September 17, 2012 by The Ubyssey

THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR SINCE 1918

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE V

New U-Hill behind schedule

Despite massive overcrowding at the current location, University Hill Secondary’s new home may not open until December

THE UBYSSEY

Now what?

Can UBC rebuild after loss to Saskatchewan?

Koerner’s returns

The GSS has found new management for beloved pub P3

Out of the archive

AMS puts permanent collection paintings on show for the first time in more than 30 years

GOLD’S GYM >>

UBC staffers criticize gym for ‘slippery’ contracts Owner says he can’t be blamed if people don’t read what they sign Ming Wong Senior News Writer

Staff at the UBC Faculty of Medicine are frustrated with the way they’ve been treated by the Gold’s Gym in the University Village. They argue that the gym is being “slippery” about how it enforces its high-priced multiyear membership contracts. But the gym’s owner is adamant that everything Gold’s does is within the law. Karminie De Silva, an office assistant at the UBC Faculty of Medicine, signed up for a gym membership with Gold’s Gym in September 2011. She was under the impression she was signing a one-year membership contract. Two weeks ago, when she thought her one year was almost up, De Silva went to Gold’s to cancel her membership. But an employee told her that instead of signing up for a 52-week program, she had instead signed up

for 52 bi-weekly payments — a two-year membership. “I just want[ed] to try out for a year, then they said, ‘This [membership] is the one that you should then go for,’” said De Silva. “I should have read my contract a little bit more, because it says [it ends in] 2013.” De Silva admits she did not read the contract carefully before she signed it. But she argued that the structure of 52 bi-weekly payments was confusing. Victor Newman, owner of this Gold’s Gym and two others, argued, “Out of our thousands of members in here, there might be one or two people [who] are not happy. I cannot please 100 per cent of the people in here. But we have a government [approved] contract in there that is legitimate [and] approved by the B.C. Consumer Affairs Office.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

What’s on Tue 1217

MONDAY

OUR CAMPUS

THIS WEEK, MAY WE SUGGEST...

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

CULTURE >>

Public Lecture: 4–6 p.m. @ Hennings 202 Dr. Angela McRobbie from Goldsmiths, University of London will give a public lecture on “Post-feminism, Neoliberalism and The New Gender Regime.” RSVP at mcrobbie.eventbrite.com. Visit angelamcrobbie.com for more information on her work. Tue 1218

Tue 1219

SSC >>

TUESDAY

SUB >>

WEDNESDAY

Final add/drop date This is the final day to drop your classes, switch into a new section or request Credit/D/Fail grading, all with no impact to your record or losing any money. Make sure to speak with an advisor if you have any concerns about your classes. Tue 1220

Youssef Basha/THE UBYSSEY

Marco Ciufolini says his introduction to chemistry was “like a revelation.” He now studies the use of toxic compounds in the treatment of breast cancer and HIV.

THEATRE >>

Chemist engages outside the lab

THURSDAY

Opening night of The Duchess: a.k.a. Wallis Simpson: 7:30 p.m. @ the Telus Studio Don’t miss Theatre at UBC’s The Duchess, an irreverent, highly theatrical take on the turbulent relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. Student tickets $5 at the door. Tue 1221

Clubs Day: 9 a.m.–4 p.m. @ the SUB Concourse Join a club! Clubs Day runs from September 19–21 in the SUB Concourse and second floor. Score free food or swag, and find something new that might be for you!

BOOZE >>

FRIDAY

AUS BBQ + Bzzr: 6 p.m.–12 a.m. @ Buchanan Courtyard, MASS The Arts Undergraduate Society will host a BBQ from 6–9 p.m. in Buchanan Courtyard and bzzr garden from 9–12 a.m. in MASS. Entry is $2 and beer/cider will be 2 for $5.

Got an event you’d like to see on this page? Send your event and your best pitch to printeditor@ubyssey.ca.

This Week at The Norm Wednesday 12–Sunday 16 The Avengers: 7 p.m. The Hunger Games: 9:45 p.m.

Marion Benkaiouche Contributor

When Marco Ciufolini first learned what he could do in a chemistry lab, he was shocked. It all started in Rome, Italy, when eight-year-old Ciufolini found a high school chemistry textbook. “Reading this book was like a revelation — no, really, like a biblical revelation,” said Ciufolini. “I can take stuff and turn it into something else through chemistry? Holy smokes! That’s what God does. So that was it. At age eight, I was hooked. “I pestered my parents until they got me a chemistry set.” Ciufolini, now an organic chemistry professor at UBC and the Canada research chair in synthetic organic chemistry, recalled the first experiment he ever did. “It was a recipe to make ink.... I had no idea why it worked at the time,” he confessed. “[You] take any kind of cabbage [and] make a broth. It’ll be rich in tannins. Now you take tetrasufides, the stuff you

buy for your soil at the garden store. You mix it in and it oxidizes the tannin. After a while, you get this pitch-black stuff. “I mean, here you are, putting water and cabbage together. That’s omnipotence,” he joked. His lab’s current work — making nitrogen compounds with possible applications in medicine — is a tad more complicated than cabbage-based ink, but Ciufolini hasn’t lost his rapt interest in the subject. He said that organic chemistry excites him because there are always unexpected discoveries. As Ciufolini explained, cutting-edge organic research has recently demonstrated that otherwise-toxic compounds can be used in treatment of breast cancer and HIV if they’e surrounded by a thin layer of lipids. On top of his research work, Ciufolini teaches a number of organic chemistry courses for undergrads. Student responses on RateMyProfessor.com characterize him as an engaging speaker who’s tough but fair. Some call his rapid-fire

lectures “HILARIOUS!” and “Funny as hell.” One student quips that Ciufolini has the ability to smell chemicals in the air — ozone, specifically. Ciufolini started his science career in 1978, when he graduated with a bachelor of science in chemistry from Spring Hill College in Alabama. “We were holed up on campus, very sheltered. But it was great,” he said of his years as an undergrad. He continued on to a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan and then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale. He came to UBC in 2004 after spending seven years as organic chemistry chair at the University of Lyon in France. Unlike many university researchers who see teaching as a secondary part of their job, Ciufolini said his calling is inside the classroom. “I just teach,” he said. “That’s what I’m here to do.” U —With files from Will McDonald and Laura Rodgers

Tickets are $5 for students, $2.50 for FilmSoc members. Learn more at UBCfilmsoc.com!

U THE UBYSSEY

EDITORIAL

Senior Lifestyle Writer STAFF Zafira Rajan Bryce Warnes, Josh Curran, zrajan@ubyssey.ca

Coordinating Editor Jonny Wakefield coordinating@ubyssey.ca Features Editor Natalya Kautz features@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Print Jeff Aschkinasi Video Editor printeditor@ubyssey.ca David Marino video@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Print Andrew Bates Copy Editor webeditor@ubyssey.ca Karina Palmitesta News Editors Will McDonald + Laura Rodgers news@ubyssey.ca

copy@ubyssey.ca

Senior News Writer Ming Wong mwong@ubyssey.ca

Graphics Assistant Indiana Joel ijoel@ubyssey.ca

Culture Editor Anna Zoria culture@ubyssey.ca

Layout Artist Collyn Chan cchan@ubyssey.ca

Senior Culture Writer Rhys Edwards redwards@ubyssey.ca

Videographer Soo Min Park spark@ubyssey.ca

Sports + Rec Editor CJ Pentland sports@ubyssey.ca

Webmaster Riley Tomasek webmaster@ubyssey.ca

Art Director Kai Jacobson art@ubyssey.ca

Peter Wojnar, Anthony Poon, Veronika Bondarenko, Yara De Jong, Lu Zhang

SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE V BUSINESS

CONTACT

Business Manager Fernie Pereira business@ubyssey.ca

Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301

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Business Office: SUB 23 604.822.6681 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey missions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

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Come deal with us in SUB 24! Opinion meetings are Mondays and Fridays at 4.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

EDITORS WILL MCDONALD + LAURA RODGERS

SCHOOLS >>

GSS >>

Drinks are set to stay cheap as Koerner’s Pub pepares to reopen next year

GEOFF LISTER FILE PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Koerner’s Pub could reopen by January.

Valerie Wyns PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Boxes crowd the hall of the old University Hill Secondary School as students and staff await the move to the new building.

New campus high school delayed

Emma Windsor-Liscombe Contributor

The high school on UBC campus, University Hill, is overcrowded. The school was set to move into a new, larger building at the beginning of this school year, but construction of the building has stalled. The new site, a retrofitted National Research Council building beside Save-On-Foods in south campus, may not open until December 2012. “When the construction contract started, they were projecting an opening date in time for the start of the 2012/13 school year,” said Paul Young, planning and design director with UBC Properties Trust. He said that the construction hold-up was caused by a delay in the supply of structural steel. But Kurt Heinrich, spokesperson for the Vancouver School Board,

gave other reasons: “We had trouble with the weather and the challenges of renovating an existing building from one use to a totally different use.” The current school is operating at more than double capacity, with more than 1,600 students enrolled, according to data released by the Vancouver School Board in April 2012. This means that the 1,000-student capacity at the new school, as given by Heinrich, may not be large enough to hold all of the students hoping to go there. Prod Laquian, chair of the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) — which represents residents of the campus’s non-student neighbourhoods — said that the UNA’s main concern was whether the new school would be big enough to absorb the growing number of high school students living on campus. “There had been

a waiting list at the old school,” said Laquian. The wait to finish the new high school isn’t only affecting high school students and their families. The elementary school for families on campus, also called University Hill, is too small to meet demand. Currently, many young children living on campus bus to portables at Queen Elizabeth Elementary in West Point Grey. “The old high school will be knocked down once the NRC building is completed to make room for [more space for] the elementary school,” said Heinrich. “We’ve been concerned about getting new elementary school facilities opened in the catchment area as soon as possible so that elementary students will no longer need to be bussed to out-of-catchment facilities.” Diane Katrusiak, parent of a child who lives in Vancouver

proper and attends Queen Elizabeth Elementary, said that the students coming from UBC campus to Queen Elizabeth caused some overcrowding. “VSB [the Vancouver School Board] decided to start a new elementary school for the UBC population before an actual building was created,” said Katrusiak. The population of UBC’s campus neighbourhoods has risen considerably in recent years. This resulted in a formal letter from the Vancouver School Board to UBC in 2010, expressing concern about the planned increase in on-campus housing and how this would affect elementary and high school facilities on campus. As it stands, Laquian and campus parents in UNA neighbourhoods are anxiously awaiting the completed building. “We hope that this complete high school will be finished and opened soon,” Laquian said. U

FIRST NATIONS >>

UBC Law students now required to study aboriginal treaties and rights

Jordan Irwin Contributor

UBC’s Faculty of Law is the first Canadian law school to require a course on aboriginal legal issues. Beginning with the class of 2015, all first-year law students will receive a more thorough background in aboriginal and treaty rights. The reconfigured LAW 100 course (Canadian Constitutional Law) will place greater weight on Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, which deals with aboriginal rights. The course’s new focus is intended to better prepare students for aboriginal legal issues. The new curriculum was partly in response to the National Federation of Law Societies, which recently outlined “core competencies” (including aboriginal and treaty rights) for graduates to fulfill in order to practice in any common law jurisdiction. The change, however, was also an opportunity to address a growing concern among faculty.

“I don’t think you can practice law in British Columbia without encountering [aboriginal legal issues],” said Darlene Johnston, a professor specializing in aboriginal and treaty rights at UBC. Law faculty realized that very few students were actually graduating with any grounding in the subject, despite the prevalence of aboriginal law in the field. Amelia Boultbee, a second-year law student who took LAW 100 last year, said there was a void when it came to learning about aboriginal rights. “It’s been very contentious. I was on the academic issues committee last year when these changes were being debated. I can tell you there was a contingent of people who felt very strongly that it [aboriginal rights] wasn’t being covered enough by some profs,” said Boultbee. The complexity of this area of law, coupled with a current lack of aboriginal lawyers, further stressed the need for foundational training.

Gordon Christie and Darlene Johnston both specialize in aboriginal legal issues.

“We give them the first steps,” said Gordon Christie, director of the First Nations legal studies program at UBC. “Because without those first few steps, they can easily go off in the wrong direction.” Boultbee said that with the limited amount of time in law school, aboriginal rights can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of

curriculum building. “You can choose to slice this however you want, but it’s just really hard when you have so many vast areas of law [and] you only have three years of law school,” said Boultbee. Students have also responded positively to the curriculum change. “I’m glad they’re having it,” said first-year law student

PHOTO COURTESY OF UBC

Clayton Gllant. “It’s not an onerous requirement and it shows students the different practice areas they can pursue.” As for the future, there are no immediate plans to make additional courses on aboriginal law mandatory. Rather, Johnston and Christie are hopeful that the new requirement will increase interest in First Nations legal studies. U

Matt Meuse Contributor

There might be a new, cheap watering hole on campus starting this January. The Graduate Student Society (GSS) is hammering out a contract with a third-party operator for Koerner’s Pub. The pub could be up and running by January 2013, and the GSS is committed to making sure drink prices don’t rise. “We don’t want the price to be so high that students [can’t] afford it. That’s also part of the negotiations,” said GSS President Conny Lin. The GSS is working out a contract with HK Commerce and Industry Suppliers Limited, but the GSS task force working on the project won’t release much information about the terms until negotiations finish. “It’s going to have fantastic food and it’s still going to maintain the student atmosphere with reasonably priced drinks,” said Joel Atwater, a GSS councillor and member of the task force. “[We’ll] really have a campus pub that people will really want to go to. Right now the options are drinking in a hole [at] the Pit, or paying 20 bucks a pitcher at Mahony’s.” The GSS is confident that having an outside party run the pub will help avoid the problems Koerner’s has experienced in the past. “The GSS — and I believe any student group — is not the best suited for making day-to-day decisions on the operation of a pub,” said Atwater. In the past, the pub was temporarily shut down by UBC due to liquor licence infractions, dealt with drawn-out negotiatons with unionized workers and was eventually forced to close in the spring of 2011 because it was losing money. The abrupt closure of the pub in 2011 was a source of tension between the GSS and CUPE 116, the union representing the pub’s staff, but the two parties reached a new agreement in May 2012. The GSS will not be a key player in staffing decisions going forward; these decisions will be made between the union and the external operator, according to Atwater. Once the the contract is drawn up, it will be brought before GSS Council to be ratified. But Atwater expects that the council will be behind the task force’s recommendations. “The process has been very positive,” said Atwater. “We’re excited to open early next year.” U

4 | News |

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

NEWS BRIEFS UBC Dentistry partners to build research centre in Vietnam Vietnam’s National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology has pitched in $8 million to partner with UBC’s Faculty of Dentistry and create the UBC Dentistry-Vietnam Oral Health Research Centre. The centre, in Ho Chi Minh City, will address oral health problems including cavities, oral cancer and craniofacial birth defects. Over the past ten years, many UBC dental students and residents have performed rotations in Ho Chi Minh City. UBC hopes the new facility will help Canadian and Vietnamese dental researchers continue to share knowledge. “Through collaborative research, we aim to advance oral-facial health and scientific knowledge across international boundaries,” said Charles Shuler, dean of the UBC Faculty of Dentistry. Change in fair-dealing law lets UBC faculty freely copy more material After a decision from the Supreme Court of Canada, professors and instructors can provide more copyrighted works to students without paying licensing fees. The decision ruled that works copied by a teacher for the sake of academic instruction can fall under the category of fair dealing, and not be subject to copyright restrictions. As a result, professors can now freely distribute any work that a student would also be allowed to photocopy for personal use. This decision comes as good news to UBC, who opted to leave the licensing firm Access Copyright this summer in favour of creating an in-house office to deal with copyright issues. According to UBC legal counsel Hubert Lai, the expansion of fair dealing will save UBC money and effort. U

ON THE COVER >>

Gold’s Gym: ‘[It’s] very simple: Pay up $299, and please go.’

Gold’s Gym imposes a $299 cancellation fee on members who want to quit the gym before their contracts are up.

Continued from cover

De Silva wasn’t the only person at the Faculty of Medicine who had an unhappy experience with Gold’s Gym. Patrick Gorry, interim financial officer at the dean of medicine’s office, joined Gold’s Gym in April. He was under the impression that he had the right to cancel his membership after the required 10-day trial period because the gym never gave him a membership card. Gorry said he was unhappy with the gym’s facilities, and he has been frustrated by his interactions with Gold’s since he told them he wanted to cancel. He said that he sent the gym two registered letters asking to cancel without an extra fee, as he claims that never getting a membership card violates a clause in his contract. “I had a voicemail back that Gold’s would continue charging me whether I liked it or not,” said Gorry in an email. “I have heard any number of stories from colleagues about their

Write Code Edit Shoot Drink

frustrating experiences with Gold’s Gym. It seems to be an unintended part of the Welcome to UBC package:... being fleeced by Gold’s Gym,” he continued. “Have they offered me a membership card? No.… Nor have they offered me the cancellation fee.… All I got was the voicemail saying, ‘Oh no, no, we have a contract [and] we’re going to keep charging it.’” Newman argued that any member who wants to end their contract with the gym early is free to pay a $299 cancellation fee. “[They] signed a contract, [it’s] very simple: pay up $299 and please go,” said Newman. Gorry argued that he shouldn’t have to pay the cancellation fee because he had stopped going after three visits back in April — and as he said in one of his two letters, he had already “paid handsomely.” De Silva said that she was never told about any early cancellation option when she tried to leave after a year. “[The Gold’s employee] did not hear me out. She said, ‘You cannot cancel,’” said De Silva.

Newman said that the gym is occasionally short on membership cards, but this shouldn’t keep anyone from coming in and working out. “If we don’t have a card, just mention your name.… The guy in the front desk will just punch [you] in and you can come,” said Newman. But De Silva, who didn’t get a card when she signed up either, was told she had to bring her contract with her to enter Gold’s. When she forgot to bring it, she was refused entry. The gym’s contracts put the onus on clients to confirm, in writing, that they want to cancel their membership. Otherwise, membership rolls over and they are still charged. Newman said the gym and its employees no longer deal with cancellations, since they outsourced those responsibilities to a company called ABC Financial on August 1 of this year. “What we should be involved in is put[ting] more time taking care of our members, giving them the best service, and they can improve their

kai jacobson/THE UBYSSEY

life,” said Newman. The gym, which has been open since 2006, has previously been under fire from a CTV investigation that showed personal trainers lying about their credentials. In that investigation, Newman said that the trainers who claimed nonexistent university degrees were pumping up their qualifications without any instruction from Gold’s management. The UBC location does not currently have any closed complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau, but a Burnaby location also listed as being owned by Newman, according to the BBB, has had 73 complaints within the past three years and receives a grade of “F.” For now, De Silva is not sure if she will pay the cancellation fee or bide her time until next September. As for Gorry, he is still holding out for Gold’s Gym to cancel his contract without penalty. “For everyone else, I just wish that other people don’t get entrapped the way I feel I’m trapped by this agreement,” said Gorry. U

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

EDITOR C.J. PENTLAND

STANDINGS Football 1. Calgary 3-0 2. Manitoba 2-1 3. Regina 2-1 4. Saskatchewan 2-1 5. UBC 0-3 6. Alberta 0-3 Soccer MEN’S - PACIFIC DIVISION

1. UBC 4-0-0 2. TWU 3-0-1 3. Victoria 2-2-0 4. UFV 0-2-0 5. UNBC 0-3-0 WOMEN’S - TOP SIX TEAMS

UBC played their best game of the season on Saturday, but still couldn’t do enough to slow down Saskatchewn and fell 39-34, remaining winless on the season.

KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

FOOTBALL >>

Déjà vu on the football field

UBC plays better, but still can’t do enough to record a victory SEASON OF PROMISE by C.J. Pentland

Looking at the big picture of Saturday’s 39-34 loss to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, it’s hard to see where it all went wrong for the UBC football team. Overall, the Thunderbirds put forth a solid effort for the big crowd who showed up at homecoming and played by far their best all-around game of the young season. The effort was there, the running game was extremely effective, the passing game was looking like its old self and the defence came up with some big plays that haven’t been made all year. You’d think that that would be a recipe for success, yet that was not the case. There was still a little bit wrong. UBC head coach Shawn Olson knew exactly what went wrong, and in the postgame scrum he had to repeat what he’s been saying all year. “Too many mistakes, still too many mistakes,” he said. “That’s been the story, and a little bit of it is guys trying to do a little bit too much or not listening to details. But that was a team that fought today.” But there isn’t a column in the standings for effort and heart, and there is one for losses. So even though they may have made progress, a third straight loss means that the T-Birds remain at the bottom of the Canada West standings. Now, the climb to the playoffs gets even steeper. Saturday’s game could’ve turned around UBC’s season and given them the momentum they need to string some wins together and

remember what victory feels like. Instead, they took another step backwards. The best case scenario now is finishing the regular season with a 5-3 win-loss record, which would probably give UBC a playoff game on the road. But five straight wins kind of seems like a lot to ask for right now. Calgary, ranked No. 2 in CIS, comes to town next weekend, and away games against Mani-

yards and rushed for 83. Firstyear Daniel English emerged as a receiving threat, as he was constantly able to get himself open and tallied seven catches for 126 yards. The defence also forced a fumble, picked off one pass and recorded one sack. A win usually accompanies stats like those, but UBC just couldn’t do those small things that put away a game. It’s little things like not getting any pressure on first-year

We still have a lot of young guys or first-time guys on the field and in the secondary. Shawn Olson UBC football head coach, in response to his team’s slow start

toba and Saskatchewan end the season. Things need to be turned around quick in order to salvage the season. But they’ve had to turn it around since week one, and still haven’t been able to do it. It was expected at the start of the year that it would take a while for the new defence to gel and the offence to really get going, but the fact that it still hasn’t all meshed by now raises serious questions. Can you still call them mistakes if the same things have been happening for three straight weeks? They might just be bigger issues, and ones that strong individual performances simply can’t overcome. The ’Birds ran for 276 yards on the ground, led by Brandon Deschamps with 122 on 19 carries. Quarterback Billy Greene, despite having a bad knee and not knowing until Tuesday if he would actually play, threw for 290

josh curran/THE UBYSSEY

Saskatchewan quarterback Drew Burko and allowing him to have all the time in the world to find receivers downfield and end up completing 26 of 31 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns. Things like failing to adjust to the actions of Huskies wide receiver Kit Hillis, who continuously burned UBC’s secondary and ended up with 14 catches for 224 yards and three touchdowns. And obvious things like dropped

passes and the fumble with less than three minutes left in the game that sealed the Thunderbirds’ fate. “We need to do a better job of adjusting to what they’re trying to do, especially in game … within the schemes that we’re playing,” said Olson in regards to the defence. “But some of that’s young players; we still have a lot of young guys or first-time guys on the field and in the secondary.” How long can that be the excuse, though? It was that youth and inexperience that cost UBC a victory and a chance of redeeming their season on Saturday, and it’s the main reason why they are without a win on the year. In a regular season that’s eight games long, time can’t be wasted on gearing up new faces. Every game is crucial, especially when every team in the Canada West is elite. It’s turning into the same story. The Thunderbirds play pretty well for the most part and show flashes of brilliance, but a few mental lapses on offence and shoddy defensive coverage leads to a loss. They have more than enough chances to seize victory, but it always slips through their fingers. With Calgary coming here next weekend, UBC will have to be next to perfect to get into the win column. And if they can do it, maybe that will mean that they’ve finally got their game together. “We’re just trying to get a win,” said Olson. The season started with high hopes and visions of playoff games. Now all they want is a win. U For a more detailed account of the game, see our recap online at ubyssey.ca.

1. Regina 3-0-0 2. TWU 3-0-0 3. Victoria 2-0-1 4. Alberta 2-0-2 5. UBC 2-1-0 6. Sask 2-1-0

GAME RECAP

BIRD DROPPINGS

WOMEN’S SOCCER The UBC women’s soccer team suffered their first defeat of the year on Saturday night, as the CIS No. 8 ranked Thunderbirds fell to the No. 3 ranked Trinity Western University Spartans by a score of 3-0 at Rogers Field in Langley. TWU got on the board early and never looked back in their victory. Natalie Boyd got the Spartans on the board in the 23rd minute, converting a well-placed free kick that was played directly to her at the right post. Krista Gommeringer then scored her fifth goal of the year in the 37th minute to make it a two-goal lead for the home squad. In the 65th minute, Colleen Webber scored on a free kick from 40 yards out to make the score 3-0, and TWU coasted the rest of the way to the win. UBC applied good pressure at the end of the first half, but were unable to beat goaltender Kristen Funk. They were only able to put three shots on net during the game, all of which were stopped. The T-Birds’ best chance came late when Rachael Sawer was all alone 15 yards out, but her strike was stopped by a diving Funk. UBC’s goalie Alyssa Williamson also made three stops in the loss. The defeats move the ’Birds to 2-1 on the season. They play on the road again next weekend against Winnipeg and Manitoba. U

6 | Sports + Rec |

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

SOCCER >>

Men’s soccer proves they’re one of the best

UBC knocks off the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, beats UVic 1-0 Rory Gattens Contributor

When a defending national champion is in town, there’s always an extra bit of incentive to knock them off their perch. Saturday night at Thunderbird Stadium’s David Sidoo Field, the UBC men’s soccer team did just that. The Thunderbirds knocked off the CIS No. 1 ranked University of Victoria Vikings by a score of 1-0 in a clash of CIS titans, solidifying their status as one of the country’s most elite teams. UBC striker Gagandeep Dosanjh created problems for the Vikes defence the entire night with his pace and intelligent runs across the backline. His first chance of the game came in the second minute, when he found a pocket of space in midfield and rushed towards the goal. Dosanjh’s strike tested Vikes keeper Elliot Mitrou, but the goalie reacted brilliantly and tipped it over the crossbar. Both teams looked hesitant on the field, almost more concerned with not making a mistake than searching for an opening goal. This led to a fairly slow pace, with not many scoring chances. One finally came in the 22nd minute; Dosanjh once again threatened the Victoria goal with a well-placed cross inside the six-yard box to a streaking Kent O’Connor, who narrowly missed the ball with a sliding

The Thunderbirds continued their dominant play, defeating Victoria and moving to 4-0 on the season.

effort. UVic rarely threatened the Thunderbird goal aside from a few set pieces in the first half, but UBC goalkeeper Luke O’Shea confidently collected each effort with sure hands. The game went scoreless into halftime, which the Vikes had to be pleased with, since they defended for most of the half while

UBC switched the ball effortlessly across the midfield. The match seemed destined to be deadlocked at a tie unless an individual on either side decided to step up — and that’s what happened. It was in the 68th minute when UBC substitute Milad Mehrabi collected the ball off of a turnover in midfield and began

KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

dribbling at the Vikes defence. Neither of Victoria’s centrebacks challenged Mehrabi, so he continued his run and hit the ball with such force that it dipped in the air. The dancing ball left the goalkeeper confused, and he was unable to react and stop it from firing into the top corner of the goal. It was a strike most players

can only dream of hitting, and it was one which completely deflated the Victoria team. UBC then smartly kept possession for the remainder of the game, frustrating the Victoria side. They were able to keep things under control and preserve the one-goal victory. Dosanjh said his team had nothing but positives to take away from the game. “It was an excellent performance by the boys. Playing against a tough, hard-working opponent like Victoria is never easy, but we battled the entire game to get the result. The goal by Milad was something very special, which boosted our morale. He was excellent coming off the bench today and proved to be our match winner. I think our character really shone through today in the win.” Goalkeeper Luke O’Shea recorded his third shutout of the season as the Thunderbirds capped off another six-point weekend. UBC defenders Steve Johnson and Will Hyde also shone throughout the match, especially Hyde’s ability to get up and down the left wing. The Thunderbirds get some much-needed rest next weekend; their next game is on October 5, when they take on Mount Royal in Calgary and then Winnipeg the following day. U

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

EDITOR ANNA ZORIA

FRINGE 2012 ROUND UP >>

VISUAL ART >>

AMS art collection on display after 37 years

YARA VAN KESSEL PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Prabhi Deol Contributor

GEOFF LISTER FILE PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Ingrid Nilson, a UBC theatre alumus seen here performing outside the SUB, rattles off her bucket list in the show Welcome to my Wake.

Profs, students, alumni dazzle at Fringe Fest

TWO BLONDES WITH A PASSION DO DEATH IN VENICE Have you ever wished that one of your professors would start singing in the middle of an otherwise dull lecture? Two Blondes with a Passion Do Death in Venice indulges that fantasy. The cabaret-style production, which is less about Venice and more about the pains of unrequited love, stars Stephen Heatley, a theatre professor at UBC, accompanied by his friend Richard Link on the keyboard. Decked out in full professor garb (complete with a blue UBC logo-patterned tie), Heatley belts out stories of youthful romance while poking fun at academia. This curious intersection between academic lecture and straightforward musical cuts out a lot of the pretentiousness that can mar Fringe theatre; such transparency is refreshing. The performance itself is intimate, honest, charming and clever. Both Heatley and Link can carry a tune; although the venue is small-scale, their stage presence could just as easily demand the attention of a large audience. Link’s superb musical accompaniment complements Heatley’s delivery. Excepting a few pleasant theatrical detours, however, students may find the gentle pacing and overt similarity between each song repetitive. The downtempo character of Two Blondes is better suited for older audiences looking to wax nostalgic about their youth.

—Rhys Edwards

PIRATES?

—Rhys Edwards

WELCOME TO MY WAKE Welcome to My Wake is not so much a performance as it is an experience. In a parking garage opposite Emily Carr School of Art, Ingrid Nilson enthusiastically shares her bucket list: a list of tasks to accomplish before death. Given the morbid nature of the show’s subject and the frigid setting, one might think that Welcome is a sombre production. In fact, it is the total opposite. Through song, dance, incredible feats of physical prowess and eloquently spoken word, Nilson, a graduate of the UBC theatre department and former president of the Player’s Club, fills the cavernous garage with joy. From beginning to end, Welcome is an absolute pleasure to behold. Under the able direction of Chris Robson, himself a student in UBC’s MFA directing program, Nilson breathes exuberance into everything she does, whether it’s reciting Shakespearean sonnets or giving tips on bicycle safety. Although Welcome is experimental in nature, it never felt like a novelty. Audience participation is not contrived, but a natural and beautiful element in the show. In all her eccentricity, Nilson never acts; she inhabits the space as naturally as a fish in water. The results are authentically touching.

Pirates? is the first major production of Quimera Collective, a consortium of young performers whose ranks include several UBC undergrads. Staged on the kids’ tugboat near the entrance to Granville Island, the short performance follows a group of friends as they embark on an adventure set in their imagination. Though their fantasy world seems limitless, they must defend their imagination from the evil machinations of everyday reality. As one of this year’s Fringe Onsite productions, the performance is, conceptually, well suited to the space. Pirates? toys with

the idea of imagination; while the cast (as well as the children who actually play on the tugboat every day) use the tugboat as a vehicle for their fantasies, the audience itself becomes a participant in the imaginative act just by watching the performance unfold. Making an audience suspend their disbelief is difficult enough, but making a static playground object come to life is a challenge of its own. When only one or two actors use the space, they sometimes struggle to manage this task; conversely, the strongest moments of Pirates? occur when the entire cast convincingly uses the tugboat to full effect, navigating the waves of their world with hilarity. During these brief moments, the audience shares in the dream of their fantasy.

—Rhys Edwards

THE BIKE TRIP Martin Dockery’s performance may not be what you expect. For a live monologue act about LSD, there’s a serious lack of hippie outfits and psychedelic light shows. Instead, The Bike Trip is an autobiographical account that is potent in its simplicity. Armed with nothing but a tall stool and his bottle of water, Dockery storms the audience with his unrelenting energy and storytelling skills. Through voice and gestures alone, he sweeps you through California, Switzerland and India, all places where LSD helped shed light on his relationships with friends, lovers and strangers. Over the course of 70 minutes, audiences meet a six-year-old girl who claims to possess psychic abilities, follow Dockery on a moonlit bike ride through the Indian countryside, marvel at LSD’s discovery by Dr. Albert Hofmann, and shed some tears over the loss of Dockery’s best friend. The experiences are so honest and personal as to transcend the barriers of place and time. The Bike Trip is wonderfully spontaneous, very real and absolutely irresistible.

—Cynthia Chou

HOME FREE! If it weren’t for the incest, Home Free! would be among the more conventional offerings at the Fringe Festival. The one-act play stars Lawrence and Joanna, a young couple struggling to prepare for their future while raising their children. The pair may strike audiences as a charming couple at first. Their doting displays of affection reflect the idealized, happy-go-lucky attitude of sixties-era United States. Mixed in with their reverie, however, are childish exchanges that reveal the sordid nature of their relationship. For underneath their couple dynamic, Lawrence and Joanna feel like quintessential siblings. They argue, tease and annoy each other; moments later, they forget their quarrels and start playing together. Under the direction of UBC MFA graduate Brian Cochrane, the cast performs their roles all too well.

Joanna, played by UBC acting graduate Maryanne Renzetti, seems the more mature of the two, yet her calm demeanour is ruptured by brief flashes of rage. Lawrence, played by Langara graduate Jason Clift, is foolish and naive, but must adopt the father role in the family. The duo are harmonized; their near-perfect timing and delivery evokes a nauseating tension. Home Free! succeeds because these interactions between brother and sister, or husband and wife, feel disturbingly natural. The audience laughs because it recognizes the silliness of the siblings’ behaviour, but underlying this laughter is a deep sense of revulsion.

—Rhys Edwards

LOON Specializing in classic make-believe, The Wonderheads (the physical theatre ensemble behind Loon) have already taken a whimsically Pixar-esque look at death with last season’s Grim and Fischer. What is there to do but examine that other human mystery, love? In Loon , Kate Braidwood portrays a lovable sadsack who falls head over heels for the moon. Without the benefit of dialogue and behind a full-faced mask, she manages to convey a stunning array of emotions. Every hunch of the shoulder and tilt of the head speaks volumes. Though adorable to the audience, the slumping protagonist has little luck in love — and it’s no wonder. Occupation? Janitor. Favourite person? Mom. Favourite colour? Plaid. But the plaid exterior belies a bustling inner life. In his imagination, the character moonlights as a fantasy hero, fighting intergalactic battles and romancing Ingrid Bergman à la Bogart. After nights and nights of gazing at the moon, our hero begins to pine for it. When he tries to bring the glowing orb home with him, the results are by turns uproarious and heartbreaking. Andrew Phoenix, the other half of The Wonderheads duo, directed this well-crafted yarn. His clever soundscape and set completed the magic, and, together with Braidwood’s moonstruck bachelor, left even the most cynical misty-eyed. U

—Catherine Guan

Some of the oldest paintings in the Alma Mater Society (AMS)’s art collection are on display for the first time in over 30 years. “From Brock Hall with Love is the Alma Mater Society’s most recent show highlighting works from roughly the collection’s first 20 years,” said AMS Art Gallery commissioner Kathleen Handfield. “It was housed in Brock Hall during 1948 to 1969 until its move to the Student Union Building after its construction.” Concerning the AMS’s decision to hold off on selling any of the pieces from the permanent collection, Handfield said, “We just wanted to open up the discussion and see what other possibilities we have for the art. An elected group of us will be meeting to discuss this.” “These paintings haven’t been displayed since approximately 1975,” said Diana Zapata, one of the volunteers at the AMS Art Gallery. “It’s good to have them out to show the students what famous works we have, and hopefully generate interest.” The AMS aspires to attract students from all faculties to the AMS Art Gallery, and possibly inspire them to sign up for future events. One of the gallery’s upcoming workshops is on canvas painting — an activity that’s for everyone, from novices to artistes. The exhibit comprises nine works, ranging from landscapes to human portraits. All of them are by famous Canadian artists, a fact which the AMS hopes will foster a sense of identity and pride in UBC students. For example, one of the pieces by Joe Plaskett shows the Fraser River as seen from the historic Sapperton neighbourhood, located in New Westminster. “These two pieces create a nice dialogue,” said Handfield, comparing Northern Image (1952) by Lawren Harris to Untitled (2003) by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, the only aboriginal artist in the AMS’s permanent collection. “The Group of Seven purged their paintings of any sort of politics or changes to the natural landscape through human contact like industrialization. They wanted to show Canada’s terrain in its purest form. Lawrence Paul’s work, on the other hand, is heavily influenced by people, politics and industry.” The SUB Art Gallery is the perfect location to display a small number of complex works of art; it allows students to consider each piece without feeling crunched for time. U

8 | Culture |

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

FILM >>

Film grads light up the big screen at T.O. film Astrid Tentorio Contributor

At the ripe age of 37 years, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) proved that it can still pick up the best of international and Canadian film talent — including some UBC alumni. Throughout the first two weeks of September, the festival showcased 289 feature films and 83 shorts, as well as lectures, discussions, workshops and presentations by filmmakers from all over the world. Calum Macleod and Lauren Grant, two UBC graduates whose films made it into the lineup, had a lot of positive things to say about being involved in TIFF. “Getting into TIFF has given me a boost of confidence and energy to pursue my ultimate goal of becoming a feature film director,” said Macleod. For Grant, it was all about “[...] meeting people, discussing projects and learning about funding opportunities in all of the different countries.” Aside from presenting her two feature films, Frost and Picture Day, Grant, who graduated from the UBC film production program in 2004, was also a participant of the Producers Lab and the inaugural TIFF Studio Program. She is also the head of her own company, Clique Pictures, which focuses on feature films and documentaries. The company’s short film, Savage, was a breakout project

Screen Institute Drama Prize, and has produced shorts for the Comedy Network and Movieola. At TIFF, Macleod presented Asian Gangs, a film that he described as a Daily Show-esque comedic documentary. The plot involves a 10-year-old boy, who, after getting involved in a schoolyard fight, is warned by the principal that he is destined to join an Asian gang. Macleod and his co-director Lewis Bennet said that they submitted the film and completely forgot about it; they were both surprised and excited when they got a call back from TIFF. Despite his recent good fortune, Macleod seemed to have little faith that his cinematic pursuits would ever put bread on the table. His advice to UBC’s film production undergrads? “Marry a pharmacist. That’s worked out pretty well for me!” Grant had a more pragmatic outlook: she attributed her successes to “a mixture of hard work and luck” and stressed the importance of making good connections in the industry. “The best advice I received heading into TIFF was make two good connections instead of being worried about meeting 100 people. It doesn’t take much, but a few solid meetings, conversations or introductions are better than being another business card that someone can’t remember.” U

PHOTO COURTEY david lee

The Toronto International Film Festival showcases many Canadian and international films

for the young producer, leading to a Genie Award for Best Live Action Short Drama. In addition, Grant is currently involved in a number of feature films, documentaries and short film projects such as Public Service , Get Happy , The Millennials , Last Day and 24 Hours. Grant’s film Frost is a sci-fi adventure flick about an arctic hunter who wants to prove herself to her father and ends up discovering a new world. Picture Day , on the other hand, is a coming-of-age

comedy that “features a smart-ass girl who would rather hang out in limbo between the two worlds [adolescence and adulthood],” said Grant. The UBC film production program allowed Grant to learn the basic elements of creating film, but also to grow and expand in the field of cinema. “[The program] taught me how to make films and it also introduced me to a lot of talented filmmakers that I continue to work with today,”

she said. For Macleod, the program was a similarly inspiring experience. “It was during my years at UBC that I was able to take all the disparate ideas I had about filmmaking and turn them into a set of skills that I would put to use in the years to come.” After graduating, Macleod went on to create, write and host his own TV show, Road Hockey Rumble . Since then, he’s won a number of awards, including the 2005 National

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

| Culture | 9

STUDENT RADIO >>

Ryerson student radio station loses FM bid

Jeff Lagerquist The Eyeopener (Ryerson University)

TORONTO (CUP) — The licence for Toronto radio frequency 88.1 FM was granted to indie music station Rock 95, according to a decision released September 11 by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The decision to approve Rock 95 followed a public hearing from May 7-16, 2012. It also denies applications for the licence from 21 other applicants, including the community radio project born from previous frequency owners CKLN, Radio Ryerson Inc. “Of course, when you have any sort of competition [over radio], you’re going to have a winner and you’re going to have a lot of losers,” said Kolter Bouchard, a radio-television arts student who helped to spearhead the movement. “It’s unfortunate for the other 21 applicants … and it’s unfortunate that New Ryerson Radio was unable to get the 88.1 frequency.” Scott Hutton, a spokesperson for the CRTC, said that the decision was finalized after much consideration. “Rock 95 made its way to the top of the list, you know, primarily by looking at the factors that we had set out to look at,” he said. “[They] included a new voice to the market, what’s the impact, is there room for that type of radio sta-

tion, and primarily, in all the cases, the quality of the application.” While the denial of the application takes away the possibility of a student-run FM frequency at Ryerson, Jackie Harrison, a former CKLN manager that was brought on to manage the application, said, “Volunteers are keen to keep doing local talent initiatives, even without an FM frequency.” Bouchard said that while no decisions have been reached on the future of the organization, there will be no shortage of opportunities for radio enthusiasts to get involved in activities like the department’s radio program, Spirit Live, and the school’s television program, RUTV.

Volunteers are keen to keep doing local talent initiatives, even without an FM frequency. Jackie Harrison Former CKLN Manager

Ryerson President Sheldon Levy also felt the decision did not spell the end of New Ryerson Radio. “It raises the stakes,” he said. “Now we have to have the world’s best internet radio station.” Radio Ryerson made a bid for continued use of the frequency to

PHOTO COURTESY THE EYEOPENER

New Ryerson Radio lost its bid for the 88.1 frequency, which means student broadcasts will be restricted to internet radio,

the CRTC last fall after an October referendum on campus voted overwhelmingly in favour of adding an annual student fee of $10.35 that would go towards the radio station. Rock 95 hopes to bring a voice and exposure to Canadian artists who are not signed to a major label.

“The Rock 95 did propose to play 40 per cent Canadian content and I think that was a key to their proposal,” said Hutton. “Sixty per cent would be emerging artists. So, those are folks who are walking around with demo tapes.” Levy, a key supporter of New Ryerson Radio from the beginning,

said his support would not be limited any time soon. “I’m hugely confident in our students,” Levy said. “If they come asking for help, I will be behind [them] 100 per cent.” —With files from Ian Vandaelle and Sean Tepper

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.

THE LAST WORD

Oil and gas money mucks up UBC’s green sheen KATICHISMS

by Gordon Katic

INDIANA JOEL ILLUSTRATION/THE UBYSSEY

Graduate Student Society right to hand over Koerner’s management to third party

The process for reviving Koerner’s Pub is heading in the right direction, as long as students are kept at the forefront. Handing off the beloved campus pub to a third party is clearly the only way to save it from mismanagement by the Graduate Student Society (GSS). The pub, which has been shuttered for a year and a half, was barely compliant with liquor laws under GSS management. When it comes to Koerner’s, the GSS is caught between only having so many resources to engage in so many issues and having such a time-consuming flagship service. The fact that staffing issues will now be out of the GSS’s hands sounds positive to us. It’s important, however, to ensure that whoever takes over keeps the bar student-focused. That student focus is why Koerner’s is remembered so fondly, and why the 2010 rejig with raised prices didn’t work. It’s always tough to deal with the high expectations of bringing back an establishment like Koerner’s, with its rosy memories and rocky past.

Have we figured out what’s going on with course packs yet? The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision last July to expand the “fair dealing” provision of the Copyright Act to cover teaching is vindication for UBC. UBC has been in limbo since it opted out of a deal with Access Copyright (AC), a copyright licensing agency. In 2011, it was announced that fees for the service would be subject to a $1.35 million annual increase. The university reasoned that they already owned the vast majority of the copyrights covered in the AC deal, and that students would essentially be paying twice to access the same material. So UBC told AC where to put it. Since then, it’s been unclear whether the photocopying of

copyrighted material is fair game for teachers. The decision on fair dealing clears this up, and allows teachers to create copies for the purposes of “a student’s research and private study.” UBC’s clash with AC was a high-minded gamble that seems to have paid off. The Supreme Court decision clears up any confusion around the creation of course packs. But despite the university’s claims that everything is just peachy, anyone who has either taken or taught a class post-AC has an outlook that’s a little less rosy. For the most part, professors seem to be aware that UBC is undergoing huge changes in how it deals with copyright. But for all UBC’s investment and mass emails, most professors don’t fully understand how it affects them. We’ve all had profs tell us that they’re no longer using certain texts because they’re unsure about its copyright. Others send students to a page of links, and say that if students want a paper copy, they have to take care of it themselves. The impact of copyright changes has been felt most acutely by faculty and students, who UBC was supposed to be protecting from big, bad Access Copyright. This Supreme Court decision, and UBC’s subsequent full court press on the issue, should clear things up.

The problem with having a magnet school in the University Endowment Lands Delays in the construction of the University Hill Secondary School have got us wondering why the Vancouver School Board didn’t take action sooner to account for the mass influx of residents of U-Town. According to a strategic report published by the Vancouver School Board, the UBC community is one of few areas in the city that is actually experiencing a growth of elementary-school-aged children, while the same demographic is declining in the vast majority

of Vancouver. As the highest-ranking public secondary school in the district, U-Hill (currently located in an overcrowded building on Acadia Road) draws students from all across the Lower Mainland. Its University Transition Program, which offers gifted students an accelerated curriculum and early admission to UBC, is envied across the province. While the UBC Official Community Plan, adopted in 1997, outlined a plan for an influx of young residents, it did not formally begin the process of expanding and renovating old schools until 2008. It seems as though the Vancouver School Board is struggling to adjust to the fact that new families moving into most parts of Vancouver don’t have school-aged children, while areas such as UBC are experiencing the opposite and begging for better programs. All parties are eagerly awaiting the completion of the new building. But ensuring that future children at UBC will have adequate access to schooling still appears to be years away from fruition.

Makes sense for UBC to lead the way on treaty law All Canadian law schools require a cursory treatment of Aboriginal law as part of their curricula, but UBC has gone above and beyond by requiring students to take an entire course dedicated to the subject. Not only does this give students a more solid background in the issues, it’s an important symbolic acknowledgement that the issues exist at all. Of course, UBC has always been a little more tuned in to these issues than some of its other post-secondary peers in Canada, since it’s located on Musqueam land and all. But if knowledge is power and students are the future, then educating future lawyers in the complexities of treaty law is an important step toward avoiding another Oka. As any elephant who has spent time in a living room will tell you, pretending a problem doesn’t exist is a terrible way to solve it. U

If you had to think of a place that represents UBC’s commitment to sustainability, you might think of the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), lauded as “the greenest building in North America.” You probably wouldn’t think of the Guinness Tower, in the heart of Vancouver’s financial district. Unlike CIRS, it has no sophisticated energy monitors, innovative rainwater collection systems, or “living walls.” Rather, this tower is home to dozens of nondescript corporate offices. One of those offices houses UBC Investment Management Trust Inc., or IMANT, a wholly owned corporate subsidiary of UBC. IMANT is responsible for managing UBC’s enormous investment portfolio, including the staff pension plan and the endowment fund. It is in this office that UBC made a Faustian bargain with the oil and gas industry, investing $4.6 million of our endowment into Baytex Energy, Ensign Energy, Talisman Energy and the Encana Corporation. Baytex Energy (UBC’s investment: $1,127,731) operates primarily in the Peace River Oil Sands and around the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan. Ensign Energy (UBC’s investment: $1,332,492) is Canada’s second-largest drilling contractor, with over 300 rigs, mostly in the oil sands and around southern Saskatchewan. Talisman Energy (UBC’s investment: $1,043,566) specializes in shale gas extraction through the controversial drilling practice known as hydraulic fracking. The Encana Corporation (UBC’s investment: $1,108,242), which

also practices fracking — and was shown in the documentary film Gasland to have contaminated drinking water — is one of North America’s largest natural gas producers. These are relatively minor segments of a diverse $938 million endowment portfolio, and even smaller segments of the enormous market capitalization of these firms. Nevertheless, this $4.6 million investment threatens the integrity of UBC and its students. To preach environmental sustainability while at the same time investing in some of the most environmentally destructive corporations on the planet is blatant hypocrisy. After months of record-setting temperatures, unprecedented Arctic melting and overwhelming ocean acidification, it is becoming clear that climate change is intensifying far faster than scientists have expected. Bottle-saving water fountains are great, but they are not nearly enough; it is now the time for drastic action. UBC should divest itself completely from the oil and gas sector, and it should then write ethical and environmental investment policy into IMANT’s Statement of Investment Policies and Procedures. Divestment campaigns led by universities and other large institutional investors were instrumental in toppling the South African apartheid regime, and they could be as effective here. With UBC’s firm commitment to sustainability, it makes sense for us to play a leading role and be the first university to divest. It would send a strong message to the world that institutions of higher learning will not be complicit in the destruction of the planet. What good is it to mould future leaders if our investments ensure that there will be no future to lead? U

Iranian students stranded after embassy closure PERSPECTIVES by Kiyan Abhari

Can you imagine being an international student and having a budget that fluctuates wildly based on foreign exchange markets? Can you imagine being an international student whose military service exemption needs to be renewed every year? What if you want to visit your old grandmother, who will not be allowed into Canada, but you have no passport to be able to visit her either? On September 7, 2012, Canada severed any and all diplomatic relations with Iran. It is not the UBC Persian Club’s place to argue whether or not this was a good or valid course of action; we are not well versed in politics. But more importantly, on a human level, it does not matter whether or not this unprecedented action was justified. The issue we’re primarily concerned with is how Iranian-Canadian students, who depended on services of the Canadian embassy in Iran, are now left without a viable alternative. The Iranian government allowed international students to buy Canadian dollars in Iran, at the advertised rate by Iranian banks, at a third of the market price, contingent on proving that they had their enrolment confirmed by the Canadian embassy. The average international student now has to live on a third of their original income because they cannot have their enrolment

confirmed by the authorities. Undoubtedly some had planned for increases in the price of the Canadian dollar, but no one predicted a 300 per cent increase. People who have worked hard all of their lives in order to attend university in Iran, saved money while studying and were accepted into universities such as UBC based on their merits are now at risk of having to leave their studies unfinished. These are the very same people who do their best to stay in Canada once they receive their Ph.D.s and master’s: assets that we have not had to pay a cent for. It is not just the international students either. Those of us who were born here or have lived here long enough to be Canadian are in trouble too. Men over 18 are now essentially unable to enter Iran without risking jail or forced “mandatory military service.” We are denied the ability to attend weddings, funerals or simple family gatherings to see people we have not seen for years. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, having dual citizenship is an assigned right. If the Iranian embassy is closed and there is no other way to obtain or renew a passport, how are the students expected to exercise that right? We understand the realities of the situation. We just want to make sure that authorities are aware of the costs, and how this action hurts the student population. Aayan Abhari is a member of the UBC Persian Club.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012 |

YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE, CONDENSED

HUMOUR >>

Find self-worth outside of your pants WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

with Dr. Bryce Warnes Hi Dr. Bryce, I’m in my fourth year and still technically a virgin. Technically meaning I’ve seen around 10 escorts during my time at UBC. Just wondering if you could give some tips or advice on girls from UBC since I’m graduating soon and it would suck if I graduated without getting laid. Thanks, Kind of Like a Virgin

Dear KOLAV, If your main goal is to have intercourse with a female, and you can afford the services of sex workers, I recommend you keep paying for it. If you want something extra, then I can see why you’d like to hit it off with a lady at the local watering hole. “Extra,” in this case — since you make no reference to romantic sunsets or the diminutive pitter-patter of descendants — is the surge in

self-esteem that comes from another human finding you so attractive that they want to dance the sloppy tarantella with you. I can’t offer you a recipe for seduction, aside from pointing out that your current goal-oriented pursuit of the opposite sex stinks. Desperation has a distinct, off-putting scent, which could be partly to blame for why you aren’t having any luck. Everyone has a different sexual trajectory. Some dudes don’t have sex until they’re way into their twenties. Some have sex when they’re super young (and, depending on the dynamics of the relationship, this can cause considerable mental/ emotional anguish). Unless you’re using your penis to hurt other people/animals, its activities do not reflect on your value as a human being. If you need a boost in self-esteem, challenge yourself mentally and physically in ways that don’t revolve around bedding females. Get better at something you already kind of do well. Set goals for fitness or good grades and meet them. Put yourself in unfamiliar social situations and survive them.

Quit a shitty habit. If paying for sex is making you feel bad — nothing in your letter indicates that it does, but just in case — then stop. If you can learn to feel like an awesome guy without relying on the opinions/genitals of others, it will have two positive effects. First, you’ll exercise muscles such as willpower, resolve and self-control, which will make you a happier person. You’ll be more capable of getting what you want, and even when you don’t, it won’t seem like such a big deal. Second, you will become more attractive. Being a confident, decent person is pretty hot. I’m not saying that quitting smoking or learning salsa dancing will make you irresistable, but it’s a step in the right direction. Getting laid before graduating is an arbitrary goal. You’re not a Judd Apatow character, KOLAV. Don’t make boner anxiety the central plot point of your life. Focus on becoming more complete and happy; focus on growing up. The rest will follow. U Do you have a question for Dr. Bryce? Email advice@ubyssey.ca.

HACKÉDEX

YOUR UBC WORD OF THE WEEK

“The Farm” The UBC Farm is comprised of 24 hectares of integrated farm and forest lands on South Campus. The Farm was designated as “Future Housing Reserve,” but in 2008, activist group Friends of the Farm began the “Save the Farm” campaign. Following numerous public meetings and demonstrations, media coverage, a vote by Metro Vancouver directors to back the campaign and a petition signed by 16,000 supporters, the Farm is now zoned “Green Academic,” safe from housing development. Fun things at the Farm include FarmAde, markets, community programs and more!

PIC OF THE WEEK

Cost of booze vs. Awesomeness of atmosphere

COST OF BOOZE

MAHONY’S

OPEN FIELD, BUSTED FOR DRINKING IN PUBLIC THE GALLERY

THE PIT

PROJECTED KOERNER’S

OPEN FIELD, GOOD WEATHER

KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

Two students enjoy the beautiful weather and music at the 10 annual FarmAde at UBC Farm. th

EY THE UBYSS

Write for The Ubyssey and have your words seen by thousands. Stop by our office in the basement of the SUB (Room 24).

OLD KOERNER’S

AWESOMENESS OF ATMOSPHERE

12 | games |

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

53- Piece of luggage 58- Adult male deer 59- Got wind of 61- Sentry’s shout 62- Dirty 63- Garr and Hatcher 64- Toledo’s lake 65- Ferrara family 66- Brewer’s need 67- Takes home

53- Franklin D.’s mother 54- “Exodus” author 55- Swiss river 56- Split 57- French summers 60- Shoebox letters

Down

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Across 1- Architectural pier 5- Stop on ___ 10- Audacity 14- Masked critter 15- Juice of the rubber tree 16- Peter Fonda title role 17- Resist openly 18- Inflated 19- Bhutan’s continent 20- More awkward 22- Encroachment 24- Have 25- Dull sound 26- Actress Dolores

29- Innocently charming 33- Red as ___ 34- Indigo source 36- 13th letter of the Hebrew alphabet 37- Director Howard 38- Bahamanian island 39- Actress Carrie 40- Terminus 41- Sled 42- One on slopes 44- Methods 47- Place for beehives 48- That’s ___! 49- Cambridge sch. 50- Milk and egg drink

1- Like some appliances 2- Christmas song 3- Bean curd 4- You don’t bring me flowers, ____ 5- Deficient in pigmentation 6- Roy’s “singin’ pardner” 7- Like ___ not 8- Cry of a cat 9- From nothing 10- Protects 11- Too 12- Star Wars princess 13- Be in front 21- Loretta of M*A*S*H 23- Convent dweller 25- More than once 26- Challenges 27- Deep black 28- Makes a loan 30- ___ vincit amor 31- Gangster Lansky 32- Board for nails 34- Misuse 35- Badger 38- God 42- Roasting rod 43- Culinary department 45- Snarl 46- “Evil Woman” band 47- In the thick of 50- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto) 51- Old Pontiacs 52- Manner of walking

ANSWERS FROM THURSDAY’S ISSUE

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