October 16, 2018

octoBER 16, 2018 | VoLuME c | IssuE XI Your student newspaper since 1918

U

THE UBYSSEY

2 | tHe uBYSSeY turNS 100 | tueSDAY OCTOBER 16, 2018

editor's note It’s just a li le bit intimidating to helm one of the largest, most accomplished student newspapers in Canada. Good thing we have 100 years of history to back us up.

The path that lies behind this year’s editorial was paved by generations of student journalists, many of whom did their very best work to annoy the university administration. Even though some of the names have faded into urban legend, we’re still just as loud, and just as annoying. Ubyssey writers have always pushed hard and fearlessly for their stories. Without that history, we wouldn’t be able to cover what we do today — massive tuition hikes, sexual assault allegations, Indigenous issues and the effect of the housing crisis on students, to name a few.

Historically, to recognize everyone who contributed to that issue of the paper, a short story was wri en that incorporated everyone’s names.

We may bicker over the wording of our latest sassy editorial, but we’re family. Thank God I can call up generations of that family and whine when I get a bit too intimidated by the latest Twi er tirade.

It all started with a Big Bang, but that was just Angela O’Donnell falling on the floor. “Oh my God, are you okay?” said Emma Livingstone, rushing over to administer First Aid. “Yeah I just slipped on a piece of paper towel, do you want to play Mario Kart?” Angela said.

“We’re already playing,” said Hannah Feodorov. Chimedum Ohaegbu was cruising through the fi nish line. Sammy Smart downloaded some mods so that you could play with all the Smash Bros characters. Cassandra Betts watched the game and snacked on some donuts that Jenny Chantrakool had brought. Jack Lamming and Helen Zhou were playing high-stakes ping pong in the boardroom, which Daphnée Lévesque was refereeing. “The editors are coming back!” said Hinako Kaneyama. “Let’s barricade the door,” said Patrick Hatch. So the contributors stacked all the unread newspapers in front of the door. Sam McCabe, Alex Nguyen, Zak Vescera, Moira Wyton, James Vogl, Bridget Chase, Marina McDuff, Tristan Wheeler, Claire Lloyd, Lucy Fox and Elizabeth Wang couldn’t get into the office and didn’t get any work done. (So it was no different from any other day!)

Happy birthday to the coolest cult of all time.

Samantha McCabe Coordinating Editor

- Angela O’Donnell

U THE UBYSSEY

OCTOBER 16, 2018 | VOLUME C| ISSUE XI CONTACT

EDITORIAL

STAFF

BUSINESS

Coordinating Editor samantha mcCabe coordinating@ubyssey.ca

Pawan Minhas, Zubair Hirji, Jack Yuan, Jane Procyshyn, Matt Asuncion, Olivia Johnson, Candice Lipski, Marissa Birnie, Rolando Hinojosa, Lua Presidio, Salomon Micko Benrimoh, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Ryan Neale, Hannah Feodorov, Angela O’Donnell, Cat Hartt Towle, Johann Cooper, Jack Lamming, Kristine Ho, Clare Skillman, Zainab Fatima, Iain Coates, Charlotte Alben, Riya Talitha, Chelsea Dumasal, Joshua Azizi, Sammy Smart, Danni Olusanya, Shamit Rahman, Divija Madhani

Business Manager Douglas Baird business@ubyssey.ca

Web Developer Rowan Baker-French rowan@ubyssey.ca

Account Manager Adam mcQueen adam@ubyssey.ca

Web Developer Jamie Lee jamie@ubyssey.ca

Senior Web Developer Atsushi Yamamoto atsushi@ubyssey.ca

President Ben Amuwo president@ubyssey.ca

Visuals Editor Claire Lloyd visuals@ubyssey.ca News Editors Alex Nguyen & Zak Vescera news@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Bridget Chase culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Lucy Fox sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer marina mcDuff video@ubyssey.ca Opinion + Blog Editor Tristan Wheeler opinion@ubyssey.ca Science Editor James Vogl science@ubyssey.ca Photo Editor elizabeth Wang photos@ubyssey.ca Features Editor moira Wyton features@ubyssey.ca

LEGAL The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday by The Ubyssey Publications Society.

We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization and all students are encouraged to participate.

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

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

The Ubyssey accepts opinion articles on any topic related

to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and/or topics relevant to students attending UBC. Submissions must be written by UBC students, professors, alumni, or those in a suitable position (as determined by the opinions editor) to speak on UBC-related matters. Submissions must not contain racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, harassment or discrimination. Authors and/or submissions will not be precluded from publication based solely on association with particular ideologies or subject matter that some may find objectionable. Approval for publication is, however, dependent on the quality of the argument and The Ubyssey editorial board’s judgment of appropriate content.

Submissions may be sent by email to opinion@ubyssey.ca.

Please include your student number or other proof of identification. Anonymous submissions will be accepted on extremely rare occasions. Requests for anonymity will be granted upon agreement from four fifths of the

But it’s more than just the reporting. This paper has been a home to so many people that we’ve literally lost count. From dank basement offices to wallto-wall windows, ta ered couches to Pender Island retreats, it’s the editors, staff and volunteers that make this place we call The Ubyssey what it is — no ma er where we are.

editorial Office: SUB 2208 604.283.2023 Business Office: SUB 2209 604.283.2024 NEST 6133 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 online: ubyssey.ca twitter: @ubyssey Snapchat: theubyssey editorial board. Full opinions policy may be found at ubyssey.ca/ submit-an-opinion It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ads.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to acknowledge that this paper and the land on which we study and work is the traditional, occupied, unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

NEWS

october 16, 2018 TUeSday

Editors Alex Nguyen + Zak Vescera

3

AFFORDABILITY //

campus safety //

UBC researches new option for supporting faculty home ownership

“It’s been a really hard time not only for the girls involved but for everyone else who heard about it.”

FILE SAM BARRINGER

Students feel unsafe, dissatisfied with UBC security following alleged voyeur incident Jenny Chantrakool Contributor

Since last month’s alleged voyeur incident in Place Vanier, students living in the residence have said they feel unsafe and are concerned about campus security.

On the evening of September 13, University RCMP responded to a call about a man masturbating in a women’s washroom at Vanier residence.

The man left before the RCMP arrived and he still has not been located, prompting the RCMP to release a sketch of him and a community assistance request on September 24.

Since then, students in the residence have reported lingering feelings of paranoia and anxiety, especially when alone at night.

“Many of the girls can’t take showers anymore without looking on each side or stopping when we hear a sound. It’s been a really hard time not only for the girls involved but for everyone else who heard about it,” said a firstyear arts student.

Names of students quoted in this article have been omitted to protect their privacy.

While residents recognized that some details are being kept private for the sake of those who were affected by the incident, they also expressed concern about the lack of standardized information or awareness about the incident.

Most said that they heard about it from their friends or classmates, despite UBC sharing the RCMP’s information on social media and putting out an alert via Campus Security on September 14 and another one with the suspect’s description on September 24. UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services also sent two emails to all student residents regarding the incident and the suspect.

“Everyone is an adult here, this is everyone’s safe place, everyone deserves to know,” the student continued.

“It seemed like no one wanted to let this go out to protect the rights of

the girls, but I felt that it should have at least been discussed with others to let them know what was happening,” said another first-year arts student.

They added that while those living on the floor where the incident occurred did have a floor meeting with their RA, other residents did not get a check-in after the event.

UBC interim VP Students Andrew Parr said that he believes all residents understand that their RAs are available to them to provide support and connections to other support services UBC offers. He also explained that in specific incidents, UBC would work closely with students directly involved with difficult incidents like these to ensure they have the support they need.

“On a broader level, it’s more about the students being aware of the services that are available to them should they require it,” Parr said.

“The safety, security and well-being of our students and the entire community is really a top priority at UBC and at Student Housing and Hospitality Services … We want to hear from people and from students where could we be doing things more or differently, and we would consider all of those things.”

Given that similar incidents have happened before, student residents are now calling for more precautionary measures. After four reports of voyeurism in 2015, RCMP officers were stationed around campus and a security company was hired to do patrols as well.

When informed about this, students said they did not feel that temporary patrols around student residences were effective and that it should be a permanent fixture.

Other suggestions listed additional gates and identity checks to get into student residence buildings.

“A world-class institute, one of the best universities in the world, lets anyone get on campus?

When you sit down to think about that, it’s a scary feeling,” said a different first-year arts student.

UBC Executive Director of Campus Safety and Security Rob McCloy responded that it’s better to have regular patrols than a stationary guard, based on his experiences.

“We do regular patrols now, as well as the RCMP … and we will continue to do so, keeping our eyes and ears open,” he said. “Students may not see us, but we’re there.”

As Campus Security’s approach is case-dependent, it partners with the RCMP and adjusts patrol plans depending on the incident, according to McCloy. He added that the unit is keeping its eyes open for the intruder, using the artist rendering as reference.

“No one can be everywhere at all times, and that’s why we encourage the people to be our eyes and ears as well … If [students] have safety concerns or general questions, we have a community relations team and we’d be happy to talk to them and assist them,” McCloy said.

RCMP said in a statement to The Ubyssey that there are no updates regarding the investigation, although it is still active and ongoing. U If you have information about this incident, or can identify this man, you are asked to contact the University RCMP at 604-224-1322.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY RCMP

The suspected voyeur.

FILE JORDAN BYRUM

“A potential equity sharing program would be a supplement to the home ownership toolkit.”

Alex Nguyen News Editor

UBC is exploring a new option for supporting faculty home ownership as current programs stall or become more expensive for faculty members.

For a year, UBC has been researching a new equity sharing ownership model where the university would “co-invest” in a market-level unit — both off campus and resale units on campus — with a faculty member.

“A potential equity sharing program would be a supplement to the home ownership toolkit,” said UBC Associate Treasurer Tor Album in a written response to The Ubyssey.

Descriptions of this model indicate that it would be similar to the current Prescribed Interest Rate Loan (PIRL) program, which provides faculty members with a one-time loan to buy a home on or off campus.”

The equity sharing ownership model would likely follow PIRL’s criteria and limit eligibility to full-time tenured and tenuretrack faculty, as it aims at their recruitment and retention.

The model’s funding is assumed to come from the Faculty Housing Assistance Financing Endowment, which also funds PIRL. With an annual allocation of $10 million, the limited funding means there would be a cap on UBC’s investment per unit and a cap on the university’s ownership of up to 33 per cent of the unit.

Despite these similarities, it is unlikely that the equity sharing ownership model will replace the PIRL program — even as an increase in the prescribed interest rate from one per cent to two per cent has made it slightly more expensive for faculty members.

“It would most likely (at least initially) be proposed as an alternative to PIRL, meaning that faculty members may choose either a PIRL or an equity sharing option of an equivalent amount,” Album said.

A more detailed proposal of the equity sharing ownership model will be presented to the Board of Governors in December.

“Everyone is now talking about subsidized housing … so in a way it is becoming the new normal as opposed to the exception at UBC,”

said Dr. Nassif Ghoussoub, a UBC Vancouver faculty representative on the Board and chair of the Community Planning Task Group that developed Housing Action Plan (HAP).

“So the situation is much more favourable now.”

But Ghoussoub also pointed out that little has changed about the progress of the HAP policy to create a discounted on-campus home ownership program for faculty — even though that policy was adopted in 2012.

Album said UBC is still working toward mitigations for this delay, attributing it partly to a taxable benefits issue.

“UBC will not be able to avoid taxable benefits going forward given the employer-employee relationship, but aims to ‘optimize’ the taxable benefits as much as possible,” he said.

Ghoussoub noted that UBC is now requesting an advance ruling from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on the tax implications for the Government Business Enterprise (GBE) proposal, even though the university previously told him that the CRA wouldn’t provide an advance ruling for the HAP policy’s tax implications.

Album responded that an advance ruling from the CRA is usually requested for a proposal that requires “complex interpretations” of tax laws like the GBE, adding that this process does not mean “an attempt to change … the laws.”

For the HAP policy, he noted that the the main question would focus on whether its structure would create a taxable benefit for faculty members, which is “relatively straight forward.”

“Thus, there has (so far) been no ‘need’ to ask the CRA for a ruling on the matter, the interpretation has been made by internal (or external) counsel,” he said.

Album also pointed to the Real Estate Development & Marketing Act under which the university would be considered a developer, potentially exposing it and its board members to “unforeseen” liability.

“Efforts will be made to see if UBC can avoid the potential liability exposure for UBC Board Members, to be in a position to develop restricted ownership opportunities on campus in the future,” he said. U

4 | News | TUesDAY october 16, 2018 THE COKE DEAL //

How Coca-Cola got near-exclusive access to UBC’s beverage market Sammy Smart Staff Writer

Twenty-three years after UBC made an exclusive deal with Coca-Cola, the university has launched a Healthy Beverage Initiative (HBI) to steer students away from sugary drinks — but that doesn’t mean you won’t see Coca-Cola products on campus.

The HBI, approved earlier this year by UBC, seeks to promote water consumption, educate people on the health risks of sugary beverages and promote healthier alternatives Coca-Cola and UBC still have a modified exclusive beverage agreement with UBC, meaning that the university can buy from other suppliers — but only if Coca-Cola doesn’t have an equivalent product.

The Coke deal UBC’s dealings with Coca-Cola have been the subject of scrutiny and scandal for over two decades.

In 1995, the university became the first in Canada to give a corporation exclusive access to its student market. UBC, the AMS and Coca-Cola signed a 10-year exclusive Cold Beverage Agreement that mandated UBC’s entire cold beverage market would be controlled by Coca-Cola.

This contract was met with backlash before it was ratified.

A large cause for concern was the confidentiality clause of the agreement, which means the AMS and the university were be unable to publicly discuss the terms of the contract.

ELIZABETH WANG

Then-Ubyssey journalist Stanley Tromp filed a freedom of information request, which was not fulfilled until 2001, after a five-year legal case involving an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The request revealed that UBC was to receive $8.5 million from Coca-Cola and that the school would have to sell 33.6 million Coca-Cola products — a figure it would never be able to reach.

Tromp also discovered that former UBC President David Strangway, in his affidavit to the commissioner regarding the confidentiality of the Cold Beverage Agreement, stated that almost all of the profits from the deal would go to improving accessibility for disabled persons.

But only a fraction of them actually did. According to a Ubyssey article Tromp wrote in 2001, at that point only $640,000 out of $8.5 million had been used for accessibility — and the largest cut had wound up in a marketing agent’s pocket.

“I found that disabled access got left at 10 per cent of the total, and the largest number — about 24 per cent — went to the middle-man deal maker, Dale Boniface, of Spectrum Marketing,” said Tromp. “He got about 24 per cent, that’s over a million, in his pocket.”

Not only did UBC profit from the deal: it was implied the school had actively decreased access to water fountains to push students to buy more Coca-Cola products. In 2000, Ubyssey reporter Sarah Morrison noted that the newly built Forestry Building on campus had no water fountains, but no lack of vending machines carrying Dasani water.

One unnamed faculty member believed the reason behind the lack of fountains was the Coca-Cola deal, stating “If there were water fountains, the sale of Coca-Cola products would be impinged upon.”

In 2009, after UBC denied the theory that the lack of drinking fountains was due to the Coca-Cola deal, UBC Plant Operations decided to replace or rebuild approximately

50 drinking fountains on campus — a $150,000 project.

At the end of the 10-year contract in 2005, UBC hadn’t reached the quota they agreed to. It had no choice but to extend the exclusivity deal for another two years, with no extra payment from Coca-Cola.

In 2006, there were rumours that UBC might extend the Cold Beverage Agreement for another eight to ten years. As a result, the AMS council passed an external policy advocating against this, and an internal policy that would not allow the AMS to enter an exclusive beverage agreement. At the August 9, 2017 meeting, AMS Council rescinded this internal policy.

Coca-Cola declined to comment.

Still on the shelf Twenty-three years later, CocaCola has a modified exclusivity deal with UBC— even though many of its flagship drinks will not be promoted across campus like they once were.

“Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS), specifically UBC Food Services, and Athletics and Rec in UBC Okanagan do have a cold beverage agreement with Coca-Cola, so we have been working with them to see how we can work together to promote healthier beverages,” said Melissa Baker, the manager of nutrition and wellbeing at SHHS. The beverages UBC specifically seeks to limit through the HBI are soft drinks, fruit drinks with less than 100 per cent juice, energy drinks, lemonade, sweetened iced tea, sports drinks and calorically

sweetened fortified water— known collectively as “Tier 6” drinks.

But the HBI won’t affect Tiers 4 and 5, which include zero-calorie soda, non-calorically sweetened fortified water, diet iced tea and 100 per cent fruit and vegetable juices.

This means that while UBC won’t be promoting Coca-Cola, they’ll still be offering “healthy” products like Coke Zero and Diet Nestea to consumers at the university.

The HBI seeks to promote water consumption, as well as healthier beverage consumption in general on campus. But while tap water is going to be promoted as the best beverage option on campus, bottled water is still aTier 1 beverage alongside tap water.

Action 2 of the HBI states that UBC Food Services and Coca-Cola aim to focus marketing and promotion on non-Tier 6 beverages, and start a campaign to promote healthier choices.

Colin Moore, director of UBC Food Services, said that bottled water is “kind of a necessary evil.”

“If someone doesn’t have a refillable water bottle, which we would obviously encourage them to have, and they need to go and purchase a beverage, we would prefer that they would purchase a bottle of water as opposed to a sugar-sweetened beverage in a bottle,” he said.

That means bottled water label Dasani, owned by Coca-Cola, will still be on the shelves — and that Coca-Cola products will still retain their privileged place on UBC’s shelves. U —with files from Faiz Vagh

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY //

Allard halts faculty hiring following concerns about donor’s alleged complicity in human rights abuses

FILE UBYSSEY

“Is the potential association with gross violations of international human rights law worth it?”

Helen Zhou Contributor

The Allard School of Law has halted the hiring process for a new faculty position created by an alumnus’ donation, after another alumnus expressed concerns about the principal donor’s alleged complicity in violating international law.

The Allard School of Law announced on August 23 that it accepted a $500,000 donation from alumnus Stuart “Tookie” Angus and his wife to create a faculty position

focused on law and corporate social responsibility. This donation would then be matched by funding from the Allard Faculty Recruitment and Retention endowment.

Since then, concerns have been raised over Angus’ prior associations with mining companies that have faced allegations of violating international law, which led the school to pause the position’s hiring. In particular, Allard School of Law alumnus Hamish Stewart expressed this concern in a letter to The Ubyssey.

“The history of this small sample of companies that Tookie has led raises a number of questions: is this the type of money the UBC Faculty of Law should be accepting on behalf of the UBC student and alumni community?” reads Stewart’s letter.

“Is the potential association with gross violations of international human rights law worth it?”

Graduated from the Allard School of Law in 1973, Angus is the former board director of Nevsun Resources Ltd, a Canadian mining company that is currently facing lawsuits in the Supreme Court of Canada for alleged violations of international human rights law.

In November 2014, four Eritrean mine workers claimed that Nevsun was complicit in the use of forced labour, slavery and torture in the construction of a mine in Eritrea.

Nevsun denied the allegations and is now appealing the British Columbia Court of Appeals’ decision to allow the lawsuit to proceed.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. Nevsun did not respond to request for comment.

Currently, Angus is chairman of a number of mining companies including K92 Mining Inc., Kenadyr Mining (Holdings) Corp.

and San Marco Resources Inc. He left his position at Nevsun in 2017.

Nevsun is not the only company that Angus has been on the board of that has faced allegations of human rights abuse. The United Nations issued a report in 2002, accusing First Quantum Minerals of collusion and paying out Congolese officials for mining licenses and export permits. Angus was a director on the company board from 1997 to 2005.

As reported in a 2002 Globe and Mail article, First Quantum denied all allegations and asked the UN to retract them.

Allard School of Law Dean Catherine Dauvergne has now “decided to press ‘pause’ on hiring into this position.”

“Over the past few weeks I have sought the views of members of the university community and from others who support the law school beyond the campus,” she wrote in an internal statement that was shared with The Ubyssey on October 1.

“I want to take the time to reflect on the concerns that were shared with me before considering next steps. I continue to be very grateful for the donor’s ongoing commitment and support of the law school.”

Stewart described the pause as a “textbook public relations move.”

“It looks bad, as alumni looking at it. Taking money from people whose companies are alleged to have been complicit in the commission of crimes against humanity — that’s what slavery is,” he said. “This looks like a fairly typical public relations exercise where somebody’s reputation is in a challenging situation. They’ll usually do something like this to improve their reputation. I guess that’s what bothered me about it.”

Stewart also called for more public discussion on the matter.

“They’re running some kind of post facto consultation with faculty and staff about whether they think it’s appropriate — but they’ve taken the money,” Stewart said. “Is UBC’s reputation worth $500,000?”

When asked whether halting the hiring process for the position also means declining the donation, UBC responded, “Pausing the hiring for this professorship means that all options will still remain available to the school’s leadership.”

Angus could not be reached for comment following requests to K92 Mining Inc, Kenadyr Mining (Holdings) Corp. and San Marco Resources Inc. U

CuLTuRe

OCTOBER 16, 2018 tueSDAY

EDITOR BRIDGET CHASE

meDIeVAL KITCheNs //

5

FILThY LIARs sINCe 1918 //

Exposing The Ubyssey: 102 years of lies

A representation of what The Ubicee looked like, according to our 2010 satire issue.

before becoming the easy-topronounce “Ubicee,” the Ubicee was a monthly magazine founded in 1916.

This was back when UBC was still at its Fairview campus, on the current site of Vancouver General Hospital.

The university had a population of 380 students, so Ubicee was probably really more of a zine than a full magazine. It included “well-written essays and literary contributions,” and was solely funded by volunteer subscriptions.

In 1917, the AMS issued a mandatory $2 student fee to beef up the low Ubicee budget.

With the extra money, the magazine focused its energy on becoming more student-issues focused, in the form of a weekly paper. The newspaper officially introduced itself as The Ubyssey in October of 1918, forever damning itself to the next 100 years of mispronunciations and journalistic glory.

So the next time you pick up a copy of The Ubyssey, think about the 102 year history that you’re holding in your hands — and please remember to throw it in the recycling when you’re done reading the lie on the masthead. U

Angela O’Donnell Senior Staff Writer HANNAH FEODOROV

hannah Feodorov Staff Writer

As an avid eater and history enthusiast, I often find my daydreams thwarted by the forces of modern times. In fact, it’s surprisingly hard to imagine oneself in the middle ages while being forced to munch on boxed mac and cheese or enjoying a morning latte, both of which would not have existed in my preferred time period. So taking you across the world and through the ages in a new heroic Hannah epic, we will venture into Buchanan tower and ask a few history experts about their favourite foods from their chosen periods of history!

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that my culinary skills aren’t “all that” and taste may vary depending on the amount of skill I’m able to bring to this project. I should also warn you that these dishes were made in a kitchen lacking some necessary cooking equipment and proper tea strainers.

pAYN puR-DeW pROFessOR: ARLeNe sINDeLAR ChOseN peRIOD: meDIeVAL euROpe

GALLINA mORIsCA pROFessOR: JOhN ChRIsTOpOuLOs ChOseN peRIOD: meDITeRRANeAN ReNAIssANCe

pROFessOR: TARA mAYeR ChOseN peRIOD: COLONIAL sOuTh AsIA While continuing to be one of the most popular drinks in south Asia, the way masala chai is consumed today stems from colonial roots.

Like Gallina Morisca, this drink has a complicated backstory. But unlike the previous dish on our menu, the popularity of chai was motivated by profit, not religion. During the colonial period, the British East India Company became concerned over a Chinese monopoly on tea and made a push to increase tea production in South Asia.

Following a few unhappy attempts to strain the tea without a tea strainer, I let it sit on the stove as I mop up the counter. The chai smells amazing. As I continue to let it boil, an unexpectedly large crowd of roommates start to gather, sniffing appreciatively over the saucepan.

With a couple of stubborn chunks of ginger sneaking into my mug, I settle into bed with my laptop and take the first sip. Not being a chai connoisseur, I’m shocked to discover that this drink isn’t in the least bit similar to a North American chai tea latte. There is more emphasis on the spices and black tea than on the sweet milk one would normally find in a café version.

After finishing the rest of the chai with a little too much enthusiasm, I shuffle over to the stove and refill my mug.

CONCLusION After spending more time on cooking than on my homework, we have finally come to the end of our feast.

While I would normally decide on which dish was the best, these were too different and distinct to make a fair choice. Instead, I recommend that those with beginner level cooking skills commence their escapade into the past with masala chai and Payn Pur-Dew, perhaps leaving the Gallina Morisca to those with a more in-depth knowledge of the culinary arts. U Find all of the recipes used in this article on our website.

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Gallina Morisca (Moorish Chicken) hails from Spain and perhaps more surprisingly, the Spanish Inquisition.

While many would think it odd that a recipe named after the Muslim moors of Spain would include both alcohol and pork, this recipe was born out of a necessity to prove one’s new Christian identity. In order to avoid the suspicions of the church that they were false converts, new Christians would often incorporate previously banned foods into their diets. This included the regular consumption and cooking of pork and wine. Eventually, such additions became incorporated into the regional cuisine.

With the recruitment of a fellow chef and much toil over the oven, we finally begin to plate out our Gallina Morisca. The chicken comes out sizzling, and the bacon has curled into crispy curlicues. Despite its depressingly dark beginning, the food smells inviting, if not a bit tart from the wine and vinegar. Eagerly spooning more sauce onto our plates, we delve into our delicious feast. The North African influence shines through with the addition of toasty spices, making the crispy exterior of the chicken crinkle in my mouth. The sauce and spices may not have been able to sufficiently reach the chicken’s interior, but it remains juicy and is complimented by the onion and bacon spread. I may have started this project a tad nervous about my own cooking capabilities, but after interrogating my compatriot’s opinion of the Gallina Morisca, I can confidently say that I am now fully qualified to open a Renaissance restaurant!

mAsALA ChAI

A

The middle ages may not have been the best era for cookbooks, but many of the simple breakfast recipes we treasure today can be traced back to medieval kitchens.

French toast, while delicious, is a very efficient way of saving and softening ‘left bread’ and was enjoyed by both lower and upper classes throughout history.

Looking forward to jumping back in time for a scrumptious breakfast, I take my first bite of the middle ages.

The bread is seedy and has an earthy base, while the rest of its warm and soft exterior remains characteristic of most modern French toast. But wait! There’s some savory-ness! The subtle amount of cumin is hardly noticeable, but it adds an entirely new bitterness to an otherwise standard dish. The different seasonings bring both a salty and more omelette-like aroma and taste, which is only slightly countered by

a sparing small amount of sugar and cinnamon. While the recipe calls for cumin and sugar, it is likely that most medieval people in Europe would have used honey, as sugar was very expensive, as were spices such as cumin.

I S SI O

N

Nosh Hunt: Former flavours from history

It’s on every print cover, it’s on the website masthead and our official Twitter account has it listed as its birthday: “Since 1918.”

The paper’s year of conception is a fact so important to The Ubyssey that 2017/18 Coordinating Editor Jack Hauen seemed to think that it’s also when the university was founded.

The Ubyssey has had an illustrious history. From the end of World War I to now, the newspaper has committed to the highest standard of journalism. With countless awards and recognition from its newspaper-y peers, The Ubyssey is a shiny pillar of integrity. This year, The Ubyssey will undoubtedly pull out all the stops to celebrate the centennial of everyone’s favourite campus newspaper.

But, what if I told you that the very foundation of The Ubyssey’s history is based on a lie?

It was founded in 1916.

Well, at least Ubicee was. First published just under the name “Anon” and then “Anonymous”

A

Taste may vary depending on the amount of skill I’m able to bring to this project.

THE UBYSSEY

6 | CuLture | tueSDAY OCTOBER 16, 2018 uNseTTLING AuDIeNCes //

UBC Theatre promises an edgy season with a focus on darker themes Cassandra Betts Contributor

This season, UBC Theatre celebrates its 60th anniversary with productions that promise a focus on darker themes. Much Ado About Nothing, Lion in the Streets and Goldrausch make up the season involving UBC theatre students, with tickets costing $11.50 per show for students.

“I think that this year, there’s going to be a lot more edge than other seasons — whether that be for better or for worse,” said fourth-year bachelor of fine art (BFA) actor Rafael Ruiz. “It doesn’t really have a [play] that appeals to people just because it’s modern or because it tells a story in a different way. This season will appeal to people who want to take a look at the darker aspects that art can take on because it deals with so much anger and sadness.”

One play that explores these darker themes is Lion in the Streets.

Written by Canadian playwright Judith Thompson, the story follows the ghost of a nine-year old girl who returns to her neighbourhood 17 years after her murder. It will play at the Telus Studio Theatre from January 17 to February 2.

“It will really leave you unsettled at the end,” said fourth-year theatre design and production student Alice Jiang, who is the costume designer for the show. “When you think back to the play, you become more unsettled knowing those [things] are

COURTESY UBC THEATRE WEBSITE

“It’s really stress relieving to come to a play, sit down and view someone else’s story.”

happening, or possibly happening somewhere in the world.”

Lion in the Streets will be directed by Michelle Thorne. Ruiz, who has worked with Thorne on previous projects, thinks that it’s a great script for her.

“She likes to unsettle audiences,” explained Ruiz. “It’s a script that is already very edgy, and I think that with an actual budget she can make people very uncomfortable.”

Goldrausch is another show that is more than a feel-good production. Running from March 14 to 30, it is a play about a film

director who is trying to make a movie about the man who started the gold rush fever of 1848.

“Goldrausch is funny, but I would not say that Goldrausch is solely a comedy. It’s in a way very tragic,” Ruiz admitted. “They try and … talk about actors’ ego within theatre and film.”

This show also contains some musical aspects, which hasn’t been done in the past few years within UBC Theatre according to Ruiz.

“Up until this year, we don’t get a lot of dance training. We get movement training, but not dance

training, so it’ll be cool to see what happens with that. I don’t think by any means it will be awful, but who knows? It will definitely be fun,” said Ruiz.

Much Ado About Nothing puts a modern twist on Shakespeare’s classic by setting it in the present.

“Instead of going to a war men are going onto a soccer team,” Jiang laughed.

“One of the people who has to be a professional soccer player has never played soccer before,” added Ruiz, “so maybe it will be really cool.”

The show runs from November 8 to 24.

Regardless of what students are interested in, the new season offers myriad of options.

“If you want to come and destress, do come in for Much Ado About Nothing, don’t come in for anything else,” Jiang advised. “But if you want to come challenge your brain and think about the world and think about yourself, [come to the other shows]. It’s really stress relieving to come to a play, sit down and view someone else’s story.” U

mOA //

Hidden Treasures: Resistance, adaptation and ulus Jack Lamming Staff Writer

Walking into the MOA makes you feel small, both physically and historically. The main hallway of the building opens up to totem poles and house posts that almost touch the ceiling designed by Arthur Erickson. MOA is one of the crown jewels of UBC, with over 45,000 objects in its collections, fewer than 10,000 of which are available for the public to view. The overwhelming majority of these are still semihidden within those copper handled drawers.

Inside those dim drawers, there are artifacts from almost every culture you can imagine, (yes, even Florida) — though most of them don’t explain much information beyond the culture and use of the item. Fortunately, I am only taking four classes this year, and have time to do just that.

NDeBeLe COLLAR, sOuTh AFRICA The Ndebele are a Bantuspeaking group of southern Africa, with the majority living in what is now Zimbabwe and South Africa. The southern Ndebele people are well known both for their beadwork and for the intricate designs that they paint on their houses, a practice that originated in oppression by the Boer in the 1880s.

Fast forward to the apartheid period, when Nelson Mandela and his ANC were federally banned.

Images like the one on the right, of Mandela in an Ndebele collar and traditional dress, were censored in South Africa.

sALmON sKIN ROBe, KhABAROVsK This robe is from Khabarovsk, a city close to the Chinese border in Siberia, and is a traditional robe of the Nanai people. The Nanai now largely live in Russia, as the majority of the Nanai population in China was killed during the Japanese occupation of World War II. The robe is made of salmon skins stitched together, then hammered to make them as soft as cotton.

Ndebele Collar, South Africa.

JACK LAMMING

Salmon Skin Robe, Khabarovsk.

JACK LAMMING

uLu, INNuNAIT Ulu knives are general, all-purpose knives used by many Indigenous peoples in the far Arctic. Before European contact, ulus were carved out of the bones or antlers of animals, as smelting technology isn’t possible when the ground is frozen solid. Nowadays they are still used as a general purpose chef’s knife by people unafraid to lose a digit or two. If you want to see this knife in action there are videos online of an Inuk woman butchering and cooking polar bear and Caribou, all with an ulu. U

So how do you incorporate light-wash into your fall and winter wardrobe?

Ulu, Innunait.

JACK LAMMING

FeATuRes

OCTOBER 16, 2018 tueSDAY

EDITOR MOIRA WYTON

7

GhOsTs OF uBYsseY pAsT //

100 YEARS AGO: THE VERY FIRST UBYSSEY MASTHEAD OF 1918 accident of her first husband left her a widow at 23 years old after only 14 months of marriage.

A year later she married a man almost 20 years her senior: a by-birth Briton of gentle birth who sought in the historic British Columbia relief from the rough prospects in the Isles, as civil servants, gentlemen farmers, property promoters and soldiers.

michael sasges Former Ubyssey Editor

The first Ubyssey masthead, the October 17, 1918 masthead, identifies eight students — three women and five men — as members of the “editorial staff.”

“I.A. Shaw” was the editorin-chief and “A. Rive” was the “senior editor,” whatever that might be. “Miss E.M. Marwick/ Miss P. Smith/R. Adams” were “editors.” “R.Cribb” was the “chief reporter,” the British equivalent of the American and Canadian city editor. “R. Leckie” was the “military editor,” and he was probably known as C.P. Leckie.

“Miss A. Ure” was the “exchange editor,” presumably responsible for finding items in other student newspapers to put in The Ubyssey when the local file was thin.

Perhaps because the eight did not “do journalism” after UBC or perhaps (and more likely) because an agreeable and companionable common pursuit was one of their introductions to adulthood, they all lived consequential and admirable lives.

REGINALD EDWARD CRIBB (1891 – 1950) The oldest of the eight “founders,” the “chief reporter” spent the last 25 years or so of his life ministering to the United Church faithful in rural and small-town British Columbia. He lived at least the first 30 years of his life in big-city Canada, either in Montreal — his natal home — or Vancouver.

ALFRED RIVE (1897 – 1970)

In this 1921 photo, Alfred Rive (left) was a returned soldier.

He received his baccalaureate in 1921 and married Annie Slight Moodie in December of 1922. Both were teachers when they married.

They next make their appearance in the public record in 1928, in the Creston Review local newspaper. He led the service at a gathering of the faithful just outside of town. And the child’s dress she entered in the fall fair won the best in category.

C.P. LECKIE (1898 – 1970) The “military editor” was a member of one of those most precious of historical Vancouver families, whose ambitions and access to capital elevated Vancouver and toppled Victoria from first-city status in the last decade of the 19th century and the first of the 20th. One Leckie or another was operating a branch of the J Leckie merchandising company of Toronto from Granville Street storefronts from at least 1892.

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

From 1910, C.P.’s dad, H.W. Leckie, ran the original merchandising operations and an added shoe-manufacturing operation from a factory and warehouse at Cambie and Water.

C.P, too, would eventually run the family business from 220 Cambie. The “Leckie Building” still stands. At his death, C.P.’s widow recorded her husband’s occupation as “salesman” of “fishing supplies,” an exemplary Canadian understatement of achievement and substance.

The “senior editor” was the first of at least seven Ubyssey editors and reporters to receive a UBC honorary degree. He served as a Canadian diplomat for almost 35 years, but not before studying at the University of California and Cambridge after UBC and teaching at Yale. He was the only “returned soldier” among the eight “founders.”

“Miss E.M. Marwick” made remarkable marriages, and after an inimitable, if unintentional, preparation: the subject of her 1921 master of arts thesis was Joseph Conrad’s fictional women.

The death in a motor vehicle

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Not dated, meaning we will never know if this photograph of Alfred Rive was taken before or after the war.

IAN ALAISTAR SHAW (1897 – 1971) By reputation the student who devised the name of the newspaper, the editor-in-chief practised law in Vancouver for almost 50 years. The first of (too) many Ubyssey editors and reporters to make the law his or her life after UBC, his reminiscences in a 1949 Alumni Chronicle identify the Anon and Ubicee weeklies as Ubyssey predecessors.

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

“Miss P. Smith” was the 1920 graduating class’s best student.

(Hugh Keenleyside there’s a dam on the Columbia named after him was the second best.) Enviable longevities were hers. She resided at the same Oak Bay address for most of her years.

She taught in Oak Bay schools for most, or all, of her working years. She maintained an attachment to UBC that her participation in a class of ‘20 reunion in 1975 exemplifies.

AGNES MARGARET (URE) BURTON (1899 – 1983) “Miss A. Ure” was Kamloops High School’s “Miss Ure” from 1925 to 1935, a school history note reports.

Marriage to a railwayman and the birth of at least two children interrupted, but thankfully did not end her teaching career as the occupational information on her death certificate “teacher . . . retired” suggests.

ROBERT FREDERICK ADAMS

EDNA MARY (MARWICK) NAPIER (1900 – 1964)

A portrait of chemistry students in 1919 is also a portrait of Ian Shaw, standing left , the first Ubyssey editor-in-chief.

ELIZABETH PATRICIA HAMILTON SMITH (1901 – 1984)

“Our Irish friend,” in the words of the 1919/20 yearbook, is the unknown masthead name: he returned to Ireland in December, 1919, half a school year short of graduation. Was he, perhaps, an eldest son interrupting his education in response to a family crisis? Was he, maybe, a young Ulsterman interrupting his education in response to the communal crisis that was Ireland for too much of the 20th century? That he was both a potentially dutiful son and Ulsterman is implied by information about him in the 1901 and 1911 censuses of Ireland.

He was the eldest child of James and Jeannie Adams, in County Derry. The household was a Presbyterian household in 1901 and 1911, meaning the Adams household was a Scots-Irish household.

Only someone with access to the physical vital-event records and the provincial newspapers of two nations, the United Kingdom and Ireland, could take the R.F. Adams story further. U Mike Sasges is a retired Vancouver newspaper editor and reporter who first filed a Ubyssey story in the fall of 1970. The Ubyssey would like to thank him for his contributions both in the present day and in the 70s.

Ian Alaistar Shaw’s UBC yearbook photo from 1919.

UBC YEARBOOK, 1919

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Words by Jason Herring, Matt Gergyek, Karen-Luz Sison & Zak Vescera Design by Claire Lloyd

highereducation Universities across Canada are taking drastically different approaches to legal cannabis

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fter nearly a century of cannabis prohibition, Canada is now the second country worldwide — after Uruguay — to make the drug legal nationally, meaning that consumers of cannabis at Canadian universities are now in an unprecedented era of freedom.

But for many students, university policies are tighter than expected and the future of cannabis on campus is still hazy at best.

Many campuses have placed total bans on recreational cannabis use on campus, while a few outliers have taken a more liberal approach.

It isn’t suprising that campuses have become a hot spot for cannabis policies. Data from Statistics Canada in 2012 shows that a third of 18- to 24-year-olds reported using cannabis in the past year, higher than any other age group.

A 2017 study by Maclean’s sheds light on the consumption habits of post-secondary students more directly. About 37 per cent of all university students in Canada self-reported ever using cannabis.

Students at Quebec’s Bishop’s University came out on top, with 60 per cent reporting having ever used, followed by Nova Scotia’s St. Francis Xavier University and Acadia University sitting at 56 and 53 per cent respectively.

On the opposite side of usage,

just 23 per cent of students at the University of Manitoba said they had ever used cannabis, slightly below British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University at 25 per cent.

As a result, universities have looked to a mix of federal, provincial and municipal law for cues on how to approach consumption, storage and growth of the drug within campus boundaries.

The Cannabis Act (also known as Bill C-45) is the federal law that now governs all things cannabis, allowing individuals over the age of 18 to consume cannabis and carry and share up to 30 grams. The Act will also allow Canadians to grow up to four plants at home and prepare edibles.

But, as expected, not all provinces and territories are taking the same approach to legal cannabis. With university policies now in place as well, postsecondary students are faced with navigating an especially complex environment surrounding cannabis use.

Hashing it out Canada’s cannabis policies are already a complicated, confusing patchwork of codes and restrictions.

All provinces and territories have set the legal age at 19, except Alberta, which opted for 18, and Quebec, whose newly elected Coalition Avenir Quebec government plans to increase the age to 21 (the legal age is currently set at 18). All provinces and territories will allow people

to grow cannabis at home except for Manitoba and Quebec.

When it comes to legal smoking areas, disagreement between provinces and territories only increases. New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, Yukon and Manitoba have limited legal smoking spaces to private properties and residences.

Prince Edward Island and the Northwest Territories have both followed suit with certain exceptions for public spaces. PEI will allow smoking in designated hotel rooms and campgrounds, while the NWT will allow public smoking when areas are not being used for events.

Ontario, Nova Scotia and Nunavut will allow cannabis to be smoked in areas where tobacco can be smoked, along with private property. Quebec has taken the same approach, excluding university and CEGEP campuses.

Alberta and British Columbia have the loosest provincial restrictions of all, designating only cars, areas frequented by children and tobacco-restricted areas as illegal.

To make things even more complicated, some municipalities have come up with their own rules for cannabis use within city limits.

As university policies come into effect, campus regulations add an extra layer of consideration to the already complex policy puzzle.

Nipping it in the bud By far, the most common approach to cannabis legalization among

Canadian postsecondaries has been to enact a blanket ban of on-campus use, sale or growth of the substance.

Many schools across the country, including McGill University, the University of Ottawa (U of O), the University of Calgary and the University of Regina have completely banned cannabis.

At McGill in downtown Montreal, administrators released a set of interim guidelines for pot use that rank among the most restrictive in Canada. Not only will McGill prohibit the smoking and vaping of cannabis on campus like other Canadian schools, but they also explicitly prohibit the use of all other forms of cannabis, including edibles and topicals.

McGill, the university with the seventh-highest self-reported student cannabis use in Canada, said they took a conservative approach to legalization with plans to recalibrate after stakeholder consultation this fall.

For the time being, students can simply leave campus to light up a legal joint, as Montreal’s bylaws permit cannabis to be smoked wherever cigarettes are allowed.

Beyond Montreal, many campuses banning recreational cannabis consumption have cited restrictive municipal or provincial policies.

october 16, 2018 tueSDAY | features | 9

At the University of Calgary, the school defers not to the rules set in place by Alberta, but the more stringent bylaws passed by the City of Calgary that ban recreational cannabis use in public spaces.

“The key is we have a municipal bylaw. We are following that municipal bylaw. The bottom line is there is no acceptable place or space on campus to consume recreational cannabis,” said Linda Dalgetty, U of C vice-president of Finance and Services.

Some schools are still ironing out their policies. U of O decided on October 15 — just two days before legalization — to permit cannabis consumption on its campus.

But most other universities are stepping away from smoking on campus altogether. Among them is the University of Regina, which became a smoke-free campus in August and simultaneously prohibited advertising or selling tobacco and cannabis products.

Rob Cunningham, a senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, identified a spike in smoke-free campuses as legalization approaches.

“Universities and colleges are wondering how they’re going to respond to [legalization] in part because they have many underage students on campus and they don’t want students smoking cannabis on campus,” Cunningham said.

The first smoke-free campus in Canada was Halifax’s Dalhousie University in 2003. After McMaster University in Hamilton announced a smoke-free policy in late 2017, more campuses quickly began to follow suit.

“The smoking prevalence around 19 to 24-year-olds in Canada is higher than any other age groups — young adults,” Cunningham said.

“That’s all the more important as to why campuses should be smokefree.”

Members of the advocacy group Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) have advocated for lenient cannabis policies on

Canadian campuses, citing data that says that prohibitory measures against drugs often don’t serve their intended purpose.

“I know, just from broader drug policy, that a prohibition use to any substance use issue doesn’t eradicate the substance use itself — it just pushes it underground,” Stephanie Lake, CSSDP co-secretary, said.

How post-secondaries plan to enforce those bans is unclear.

At the U of C, administrators don’t plan to penalize students caught lighting up. Their policy says that those who report cannabis use in order to seek medical assistance won’t face disciplinary action.

“Ultimately, if people are smoking cannabis, they will be asked to put out the joint because it is not legal on our campus,” Dalgetty said.

McGill’s policy, on the other hand, says that consuming cannabis on campus “could lead to a disciplinary process either under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures or the relevant policy or collective agreement.” It’s unclear, however, how the school would enforce bans on discrete methods of use, like topical creams.

Even among campuses taking liberal approaches to legalization, like the University of British Columbia, one guideline is consistent — students won’t be allowed to light up in their on-campus residences, which are typically considered units rented by students from their university. In most cases, including at the U of C, cannabis bans in residences are consistent with existing smoking bans.

“The residences are on campus and as landlords, we’ve chosen to also follow a no cannabis policy for residence,” Dalgetty said. “We already have a no smoking policy for residence and we feel that that’s appropriate.”

Hitting the gym, not the blunt Collegiate athletics are also making no big moves to allow cannabis in locker rooms or on the field.

U Sports, Canada’s national university sports organization, announced in a press release that there will be no change to their current ban on non-medicinal cannabis use for athletes.

Currently, athletes can be suspended and have their names publicized for violating anti-doping rules.

Cannabis will be “one of the many substances that are legal in Canada, but prohibited in sport,” said Canadian Centre

for Ethics in Sports (CCES) President Paul Melia in a statement.

The CCES is a national advocacy organization for drug-free sports that implements the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP) in the Canadian sports community.

“It may not be a popular option, but the most effective way for an athlete to avoid a violation for cannabis is to abstain from using it during their athletic career,” he said.

The CADP follows an international list of prohibited substances in sport enforced by the World Anti-Doping Agency that includes THC — the psychoactive part of cannabis that CADP says could give athletes an unfair advantage.

Taking the high road Even as most Canadian schools and collegiate organizations move to ban pot, some schools are taking the high road.

At UBC, students will be able to smoke cannabis anywhere they’re currently allowed to smoke cigarettes.

Unlike other Canadian schools, UBC acknowledges that prohibition simply won’t work — both because it’s impossible to enforce and because its students advocated for an educational, harm-reduced approach to legalization.

“What I think we will see from the bans from universities that want to eliminate cannabis is that they won’t be effective and that they’ll simply force people to use cannabis is such a way that evades the surveillance of the institution,” said Dr. M-J Milloy, a researcher with the BC Centre on Substance Use. These concerns are especially pronounced at UBC Vancouver as it spans 1,000 acres. When drafting updates to Policy 15 — UBC’s current smoking policy — it was noted that banning cannabis would likely push users into surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Compared to other universities we have additional complexities when it comes to implementing a full smoking ban,” UBC University Counsel Michael Serebriakov said. “[Users] are going to go somewhere, and it’s likely that they would have gone out to our neighbouring communities and cause some tension there.”

Similar concerns arose at the University of Lethbridge, which is designating five spaces where smoking and vaping will be permitted on campus, much like the policy that will take effect at the UBC Okanagan campus in Kelowna.

“Our campus is not in a downtown core. It’s skirted by thick grasses, long grasses,” said Mark Slomp, executive director of student services at the University of Lethbridge. “We didn’t want to drive students to the fringes of our campus, places where fires could happen.”

Beyond the impossibility of enforcing a ban, students stakeholders like the AMS argued for a harmreduction approach to cannabis use consistent with Canada’s Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines, a set of principles for improving safe cannabis consumption, are among the sources in

the draft policy.

It’s one of the few universities taking those steps. Kira London-Nadeau, a master’s student at the University of Montreal and a board member of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) says most schools are taking a hardline view on cannabis without consulting students.

“There’s been so many education efforts or policies that have been made without consulting youth,” said London-Nadeau. “We end up with these policies that stigmatize a whole group of cannabis consumers.”

Harm-reduction advocates like CSSDP see legalization as a chance to improve universities’ education around substance use, and potentially even as a substitute for more harmful drugs.

“One of the largest threats to our university community ... is alcohol use,” said Milloy. “One thing I think we should all be looking out for in regards to cannabis on campus is: does it reduce the use of alcohol and binge alcohol consumption for members of our campus.” Alternative methods of consuming cannabis like vaping could help users use the drug more safely — but universities like McGill and McMaster are banning these as well.

“There’s still some science to be done on vaping and its potential risks, but it does seem to present a safer profile than taking in the smoke and those carcinogens from smoking cannabis,” said London-Nadeau.

Milloy also points out that a blanket ban on cannabis might impact “vulnerable populations” who use it for therapeutic reasons.

“There’s no doubt that there’s people of the typical university age who are also using it therapeutically — to treat depression or anxiety and also as a substitute for other psychoactive substances,” said Milloy.

Most schools are granting medical cannabis accommodations on a student-by-student basis in conjunction with the school’s accessibility services department.

Medical accommodations are protected under the federal Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes regulations passed in 2016, which guarantees reasonable access to cannabis for medical purposes for those authorized for use by their doctor.

“The Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that canadians have a right to use medical cannabis,” said Milloy. “I’d like to see our institutions facilitating that right rather than trying to ban it.”

UBC isn’t completely alone in taking the high road. But Milloy said most Canadian schools seem to have missed the mark on harm reduction.

“Instead of using legalization as an opportunity to educate and inform university communities about loweruse guidelines we’re trying to ban cannabis entirely,” said Milloy.

Ultimately, campus prohibition might be bound to fail before it starts.

“If people see others just using and breaking those campus policies on campus, that just perpetuates what we’ve seen already with cannabis—which is a lack of respect for policies that aren’t effective or realistic,” said London-Nadeau. U

10 | features | TUESDAY octoBER 16, 2018

Everything you need to know to vote in the upcoming BC referendum on electoral reform

by Moira Wyton

If the phrase “electoral reform” sounds more like a band your most indie friend won’t stop recommending than the subject of an upcoming referendum in BC, you’re in the right place.

From October 20 to November 30, BC voters will be able to mail-in their answers to two questions — first, whether BC should keep the current First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) voting system and second, to rank the three proposed proportional representation systems

by preference. Each question is independent of the other, so if you vote “no” to changing the system, you can still indicate which of the three proposals you would prefer.

If the 50 per cent “yes” threshold for the referendum to trigger electoral reform is reached, the most popular system of proportional representation will be legislated and implemented in time for any election that takes place after July 1, 2021.

To check if you’re eligible to vote and to register to obtain your ballot, check out the Elections BC website.

The Ubyssey sat down with Dr. Richard Johnston, professor of political science at UBC and Canada research chair in public opinion, elections, and representation, to break down the options and what is at stake for students when casting their ballots over the next month.

Current System: First-Past-the-Post Right now, all provinces in Canada use FPTP to elect their representatives. Under this system, candidates in each electoral district compete for one seat and the candidate with the most votes as an individual becomes a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for that district. Voters may only vote for one candidate and the party with the most seats in the legislature then forms the government.

Under FPTP, candidates from large parties tend to win and single-party majority governments are more common.

It also means, however, that a party could win many more seats or gain very few

in comparison to the percentage of the province-wide vote its candidates gained — called the popular vote. In the 2001 BC provincial election, the BC Liberals won 77 of 79 seats with 57 per cent of the popular vote, while the BC NDP gained 21 per cent of the popular vote and won only the remaining 2 seats.

According to Johnston, it’s important to note that the status quo is not politically neutral because right-of-centre parties tend to win more than those left-of-centre under FPTP. When left-leaning parties do form government, they tend to have qualified majorities like the

current NDP-Green agreement that allows the NDP to form the government.

“There are partisan implications here … And it is not an accident that that [the BC] Liberals are essentially united in opposition to change, it is not an accident the Greens would rather have gone further and simply legislated change themselves. And it’s not an accident that the NDP are somewhere in between, but tilted towards a change,” said Johnston.

“And we should not dismiss the fact that it’s a strategic move [by the NDP]. But the other side is sort of shielding itself behind the status quo, and the status quo is not neutral.”

would be listed as a single option, with one as the “primary” and the other as the “secondary.”

Voters then vote for one candidate (or pair of candidates). One of the two seats would go directly to the primary candidate with the most votes. The other seat in the riding would be distributed based on the province-wide popular vote and how each party fared in each riding in order to

compensate for distortions between a party’s seats and their proportion of the popular vote in the elected seats.

Johnston believes that DMP would result in the smallest possible distortions between the popular vote and seats held by each party.

However, it has not yet been used anywhere in the world, so BC would be the first to see if it works and to find the kinks that would need to be ironed out.

neighbouring districts and would have a number of regional seats proportionate to their populations. Candidates for these seats would be chosen from a party list of candidates, which may be prepared by the party (closed) or voted on directly by voters (open) — this is yet another variation that would be finalized by a legislative committee. Just like in DMP, the regional seats would be distributed to make the share of seats for each party as proportionate as possible to the party’s share of the popular vote.

Johnston points out that MMP is used in Germany, where it has meant that the number

of seats must be increased in order to account for the “overhang” when one party wins more district seats than it is entitled to based on its share of the popular vote.

“So one of the questions is, at the end of the day, ‘Is the entitlement province-wide proportionality or regional proportionality?’” said Johnston, noting that the potential ability to vote for both a candidate and a party could allow voters to more accurately express their preferences.

“There could be, in principle, a closer fit between candidate characteristics and voter.”

elect multiple MLAs per district and rank each candidate in order of preference, called the single transferable vote (STV). The seats in each district would then be allocated proportionally based on the vote distribution and strength of preference between candidates.

Each party could run multiple candidates in one district, but would need to be strategic about the number, according to Johnston.

Putting forward too few candidates would mean not all the seats possible would be captured and some votes would be wasted, but too many would split the vote between them and could lead to no candidates gaining a seat in that district.

While MMP and STV have both been used separately, the particular method proposed in RUP has also not been used before.

explicitly to acknowledge diversity rather than to suppress it [so] I would be shocked if there were not a generational gradient in how people vote.”

Still, Johnston urged young voters to consider how comfortable they are with political diversity and its flipside, which may mean a higher likelihood of political fragmentation and shared mandates in government.

“The price of that kind of generous nature is that [proportional representation systems]

permit fragmentation,” said Johnston.

“And speaking just in a general normative sense, voters don’t like fragmentation, voters like to see themselves represented [and] they would prefer relatively consolidated policy alternatives.” U

Proportional Representation Dual-member proportional Under a dual-member proportional (DMP) system, two neighbouring districts would be combined into one and represented by two MLAs, while larger rural constituencies would continue to have one MLA elected in a FPTP manner. Parties can choose to run one or two candidates in each district ballot, but two candidates from the same party

Mixed-member proportional With a mixed-member proportional system (MMP), voters could cast two votes — one for an MLA for their district who will be chosen via FPTP and one vote for a party which will be used to distribute “regional” seats to compensate for distortions. Another option may be that voters cast one vote which would count for both candidate and party, but that would be decided by a legislative committee if this system is adopted.

The regions would be composed of multiple

Rural-urban proportional Rural-urban proportional (RUP) would try to improve disproportionality between urban and rural constituencies, which tend to exercise disproportionate political power in BC. In rural districts, voters would elect district and regional MLAs the same way as MMP. By contrast, in urban and semi-urban areas, voters would

In brief No one system is perfect, but Johnston stressed that proportional representation systems tend to be more comfortable with diversity — just like young voters tend to be, too.

“Young people who live in diverse places [like Vancouver] … or move to diverse places, they tend to be more comfortable with diversity,” said Johnston. “Proportional representation systems … are designed

Voting in the referendum starts this Saturday, October 20. Head to the Elections BC website (eregister.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca) for more information and voter registration.

OPINIONS

october 16, 2018 tuesday

Editor tristan wheeler

11

Allard //

Letter: UBC Law risks its reputation even if it declines CSR donation from Stuart Angus Hamish Stewart Contributor

The UBC Law School’s recent decision to accept money from local mining magnate Stuart “Tookie” Angus to create a new research position in corporate social responsibility (CSR) risks damaging the university’s integrity beyond repair.

Allard has recently paused this decision, but the announcement still sits on their website. The damage to its reputation may have already been done to a university which prides itself on its integrity.

Indeed, the Allard Prize for International Integrity touts itself as “one of the world’s largest prizes dedicated to the fight against corruption and the protection of human rights.”

Angus is a well recognized figure in the Canadian mining world with decades of experience with junior mining companies, a number of which have been implicated in serious alleged labour and human rights violations.

Nevsun Resources, one company which he chaired until last year, is accused of systematic human rights violations and crimes against humanity in the East African country of Eritrea. Angus was the Chairman of Nevsun Resources from May 2006 to June 30, 2017.

The most recent statement of civil claim filed in BC courts this May on behalf of the victims

alleges that “by entering into the commercial relationship with Eritrea, Nevsun facilitated, aided, abetted, contributed to and became an accomplice to the use of forced labour, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses at the Bisha Mine.”

Partnering with state-owned companies to operate the mine means that Nevsun was reliant on slave labour procured by the government partners via a programme officially described as ‘national conscription.’ The civil claim alleges that “from at least 2003 onwards, hundreds of Eritrean nationals were forced to work at the Bisha Mine.”

The statement of claim goes on to describe how “during their period of forced labour at Bisha, the Plaintiffs were subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as well as harsh working conditions, including long hours, malnutrition and forced confinement for little pay. They worked under the constant threat of physical punishment, torture and imprisonment.”

These are serious claims against the company during the period in which Angus was Chair. The plaintiffs’ lawyers in Vancouver have now filed at least eight claims on behalf of more than 80 plaintiffs alleging egregious human rights violations by the firm. Does the UBC Faculty of Law want to endorse this type of business conduct by endowing a research position in Angus’s name?

Even if these allegations have not been proven in court, they are serious enough to merit consideration from the Faculty of Law. The case against Angus’s company that is currently working its way through the Canadian courts is a civil claim, and the allegations of crimes against humanity could also result in criminal charges at a later date.

One of Angus’s other companies, First Quantum Minerals (FQM), has a long and checkered history in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Angus served as an Independent Director of FQM from 1997 to June 23, 2005. FQM appears way back in the 2002 report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is on a list of business enterprises that the Panel of Experts considered “to be in violation of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.” It achieved this honourable mention when during the course of its “attempts to buy rights to the Kolwezi Tailings … offered a down payment to the State of $100 million, cash payments and shares held in trust for Government officials.”

In other words, the company is alleged to have made corrupt payments to government officials in exchange for access to mining rights.

Students of history might take note that the Second Congo War was just kicking off when Angus joined the company in December

“The damage to its reputation may have already been done.”

of 1997. War-related deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries during the period from 1997 to 2008 are estimated at around 4.5 million people, making it one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II. Much of this conflict centred around control over mineral resources; a good operating environment for CSR-orientated mining chiefs.

One of FQM’s other African mines, in Mauritania, was the subject of a labour rights complaint to Canada’s Office of the Extractive Sector CSR Counsellor, concluded in 2012, and the company’s annual report identifies ongoing “illegal” strikes by unionized workers at the Guelb Mohgrein mine as a business risk to its operations there.

FILE ZUBAIR HIRJI

The history of this small sample of Angus’s companies raises a number of questions: is this the type of money the UBC Law School should be accepting on behalf of the UBC student and alumni community? Is the association with alleged gross violations of international human rights law worth it? Is the university administration blind to reality and the potential ethical concerns of law students and alumni?

Myself and other UBC Law alumni in Canada and around the world look forward to reading answers from the school on why they chose to take Angus’s money in the first place. U Hamish Stewart is an alumnus of UBC Law and currently works in London, UK.

safety net //

Mind your mind: Let’s take care of each other this midterm season

This midterm season, why don’t we allow ourselves to be vulnerable?

Daphnée Lévesque Mindfulness Columnist

A lot of us hesitate to reach out, especially when our peers also appear to be struggling. We claim we are too “busy” or don’t have enough time, energy or effort to seek out appropriate support. We don’t want to inconvenience our friends either, so we retreat into ourselves and end up miserable. I’m here to tell you that we can do things differently. The idea is this: “I’ll take care of you, you take care of me.”

A therapist I saw this summer brought up the concept when I told

FILE STEPHANIE WU

her that my entire life would fall apart the moment the cold rainy days hit and deadlines piled up and filled every slot in my Google calendar.

She told me I needed a “safety net,” something that would not allow me to fall through the cracks and into the hole of despair, instant noodles and IKB all-nighters.

I was rather annoyed at her idea of a safety net: a human.

“What do you mean, a human?”

More frustration, but also some degree of curiosity.

“A human. A friend,” she said simply.

The basic gist of this: sometimes,

our brains screw us over — well, mine does all the time, but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, like this therapist said, in those moments, we need the people who love us to show up at our house and say, “Dude, get dressed right now. I’m gonna stand over you and watch you get dressed, you’re doing it right now.”

Aggressive? Very much. Would it work? Probably.

Think about it. You can’t get yourself out of bed, and you haven’t eaten vegetables in days.

You obviously can’t get yourself to engage in proper self-care. But all of a sudden, your friend calls and tells you that they have also spent the last two days in bed, and haven’t seen the sun since then.

How many of you would be willing to show up to your friend’s house with a kale smoothie, clean bedsheets and a relentless determination to kick them out of bed? The answer is most of us wouldn’t hesitate. After all, how many of us are willing to do for our friends the very things we can’t do for ourselves?

“So, are you trying to tell me I need friends to hold me accountable?” I asked the therapist. I was still skeptical.

“Forget accountable,” she said. I

heard a sigh, which was followed by a subtle rolling of the eyes, “You need people to freaking hold your hand.”

“I can’t ask that of my friends,” I said. “They are just as busy and stressed out as I am! I don’t want to be a burden.”

“So,” she replied, “make a deal with your friends that they’ll check in on you every Tuesday, and you’ll check in on them every Thursday.”

I have to admit that the idea of scheduling “regular check ins” with my friends ahead of time did sound ridiculous, at least at first.

But since then, I’ve discovered that the beauty of super awesome interdependent care — my therapist’s words, not mine — relies on the fact that it’s a give-and-take process. I’ll support you through X, and you’ll support me through Y. It’s not magic.

It’s acknowledging that we can’t do everything on our own.

It’s been over a month since this meeting, and since then, my close friends and I have tried our best to put into place a system of interdependent care. Or, as I lovingly refer to it now, a safety net.

We check in on a daily basis, while observing our limits. We plan meals together. We have sleepovers.

We have each other’s emergency contact phone numbers. My friends

know when it’s appropriate to tell me to get my shit together and they never hesitate to step in when I need help. I try to do the same for them. It’s not a bulletproof plan, but nothing in life really is.

Remember how in high school, every group had a designated “mom friend,” you know, that person who was overly caring, overly protective, sometimes annoying? Well, what if we all took turns embodying that role?

This midterm season, why don’t we allow ourselves to be vulnerable?

Let’s try to let go of our fierce desire for independence. Let’s stop pretending everything’s fine when clearly everything is not fine. Let’s mutually agree to be there for one another, both in the near and far future.

In my experience, when you’re away at university, your friends become your family. I feel grateful to have people in my life I can turn to, but I am aware that’s not the case for everyone. If you read this and feel alone, check out The Kaleidoscope, our very own student-run support group at UBC. If you feel lost, it’s a good place to start. U The authors of this column are not mental health professionals.

FROm The BLOG

OCTOBER 16, 2018 tueSDAY

EDITOR TRISTAN WHEELER

12

seRIOus RepORTING //

Here are some of our favourite Ubyssey stories to celebrate 100 years of hard-hitting journalism emma Livingstone & Angela O’Donnell Senior Staff Writers

Happy 100th birthday to us!

For a century now we’ve been reporting on every hard-hitting and mildly interesting story to come out of UBC’s Vancouver campus. From AMS politics to university administration updates and everything in between, we’ve gathered a few headline highlights over the years for all our fellow history nerds to enjoy.

“uFeCes” mARCh 30, 1994 Arguably the most controversial spoof issue to date, UFeces spoofed the paper itself and adopted the slogan “the vilest rag west of Blanca,” which a prof had previously used to describe The Ubyssey. This edition was enough for the AMS to fire the editors and change the locks, which led to the paper becoming independent one year later. We’re still good friends with the AMS though and they definitely love everything we publish.

“LeATheRmeN ARe OuT AND pLAYING” FeBRuARY 12, 1993 The annual Valentine’s Day sex issue has evolved a lot over the

FILE THE UBYSSEY

UFeces spoofed the paper itself and adopted the slogan “the vilest rag west of Blanca.”

years. In 1993 we published a two-page spread explaining the world of S&M. Check it out for a breakdown of “handkerchief codes,” which may not be accurate.

“eNGINeeRs WAVe BYe-BYe TO CAIRN” mARCh 8, 1988 In an introductory sentence that can never be topped, The Ubyssey reported “Six forestry students clear-cut the engineer’s cairn ...” The destruction of the Cairn was apparently payback

for engineering pranks that had led to stolen forestry cars over the years. The forestry students made sure to sign their work and spelled out “Forestry” from the Cairn’s remains.

“LIBRARY COOL As A sTeWeD CuCumBeR” sepTemBeR 22, 1964 When Woodward Library opened in 1964, it was the first fully airconditioned building on campus.

Like many buildings, the library

opened before it was completely finished. We reported on the hot conditions pre-air conditioning and the lack of typewriters in the typewriting room.

“uBC meN CRITICIZe LeG pAINT” OCTOBeR 23, 1942 With a dubious statistic reporting that one quarter of women were leg painting — the act of painting your legs to look like nylons, which was adopted during WWI when nylon supplies were

limited. The Ubyssey ran some comments from male students.

“Better than nothing,” “Hideous” and “Anything’s good that comes in a bottle” were some of the, er, frank comments.

“BOOK exChANGe” FeBRuARY 16, 1932 The Ubyssey ran a list of like, 100 names of people who had “returns due to them from book-sales.” Only hard hitting journalism here, folks. U

sTARTING CAReeRs //

Notable alumni from The Ubyssey’s 100 years of existence a cabinet minister under Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau and is the figure most current writers point to when our parents ask where all this work is going.

We can’t confirm that contributing to us will produce these same results unfortunately.

Tristan Wheeler Blog & Opinion Editor

Over our 100 years of existence, The Ubyssey has had hundreds of amazing writers, photographers and editors pass through its doors.

Lots of these people have gone on to have extremely successful and interesting lives, so we’ve compiled a list of Ubyssey editors and writers who have made an impact in the world.

As we work to make The Ubyssey more diverse and inclusive of marginalized groups, we acknowledge that our paper’s editors have been disproportionately white and male, a pattern also visible in the journalism industry at large.

Keeping in mind that “notability” is inherently biased towards maleand white-dominated activities, Ubyssey alumni have contributed to society in a multitude of ways.

Here is a list of some of the most influential alumni from the vilest rag west of Blanca.

JOhN TuRNeR That’s right, we had a prime minister write for us. John “Chick” Turner was an associate sports editor and columnist during his undergrad degree in the late 1940s and served as prime minister in 1984 — in that order of importance. Turner was also

eARLe BIRNeY

Pierre Berton was an editor and reporter for The Ubyssey in the 1930s and 40s and became a noted writer of non-fiction focusing on Canadian culture and history. On top of serving in World War II and working in Klondike mining camps, Berton held 11 honorary degrees and was the recipient of awards from the Canadian government and Queen Elizabeth II,and a member of the Order of Canada. So basically his life was cooler than all of the Ubyssey current editors’ lives combined.

The founder of Canada’s first creative writing program here at UBC, Earle Birney was both a reporter and editor-in-chief at The Ubyssey in the 1920s. After his stint at UBC, he became one of Canada’s top poets and writers, winning the Governor General’s literature prize twice. His work led him back to UBC as a lecturer where he founded the department of creative writing. But, it’s not confirmed if he intended on introducing the statementdisguised-as-a-question format that’s seen in every creative writing class.

pAT CARNeY

KATheRINe COLLINs

Canadian senator and Cabinet Minister Pat Carney was a news editor at The Ubyssey in the mid50s. Carney later became the first woman business columnist in a major Canadian daily newspaper in the 1960s. After that, she became a trailblazer in parliament with the Progressive Conservative Party, being the first woman in many government positions like Minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources and Minister of International Trade. She was later appointed to the Canadian Senate, where she worked for 18 years, retiring in 2008. Unfortunately, we can’t

Collins is a cartoonist who started her career at The Ubyssey where she formed her first comic strip.

She later went on to author the popular strip Neil the Horse, which ran in newspapers across Canada. Neil the Horse was about a horse named Neil who liked milkshakes and bananas and went on adventures with his friend Soapy the Cat — What? You couldn’t guess that? It was also the first musical comic strip that included sheet music with every edition, which is something The Ubyssey is thinking of adopting for our cover stories. U

pIeRRe BeRTON

FILE THE UBYSSEY

confirm that contributing to us will produce these same results.

sCIeNCe

OCTOBER 16, 2018 tueSDAY

EDITOR JAMES VOGL

13

BONe WARs //

DIRTY WATeR //

Elasmosaurus skeleton is newest addition at Pacific Museum of Earth

Study: Climate change will exacerbate pollutant woes for southern resident orca

The Elasmosaurus is the first of several new exhibits.

Chimedum Ohaegbu Staff Writer

Just in time for the Halloween season, UBC’s Pacific Museum of Earth (PME) has acquired a 42-foot long cast skeleton of an ancient marine reptile to adorn its atrium: an Elasmosaurus. The Elasmosaurus’ origins, however, are more sensible than spooky. Its journey to the PME became possible due to the past and continuing efforts of a community of scientists and supporters.

“This is a pretty big deal for the museum,” said the director of the PME, Dr. Kirsten Hodge. She explained in a press release that “big” was a literal assessment. The museum could have gone with a local skeleton that was about 10 feet shorter, but decided on this Elasmosaurus because the skeleton would fill the space better.

The Elasmosaurus is the first of several new exhibits going up in the year ahead, meant to improve the PME’s science communication and education. According to Hodge, the Elasmosaurus exhibit, as well as the other upcoming installations, are intended to provide “a lot more participatory, hands-on learning in the museum.”

JAMES VOGL

“For now we’re going to add some static content to the space, but we’re [also] envisioning a kiosk that has some interactive digital components,” she said. In a press release, she wrote that she hopes the exhibit will “ignite a sense of amazement and curiosity in visitors as they imagine this majestic sea creature swimming through a Cretaceous sea.”

Edward Drinker Cope identified the ancient marine reptile as an Elasmosaurus (not a dinosaur, though it lived at the same time) in 1868, but he incorrectly drew the head atop the tail, rather than the neck. This mispositioning became part of a bitter, decadeslong rivalry in the paleontology community known as the “Bone Wars,” wherein Cope and opposing scientist Othniel Charles Marsh publicly shamed each other, sabotaged one another’s work and argued over everything from taxonomy to anatomy. Less serious were the more recent debates over a nickname for the PME’s newest addition.

“It’s not official,” said Hodge.

“But we want to call [the Elasmosaurus] ‘Dorothy,’ because it’s originally from Kansas.” U

The southern resident killer whales are exposed to these pollutants through their diet.

patrick hatch Contributor

The situation of the Pacific Coast’s southern resident killer whales has been looking pretty bleak lately.

Orca J-35 mourned the death of her calf for 17 days last summer and more recently J-50 — a young female orca — was declared dead, reducing the population of the J pod from 75 to 74. Now, UBC researchers have found that these whales may be facing additional challenges if we don’t reduce our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Their study looked at the accumulation of two different pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and methyl mercury, as they travel through the southern resident killer whales’ food web. The results vary dramatically based on whether our CO2 emissions stay where they are — a “business as usual” scenario — or whether we make substantial efforts to reduce our CO2 emissions in the future.

PCBs are industrial chemicals that were used from the 1960s to the 1970s, when they were phased out because of their toxicity.

Even though their use stopped decades ago, as the study’s lead author and postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries Dr. Juan Jose Alava explained, “PCBs are very persistent” and they cycle through the environment “like any other nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.” This means that

they’ve stuck around the coast of British Columbia for quite some time and continue to contaminate fish such as Chinook salmon to this day.

Methyl mercury, on the other hand, can be both naturally and industrially produced. Naturally, it is produced by bacterial action in sediments on the sea-floor.

Industrially, methyl mercury is produced by burning coal and fossil fuels.

The southern resident killer whales are exposed to these pollutants not through direct contact with their environment, but through their diet of primarily Chinook salmon. Not only are food nutrients absorbed in the stomachs of these salmon, but pollutants are absorbed as well. As killer whales continually eat these salmon, they are exposed to more pollutants, until eventually they become the most contaminated animal in their food web.

In fact, orcas from British Columbia are the most PCBcontaminated animals in the world, due in large part to the chemical’s significant historical usage around the BC coast as part of heavy industry.

The UBC study assessed how the accumulation of PCBs and methyl mercury in orcas would be exacerbated due to climate change by examining four factors: the temperature and acidity of the Salish Sea, changes in primary production — that is, the production of chemical energy at the base of the food web which

HINAKO KANEYAMA

consists of aquatic plants — and changes in dissolved oxygen.

Adjusting these four factors for a high-emissions scenario, a low-emissions and a baseline “no climate change” scenario, the researchers found that concentrations of methyl mercury are projected to increase eight per cent in killer whales and PCBs are projected to increase by three per cent in the high emissions. For low-emissions scenario, the increases are one per cent and less than one per cent respectively.

A significant increase in these pollutants means endangering the immunity and reproductive ability of the southern resident killer whales. With only 74 of these whales left in BC waters, keeping these increases to a minimum is crucial for the health of the population.

With these findings in mind, Alava encouraged continued steps toward a lower-emission future like limiting red meat consumption and increasing the use of public transportation and hybrid cars. He also called upon the Canadian government to “reach the Paris agreement to reduce emissions,” as the country is currently behind its goal.

Only then can we have hope for the survival of the southern resident killer whales, an animal which Alava pointed out is a significant element of Indigenous cultures and the culture of the province as a whole.

“The orca are the icon of British Columbia.” U

SPORTS+REC

october 16, 2018 Tuesday

Editor LuCY FOX

8

sports history //

Athleting with Angela: The Ubyssey’s open frisbee golf tour of UBC campus Angela O’Donnell Senior Staff Writer

On September 9, 1987, The Ubyssey published an Open Frisbee Golf Tour of UBC campus. The course covers several kilometres across campus, winding its way through all of the main faculty spaces and landmarks.

The map is dated and many buildings and locations either have different names or no longer exist — a challenge for anyone willing to try it today.

The guide says that this is a game you should play with friends. I don’t have those so I decided to go it alone.

Caveat: This article is not meant to be a full guide through the course, but rather a commentary on its possibilities today.

Prelude I own no frisbees, so I had to call the bookstore to see if they sell them there. I was transferred to many people and none of them seemed to understand what I wanted. I start to think this plan was a bad idea. I hustled over to the bookstore to buy one and the cashier commented on how much fun I was going to have. I was dressed in the closest thing I had to a gym strip: pyjama shorts and an old work shirt.

Hole 1 I walked all around the SUB (sorry, Life Building) to figure out where the north entrance is. I ended up outside by the doors nearest to the SRC. Immediately I got my frisbee caught in an orange fence zone. I tried to get it out with a stick, but a tall guy inevitably had to help me. A woman also asked me for directions.

There is no house post in the roundabout as the rules states, so I aimed for a tree instead.

Hole score: 4

Hole 2 Already, I was doing really badly.

I made short throws so I didn’t hit anyone, but there were so many people walking around.

My frisbee glided over the bike lockers. People kept looking at me and I was scared.

Hole score: 12 Total Score: 16

Hole 3 I threw the frisbee from the Arts Cairn by the Irving K. Barber Library and it rolled back to me — as if my score wasn’t bad enough. I had to walk through a lot of mulch, but this hole was my favourite because I got to visit the Ladner Clock tower.

Hole score: 7 Hole score: 23

Hole 4 Lots of beautiful people were eating lunch in the hanging gardens (specify where?), so I tried to throw the frisbee around the sunk-in zone. I stepped on a lot of new grass. I got the frisbee stuck in a bush and a guy laughed at me.

Hole score: 9 (I blame the gardens behind IKB) Total score: 32

Hole 5 Before I started this hole, I was nervous because there were lots of people between me and the flagpole. I kept seeing a woman in a red jacket talking on the phone.

Was it the same woman? Some workpeople were lifting the fake wood outside of the Belkin. I tried to stick to the middle grass zone of Main Mall.

Hole score: 11 Total Score: 43

Celebrating frisbee golf at the engineering Cairn.

ANGELA O’DONNELL

Hole 6

Hole 7

Hole 8

There were a lot of beautiful, probably expensive cars between me and the Graduate Student Centre. I hit the door of someone’s office.

Hole score: 5 Total score: 48

I was very nervous for this hole. I narrowly missed hitting a Porsche.

Hole score: 5 Total score: 53

I accidentally reread the instructions for hole 7, but I didn’t want to re-do it so I just estimated what my score would have been.

Hole score: 7 Total score: 60

october 16, 2018 tueSDAY | sports+REC | 9 Hole 9

INTERMISSION

Hole 12

Hole 14

Hole 17

There were too many people in this tunnel. A dude asked me what I was doing. My frisbee fell in a puddle.

Hole score: 5 Total score: 65

I got very hungry, so I went back to the Nest for food.

There were so many people here. I was nervous. This hole was a test of my dignity. I wanted someone to take my picture, but I didn’t know how to climb the Cairn and there was no one around to take it.

Hole score: 26 Total score: 97

This parkade smelled like wood, which is nice, but my frisbee almost got hit by a car.

Hole score: 4 Total score: 109

A guy gave me my frisbee back. I got the disc stuck in some ivy. I carried the frisbee over the bus loop and guessed where the doors of the pool would have been.

Hole score: 20 Total score 139

Hole 15 Hitting someone coming out of the hospital with a frisbee would have been a low point in my life that I’m not sure I can bounce back from, so I walked the disc over to the side of the hospital building instead.

Hole score: 6 Total score: 115

Hole 16 I intended to skip this one.

I thought the building had been torn down, but I found it by accident. A guy carrying important-looking styrofoam boxes stepped on my frisbee.

Hole score: 4 Total score: 119

Hole 18 This hole was the easiest by far. The distance from the big hole that was once the pool and the SUB (Life) was the shortest distance.

Hole score: 3 Total score: 142

Hole 19 I walked back to The Ubyssey’s office sweaty and tired. I’m not really sure if I learned anything from this. If you wanted to get to know your campus better, this would be a pretty good way of doing it. It would probably be really fun to play with a group of friends and some beers.

Final score: 142 U

UBYSSEY ARCHIVES 1987

Hole 10

Hole 11

Hole 13

A guy picked up my frisbee and handed it to me. It was a kind act but sort of went against what frisbee golf is. This building had a lot of people coming out of it.

Hole score: N/A Total score: 65

I skipped this hole because I’m in charge of my own destiny. I told you this was an interpretation of the course only.

Hole score: 6 Total score: 71

I didn’t understand the instructions here. I walked through the Fred Kaiser Building — I didn’t want to get my ass kicked by engineers. I interpreted the ‘Cheeze factory’ to be the Engineering Student Centre and walked through that too.

Hole score: 8 Total score: 105 The uniform of choice for frisbee golf.

TRISTAN WHEELER

16 | GAMeS | tueSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2018

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