December 4, 2014

DECEMBER 4, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXVIII WE RANK SINCE 1918

$15 MINIMUM WAGE

BEST STUDY SPOTS ON CAMPUS

HOLIDAY ADVICE

UBC prof weighs in on the pros and cons of raising the current minimum wage.

Studying for exams is painful; finding the best study spot can relieve some of that pain.

Natalie advises on buying Christmas presents and what to do during winter break.

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P5

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THUNDERBIRD REPORT CARD Who excelled? Who flopped? We rank UBC’s varsity teams through the first term.

TUITION RAISED 10% With higher international tuition, based on this year’s enrolment, the map below shows how much more UBC will be taking in from each country’s international students.

+$0.65m +$1.77m

+$1.44m

+$0.20m +$0.51m

UBYSSEY

SNOW IN COLLABORATION WITH

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS, PEOPLE + CAMPUS

EVENTS FRIDAY

OUR CAMPUS

THIS WEEK, CHECK OUT ...

2

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UBC

5

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.. @ SUB CONCOURSE

UBC is hosting a candlelight vigil in honour of the victims of the École Polytechnique massacre and to commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Free

SATURDAY

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PHOTO COURTESY PETER WOJNAR

Craigen has taken the reins of one of UBC’s biggest and most well-known clubs.

Ski and Board Club Pres. Peter Craigen has big boots to fill

TRIUMF EARTHQUAKE LECTURE 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M. @ TRIUMF AUDITORIUM

Learn about one of the most destructive earthly forces — and one of the biggest environmental threats to Vancouver — at this lecture on earthquakes.

Free

ALL MONTH

DECEMBER 4, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXVIII WE RANK SINCE 1918

UBC ICE SKATING

$15 MINIMUM WAGE

BEST STUDY SPOTS ON CAMPUS

HOLIDAY ADVICE

UBC Sauder prof weighs in on the pro and cons of raising the current minimum wage.

Studying for exams is painful; finding the best study spot can relieve some of that pain.

Natalie advises on buying Christmas presents and what to do during winter break.

P3 P6 P13 TIMES VARY @ THUNDERBIRD SPORTS CENTRE

Though not quite as exotic and romantic as Robson Square, UBC offers free public skating to students. It’s a great place to relax after exams or for a date.

Free with UBC Card; skate rentals $3.50.

THUNDERBIRD REPORT CARD Who excelled? Who flopped? We rank UBC’s varsity teams through the first term.

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TUITION RAISED 10% With higher international tuition, based on this year’s enrollment, the map below shows how much more UBC will be taking in from each country’s international students.

$0.65m +$1.77m

ON THE COVER

$1.44m

$0.20m $0.51m

UBYSSEY

I’m definitely more excited about the snow portion of the cover.

-Nick Adams

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Some of the older execs made a big announcement ... that they were gonna have every single person that wanted to ski with them meet up at the bottom of the Jersey Cream chairlift at noon. They showed us around the whole mountain and skied as fast as they could. ” Second-year political science major and president of the UBC Ski and Board Club

BUSINESS

Coordinating Editor Will McDonald

Peter Craigen, the new president of the iconic UBC Ski and Board Club, is hoping to continue his club’s storied traditions — and he has big shoes to fill.

Peter Wojnar, the previous president of Ski and Board, was a magnetic figure, truly representing what he thought to be the three pillars of the club: “Skis, boards and sex appeal.” His legacy is Ski and Board’s reputation for partying hard and hitting the slopes as much as possible.

Although Craigen is still creating his legacy, time is on his side. With over two years remaining before graduation, Craigen is looking forward to creating more memorable experiences with the Ski and Board Club.

Peter Craigen

DECEMBER 4, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXVIII

STAFF

Leo Soh Staff writer

Business Office: SUB 23 ADVERTISING 604.822.1654 INQUIRIES 604.822.6681 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

“I am in second year and studying political science, so at the end of this year I’ll be declaring and hopefully accepted into the major of poli sci. I came into university knowing that was what I wanted to do, and I like it a lot.”

What inspired Craigen to run for presidency this year was his experience with the club as firstyear representative.

I like [being president] a lot. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s a pretty cool position; you get to see the behind the scenes things, and it’s fun.”

Peter Craigen

“At the beginning of last year when I was looking to get involved, some of the older execs made a big announcement on Condo Cram Weekend [the first trip to Whistler] that they were gonna have every single person that wanted to ski with them meet up at the bottom of the Jersey Cream chairlift at noon. They showed us around the whole mountain and skied as fast as they could. It was a cool and fun experience.”

His first year with the club also involved hard work in preparation for events, and other memorable club experiences off the hills, such as the UBC Undie Run held in April, a charity event and just what the name suggests.

“That was one of the coolest experiences of the year. It was a big stress reliever.”

Craigen is enjoying his role as head of the club.

“I like it a lot. It’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s a pretty cool position; you get to see the behind the scenes things, and it’s fun.”

Unsurprisingly, his responsibilities as president are very different from those as first-year representative.

“Last year, I got to experience the physical labour side of Ski and Board: moving pylons here and there, setting up events. But this year I’ve really had more to do

with the AMS: having good relations, making sure that everything is in check by having the right documents: the kind of stuff that as a first year rep I had no idea happened.”

The Ski and Board Club is always looking for new members.

“We do a ton of trips: we’re running three trips this year,” Craigen said.

With Whistler Blackcomb, Whitewater Ski Resort (Nelson, B.C.) and Revelstoke Mountain Resort (Cariboo, B.C.) as the planned destinations, these trips will all surely be, according to Craigen, “quite a weekend.” Some of the club’s other events include the Locals Pro Sale, the Annual Ski and Board Rail Jam, the aforementioned Undie Run and seemingly a party for every occasion.

Getting involved with the Ski and Board Club is easy.

“If you missed out on clubs days or any other sign up day a great way to start is by joining our Facebook group: UBC Ski and Board Club. From there you can find all our upcoming events and you are bound to meet plenty of new friends on our trips or parties. We are a friendly bunch and we accept absolutely anyone to our club!” U

PHOTO COURTESY PETER CRAIGEN

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The Ubyssey is going on holiday after Monday but we’ll still be updating online at ubyssey.ca throughout the break.

Our first print issue of the new year is on Jan. 5.

See you then!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 |

EDITORS JOVANA VRANIC + VERONIKA BONDARENKO

MONEY >>

3

STARTUPS >>

Prof weighs in on positives and negatives of a $15 minimum wage New grocery Kelley Lin delivery service Senior Staff Writer The B.C. Federation of Labour is reaches out to petitioning to increase the minimum wage in B.C. to $15 an hour. students in rez This is the first proposed increase since 2011, when the minimum wage was raised from $8 an hour. The current minimum wage of $10.25 is eighth highest in Canada, with Ontario leading with $11.00 and New Brunswick trailing at $10.00.

David Green, a professor at UBC’s Vancouver School of Economics, believes this is an issue that’s been on the rise in recent years. “[B.C.] ranks pretty poorly in terms of poverty overall,” said Green. “There was the whole Occupy movement, and coming out of that, a bunch of people were looking to figure ways to try to implement the responses to concerns that people have, so minimum wage is something that comes up often.”

However, controversy still remains on whether an almost 50 per cent change would help B.C. workers or alter the B.C. economy for the worse.

According to the B.C. Federation of Labour’s (B.C. Fed) website, their organization believes that the increase to $15 will pull the 120,000 workers receiving minimum wage out of poverty.

“As the cost of living continues to go up, workers earning minimum wage cannot make ends meet,” said a statement on the website. “It’s not just mom and pop shops.”

Despite the B.C. Fed’s belief that the proposed increase will help workers and businesses of all varieties, Green predicts that the

FILE PHOTO CHARLES TO/THE UBYSSEY

Birtto is a grocery delivery service catered to UBC students who live in rez.

Jovana Vranic News Editor

A higher minimum wage might not be as good as it initally seems.

proposed increase would mostly affect teenagers and newcomers to the labour market.

“Minimum wage is sort of interesting in the way it affects things,” he said. “Once you start looking at older workers, you don’t find much of an effect at all.”

According to Green, the wage increase might benefit those on the low end of the labour market, including workers with low skills or experience, but such a quick change

would take a toll on firms as well as the employment rate overall.

“Workers [may] take a somewhat longer time to find a job, possibly because firms get pickier, but once they find a job, they tend to keep it longer,” said Green. “[We] should move in the direction that gives firms plenty of warning so that they can make their investment adjustments.”

Between the two sides of the debate, it seems that the recurrent

FILE PHOTO JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY

consensus is that increasing the minimum wage this much in such a short period of time will not be without its costs.

“I would be in favour of moving in that direction, but in order to be fair to the businesses and consumers that will be affected and to make sure that we do it the right way, I think it should be done in stages,” said Green.

“I don’t think that we should, overnight, change to $15.” U

EXAMS >>

Staying focused: how and why to avoid study drugs this finals season Karolina Kapusta Contributor

The end of a school semester calls for extra focus and excellent time management, but one should think twice before reaching for a study drug to help, says UBC associate psychology professor Amori Yee Mikami.

Mikami is adept with stimulant pharmaceuticals as she focuses her research on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These drugs, such as Adderall or Ritalin, work as stimulants on the part of the brain that helps control behaviour.

“It sounds counter-intuitive, someone who is hyper-active taking a stimulant,” Mikami said, but the drug stimulates the part of the brain that acts like “brakes on a car.” Therefore, it helps someone pause before acting and think out consequences more clearly.

According to Mikami, these stimulants function the same way on individuals without ADHD. That’s why they are helpful, in the short term, for students who want to concentrate more and study for longer periods of time.

There are side effects regardless of whether you have ADHD or not, Mikami said, they just vary depending on who is taking the drugs.

Relatively minor effects include trouble falling asleep or a disrupted sleep routine and problems with eating habits or digestion. The more severe potential side effects include addiction and heart problems and while “not common, they certainly exist,” she said.

FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY

According to associate professor Amori Yee Mikami, the benefits of study drugs do not outweigh their potential side effects.

“There is not enough information about these medications to fully know their effects just yet, but as with all drugs, there are risks and benefits,” said Mikami.

“No medication is perfectly safe,” she said. For someone with ADHD, the pros outweigh the cons and make the medication worthwhile, but for a student who needs a temporary boost it might not be.

“There’s a concern when individuals who don’t have ADHD take the medication for it because there

might be a potential downside that outweighs the potential benefits,” Mikami said.

There are many risk-free options to help ease the pain of long study sessions and stay focused.

According to Shane Galway, a fourth-year geography student in Environment and Sustainability Studies, his fellow students look for a quiet space and a cup, or two, of coffee.

Still, too much caffeine can have the opposite effects than desired.

Dominique Salh, a third-year psychology student, said that she takes 10 – 15 minute breaks every 60 minutes of studying and that due to a busy schedule, “short small bursts of studying” work best for her.

For long study sessions, it is important to find ways to boost attention and create as pleasant of an experience as possible. With whatever method chosen, it is imperative to weigh the risks and benefits and find out if it will be beneficial and safe in the long run. U

Two UBC students are co-founders of a delivery service that brings groceries to your dorm room.

Birtto, which is a grocery delivery service started by thirdyear computer science student Irene Chen, fourth-year commerce student Bowen Li and University of Saskatchewan graduate Bo Sun, has been created specifically with student interests in mind.

According to Chen, Birtto first started as a thought that such a service would really help students, particularly during busy times of the year and exam periods, who are too busy studying to make the trek to a grocery store. As a result, Chen, Li and Sun created Birtto in November.

“It’s really annoying to bus to Save On Foods, especially during exam season, so I thought how nice it would be if someone would just deliver it to me,” said Chen.

While there are numerous grocery delivery services in Vancouver, Birtto is unique in that it caters specifically to students who live in the UBC residences.

Currently, the three co-founders bring groceries to Totem, Thunderbird, Gage and Marine Drive residences but plan to start delivering to Vanier in the near future.

“We’re definitely looking into expanding to more residences, probably Vanier next,” said Chen.

“We’re also going to expand our product line more, we’re constantly adding products.”

Birtto currently sources their products from Superstore and For Real Food Mart in Richmond. Aside from sourcing groceries such as produce, bread and meat, their website includes sushi boats, soft drinks and personal hygiene items like soap and toothbrushes.

According to Chen, they currently have about 250 students signed up for their services and receive anywhere from 30 to 35 orders a day.

In the upcoming months, Chen and her colleagues are planning to include alcoholic drinks in their list of products and eventually expand the circle of deliveries to Metro Vancouver. U

U

Write Shoot Edit Code Drink

COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS

4 | NEWS |

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

International Tuition The Board of Governors passed a 10 per cent increase in international tuition for 2015

Words by Veronika Bondarenko Graphics by Jovana Vranic

Why increase tuition?

Invest to provide an excellent university experience and a valuable credential to our students

Address pressures and priorities in faculties, central programs and services

Support for international students *Quoted from UBC Consultation

58+33+81

Proposed Allocations

58% Faculties 33% Central Operating Budget 7.5% Student Financial Support 1.7% Bad Debt / Credit Charges

The university has approved increases to international tuition.

At a Dec. 2 Board of Governors meeting, the Board passed the motion for a 10 per cent increase to undergraduate tuition for all incoming international students and a three per cent increase for the next four years.

Prior to the vote, Board Chair John Montalbano said the Board understands the financial pressures that students face, but still has a primary responsibility to the university and maintaining a top-notch level of education.

“We must vote in a manner that is in the best interests of the university,” said Montalbano.

UBC Provost and VP Academic David Farrar said that, while the university has made efforts to consult students and keep education affordable, the tuition increases are necessary due to funding cuts from the provincial government.

“This is not balancing our books in any way,” said Farrar. “In fact, our first step in balancing the budget is a hiring freeze in the central administration and taking $7 million out of that budget.”

Farrar also gave a presentation that summarized where the money gained through the increases will be spent, specifying that 58 per cent will be going individual faculties, 33 per cent to the central budget, 7.5 per cent to student financial support and 1.7 per cent to outstanding fees and credit charges.

AMS President Tanner Bokor, AMS VP Academic and University Affairs Anne Kessler and May Anne Then, president of the International Students’ Association, gave a presentation that summarized students’ opposition and expressed dissatisfaction

with the university’s justifications for the increases.

“The AMS recognizes that the university is in a difficult financial situation with cuts from the provincial government, but we are still opposed to the proposal,” said Kessler.

“This is not only because we believe in accessible education, but also because we feel that these increases were not well justified.”

Believe me that if I could figure out other ways to raise our profile, I’d be the first one to do it because these are real issues about the growth of the country and where we want to position Canada long-term ... the reality still remains that my job and the job of the administration is to figure out how to run the university and how to maintain the university.”

Arvind Gupta UBC President and Vice-Chancellor

Board student representative Chris Roach asked that, if the increases were to go through, the university increase open-ended consultation with various student groups to ensure that the money is being spent in a way that truly benefits students.

“I really would like to see this be a joint process, but I think

that one of the major issues from the past little while is that the student population is becoming less trusting of the administration and I would really like to see that change,” said Roach.

VP Students Louise Cowin said that they will make an effort to ensure that such consultation takes place, but that it may not be possible to give students the level of detail that they are looking for since the money is being distributed across many different areas.

“I’m happy to return to the table to continue those conversations, but if you’re looking for precision or an expectation of precision, I’m not sure that we’re going to be able to give it.”

UBC President Arvind Gupta finished the discussion by saying that while the decision to increase international tuition was a difficult one, it is also a necessary to maintain the educational and research standards that the university is known for.

“Believe me that if I could figure out other ways to raise our profile, I’d be the first one to do it because these are real issues about the growth of the country and where we want to position Canada long-term,” said Gupta.

“The reality still remains that my job and the job of the administration is to figure out how to run the university and how to maintain the university.”

A group of IAmAStudent protesters stood up with signs throughout the discussion and read out an opposition statement about the increased inaccessibility of a UBC education despite the Board’s request that Bokor be the one to speak on behalf of students.

After the students finished, the Board voted almost unanimously in favour of the increases. U

41+27+131061

Financial Support Breakdown

41% Entrance: merit & need 27% Entrance: merit 13% Entrance: multi-year merit 10% Continuing: merit 6% Continuing: work learn 1% Go Global 1% Emergency Bursary 1% Other (athletics, music, etc.)

Central Increase Allocation 2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

5.5

3 $ million Strategic Initiatives & Capital Infrastructure International Students Support

0

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 |

EDITOR JENICA MONTGOMERY

5

FILM >>

FINALS >>

BEST STUDY SPOTS Words by Miguel Santa Maria

Photos by Cherihan Hassun

When it comes to cramming for that sluggish late-night exam or the deadly early morning counterpart, usually location means everything. After all, if you’re going to spend the next six hours burning complex formulas or Roman Army formations into your brain, you at least — to quote the film The Hurt Locker — “want to die comfortably.” So with that said, here are some of the more ideal spots on-campus to prepare yourself for the coming carpal-tunnel onslaught.

After Film School plays on the plights of recent graduates Tammy Hsieh Contributor

Produced by recently graduated Vancouver-based film school students, After Film School focuses the plight of young filmmakers and the hilarious musical comedy ‘High School Shooting: The Musical.’ The film will have its world premiere on December 5 at the Whistler International Film Festival.

Joel Ashton McCarthy is best known for his award winning documentary, Taking My Parents To Burning Man . After Film School is his first feature narrative. Shot in a mockumentary style, After Film School is about broke and jobless Adam Baxter one year after he graduated from film school. When his friend Max passes away he decided to turn Max’s script into a comedy musical titled ‘High School Shooting: The Musical,’ hoping to knock on the door of fame and fortune.

After Film School is inspired

by McCarthy’s and other’s recent experiences as a graduate of film school.

“You get to that point when you’re graduating, and you see people fighting each other for a $15,000 job, which all of a sudden became one of the good jobs,” said McCarthy. This is the common fear shared by most post-grad millennials. After Film School wants to shed light on the point in post-graduates’ lives when they’re in-between, they start to doubt their dreams and the next step of their life.

The film parallels the personal experience of the crew as well. “The film itself was about making a film next to no money, pulling the resources of your friends and family to make a film and it very much became what we had,” said McCarthy. Unlike traditional film making, the movie is completely operated by volunteers across Vancouver.

“One of the amazing things about calling your friends and asking for favor is to find out that there are so many people in Vancouver who actually want to be in the filming industry, either in school or part of different types of communities. And they just want to help out [because] ... <em>

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KOERNER LIBRARY

ALLARD HALL LAW LIBRARY

STUDENT UNION BUILDING

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The upper floors of Koerner Library are the perfect traditional library study space. Although there are no comfy sofas, it is the most ideal vanilla study space for those with simple tastes.

Just you, your desk, virtually perfect silence and to top it off, the great outside view that you can just glance and contemplate at during your short burst study breaks. Something your buddies in the lower silent floors have to be envious about.

If you find aesthetics to be an essential part of your study experience, then you might just find yourself at the Allard Hall Law Library. Not only is it a space with a really nice modern minimalist architecture, but one that gets a good regular amount of bright natural light coming through the windows for your Vitamin D needs. According to pharmacy student Reanne Li, it comes with a bonus perk: “Good looking grad students.”

If you are one of those types that can’t stand total silence and needs some sound in your life constantly, the SUB can be your surprise back-up plan. “I like studying in the SUB by myself,” said film student Arjun Hair.

“The constant activity in the SUB turns into white noise for me.” The third floor couches are likely your go-to site, with a sufficient amount of subtle background noise as well as some comfy couches more available than the ones at IKB.

they want to get their foot in the door. It’s kind of a project where everyone sort of launches their career,” said Lana Otoya, one of the producers of After Film School .

“The one benefit of being an independent film maker in Canada is that there is a lot of support and there is a lot less competition,” said Sophia Dagher, another producer of After Film School and graduate of UBC’s film department.

McCarthy wanted to stress that there are many things we’re allowed and, specifically, not allowed to make fun of in our culture. This is why he chose the outrageous theme of a high school shooting, and chose to turn it into a hilarious musical.

“I feel like if we are so particular about what we can make fun of, and this false category is in a way limiting our free speech,” said McCarthy. For the future of comedy, he hopes people will discuss why some topics are laughable whereas some remain as social taboos.

“The title of ‘High School Shooting: The Musical’ is so absurd, you hear it and you either laugh or your face falls, right?

You can’t really do anything between here and that. It just elicits such strong reaction from people from the back. And for indie film, it’s so hard to make people [interested],” said McCarthy. For independent filmmakers, that’s exactly what they want — to elicit strong reactions from people. Without big name stars to attract an audience, they need to act boldly to grab attention. McCarthy recalled how he was intrigued to watch Wolf of Wall Street based on the fact that people hated it so much.

Overall, McCarthy hopes to convey some positive messages.

“I want to make people think that the time to act on your passion is now,” he said. After Film School encourages people to follow their dreams, even when it’s eye-catching. <em>

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On the same night of the premiere at Whistler Film Festival, After Film School will be available online at 8:30 p.m. as part of the First Weekend Club’s Video on Demand service, Canada Screens. U </em>

Culture Vulture:

THE CHAPMAN LEARNING COMMONS

THE EDUCATION LIBRARY

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

For those who still prefer some noise but have an utter disdain for human chatter, The Chapman Learning Common has got you covered with its subtle ambience of printing and keyboard strokes to get your productivity going. Also, you get to pretend that you’re in Hogwarts if it ever decided to invest in actual modern day technology. However, as always is the case in the IKB, get ready to spend 15 minutes trying to find a seat first.

For those finding themselves at Science side of the campus and too lazy to trudge all the way to IKB or Koerner, fret not because what can be one of the most pleasant libraries is (sort of) nearby. Located right next to the Martha Piper Plaza, the Education Library can not only be considered to be one of the coziest libraries in that part of campus, but it also has a solid collection of storybooks to read on your study break.

However, if studying inside is not your kind of thing, then UBC also has loads of benches, trees, and recently, tree swings for you to use at your disposal.

Of course, it’s highly inadvisable to do that right now given the current weather, but come spring and summer, nothing beats jotting your notes down on a bench located at the northern tip of the peninsula. U

Last week the Museum of Anthropology opened their newest exhibit Piga Picha! 100 Years of Studio Photography in Nairobi.

The exhibit showcases photos from Nairobi photographers and celebrates popular photo culture in Nairobi. The exhibit was curated by professional photographer Katharina Greven.

The exhibit opened on Nov. 25 and will remain open until April 5, 2015. Learn more at moa.ubc.ca/ portfolio_page/pigapicha/

Did you know that UBC Library recently acquired the legendary Videomatica collection? From Miyazaki films to classic horror films, the Videomatica collection most likely has it.

The Videomatica collection was acquired by the University in January and provides students with the best way to procrastinate: Movies.

Learn more at collections. library.ubc.ca/featured-collections/videomatica/ U

6 | CULTURE |

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

HEALTH >>

THEATRE >>

Use alternative medicine to stay healthy this exam season

East Van Panto brings community feelings to Cinderella ents — featuring jokes appropriate for everyone. “Everyone has en equally great time, which is what’s so amazing about this tradition. There are adult jokes kind of snuck in that’ll go over the kids’ heads, so the adults can kind of chuckle under their breaths,” said Petten on the nature of jokes within the pantomime. “At the same time, kids might laugh at the funny sounding words, or just enjoy that everyone else is laughing.”

Keeping with pantomime tradition, Cinderella is full of larger than life characters, creating comedy for everyone. The word ‘joy’ is thrown about a lot in conversation with Petten. Commenting on the community feel and family experience surrounding the pantomime, it is easy to see why everyone is anxious to make this an annual tradition.

“There was something so special about seeing all these families come in droves to watch this show,” said Petten. She tells the story of one young viewer, who, overwhelmed with the panto experience, shouted from the audience “I wanna live here!” The world of the pantomime makes the show feel like a community event, where the city is portrayed using recognizable characters, locations, and city-specific jokes for the Vancouver audience.

The Vancouver-based storyline becomes a celebration of home for residents of East Vancouver and beyond — and with a larger cast, more song and dance numbers and more outrageous costumes than ever before, the pantomime is only getting bigger, better and more successful.

As Petten puts it, “everyone should come and experience the theatre show in that amazingly young way — that is a magical mix and a recipe of laughter for everyone.” U <em>

PHOTO COURTESY TIM MATHESON

East Van Panto returns for another year of pantomime.

Olivia Law Senior Staff Writer Yoga and prayer fall under alternative medicine.

Boluwaji Ogunyemi Contributor

The number of complementary and alternative medicines is growing so fast that it is hard to keep up. When asked why UBC students consider complementary and alterative treatments, Patricia Mirwaldt, director of UBC Student Health Services explained that “students recognize that there is more than one way to treat a medical problem.”

This sentiment is shared by many British Columbians. In a report released in 2006 by the Fraser Institute, 83 per cent of British Columbians used complementary and alternative approaches for medical treatment in their lifetimes.

The most common were, in order, massage therapy, yoga, relaxation techniques and prayer and acupuncture.

“Some alternative treatments such as yoga and massage therapy are considered mainstream but their usefulness depends what one is using it for,” said Mirwaldt. She goes on to describe that “while massage therapy is useful for aches, pains and some types of headaches, it would not be a valid treatment for diabetes.”

With similar terms and designations, it almost requires a degree just to differentiate between the different types of alternative approaches available.

Conventional or mainstream medicine is termed allopathic medicine. Homeopathy is based on the belief that “like cures like.”

Practitioners believe that a disease can be treated with diluted amounts of the agent that causes the illness in healthy people. For example, applying watered-down poison ivy to the skin of a person with eczema would provide relief. Randomized trials have consistently failed to provide benefit for homeopathic medicine over placebo.

Naturopathic medicine is a system of medicine based on the belief that the human body has a natural ability to heal itself. Many naturopathic practitioners incorporate a number of alternative treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic care into their practice. Since 2009, Naturopathic Doctors (ND) have been allowed to prescribe a limited number of prescription medications in British Columbia.

Osteopathic medicine is a system that emphasizes the role of the musculoskeletal system in health.

According to the British Columbia Osteopathic Association’s official website, “when indicated, they [Osteopathic Doctors, OD] focus special attention on the musculoskeletal system, which reflects and influences the condition of all other body systems.

PHOTO CHERIHAN HASSUN/ THE UBYSSEY

A consideration for price-sensitive students, herbal medications are not covered under the UBC Student Health Benefits Plan while up to 80 per cent of the costs of many prescription medications are covered.

With the same example of massage therapy, as only the first $20 of each session — which can easily run up to about $80 — are covered under the medical plan for UBC students. Beside more conventional health practitioners such as physiotherapists, dietitians and speech therapists, the UBC Student Health Benefits Plan has provisions for certain alternative health practitioners as well: the first $20 of the cost of a visit to chiropractors, naturopathic and osteopathic medicine practitioners is covered by the plan.

Vitamin supplements are quite common and generally safe.

Mirwaldt recommends obtaining nutrients from a varied, healthy diet as it is both more sustainable and affords “less medicalization of the diet.” In general, it is important to discuss alternative treatments and especially herbal treatments when speaking with your physician as some of these medications may interact with others.

While massage therapy and chiropractic care have become more mainstream, other complementary and alternative medicines still remain on the fringe of conventional medicine.

Sherry Mood is a clinical lecture at the University of Alberta and director of the Pacific Institute of Advanced Hypnotherapy in New Westminster. She describes the ideal candidate for hypnotherapy as “open minded and having a good imagination.”

Hypnotherapy has shown particular promise in pain associated with labour and cancer, smoking cessation and anxiety disorders, with prices ranging from $100-$200 a session.

Smoking cessation therapy may require only a single session while using hypnotherapy for other reasons requires multiple sessions. Individuals with psychiatric history should speak with a physician before considering hypnotherapy.

When students come to see any of the six physicians that work at Student Health Services, Mirwaldt maintains that she will support complementary and alternative treatments if she can find evidence from research to support their use for a specific patient’s problem.

Boluwaji Ogunyemi is a Resident with UBC Dermatology. U

Nothing is more reminiscent of a childhood holiday season than an old-fashioned pantomime.

Traditions of cross-dressing, audience participation and wellknown songs are held closely in the hearts of many, and definitely are part of a holiday season convention which sets aside the shopping, stress and commercialized activity for a few hours of enjoyment.

This year, the East Van Panto is back on its feet for their second annual show — Cinderella . Written by UBC creative writing prof Charlie Demers, and starring several UBC alumni, this is an experience not to be missed.

Setting itself apart from other pantomime shows, however, is the sense of closeness to home Cinderella: An East Van Panto brings.

Set entirely in Vancouver, there are plot references, script references and an entire backdrop of the Vancouver skyline painted by a local painter to enhance the community feeling of the show. </em>

<em>

em>

</

Dawn Petten, a UBC BFA theatre graduate, is back for her second year of East Van Panto — and keeping to tradition, is playing the cross-dressing Prince Grumpy. The community, Vancouver-centric theme is, in her eyes, the most exciting aspect of the pantomime. “To come into the theatre for just two hours in the midst of the chaos and stress of the holiday season and just laugh and join in the community and the celebration of our city in this very Van-style version of Cinderella just makes it such a joyous experience, and a great annual tradition.”

Petten knew she wanted to return for a second year of pantomime after her first experience last year. “I don’t usually take a Christmas show that’ll keep me from going home at Christmas, but this is such a special one and the amazing comedic writing of Charlie Demers is unreal — it was such a great experience that when they asked me to return again this year it was a no-brainer.”

The audience is full of generations of families, from small children up to their grandpar-

</em>

Notice of Development Permit Application - DP 14027

Public Open House University Boulevard - Site B

You are invited to attend an Open House on Wednesday, January 7 to view and comment on a mixed-use development proposal for University Boulevard - Site B. Plans will be displayed for a new 6-storey mixed use building with retail/commercial uses on the ground floor and 5 storeys of residential rental accommodation for students, faculty and employees at UBC.

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Time: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Place: War Memorial Gymnasium Lobby, 6081 University Boulevard Representatives from the project team and Campus + Community Planning will be available to provide information and respond to inquiries about this project.

The public is also invited to attend the Development Permit Board Meeting for this project to be held on January 21st from 5:00-7:00pm, at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS) Policy Labs A+B, 2260 West Mall.

For more information on this project, please visit: planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations For further information: Please direct questions to Karen Russell, Manager Development Services karen.russell@ubc.ca 604-822-1586

UBYSSEY

SNOW IN COLLABORATION WITH

Local Mountains

Photo Gallery

Leo Zuckerman & Hamish Baxter

Editor’s Note

by Nick Adams

A

s of this October, B.C.’s unemployment rate is at 6.1 per cent, the highest in Western Canada. Some might argue that snow bums signifigantly contribute to that number. To help dispell that myth, we put together an issue focused on highlighting student snow bums who have worked hard to chase their passion and contribute to society in a creative way.

This issue gives students a perspective on the UBC Ski and Board Club that they usually don’t get. Although drinking and partying are a big part of the club’s culture, believe it or not they actually ski and snowboard too. From group trips to world class competitions, the club has cemented itself as one of the biggest on campus. Whether you’re a part of the club or not, dive into the world of snow in these next few pages and live vicariously through them. U

Table of Contents

9

10

12

Mountain Guide

Photo Gallery

Leo Zuckerman

+

Hamish Baxter

Mountain

Skiable Acres

Student Discount

Cost

Drive time from UBC

Chair Lifts

Grouse

212

NO

$58

0:45

4

Cypress

600

NO

$62

1:00

6

Seymour

200

NO

$54

1:00

3

Hemlock

300

YES

$41

2:10

3

Whistler

8,171

NO

$119

2:15

23

Manning

140

NO

$52

2:45

3

Big White

2,834

YES

$72

5:15

11

Silverstar

1,323

YES

$69

5:45

6

Apex

1,112

YES

$58

6:00

2

Revelstoke

3,121

YES

$62

6:15

4

BC MOUNTAIN GUIDE FOR UBC STUDENTS

PHOTO GALLERY

H I B T

A S A E

M H X R

Essex Prescott, N. Vancouver When the temperatures fell but snow hadn’t quite reached the mountains, we used a trailer full of ice-rink snow to make many of these midnight urban sessions come together. It was a race against time to get the shot before the snow melted.

Tim McChesney, N. Vancouver One of the best sessions I’ve been a part of which due to typical PNW weather nearly didn’t happen. A 30 min gap in the clouds gave a short but sweet window with everyone going all out at a classic N. Vancouver spot.

Jenny Strong, near Red Mountain Because nothing beats a classic ‘messing with your buddies’ shot. Buns out in front of Jenny Strong stomping a roadside hit.

Peter Wentz, Pemberton Icecap A seemingly endless fantasy land of perfect snowmobile access ski lines in an endless number of valleys. It was also a good reality check of how unreliable snowmobiles can be and just how much effort goes into each day shooting that far into the backcountry.

Essex Prescott, East Van We started setting up this show before the sun came up, in the hopes of evading the local security guard. Apparently we arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as good at getting out of bed as he is â&#x20AC;&#x201D; less than 10 tries and we were shut down but not before getting this shot.

Leo Zuckerman

September Southbound With only a few days notice, we were granted an opportunity to go on an 18-day trip to the south island of New Zealand. We happily traded board shorts for ski boots and made the jump from Vancouver to Queenstown, Summer to Winter. This is the “movie trailer” record of our trip.

Videographer

Q&A When I came to UBC, I knew I wanted to spend time in the mountains, and I knew I wanted to document it through short videos.

But without any experience, I lacked the resources and direction to achieve what I had envisioned. It was through the Ski & Board Club that I met a network of people, who helped guide me, and who have since become some of my best friends, and professional colleagues.

That’s the very polished definition of my experience. What actually happened involved plenty of booze, some very cold and unexpected nights in the backcountry and many lessons learnt “the hard way”. Nevertheless, some of my most proud moments have spawned out of the projects and relationships that were fostered in the Ski & Board Club.

ELIXR More than a few late nights and weekends ago, Nick Geddes and I set out to make this little film. As an intermittent project, it had it’s challenges, but Nick’s an inspiring dude, and we’ve done our best to represent his story through this short vignette. Enjoy.

Where is your favorite place to shoot?

Anywhere I’ve never been before. The more remote, the better.

What advice do you have for aspiring film-makers at UBC? Practice your craft, emulate others, find your style. U

Restless Shot and edited in seven days for the Intersection competition at The World Ski & Snowboard Festival, ‘Restless’ won the People’s Choice and 1st Place awards.

Hamish Baxter UBC Ski and Board Club. I can’t help cracking a smile when I hear its name come up in conversation. It summed up everything that “college” was supposed to be; the parties, the girls, the trips, the pranks and the occasional reality check of academic deadlines.

But unlike the American Pies and Animal Houses of yesteryear, what tied

PHOTO COURTESY LEO ZUCKERMAN

everyone in the club together was a love of skiing and snowboarding and in my case, documenting everything surrounding that. This translated into four years of blissful chaos fueled by a dedication and camaraderie. I’ve yet to find another friend group that I will have for life.

While many of us from that particular chapter of the club now work full time

and find ourselves in suits and ties more often than ski pants and behind the lens, when the snow hits and “sick days” are called in nothing has changed one bit.

Jobs, schoolwork, responsibilities, it all becomes worth it when you’re exactly where you want to be taking pow laps and trading high fives with your best friends. U

Photographer

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.

LAST WORDS >>

13

ADVICE >>

Ask Natalie: On buying gifts and what to do on the break what TV shows she likes? You can get a meaningful gift without breaking the bank. Do you have any inside jokes that would work as a gift?

Some ideas: for the tea lover, a pretty mug with a selection of teas to try. For the gamer, a fun board game you could play as a group. For the reader, a book she’s been looking into. Do they love wine? A good wine from the Okanagan is a great present.

NATALIE MORRIS ILLUSTRATION JULIAN YU/THE UBYSSEY

LAST WORDS FOR UBC, CONSULTATION SEEMS TO BE NOTHING BUT A FORMALITY In a turn of events that shocked practically no one, UBC has approved the 10 per cent tuition increase for international students. The views expressed by governors who spoke at Tuesday morning’s Board meeting were almost identical: being a student is difficult and increases are not desirable to anyone, but they are going to make them anyway because the economy isn’t great and other schools are doing it too. Tough tater tots to those who disagree.

Surprise, surprise. Once the university makes this kind of decision from the top down, it is only a matter of time before they follow through with it. What is insulting, however, is that they maintained the ‘we-are-committed-to-student-consultation’ façade come hell or high water.

Let’s not pretend that anything that the students said at the three town halls that they organized made the university reconsider, even for a moment, not passing the increases.

‘We’ll listen to your opinion and then promptly ignore it’ has been a recurrent theme throughout the consultation process and the vote on Tuesday showed just how true this turned out to be.

MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE PROPOSAL HAS PROS AND CONS B.C. interest groups are pushing for an increase to the province’s minimum wage — to $15 — and we’re conflicted. On one hand,

Advice

PARTING SHOTS AND SNAP JUDGEMENTS FROM THE UBYSSEY EDITORIAL BOARD

we believe that trying to raise people out of poverty by paying them a living wage is fantastic.

On the other, we don’t know if raising the minimum wage to $15 is the right way to do it.

We aren’t professional economists (obviously — we work at a newspaper). But even to us it’s apparent that raising the minimum wage will not simply mean that everyone has more money to spend.

Mandating higher salaries has effects on businesses, which have to spend more on wages. It also means that a dollar is worth less in B.C. — if everyone has more money, nobody does. This inflation will push up prices and decrease the value of our savings. With all of this taken into account, it seems that the net drawbacks may outweigh the benefits.

A more serious problem is that an increase of this magnitude would create high costs for businesses. In turn this may cause them to reduce the amount of staff they employ, worsening B.C.’s unemployment rate. This will mean the government will have to dish out more benefits which will further strain their budget. A guess where they get their budget from? Taxes.

The other side of this issue is possibly even more significant: many of the poorest people in B.C. wouldn’t be helped by a minimum wage — they don’t have jobs. And if, as we predict, a higher minimum wage would contribute to higher unemployment, though the situation may improve for some people living below or close to the poverty line it would do next to nothing to help the people who need it most.

Maybe raising the minimum wage really would have a net benefit both to the economy and to people living in poverty.

But it’s important that we (yes, including we Ubyssey editors) don’t all just jump at the thought of another $4.75 per hour — great as it may sound. In theory, it’s fantastic — but it can have consequences beyond what one might anticipate. <em>

</em>

GROCERY DELIVERY ISN’T JUST FOR LAZY STUDENTS Birtto is a new grocery delivery service created by students for students, and we think its great.

While it could be argued that the service will contribute to student laziness (as if we need another reason to be lazy), for many students this could be a life saver.

There are many students on campus who suffer from depression and anxiety, making it difficult to perform mundane everyday tasks — like grocery shopping. Having a service that brings students their groceries can help those students stay happy and healthy during stressful times. Not only that, but students who spend all their time studying — especially during this hectic time of the year — could easily forgo grocery shopping if it means getting an extra hour of studying done, and that’s where a service like Birtto comes in.

Sure, students shouldn’t be lazy, but for those who have difficulty getting out of bed or putting down the cue cards, a grocery service can make life just a little easier. U

“Hey Natalie, I was wondering if I should be getting my new university friends holiday gifts. What’s the protocol?”

It largely depends on your friends.

Are you doing any holiday/winter celebrations? Do they celebrate any holidays around now?

Have they mentioned getting you anything?

Personally, my group of friends have a holiday “party” (does a party in the middle of exams really count?) but we only gave each other gifts when we lived in residence together. This year, for example, we are holding a pot luck party with the food we are bringing acting as our “gifts” for each other.

Ask your friends. You can pose it innocently: “Hey, are we doing anything for Christmas/Hanukkah/the holidays? I’m down for anything!” This is an easy way to figure out if you have to get gifts for anyone.

“Natalie, I just started seeing this girl and with Christmas coming up, do I have to get her anything? ” Quite frankly, I love giving gifts, so I usually lean towards yes, especially when you are seeing someone. But you don’t have to if you really don’t want to. You never have to get gifts and if a weeks old relationship is something you think is too soon for a gift, then tell her that so she doesn’t end up getting you something. Also keep in mind, she may not celebrate any winter holidays so gift giving might not be expected.

But even if you decide to exchange gifts, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a whole lot. If you get her a ring or an expensive gift, don’t. Just don’t. That just screams crazy.

A simple gift is the way to go.

You do not need to buy a huge thing, since your relationship is so young. Think about her hobbies, what she likes — maybe

NEED TO TALK?

“Hi Natalie, unlike most of my classmates I’m staying in Vancouver over winter break. Any ideas on what to do?”

While I haven’t spent a winter break in Vancouver (I prefer the snow of everywhere in Canada but Vancouver) I do know of excitingly wintery things to do during the break.

Vancouver’s mountains (especially Seymour, Grouse and Cypress) provide a wide range of winter activities. Cross-country and downhill skiing, staking, sledding and snowshoeing are all fun winter things that can keep you entertained during the winter break. The mountains will have facilities that offer rentals and lessons, if needed.

Robson Square holds free skating (skate rentals $4). Great date idea, by the way. Located by the Vancouver Art Gallery downtown, skating runs until late February. UBC also has free skating with your student ID (skate rentals $3.50) but only at public drop-in times.

I always love the Vancouver Aquarium. I can’t guarantee that it won’t be busy, but I think that it’s always worth a visit. For the rest of this year, the Aquarium is using their winter rates ($20 for a student) and if you show your bus pass, you should be able to receive another $2 off.

The Vancouver Christmas Market, or the German Christmas Market, is currently running downtown until Christmas Eve. While not free ($7 on weekends, $4 on weekdays) the Market is full of authentic food and beverage as well as unique gifts like wood cravings, knitted goods, pottery and even nutcrackers.

The market shares in the 700 year history of the German Christkinlmarkt (Christmas Market) and is a delightful way to enjoy the winter break.

A completely free activity that’s enjoyable year round is Stanley Park — personal favourite of mine.

While chilly around this time of year, the park will still be beautiful.

The seawall is worth a run, walk or bike around and the trails in the forest are incredible (although I admit that I have a thing for trees).

Need advice? Write to Natalie at asknatalie@ubyssey.ca and have your questions answered in an upcoming issue of the paper. U

SOLUTION FOCUSED COUNSELLING FOR STUDENTS & STAFF Dr. Elizabeth Demeter 604.873.1280 counsellingatvanwest.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014 |

EDITOR JACK HAUEN

14

UBC VARSITY SPORTS REPORT CARD: TERM ONE Words by Natalie Scadden and CJ Pentland

A+

Women’s field hockey (5-1-2) CIS finish: 1st

A+

This season saw the T-Birds win their 25th Canada West title and 16th CIS title — both all-time highs in the sport.

They overcame goal differentials to put themselves in the national final and beat an undefeated host team (Toronto) to win it all.

Best players: Poonam Sandhu became the only women’s field hockey player in history to win five CIS titles and scored the game-winning goal in the national championship.

Needs improvement: Short of a perfect record, what more does this team need to do to prove themselves?

A

Cross country

B

Canada West standing: 3rd in Pioneers Division

B+

B-

Canada West finish: 3rd in playoffs

B

C+

Canada West standing: 9th in Pioneers Division The season got off to a bit of a rough start with five losses in their first six games, but last weekend’s games showed what the T-Birds are capable of when firing on all cylinders. The team put up a combined 200 points over the two games.

Best Player: Tommy Nixon has been a strong veteran presence, averaging 16.6 PPG on 47.9 shooting from the floor, 45.9 from beyond the arc and 90.2 from the free throw line.

Needs Improvement: Defence and rebounding. They can no doubt score, but UBC allows an average of 82.9 points per game and opponents are shooting 48.4 per cent against them.

C-

Women’s soccer (6-4-2) Canada West finish: lost in QF to Trinity Western After an 8-1-3 campaign in 2013, they lost many of their top players and regressed in their second season under head coach Andrea Neil, who resigned following an early playoff exit. A once-prolific offence that scored 46 goals in 2012 slipped even further, down from 29 last year to just 19 this season.

Best Player: Taylor Shannik was named a Canada West AllStar with two goals and two assists in nine games.

Needs Improvement: UBC is hosting the CIS tournament next season and will get an automatic berth. Whoever ends up as their new coach is going to have to teach them how to score.

Canada West standing: 5th

Women’s hockey (8-4-4) Canada West standing: 5th After a strong start to the season that had them in first place, the ‘Birds have skidded a bit as of late and head into the winter break with five-straight losses — yet they still sit just five points back of first in a crowded Canada West leaderboard.

Best Player: Samantha Langford has taken over the starting reigns in net and helped backstop a strong T-Birds defence with a 1.83 GAA and 0.935 SV percentage.

Needs Improvement: In five trips to overtime, UBC has won just once — leaving four possible points on the table.

B-

Having lost just one of their past 45 games in the past two seasons, the expectations were high for the two-time defending CIS champs, but they faded into the playoff stretch and were shut-out by Alberta in the Canada West semifinal.

Best Player: Navid Mashinchi was the most dominant offensively and was awarded the conference MVP award for his eight goal, nine assist regular season effort.

Needs Improvement: With Mashinchi and team captain Paul Clerc graduating this spring, they’ll need some younger guys to step up.

Men’s basketball (3-5)

Men’s volleyball (10-6)

They stormed out of the gate at 8-1, but have lost five of their last seven against some of the better teams in the country.

They’ve held tough in those contests, but the losses show that they need to do a little bit more to reach that upper echelon.

Best Player: Irvan Brar has ramped up his game this year, sitting fifth in the conference in kills and also fourth in digs to show his strength in all facets.

Needs Improvement: The ‘Birds have looked extremely dominant for stretches of play, but need to work on sustaining that pressure.

After a dominant 7-1 preseason, they’ve dropped off the pace a little bit so far, but their three regular season losses have come to teams with winning records and no opponent has swept them. With their first six games in January coming against teams below .500, they should hit the ground running.

Best Player: Kris Young and Harleen Sidhu. The pair average a combined 31.9 points and 15.5 rebounds per game.

Needs Improvement: Two of their losses saw them allow their opponents to shoot 51.9 and 49 per cent from the field, respectively, while also getting substantially out-rebounded.

Men’s soccer (9-2-1)

Canada West standing: 1st Both teams took home Canada West titles with 1,000-point efforts from each side. They broke 12 conference records in 38 events, and were kept off the podium just once. They also swept the individual awards for Canada West Rookie, Swimmer and Coach of the Year on both sides.

Best Player: Coleman Allen: six golds and a silver at Canada West while setting conference records in 100- and 200-metre butterfly, 100-metre backstroke and a couple of relays.

Needs Improvement: The men’s side will need to get past Toronto, the two-time defending CIS champs.

The women’s side recently snagged their third straight NAIA national title, while the men finished sixth for a combined championship. At nationals, three UBC women placed in the top four spots in a race with over 300 competitors. It’s a fitting end to head coach Marek Jedrezejek’s storied UBC career.

Best Player: Maria Bernard led the way with an individual gold medal at NAIA, finishing more than 30 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the 5K race.

Needs Improvement: It’d be nice to see the guys match the girls’ success and bring home a UBC sweep.

Women’s basketball (5-3)

Swimming

Women’s volleyball (9-7) Canada West standing: 5th This time last year they were undefeated through 12 games.

They reached the CIS final, but were stunned by the Manitoba Bisons and lost in straight sets. They haven’t looked quite the same since, and have already lost more games than they did in the previous two seasons combined.

Best Player: Danielle Brisebois has put up strong offensive numbers in an increased role, leading the team in kills (170) while hitting .268.

Needs Improvement: They need to finish stronger, as all seven of their losses have come in five sets.

C+

D+

Men’s hockey (7-8-3) Canada West standing: 5th They flew out of the gate with some big wins, but a stretch of seven losses in eight games saw them slip a bit. However, they still have wins against the top three teams in the Canada West, proving that they have the capability to hang with the big boys.

Best Player: Anthony Bardaro leads the balanced attack with 13 points and 53 shots on goal. Rookie Eric Williams has posted a 2.37 GAA and 0.925 SV percentage in split time with Matt Hewitt.Needs Improvement: Puck possession. In UBC’s wins, they record on average 29.4 shots and allow 27.7. In their losses, they give up 31.6 and record 26.1.

Football (2-6) Canada West finish: 6th of 6 The Thunderbirds fell flat right out of the gate and could never fully recover. Despite moments of brilliance, UBC could not sustain their strong play for more than a couple quarters at a time. They finished last in the conference in points per game and yards per game. Head coach Shawn Olson was fired two days after the season ended.

Best Player: Marcus Davis was named Canada West Rookie of the Year and a CIS all-Canadian after averaging a conference-leading 161.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Needs Improvement: Just put this season behind them.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

| SPORTS | 15

CLUBS >>

Ciaran goes clubbing: salacious swordplay Ciaran Dougherty Copy Editor Before my trip to UBC Fencing club last week, I was pretty certain that the sport consisted of real-life re-enactments of Pirates of the Caribbean scenes (specifically, I was hoping for the first meeting of Jack and Will). With that in mind I prepared for my visit by watching all of the films back-to-back.

Immediately it became apparent that this was not enough preparation. We quickly began with some footwork drills that I struggled through clumsily, before beginning the rather odd practice of throwing and catching gloves. I assume it was partially to improve our reflexes.

The club members and coach were chatty and informative before starting so I felt welcome straight away. Each member was happy to give little pointers and guide me through drills and maneuvers.

The fencing club is not just for students, members of the community join in as well. It was interesting to see members interacting with other people who live on and near campus as it’s something that is often neglected in the lives of university students. People of all ages come to practice, which allows for a range in experience and ability.

Founded back in 1928, the club is one of the oldest athletic clubs at UBC and nowadays they have around 30 members. With fees of $10 for membership, plus equipment leases per term, the club is affordable.

Geoffrey Hohert, the club’s president, explained how they function: “The vast majority of the people coming to us have never

PHOTO CHERIHAN HASSUN/THE UBYSSEY

He never stood a chance.

tried fencing before. Every now and then a few each year that fenced say five or seven years ago … [come] back to fence again,” said Hohert.

Competitively the club doesn’t take itself too seriously, but they

do encourage their members to compete and some do very well.

“In some smaller tournaments we place, I don’t know of any current members placing high at the larger tournaments at least.

One of our sabres at least got gold

in our last tournament in California,” said Hohert.

The sport itself is very complex and I had a hard time just learning the basics. Having said that, it was still a good time. Although I repeatedly got stabbed

when I tried some friendly competition, the team was fun and enthusiastic.

If swinging a sword around and stabbing your friends sounds appealing, the UBC Fencing club might just be for you. U

THUNDERBIRDS >>

T-BIRDS 5-ON-5

KAYLA JOHNSTON

LUKE TERHART

SAMANTHA BISNAIRE

Alpine Skiing

Alpine Skiing

Alpine Skiing

M IKE CADMAN Alpine Skiing

SANDRA GERLICH Alpine Skiing

SPEEDY SNOWBIRDS 1. What’s your favourite mountain to ski?

Big White. It’s got lots of powder and you can always expect the ski patrol to put in a good chase.

Castle Mountain. Most underrated mountain in Canada — tons of terrain, no lines, reasonable ticket prices and always has snow.

Georgian Peaks, Ontario. It’s the mountain I grew up on and have some pretty good memories there.

Whichever has the deepest snow on a given day.

Le Massif in the Charlevoix region of Quebec because it has the most spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River and the best apres-ski food.

2. What’s the craziest outfit you’ve worn while skiing?

I once did a ski race in a Hawaiian hula skirt.

One piece spandex suit.

When I was little we had crazy helmet day. Toys, streamers and anything else I could find was taped to my helmet.

One piece spandex in -50C.

When it’s -30C (or anywhere below freezing) I think the craziest thing you can wear is a thin, spandex race suit.

3. What’s the worst thing about snowboarders?

They get stuck on every flat, scrape off all the powder, sit in the worst places and fall a lot. They make great obstacles to ski around.

Nothing. Can’t we all just be friends?

The worst thing about snowboarders is they perpetuate the ski racer hate.

Their innate ability to get stuck on the flats.

The way they take up all the space on the chairlift. Where are my feet supposed to go when their board is there?

4. Sum up your best/most interesting ski trip in 10 words or less.

When my team tried to train in Austria and ended up in Italy.

Travel, more travel, snow, more snow, cold face, much fun!

New Zealand: Kiwis, earthquakes, surfing, avalanches, Fiji. Very interesting.

Skiing in the Andes and surfing the Chilean coast.

Summer training on the Saas Fee glacier in Switzerland.

5. Name a random (i.e. non-skiing related) item off your bucket list.

To go scuba diving in the Galapagos.

Move to a remote location for six months and learn how to surf.

I really want to go to Hawaii and surf. Aloha!

Does such a thing exist?

Playing the old golf courses on the British Isles would be awesome.

I really want to play the piano outside the SUB but all the people watching makes it scarier than a downhill.

16 | GAMES |

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014

Photo of the Day

PHOTO RICARDO SEAH UBC’s first snowfall.

DEC 1 ANSWERS

DEC 1 ANSWERS (AGAIN)

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ACROSS 1- Prices paid 6- Matures, as wine 10- Fjord explorer?

14- Sneak (glimpse15- Romanian coins 16- “That’s clear to me,” hippie-style 17- Dog found in the pound 18- New York canal 19- Grandma, affectionately 20Easy 21- A lift, in Aspen 22- Alumnus, for short 23- “Say ___“ (dentist’s request) 25- Pungent-smelling 27- Forrest Gump’s forte

31- Abstains from 35- By way of 36- Winter fall 38- Aid one’s alma mater 39- Eat an ice cream cone, e.g.

41- You can’t tell if she’s coming or going?

43- Strip in the Middle East 44- City of Light 46- Mischievous type 48- Coop resident 49- Affording a view 51- Monotonous in cadence 53- Comprehension 55- Geological time 56- River border 59- Weaver’s tool 61- Mended temporarily

65- San Juan, Puerto 66- Emit amplified light 67- Subtle sarcasm 68- “Back hour” (shop sign) 69- Quarter-miler’s path 70- Launch a tennis ball 71- Bachelor’s party 72- Flogging memento 73- Some playing cards

DOWN I- Dwelling in Durango 2- out (withdraws) 3- Word in a Doris Day tune 4- Little sack of leaves 5- Airport porters

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6- Aid in crime 7- Pig, in the Flintstones’ kitchen 8- Early 30-ton computer 9- Lead-in for “Madre” or “Leone” 10- Door opener?

11- Jewish month before Nisan 12- One of Columbus’ three ships 13- “Goodness gracious!”

24- Celeste or Ian 26- “Direct” ending 27- Insect feelers 28- “Sacro” addition 29- Mother-of-pearl 30- A tide 32- “Famous potatoes” state 33- Thirteen, to some bakers 34- What the hillbilly batter did?

37- Vehicle at a stand

40- Empire State Building climber 42- Outfielder’s call 45- Title of respect 47- Stuck-up sort 50- Immature 52- Hunter, at times 54- Dry white Italian wine 56- Jewish rite of circumcision 57- The “non-existent” contraction 58- “Sweet 16” org.

60- Soften, as chocolate 62- Skin orifice 63- Green feeling?

64- Pre-Easter purchases