Deep Cove Another North Shore gem, Deep Cove is a hub of outdoor recreation due to its location. The nearby ocean, forests and mountains provide opportunities to kayak, hike and bike, all the while taking in the views of Burrard Inlet. For the nonrec enthusiasts, the town prides itself on preserving its heritage and showcases theatre, art and museums to complement the local shops and restaurants in the quiet community.

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84 VCC-Clark to Cambie St. → Canada Line to Waterfront Stn. → 211 Seymour to Panorama Dr. at Naughton Ave. (~ 1 hour 30 min.)

Lynn Canyon When you visit the majestic forests of Lynn Valley, you’ll probably feel bad for talking and ruining the ambiance.

The sound of the rushing streams provide a gentle soundtrack for a walk through the trees on the park’s numerous trails, but can also be an unsettling reminder of what lies below when crossing the suspension bridge that hangs 50 metres above. The 30-Foot Pool in the midst of the forest is also one of B.C.’s premier spots to cliff jump or enjoy a moment of serenity.

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44 Downtown to Pender St. → 211 Seymour to Phibbs Exchange → 227

Lynn Valley Centre to Peters Rd. to Duval Rd. (~ 1 hour 40 min.)

Steveston Once you make your way through the hustle and bustle of downtown Richmond, you will find yourself in Steveston, a historic village on the banks of the Fraser River. Canneries and over 600 fishing boats help maintain the area’s image of an old-fashioned fishing village, while the lengthy wooden boardwalk helps you get a glimpse of it all.

Getting fish and chips here is also mandatory — Pajo’s offers some of the best.

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480 to Bridgeport Stn. → Canada Line outbound to Brighouse Stn. → 407 Gilbert to Chatham St. (~ 1 hour 15 min.) U —CJ Pentland

Greyhound is where you turn when flights seem like a month’s rent flushed down the toilet. There is a very, very small chance you will get beheaded, and the new express lines rarely stop — but there’s an easier way. If you are feeling cabin fever from too many extended stays at Irving, perhaps it’s time for you to start planning a reading week getaway. While buses seem less than ideal on vacation when your U-Pass is in hand every waking minute, they really aren’t so bad — especially if you would rather head to Portland or Seattle than Abbotsford or Kamloops.

Greyhound’s newest offering is the Bolt Bus, introduced on the West Coast in 2012. Departing from Central Station, the Bolt Bus heads to Bellingham, Seattle and Portland. It’s the first-class of Greyhound buses at an economy-class price. The Bolt Bus has even more legroom than your run-of-the-mill Greyhound, and you can find yourself seated on leather rather than ’80s-patterned upholstery. There is also Wi-Fi and power outlets in case you can’t completely escape from looming papers and midterms.

While a standard one-way fare for a Greyhound trip from Vancouver to Kelowna might cost you upwards of $78, the Bolt Bus can cost you as little as $1 to your American destination. According to the FAQ on the company’s website, there is a $1 ticket on every bus which is chosen at random. So how do you snag that elusive ticket? Plan early. The earlier you book, the cheaper your trip will be. Schedules are usually released at least four weeks ahead of time, so you are well on your way to planning a fun, budget-friendly reading break to the Evergreen or Beaver State. Otherwise, a normal ticket runs in the $20 range.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

SEATTLE EMERALD CITY

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HoneyHole D 703 E Pike St. Everyone loves a good sandwich — especially one dedicated to the Dude. The “BuiLT to Satisfy” sandwich defines this little joint, dedicated to local ingredients and great service.

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ith all of the songs Macklemore has written about this city, it must be “fucking awesome.” It’s quite the lively coastal city with tons to do. Neighborhoods to check out: Downtown District, Capitol Hill, Ballard, Fremont.

A 20-seat movie theatre and a ping-pong table make this hostel more than just a rest stop. The best part of this place is the dozens of murals that cover the walls; if you stay in room 318, for example, you will be in the company of a giant squid in an atmospheric diving suit. $28–$35/night for dorm-style rooms.

Where to stay

Where to eat

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City Hostel Seattle 2327 Second Ave.

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Piroshky Piroshky 1908 Pike Pl.

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Start the day off with a cinnamon cardamom braid in this delicious Russian bakery at Pike Place and feel oh so bourgeoisie. Then, head over to the Lenin statue in Fremont and you’ve got a day of history!

El Camión One of Seattle’s oldest food trucks, where tacos are $1.45 and fish tacos are $2.00.

This place is student budget friendly. Wash it down with a glass of horchata and hit the road.

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Bill Speidel’s Underground City Tour in E Pioneer Square 608 First Ave. The Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed the old town, and what came after is a little bit unorthodox. Learn how the city was rebuilt and tour the underground with a hilarious tour guide. $14 for students.

Bruce Lee Gravesite 15th Ave. F 1554 Visit your favourite action star at Lot 276 of Lakeview Cemetery and bring out your inner martial artist. Free (at the cost of a legend).

The Gum Wall at Pike Place Market First Ave. and Pike St. After exploring Pike Place Market and treating yourself to something nice, take a stroll past the famous Gum Wall. Just don’t get too close! Free (…unless you catch some kind of viral influenza).

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Seattle Pinball Museum Maynard Ave. H 508 Sip on your vintage-style soda while trying out seven decades of pinball machines. $10 admission.

Jet City Improv at the Seattle Festival of ImI prov Theatre 5510 University Way Prepare to laugh. Groups from all around North America — including our very own Vancouver — will be performing Feb. 19 to 23.

Pick any show you like and burn some of those taco calories. $15 for students. U —Lauren Dixon

PORTLAND CITY OF ROSES

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o sales tax. Does that entice you?

Portland is green, creative and wacky. It’s like a kale Caesar. Neighborhoods to check out: Clinton-Richmond, Concordia, Sunnyside-Hawthorne, Alberta (no, not B.C.), the Pearl District.

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G enemy. Good thing the hostel is close — you can get a doughnut a day. I mean, how can you choose between the “Triple Chocolate Penetration Doughnut” and the “Maple Blazer Blunt Doughnut”?

Little Big Burger 122 NW 10th Ave. This place boasts floats for $3.75 and cute little burgers for $4.00. You can satisfy your fast food burger craving without the mystery ingredients; Little Big Burger only serves natural beef and local cheese and veggies.

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HI-Portland-Northwest 425 NW 18th Ave. This hostel is contained within two historic buildings — the main building was established in 1889.

There are plenty of amenities, including outdoor gardens and free artisan bread (just bring some PB and J and call it free breakfast).

This place is walking distance to the Amtrak/Greyhound station and to a number of spots like Powell’s City of Books. $21–$34 a night for dorm-style rooms.

Pok Pok Restaurant 3226 SE Division St. Featured on Diners, DriveIns and Dives, this Thai food-truckturned-restaurant is authentic and delicious. It has quite the cult following, too.

Where to eat

What to do

Voodoo Doughnut 22 SW 3rd Ave. You’ve probably heard of it — maybe from a friend, maybe from the scavenger hunt in the IFC show Portlandia, maybe from an

Pittock Mansion 3229 NW Pittock Dr. Completed in 1914, this mansion is a testament to the Pittock family’s contribution to Portland and its transformation from a small

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town to a thriving city in the early 1900s. Walk through this historic site and dream about owning a mansion of your own — sorry, not in Vancouver. $9.50 admission.

Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside St. Just like Voodoo Doughnut, you have probably heard of this place. Covering a whole city block, this bookstore has its own map. It is also the largest privately run bookstore in the USA. Grab a cup of Stumptown coffee and navigate the aisles in hopes of finding a signed copy of Fight Club — or hope to run into Mr. Palahniuk himself at the grocery store. It’s always free to browse.

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Living Room Theatre 341 SW 10th Ave. See a matinee at a place you could almost call home. The best part? They serve a lunch menu of comfort food. Even better? The meals are only $6 or $8. $6 admission.

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Japanese Gardens 611 SW Kingston Ave. According to the website, this is “the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan.”

De-stress with 5.5 acres of beauty. $7.75 for students.

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Portland Art Museum 1219 SW Park Ave. Check out the “Feast and Famine” exhibit, showing how

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artists have depicted food since 1850. Both Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol are featured. Browse, contemplate, work up an appetite and head to one of Portland’s great restaurants. $12 for students.

Portland International Film Festival Various locations The 37th annual Portland International Film Festival just happens to fall during UBC’s reading week. Why not travel around the world through cinema? $11 per film. U

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

tales of travel pakistan facts Capital: Islamabad Location: Southern Asia Area: 796,095 km2 (36th biggest country in the world) Population: 182,490,721 (6th) Official languages: English, Urdu

christmas in pakistan

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n the month that I was away, I visited the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Oman. I’ll focus on Pakistan, as it seemed to be the country foreigners are most reluctant to visit.

My travels through the country began in Islamabad. The city is built on a grid structure, just like Vancouver, but that’s about the only similarity I could find. I found this country to be one of extremes: extreme richness and extreme poverty, extreme power and extreme weakness; high-end restaurants in rural towns; luxury automobiles gliding alongside motorcycles with four helmet-free passengers riding them. Somehow the two extremes coexisted perfectly. Everything that might seem out of place anywhere else worked to form a kaleidoscope of colours and sounds, which made a car ride through the city seem like watching three different movies at the same time.

After Islamabad, I flew south to Lahore, the cultural hub of the country. In the city, the trucks are decorated with hand-painted designs, people often travel on horse-driven carts, and the restaurants and cafés made me feel like I was back in Europe. While there is a sharp division between the urban and the rural in most of the countries I have visited, in Pakistan I found everything to coexist perfectly in the same space.

My last stop in the country was Karachi. I had the impression I was living in a movie — even small shops and cafés had guards with huge rifles, while rickshaws crisscrossed in between cars and pedestrians. An incredibly large and modern mall, famous for being home to the largest shopping bag in the world, towered over the scurrying streets; every hour is rush hour in Karachi. As with every good Bollywood movie, my journey ended with a wedding: bright, colourful and full of perfectly coordinated dances.

While flying back to Vancouver, I thought how this was the first Christmas season I had spent as a “non-Christmas.” December in Islamic countries is actually the height of wedding season, and on Dec. 25 I was at the mehndi of my friend’s cousin, one of the wedding day celebrations held at the brides’ house. Instead of singing carols, I was dancing to Bollywood-inspired moves; instead of wearing an ugly sweater and jeans, I had a glittery headpiece, khol-painted eyes and a long, formal Pakistani dress; instead of decorating a tree with lights and ornaments, I was surrounded by brightly coloured drapes and strings of fresh flowers. But what did bring Christmas back into December was the affection and care I received from everyone whom I crossed paths with during my journey, and the Middle Eastern tradition of offering endless gifts to guests.

Ever since I came back, all I’ve been reading is Rumi (in English for now), and all I listen to are the Bollywood songs I’d hear on the radio in Pakistan. I would have never thought I would incorporate my trip this much into my daily life. U

photo courtesy lina zdruli

Lina Zdruli is a fourth-year international relations major. She attended the International Youth Conference in Dubai last December, when she also took the opportunity to travel throughout the Middle East. Her journey inspired her to launch the Breaking Barriers initiative at UBC, a live webinar series where a variety of entrepreneurs from across the Middle East explain the role of institutions in their country while breaking down stereotypes. <em>

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shanghai shambles

american versus canadian EXCHANGE STUDENTS

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wo days before leaving on an 18-day school trip to China, a few friends and I went out to do some last minute shopping. We were scheduled to be in Beijing for a few days at the end of our journey, and we had heard awful things about the air quality. After some convincing on behalf of my friend, I begrudgingly bought a package of heavy-duty facemasks at the Home Depot.

And I’m glad I did.

Shorty after we arrived in Shanghai, a gust of wind from the north blew all of Beijing’s pollution to the south. While people in Beijing were enjoying blue skies and great air quality, we woke up one morning to realize the particulate matter in Shanghai was above index. The pollution was so bad that the air felt thick and a layer of smog covered the city, from street level to the top of some of the world’s tallest buildings.

I was glad I had bought my heavy-duty face mask, but we soon found out they weren’t the best option for what some people were calling the “airmageddon.”

We had to buy these fancy face masks that had a separate pouch for special filters.

But my face was so small that they didn’t feel very effective. Even worse, one of my friends realized he had never inserted

photo AURORA TEJEIDA/The ubyssey

shanghai facts Location: Yangtze River Delta in East China Population: 23,710,000 (largest in the world) Home to the world’s busiest container port

the filter, so he had been walking around Shanghai with nothing but a piece of cloth over his face.

Unfortunately, that day was our only day off in Shanghai. We went to the Pudong, but couldn’t see any of the buildings that make up Shanghai’s famous skyline.

We couldn’t even see two metres ahead of us on the ferry across the river. We ended up spending the rest of the day in a shopping mall, hoping they had some type of air filtration system, which they probably didn’t.

Ironically, we never had to use those face masks in Beijing at all. U Aurora Tejeida is a second-year journalism student, and The Ubyssey’s senior culture writer. Last December, she visited China as part of the UBC International Reporting program.

f I’ve learned anything from my time on exchange, it’s that Canadians are boring.

Perhaps boring doesn’t cut it. Of no interest?

Canadians and our country seem to have been overlooked on the world stage. Other than the public travesties that are Justin Bieber and Rob Ford, Canada is usually a silent and accommodating country reduced to clichés about hockey and maple syrup. I myself don’t mind the anonymity my country has; it’s the same anonymity with which I intended to blend into my peer group of raucous, mostly American students.

Upon starting a conversation with international students during my travels, my country of birth provoked — well, nothing. Glazed, vacant stares, or perhaps a self pitying smile with a “Oh. Nice. Are you from Toronto?” Stifling my instinct to inform this clearly ignorant person that Canada has at least three major cities (bonus points for citing Calgary — or is it Edmonton? — as the fourth) that all self-respecting, informed people should be aware of, I realize that I can’t place their accent. Is that German? I thought you were from Austria. They speak German there too, right?

Being a Canadian on exchange among an overwhelmingly American exchange student populace felt akin to being the youngest child, disparagingly referred to as “an accident” by their family. One feels insignificant in the face of that talented all-star older sibling whose every move is documented with unbridled enthusiasm and the always strong opinion of countless people. The unashamedly favoured interest in the cultural and political movements of our neighbour to the south was only

fueled by my responses to half-hearted attempts to include me in the discussions, which primarily consisted of, “Yeah, it’s pretty much the same in Canada.”

That being said, I felt it important to clarify to any confused parties that I wasn’t an American. “I realize we all sound the same to you,” I would say, “and no one can distinguish any particular feature of Canada apart from the fact that we border the U.S., but I promise it’s really different.” And what did this distinction mean to me, ultimately? At first, I felt it rightfully separated me from the anonymous mass of exchange students that seemed to meld into one giant eye roll-inducing response from our hosts: “Oh, they’re Americans.” I soon realized, however, that the only distinguishing feature of my Canadian identity was that I was sort-ofbut-not-really American.

I also realized that, although I was so eager to define myself by what I am not, it is more fulfilling to appreciate the ways in which people are similar. By putting aside my need to differentiate myself, I allowed myself to embrace being on a new adventure with people from all over the world who were experiencing the same thing.

That unifying fact allowed me to create lasting memories with beautiful people, which I will always be grateful for. I came to understand that what matters most to people is not how you are different, but rather, how you are the same. U Emma Warford is a fourth-year English student. In the fall of 2012, she participated in UBC’S Go Global learning exchange program, where she travelled to Granada, Spain, for a semester-long exchange. <em>

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

ghana facts Capital : Accra Location : Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Population : 24.2 million Languages : English (official), Akan <strong>

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a misunderstanding in ghana

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n addition to visiting a variety of great countries and having many adventures, I’ve also had a full-time class schedule. This unique learning experience allowed me to experience cultures not as an observer, but rather from the point of view of a member of the culture itself. In this way, I gained a deeper connection to countries, cultures, current affairs and global issues.

One thing I learned by participating in these cultures is that it is not about what you can give to others — it is about what they need from you. People from different cultures live their lives differently; don’t compare them to Western culture, or your own home country.

There is one experience that really stuck out to me on my travels, and you will soon understand why.

On our first day in Ghana, some of my friends and I decided to spend a relaxed day on the beach. However, even on this day, adventure found us.

On our way back to the ship, our taxi driver noticed we were running out of gas and told us we had to stop at a gas station. We got off the highway and turned into an abandoned and dirty looking gas station, only for taxis. As soon as we got there, about 20 men came to the car and started talking to us. We had no idea what was going on.

We locked the doors immediately; they were loud, and they were many. Since our windows were open, some of them reached inside the car and touched us, but we couldn’t really close the windows, and we were four people in the back seat so there was really nowhere to go.

Our driver opened the trunk and suddenly it felt like people were crawling into the car. Nothing made sense anymore. After some heated discussions, which we could not understand, our taxi driver opened our doors and pulled us out of the car. I thought that was our end! To our surprise, they just pushed us to the side and ignored us.

Later, we found out our taxi driver only opened the trunk in order to reach the tank, and he wanted us out of the car because it was unsafe for us to be in the car while they were filling up the tank. We also found out that all those men wanted to talk to us because we were foreigners, and they were interested in hearing about our culture and background. Man, we felt bad for the way we perceived the situation.

Meike Schieb is a fourth-year psychology student who attended the Semester at Sea program in Spring 2013. Participants in Semester at Sea travel to 12 countries around the world on a ship while taking courses for credit. <em>

photo courtesy meike schieb

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one day in macedonia

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photo courtesy chelsea sweeney

t is my second day in Skopje. The July humidity is heavy on the second floor of the family-run hostel. The black nightgown and pajama shorts I am wearing cling to my sweaty frame. There are beads of perspiration on my face and I wish for a fan as I wipe my sweating hands onto the towel at the end of the bunk. An Austrian girl is sleeping outside on the balcony, but there is only room for one out there.

The Turkish man who helped me down from my top bunk the day before has suggested an adventure today: hiking out in Matka Canyon to find a cave he knows of. He makes me guess where he is from. I guess the Balkans.

Three other young women expressed interest in joining the adventure last night as Cem played some lovely melody on a musical contraption that was not a guitar. The balcony sleeper, on holiday from her social work program, is one of them. Then there is the 18-yearold free-spirited German girl who wants to study theatre. And lastly, the wild haired Finnish woman whose language, apparently, has more in common with Turkish than other European etymology. Cem said so himself.

I am quiet on our bus ride out to Matka Canyon. We are an odd number. The bus driver gives me change from a small wooden box on his dashboard. I now have funny coloured notes and odd shaped coins rolling around in my zipped up purse. I had tossed the GPS tracker into my bag before we left. The bag feels heavy on my perspiring shoulders. It has been a pain remembering to charge the tracker at night, especially when somebody could just walk off with it while I sleep. I am afraid to touch it and accidentally press the SOS button, which would cost my dad a lot of money.

The bus ride to Matka is bumpy, and I discover that my hostel friends have each paid a different fare for the same journey.

Cem gets a kick out of saying “lovely” in a breathy English accent. He has met quite a few British tourists while working on cruise ships and this is their favourite expression. So everything is “lovely” today.

We arrive at the end of a dusty road, having travelled 30 minutes from the capital. The first thing I see is the St. Andrew’s Monastery next to a tourist restaurant built into the hillside and right across from the boat rental jetty. The Treska River is an inviting glassy green.

We begin our hike next to the canyon, joining up with two Macedonian economics students who speak English very well.

Twenty minutes into our hike, my pasty white skin is on fire. I have forgotten my sunscreen. I almost give up and follow the Macedonian students back to the restaurant where they are meeting friends. But Cem produces sunscreen for all of us and insists in a fatherly sort of way that we all put some on. He is the only one wearing a hat.

The path is dangerous with a steep drop into the river below. It would be nice to swim, but there is no way of getting down to the river from up here. We are heading towards a deep cave at the end of the trail.

After two hours of hiking in sandals and flip flops, the path abruptly stops. We speculate that the cave is above us, but it’s not, and we decide to try and swim instead. The trail has ascended near enough to the river that we find a place to jump in. But unlike everyone else, I have no bathing suit. I debate my situation. I am hot, sticky and the water is tantalizing.

But I have this fear of falling, and I did not want to appear a coward in front of my new friends. So I strip down to my underwear and sports bra. The Austrian girl tries lending me a spare pair of bottoms, but they are too big.

The German teenager dives in first, breaking to the surface gasping that it is freezing.

Cem jumps next, then the Finnish and Austrian girls. They all quickly swim to the other side of the macedonia facts river. I am the last to follow, mostly out of my fear.

Capital: Skopje In the end, I think I actually tripped on a root while Location: Central Balkan Pencontemplating my jump, because suddenly I am insula in Southeast Europe falling in head first. I break the surface, gasping as I Area: 25,713 km2 begin strong strokes to reach the other side quickly, Population: 2,022,547 wheezing asthmatically all the while.

Languages: Albanian, Turkish, It is difficult not to give up halfway to the sunny Roma, Serbian, Bosnian, side. The water is excruciatingly cold. I can barely Aromanian pull myself up onto the rocks. Cem has pain in his back and neck. We sit there warming up. Nobody wants to swim to the other side to retrieve our things or hike back for another two hours in this heat. Cem splashes us teasingly. My feet dangle in the water. It must be 40-43 degrees out of the water, but my feet are numb. We discuss our situation and agree to hail a river taxi and pay them to take us back to the tourist section where the bus stop is, but no boats are to be seen or heard.

There is some sort of camp just down the river on our side that we saw during our hike.

The people there had called out to us, but it was not approachable through the bush, only by swimming downstream. They have a boat.

Suddenly, we hear a water craft rumbling up the river. We look at each other excitedly.

Is it a taxi? We hear it stop at the camp near us. Through the brush, we can just about make out the four men who have just arrived. We hear voices.

Cem bravely calls out to them in broken Macedonian, asking for a lift. They reply that they have no room and my heart sinks. Then one of them adds in clear English, “But we’ll take the girls.” U The above text is an excerpt from a longer article, which can be read in its entirety at ubyssey. ca. Chelsea Sweeney graduated from the UBC archeaology program last year. She travelled to Macedonia in 2012 as a part of her program. <em>

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 |

eDItor NATALIE SCADDEN

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HoCkeY >>

T-Birds rally to keep playoff hopes alive

Complete effort powers 5-1 victory over CIS No. 10 Saskatchewan Huskies Jack Hauen staff Writer

The UBC men’s hockey team rallied from a loss Friday night against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to handily beat the same team the next night 5-1.

It was a complete effort Saturday night, something that’s been missing from the Thunderbirds for most of the season. The goaltending was more than stellar, the defence took away chances with busy sticks and the offence took over in the second half.

At 10-14-2, UBC still sits next to last in the Canada West standings, but with a pair of wins and a Regina loss in the final two games, they would move into a playoff spot.

UBC will have to use this win as a jumping-off point for a late-season streak, especially since their fate is no longer completely in their own hands. All they can do at this point is maximize their chances of playoff contention with victories against the University of Manitoba Bisons in the last two games of the season.

The ’Birds have a history of playing well against the Bisons, but have lost both times they’ve faced them this year. They were outscored 6-3 and 6-4 in late November to cap off a five-game losing streak. Those were, however, the last two games before UBC began its longest winning streak of the season — six games from November to January — so it’s possible the Thunderbirds will see Manitoba as the team that gave them the jolt needed to break their funk, and will come at them with something to prove for the rematch. The standout player for UBC during those two games may have been Neil Manning, who scored a pair of powerplay goals in the losing cause.

An excellent special teams night gave the ’Birds a huge boost on Saturday against the Huskies. The deadly-looking powerplay went two

Photo aLVIN tIaN/the ubyssey

anthony bardaro and the ubc men’s hockey team attacked the saskatchewan net and came away with a crucial 5-1 win on saturday.

for three, and the frantic but efficient penalty kill had a perfect night.

Head coach Milan Dragicevic was pleased with his team’s effort on slanted ice. “We’re getting confidence on the powerplay, and that’s a big deal. When that happens, good things happen.”

An explosive third period from the ’Birds helped them blow past the Huskies, although the first half of the game seemed to favour Saskatchewan.

Both teams came out of the gate flying, UBC setting the pace in what they knew was a desperation game.

Chances were aplenty on both ends, but Thunderbird backup goaltender Steven Stanford found himself the target of most scoring opportunities.

On the first penalty of the game — a slashing call against UBC’s Nick

Buonassisi — the opening draw in the Thunderbird zone produced an incredible chance for the Huskies.

Stanford stood on his head as he stonewalled the first wrist shot in tight, then sprawled legs up to take away the rebound with a Martin Brodeur-esque bicycle kick. The crowd let out a sigh of disappointment after what looked like a sure Saskatchewan goal, then a cheer as the realization of Stanford’s brilliance dawned.

“I thought Stanford was great tonight,” said Dragicevic. “He was calm, he was composed, he was a vacuum in net.”

The period ended the way it began — largely end-to-end action as the Thunderbirds took more defensive risks, leading to more oddman rushes both ways. UBC clearly

felt the pressure of the looming playoffs and needed to leave it all on the ice.

After the Huskies scored in the opening 10 seconds of the second period, UBC decided to pick up the pace. A beautiful kill on a Bardaro interference call proved to be the spark the home team needed, as Greg Fraser popped in a rebound going cross-crease.

UBC’s powerplay struck next four minutes later to give them the lead. It only took 10 seconds for the T-Birds to make Saskatchewan pay for a hooking call. New addition and former L.A. Kings draft pick Geordie Wudrick slammed in a one-timer from captain Ben Schmidt.

Wudrick has helped the powerplay as of late, and is looking extremely dangerous alongside

linemate and top Thunderbird scorer Cole Wilson. Wudrick had two goals and an assist in Saturday’s affair, the helper coming on Wilson’s 4-1 marker. Every time they’re on the ice, the two seem to click. The chemistry looks especially threatening considering Wudrick just joined the team a matter of weeks ago.

Until Wudrick arrived, the powerplay had been mediocre all season. UBC currently sits 17th in the CIS powerplay rankings with a not-bad-but-not-great 17.6 per cent.

The penalty kill sits in a slightly better 12th position with a respectable 84.5 per cent. If the Thunderbirds continue this trend, they stand a good chance to make a difference with special teams in the playoffs.

Wudrick’s second powerplay goal of the night gave UBC a bit of insurance heading into the late stages of the game. He then assisted on Wilson’s 4-1 marker, and Joe Antilla drove the dagger deeper into Saskatchewan with another goal within a minute of Wilson’s to give UBC an impressive three goals in five minutes.

Tensions boiled over with about three minutes to go when a brouhaha erupted in the Thunderbird zone after the whistle. No gloves were dropped, but the donnybrook was a veritable buffet of glove-eating frustration. Six 10-minute misconducts were doled out, ejecting the guilty lot for the remainder of the game. Clearly, both teams were emotionally invested until the end.

“You saw guys in the third period when it was 4-1 go down and block shots — it’s nice to see,” said Dragicevic contentedly.

The steely coach looked optimistic going into the season’s final stretch. “You talk about playing games that matter — next weekend matters for us. We’re confident.

If we play like we did tonight and bring the same structure to our game, we’ll be successful against anybody.” U

BaSketBall >>

T-Birds scorch UBC Okanagan Heat Natalie Scadden sports + rec editor

The UBC Thunderbirds women’s basketball team extended their win streak to a season-high eight games with a weekend sweep of the UBC Okanagan Heat.

Friday’s game was never really a contest. Led by Harleen Sidhu’s 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting, UBC was in command right from the start. Firing on all cylinders, the T-Birds were ahead by 18 points at halftime and finished with an 83-57 victory. All but one UBC player contributed to the scoring, and the 34 bench points were a season high.

“We were probably feeling a little bit more comfortable and a little bit more willing to share the ball,” said UBC head coach Deb Huband.

“I think you’ve got to do that, and the more that happens, the more your team grows in confidence and chemistry.”

The T-Birds were slower to start on Saturday night. The game was tied at 15 half way through the second quarter before UBC went on a 16-3 run to finish the first half with a 13-point advantage.

UBCO pulled to within five points in the third quarter, but

again UBC responded with 10 unanswered points, capped by a deep three from Cassandra Knievel with the shot clock expiring.

The T-Birds were up 50-38 heading into the final frame, but Claire Elliott scored a quick five points for the Heat with a fast break layup followed by a three, making it a seven-point game with just under nine minutes remaining.

But the best players seem to step up their game when it matters most, and that’s exactly what Kris Young did. The reigning Canada West MVP scored nine of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, guiding UBC to its 15th victory of the season.

Huband wasn’t exactly thrilled with either win this weekend. “I don’t think we played consistently for 40 minutes,” she said after Friday’s game. “We were really inconsistent from minute to minute, from sub to sub. I would’ve liked to maintain our focus through our roster regardless of the score and the time.”

With playoffs around the corner, Huband hopes to see fewer lapses in intensity. Her team has had things relatively easy the past two weekends against UNBC and UBCO, who have seven victories this season

bIRD DROPPINGS Women’s basketball (15-5) friday vs. ubco: 83-57 W saturday vs. ubco: 68-55 W Men’s basketball (11-9) friday vs. ubco: 69-58 W saturday vs. ubco: 85-77 W Women’s hockey (20-6-2) friday @ sask: 2-1 L saturday @ sask: 4-3 L

Photo steVeN rIcharDs/the ubyssey

kris young scored 9 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter on saturday night to guide ubc to their eighth straight victory.

combined. Next weekend, the last of the regular season, they’ll play a home and home series with UVic (14-6). Both teams have already secured a playoff berth, but are now seeking home advantage in the first round.

UBC is currently tied with Fraser Valley for the Pacific division lead, while Victoria sits one game back.

The top two teams in the division will host a quarterfinal matchup in the first round of Canada West playoffs. U

MORE ONLINE Read the uBc men’s basketball recap online at ubyssey.ca/sports.

Men’s hockey (10-14-2) friday vs. sask: 3-1 L saturday vs. sask: 5-1 W Women’s volleyball (18-4) friday @ aLb: 3-2 L saturday @ aLb: 3-1 L Men’s volleyball (15-7) friday @ aLb: 3-1 W saturday @ aLb: 3-1 L

Tuesday, February 11, 2014 |

student voice. Community reach.

11

Grading B.C.’s liquor law reforms kirsten aubrey Op-Ed

On Friday, the B.C. government published a report outlining 73 proposed changes to our province’s liquor laws. Liquor laws have a profound impact on the ability to hold live music events in our province.

The Safe Amplification Site Society, a nonprofit dedicated to music for people of all ages in Vancouver, would like to respond to the five recommendations that we feel most affect all-ages music (note: two more responses are included in the online version of this article). Below, we comment on each of these and grade them, report-card style.

B.C.: “55. The provincial government should introduce a new licence class and streamlined application process for facilities (e.g., stadiums, arenas and theatres) that charge a fee for an event (e.g., a sporting event or play).

Minors should be permitted to stay until the event ends.” <em>

</em>

Yes! We are very excited about this recommendation, and sincerely hope that all existing music venues will switch to this new class of licence, ditching their age-restricted liquor primaries forever. The only reason this is not an A+ is because the examples given do not include musical events. Assuming venues that charge a fee for a musical event will be given the same rights as those which charge a fee for a play, this could be a gamechanger. A. B.C.: “34. Minors, if accompanied by a parent or guardian, should be permitted in certain liquor-primary establishments. a. Government should establish a reasonable time (e.g., until 9 p.m.) that respects both the family’s choice to include minors in some events and the establishment’s responsibility to ensure an appropriate environment for all.” <em>

</em>

While this would be an improvement on the status quo, we do have a few criticisms of this recommendation.

First, it is not always practical for teenagers and parents to go out together. Older teens may live apart from their parents, while some parents simply have different music taste. The goal is to allow young people to safely and legally experience cultural events held in liquor-primary settings, but this change only helps those with parents or guardians who

are available to attend those same events. We believe a chaperone requirement may make sense for those 16 and under, but not for 17and 18-year-olds.

Secondly, it is not specified what “certain liquor-primary establishments” means. Are they talking about allowing teens in the Best Western lobby bar, while still banning them from important concert venues like the Biltmore and Astoria? We are disappointed by the ambiguity here.

Additionally, the “reasonable time” is also left vague. 9 p.m. is given as an example, but it’s unclear whether that is the actual proposed cut-off time for minors inside liquor-primary establishments. We believe a 9 p.m. ending is too early to allow for functional all-ages events. An 11 p.m. cutoff for minors would be more reasonable, and would allow for true all-ages events where humans of all ages can interact and enjoy the same event together.

While recommendation 35 could certainly be improved upon, this is a good start. Considering the status quo is an F-, it’s great news that this recommendation is a solid C.

and encourages exclusive corporate events instead. We believe that if there is going to be an “easy to get” licence and a “harder to get” licence, the distinction should be based on the size of the event.

While we appreciate these efforts to make all SOLs easier to get, there is no recommendation to abandon the public versus private categorization, which is completely outdated and needs to be eliminated. C+.

B.C.: “15. Applicants and licensees seeking a review of LCLB [Liquor Control and Licensing Branch] decisions should have access to a new and separate decision-making body outside the licensing branch. The Ministry of Justice should review current processes and determine how best to provide independent decision-making for those seeking appeal.” <em>

</em>

We hope the Ministry of Justice follows through with this recommendation and creates a way for people to appeal LCLB decisions. An appeals process like this could have saved Hoko’s, which we believe was unfairly targeted by LCLB enforcement officers back in 2009. A+.

B.C.: “37. Food-primary enterprises that wish to fully transition away from food service after a certain hour (e.g., 9 p.m.) — if, for example, they wanted to operate as a nightclub — will be able to apply for a licence endorsement, allowing them to operate like a liquor-primary licence during those hours only. a. Minors would not be allowed in the establishment after that time.” <em>

B.C.: “48. Remove the regulation that requires non-profit organizations to apply for an SOL [special occasion licence] for concerts and events. This will allow promoters who actually manage the event, to be responsible to meet all requirements of the liquor licence.” <em>

</em>

This proposal, along with recommendations 7b and 43–46, makes it easier to acquire a special occasion licence, which allows the sale of alcohol at a temporary all-ages event. While the SOL system is definitely broken, and we certainly appreciate any effort to improve it, we believe there is something missing here.

One of the biggest problems with the existing SOL rules is that they are based on a distinction between public and private events. It’s easy to license a “private” event where all guests are invited or sold tickets in advance, but harder to get a licence for a “public” event that anyone can walk into off the street. Size is not important, so it’s easier to license a 500-person rock concert for which everyone buys advance tickets than a tiny piano recital that anyone could walk into off the street. This penalizes accessible community events that don’t have the capacity for advance ticketing,

</em>

The aforementioned Hoko’s was fined an unaffordable amount because they were operating contrary to their purpose — that is, as a “community centre” (actual quote from LCLB enforcement officers) instead of a restaurant. On one hand, this recommendation would legalize that business model, as restaurants would be able to legally shift to being concert venues after dinner time ends. On the other hand, the recommendation states that minors would not be allowed in the establishment after that time. This is disappointing. We love restaurant venues because they can legally allow minors! This proposal seems to remove that possibility. F. Kirsten Aubrey is the publicist for Safe Amplification Site Society, an organization in Vancouver dedicated to making music available to people of all ages in Vancouver.

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</em>

FILE PHOTO CHELSEA SILVA/THE UBYSSEY

ILLUSTRATION jethro au/the ubyssey

LAST WORDS Counselling reality clashes with rhetoric Across society, mental health has started to be taken more seriously in recent years. At UBC, the last several years have seen topics related to student’s emotional well-being raised to the fore, with events like Thrive Week and AMS politicians emphasizing the importance of student stress levels and the like.

It is disappointing, then, to learn of the problems at UBC Counselling Servies. Awareness campaigns and societal recognition is only as good as the services to back it up. The fact that Counselling is underfunded and, according to some students interviewed by The Ubyssey, just not very good, is discouraging to say the least.

The question of provincial funding for student mental health services is complex. That said, if UBC has established a baseline of need for their counselling service, it would be heartening to see that fully funded.

Perhaps even more problematic than the lack of funding is the revelation — bouncing around for quite some time now on the anonymous Facebook page UBC Confessions — that many counsellors working for UBC are not very good at their jobs. A bad counsellor can do more damage than no counsellor at all, and it seems like UBC is not holding their mental health services employees accountable.

That should change immediately.

To travel or not?

If you’re currently an undergraduate student at our fine school, chances are you’ve probably met someone during the course of your studies who has either gone abroad or participated in an exchange program. If you haven’t already, you can read about a few of them in our travel supplement.

When asked about their travels, these poor students are often forced to summarize them with clichés: “It was life-changing.” “It really changed my perspective on things.”

“I learned so much about other cultures.” And so on. Such statements rarely do justice to the significance this journey may have had for the individuals in question (that is, if it did have any significance).

Yet the frequency with which these sorts of platitudes about travelling are mentioned, combined with UBC’s particular emphasis on international learning initiatives, has two effects: it ostracizes students who elect not to travel during their degree, and it undermines the actual value of travelling itself by reducing it to a series of quaint postcard anecdotes.

Contrary to popular university discourse, you don’t need to go

PArting shots and snap judgements from The ubyssey editorial board

abroad to “find yourself,” nor do you need to build a hut in Burkina Faso in order to make a meaningful contribution to the betterment of humanity. But as a society, and particularly at university, we insist — tacitly or otherwise — that travellers derive valuable conclusions about life from their trip, and that these conclusions be bracketed in the terms enumerated above.

The dogmatic insistence on travelling abroad is reinforced by a notion particularly prominent at UBC: that Vancouver is a “no-fun city,” and that to have a good time, one needs to experience an entirely different culture. Frankly, these are fictions we use to justify laziness.

There is plenty to do in Vancouver, provided you step off the beaten path once in a while; and it’s easy enough to explore the incredible beauty of the Lower Mainland, as our supplement illustrates.

So, if you are going to travel, do it on your own terms, not someone else’s. Don’t travel because you feel obligated to, or because you feel it’s the solution to life’s problems. In fact, you don't even need to justify travelling at all; travel simply because you would like to.

UBC should care more about Acadia Park In late August, then-VP academic Kiran Mahal presented the university with a 179-page report on the needs of students living in Acadia Park. Changes to the university’s land use plan designated part of the student housing area to be converted into marking housing in 15 to 20 years, and although the university claimed robust consultation with the community took place, residents of Acadia Park said that wasn’t so.

The report essentially said UBC should focus on developing Acadia Park Student Family Housing as the tight-knit community it is and make sure it remains affordable.

After five months of no public response, the university prepared an 11-page response which took some of the recommendations into account — UBC will soon provide an overview of its $16-million maintenance plan to address concerns of buildings deteriorating, which is good — but a lot of the university’s response to the recommendations is “we appreciate you for saying that.”

At a Board of Governors meeting last Tuesday, student Board member Matt Parson asked about the balance between market-price housing and affordable student residences.

UBC President Stephen Toope said it would be premature to give any answer until Acadia Park’s “neighbourhood plan” is developed, which won’t be for a few more years.

That’s not good enough, and the university must offer a more comprehensive response to student concerns soon. U

12 | GAMES |

TUESDAY, fEbRUARY 11, 2014

46- “olympia” painter 48- old french expression meaning “goodbye” 49- small drum 50- surmise 52- sleep stage 55- composer khachaturian 56- ___’acte (intermission) 57- seventh sign of the zodiac 59- ricky’s portrayer 60- title bestowed upon the wife of a raja 61- Varnish resin 62- Just ___!

63- to ___ (perfectly) 64- family car

down

PuZZLe courtesy bestcrossworDs.coM. useD wIth PerMIssIoN.

Across 1- Influential person 6- Verne captain 10- bushy hairdo 14- skylit lobbies 15- russian range 16- Put down 17- waterfall 18- orange cover 19- wishing won’t make ___ 20- hill insect 21- city on the ruhr

23- More recent 24- Playing marble 26- echolocation 27- summon for active duty 29- repasts 31- Potpourri 32- Inventor Nikola 33- scooby-___ 36- In spite of 40- Pigpen 41- Very much 42- ____-friendly; not too technical 43- garden figure 44- sleeveless cloak

1- rocket launcher 2- ___ all-time high 3- cruelty 4- Lubricate 5- flat-bottomed rowboat 6- suckle 7- ashtabula’s lake 8- Jazz flutist herbie 9- advanced in years 10- foreigners 11- Islamic decree 12- Vertical face of a stair 13- air freshener target 22- Indy 500 sponsor 23- atari founder bushnell 25- Incandescence 26- room in a casa 27- hustles 28- Immensely 29- Intervening, in law 30- cornerstone abbr.

32- Not us 33- turbulent 34- Like Nash’s lama 35- fiend 37- type of sanctum 38- horn warning

PuZZLe courtesy kraZyDaD. useD wIth PerMIssIoN.

39- sand hill 43- resembling a certain lawn ornament?

44- rx writers 45- bridal paths 46- female horses 47- Demote 48- eagle’s home 49- I did it!

50- Midge 51- Magazine founder eric 53- humourist bombeck 54- common street name 56- Memorable time 58- Land in la mer

FEB. 3 ANSWERS

Have strong opinions about our games page? Email printeditor@ubyssey.ca