Heading into halftime, the UBC Thunderbirds were on cloud nine, leading by 18 against the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold. Coming into the U Sports Final 8 off a loss in the Canada West finals, the ‘Birds knew they would be fighting an uphill battle as the seventh seed. Facing off against TMU — the second seed — the stakes were high for a group that featured multiple seniors who had yet to win a national title in their careers.
Unfortunately for the ‘Birds, TMU’s Kevin Toth had other plans. Toth, a second-year guard, had not scored a point before the final frame when, seemingly out of nowhere, he scored 21 points, nearly matching his career-high of 22 in 10 minutes. Similar to Klay Thompson’s iconic 37-point quarter, it was obvious that when the ball left Toth’s fingertips, he was not going to miss. His spectacular seven of eight shooting performance in the frame secured TMU’s spectacular comeback win, taking the game 97–91 after trailing by as many as 20. The ‘Birds spirit was crushed.
Continued on page 11.
Nardwuar the Human Serviette
doot doola doot-does things his way
Profile by Elena Massing and Julian Coyle Forst Features editor, Arts & Culture Editor
When we spoke with Nardwuar the Human Serviette in the CiTR record library, we thought we were on a tight timeline. He had come to the station to broadcast a special episode of his show, Nardwuar The Human Serviette Presents…, for CiTR’s annual fundrive, and he’d need a few hours to get ready. We had set up cameras, laptops and dubiously functional lav mics on every available surface of the packed library, ready for a quick in-and-out interview. Nardwuar doesn’t think that way. After a whirlwind tour of record shelves and drawers filled with cassette tapes (“Very rare,” he assured us), Nardwuar helped us fix up our recording setup. “This is one of the number-one mistakes of people doing interviews,” he said. “They never ask the people they’re interviewing if they can help them.”
Continued on page 8.
AMS ELECTIONS RESULTS
Editor’s Note by Stephen Kosar News Editor
With 21.5 per cent turnout — one of the highest in recent memory — voters passed three referendums, shot down one and elected students to be their representatives in this year’s AMS elections.
Next year, Dylan Evans will be the AMS’s president, Jaiya Panchi will be VP academic & university affairs, Nathan Shack will be VP finance, William Sparks will be VP administra-
tion, Alex Zheng will be VP external affairs and the VP student life has yet to be decided. For the Board of Governors, students elected Zarifa Nawar and Drédyn Fontana. For Senate, Panchi, Nawar, Fontana, Jasper Lorien and Sultana Razia have been elected. Voters put their trust in these students to represent them at all levels of government.
The AMS advocates for students, operates the Nest and runs valuable services such as the food bank and the health and dental plan. The Board of Gov-
Point of Inquiry: I said the AMS was fine. I take it back.
Opinion by Quyen Schroeder AMS Columnist
At the start of the year, I wrote a now-infamous line: “The toxic culture of years prior has been excised from our union.” I was wrong. The most public evidence of this is the conflicting accounts about the VP student life position given to The Ubyssey by AMS President Riley Huntley and an unnamed executive.
(The executive spoke to The Ubyssey ’s news team on background because they weren’t authorized to speak on the matter.)
Less publicly, we’ve seen a multi-week absence from Huntley. His temporary departure was preceded by a private, in camera meeting of the Executive Performance and Accountability (EPA) Committee on Jan. 24.
Continued on page 7.
The Fugitives make folk feel like home
ernors determines UBC’s overall direction, authorizes tuition increases and approves the university’s budget. Senate shapes students’ academic experiences, sets academic standards and determines degree requirements. Whether you directly interact with these governing bodies or not, they play an undeniable role in your university’s life. The people you have elected will be your voice on these bodies. It will be up to you to hold them accountable.
Continued on page 3.
Canada’s wild salmon conservation policy
UBC researchers reviewed the Wild Salmon Policy’s impact on salmon populations, considering rising environmental impacts and new risks.
RESEARCH // 14
UBC or UBSauced?
There’s nothing worse than those rowdy drinking underage first-
Since starting out at CiTR in 1986, Nardwuar the Human Serviette has become a household name. | GUNTAS KAUR / THE UBYSSEY
SENEESHA EKANAYAKE / THE UBYSSEY
The Ubyssey
MARCH 19, 2026 | VOLUME CVII | ISSUE XV
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Ubyssey acknowledges we operate on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the Coast Salish peoples including the x ʷ məθk ʷ əyəm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations.
EDITORIAL
The Editorial Office creates the content of the newspaper. They do all the research, writing, photography, programming, illustrating and editing — the journalism.
Editor-in-Chief
Aisha Chaudhry eic@ubyssey.ca
Managing Editor Saumya Kamra managing@ubyssey.ca
News Editor Stephen Kosar news@ubyssey.ca
Arts & Culture Editor Julian Coyle Forst culture@ubyssey.ca
Features Editor Elena Massing features@ubyssey.ca
Deputy Managing & Opinion Editor Spencer Izen deputymanaging@ ubyssey.ca opinion@ubyssey.ca
Sports & Recreation
Editor Caleb Peterson sports@ubyssey.ca
Research Editor Elita Menezes research@ubyssey.ca
Humour Editor Kyla Flynn humour@ubyssey.ca
Illustrations & Print
Editor Ayla Cilliers illustrations@ubyssey.ca
Photo Editor Sidney Shaw photo@ubyssey.ca
Digital Editor Sam Low samuellow@ubyssey.ca
STAFF
Akmal Zulkifli, Aleah Kippan, Alexis Jacobson, Amrit Rai, Amy Sheardown, Annaliese Gumboc, Carol Rocque, Claire Donnan, Ewan Keenan, Fiona Pulchny, Gabby Ranu, Harleen Randhawa, Harper Jasinski, Ian Cooper, Jack Paransky, Jeff Lee, Jenni Nguyen, Juan Pablo Sastoque Vega, Liana Raisanen, Lorainne Chua, Lucas Rucchin, Luiza Teixeira, Maia Cesario, Margo Baltzan, Mason Carter, Maya Tommasi, Morrison Tulloch, Natalie Vakulin, Navya Chadha, Quyen Schroeder, Raul del Rosario, Saba Majd, Selena Sallay, Seneesha Ekanayake, Skye Shen, Sofia Campanholo, Sofia Gonzalez, Sophia Clearwater, Sophia Bertuzzi Samilski, Sophie Cark, Tatjana Huber, Thomas Favelle, Trinity Sala, Vicky Nguyen, Yasmine Armstrong, Zoé Stojanovic
The Business Office supports the journalism by managing the Ubyssey Publications Society’s money at the direction of the elected, majority-student board. It has no say in or over our coverage, in keeping with the principle of editorial independence.
Business Manager Scott Atkinson business@ubyssey.ca
Every story we publish comes with a label — here are the brief definitions for what they mean.
PROFILE
Profiles are a detailed description of a person and their life experiences. They promise to be descriptive and analytical.
REVIEWS
Reviews are critical analyses of works of the arts. They promise candour, description and fairness from a knowledge voice.
REPORTS
Reports are accounts of particular moments — the who, what, when, where, why and how in 800 to 1,200 words. In News and Research, they promise impartiality. In Arts & Culture, they promise critique and/or analysis.
EXTENDED REPORT
Extended reports are accounts of subject, engaging multiple peoples, places, sources and smaller events over long periods of time. They promise impartiality
GAME ANALYSIS
A game nalysis is an analytical account of a sprting event either involving UBC’s varsity teams or taking place on campus. These promise to describe what happened, but also why the game matters.
OPINION ESSAYS
Opinion essays take a position on something newsworthy in the present moment, and are either written by guest contributors from the community or in-house columnists. All essays represent the author’s views alone.
PERSONAL ESSAYS
Personal essays explore an individual’s perspective on an experience that is relevant to a larger group of people.
As campus welcomes dusk, a blond Nikita Strygun gracefully gathers the dark-haired Adrien Chaput, bridal-style, in his arms — much to the joy of a crowd gathered outside the Nest. Before that night, the two had never met. This was a culminating moment of UBC’s unofficial Heated Rivalry look-alike contest, where hopeful contestants faced off in a series of model walks, hockey drills and dramatic readings in an attempt to be crowned the döppelganger of one of the hit show’s leads
Nayis Majumder and Justina He — both gender, race, sexuality, and social justice (GRSJ) students — are the student-organizer duo behind the contest, as well as some of this year’s other pop culture happenings. Last fall, they planned the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice Undergraduates Association’s (GRSJUA) performative contest, where genuinely performative individuals and wannabes alike took to the Nest plaza in their tote bags and carabiners. Derived from the then-trending notion of the ‘performative male,’ participants were encouraged to embody the tenets of ‘performativity’ to the greatest extent possible. That event marked He’s first time officially working on an event with the GRSJUA, but Majumder is an active organizer, notably running their self-founded social justice nonprofit SHARE, which advocates for queer, disabled and racialized communities by developing workshops and fundraising for organizations like Reconciliation Canada and the Hogan’s Alley Society. Though the main motivation in organizing these contests is to be “a little bit whimsical [and] fun,” He said such events also allow for
meaningful conversations on gender, identity and appearance to take place in spaces beyond classrooms and comment sections. Their ‘performative contest,’ in particular, was geared towards fostering reflections on intersectional feminism and the shame that seems to come with exhibiting more conventionally feminine interests or behaviours. For He and Majumder, events like these provide us an opportunity to engage with such issues with intention, in ways that transcend doomscrolling. “We’re seeing all of these trends pop up, but we’re not having a real, tangible space in which we can connect with people outside of the digital space,” said He. “The goal with both of [the events] was kind of similar in the sense that we wanted to … create a space in which people could bond over their shared interest.”
The look-alike contest is a 2024 trend that has yet to completely die, which says something. Its persistence is perhaps indicative of how this genre of event meets a particular need — a cheap, low-barrier, IRL-but-to-bedigested-later-online reason to communally gather and squawk in good faith. The look-alike contest’s appeal could lie in the amusing act of imitation itself, or, more likely, in a shared desire for greater community engagement. What once started as varietal white men sweeping American public parks in the hopes of a slight increase in cultural capital appears more and more to have become a collective recourse to the value of third spaces.
Majumder and He are of the shared opinion that above all else, such events provide an opportunity for low-stakes socialization. In look-alike contests, there is “no wall of ice” between attendees, because the event’s raison d’être is explicitly, visually obvious:
you already have something in common, so there’s no need to brainstorm conversation topics — all you have to do is laugh alongside each other. But why look-alikes, specifically? Why did McGill host their own Heated Rivalry contest? Why the Finn Wolfhard look-alike event last December? Some consider the event type’s popularity to be demonstrative of a group recourse to familiarity — we’ve all seen this or that show, we’ve all seen the Jeremy Allen White underwear ads, we’ve all read some digest about that godforsaken Paul Mescal love triangle. It is comforting to see a remake, sometimes.
But look-alike contests are not merely celebrations of the comforting past and fleetingly-trending present — they are also an opportunity to disconnect from the stress of everyday life. He was inspired by a course she took on fandoms and how participating in fan culture can influence people’s lives. Naturally, people want a place to come together and reflect on their love for this piece of media with others who feel the same. He also sees it as offering attendees “a feeling of escapism. The world is, unfortunately, a scary place right now, and lots of terrible things are happening. Spending an afternoon dressing up as a performative man, or dressing up as a character from Heated Rivalry , makes it feel less serious and daunting … It gives you a sense of comfort.”
The physical, on-theground reality of the event makes all the difference. While one can very easily find others online who share similar interests, it can be isolating to only engage somewhat passively online. Comment sections can inspire a sense of affinity, but to what degree of satisfaction? He likens the in-person nature of
the event to a live concert; to be standing next to others who share in your enthusiasm “can make you feel that much more grounded in the experience,” she said. “There are people, right now, in your vicinity — not thousands of miles away, that you can only access on your internet — that think like you, who have the same passions and interests as you,” Majumder said. “[It’s not] hypothetical … it’s tangible.”
The Heated Rivalry contest wasn’t affiliated with the GRSJUA due to scheduling barriers — Majumder and He just did it for the love of the game. They like to joke that it was partly fuelled by a desire to overcome the (self-imposed?) allegations of being “one-hit wonders.”
The look-alike contest structure had been a shooin ever since they first flirted with the idea of hosting an event, but the exact subject wasn’t decided until much later on. At first, the organizers were tempted to search for UBC’s own Zohran Mamdani double — but Heated Rivalry ’s current cultural impact, especially for queer people, was too perfect an opportunity to pass up. While past look-alike contests have garnered muted criticism in terms of their select interest in straight, white, male celebrities — or colloquially, the ‘white boy of the month’ — the trend’s most recent fixation on Heated Rivalry ’s queer protagonists perhaps opens the door to greater inclusivity. Why not co-opt the show’s topicality, Majumder explained, as a means to foster a space on campus to celebrate queer joy on campus? While nothing shimmers in the immediate organizing horizon for the pair, they remain open to the possibility of future events of the sort, determined to keep making spaces for students to be joyful, together. U
Justina He and Nayis Majumder are the student-organizer duo behind some of this year’s campus pop culture happenings. | RAUL DEL ROSARIO / THE UBYSSEY
AMS Election Results
President
Report by Oliver Matisz News Contributor
Dylan Evans is your next AMS president.
Evans beat out student Governor and Senator Jasper Lorien. Evans currently serves as the AMS’s VP administration, focusing on advocacy for clubs, fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
Evans said he felt “pretty good,” and added his immediate priority is “getting to work for students.”
Evans campaigned on a comprehensive academic resourcing centre, textbook exchange program and completing new club space-use agreements.
He also ran on increasing the student union’s transparency and said he wanted to lead not by dictating policies, but by “building alignment” with executives.
Zarifa Nawar and Drédyn Fontana have been elected to UBC’s Board of Governors.
With experience as a student senator and the AMS’s VP academic & university affairs (AUA), Fontana’s campaign for Board of Governors was centred on sub-inflationary tuition adjustments and financial transparency at the faculty level.
“I’m excited, really, to do the work, to keep doing the work,” said Fontana after the results were announced.
He added that his first priority as a Board member will be “divestment.” Further priorities include keeping tuition increases “sub-inflationary” and “increasing teaching and learning sup-
VP Finance
Report
by
Sophia Bertuzzi Samilski News Reporter
Nathan Shack is your next VP finance.
“I’m feeling really, really good,” Shack told The Ubyssey, on winning. Shack — the current associate VP finance — beat first-time candidates Audrey Xue and Iman Dhaliwal.
“I’m glad that the student body put their trust in me,” he said. “I’m feeling very honoured and hum-
Students
pass three out of four referendum items
Words by Amy Sheardown News Reporter
All referenda — with the exception of the Clubs Benefit Fee — passed during this year’s AMS elections.
The four referenda consisted of three AMS fee increases — a $4 Clubs Benefit Fee, $3 Capital Projects Fee and $5 Student Services Fee — and a student-supported call for the AMS to send a letter to UBC’s Senate demanding it cut ties with Israeli academic institutions.
In order for a referendum to pass, it needs to get a majority of ‘yes’ votes, and eight per cent of the student body must vote ‘yes.’ 13,476 voters — 21.5 per cent of the student body — cast a ballot in this year’s election.
The Student Services Fee referendum passed with 7,628 votes in favour. The fee will fund the expansion of AMS offered
bled by that.”
Shack’s campaign focused on increasing mental health benefits in the AMS/GSS health and dental plan, increasing training for treasurers for AMS subsidiaries and ensuring financial sustainability.
Shack said his first priority will be listening to the student body, student clubs and treasurers, along with raising mental health benefits.
“There’s a lot of things I want to get done.”
He will start his term on May 1. U
ports for students.”
Nawar is the current VP AUA and serves on Senate. As VP AUA, Nawar secured over $20,000 in her “record-breaking” Textbook Broke campaign. On Senate, Nawar spent time on the Teaching, Learning, Nominating and Academic Policy Committees. She said she will continue to push for increased student support services funding and is opposing tuition increases on the Board.
Nawar said she was feeling “absolutely fucking insane.” She is looking forward to “strongly advocating against [tuition increases]” and “supporting international student permits, something [she’s] been very passionate about for a long time.”
Fontana and Nawar beat candidates Bryan Buraga, Sultana Razia and Jacky Xue for seats on the Board of Governors. U
services — such as Safewalk, the AMS Food Bank and Peer Support — and finance the increasing demand that these services have been facing.
The Capital Projects Fee passed with 6,205 votes in favour. This fee will go toward improvements to the AMS Nest, with added seating, study, social and club spaces, and technological improvements.
The Clubs Benefit Fee did not pass, with 5,364 votes against.
The AMS supports 350 student clubs — at the AMS Council meeting where this fee increase was presented, VP Finance Gagan Parmar said this was an unsustainable endeavour unless monetary support increased. This increase was the only proposed fee that was able to be opted out of.
When the referendum results were announced, Parmar said that he is “grateful to the student body for trusting us,” and al-
though the Clubs Benefit Fee was not passed, he said the AMS will “make sure that the promises we made are kept.”
The referendum to cut ties with Israeli universities that uphold apartheid passed with 8,894 in favour — the highest voter turnout for any referendum item this election.
Nathan Herrington, a UBC employee and advocate for Palestinian and humanitarian rights, said that the passed referendum made him feel “hopeful for the first time in a while … the AMS and the UBC student body have shown where they stand.” Herrington followed up with a chant often heard at pro-Palestinian protests: “the students, united, will never be defeated.”
With three referendum items passed, the AMS is now responsible for penning a letter to the Senate and students can expect to see an $8 student fee increase beginning in September. U
Senate
Report by Aisha Chaudhry, Spencer Izen, Simon Jian, Sophia Bertuzzi Samilski and Juan Pablo Sastoque Vega Editor In Cheif, Opinion Editor, News Reporters
Zarifa Nawar, Drédyn Fontana, Jasper Lorien, Sultana Razia and Jaiya Panchi have been elected student senators-at-large.
In a crowded race featuring 10 candidates, these five beat out fellow candidates Ash Dennis, Ian Chung, Elisa Nasimi, Bryan Buraga and Luca Jenkin.
Winning her second term on Senate, Nawar said “I feel fucking fantastic right now,” adding her first priority is an exam database — a resource which previously existed, but was shut down due to a lack of faculty participation. Razia was also elected for the second time, although her last stint was in the 2023-24 academic year. Her platform focused on seeking inclusive concession policies regarding mental health and improving
VP External Affairs
Report by Juan Pablo Sastoque Vega News Reporter
Alex Zheng is your next VP external affairs.
Running uncontested, Zheng said during his campaign that he wanted to make the office part of a “force that makes something good happen.” One of his priorities was ensuring students have a unified voice when it comes to advocacy surrounding Vancouver’s municipal elections this year.
Zheng declined to comment. He will take office on May 1. U
VP Administration
by Shean Lee News Contributor
William Sparks is your next VP administration.
Sparks beat out candidate Lokesh Sandhu. Sparks said he was feeling “great” and “relieved.” He said he will “do the best [he] can for students and clubs” and “hammer down sustainability.”
Sparks ran on a platform focused on advancing sustainability goals, supporting clubs and ensuring fiscal responsibility. He is currently the president of Drop the Puck for Mental Health, a student-run charity that raises funds for youth mental health.
Sparks’ first term as an AMS executive will begin on May 1. U
VP AUA
Words by Jeff Lee News Reporter
Jaiya Panchi is your next VP academic & university affairs.
Running uncontested, Panchi won on a platform centring affordability and expanding student resources. She is currently the associate VP administration under VP Admin Dylan Evans.
Panchi said she is “really excited” about the results and that her first priority is “getting the exam [and] syllabi database across the finish line.”
Also elected to Senate, she will start her executive term on May 1.U
communication between student groups and senate. Razia was not at the preliminary results announcement and The Ubyssey was unable to interview her.
This will be Lorien’s third term on Senate. Lorien’s platform centred on lowering course material costs and expanding accessibility in the classroom. They declined to comment.
“I’m just overjoyed,” said firsttime senator Panchi. “I’m so happy.” She added she would advocate for “clear and consistent” AI policies, and seeing the exam and syllabi databases — a long-standing campaign promise for the position — become a reality. Panchi highlighted that her future position as VP academic and university affairs will be helpful in the pursuit of these goals.
“Guess who’s back,” said Fontana, “I can’t even talk right now. I’m just really excited.” His first priority is opening up the academic calendar to add more graduation dates. U
His term will start May 1. | SIDNEY SHAW / THE UBYSSEY
“I’m glad that the student body put their trust in me,” he said. | ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
Her first priority is “getting the exam [and] syllabi database across the finish line.” | GUNTAS KAUR / THE UBYSSEY
Sparks said he was feeling “great” and “relieved.” | NAVYA CHADHA / THE UBYSSEY
The referendum to cut ties with Israeli universities that uphold apartheid passed with 8,894 in favour. | ZUBAIR HIRJI / THE UBYSSEY
Fontana and Nawar beat candidates Bryan Buraga, Sultana Razia and Jacky Xue for seats on the Board of Governors. | NAVYA CHADHA, ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
In a crowded race featuring 10 candidates, these five beat out fellow candidates Ash Dennis, Ian Chung, Elisa Nasimi, Bryan Buraga and Luca Jenkin. | NAVYA CHADHA, SAUMYA KAMRA, GUNTAS KAUR AND ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
Report
His term will start May 1. | SAUMYA KAMRA / THE UBYSSEY
Protest, criticism surround ‘Restore the North’ in the AMS Nest
Report by Trinity Sala & Spencer Izen News Reporter & Opinion Editor
About a dozen protesters gathered to denounce an event featuring Conservative MPs Jamil Jivani and Aaron Gunn and B.C. Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu in the AMS Nest earlier this month.
The event was organized by the UBC Conservative Club and was part of Jivani’s “Restore the North” tour, which recently held stops at SFU, University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, Memorial University, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta and University of Calgary. The Bowmanville-Oshawa North MP — a close friend of U.S. Vice President JD Vance — also visited Ontario universities last year.
On the day of the event, the New York Times published a story about Jivani following his self-initiated solo diplomatic mission to Washington, D.C. last month, describing his tour as “inspired by the movement started by Charlie Kirk.” It noted that both Jivani’s tour and his connection to the vice president have given him “name recognition and access” uncommon for a recently elected opposition lawmaker in Canada. He established a “Restore the North” initiative in September 2025 and embarked on a tour a month later, holding discussions about improving the socioeconomic prospects of young men.
The UBC Conservatives told The Ubyssey the event was one of many discussions they’ve hosted with political figures, which give “students and community members the opportunity to hear directly from policymakers, ask questions, and engage with different perspectives.”
Around 3:30 p.m., protesters set up outside of room 2314, where the event was held, holding signs and chanting “Fascists go home,” “UBC, UBC Antifa” and “Siamo tutti antifascisti,” an Italian slogan meaning “We are all anti-fascists.” They also addressed nearby students, saying, “today the AMS is hosting fascists in your Nest.
AMS President Riley Huntley responded by saying that “provid-
ing access to a booked venue is not the same as endorsing the content of an event.” The AMS, he said, does not endorse the views of the individuals or groups that book spaces in the Nest.
The protest was not without tense moments. At one point, an agitator filming a vlog pulled off a protester’s mask as several students studying nearby looked on. Another protester positioned themself in between a temporarily open door as an event attendee was let in, leading to some shoving.
Two private security personnel were stationed by the doors to room 2314. The UBC Conservative Club said they covered the associated costs.
When asked about protesters referring to the speakers as fascists, the UBC Conservatives said they respect freedom of expression. “Even when we strongly disagree, people have the right to express their opinions within the bounds of the law,” the group said.
Jivani, author of Why Young Men, a 2018 book about why men turn to violence, is known for opposing equity, diversity and inclusion. Specifically, he opposes what he calls “liberal racism” — the normalization of politicians “speaking down” to racialized people. “And on the other side, liberal racism also says that if you look like or share the ancestry of people who were part of the founding nations of this country, the British and French, that you can be openly excluded from job opportunities with the federal government or openly denied access to government programs,” he told the CBC in a wide-ranging December interview.
Gunn, the MP for North Island - Powell River, is blunter than Jivani. He’s drawn criticism for saying that residential schools were “asked for by Indigenous bands” and denying they constituted a genocide, contrary to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s findings. According to Canada’s National Observer, Gunn has also said he believes there are only two genders. His office did not reply to a request for comment, nor did Jivani’s.
The Ubyssey asked the UBC Conservatives what their club’s
views are on trans rights and anti-Indigenous racism, and they replied that “As a big-tent club, we do not take positions on issues beyond the principles outlined in the Constitution of the Conservative Party of Canada.”
Huntley, councillor and AMS presidential adviser Luke Parolin, Managing Director Justin Lieu and Building Operations Manager Vince Markarian were intermittently present nearby. According to Huntley, Parolin was there to help “with managing potential conflict between the different groups involved,” as well as liaising with the RCMP to prevent further escalation.
Per the AMS’s Building Operations Committee Policy Manual, bookings that are “controversial, contentious, or a safety concern” need to be approved by the VP administration or Building Operations Committee. This event, though, was not subjected to that process, according to the AMS. Huntley said the student union only became aware of concerns a day before the event taking place. After “confirming the event was a private, closed-door ticketed event for a small group, the AMS worked with the UBC Conservative Club to ensure that they had safety and risk plans in place in order for the event to proceed,” he said.
Huntley said VP Administration Dylan Evans is away on a planned vacation and that the AMS cannot confirm whether Evans’ office raised concerns about the event when it was first booked.
Huntley said the AMS’s decision not to examine the booking further was based on information “available at the time.”
Outside the event, protesters accused Parolin and the AMS of “allowing fascists” into the space. “This is where queer people are supposed to feel safe, and you brought people into the Nest who debate our human fucking rights,” a protester shouted at Parolin.
A few students abandoned their studies because of the protesters’ noise — banging on the door and windows of room 2314 and chanting through a megaphone — but when one group was asked, they were quick to tell The Ubyssey,
“we agree with them.” After about 90-minutes of demonstrating, they left the scene just after 5 p.m. Among those unhappy about the day’s affairs is Pottery Club President Rosalyn Carr. Until the morning of March 6, Carr had room 2311 booked for an event. She told The Ubyssey that she heard by word of mouth and on social media that the Restore the North event was being held in the room beside her, but that she received no advance notice from the AMS that this was the case. She said that club members came to her to say that they didn’t feel safe attending the club’s event if they were right next to a controversial speaker.
“My preference would have been that they just cancelled this event or relocate them,” Carr said.
Huntley said that because “this was a private, closed-door ticketed event for a small group,” there was “no operational reason to issue a general notification to neighbouring bookings.” He added that if any clubs raised concerns about comfort or access, the AMS was willing to work with them on alternative space arrangements. Carr contacted the AMS on the evening of March 5, and said that her event was rebooked to a room on the third floor of the Nest. She said that while she was not concerned that protesters would hurt her or anyone from her club, she was concerned that if law enforcement was present, they would not take the time to distinguish between protesters and members of the Pottery Club. “‘Are you a member of the UBC pottery club? Or are you here to protest? Are you lying to me?’ That’s not feasible,” Carr said.
“I’ve been at UBC for nine years, and I think at the end of the day, there’s very little about this event happening and how this was dealt with that I find in any way surprising.”
The beginning of Carr’s time at UBC marks the last significant discussions about controversial conservative speakers on campus.
In 2018, UBC drew criticism from students for permitting American conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro to speak at the Chan Center in an event or-
ganized by the UBC Free Speech Club. Critics argued that Shapiro’s presence would violate the Human Rights Code — B.C.’s quasi-constitutional anti-discrimination law — and the university’s discrimination and respectful environment policies. At the time, Provost Andrew Szeri responded saying that UBC is committed to “free, open, and transparent discussion, no matter how controversial the topics.” This stands “even where some members of the University community may consider the guest speaker’s ideas, or the way in which they expressed, to be controversial or offensive.”
The AMS operates separately from the university, and UBC’s academic freedom policy does not extend to the Nest, though Huntley said the AMS tries to align itself with the same principles.
In 2019, students and community members protested an event held by the Students for Freedom of Expression — featuring transphobic feminist activist Meghan Murphy — with a teach-in of more than 75 people by the Nest’s pride installation. That same year, Vancouver Pride Parade organizers decided against UBC’s participation after the school allowed an anti-SOGI speaker to go through — a move that provoked a response from the UBC Faculty Association and the Association for Administrative and Professional Staff. A planned but cancelled appearance by far-right influencer Andy Ngo generated similar outcry later that year.
The controversial speakers debate started in the late 2010s, but its consequences live on. Both campuses’ senates have been debating an update to the academic freedom policy since 2019, but a draft hasn’t been put to the Senate since the last one was the subject of hundreds of faculty objections last Spring.
The UBC Free Speech Club, the group that invited Shapiro, was headed by a then-student named Angelo Isidorou. Today, Isidorou is the executive director of the B.C. Conservatives. U
Protest opens a window into the recent past of the campus’s relationship with controversial right-wing speakers. | ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
Protesters wrote “Make Nazis Afraid Again” on the backdoor to room 2314. | SIDNEY SHAW / THE UBYSSEY
Protesters outside room 2314. | ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
AMS councillor Luke Parolin makes way for an attendee to enter, surrounded by protesters. | SIDNEY SHAW / THE UBYSSEY
ARTS & CULTURE
Brazilian Student Association hosts Carnaval at the Pit
Event
report by Mihika Mishra Arts & Culture Contributor
When I descended the stairs in the Nest on the night of the UBC Brazilian Students Association’s (BRASA) Carnaval party at the Pit, the once-crowded afternoon had quieted down to a few scattered individuals absorbed in their laptops. Music echoed from the lower floor, and as I approached the Pit, I was greeted by Isabel Lara Roque and Julia Sawyer, co-presidents of the UBC Brazilian Students Association. They explained that the Pit was as empty as the Nest itself — Brazilians tend to show up late to a party like this. Lara Roque and Sawyer said hosting a Carnaval event on campus comes with logistical challenges. The Pit’s hours, for instance, are far shorter than BRASA would like. “Carnaval doesn’t end,” Lara Roque joked. “If we could host a party that we could keep going until 6 a.m., we would.” But the Pit closes at 2 a.m., an hour later than Koerner’s Pub, their venue for 2025’s Carnaval night. While it wasn’t an optimal scenario, she admitted, “that one hour does make a difference.”
Carnival, a festive season that begins the week before Ash Wednesday, is a time for revelry across the Christian world, but Brazil’s interpretation, Carnaval, is perhaps the most famous. Celebrations vary by region across the country, with different costumes, parades and dance styles. The extravagance of the festival attracts millions of tourists, with 65 million people expected to participate this year. The image of opulence and unrestrained celebration is one that both Lara Roque and Sawyer, along with many other Brazilians at UBC, know firsthand.
Maintaining the Carnaval spirit outside of Brazil is central to their mission. The festival “is such a big part of Brazil and a unique energy that you don’t get anywhere else”, Sawyer said. “It’s depressing being here and seeing everyone or all of your friends in Carnaval.”
To them, this event isn’t just about partying — it’s about making sure that Brazilians at UBC feel connected to home.
Sawyer said the goal was for the night to be “not just a party at a club, but to bring the vibe of the street party that is Carnaval in Brazil.” They aimed to meet this goal by incorporating more specific decorations, such as their own flip-flops and cangas which,
Sawyer explained, are the popular and unique beach towels found in Brazil.
Inside the Pit, BRASA members had strung flip-flops and cangas across the ceiling on a wire. The dress code for Carnaval was heavily encouraged — Lara Roque said that BRASA cannot “always convince people to dress up, but we always try every year, and we always dress up [ourselves].” To this end, there was a ‘glitter station’ set up in the corner of the room — a table laden with rhinestone stickers, a tub of Vaseline, various glitters, beaded necklaces, neon paint and tulle boas, all of which I eagerly explored.
At first, I sat by the bar and people-watched. Even with the few people there, those present were truly dancing, forgoing stiffly-hinged swaying and redundant jumping — there was actual footwork involved here. Some tracks started off deceptively familiar, only for me to realize, as I began to sing along, that the lyrics were in Portuguese. The songs were remixes, samples transformed with heavier beats that changed the rhythm, reminiscent of the Brazilian funk genre. Among the familiar tunes, I heard Justin Bieber’s “Baby,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Benny Benassi’s
“Satisfaction.” As I was tricked over and over, it became clear how at home the others felt, confidently singing along. The energy in the room was infectious, not because of a large crowd but due to the passion of a deeply invested smaller one. The only songs that remained unremixed were by Bad Bunny, which also elicited a karaoke-like response.
The music was a point of contention — Sawyer said the selection tried to cater to the interests of everyone attending, even “gringos and people who are not Brazilians.” There’s always a fine balance to be struck between accessibility and representation — not everyone was satisfied by the choices in prior years.
“You have gringos who are like, ‘Oh, it was only Brazilian songs, what the heck?’” Lara Roque explained. On the other hand, when they try to incorporate more wellknown English songs, Brazilians miss the familiar tunes. Now, the BRASA execs make their own playlists for Carnaval nights, asking on their Instagram story for any particular must-haves. As it approached midnight, the dance floor filled up completely, with some taking to the stage to join the DJ. The intimacy was intertwined with the nature of the club setting, but this party felt different. A majority of the people here understood not only
rhythm, but also its physicality. People danced together, on each other, in beautiful ways. Twerking — something I rarely see in larger settings — was on full display, with impressive variations. This lack of self-consciousness is something Lara Roque said is characteristic of Brazil.
“Everyone’s just having fun. No one is judging. No problems with PDA, with showing your body,” they said. At one point, a dance circle formed organically, and the crowd surrounded a person breakdancing. Not everyone followed the rhythm precisely. Some opted to jump ferociously in place, abandoning structured routines and waving hand-held fans in time with the music.
The BRASA team has intentionally cultivated this atmosphere of connection. “We all really miss home,” said Sawyer. “Our club is meant to [promote] a community.” Lara Roque echoed this sentiment, describing the feeling of Carnaval as “[a sense of] freedom.”
As I left, having very unsuccessfully attempted to match the dancing prowess of those with an innate sense of rhythm, the rain brought me back to where I was. There was none of the heat that would be flooding the days in Brazil this time of year. BRASA’s event was a temporary bridge to the Carnaval energy — shared by those who long for home and by those eager to embrace its warmth. U
Carnaval, a festive season that begins the week before Ash Wednesday, is a time for revelry across the Christian world, but perhaps most famously in Brazil. | RAUL DEL ROSARIO / THE UBYSSEY
Review by Jack Paransky Arts & Culture Reporter
A concert in a church is a beautiful thing. I am not Christian, but even I know the expectations a band has when their audience sits in pews. A performance in a church must be nothing short of perfect — anything else would be rude to the holy oak carvings in the repurposed St. James Community Square. The echoes of past concerts reverberated from the walls. The Fugitives walked on, quietly picked up their instruments, and we started to fly.
The Fugitives are a folk band formed in Vancouver in 2004. They originally focused on spoken word before UBC theatre and film alum Adrian Glynn, the current co-lead vocalist, joined the group. Most of the original members left for other projects over the years. Now the band consists of lead singers and songwriters Glynn and Brendan McLeod, violinist Carly Frey and Chris Suen (a UBC religious studies alum) on banjo. They also sometimes collaborate with outside musicians. Sally Zori takes up the role of occasional drummer with boisterous glee.
Glynn was not always a folk fan. He was a classic ‘‘90s grunge guy — until the Coen brothers’ Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Vancouver Folk Festival (VFF) opened his eyes to the lyrical power of the genre.
“Lyrics are really important to me,” he said in an interview with The Ubyssey. One of the things that draws him to folk is the central role lyrics play — they’re “usually at the forefront [of the mix].” Glynn saw the Fugitives perform at VFF before he joined them. He worked with their producer, and when the band needed another lead singer in 2009, Glynn was the first person they called. He played a couple of songs with them and has been a key part of the band since.
Part of me wishes I could be objective and neutral about this band; the other part of me knows that I never could be. The Fugitives are one of the best bands I have ever seen. In my first year at UBC, I found them while exploring folk concerts happening soon, and I fell in love with their music. Their 2020 album Trench Songs specifically roused a part of my soul:
ARTS & CULTURE
The Fugitives fill St. James Community Square with nostalgia and fireflies
nostalgic, bombastic and melancholic. I cheered listening to the bittersweet drinking song, “Where Do We Go From Here, Boys.” I nearly cried when I heard the lyrics, “Here’s an end to this mournful story / For death is a distant friend / So here’s to a life of glory / And a laurel to crown each end,” in “The Next Man Who Dies.”
The first time I went out in Vancouver was for their concert. They played in St. James Community Square in October 2023. The Rogue Folk Club (RFC), which rented out the converted church, booked them to celebrate the release of their album, No Help Coming. I had moved from Texas a couple months prior — I was homesick, lonely and incredibly new to BC. I heard them play and my jaw hung agape for the entirety of their two-hour show. Frey’s violin lifted the room. Glynn’s and McLeod’s vocals complemented each other perfectly. Suen had a broken finger and still shredded on the banjo. When they hit their most complex harmonies, the venue lights changed colour and I haven’t been the same since. Their music to me is the sounds of looking at a Vancouver moon, the city lights of North Van twinkling like the stars.
When I saw they were performing with the RFC, I jumped at the chance to get a ticket. This was a return to St. James Community Square for the release of their new self-titled album, out on April 10. I went with high expectations and no knowledge of their new album, accompanied by The Ubyssey’s Photo Editor Sidney Shaw. Seeing Sidney become converted during the show was a highlight of my year.
The Fugitives are a perfect band to see live. It’s obvious they’ve toured with each other for years. On March 7, they told stories from the road, added context to songs and had banter that Statler and Waldorf would envy.
Zori made a surprise appearance and their drumming gave the songs a controlled but bombastic
Textiles on trial at the Slow Fashion Lab Exhibition
Review by Selina Hay Arts Contributor
A pile of textile waste lying on the floor may appear innocuous to a passing gallery-goer, but echoes of the fast fashion industry and unanswered calls for greater sustainability practices are embedded into every stitch.
This piece, aptly titled What We Refuse to See, was organized by the Kasandy Foundation, a non-profit organization that works to ensure fair trade between artisans and ethical producers, is part of the AHVA Gallery’s newest presentation, the Slow Fashion Lab Exhibition.
The exhibition showcases the work of designers, researchers and multimedia artists who tackle questions of waste management, sustainability and textile construction, prompting viewers to consider the central theme of the exhibition — how can we prioritize slowness and sustainability when creating clothing? Open from February 25 to March 20, the exhibition displays a diverse collection of work, with each piece bringing a distinct perspective to the conversation and working harmoniously as a cohesive whole.
The exhibition had its official opening on February 27, where co-curators Germaine Koh and Hélène Day Fraser formally introduced the exhibition and recognized the many artists and researchers in attendance. The room buzzed with energy as a crowd of attendees mingled throughout the space, discussing and admiring the works on display.
rhythm. Glynn and McLeod’s vocals swirled upwards in the space — they sang with even more passion than on their recorded tracks. Suen couldn’t make the performance due to health complications and another Chris, Chris Baxter, replaced him. Unlike Suen’s folkstyle clawhammer, Baxter plays bluegrass banjo, which gave the music a fantastic layered sound. He took The Fugitives’ song “Bigger than Luck” and invoked classic country breakdowns like “Cripple Creek,” going so far as to almost change the meaning of the words with his southern influence.
Frey’s violin was the highlight of the night. She gave the music a distinct rhythm, texture and imagery. The way she sawed the fiddle lifted the band so high they floated on the pulpit. When the band played, I heard the fireflies from back home. I could smell the campfire. All of their songs feel like you’re sitting on grass and looking up at the star-backed mountains.
Glynn and McLeod effectively put the feeling of distinct Canadian vastness into their lyrics. The Fugitives’ upcoming self-titled album is about the feeling and stories of touring across Canada, and you
can feel that while listening to the work. On these tours, “you can’t help but be amazed, awestruck and also honestly bored at times,” said Glynn.
I cannot stress enough how fantastic their performance was live. Songs like “Old Mistakes” went from the rousing tune from the record to filling the church with uproarious delight — but what stood out to me was their melancholy. For the last half of their performance, Sidney slumped on the railing in front of our seats. They had put their camera down a while back, and I checked to see if they were tired. They told me with a smile that it was just sad. Good, but sad.
The Fugitives know how to extract metaphors and ideas for all they’re worth. Off their new album, “As An Ending” is written from the perspective of a guitar that was stolen from them in Newfoundland years ago. What could have been a humorous but surface-level tune becomes a deep reflection about a breakup that needed to happen. McLeod wistfully sings “There’s a weight inside my lungs / There’s a hole that you have dug / Another flame I need to tend to / So take
At the opening, Koh spoke on the importance of diversity, — it’s not often when a large number of artists, designers and researchers can come together in this way, she said. This group of creators and researchers is known formally as the Slow Fashion: Circular Textiles, Sustainable Fibre Research Cluster. Their primary mission, Fraser said, is to address the issues of fast fashion, a term that refers to the portion of the fashion industry that prioritizes quick production, low labour costs and low-quality garments.
Fraser also explained the importance of finding more sustainable alternatives through the development of new materials and the application of these techniques to real-world
contexts. The goals of the cluster underpin every work in the exhibition, uniting pieces that span a wide range of mediums, approaches and techniques.
Dakota Burpee’s garments, Pocket Stones and Connective Tissue, use hand-spun, locally produced Gotland wool and worsted wool, and the pieces embrace the naturally loose threads and intricate structural properties of the material. The complexity of the wool demands attention and time. According to Burpee’s website, slowness and intentionality are key pillars in her practice. She places her garments in direct contrast to the high-volume, high turnaround rate of contemporary garment construction. Instead, Burpee allows the material to shape her work, embracing a slow and careful approach.
From a curatorial standpoint, Dakota’s work appears to be in conversation with the research of Farzan Gholamreza and Rohith Jayaraman Krishnamurthy. Situated directly beside Burpee’s garments is the piece From Worth to Worthy: Extending Cotton’s Life through Circular Reinforcement Here, slowness is embraced not as a formal technique, like it is in Burpee’s work, but as a goal. The exhibition’s opening panel description explains that durable textiles are a key element of slow fashion because they can last longer without being replaced. With From Worth to Worthy, Gholamreza and Krishnamurthy worked to extend the lifetime of used cotton fabrics, transforming them into reinforced fibers by soaking old cotton in a liquid plastic solution under a vacuum. Once the solution has evaporated, a small amount of plastic is left behind, coating and strengthening individual fibers. Once strengthened, these fibers, taking the shape of long individual strips of material, can be reused for the creation of upcycled products like cloth bags. Positioning Burpee’s pieces next to Gholamreza and Krishnamurthy’s textile research complicates the conversation surrounding sustainable approaches to garment construc-
this as an ending.” That’s what The Fugitives (the album) is like. “Firefight” is a meditation on researching the tunes from their previous album, Trench Songs: “I read the books but there were too many mistakes / I stepped inside your steps but I was walking way too late / Tried to count you but you had too many names.” “Wolf Road” is about seeing the Milky Way above you on a long ride.
During the concert, they mentioned that the new album was self-titled because they couldn’t think of a name. I honestly couldn’t think of a better one. The Fugitives is the perfect meditation on 22 years of band history — the touring, the research and seeing the divine vastness of Canada. Sidney was entranced with the Fugitives by the end of the concert. We both freaked out at the instrumentation, harmonies and how their voices filled the concert hall with nearly holy energy. When I asked them why they liked the music, they talked about how human the songs were. They said that even if so much of the world is terrible, you listen to The Fugitives and believe they’ll change the world for the better.
The Fugitives’ music is the vastness of the plains, the ruckus of drinking songs and a nostalgia for hope. If you see them in concert, you’ll fly in a church with the fireflies around you. U
tion. Burpee uses slow and intricate techniques when constructing her pieces, drawing our attention to the time and labour it takes to work with natural textiles. In contrast, Gholamreza and Krishnamurthy ask how we might manipulate and change the intrinsic properties of fabric to increase longevity. It’s the thematic throughline of slowness and care that unites the two.
Emily Hermant and Eden Eisses take this theme further with their use of unconventional materials.
Hermant’s piece, Drift, works with collected telecommunication wires to construct sculptural pieces, while Eisses’s TIDETOSS uses plastic
the ground, under the sea, up in the air, places that are everywhere, all around us, but we don’t necessarily see [them].”
By exposing these wires, Hermant challenges this invisibility. The form of Drift is as fascinating as the choice of material. With its flowing lines and wavering peaks and valleys, the structure almost appears to take a natural, geological form, encouraging the viewer to consider how technological infrastructure has become one with our natural environment.
marine debris in the fabrication of woven bags and tapestries. While connected through their use of non-natural materials, each artist explores the formal and thematic possibilities of their chosen medium with nuance. Drift, which Hermant described as a horizontal oscillating structure, is made up of twisting and overlapping telecommunication wires that eventually create a large abstract sculpture. Hermant explained that these wires interested her as a medium because of their vital yet often invisible place in our daily life. They “exist behind walls, under
Constructed entirely of plastic marine debris, Eden Eisses’s TIDETOSS examines the prior lives of discarded materials and asks the viewer to reconsider what waste truly is. Using the technique of weaving to create numerous pieces, such as a bag, a hung tapestry and a twisted rope, Eisses highlights the versatility of the plastic and the possibilities for how it could be reused. By focusing on marine debris, Eisses brings the ever-present issue of ocean pollution to the forefront. Plastic is often associated with single-use items and our throwaway economy, but by rethinking the possibilities of the material, Eisses allows us to see the infinite possibilities in our waste bins. Materials hold many possibilities, and it’s up to artists, designers and researchers to discover their hidden potential with sustainability and intentional slow practices in mind. The exhibition is not simply about fashion — it asks us to consider, as Hermant put it, “slow methodologies … where things come from, [and] how they get taken apart and rebuilt” – only then will we be able
see
to
the infinite possibilities held within the things we throw away. U
The exhibition showcases the work of designers, researchers and multimedia artists who tackle questions of waste management, sustainability and textile construction. | VERONIKA KAPITANCHUK / THE UBYSSEY
The Fugitives are a perfect band to see live. It’s obvious they’ve toured with each other for years. | SIDNEY SHAW / THE UBYSSEY
The Fugitives are one of the best bands I have ever seen.
| SIDNEY SHAW / THE UBYSSEY
Materials hold many possibilities, and it’s up to artists, designers and researchers to discover their hidden potential. | VERONIKA KAPITANCHUK / THE UBYSSEY
Point of Inquiry: Lawyers at AMS Council
are never a good sign
The Executive Performance & Accountability Committee is done, for now. Its replacement needs to be more transparent.
Opinion by Quyen Schroeder AMS Columnist
Quyen Schroeder (they/she) writes Point of Inquiry, a column covering student politics and the AMS. They are a fourthyear student studying English and Computer Science. Her email is q.schroeder@ubyssey. ca.
As continued from page 1. Four days later, there was a council meeting with certifiably rancid vibes. It started with both VP Administration Dylan Evans and VP Student Life Kevin Heieis asking to move to in camera. Heieis said there were “some things we should have some discussions about.” When the public session resumed, Heieis was nowhere to be seen. He wouldn’t return for another half hour.
Huntley’s return to the role of president was likewise succeeded by a four-hour in camera EPA meeting on Mar. 4.
When the EPA rears its ugly head, we know shit is going down. Just one issue: the EPA typically conducts its business in private, in camera sessions. So we know that shit is going down, but what shit is going down is confidential.
A year and a half ago, then-VP Academic and University Affairs Drédyn Fontana was removed from office, following a report by the EPA Committee. We didn’t know why he was removed or what he’d done wrong: only that he had been investigated for “poor performance” and “misrepresentation to AMS council.”
It didn’t come out exactly why he had been removed — that is, what the “poor performance” and “misrepresentation to AMS council” was — until The Ubyssey’s news team published an investigation into his removal. The story referenced a leaked document: the EPA’s investigation into Fontana.
This secrecy is among the EPA’s problems, but the EPA process has also failed executives, some of whom have said the process caused stress and became a tool of retaliation.
Fontana alleged that his review by the EPA committee and subsequent removal was retaliation for concerns he had raised about then-President Christian Kyle. Fontana also raised concerns that “making things confidential” through in camera sessions “threatens silence,” citing worries about litigation for violating the council’s Code of Procedure. The same year, VP External Ayesha Irfan said executives “don’t feel safe coming to EPA.” I’ve seen councillors storm out of in camera sessions in tears. Multiple times.
During the past couple months of watching the AMS executives turn against each other and sitting for hours outside closed-door meetings, I’ve realized that we’ve seen this play before. But this time, it’s being played a lot closer to the chest. There haven’t been any explosive public outbursts or 10:03 p.m. emails. But something is deeply amiss in the culture of the
AMS. I wouldn’t be surprised if it rhymed with last year’s toxicity, animosity towards EPA and retaliatory investigations.
During the Mar. 2 special council meeting, council remained in camera for four hours. Almost nothing was in the public session, and its attendance had curious absences and even more curious guests. Neither of the AMS president-hopefuls — Governor Jasper Lorien or VP Administration Dylan Evans — were present. Nor was VP External Solomon Yi-Kieran, who was downstairs moderating the Clash of Clubs debate. At least one executive attended with a lawyer —
“
“When the EPA rears its ugly head, we know shit is going down. Just one issue: the EPA typically conducts its business in private, in camera sessions. So we know that shit is going down, but what shit is going down is confidential.”
one of their firm’s specialties is employment law.
What went down during those four hours of council isn’t public.
What we do know is there was a rotating cast of executives permitted into the room. What we do know is that council resumed its public session shortly before midnight. What we do know is that the only executives there at the end were AMS President Riley Huntley and VP Finance Gagan Parmar. What we do know is that Speaker of Council Josh Bradbury was speaking in his capacity as the chair of the EPA committee; Councilor Bryan Buraga chaired the meeting instead.
And we know that council approved a motion to pause the EPA process. No more in camera feedback sessions through the end of the year. Instead, the EPA committee would be investigating themselves to determine the future of AMS accountability.
Things have not always been thus. There was a time before the EPA. For nearly a decade — from 2007 to 2016 — the AMS had an Oversight Committee tasked with, well, overseeing the executives. To encourage executives to perform, a carrot was dangled in front of them, taking the form of a $5,000 Performance Accountability Incentive. Throughout the year, executives would be followed by a stick: the threat of decreasing their end-of-year incentive payout. When the EPA was formed, then-President Eshana Bhanghu thought the Oversight Committee’s bonus system was “extremely toxic,” causing the
committee to be “too political.” I’m sure the financial manipulation caused plenty of conflict, but EPA certainly hasn’t been beating the “extremely toxic” allegations, despite having no monetary sticks to punish executives with.
During its final year, the Oversight Committee put a focus on “the well-being of the executive.” This year, one of the EPA’s goals was increasing the focus on “supporting executives” rather than just accountability.
Once the Oversight Committee was dissolved in 2016, council as a whole was responsible for overseeing executives — bringing censures for poor behaviour. This process was criticized because council struggled to reach a consensus on feedback. Rather than having one manager, executives had 40 — each pushing and pulling in a different direction.
In 2020, following a controversy around an executive’s conflict of interest, the AMS formed the Ethics and Accountability Committee. They spent four months creating an investigation into that executive — which was
“
“Every time we’ve reviewed our accountability policy, we’ve sought to address issues of toxicity and reduce conflicts of interest. Is this an impossible goal? I don’t think so. But it seems that the EPA fell into the same cycles as the accountability solutions that came before.”
subsequently made public. Otherwise, they did little before being succeeded by the EPA.
The death of EPA has been a long time coming. At the start of this year, I erroneously thought a better president would excise toxicity from our union. I was wrong. EPA needed to be killed — and something more fruitful must rise in its place. We should not be hasty in assuming a newer, better EPA will solve every cul -
tural issue within the AMS. After all, the EPA is only the latest in a long line of failed accountability measures. Our union’s culture is the product of both structures and individuals: “fixing” EPA wouldn’t necessarily fix the culture of the AMS so long as power-hungry opportunists are still running the show.
At EPA’s funeral earlier this month, a couple councillors spoke on issues with the current process. Councillor Ash Dennis said the EPA’s structure was “leading to a lot more issues.”
Councillor Humleen Samra said it was important that students — not just council — are able to “hear and partake” in discussions about the progress of executive goals. She also hoped that the EPA’s replacement might produce a “more engaged council” rather than relegating accountability just to the EPA Committee. Fixing the structure of the EPA is just one part of returning our union to a less vile, toxic culture. The future is uncertain, and I expect many of the current failures of the EPA are kept closely guarded under the mandate of confidentiality. But going forward, secrecy should be rare. While executives are employees of the AMS, they are also elected by and accountable to students. So goes the once-great newspaper’s motto: “Democracy dies in darkness.”
Hours of in camera EPA sessions should be extraordinary, not extraordinarily ordinary. Not every discussion will be appropriate to have publicly, but especially discussions of the progress of executive goals should be public. When there are concerns about performance — like an executive’s failure to meet their campaign promises — voters deserve to know.
When an executive is removed, we should know why. Certainly, there are some human resources concerns with enumerating the reasons an employee is terminated to 60,000 students. But removing an elected official without consulting students, without providing explanation and without sharing who voted for their removal undermines student participation in their own union. We deserve for our representatives not to be eliminated without explanation. I fear Fontana’s removal last year breached Pandora’s box, setting up the nuclear option as the norm.
Right now, expectations of confidentiality keep all of this
strictly within council. Neither I nor my colleagues in the news section of The Ubyssey can report what we don’t know. Do with that what you will.
““… removing an elected official without consulting students, without providing explanation and without sharing who voted for their removal undermines student participation in their own union.”
The turmoil and infighting and secrecy of the AMS does nothing to serve students. It is a distraction that draws attention away from what matters. That’s not to say that nothing meaningful has happened amid the chaos. But time and money spent on internal investigations and legal advice and fighting wrongful dismissal cases in court … don’t actually help students in any material way.
Every time we’ve reviewed our accountability policy, we’ve sought to address issues of toxicity and reduce conflicts of interest. Is this an impossible goal? I don’t think so. But it seems that the EPA fell into the same cycles as the accountability solutions that came before.
When The Ubyssey reported on the EPA’s creation, it included a statement from then-President Bhangu. “We’re definitely not repeating mistakes from the past,” it started. “I’m very confident that this executive performance and accountability committee will be effective and be different.” That aged like milk. I have no doubt that whatever comes next will have its own problems. But let’s make them different from the ones that came before.
This is an opinion essay, and a part of a regular column. It reflects the columnist’s views and may not reflect the views of The Ubyssey as a whole. Contribute to the conversation by visiting http://ubyssey.ca/ pages/submit-an-opinion/. U
At the start of this year, I erroneously thought a better president would excise toxicity from our union. I was wrong. | SENEESHA
EKANAYAKE / THE UBYSSEY
From CiTR to Chalamet, Nardwuar will always be a random kid from Vancouver
Profile by Elena Massing and Julian Coyle Forst Features editor, Arts & Culture Editor
If you’re looking for help recording an interview, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better teacher than Nardwuar. Since starting out at CiTR
about Nardwuar’s practice. “It’s the same person,” Kornfeld said, “except now with global distribution and a global audience.”
That audience was hard to come by. Before the internet, even Nardwuar struggled to get eyes on his work and, back when he organized garage band gigs (which, in
Yip would see Nardwuar around the station, often getting into hourlong conversations about music, recording tech and the radio. In 2020, COVID-19 finalized Nardwuar’s move online, and “during that time, it felt like Nardwuar’s celebrity really escalated.” When the station reopened in 2023, the CiTR
would be, Nardwuar said he always admired how she was able to “bring out their stories … She taught me that everybody has a story. It’s up to the interviewer to make the interviewee exciting.” In the time since that talent first caught Kornfeld’s eye in the pages of Discorder, she’s joined him at
crew,” Kornfeld said. “The fact that it looks like it’s real, like it’s just one person doing stuff, really appeals to people.” The slapdash, makeit-work style is one of CiTR’s most recognizable influences on Nardwuar’s work today. With campus radio, you don’t need professional training or production values to get
young to remember that!” It’s one of the earliest appearances of the Nardwuar classic: resurfacing an old memory out of the blue, maybe for shock value. Kornfeld said Nardwuar then went around advertising a “Gilligan video offer” — for five dollars, he would sell VHS tapes of that interview, because that’s simply what distribution had to be in those days. Even now, with this interaction and many others easily accessible through his YouTube channel, not much has changed
“If I can do it, anyone can! They gave me a show, hooray!”
- Nardwuar the Human Serviette
don’t know if they would consider him to be a radio figure.”
When Sloan Yip started at the station, Nardwuar would come in to broadcast his show in person every Friday. His first encounter with the Serviette was through a note slid under his office door. “It was a bright orange piece of crafting paper. It had been hastily torn, and it said ‘Hullo Jasper! Welcome to CiTR. Here’s a couple records I thought you should have.’”
For the next few years, Sloan
to do. He’s been able to keep going for so long because he has never perceived his career as ‘work,’ and probably never will.
Nardwuar said he owes that talent for interviewing to his mother, Olga Ruskin. Ruskin was a court reporter for the Toronto Star who, like her son, got her start in student media at UBC — a few of her gallery reviews from the ‘60s can still be found in The Ubyssey’s archives. Though his mother’s sources tended to be less renowned than his own
“[Some students] actually think of themselves as going to CiTR, and they also attend classes at UBC.”
- Jasper Sloan Yip, CiTR Station Manager
Back when he was trying to do freelance work for different stations, the standards for audio and video were too strict to accommodate his usual style. Now, it wouldn’t be a true Nardwuar interview without a camera shake or an awkward cutaway. Apparently Timothée Chalamet specifically requested that his interview with Nardwuar be just as low-quality as all the others.
“He didn’t want Nardwuar to show up in LA with a professional
record library and was immediate ly swarmed by dozens of adoring students. Sloan Yip said he gets that a lot when he comes to the station these days, but he would never dream of swapping that tartan tam for a baseball cap and sunglasses. Even with the start of his show fast approaching, he stood in the station lounge, taking photos and talking about music. He could have stepped out or excused himself — but Nardwuar doesn’t think that way. U
Nardwuar in front of his old stomping grounds, CiTR, UBC’s radio station. | GUNTAS KAUR / THE UBYSSEY
Though he doesn’t haunt CiTR like he used to, Nardwuar still does his part to promote community spirit at the station.. | GUNTAS KAUR / THE UBYSSEY
The Nardwuar Nike SB Dunk Low, which started appearing in stores
GUNTAS KAUR / THE UBYSSEY
Blown 18-point halftime lead sinks T-Birds in Final 8 quarterfinals
Game Analysis by Ian Cooper Sports Reporter
Continued from page 1.
It was an unthinkable result, especially after how well the T-Birds had played early on.
UBC’s first quarter offence was electric. Eight different members of the Thunderbirds squad scored as UBC put up an impressive 28 points, their highest-scoring quarter of the post-season. Nylan Roberts — third on the team in scoring — got on the board first with a smooth pull-up jumper.
Then, fifth-year Tobi Akinkunmi, who only scored five points total throughout the duration of the Canada West playoffs, ran a fast break to perfection and converted a tough Eurostep lay. Despite much of Akinkunmi’s on-court value not being derived from his scoring — but rather his energy, grit and hustle — seeing a shot fall early was clearly impactful. Akinkunmi finished the game with a solid 10 points, and was one of five UBC players to score in double digits.
UBC’s first quarter success was largely fuelled by their defence and rebounding prowess. UBC was a top three team in both offensive and defensive rebounding in their conference this season. In the first quarter UBC hauled in 14 rebounds, only three more than TMU, but it was apparent early that UBC had more control on the glass. This was largely thanks to UBC’s size advantage, not just grabbing rebounds, but also attacking the basket with their size early on. They finished the quarter up 13 points without hitting a single three-pointer.
The T-Birds’ attack on the TMU basket did not slow down to open the second quarter. To open, Roberts fired a bullet of a pass from just inside half-court to find an open Akinkunmi under the basket, putting UBC up 30–17. At this point, TMU was still looking to establish their offence. Outside of Aaron Rhooms, the U Sports player of the year, and third-year guard Gabriel Gutsmore, no one else on their squad had scored.
UBC’s offence continued to roll in the second quarter. Scoring 11 points in two minutes, and TMU had no answer for the Thunderbirds’ relentless attack on the cup in transition. The ‘Birds leading scorer, Nikola Guzina — a
first team Canada West all-star — converted on a nice spin move in the paint, which was immediately followed by transition dunks from both Raj Dhadda and Roberts. Dhadda, who recently had the game of his career in the Canada West semifinals, was fouled driving to the basket, looking to hype up both himself and his team off the three-point play.
Having led by as much as 20, the T-Birds were up an impressive 18 points headed into halftime. While the TMU offence had finally shown signs of improvement, the Bold simply had no answer for UBC’s spread-out, attacking, offensive scheme.
The Bold were clearly focused on one thing coming out of halftime — defence. UBC didn’t score once in nearly the first three minutes of action, and when they finally did, the points came off a tough, mid-range jump shot from Holt Tomie. The Bold were intent on walling UBC off from the paint and forcing them to take perimeter shots, and their new defensive approach appeared to be working early. After scoring 28 in the paint in the first half, the ‘Birds were held to just four in the third quarter.
TMU’s reinvigorated defence held UBC to just 11 total points in the quarter on only 19 per cent field goal shooting. That wasn’t the only thing clicking for the Bold. Their offence had finally hit full stride, now finding scoring from key bench players like Maxime Louis-Jean, who had eight points in the quarter. TMU closed out the quarter scoring 26 points.
In the closing seconds, a late TMU play epitomized how much the roles had reversed. Similarly to how UBC had dominated in the first half, TMU forward Greg Dorsey found Rhooms lurking in the paint, snagging the pass over the head of UBC’s Gus Goerzen, where he easily converted on a layup. The T-Birds’ advantage down low had vanished.
UBC had one final look on a crazy, backwards alley-oop pass from Dhadda, but were unable to convert. The lead was down to three. The comeback was nearly complete. 10 minutes ago, the T-Birds were coasting to an easy win. Now, all the pressure would be on UBC through the closing quarter, as the Bold were now playing fully uninhibited.
Gutsmore tied the game immediately with a corner three, and despite the ‘Birds quickly responding with a layup from Guzi-
na, the three was simply the beginning of the perimeter barrage that was to come from the Bold. Next trip down the floor, Toth, who had missed all his shots until then, caught the ball and let it fly from three with confidence.
Money. TMU takes the lead.
The sequence that followed was simply ridiculous. Tomie connected on his first two three-pointers of the afternoon in 45 seconds, while Rhooms, Gutsmore, and Toth responded each time with baskets of their own. The shotmaking was electric. The difficulty on these shots was high. Both benches were visibly pumped up.
With two minutes left and the game tied, Rhooms grabbed a key offensive rebound and put it back for an and-one opportunity. He calmly sank the free throw to give TMU a three-point lead. In a game where every point mattered, TMU finished the day 10 for 11 on free-throws, even though they finished their regular season as the worst free-throw shooting team in their conference, making just over 60 per cent of their attempts this season.
Things started to heat up fast. Dhadda quickly responded with a three to tie up the game once more. Then, Toth hit his fourth three of the quarter to put TMU up again. Tomie responded with another mid-range jumper with just over a minute left, bringing the ‘Birds within one.
Finally, after a UBC timeout, Toth’s crowning moment came.
With just over 40 seconds left, up by two, UBC needed a stop. Instead, coming off a screen, with ice in his veins, Toth laced his fifth three-pointer of the quarter to put the Bold up five. Dagger.
It was a tough way for UBC to miss out on a medal opportunity, but it’s hard to say the ‘Birds did too much wrong, especially in the fourth quarter. They were simply shut out by a spectacular performance in the closing minutes of an epic contest.
The Thunderbirds coming as far as they did this year, despite losing Adam Olsen, their leading scorer from a year ago, was a testament to the leadership of interim head coach Phil Jalalpoor in his first year as bench boss. While UBC is eliminated from the gold medal race, their season would not end with this loss. Instead, they’d be sorted into the consolation bracket, where the ‘Birds lost to the L’Université Laval Rouge et Or, officially ending their season. U
In one of his final games as a Thunderbird, Tobi Akinkunmi (#13) played the best he has all post-season, scoring ten points, more than double his output throughout the rest of the playoffs. | COURTESY CHRIS LINDSEY / CALGARY DINOS
It was a performance to forget for the ‘Birds, who blew a 20-point lead to lose out. | COURTESY CHRIS LINDSEY / CALGARY DINOS
Nikola Guzina (#6) usually eats teams up in the paint. | COURTESY CHRIS LINDSEY / CALGARY DINOS
Huskies lead early and often in T-Birds’ Final 8 quarterfinal loss
After the Calgary Dinos upset the previously undefeated Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West semifinal, the T-Birds thought they had caught a break. Instead, they got the worst of both worlds, losing to the Dinos in the final before being eliminated from medal contention by the Huskies — a game in which they never led.
Game Analysis by
Maia Cesario Senior Sports Reporter
After a heartbreaking home court loss to the University of Calgary Dinos in the Canada West finals, the UBC women’s basketball team needed a win, badly. Having come so close to the conference championship title for the second year in a row, the loss stung. But then, it got worse for UBC. Because of their loss to Calgary, they were handed a lower seed in the ensuing national tournament, Final 8, being ranked fourth. As the four seed, they were set them up to face off against the defending national champions, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
A couple of weeks ago, the Huskies were the favourite to win both the conference and nationals, being ranked first all season in the national polls. Yet, after an undefeated regular season — going 20–0 — their 51-game winning streak came crashing down in a close semifinal battle against the Dinos. Calgary was able to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season, beating them 61–58 to advance to the Canada West finals, where they eventually beat UBC to become the 2025-2026 conference champions.
Typically, a semifinals loss in conference play is a death knell for a team’s season, as U Sports usually only includes conference champions and finalists in their national tournaments. However, even though Saskatchewan was not a conference finalist, they still made it into the tournament in the field’s one wild card spot.
The Final 8 includes an atlarge berth, determined by a series of four tiebreakers, the first of which is win-loss record, including playoffs. With their 21–1 mark, the best in the country, the Huskies stayed alive.
With the at-large berth, this seeded them fifth in the tournament, making them the Thunderbirds’ first opponent in the quarterfinals match. In a national tournament, this would usually be an opponent UBC knows very well, being in the same conference — but considering how good Saskatchewan has been all year — that is not the advantage it would normally be.
The T-Birds narrowly escaped playing them in the Canada West Final, which may have
seemed like a good thing at first. After all, they fell to them in last year’s conference championship, settling for silver. It seemed like they had avoided a repeat of history. However, with this turn of events, they would now have to play the Huskies with so much on the line. The quarterfinal match in any U Sports tournament is particularly important, as it determines whether you will
“
“They struggled almost all game offensively. They could not find success in the paint against the Huskies’ intense defence. With UBC plagued by turnovers and fouling trouble, Saskatchewan dominated the whole game.”
go on in the tournament to play for a medal — or solely a consolation prize.
For UBC, while the Huskies have been an unstoppable force for every team, the T-Birds in particular have struggled with them. They lost to them twice in the regular season in backto-back away games, where they were demolished 80–51 and 93–70. After the Huskies ended their bid for a Canada West title, they also met them again in the Final 8, where the Thunderbirds fell by over 20 points, effectively ending their season. They were forced to play for bronze, which they lost in a tight race, 68–61 against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees earning fourth place.
UBC has had a strong season, with their 16–4 record and finish as conference finalists. This does not hold a candle to the Huskies dominance as a team. If they had any hopes of improving on their fourth-place finish from last year, they would have to play their absolute best game of the
season. And more.
While the likelihood of two teams upsetting the Huskies back-to-back seemed slim, in the playoffs and throughout this season UBC has shown grit, as well as the ability to overcome a deficit and come up clutch in a game. However, as they were entering this tournament off a loss, the question would be whether the Canada West finals loss had shaken them — or if it lit a fire under them.
Unfortunately for UBC, it was the former. They struggled almost all game offensively. They could not find success in the paint against the Huskies’ intense defence. With UBC plagued by turnovers and fouling trouble, Saskatchewan dominated the whole game. The Huskies held the lead from the tip–off to the last buzzer, eventually toppling them 71–55 in a one–sided showing.
Getting their first points on the board right off the tipoff, Saskatchewan immediately showed off the offensive prowess they’ve become known for. Ella Murphy Wiebe set things up for the Huskies right away, flying in for a layup in the first few seconds. They quickly controlled play, getting a 5–0 lead.
This is typical. Saskatchewan is first in the country at offensive shooting and third in offensive rebounding, standing out as one of the best offences in Canada. The Thunderbirds would have to work hard to stop them from dominating at the net — which was already a struggle, a minute and a half in.
Second team all-Canadian Olivia Weekes finally got things going for UBC, as they made their way onto the board. Facing a tough, complete team like the Huskies, the T-Birds would have some trouble finding lanes once Saskatchewan’s defence was set. Because of this, they needed to take advantage of them when offset, pushing the offence in transition. Attempting to cut into Saskatchewan’s early lead, fifthyear Jaeli Ibbetson was able to do exactly this, drawing a foul. But then, she couldn’t capitalize at the line, missing both her shots. This was unfortunately a theme for UBC on the rare chances they had free throw opportunities.
Yet, as the game settled in, both teams’ offence became a little slow, having trouble connecting. With the Huskies’ offence
not in high gear anymore, UBC was finally able to catch up. Down 9–2, Weekes — trying to muscle her way to the basket — was denied under the net, but she was able to save possession and get it off to Cassie Joli-Coeur in time in the paint. Joli-Coeur dished it to Cerys Merton behind the arc, and as she went up for the three, she found nothing but net. This momentum continued, as fifthyear guard Sara Toneguzzi sunk a jumper to make it a two-point game. They wouldn’t keep it close for long. The T-Birds were turning the ball over and losing possession. When they were making moves on offence, they were struggling to connect, especially in the paint, as they could not get past the Huskies to the net. At the end of the first quarter, they were down 19–11 — already in a bad place. If they continued to play like they had in the first quarter, it would be much of a game for UBC.
Early indications in the second weren’t positive. The Huskies picked up right where they
““While it was certainly not the game the T-Birds would have hoped to play, it’s fair to say they were outmatched from the start. “
left off, as fourth-year Maya Flindall drove and made a reverse layup to put them up by ten at 21–11. With their season slipping away, UBC head coach Dave Taylor called an early timeout. It seemed to have worked.
Out of the timeout, UBC picked up their energy with a quick 5–0 run, starting with another three–pointer. That may have been the one thing UBC had going for them in this game — success from behind the arc. This was keeping them in it, as with
their threes, they could quickly cut down their deficit. Continuing to close the gap, rookie Brooke Wagner went down in the paint, but was stopped by a wall of Huskies. She kept the play alive, however, being able to get it through the backdoor to Sofia Bergman for the layup. The lead was down to five.
Then, back-to-back Canada West player of the year and first team all-Canadian Gage Grassick finally got the Huskies their first three-pointer of the game, as unlike UBC, they had been struggling from range. Left open, she found nothing but net.
Not only were the Thunderbirds struggling to stop the Huskies on offence, but they also kept sending them to the line — hurting their chances of keeping up. With over four minutes left in the second quarter, they almost had Saskatchewan in bonus while the Huskies were already leading 25–16.
It wasn’t just the free throws that were causing issues, either. Key contributors such as Weekes, arguably UBC’s best player, were in foul trouble. In the first quarter, Weekes had quickly racked up two fouls
The defensive struggles continued. They could not stop them from scoring, as Grassick again connected at the net with a fader in the paint to balloon their lead backup to nine. Their offensive spark was gone too. Every time the T-Birds had possession, they were swarmed by the Huskies and double–teamed.
Eventually, it was Toneguzzi who brought them back in it, sinking back–to–back three-pointers for UBC, closing the gap to 31–24. She lit a fire for the Thunderbirds’ offence, continuing to produce throughout the quarter, getting fast break points off a Stella LaGrange steal. With Toneguzzi leading the way, the T-Birds had a good burst of energy at the end of the second quarter, cutting Saskatchewan’s lead to five before a Grassick three in the final seconds had UBC going into halftime down 34–26. It was a low-scoring first half for both teams, but especially so for UBC. In almost every conceivable way, the Huskies were dominating offensively. UBC only had two free throws. They missed both. The Huskies were outdoing them in the paint, with Saskatchewan doubling UBC from that part of the court, up
UBC’s Jaeli Ibbetson is blocked going to the basket. The T-Birds could not get anything going on offence, especially struggling in the paint. | COURTESY MATHIEU BELANGER / LAVAL
20–10 after the half. From the field, UBC wasn’t hitting their shots, shooting just above 30 per cent, while the Huskies were at nearly 40.
Really, the only way the T-Birds were finding their success on offence was in transition. As the Huskies did everything they could to disrupt their chances on offence, UBC would have to find new ways to score to catch up in the second half.
Yet, coming out of the locker room, not much had changed. To start the second half Saskatchewan only continued to dominate, as the one-sided game continued. Flindall opened the third quarter with a three–pointer, continuing her particularly strong game, with her and Grassick scoring over half of Saskatchewan’s points thus far. For UBC, Toneguzzi continued her hot streak, responding with a longrange shot of her own to bring the score back to an eight point game 37–29.
As the third crept on, building off Toneguzzi’s fiery start, UBC started to look more like themselves. Their defence had turned
up the intensity, making a great play to force a shot clock violation, with Weekes almost stripping the ball away, lunging to fight for possession. On the other end of the court, this defensive success set them up well with Toneguzzi open on the perimeter for another three-pointer. UBC was quickly only down by five at 37–32. After a post-season of close, fourth quarter victories, it seemed like they could maybe come back.
They wouldn’t have even been in this position if not for Toneguzzi. Scoring 21 points, she went five for eight from three to blow past her career-high. She was named player of the game for UBC, adding four rebounds and three assists to her teamhigh point total. Despite her best efforts, once again, however, the ray of hope for the Thunderbirds fizzled out. Struggling on offence again, the ‘Birds only scored four points in the next five minutes, as Weekes, typically their best offensive player, had picked up her fourth foul with just under five minutes left in the third quarter and was taken off the
court. Even though Toneguzzi was filling this gap admirably for
“
“Every time the T-Birds had possession, they were swarmed by the Huskies and double–teamed.”
the T–Birds, it wasn’t enough, as they were down 51–40 going into the fourth quarter. With only 10 minutes left in the match, UBC needed every possession to count. With Weekes back in, they got off to a good start, as she sunk a three–pointer three minutes in. It was too little, too late. Saskatchewan only extended their lead throughout the
final ten, with UBC trailing by as many as 17 points about halfway through the fourth quarter, down 63–46. The Huskies had started to run away with it. With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Weekes earned her fifth personal foul and officially fouled out of the game. Racking up those fouls early caused major issues for UBC, as her presence was missed throughout the game. In the end, after a completely dominant showing, Saskatchewan took the win 71–55, eliminating the Thunderbirds from medal contention. While it was certainly not the game the T-Birds would have hoped to play, it’s fair to say they were outmatched from the start. They were facing an absolute giant of a team — much better than the typical No. 5 seed — as the Huskies held the lead all game, showing off why they are the defending champions.
While UBC has been knocked out of medal contention, they wouldn’t be out of nationals quite yet. After losing in the quarterfinal, they’ll be placed in the consolation bracket, taking
on the other three losing teams in a fight for fifth place. With the consolation game happening the day after the quarterfinal, the Thunderbirds will have to immediately shake off this loss and prepare for their next battle.
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold — who earned the one seed after ending as the OUA champions with a 20–2 regular season record — also had a tough quarterfinals match. In a massive upset, they fell to the host team, L’Université Laval Rouge et Or, in a tight contest. They fought to the last possession, but they missed the three–pointer to tie it and fell 57–54.
As such, TMU was also bumped to the consolation side of the tournament, and UBC would face them the next day. With this match, the T-Birds would fight to extend their season to another game, as a loss would be the end of their campaign. Unfortunately for UBC, they couldn’t keep their season alive, falling to TMU for two points, which eliminated them from the tournament. U
For Cassie Joli-Coeur and the rest of UBC’s graduating seniors, they will not get to finish their careers on top. This Huskies team was just too good. | COURTESY MATHIEU BELANGER / LAVAL
Brooke Wagner (#21) has been an impressive role-player in her first year. | COURTESY MATHIEU BELANGER / LAVAL
Cerys Merton goes up to the basket with a Huskie in her face. | COURTESY MATHIEU BELANGER / LAVAL
Since time immemorial, the waters of the Pacific Northwest have been a home for salmon, nourishing the land and its people. However, as the impacts of climate change intensify, risks to salmon populations evolve with them.
To protect Pacific salmon populations, the federal government implemented Canada’s policy for conservation of wild Pacific salmon as a “commitment to maintain healthy and diverse populations” for fisheries and uphold sustainability for future generations. But how has the policy been implemented? A team of researchers at UBC reviewed the policy’s impact on salmon
of Pacific salmon in the province.
However, the effects of climate change create new risks for wild salmon populations. Thiamine (vitamin B1) is a nutrient required to process food sources into energy. For Pacific salmon, thiamine comes from their prey. But ocean warming and stratification affect thiamine supply in the ocean, and impact thiamine levels in salmon food sources. This allows TDC to evolve quickly with little warning. Low thiamine levels have widespread impacts on salmon health, including high mortality of fry because of insufficient thiamine in salmon eggs.
According to Lerner, when salmon eggs emerge from
use models to predict conditions impacting ecological dynamics, such as food availability and predation risk . According to Lerner, since salmon fry is hard to observe in nature, the researchers need to visit the hatcheries, spawn the eggs in controlled conditions, and observe the survival of the fry to monitor thiamine levels. However, real-life ocean conditions are much more complex and may take much longer to monitor.
“It takes a lot of research to identify specific mechanisms affecting fish or defecting ecosystems. And once you identify them, things can potentially change over time, [which] requires consistently going back and confirming these mechanisms,” said Le -
AI chatbot addiction research identifies types of overreliance and calls for more awareness
by Dr. Jacob Lerner, postdoctoral research fellow at the Pelagic Ecosystems Lab, and Dr. Anna McLaskey, research associate in the same lab at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. Their article examines potential approaches to managing vulnerable populations amid rapidly changing marine ecosystem conditions, particularly the emergence of thiamine deficiency complex (TDC) among salmon.
“[Pacific salmon] are important to people in B.C.,” said Lerner. “[They are] a very exciting species of study, and that’s partly because of their exciting, fascinating life cycles that bring them from terrestrial systems to the high seas.”
The life cycle of Pacific salmon happens across thousands of kilometres, as they migrate from freshwater sources to the ocean and back again. Pacific salmon incubate as eggs and alevin (newly-hatched salmon) in rivers — a stage known as fry migration, during which they remain in the river typically for a few months to years. They grow in estuaries for days to months before migrating to the ocean to live for the next one to seven years. They travel back to freshwater to spawn or die.
“[The salmon] pass groups of people and communities over broad swaths of space and geography, and they connect these two very different systems: ocean ecology and ocean food webs,” said Lerner.
In 2023, the B.C. Salmon Fishery reported $58 million for wild salmon exports, with landed value for marine and inland reaching $23 million, highlighting the economic role
salmon that are on the thiamine-deficient yolk sacs will show neurological issues, such as irregular swimming patterns, that make it difficult for them to find food.
To address TDC, the researchers outlined strategies to support young salmon populations, such as bathing eggs in thiamine-rich water or injecting it into females before they lay eggs. More research is also needed to examine treatment strategies beyond early life to better assess long-term management of TDC. Ultimately, researchers need to determine whether current efforts are enough.
The Wild Salmon Policy has established initiatives such as conservation units (CU), which are monitored groups of salmon that reflect genetic and geographic diversity, used to assess populations and implement relevant solutions. The policy presents a clear outline to integrate broader ecosystem effects and incorporate ecological research into management options.
Past policy efforts to improve ecological research include a Salmon Data Reporting Strategy and Workplan to standardize data collection methods, as well as a method to estimate CU benchmarks from observations of salmon populations when data is limited. The article also looks forward to seeing increased integration of TDC into management, whether in hatcheries or salmon production models.
However, some challenges still exist, such as difficulty conducting and implementing mechanistic studies. These
studies to better investigate the ecological dynamics affecting salmon populations. There are many complex relationships between salmon and their environment, and researchers must have knowledge of each of these relationships. Modelling this complexity requires heavy computations.
Regarding future outcomes for salmon research and management, McLaskey said that more work needs to be done on collaborating with several levels of management. This includes local, provincial and federal governments, as well as more Indigenous communities, which already have efforts in place like salmon parks and the creation of salmon spawning beds.
“The most important thing is to start with building relationships,” said McLaskey. “You just need to start from a different perspective … and [find] the middle ground where your skills and needs align. Oftentimes, projects take twists and turns and are less focused on traditional academic outcomes, so it’s important to have a different mindset.”
Meanwhile, Lerner described the constant need for further research on salmon populations and more consistent funding for that research.
“The climate is changing. Salmon populations are shifting, and so it is really important to stay on top of the drivers of these populations, with support for this holistic type of research where we understand the mechanisms affecting salmon from the bottom up,” said Lerner. U
Report by Harleen Randhawa Research Reporter
AI chatbots can deliver exactly what users want with minimal effort, like a genie granting endless answers with the rub of a lamp. The idea, which researchers call the ‘AI Genie’ phenomenon, is at the centre of new research examining addictive patterns in AI chatbot use.
M. Karen Shen, a UBC student at SOCIUS Lab, is studying the psychological impacts of AI chatbots. The lab focuses on social computing, human-computer interaction and technology that aligns with social progress. Shen said, in an interview with The Ubyssey, that the project emerged from earlier work examining how chatbot design can encourage overreliance.
“We were already aware that AI chatbot addiction is an emerging issue,” Shen said. “But there are very few studies with empirical accounts of users describing their symptoms and why they’re getting addicted to AI chatbots.”
AI chatbot addiction is a phenomenon that researchers have yet to clearly define. Many studies conceptualize it as a form of behavioural addiction, similar to technology or social media addiction, characterized by excessive dependence on chatbots that leads to negative consequences for users.
To investigate this, researchers conducted an exploratory mixed-methods study using Reddit discussions about chatbot usage. They first performed a thematic analysis of user posts to identify common experiences and patterns of addictive behaviour, then determined relationships between different types of chatbot use and addiction-related symptoms. Reddit was selected because its pseudonymous accounts and topic-specific communities can allow users to share sensitive experiences more openly.
What stood out most in the analysis, Shen said, was how closely many of the reported experiences aligned with established components of behavioural addiction. Users described symptoms such as preoccupation, withdrawal, relapse, mood modification and conflict with daily functioning. Some accounts described severe impacts; Shen described examples of chatbot use affecting hygiene, and one case in which a user reported physical chest pain when going without the chatbot.
“[People say] students are using AI chatbots too much in their learning … It’s different from addiction, where people experience functional impairment,” she said.
Studies show that addictive behaviours are tied to the brain’s motivation system. Positive interactions — such as receiving immediate responses or validation — can activate dopamine pathways, reinforcing the behaviour and increasing the likelihood that users return to it.
The researchers also identified dif-
ferent patterns of addictive use. One category involved escapist role-play, where users became attached not only to chatbot characters but also to the immersive fictional worlds they were building with them. Another centred on pseudo-social companionship, where users turned to chatbots for emotional closeness and support. A third, less common category involved what the study calls an epistemic rabbit hole, where excessive use began with information-seeking. This is supported by the AI Genie phenomenon described in the paper.
The team was concerned by design features that anthropomorphize chatbots or make disengagement emotionally difficult. Shen pointed to account deletion prompts on character-based chatbot platforms that refer to losing “the love that we shared” or “the memories we have together.”
Other hooks, such as allowing multiple simultaneous chats with alternate versions of the same character, may also encourage prolonged use by making interactions more expansive and harder to leave behind. Shen explained that some users described these prompts as an influence on their decision not to delete their accounts.
Shen said chatbot dependency can emerge through interaction between design, psychological vulnerability and circumstance. Loneliness and other contextual factors may increase susceptibility, while design choices can make those vulnerabilities easier to exploit, with or without intention.
The study also explored recovery strategies described by users. Shen said many common attempts, such as deleting an account or simply trying to stop, were not always effective, as some users returned quickly after trying to quit.
“What might work for one type might not work for the other,” Shen said.
Other strategies appeared to work better depending on the type of use. For escapist role-play, users found more success with alternatives that “scratched the itch,” such as creative writing, traditional role-play servers or hobbies related to the themes they had been exploring through chatbots. Building real-world social connections did not help the escapist roleplay type, but it did help companionship-focused use.
This research, among other papers from the SOCIUS lab, is set to be presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in April.
The most important takeaway for Shen is awareness — both among users and among the people supporting them. She said some users in the study reported seeking therapy, only to find that professionals were not always familiar with the issue. As AI chatbot use becomes more common, Shen believes better recognition will be essential for support and prevention of overreliance.
“We don’t want to over-pathologize anything … but there’s not much research in this yet, so it’s important to fill that gap,” Shen said. “We don’t want [actual] emerging issues to go undiagnosed.” U
AYLA CILLIERS / THE UBYSSEY
AI chatbot addiction is a phenomenon that researchers have yet to clearly define. | SKYE SHEN / THE UBYSSEY
From the Cult: Wtf is Senate? Elect me and I’ll find out.
by Sam Low Digital Editor
What if I told you that every third Wednesday of every month for the past century, somewhere within our campus, a meeting was held. An important meeting – one where the fate of this university is determined by the fickle wants and whims of those present.
Well, according to the research I conducted in the last 52 minutes, this has been the reality we have been living in for our entire undergraduate careers. Our entire lives. The secretive body and its meeting go by the name “Senate” and, needless to say, I was deeply disturbed when I was made aware of its existence.
There I was, 52 minutes ago, a believer that we lived in a free world — one where everyone lived by the same rules and power belonged to the people!
Making full use of my alleged freedom, I was partaking in my beloved hobby: breaking into lecture halls to play Fortnite Solo Mode on the projectors while screaming with the “Take On Me” cover playlist I set up to play through the AV system in the background. All was well and wonderful. I was strewn across the desk in the Life Sciences Centre 1003 and the Red Hot Chili Piper’s bagpipes cover had just ended so I was triumphantly shrieking to the rhythm of the trumpet intro for the Reel Big Fish Ska cover —considering the Legendary Enhanced Fury Assault Rifle and two Chug Jugs in my loadout the Victory Royale was all but secured — when suddenly the room started to fill up. Faculty, deans, a few students, and someone called “Chief Librarian.”
“Sick! An audience to bear witness to my awesomeness!” I thought. If only.
“Did you approve this with the Agenda committee?” a charming Quebecois voice inquired. Agenda committee? I shuddered thinking about the sort of freak who sits on a committee for agendas. This dude was bumming me out. “Can’t say I have,” I smirked just as charmingly.
I was asked to leave soon after.
After tipping my hat at the exit, I stuck around hoping to get a read on this irregular assembly. While listening through the walls, peering through the undercut of the door and attempting a few scrying spells I learned online, I observed a lot which concerned me. They seemed to be asking questions and voting on things!
Who are these people? What gave them the right to decide these things?! And what are “these things” anyway?!!! The me of 52 minutes ago was fuming. At this moment, I decided I had to investigate this “Senate” and expose it as the malicious force I had just decided it was.
“Now I’m onto you,” I whispered as I DuckDuckGo searched “ubc senate.” I scoured through the results. I learned Senators are elected. Weird! I’ve never voted for one. I found they live stream meetings on Facebook Live. Would they really be using a washed up platform like Facebook to live stream meetings if they wanted us to know about them?
Then, there were all the meeting documents. I clicked on one, saw a page length of over 300, and gave up.
This isn’t the way, I thought. To really get to the truth about Senate, I need to be on the inside! Then, my Senate awareness campaign could truly begin! I salivated pondering the Instagram explainer posts I would produce with Canva. Maybe I’d even have a website or a column called “Senate Recentered”!
So, in that fateful 52 minutes, it was decided: I would be running for Senate.
The ignorant have waited long enough! It’s time for the oblivious majority to rise up! Vote me into Senate and I’ll figure out what it is once and for all!
Editor’s note: Writer appears unaware election season is over. When I told him, he threatened to oust me as “part of the Big Senate conspiracy” and filed an HR complaint about my “egregious lying” to our Managing Editor. My hearing is currently underway. U
Report by Oscar McCartan Humour Contributor
Every year, new students get suckered by the golden promises of university life. The wide-eyed hopefuls arrive, ready to start anew in “Wild ‘n’ Wet Vancouver,” only to be beaten to a pulp by the worst thing to happen to this nation since the death of Gord Downie. There’s a scourge on this campus that no one is willing to do anything about. The kids aren’t alright, and I know whoses fault it is. It’s that damned Mr. Booze. Underage drinking will annihilate the entirety of the West Point Grey area before the year is out. I strolled along Fraternity Village last Halloween and as far as the eye could see it was first-year fools slumped against the cobblestone walls lining the village. Their shoddy costumes snagged upon the wrought-iron fencing, their tattered rags still skewered upon the rigid bars to this day foreshadow their futures should they refuse to alter their ways. Should these scoundrels not lighten their choice of refreshment from hard to soft, their woes will worsen from mild to grievous. But what is the solution for the pollution? What is the remedy for the malady? The single greatest beverage known by the human race. Warm grape juice. The warmer the better. Even now, as I write this exposé, I sip upon the nectar of the gods. I perfected my practice through many years of hard work, and now I wish to
share it with those who need it the most. Underage drinkers rejoice, for your salvation is here! The recipe is simple, but you simply must make it from scratch. Hopefully you live near a vineyard, as you’ll first need to gather fresh grapes. Take approximately one pound of grapes and mash them together until you get all the juice out. Then strain the mixture into a bottle, seal it, and place the juice on a window sill for 3 weeks. The heat from the sun will ensure your nectar reaches the perfect temperature for consumption. The results are immaculate, as I can tell you from experience. I cannot stop drinking this concoction of mine. It is simply so splendid! These rapacious rapscallions could turn their lives around with just a little bit of effort. This is also a personal vendetta. Every morning I get up at 5 a.m. with a pounding headache because all I can hear outside is the idiot children stomping around drunk. The sounds of their hooting and hollering rattle around in my head like a marble in a glass bowl. It even happened this morning. Last night, I was up late trying to write this letter, drinking my lovely grape juice, when I heard the flocks of drunkards slam their doors and march up the sidewalks to the frats. They were making so much noise, I couldn’t stand it, and I threw up all over my new carpet. Disgusted by their nauseating lack of decorum, I’m now out $400 for the
cleaning bill.
Everything wrong in my life is all because of underage drinking. Morning comes, 5 a.m. alarm goes off, and what do I hear outside? These bastards are back at it! I’ve just lost a month’s supply of grape juice, and I still can’t catch an break! There just lucky I make three months worht at a time. It made me so mad in fact, that I’m half way theough month two right now. If I ever canth thes ones responsible for this I’m going to make them pay. For the juice I wasted. Actuallym the juice they wasted witha ll their senseless noise makeing. Adn theyll have to pay for all the juice I’m drinking now because I,m only drinking it becasue I’m so mad at them. And another thing! There all a bunch of cowarsss whoes parets never loved them adn never woll. Theyr all uselees psycology majers actin lke therapy isnt a rackeet made up by big alcohol to stela my monet. Well not today becaus ti es up for you. Im blowing the lid sof your schem tonight im going to walknf intor rhe sych buildign and give them a piec of my miind but not ehe patt they want. And they ave to listne to me because im always right ebout everyyrhign espehectly tis evisl of liqo nd meen kitlle kiuygzswadfexykm,
Editor’s note: The article submission also contained three full pages of nothing but the letter “b” after this point. This has been omitted for brevity U
Satire
It’s time for the oblivious majority to rise up! | KYLA FLYNN / THE UBYSSEY
Even now, as I write this exposé, I sip upon the nectar of the gods. | KYLA FLYNN / THE UBYSSEY
SAMANTHA AMADO / THE UBYSSEY
REESE’S University in 2026?!
Personal Essay by Gabby Ranu Humour Reporter
What’s that aroma? It’s somewhat sweet, yet rich — why, it must be the glorious power of chocolate. Feeling sad? Eat chocolate. Are you happy? Eat chocolate. It is the solution to everything. Chocoholics know the truth: it’s the key to world peace.
To say that chocolate impacted my life would be an understatement it is the reason for my salvation. Ever since I was a young cacao bean, I’ve always striven to be the best chocolatier the world has ever seen. I still remember the moment when Dr. Reese announced the launch of REESE’S University. Finally, there was a place for me to spread my mocha wings. It was now the time to find my cacao pod, a group of little beans dedicated to the art of chocolatiering.
It wasn’t long before I received a gold envelope in the mail with Dr. Reese’s encouraging words printed across it: “There is no limit to what
you can do with chocolate.” Ripping it open, I gasped, finding Dr. Reese’s invitation to tour the world-renowned REESE’S U. It was time to become the greatest chocolatier the world has ever seen.
The journey was long, mostly because the chocolate car sent by Dr. Reese was completely melted. But my excitement outweighed my worries because it was my destiny to attend REESE’S U. What better place was there to learn the proper method of kibbling cacao beans, or gently tempering the mocha mixtures? I joyously dreamt the entire bus ride until we arrived at the campus.
The campus wasn’t entirely what I expected it to be. The smiling faces of those orange-clad REESE’S U students, and the joyous aromas of the chocolate factories, were missing. But mostly a bigger mystery arose — where was Dr. Reese’s statue? The more I looked around campus, the more it felt … unfamiliar. Unsettling. Not at all like the sweet sugary emporium I’d
been promised by that life-changing advertisement, years ago. There were no happy students in orange sweatshirts, nor were there marching bands with Reese’s cup drums.
I met up with our tour guide just to see him wearing a sweater with the initials “UBC.” What could that even mean? University of Brilliant Chefs? Was I in the wrong place? I asked the guide where REESE’S University was; surely it must have been over yonder. He gave me a weird look before telling me that this was UBC. I had no idea what he was talking about. This had to be REESE’S U, if not, then all my dreams had been for nothing.
But the more I looked around, the more I realized that maybe this wasn’t REESE’S U. The climate was completely wrong for the cacao trees — everyone knows cacao can only grow with strict temperatures between 18–32 ℃. It was nowhere near the tropical oasis I was promised. There was no sun, just a dark and dreary nightmare.
I leaned over to someone on the tour. “Does it get any hotter?”
She glared at me as she twirled her umbrella around. “You picked the wrong university.”
My worries began to bubble, like chocolate on a stove. I assumed the other students had been here for Reese’s as well — they were not. As soon as people found out I thought this was a chocolate-making school, I was ridiculed. They called me “Willy Wonka-looking ass” — I didn’t even know what that meant.
“Go find your oompa loompas,” they told me. I was melting under their fiery, disapproving glares, and not in the fondue way or in the ooey-gooey s’mores way. These students weren’t semi-sweet; they were unsweetened.
It was all too much. I ran away, tossing my chef’s hat to the ground. What was I thinking? No one makes it as a chocolatier. I had almost given up hope until I saw it on the ground — a Reese’s peanut butter cup wrapper. It was then that I re-
membered my purpose.
I held the crinkly wrapper in my hand as tears filled my eyes. Like the wrapper, I was feeling a little wrinkled, and yet, like the wrapper, I myself was a symbol of hope; REESE’S U had been inside me the whole time. It was then that I remembered my purpose — why the incomparable, most-esteemed Dr. Reese had brought me here: to bring chocolate back to the world.
I swiftly rushed to the nearest stove (some joyless place called Orchard Commons?) and whipped up the titular dessert. I added a little bit of cocoa, a little bit of peanut butter and a whole lot of love.
The angry-looking people in hairnets tried to stop me, but visionaries do not succumb to threats like “I’m calling security” or “I’m gonna sic the kitchen rats on you.” As I mixed, folded and melted my chocolatey goodness on the stove, the decadent aroma hypnotized them.
“I’ve never smelled good food before,” said one cook.
“It’s a miracle!” said another.
I handed the Reese’s out to people with a smile on my face — it was time to bring back cheer, thus, it was time to bring back chocolate. From the corner of my eye, I swear I could see Dr. Reese smiling at me. But when I looked back, he vanished.
The students, happily fed, demanded to learn the tricks of my trade. I watched, eyes glossy, as they threw down their textbooks and divisive faculty-specific merchandise. This would be REESE’S University, and we would build it together.
The important thing about people is that we are all different, just like chocolate — white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, ruby, spicy, sweet, semi-sweet, bitter you name it. No matter the form, cocoa is what unites us.
I watched as the students rallied around me. With the taste of peanuts on my tongue and chocolate on my lips, I shouted, “Raise your cup … to cocoa.”
And they did. U
GAMES
Across:
1. Grand in scale
5. Ibuprofen brand
10. Electric fish
14. Jacob’s first wife
15. Gaucho’s rope
16. Final Four org.
17. Writer Bombeck
18. Helicopter part 19. Walked heavily 20. Guest
22. Employ too often
24. At the present time
25. Pub preference
26. Chip dip
29. Prefix with content
32. Guides
36. Geographical expanse
37. Live
39. Actress Farrow
40. In spite of
43. Children’s game
44. Hinder
45. Pond organism
46. Maine college town
48. Answer to a sea captain
49. Cream-filled cookies
50. Lennon’s lady
52. For shame! 53. Incarnadine
57. Large sea wave
61. Israeli dance
62. Horselike African mammal
64. Greek letters
65. ___ Camera
66. Wrong move
67. Indian wrap
68. Jam-pack
69. Arranges in groups
Word of the Bird
Out-of-Context Campus Content
“In order to become a Subway All-Star, I need to spend $400 per year!?!!?!? FUCK.”
– Guy looking at phone, Life Building Subway lineup
“The only thing they should be promising is ME MORE MONEY! FOR DJUNKELSKOG.”
– Editor, Ubyssey newsroom
“Hi! Could I talk to you about the AMS referendums?”
“It looks like you’re handing out candy… so yes!”
– Campaigner and student, AMS Nest
“The boys are in drag downstairs.”
– Student-to-student on CVC’s ‘CHUZZ2HUZZ’ contest, AMS Nest
Down:
5. Shaft shot from a bow
6. Designer Christian 7. Wine container 8. Langston Hughes
poem 9. Insect stage 10. Dinner course
11. Creamy-beige color
12. Neighbor of Cambodia
13. Marquis de ___2
1. Get thee ___ nunnery
23. Comic DeGeneres
26. ___ Domingo
27. Bellowing
28. Release
70. Canonized Fr. women 1. Hgt. 2. Persian fairy 3. Alpo alternative 4. Woodcutter power tool
29. Bombay-born conductor
SOLUTIONS
March 9, 2026
30. Analyze a metalic compound
31. Brit’s bottle measure
33. Miss by ___
34. Wild dog of Australia
35. Long stories
37. Numbered hwy. 38. Pops
41. Removes wrinkles
42. Absence of light
47. Polite refusal
49. Buckeyes’ sch. 51. Seeps 52. Romanov rulers 53. In vogue54. Stadium din 55. ___ la Douce 56. Emperor after Claudius 57. Jog
58. Rat-___ 59. Female horse
60. Sister of Osiris
63. It’s cold!
Only Reese’s makes your confidence sky-rocke-let. | RAUL DEL ROSARIO / THE UBYSSEY
