Issue 8a by The Phoenix News

SHARON THESEN SAYS GOODBYE p26

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE HEAT’S DIVISION CHANGE p22

December 2, 2013 | Vol. 25 Issue 7

...just out fer a rip since 1989

FINALS GOT YOU FEELING LIKE THIS? Yeah, exams suck. To help, we’ve compiled some of our favourite tips on studying and memory p14-22

Inside, we break down the effectiveness of studying apps, the science of metacognition, the basics of learning techniques.

ON THe COVER SHARON THESEN SAYS GOODBYE p26

UBCO’s Student Newspaper

NEWS

FEATURES

Causes of all kinds p4 SU keeps appointing people p4

On studying, stress, and memory, a primer for exams - p14

LIFE

ARTS

Full Moon Party p6 Christmas below poverty line p9 Road to Grad School p10

Creative Writing prof Sharon Thesen retires from teaching p26 The fourth annual Art Party 25

THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE HEAT’S DIVISION CHANGE p22

December 2, 2013 | Vol. 25 Issue 7

...just out fer a rip since 1989

FINALS GOT YOU FEELING LIKE THIS? Yeah, exams suck. To help, we’ve compiled some of our favourite tips on studying and memory p14-22

Inside, we break down the effectiveness of studying apps, the science of metacognition, the basics of learning techniques.

Our guest art designer Lindsay Smith valiantly stepped up to do the cover shoot and with a little cmputer magic became the typical sleepy-eyed, halfalive student studier we needed for the cover. In solidarity, some of the rest of the staff stayed up all night trying to ﬁnish this dang paper. Best of luck with your exams, and have a safe and happy winter break, UBCO.

OPINIONS

SPORTS

ONLINE We’ll be posting new study articles and more from our travel series throughout the rest of December, so stay tuned to thephoenixnews.com.

Editor-in-chief

Dave Nixon eic@thephoenixnews.com

Managing Editor

Room 109 University Center 3333 University Way Kelowna, BC Canada V1Y 5N3 Phone: 250-807-9296 Fax: 250-807-8431 thephoenixnews.com

Alex Eastman ads@thephoenixnews.com

Creative Director

Cameron Welch creative@thephoenixnews.com Interim Art Director Cameron Welch

Photo Editor

Kelsi Barkved photo@thephoenixnews.com

Events Editor Cover images by Hanss Lujan

Hanss Lujan events@thephoenixnews.com Guest Art Designer Lindsay Smith

Roundtable on christmas presents p12

Features Editor

We analyze the controversial restructuring of the CIS’s basketabll divisions p22

Copy Editor

Matt Lauzon features@thephoenixnews.com

Lauren Wintle copy@thephoenixnews.com

Interim News Editor

Staﬀ Writers

press. Editorial content is separate from

David Nixon news@thephoenixnews.com

Emma Partridge, Sasha Curry, Torin McLachlan, Matt Husain

Arts Editor

Staﬀ Illustrator

Laura Scarpelletti arts@thephoenixnews.com

Asher Klassen

Interim Sports Editor

Ali Young, Jahmira Lovegrove

Alex Eastman sports@thephoenixnews.com

Interim Opinions Editor

Dave Nixon opinions@thephoenixnews.com

Life Editor

Maranda Wilson life@thephoenixnews.com

The Phoenix is the UBCO students’ free

Staﬀ Photographers Columnists

Katie Jones, Curtis Tse, Curtis Schafer & Cherri Reagh, Scott Crawford, Robyn Giffen & David Lacho,

Contributors

Kayleigh Phillips, Jake Sherman, Manuella Ndanze, Laura Reyerse, Chloe Elliot, Golden Key Society, Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace, April Thompson, Gennady McCracken

the University of British Columbia Students’ Union Okanagan (UBCSUO) and from the UBC institution at large. The editorial staff encourages everyone to submit material to the Phoenix but reserves the right to withdraw submissions from publication for any reason. “Any reason” could be material deemed to be sexist, racist, homophobic, or of poor taste or quality. The Phoenix will not publish materials which condone, promote, or express actions which are illegal under current laws. This does not include articles which provide an in-depth examination of both sides of a controversial subject (e.g. legalising marijuana). The Phoenix is published, in part, by the UBCSUO and is an active member of the Canadian University Press

NEWS briefs

UBCSUO approves $49k for UNC Theater upgrades

There are a groundbreaking 10 candidates for the senatorat-large position on UBC Okanagan’s Senate. This is the most competition we’ve seen for a single elected position in the history of Senate, or even in the UBCSUO. Polls are open until Friday December 6.

4th year nursing students watch Lost Angels in the current theatre Emma Partridge

Staff Writer

Third time is apparently the charm. After the attempt and failure to pass the proposal in two prior board meetings, the board decided to vote unanimously yes to $49,000 of UNC Theater improvements at the November 18 meeting. “I feel happy for the students,” said Financial Coordinator Rocky Kim, the executive who spearheaded the initiative. “That’s who I feel happiest for.” After facing heavy opposition, other members of the board decided they were able to see Kim’s point of view. External Coordinator Alex Gula, who was originally against the motion, came around to it in the last meeting. When asked why the change of heart, Gula stated that “[Rocky] found better info” and was

On our radar

photo by David

Nixon

able to better back up the proposal. Gula also expressed that the idea had more to it than simply watching movies, which helped to sway his decision for the improvements. “It’s not only movies,” said Gula, after learning that the Theater could double as a space to defend theses, “it’s academic and educational.” According to the General Manager Bob Drunkemolle, the range of things the theater will aim to accommodate includes presentations, video conferencing, video games, thesis and masters presentations, and video conferencing. The new theater will include 1080p resolution, Dolby surround sound 7.1, WiFi and Apple TV and connectivity. The recent AGM demonstrated some of the problems with the theater, where it was difficult for students to read the poor quality screen, and yet they were supposed to approve it. The new interface is

supposed to be more user-friendly as well. Fees for movie nights will not increase as a result of the renovations, says Drunkemolle. They are also thinking about how the theater can be used to attract community. “Obviously we’re campus first,” said Drunkemolle, “we’ll find out first how popular it is.” He said if there’s room in the theater schedule after that, then they will seek more community bookings. There has already been some interest from at least one group that has heard about the upcoming renovations. A survey was conducted and the results presented by Board Member Oliver Eberle at the meeting. Services Coordinator Nick Dodds questioned if the survey was the most legitimate way to collect student sentiment, but the fact that there was a generally positive reception to the proposal from students was evi-

dently enough to sway the board. After the motion was approved, Kim expressed genuine excitement that members finally saw the advantages of the Theater improvement. He had previously presented it twice and had it turned down. This time there was better reception as “more information came through and more students were consulted… the idea itself wasn’t bad.” When asked how soon the pricey improvements would get under way, Kim stated “Right away. I just texted our GM,\ ‘Theater’s a- go!’” “The number one issue was that if it’s not finished fast they [students] won’t care,” said Kim. With this in mind, Kim wanted to get started as soon as possible, “at the very latest it will be done when they get back from Christmas break.”

Course Unions

SGM, bylaws and a President

Library Expansion

Course Unions initially said “no” to Service Coordinator’s Nick Dodds’s pitch for new policies. He intends to revisit the subject and work with them to improve the current policies.

Dodds hopes to ask the board to mandate the need to rehaul all the bylaws, which would require a Special General Meeting. That may also include another proposal for a Presidential system, which was previously voted down last year.

A mock-up has been done on the possible Library Expansion. We are still watching to see when some more concrete details are laid out, such as whether students will be asked to pay for part of it.

Renowned doctor speaks against GMOs and other non-organics “The only solution to this madness is not to allow any Genetically Modified food crops and cloned animals for human consumption,” said Dr. Shiv Chopra, on the current state of farming.

World renowned health activist and regulatory whistleblower Dr. Shiv Chopra, former Health Canada Senior Research Fellow Scientist discussed the impacts of Genetically Engineered Food on human health at the UNC Ballroom on Monday afternoon, November 25. In front of a packed ballroom filled with UBC Okanagan students, staff, and faculty members, Dr. Chopra concentrated on his personal involvement in 1988 at the Canadian health risk assessment of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), which was being tested to stimulate milk production. Dr. Chopra claimed that it was a flawed experiment because companies such as Monsanto and Elanco were eager to get it approved throughout the world. Read the full story online

NEWS briefs

UBCSUO approves $49k for UNC Theater upgrades

4th year nursing students watch Lost Angels in the current theatre Emma Partridge

Staff Writer

On our radar

photo by David

Nixon

Course Unions

SGM, bylaws and a President

Library Expansion

Course Unions initially said “no” to Service Coordinator’s Nick Dodds’s pitch for new policies. He intends to revisit the subject and work with them to improve the current policies.

A mock-up has been done on the possible Library Expansion. We are still watching to see when some more concrete details are laid out, such as whether students will be asked to pay for part of it.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

CAMPUS

ON THE WEB thephoenixnews.com

Christian Brandt, founder of the Okanagan CarShare Coop, wants to get his cars up at UBCO. “A yearly upkeep of the average car takes about $8,000 to $10,000 but you only use it for less than 5% of the time” With such a low rate of return on owning a car, Christian Brandt’s Co-Op program may provide a solution to both the parking problems on campus and the inconvenience of students without cars.

Three seats are now being put up for appointment instead of by-election, which will make the board 50% appointed.

Photo by David Nixon

UBCSUO Board foregoes by-election, decides to appoint three positions UBCO is making headway in its community integration with a recent partnership with the Rotary Centre for the Arts. According to Neil Cadger in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, the deal allows the school 14 uses of their facilities, many of which Theatre 26 will use. They will also be adding a UBC banner to the exterior of the building.

3rd year off-cycle management students are being cut

David Nixon

Editor-in-chief

Students will return in January to a UBCSUO Board made up of 50% appointed directors due to a recent decision to forego a long overdue by-election. The Board met Monday night for an emergency Board meeting and voted unanimously to open nominations for the three vacant positions: two directors at large and one advocacy representative. These positions have all been vacant since early September. “I don’t think it’s good in terms of democracy,” said Services Co-

ordinator Nick Dodds, “but at this rate we weren’t going to have a byelection until January.” The by-election seemed a sure thing when the Board hired a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) to run it on October 14. But then a series of delays rendered the whole process impotent. It began with the Board’s postponement of their first September meeting until September 19. At that meeting they motioned to search for a CRO, and negotiations over the contract for the CRO took another week.

The motion for a by-election was then brought to the Board on November 4 but they failed to meet quorum (the amount of directors present necessary to make any motions legitimate). The executives then tried to call the election on their own but the CRO called it illegitimate according to by-law. Dodds maintains that there is policy that justifies it but we could not find it, and if there is policy that exists the by-law would overrule it. “The length of time it was taking to run the by-election and elect people was beginning to outweigh

the benefit of not appointing,” claimed Dodds. Nominations are open as of Tuesday November 26 and will close December 4. “We were at the point where it just had to happen,” said Dodds, “I think it’s important having a full Board coming into January. Those first few weeks set the tone for the semester.”

JDC West raises $6,327.52 for Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

The Faculty of Management has run out of seats, and two months before the next semester they have announced that anyone planning to enter into third year management on off-cycle will have to find another way in. Student Senators have worked to fight the short notice, but have had little success so far. Left: Avalon Friesen, Felicity Johnson, co-captains of JDC West.

Right: Team member gets dropped in the dunk tank.

Image by Gennady McCracken

December 2nd, 2013

UBC

| The Phoenix

UPCOMING Dec. 2 EXAM JAM!!!!! All day / All over

Coffee, yoga, barbecue, more coffee/hot chocolate, and study rooms for various subjects. Look up the details on facebook and take advantage of this program at the most stressful time of the year.

Engineers paint the engineering E outside of EME to bring attention to gender issues in their faculty.

Photos by David Nixon

Engineers address gender issues on National Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women Emma Partridge

The red E outside UBCO’s engineering building will look different for the next week, so take a closer look. “It’s white for the white ribbon campaign, which usually takes place on December 6 to recognize that it’s the national day of violence against women,” said Stephanie Hale, a second year engineering student and an organizer of the event in EME. Last Wednesday’s activities for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women offered an inspiring message of hope, remembrance, and reminded us of the continuing global fight for reducing violence towards women. We caught up with several participants in the morning’s events; upper level engineering students who were gathering to paint inspiring messages on the engineering E, and encouraging others to do the same. “We just finished our commemo-

ration ceremony on [the bottom] floor,” said Hale, “they handed it off to me [after two other speakers] and I made a present day connection with all of the sexual assaults that have

“A big part of the day was to resist the violence or prejudice targeted towards female engineers” happened at UBC Van’s campus, and how women’s issues is still an ongoing thing.” Before Hale began an address on this close to home violence, speaker Dr. Carolyn Labun did an introduction to the morning’s ceremonies, and another speaker offered a male’s per-

spective on violence against women. The group that could be seen painting the E emphasized the tragedy of violence against women in engineering. When asking what, ideally, the group would want students to take away from the day, Tia Haunts, a senior representative on the women in engineering committee said, “I just want everyone at this campus, and especially everyone in engineering to remember that girls are in engineering too, and that we can do anything guys can do.” A fourth year engineer, Aaron Fram, also emphasized that a big part of the day was to resist the violence or prejudice towards female engineers, “we’re trying to make the engineering program a safer environment for everyone to learn in, and that we support more women to try it out because the percentage right now is atrocious, and we’d like to see that change.”

Staff Writer

According to the The Globe and Mail, the percentage of university women enrolled in engineering dropped within eight years (2001 to 2009), from 21 percent to 17 percent. Many universities are now showing a trend towards a great percentage of female students as well, though UBCO currently has approximately a 55% female to 45% male ratio, according to a recent report at Senate. This event aims to foster a greater sense of welcoming for women into the field. Approximately 60 people watched the ceremony, more than last year. The E will remain a symbol of this goal, staying white the entire week and decorated with words of remembrance for female engineers who have been lost as a result of violence. And of course there’s also “a bunch of free-body diagrams and equations that the guys wrote,” said Hale.

KULA contributes to World AIDS Day From 2008 to 2011, there has been an 11.4% increase in Canadians living with AIDS, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and KULA is trying to do something about it. KULA’s fourth annual World AIDS Day Coin Drive aims to help by committing funds raised towards buying AIDS prevention or treatment related gifts from the World Vision gift catalogue. “Levels of HIV/AIDS in 2008 were back up to the rates in 1982,” said Ali Young, one of the organizers, “and young adults are primarily where new infections are rising.” December 1 is World AIDS Day, and volunteers have been running tables for the campaign November 25-28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering the campaign’s symbolic red ribbon and a cup of tea from the new club UBCO

Teaholics to anyone who donates. In 2011 KULA raised around $200, then $156 in 2012, and $80. “KULA attribute sthe decrease this year [to] our location; we were in a different foyer each day, unlike most years when we have been in the ART foyer for the entire week. We also had a lack of volunteers and [therefore] needed to finish early some days.” They will be purchasing the Mother-to-Child HIV and AIDS prevention kit for $75 from the World Vision catalogue. World AIDS Day is one of three annual campaigns KULA runs alongside Trick-or-Eat and the Anti-Bullying campaign. They also offer support and infrastructure to any students who propose a project that aligns with KULA’s spirit of paying it forward.

Dec. 8 UBCO MUN Trivia Night

4:00 p.m. / UNC Ballroom $2 to register on December 4,5,6 in EME from 11:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. each day. Snacks and prizes! Prove you’re the true trivia master.

Dec. 10 Nobel Night

7 - 9:00 p.m. / EME 050 Professors discuss five of this year’s Nobel Prize Winners. Admission is free, however preregistration is required.

Dec. 13 Alterknowledge Discussion Series: Do they know it’s Christmas? The Question of Global Poverty 7 - 8:30 p.m. David Jefferess facilitates this discussions on the representation of global poverty and inequality, the charity model, and how we might seek different answers to the problems of suffering, oppression, and injustice.

Dec. 25-26 Campus closed for Christmas/Boxing Day All Day / UBCO, duh Merry Christmas y’all!

LIFE UPCOMING Dec 3 Teaching Assistant Award Ceremony 12 noon / ART 114

Words and photos by

Ali Young Staff Photographer

Recognize your outstanding TA’s at this ceremony hosted by Dr. John Parry and Dr. Cynthia Mathieson

Dec 5 Editing Diary: A Tool to Enhance Your Editing Skills 2pm / LIB 101

Improve your editing skills and own your writing skills. Suitable for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students from all disciplines. Register in advance.

Full Moon Party / Semester Ender Bender This year’s Full Moon Party Ender Bender at the Well was a glowing affair. The Student Union set up a glow-in-the-dark painting station in front of the Well for the students to decorate themselves before entering the Well, which

was outfitted with black lights and glow sticks galore. Although the night started off slow, the pace quickly picked up and soon the Well was packed in usual Ender Bender fashion. Minsct (http:// minsct.com) had an awesome pop-

up show of their new merchandise featuring tshirts, sweaters, toques, and necklaces (see pictures). There was also a pong table set up in front of the dj stand for a quick tourney (resulting in a $40 cash prize). Once the table was removed the dancing

began; my personal highlight of the night was watching a dance battle or two ensue on the dance floor. In sum, the ender bender lived up to its name and concluded the semester with a big, glowy

Dec 12 OYP Ugly Sweater Social

7pm / Kelowna Art Gallery Don your ugliest sweater and mingle with other young Okanagan professionals. There is also speed dating beforehand and DJ Invizible will be spinning records.

Dec 13 Psychopathy and predatory Behavior Worshop

9am - 4:30pm / EME 1121

Join foresnic psychologists as they delve into the mind of a psychopath. $125 for students

Dec 18 Psychopathy and predatory Behavior Worshop

6:30pm / Prospera Place

As if Shrek (on at Kelowna Actors Studio Dec. 4 to 22) isn’t enough, Elmo is in town too.

HEALTH

RAISING HEALTH

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

A WHOLESOME HUNGER

Veggie chilli

MIRROR-LESS MONDAY Fostering beauty from the inside out Curtis Schafer & Cherri Reagh

4th-year Nursing students

Illustration by

with Dr. Sally Willis-Stewart, PhD

Laura Reyerse

Have you wondered why for the past three years the bathroom mirrors around UBCO have been covered in paper for one day? This is not a prank. It’s part of a campus-wide event called Mirror-less Monday that takes place on the Monday of the start of Thrive week / Mental Health week. The theme of Mirror-less Monday is health from the inside out, and the event encourages students to think about the importance of self-esteem, inner beauty, and a healthy body and mind. The bathroom mirrors are covered so that students focus on their inner qualities instead of exterior appearance. At the Mirror-less Monday booth that was set up on November 4 in the Fipke Building, students were encouraged to artistically express their own opinions of what inner beauty or inner handsomeness was to them. Women commonly defined inner beauty as being kind, a good listener, compassionate toward others, trustworthy, intuitive, optimistic, and ambitious. The men’s most common expressions of inner handsomeness were being a good friend, a leader, supportive, kind, and humble. Other common expressions of inner handsomeness included being respectful, honest, empathetic and loyal. Many men admitted that they had never thought about what inner beauty is before. Additionally, the paper covering the bathroom mirrors was more frequently torn down in the men’s bathrooms compared the women’s bathrooms. This suggests that men are very concerned with their external appearance, contrary to the typical presumption that body-image issues are a problem for just women. Studies indicate that both female and male university students are highly critical of their physical appearance. It is easy to develop a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutritional habits when having to dedicate so much time to studying, and as a result many collegeaged students feel body dissatisfaction and try to compensate with unhealthy dieting and other maladaptive coping mechanisms. Weight and shape preoccupation can become so severe for many female university students that they develop eating disorders. Male university students also commonly become fixated on becoming more muscular and often engage in risky behavior such as excessive weight lifting, consuming unregulated dietary supplements, and anabolic steroid use. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two serious eating disorders that are common among university-aged women. Both of these eating disorders have life-threatening consequences. Anorexia has many adverse effects besides severe weight loss. Anorexic people experience significant fluid, electrolyte, and

metabolic imbalances that affect every system in the body. In particular, anorexia is detrimental to the musculoskeletal and cardiac systems. Osteoporosis often develops in anorexic women, making them susceptible to fractures for the remainder of their life. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias commonly arise from electrolyte imbalances. Bulimia also has severe consequences on each system of the body. Prolonged vomiting not only causes erosion of teeth but also serious electrolyte imbalances such as hypokalemia and hypomagnesaemia – which often result in the development of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Esophageal ruptures often occur in bulimic people due to throat tissue being constantly exposed to gastric acid coming up from the stomach. This chronic exposure to gastric acid also commonly leads to oesophageal cancer later in life. Eating disorders can also impact mental health as well as physical health: for example, depression intensifies over time with bulimia and anorexia. It is imperative for people living with eating disorders to seek professional help as soon as possible. However, many people with eating disorders will deny they have a problem for a long time. UBCO has the P.U.M.P.S. program that provides education, awareness, and support for students with eating disordered behaviours and excessive exercise. Based out of the School of Exercise Science, the primary goal of P.U.M.P.S. is to raise awareness by helping students understand eating disorders and the importance of developing healthy attitudes towards body image, eating and physical activity as a whole. The program is completely confidential and is located at the Nutrition Education Center in Arts 179. Please contact sally.willis-stewart@ubc.ca or mary. jung@ubc.ca if you need some assistance. Many studies indicate that receiving negative criticism about external appearance can significantly contribute to low self-esteem and depression. Conversely, studies also show that receiving positive compliments about one’s qualities from others can exponentially build self-esteem. Therefore, we challenge you to give your peers compliments about their inner beauty and avoid criticising the external appearance of others. Taking care of your own self-esteem is also important. Every day, try doing one positive action that will make you happy and thinking of five things you are grateful for. And don’t forget to make healthy food choices each day – maintaining a nutritious diet will maintain your beauty from the inside out. Take time to love yourself for your inner beauty or inner handsomeness today!

Katie Jones Columnist photo by Katie Jones With the weather getting colder as we begin December, this big batch of chilli is a meal that will keep your belly full and your body warm. I’ve included a variety of vegetables in this recipe making it a colourful dish...appealing even to some of the meat eaters out there!

Makes one large pot What you’ll need: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small purple onion, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 jalapeno pepper, diced, 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped, Half a sweet potato, peeled and chopped, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 1 medium zucchini, chopped 1/2 cup frozen peaches and cream corn 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed 1 can brown lentils, drained and rinsed 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 can crushed tomatoes 2-3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on your taste 1 tablespoon ground cumin Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Green onion, alfalfa sprouts and fresh cherry tomatoes

How to make it: 1. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and jalapeno. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. 2. In a large pot: add the black beans, chick peas, lentils, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, carrot, sweet potato, peppers, and zucchini and corn. Season with chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer the chilli on low for about an hour and a half. Serve warm with your own choice of toppings! This chili freezes great, which makes it especially helpful to pull out over the exam period, enjoy!!

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

STUDENT

On the weB

thephoenixnews.com

Our travel content this issue is Ali Young’s trip to Moshi, Africa, which has had an enormous influence on her life ever since.

Photo by

A recap of Big White’s first day - and ongoing Big White coverage online.

Vida Yakong: giving real help to people through research Matt Husain Staff Writer

What are you studying? What made you choose your topic of research?

New articles on student life every week, including this week’s piece on living with a roommate who self-identifies as “the clean one” (even if they aren’t).

My research interest area focuses on sustainable community development approaches and non-profits organizations, innovative leadership, rural women’s capacity building, girl-child education, health policy, maternal and child health, gender relations, kinship and belief systems. In my doctoral research I am primarily focusing on the concepts of gender relations, kinship and belief system influence on rural Ghanaian women’s reproductive health decisions and maternal health care access, alongside with rural midwives’ perspectives on maternal health services delivery. What type of extracurricular activities are you involved in?

Fashion streeter updates will continue online from now until December 19th - stay posted!

Kelsi Barkved

I actually do nothing for fun other than spend time writing funding proposals, fundraising or reaching out to groups and organizations to do presentations and ask for sponsorship for Project GROW

projects—the women’s non-profit organization I co-founded— so that we can address the issues affecting women’s and children’s living conditions in my research area. So far through the project we have been able to sponsor 80 needy girls in school; provided over 100 goats, donkeys and carts, ploughs, mosquito nets and started a school lunch program. We are also in the process of finishing a community clinic which will serve over 10,000 people. Over the summer I spent time gathering medical equipment and supplies, sewing machines and other trades items which have just been shipped off to Ghana to start the clinic when finished as well as a vocational school. I also worked with a humanitarian organization here—bicycles for humanity—who supplied community members with over 100 bicycles to increase their mobility and easy access to other social services. In addition, a foundation has been laid for a vocational school, adult literacy classroom room and a community library which I hope I will continue to get support from generous people in the coming years to complete it and make life better for the people in need. What are your future plans?

Well, I have just submitted my dissertation to College of Graduate Studies and waiting for my defense. I am confident that my defense will be wonderful and I look forward to returning to Ghana following the defense to take up my teaching job with the University for Development Studies in northern Ghana. The other exciting thing is to see to the continuing progress of project GROW and continue with my advocacy work aimed at improving living conditions for women and children in rural Ghana, something that is very close to my heart and which I have chosen to do in the coming years. In addition to this, I am also collaborating with one master student and another PhD Candidate in education, both from UBCO who will be researching on the possibility of developing a writing system in Nabit [my mother tongue] which I hope will be used in Ghana’s formal education system. What keeps you awake at night? Basically trying to figure out how to put my ideas together to make sense in the end is what keeps me up at night. I believe in doing research that will eventually have

direct impact on the people I study rather than just do it for my own academic gains. So I find myself asking the “and so what questions” in the middle of the night. For example, my master’s research findings resulted in a program developed in collaboration with UBC [Ghana Rural Opportunities for Women] aimed at providing resources to women in rural Ghana to help alleviate severe poverty, increase economic independence and create educational and health care capacity for women and children. These are the kinds of things I find myself trying to think ahead of finishing my research and which keeps me awake. I must thank UBC community for their support in the development of this project which has had huge impact on the beneficiaries. And above all the other things that keep me up at night is the fact that I have to attend to my little girl, which is a random sort of thing that parents do. This interview was taken October 3 2013. It has been edited for length, for hte full interview go online to thephoenixnews.com

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

CAMPUS Campus Style

CLUB OF THE WEEK

Manuella Ndanze Contributor

Model UN

Why:

“The UBC Okanagan Model United Nations’ vision is to develop strong and competitive delegations while educating participants through hands on learning about current affairs, international relations and diplomacy, and United Nations processes.” When: Formed two years ago by Tim Krupa when he took seven students to the World Model UN held in Vancouver.

How: Tianyi Li (4th year MGMT)

“I just pick up what feels right in the morning.”

Cedric Huysman (3rd year Economics)

“My style depends on the weather and my mood that morning” Douglas Canning (2nd year Management) “I like to stay warm, therefore my style is based on the weather”

Bret Furlote (4 year Anthropology) “I definitely like military kind of style, keeping the colors dark because I am a metal head in [my] roots” Blazer: Ebay Shoes : Aldo

No fees to join the club, but there will be a fee for delegate registration at the conference (to be determined).

Members:

350 members and 7 executives, (Currently looking for conference volunteers).

Successes:

MOVEMBER wrap party at the Well

With their strong social media presence, the Model UN club successfully held their World Cup Soccer Tournament at the end of last October. The World Cup Tournament had over 450 people participate, and 27 teams play. According to Campus Life, the tournament was one of the biggest club activities to ever be held on campus. Also with many of the issues surrounding club protocol with the UBCSUO, the Model UN club has continued to establish itself as an important and beneficial club to the student body.

Troubles:

There were plans to hold the Model UN conference at the Delta hotel; however, issues surrounding funding have made it unlikely.

Upcoming Events:

Photos by

Ali Young

Model UN Trivia: December 8, doors open at 4:00 p.m. and event starts at 4:30 p.m. in the UNC Ballroom Cost: $2 for entry Based off of “The Office”, a formal event will be held with spritzers and appetizers where your knowledge of politics, world issues, and current events will be put to the test. Model UN Conference: Delegate registration starts December 1.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

STUDENT

What is credit?

Scott Crofford Columnist Lindsay Smith

Illustration by

The world of finance and credit in modern society can seem overwhelming and it would be dishonest to say that it is not a little overly complex. Hello, my name is Scott Crofford and I will be writing your financial advice article. To give you a little history on who I am and why I feel I can speak about this, I am a mature student currently attending this fine institution of UBCO as a psychology major. I am an alumni of UNBC in Prince George, and I have been living in the Okanagan for some 5 or 6 years now, oh how the time flies. Like many young academics I left my initial degree with little clue where I was headed. As it turns out

“[Credit] comes from the latin ‘credo’ as in ‘I believe’, something that becomes funnier the longer you work in our system.” I was headed into the magical and fantastic world of retail finance. I say magical because the arcane rituals of retail finance border on being spells in their intricacies and fantastic because it is often hard to believe how this system actually works. I have spent most of my professional career providing financial advice, and I am taking this opportunity to pass along my hard earned knowledge and understandings to help young students be more prepared

for life in a world increasingly reliant on credit and financial systems. As many of you have noticed credit is ubiquitous in our society now. You will find yourselves constantly bombarded by messages and offers to borrow money, all at one low cost, no down payment, no payments till 2014, free for the first 6 months, at a reduced interest rates for a limited period, but be warned some restrictions do apply. So what is this concept of credit? Wikipedia offers us a wonderful one-liner on the topic: “[credit] is the trust which allows one party to provide resources to another party where that second party does not reimburse the first party immediately.” It comes from the latin “credo” as in “I believe”, something that becomes funnier the longer you work in our system. Credit, as it functions in today’s society, is essentially a lending ratio where based upon the income you have historically earned you are given access to a pool of credit funds by lending institutions. How you obtain access to this pool is through an application, generally through a bank or finance company, where they will review multiple aspects of your financial behaviour and using a special formula they calculate the ideal size of this pool. Probably the most central value the banks will look at is your Equifax or Trans Union Credit Score which will be the topic of our next article. For future articles I will be aiming to answer questions from our readership, please contact me at whatscottyknows@ gmail.com with your personal finance questions and I will use those questions to construct subsequent articles.

WHAT IT’S LIKE:

CHristmas below the poverty line Kelsi Barkved Photo Editor Photo by Kelsi Barkved Have you written your holiday wish list? Excited over going home and what your parents and family members are getting you? Enjoy that feeling and relish in it. But this season remember that some of your fellow peers are not as lucky as you. Does anyone remember watching the poverty commercials on T.V. of a man opening up a can of beans while simultaneously the roof above his head is ripped open? So instead he resealed the can, insinuating that if he eats it he will not be able to afford rent. I remember watching that at the age of thirteen (the same year I started my first job) and thinking that could never be me. However, that is my life now. I am 21. When I was 13 my home life was not as stable as most kids my age. So I spent all my time at my “part-time” job, McDonald’s. I worked after school for four hours every day, and eight hour shifts on the weekend. I worked for the training wage of $6.50. I flipped burgers, salted fries, and got yelled at by middle-aged men and women who were angry about happy meals. But I could have cared less. I had a job; I could buy dinner and have a lunch for school. My fingers always smelled like pickles and onions, but at least I would fall asleep with a full stomach. Today I think about my filling career at McDonalds. I think about it at night when my house is quiet and dark. I stay up for more than one reason: I have an odd loud ringing in my right ear and a spasm in my left shoulder. More importantly though, I cannot stop thinking about how I owe an ever-growing $27,000 to student loans, $1,700 to credit debt, $400 to Bell, and $200 to Fortis. And that’s not to mention ongoing costs for food, gas, electricity, a winter coat and gloves, and

medication for my anxiety disorder so that I can keep going to school. Let’s not forget that by the first of the month I need to have found a way to pay $400 in rent. Then, just as I am about to fall asleep, I’ll remember I have a midterm in two days and I don’t even have time to care. Did you know that students who live under the poverty line do worse in school because they don’t have

“It’s hard to study when all you feel is your stomach gnawing away at itself.” any time to focus on homework? It’s hard to study when all you feel is your stomach gnawing away at itself. Want to know something embarrassing? I had to tell people at work that they can’t get ahold of me because my phone is shut off, and so is my internet, but I throw in a laugh and say; “don’t worry I still have heat, for now.” And then I found out that because I work for the University that when everyone goes home for Christmas, I don’t have a job. This year I don’t get Christmas, or a holiday; I get to hope that my heat doesn’t get shut off ’till my January student loans come in. I’m not trying to guilt you into not enjoying your holidays. Just remember some people don’t get to. Whether it’s because of monetary or family problems, or because they are just no longer wanted at home. Be kind this season, to everyone, for one day you might be in their position.

STUDENT

GENERAL CV INFORMATION:

COMPLETING YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT / PURPOSE Make a good impression: Your statement should reflect, clearly and concisely, who you are and why you would be an asset to the program you are applying to. What life experiences, hobbies, or volunteer work enhance your interest in and suitability for the graduate program you are applying for? Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm Be sure to follow specific guidelines of the program you are applying to! Often they will ask specific guiding questions and provide word limits. NOTES OF CAUTION: -Complete your statement first, then look at others and adapt other good strategies, -Keep your letter original and in your own words, -Represent yourself honestly and genuinely; do not just write what you think the committee wants to hear, -Market yourself, but don’t be too self-congratulatory, -Do not cite frugality, convenience, proximity to family, friends, the city, or only option as reasons you have chosen the school or program! -Have someone else read it; put it aside for a few days before editing.

A Curriculum Vitae is typically longer than a resume; it details your academic and professional experience in particular. It is typically 2-6 pages, organized beginning with most recent information and then working backwards. - Only include material that is relevant to your academic performance and professional development, - Use active verbs in descriptions of skills or duties, and be concise but precise, - Use present tense if you are still holding a position; otherwise use past tense, - Avoid “I” statements, - List from current/most-recent to least-recent under each heading.

PLANNING YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT / PURPOSE: Perhaps the most important and challenging part of your package, the statement of intent is meant to tell the admissions committee: Who are you? Why are you suitable for this program? Why do you want to participate in this program in particular? Be dynamic but specific: Start looking for an overall theme: consider the degree you’ve chosen, courses you’ve taken, research you’ve done. Research your program of choice: WHY have you chosen to apply to this program? Is it internationally recognized? Are there particular faculty members who do specific research you are interested in? Does it offer unique opportunities?

REFERENCES Cultivate a working relationship with your professors so that they know who you are and how you contribute. Seek out references that best know your work and are able to comment positively on your performance. Include your Curriculum Vitae, a list of accomplishments you think would be worth highlighting, statement of intent/ purpose, and any other useful information, such as courses taken with a professor you are approaching and final grades for the course. The more you can supply, the stronger the reference letter will be. Be clear and precise when asking for a reference letter: Identify all instructions, formatting requirements, forms, deadlines, plus the full name of the programs to which you are applying in your request. Frame reference requests in the context of specific program instructions (due dates, whether the reference writer must submit the letter online, and so on.). Be persistent: Professors will always be busy, so there is no ideal time to ask, except as early as possible. Send a courteous reminder four-five days before the letter is required and thank the writers. Illustration by

Lindsay Smith

Finding your way on the road to grad school Kelly Doyle Centre for Scholarly Communication representative

Grad school applications can be costly and competitive, so prepare and edit supporting documents early and often. Start the September before the September of your intended program start date: Early preparation allows you to avoid unforeseen delays and threats to your success (a lost transcript, a late recommendation), unclear, sloppy documents, and submit with time to spare. This page features a partial list of the information Kelly provided. For more help with grad school applications, talk to the CFSC in Library 101 and UBCO’s department of Graduate Studies (http://gradstudies. ok.ubc.ca/prospective/application-admission.html)

The Phoenix |

OPINIONS

December 2nd, 2013

Best & worst Christmas gifts

David Nixon, Lindsay Smith, Matt Lauzon, Alex Eastman, Kelsi Barkved Phoenix Staff

Illustration by

Lindsay Smith

Discussion highlight

best received gifts The simple gift Kelsi: Season 3 and season 4 of One Tree Hill. I was in yearbook and all the cool kids were watching One Tree Hill so I felt like I had to watch it to keep up with them...now I absolutely love it though. It made me happy. Dave: I remember being forced to watch One Tree Hill once. It didn’t make me happy... Alex: The most value I’ve gotten out of any gift was probably Pokemon Silver. I played the hell out of that game. Moneywise it was a PS2 though.

The off-season practical gift Dave: I was living without air conditioning last summer and my Mom and Dad came over. They couldn’t believe how hot it was in my room so they surprised me with an air conditioner the next day. It was in exchange for having a Christmas gift that year - a good deal since it made the rest of the summer amazing in contrast to how sweaty and awful every night had been.

Alex: Well my parents bought me a car and then didn’t buy me a Christmas gift, so that’s my new answer. I’ve often bartered my Christmas gift money for other things.

The random gift Matt: My best Christmas gift was a signed picture of Gerry Ferrara and Kevin Dillon, actors on the show Entourage. Ferrara plays Turtle and Dillon plays Jonny Drama. I still have it framed and it’s by my bedside table every night. I’ll wake up to their smiling faces in the morning. I take it with me when I travel and I put it in my backpack so it doesn’t get mixed up with my other luggage.

The perfect gift Lindsay: My dad got me a screen printer one Christmas. It was completely surprising, out of the blue. It mean a lot to me growing up in a household where my brother played hockey and my dad coached hockey, while I was very artsy and that wasn’t really recognized. For my dad to say “here’s a big cool piece of machinery for you to use, that was the best.”

the gift that can save your life Dave: My mom always gets me these things that I don’t necessarily want or need but that her ideal version of me would use. They’ll be emergency blankets, tacky travel accessories, and other random gadgets. Once she got me a car window smasher for my keyring though, which is supposed to save you from drowning. Kelsi: I heard the best way to break your window is to take the headset part on your seat and smash the window with the metal rods. Matt: And the trick is to wait until it’s fully pressurized, full of water. Alex: Like, you have to wait for the car to ﬁll up? Kelsi: If you break it prior to that all the water’s going to rush in and you can’t get out. Dave: So I have to amend my answer: The best gift I’ve ever received is conditional on if I’m ever drowning in a car or not. The Phoenix News, arming you with the knowledge to save your life since 1989

Worst received gifts & BEST GIVEN The misleading gift Matt: I got a remote control blimp. Hold on , think about what that means in practice. think about how big blimps are and how slow they move. You had to ﬁll it up with helium. No one has a helium pump. Then it moves about 1km/hr with a turning radious of 25 feet. It’s basically a balloon with a weight. We never actually got it into woring condition, so it was this half-ﬁlled dumb balloon that would just fall over.

The awful sweater Lindsay: My mom called me one time and said “Lindsay, you have to see what your Grandmother just send you ‘cause it’s the most hideous thing I’ve ever seen in my life, it’s actually hilarious.” So I went into her room and she takes out this round fuzzy cardigan. It looked like someone skinned a yorkshire terrier and put it on a sweater. My gradmother, all she saw of me were pictures around then, and when I was 14 I was going through my hardcore phase, so you know I wore really tight jeans, my hair was black, I wore a lot of eyeliner and I moshed at concerts.

Kelsi: Nowadays I bet if a hipster found it they would say THIS IS THE BEST and wear it everwhere.

Cry, cry, cry!!! Kelsi: Right after our family dog passed away, I’d had the best portrait of him, so I gave it to my mom for Christmas, and made her cry. Boom. Best gift ever. Whenever I get my mom a gift it’s always a competition to see if I can make her cry. Because she’s ﬁnally around all her family, her kids, she’s already happy that everyone is in the same room with each other and no one’s wanted to murder anyone Another one I did was my Nana Margaret, when she passed away, I wrote the story of how she and my Dad met and how she took him in, and framed it. Made him cry. Dave: It sounds like you’re just trying to make people cry. Kelsi: I’ve made Kelsi and Kirsten [her sisters] cry too. This also led to a discussion around DIY gifts, which we all agreed were much more important to us at this point in our lives. Read more of the discussion online.

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

cAMPUS UBCOCIAL MEDIA

BOGGED DOWN

Facebook.com/thephoenixnews

Bikes, food, and study space

MANAGEMENT CUT 3RD YEAR OFF-CYCLE STUDENTS

Here are some select comments from Paul Shipley’s petition to get cycle access to campus. They have now been presented to the UBC Board of Governors.

Bret Nestor “The fastest speed limit in Kelowna is 80km/hr. This happens to be in the same spot that I have to bike on the highways with no shoulder. I don’t want to share a lane with logging trucks.” Curtis Tse

BoG representative

Also apparently UBCO Critic is back. Within a few short hours they managed to be as unfunny and oﬀensive as possible. These posts are from Saturday Nov. 30 and Sunday Dec. 1.

years in a row that the issue of cycle access has come to

is how old UBCO is

872

signatures, as of Dec. 1, on the petition for a new bicycle access route to be made along the north route of Roberts Lake

Think you could Do a better job compiling uBCO-related opinions and issues?

Apply To Be OUR

Opinions Editor If You’re interested, EMAIL EIC@thephoenixnews.com

students attended the last general consultation for food services

Curtis is the Board of Governors (BoG) Representative for UBCO’s students. He also blogs at www.votecurtistse. com, where he addresses issues that affect UBCO students. UBCO’s master plan update is complete and now we wait for the second phase of consultation. Central issues are no surprise: we have no legal and/or safe pedestrian or bike access to campus, horrible food selection and price, and it’s still impossible to find somewhere to study. “We’re working on it” seems to be the answer. But, can we expect more? Financial resources are tight and they are forced to jump through government hoops that don’t work fast enough. The food contract is being addressed through the update of the Aramark contract. That’s great! But actually I don’t know if it’s as great as it sounds. The Request for Proposals (RFP) has been sent out with a limited student consultation and the committee was not put together before that. This process seems backwards; typically committees have a say in the RFP that is being sent out. Hiring committees that I have sat on in the past include the committee in the discussions around what to send out in the profile. Process is my concern and also the students that have been selected to consult in this process. These are students picked by administration, and when they tried to have a general consultation, it was a two-lined email with little advertising. As a result, three students showed up. So far, study space has been addressed to the best of the administration’s ability, in my opinion. And I commend them for consistently trying to add informal learning spaces around campus. This master plan will act as a guideline for the addition of more study space. Thank you to Roger Bizotto and his committee/team that he has set up to help students in this area. It has definitely alleviated some of the stress involved with finding study space on campus. Now, the bike path. I know it’s frustrating, but this was discussed in a closed board meeting. However, what I have posted on my blog (www.votecurtistse. com) contains the board submission which I have sent to the UBC Board of Governors for information and consideration. This issue has now come to the board eight years in a row. The board understands that it needs to be addressed and has pressured administration to do so. Administration has proposed a timeline, and the board will hold them accountable to it. The administration has worked no miracles here, but they’ve taken the point.

Kendra Jespersen We Lost a prof during my time at then OUC, now UBCO, and still no change was made! It’s ridiculous how unfriendly Kelowna is to Bike riders!

Mary Forrest I need a safe way to cycle to work, I have two children that I do not want to leave motherless.

Paula Loewen Access to this campus by bike has been an issue since the campus was built almost 20 years ago. It is past time to create a real solution

Roger Sherwood Because UBCO should be embarrassed not having an option for safe cycling access to UBCO.

Ashlee Robinson How can a university like UBC have no safe or legal cycling route to campus?

FEATURES

ADDITIONAL TECHNIQUES Metacognition POMODORO MEmory palace MEMRISE Mind maps Cognitive tips

ADVICE FROM SOME TOP STUDENTS

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

WHAT kind of a studier are you?

You like doodling

You like doing group studying or multitasking

You’re often daydreaming

Findyourselfalwaysdrawingin class? Out of class? When you’re supposed to be studying? Try out our technique on p21.

There’s some things you need to know about the most effective solo vs. group studying if you’re going to pursue this method. It’s on p21.

You lose interest in the topic at hand, or you’re always visualizing things that aren’t immediately around you. There’s a way you can use that as a strength!See how on p20.

You want the most comprehensive ideas around, and tips from the best.

You like using tools and you’re interested in overall self-improvement

You’re obsessed with organization, or you just want to be more organized

Well we’ve got the science of learning for you from researchers at the UBCO campus on p16-17.

We’ve got an online tool you may have heard about but haven’t tried yet. It’s on p20.

Try this time-oriented drill technique to learn your material in the most efficient way possible. It’s on P20.

And for some tips and experiences from some of the university’s top studyers, turn to p.18.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

sTUDY tips from dr arthur

Reduce cognitive load

Are students really able to multitask? Can we listen to music or text a friend and study at the same time? The answer is no, not well. You can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, no problem. But if you want deep learning to happen, you need deep focus. The brain can only do one thing at a time well. A lot of students study by doing a bunch of things at once, which you can do, but it’s not very effective. This also applies to class: if you’re on Facebook throughout a lecture, you’re catching some information, but you’re not absorbing it. People argue that because this generation is constantly multitasking, they might be better at doing multiple things sure, but if you want the real deep learning, you really do need to focus.

Dr. Arthur says that people who are metacognitive use a 3 step process when they are learning that helps them become more aware of what information they are taking in, and what they can do with it. “Students who are metacognitive,” he says. “They plan their learning, they monitor their learning, and they evaluate how well they learn.” Dr. Arthur is really passionate about this subject, and wants to have these methods of metacognition available to everyone. “Everyone can benefit from metacognitive strategies and become better learners,” said Arthur. “What I’m personally really passionate about is assisting students meet their potential and helping them learn how to learn.”

Let’s break it down: Planning

This is where you ask your self, what strategies will I use to maximize my learning potential? What resources do I have, and how will I use them? What concepts have been the most confusing? How should I allocate my study time to learn the most I can? When you sit down to study before your exams, it’s important to really take time to know how you are going to approach the subject matter, and what it is exactly that you are learning. If you jump ahead and get to the grind of learning the subject, you could miss out on what it is that you’re aiming for, and you won’t feel as motivated to tackle the subject.

Monitoring:

As you study, and as you are learning, ask yourself: To what extent am I being systematic in my studying of all material? Am I taking advantage

of all learning supports? Which confusions have I clarified, and how did I do so? Which ones remain? While it sounds too obvious to be something to keep track of, it’s surprising how easy it is to not fully understand a concept, but keep reading. That’s not good at all because as soon as you realize you don’t understand something, you’re not absorbing any new information. “Students who are metacognitive,” says Dr. Arthur, “will use a strategy to help their learning.” The sooner you realize your strengths and weaknesses, you sooner you can correct your mistakes and improve.

Evaluating phase

How many times have you gotten a test back, looked at your mark, and never looked at the test again? Metacognitive students, on the other hand, don’t just look over their exam, they study it. When you get that test back, ask yourself “what mark did I expect to get? What did I get? How much time did I spend preparing for this exam? Did I regularly study so I didn’t cram?” Dr. Arthur says that, in addition to these questions, you should go a step further: “Rank where you lost most marks: terminology, remembering details, understanding concepts, careless mistakes, confusing questions, or if you didn’t expect a topic. Having done all that, determine how you will do things differently in preparing for the next exam.”

Dr. Arthur, in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning is doing a study on first year sciences students in an effort to measure what’s called a metacognitive awareness inventory—essentially how well a student is at planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning process. “I gave them the metacognitive awareness test first, now at the end of the year we’re going to see if it has made any impact,” said Arthur. “I gave it

“The fact is we know a lot about how the brain learns new information, and how study techniques can improve learning, we just don’t teach it in schools” -Peter Arthur

THE SCIENCE OF METACOGNITION “Metacognition is important with emotional intelligence as well, being able to monitor your emotions, and react appropriately to situations. It’s more of a sense of self-awareness. It’s knowing how you learn and how best you learn.” - PETER ARTHUR

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

sTUDY tips from dr arthur

Visualization

Just as you’re about to fall asleep, you visualize yourself writing the exam in the room that you are going to write, you see yourself doing well, you cognitively rehearse even some questions you are going to see. It’s the same thing that athletes do. It helps with exam anxiety as well. Have some positive visualization. Not many people know about this. I asked a class of about 300 if there were any athletes who have used rehearsal before a game, and if they had ever used it before an exam. Not many had. You want to put yourself to be in the same situation as where you study.

to some control classes, and some of these classes received the interventions we do, others didn’t. We want to see what impact these interventions have on metacognitive awareness. We’re also going to see if their scores are better.” Hopefully the study is going to see some great results. “The objective,” says Arthur, “is creating evidence based interventions that faculty can easily integrate with their curriculum that will ultimately help students become better learners. That’s what I would love.” The fact is we know a lot about how the brain learns new information, and how study techniques can improve learning, we just don’t teach it in schools. And metacognition is what helps people be lifelong learners: “Education is becoming more of a learning-centred model, where they are putting more on you as a student. If you’re going to be a self-directed learner, having to do projects and research, metacognitive skills are really helpful because it helps you become more independent. They help in MOOC situations or in a full lecture. You become an effective and efficient learner.” Dr. Arthur’s research involves staging interventions in first year science classes, and proposing metacognitive techniques to get them ready for an exam: “we go into the class and say, you have an exam in 9 days, here are some strategies, do some planning, monitor your learning. And then afterwards we evaluated how successful they were at studying, and which strategies they should change. Maybe they simply read and reread the chapters and that may not have been an effective strategy, so we get these students to reflect on their learning process and improve upon it.” There’s even a more effective way to take notes. “We showed them a new way to take notes—a metacognitive method that works a little bit differently.”

And it’s not as though these metacognitive techniques are applicable only to school: “Metacognition is important with emotional intelligence as well, being able to monitor your emotions, and react appropriately to situations. It’s more of a sense of self-awareness. It’s knowing how you learn and how best you learn.” So what does it mean for you, the student? It all depends on how dedicated and how effective your time-management skills are. “The research shows that if you can review your notes within 24 hours, that’s really helpful, even for 10 or 15 minutes. You’re going to learn a whole lot more doing even just that rather than cramming. Timing is very important. It really asks the question, further, are you here to write tests, or are you here to learn?” By developing metacognitive skills, ultimately students will become more satisfied with their education. You can read a book a hundred times and you can probably know it quite well. But is that the most efficient way to learn? Say you do a reading, and then you interact with it. You can prep yourself for questions that you might face, and you can develop those questions and practice answering them. Do some cognitive rehearsal to help yourself. Think about what level the teacher wants you to learn it. When you’re facing questions that force you to apply concepts, all of a sudden you really have to know it because you’re not just regurgitating what the textbook says. When you can do that, you’re maximizing your learning potential, and being the best learner you can be.

“Metacognition is important with emotional intelligence as well, being able to monitor your emotions, and react appropriately to situations. It’s more of a sense of self-awareness. It’s knowing how you learn and how best you learn.”

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

ADVICE FROM SOME TOP STUDENTS How I TURNED MY MARKS AROUND Kathryn Panton Average day: During the average day, I have a lot of homework. As a full-time student who works part-time, keeping up with all my homework is difficult. I do fall behind sometimes, but I prioritize and make sure I focus on the more important homework such as a term paper. Sometimes I find I have no drive to do any homework. In order to combat this, I award myself. Say I have 4 articles to read for the next day. I will read two, then watch an hour of my favourite show (or one episode) then read the other two. I find if I give myself a break or I have something to work towards, I work better. I also make sure to get plenty of sleep. I find a lot of students choose to study or do homework rather than sleep. I would rather break my homework up into pieces and get adequate sleep. If one day I am finding that I am very tired, I will nap between homework/readings rather than watching an episode of my favourite show. I also try to stick to classes I would enjoy; I find if I enjoy the class, I am more likely to do well in the course. Try not to skip your classes. Even if you believe there is no good reason to be there, do not skip. Skipping harms you more than not

Andre Gagne

Contributor

skipping. Don’t even skip to work on something else; doing this will only create a cycle. If the class is useless, instead of skipping, just work on your other homework during it. Sometimes I will read, write, or research during a class I find I do need to listen to, such as a guest lecture that will not be tested. I used to not be a great student: If you think you will never be a good student, you are wrong. I used to attend a French immersion school until grade 5 when I moved to a different town that had no French immersion school. I struggled in school. In grade 6, I was at a grade 4 reading and writing level. I did not know the difference between “to” and “too” or “there” “their” and “they’re”. To build my reading skills, I found novels that were at my reading level to read every night. I was lucky enough to have a friend with a large vocabulary who would explain any word I was unsure of. I practiced spelling every night, but I found my reading was helping with spelling as well. I still struggle with some words, but when I identify those words, I will practice spelling the word about twenty times.

HOW TO STAY on track even if you’re a lazy student

My hard work was rewarded in high school, when I was asked to join the advanced placement English program. I received an AP credit. Though I could have used this credit towards the first year English course, I decided to take it anyways. I wanted to build my skills in grammar. After the class, I found that I was more confident in my English abilities, which have helped me throughout university. I would also recommend surrounding yourself by other’s just as driven as you. Since becoming the Co-President of the UBCO Golden Key Chapter in 2011, I have found my grades are getting better. I have more confidence and am determined to do my best. I have made new friends through Golden Key that has helped me realize I can do anything. I am not saying you need to join Golden Key for this. Any club or group of friends that shares your goals and ambitions would help you succeed in reaching your goals. I would say the most important things to do to be a good student is, do not skip classes, remember to have adequate sleep, believe in yourself, reward yourself, and surround yourself by like minded people.

The B.A.R.K. study seems to have been a big success sofar. We’ve begun talking with the owners of all the dogs in order to create a personal look at the dog’s lives and how they got here. Look forward to the B.A.R.K. feature in next semester’s Phoenix. Until then, you can check out our regular coverage of them online at thephoenixnews.com, and drop by the drop-in on Fridays every half-hour: 4-4:30p.m., 4:305p.m. and 5-5:30p.m. The last one this semester is December 6 in EME 1123.

The adorable guy to the left is named Stella. Credit to Freya Green Photography.

Contributor

Admittedly, I am a very lazy student. However, I am able to maintain my grades by prioritizing my study material. Before studying, I organize my material into three categories: material I am comfortable with, material I am not comfortable with, and material I don’t understand. By organizing my material in this way, I can prioritize the material I need to study so that I can better manage my time. I begin my studying with the material I don’t understand. I will seek help from peers, professors, and the internet to help me understand the concepts. I continue studying the material I didn’t understand until I am comfortable with the material. Next, I study the material which I am not comfortable with. The difference between this material and the material I didn’t understand is that I understand the material; I just may not be comfortable with its application in a problem. Once I am comfortable with that category of material, I start to review the material I am comfortable with. Outside of my actual studying, there are a few things that I do before an exam to help me better prepare. The first, and most important thing, is not to cram. Cramming in the moments before the exam is going to add nothing more to my knowledge, so it is frivolous. Instead, I usually put in my headphones and listen to music to drown out and ignore the students around me, which leads me to my second tip. Don’t listen to the people around you just before an exam. I find that just before an exam, people will start to get anxious and worry about the worst-case of questions that may be tested and freaking everyone else out with their anxiety. The final tip I have is to get good rest before the exam. While this is the most cliché study tip ever given, it is actually very helpful. With a morning exam, for example, I will stop my studying around 8pm the night before. I will spend the rest of the night relaxing and keeping my mind off of my test. I also make sure to get atleast 8 hours of sleep. Writing the exam tired is the worst thing you can do, and stressing about the exam while you sleep is just as bad as staying up all night studying. By relaxing and not thinking about the exam for a few hours before bed, I find that I can get a better night’s sleep and be better rested for my exam the next day. My final piece of advice is to not be afraid of asking for help. It is easy to ask your friends for help, but in the case that they don’t understand, don’t give up. Ask your professor about the concepts you don’t understand. Most times, your professor will explain a concept better in a one-on-one environment than they do in class. Also, don’t be afraid to go outside your circle of friends and ask another student for help. Your friends don’t know all of the answers, so sometimes it is better to ask another student for help. They may even have a tip or two about how to understand and remember it for the exam as well.

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

Memory palace & other tools The memory palace is a really simple yet effective method of remembering a series of things through linking them to things you already remember. Pretend the image on the right is your house, with your furniture in it. You know your house like the back of your hand. So this technique aims to leverage that existing memory connections and tie them to ridiculously exaggerated items in order to remember something new in a very short amount of time. Orators long ago used to use this technique to remember their speeches. In this example we’ve started with a simple, short grocery list. As you want to try more things you can expand your list and test your ability. Start with simple things like we’ve shown and go from there, though. The return on investment in time savings and memory gets exponentially greater the better you become at the technique itself. Enjoy!

You walk into your living room and your T.V. has giant apples impaled on its antennas. Your dining room table is actually a loud turkey, and it runs at you and bumps into you.

Instead of pillows you have two large pineapples. They smell REALLY strong. In your bathroom you have to shield your face because pepsi is shooting out of the toilet.

THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE

MEMRISE DOT COM A bit of a game-like way to learn memorization techniques and learn pretty much whatever

So you want to be as organized as possible? Named after the Italian word for tomato, The Pomodoro Technique was invented as a way to maximize your time management, and train your brain away from distractions. This means that everyone can benefit, even people with ADD. The Pomodoro Technique is really simple and doesn’t have a barrier to entry. Just set a timer for 25 minutes, get to work, and when that buzzer goes off, take a five minute break. That’s one pomodoro. After four pomodoros, take a longer break (25 minutes sounds about right). There is a fancy book, and a cool looking tomato timer you can buy from the technique creator’s website, but you don’t need that. Just set your phone’s alarm and get working. Is that all there is to it? Nah, but it’s not as though there is more to do. Pomodorians like to determine how many pomodoros a certain task will take (maybe reading a chapter takes two or three pomodoros). What this allows them to do is make time for tasks they need to do, and really focus on them completely. If you determine that reading a chapter will take two pomodoros, and you really focus on that, you’re going to find yourself actually getting it done. Tips? When you set that timer, you ignore all distractions. No Facebook, phones, emails, google searches, chatting, etc. If there’s something you really need to find out, and are just dying to know about, write it down on a piece of paper. When you get that study break, then you can find out how tall Napoleon Bonaparte really was (he was pretty short. How short? It doesn’t matter, get to work). What’s happening is you’re not letting that distracting idea bounce around your head. When it’s written down, you feel as though you did some work on that, and your brain files it away for later.

You walk into your kitchen and you have to wade through rice just to get into the next room. Theres SO much rice.

Pomodoro in Advantages: You’re going to train your brain to work on tasks. It’s a lifelong skill. Disadvantages: It takes planning, and goal-setting, and actually taking the time to work.

Memrise in brief Advantages: Free, fun, feels like a game. And it helps you remember when Andorra is (don’t look! Where is it?) Disadvantages: You’re not going to learn calculus or anything at a university level.

It’s like KhanAcademy but for memorizing things. If you’ve always wanted to learn a language, the periodic table, or morse code in under two hours, then look no further than memrise.com. Founded by Grand Master of Memory, Ed Cooke, memrise uses flashcards and mnemonics to drill into your brain information that helps you remember things—for the long term. It works like so: when you pick what topic it is that you want to learn, you embark on a 3-step process: planting, cultivating, and watering. In the planting phase you are given a tidbit of information (the country Andorra), and then you are given a flashcard with a mnemonic trick to remember them, such as a pun (It’s Spain’s “door-a” to France, get it?). After given a number of things to tie to mnemonics, memrise drills you on what you just learned (like the fact that Andorra is Spain’s door-a to France). It shows you what you’ve already seen in a random order, and rewards you with points when you get the question correctly. If you get a question wrong, memrise reveals the mnemonic trick you use to remember the bit of information, and let’s you correct yourself. The best part is, you feel that you are actually learning, and are remembering these things. Every question you get right, you are given points, and can level up. It’s a game! Finally, you are reminded to water the plants you are cultivating by memrise. Every couple of days, the website sends you an email (reminding you that Andorra is Spain’s door-a to France), reminding you to go back over the information you just learned, to solidify it in your long-term memory. It’s a neat process that works.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

COGNITIVE MEMORY TRICKS Simple Mind maps are meant to create associations in a similar way to how your brain works. You want their structure to be simple, flow logically, and to have an obvious hierarchy of associations as you move further out. All branches should relate in an obvious way to their parent stem - that will help you build associations as you make them, which will greatly increase

Visuals The types of visuals you use are important. Simple, key words should be used at all times. They are supposed to trigger memory, not repeat a sentence or paragraph you need to know. Using illustrations (yes, even if they’re awful illustrations), and colour increases links you form in your memory.

Form & organization Mind maps need space to breathe, and a clear change as you progress from a parent stem to its branches. This is accomplished through the thickness of the lines. This mind map is a simple rendition, but you can create expansive maps that continue to expand outwards. The bigger the map, the more important the forethought as to what the hierarchy will be.

Fun Style Your style will develop over time, but you should remember that mind maps are meant to be a fun way to study. As you make more and more of them, you can find your own style, but until then it’s good to copy existing mind maps. There are tons of examples on the internet for you to use until you feel comfortable applying your own creativity to it. Once you do, you may find that making it your own original creation helps to improve memory as well.

MIND MAPS Lauren Wintle With mind maps above, here are some additional tricks and information around studying techniques. Many of them involve groupwork and quick tips about multitasking. Cognitive psychology is not my strongest area of interest, but it’s required so I left it ‘till my fourth year. And I ended up picking the course that would best fit with the rest of my schedule, which turned out to be a course on memory. I didn’t really know what to expect from the course, but I hoped that it would at least be interesting, and I have not been let down. The study of memory is something that we should all take a look at some time, consider-

ing the huge impact that our memories have on our lives. The course revolved around looking at short-term, long-term and working memory, semantic, episodic, and autobiographical memory. It also fulfilled my guilty pleasure for watching TED talks which involved studies of implanting memories into rats, Elizabeth Loftus and her work on false memories, and more. Although we never had a specific class on “This is how we can use what we’ve learned to develop better studying techniques”, it’s not difficult to apply concepts such as chunking (separating materials into small “chunks” to make remembering

Copy Editor

them easier) and distributed practice (practicing memorizing smaller amounts over a longer period of time) to our upcoming finals. Sorry, all you fans of cramming. Studying small amounts over time has been found to be way more effective than studying everything since September on the night before your final. Sorry as well, to those who insist that studying while listening to music helps you remember things better. You only have a certain amount of capacity in your working memory, and background noise, particularly speech, will interfere with phonological loop processing, meaning you

will retain less of what you just read than if you had read it in silence. A possible compromise to the no-music rule is classical music, with no lyrics involved. Some of you will have already heard about concepts like state-dependent and mood-dependent learning. These describe the phenomena where you will remember more on a test if you take it in the same state, or mood, you were in whilst you were learning. For instance, if you study whilst drunk, the theory says that you will remember more if you take the test drunk as well (Not that I’m advocating drinking before tests. You’ll still do better studying and testing while

sober. Don’t drink and test). There has also been research done on individual versus group learning, based on two methods of remembering: recall and recognition. If you’re studying by yourself, recognition is the way to go, however if you and your friends are desperately panicking in one of the EME or library study rooms, you’ll want to go with recall. In a group, recognition results in too many false positives, whereas a round of free recall on a topic will push everyone to recall as much as possible, and each person’s recollections might prompt something you didn’t remember in the memory of one of your friends.

December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

THE STAGES OF AN ALL-NIGHTER

4PM 4PM

4AM 4AM Maranda Wilson

Finals. If that word doesn’t cause beads of sweat to roll down on your forehead, or your heart rate to skyrocket, you probably go to Okanagan College. I’m just kidding. Every student dreads finals, no matter what, or where, they study. Although we all tell ourselves that next term we will “start studying earlier”, as university students, we all know that is complete bull---. No matter how organized you are, or how particular you are about getting 8 hours of sleep every night, you are bound to have to a point in your time at university where you feel a time crunch. Whether it be to learn a whole semester’s worth of material the night before the exam, or finishing that 3000-word final essay a couple hours before its deadline on turnitin.com, you will pull an allnighter. Probably multiple. It. Will. Happen. But for most of you, you have probably already experienced the dreaded all-nighter. Some of you may even pull all-nighters weekly. In that case, I bow down to you and your complete insanity. As for me, I try to avoid all-nighters as much as possible. It messes with my sleeping schedule, the quality of my work sucks, and I just get straight up weird. Unfortunately, I type this article up after pulling my first allnighter of this year. For those super humans out there who have yet to experience the hell of an all-nighter, I share with you my experience.

Participants: Me (2nd Year English Major), Heather (2nd Year Chem Major)

Objective: Maranda: To complete a 2,500 word English essay the night before it’s due (I had two other papers due the same week, so don’t judge me.) Heather: To complete her 20 page Chemistry lab report, also the night before it’s due.

The Results: 6:00pm: Finished class and made my way back home. Preparing for the long night ahead with a power nap. 6:30pm: Alarm goes off to wake me from my nap. Press snooze. 6:45pm: Alarm goes off again. Press snooze... again. 7:00pm: Heather wakes me up. I realize I slept longer than planned. Heather and I prepare our instant dinner of tater tots and canned soup. 7:15pm: We clear the table, and start up the coffee maker. Recommended one rounded teaspoon of ground coffee? More like five. 7:20pm: Heather: “Ok we are starting in five”.

Life Editor

start in five”. 7:40pm: Laptops open, and we both start writing. Things going well. We are motivated, and she estimates finishing by 10:30pm. I estimate 1:00am. 8:30pm: Study Break. Heather and I delve into a box of Oreos. 8:45pm: Back to work. 8:55pm: Heather starts watching Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance. Leads to a discussion about whether or not Miley has a butt. 8:58pm: We end up on a site with a list of the top 10 Miley Cyrus GIFs. My personal favourite is Miley Cyrus’ head on a dancing turkey. 8:59pm: “Okay we will start working again in one minute.” 9:00pm: “Ok NOW.” 9:03pm: Maranda: “I don’t think I want to be an English major anymore…” Sparks a heart to heart discussion regarding what we will do with our degrees. 9:45pm: Back to work… again.

7:27pm: Heather: “We missed 7:25… okay, start at 7:30”.

10:30pm: We pour ourselves our second cup of coffee. Heather: “I’m totally getting this done tonight.”

7:35pm: Heather: “Ok seriously,

10:37pm: Maranda: “So much

for finishing at 10:30pm, Heather”. Word count update: 650. Words to go: 1,850. 11:00pm: Maranda: “My paper doesn’t make any sense.” Heather: “Neither does mine.” 11:20pm: Heather: “I’m hungry, I’m making pizza.” 12:00am: Having almost nothing done, and getting distracted every 15 minutes, we realize it’s time to actually start working. I move into a different room. 12:15am: The existential crisis. We question what we are doing with our lives, and why we are in university. We seriously consider dropping out. 1:00am: We get ourselves together, and consume our third cup of coffee of the night. Progress is finally being made. Both Heather and I are in an intense state of focus, but the panic and exhaustion starts to set in. I call this “The Zone”. 2:30am: More Coffee. Extreme exhaustion is kicking in 4:30am: Hysteria. Nothing makes sense, and everything is either overly funny or depressing. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is making us feel loopy. Word count update: 2,284. Words to go: 216 4:50am: Essay completed. I try to get Heather to edit my essay, but she

struggles to even get through my introduction. I cringe as I quickly read through the crappiest paper I have ever written. I vow to never leave a paper until the last minute ever again. 5:30am: Bliss. We realize that by this time, many people are waking up to start their day. Knowing it’s the morning and we made it through, we feel this strange sense of euphoria sweep over us. Suddenly, we feel this connection a higher power, to nature, and to each other. We feel wiser and philosophical. It’s probably our brains going into overdrive. 6:00am: Being so overtired, we aren’t tired, we decide to start our “morning” with another coffee. We reflect on how it “wasn’t that bad”. 6:45am: Scratch that, I’m exhausted. I sleep for 3 hours, and then head off to rid myself of the paper that brought upon my personal hell. So there you have it. If I didn’t procrastinate, I would have likely been done by 1:30am, but where’s the fun in that? Even though all-nighters suck, I think the all-nighter is an experience within itself. A combination of desperation, procrastination, and extreme exhaustion, will result in the weirdest of thoughts and moments you will ever experience. So embrace the occasional all-nighter, because hey, isn’t that what university is all about?

SPORTS New Canada West BASKETBALL Divisions create controversy

Alex Eastman

Sports Editor

52%

48%

Prairie teams’ winning % from 2012-press time

Pacific teams’ winning % from 2012-press time

4-18 For better or for worse, there’s a major shakeup coming to Canada West Basketball next season. A restructuring of divisions, replacing the current Pacific and Prairie with Pioneer and Explorer, could have a massive impact on the teams in either division of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) conference, particularly where new programs, like the UBCO Heat, are concerned. The Heat, sadly, have been far from world-beaters thus far in their CIS tenure. The men’s and women’s teams have, as of press time, combined for a 19-79 record over the two and a half years they’ve played in Canada West. To label that as dismal would be putting it bluntly, though this is far from an abnormal result for teams new to CIS – it generally takes a few years to really start competing. The divisional reconstruction has thrown a few wrenches into the mix. The Heat, along with the Fraser Valley Cascades, the UNBC

Timberwolves, the Mount Royal Cougars, the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, and the 2014-15 newcomer MacEwan Griffins, have been packaged into the Explorer Division. The “Explorer” name is likely derived from the fact that those six athletic programs are the newest on the Canada West scene, and the more established 11 programs make up the Pioneer Division.

If it looks like a tier and walks like a tier... As far as optics go, it’s difficult not to, as the UFV Cascades have argued, see the resulting decision as a tiering of the Canada West conference. Ignoring for a moment the relative newness of the programs, a quick look at the 2012-13 Men’s Basketball standings will tell you that the five worst records in the Pacific

Division have been partnered with newcomer MacEwan to make up the Explorer Division. This is likely seen as a frustrating demotion for the Cascades, who despite their relatively weaker record compared to the Prairie Division teams managed to upset Saskatchewan in the first round of the Canada West playoffs. As far as the Heat Men go, it’s an interesting organization of the teams. Another aspect of the restructuring of the divisions is that by rule there are no inter-divisional games. Teams in the Pioneer Division will likely play each other twice over the course of the 20 game schedule, and the Explorer six will play each other four times each. Going back to the 2012-13 results, the Heat were a dismal 4-18, however, they were a .500 winning percentage team against fellow “explorers”, with a 4-4 record (the aforementioned Cascades were 6-2). UBCO even boasted a win against UFV near the end of

Heat Men’s overall record 2012-13

55% 39% Pioneer teams’ Explorerteams’ winning % from winning % from 2012-press time 2012-press time

4-4

the season, so it’s not as though the programs within the Explorer Division would be too unbalanced. It’s also worth noting that as of press time both Mount Royal and Thompson Rivers (5-4) are off to a good start, with a stronger record than UFV or UBC Van (4-5).

Playoffs? Playoffs? Compounding this parity is the playoff structure for 2014-15. If the 2013-14 Canada West champion is a team from the Explorer Division, then next season the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs, compared to six Pioneer teams. If the 2013-14 champion is a Pioneer team, then they get seven spots to Explorer’s three. Assuming the champion will be a Pioneer (and that’s not hard to imagine – the top five records thus far are all from

Heat Men’s record vs rest of Explorer

Pioneer), three spots for five teams who would be hard-pressed to make it in the Pacific Division and a CIS newcomer sounds like a pretty good deal.

UFV + TRU could dominate women’s Explorer division On the Women’s Basketball side, it’s hard to see the perceived tiering as anything but a slap in the face to the Cascades, who topped the Pacific Division with an 18-4 record last season. Here’s where the grouping of teams can present a real problem – the Cascades and Wolfpack finished miles ahead of the Heat, Timberwolves, and Cougars in 2012-13, and early returns on this season indicate an identical pattern. It’s hard to dispute that unless there’s significant roster turnover, UFV and TRU are going to be

FREQUENCY & DISTRIBUTION MAPS December 2nd, 2013

| The Phoenix

These maps connect teams that play each other in the regular season schedule. The thickness of a line is based on how many times those connected teams face off. Teams that appear on the other division’s map due to inter-division play still have a dot in their division’s colour.

PACIFIC DIVISION

PRAIRIE DIVISION

894

1201

Approx. km from Victoria to Edmonton, the longest non-interleague travel distance in Pacific

Approx. km from Calgary to Winnipeg, the longest non-interleague travel distance in Prairie

Explorer DIVISION

PIONEER DIVISION

788

1903

Approx. km from Abbotsford to Edmonton, the longest travel distance in Explorer

all but cemented in Canada West playoff spots next year. The Heat women only find themselves slightly ahead of their male counterparts, with one more win in as many games and no playoff appearances. It’s a stark contrast to their days in the BCCAA, in which both teams were a regular fixture in the Provincials at the college level. This isn’t to say the Heat are doomed – they’ve recently made adjustments to their program to adapt to the rigors of Canada West, and like new-to-join teams before them such as TRU and UFV, will only get better with time and recruitment.

Will tier perception set back Heat’s recruitment ? That’s the thing with recruitment, though – the perception of the Explorer Division as a second tier of play could have an impact on the team’s recruitment efforts.

The Heat have made some efforts to be a destination for new recruits, bringing in athletic therapists such as Heather Colriss as a Fitness Co-ordinator, who of course works closely with the Heat athletes. “My focus is on making them well-rounded athletes,” said Colriss. “Our emphasis is on Strength, agility, and speedwork—not just a sports focus of their game, faster and more agile to decrease injuries and increase performance.”

Travel differences Another issue rising out of the restructured divisions is the teams’ travel time. As our accompanying frequency maps show, the Explorer Division teams have a much tighter grouping, with Prince George in the Northwest, Abbotsford in the southwest, Calgary to the southeast, and Edmonton to the north-

Approx. km from Victoria to Winnipeg, the longest travel distance in Pioneer

east. Contrast that with the Pioneer Division, where the games stretch distances from Victoria to Winnipeg or Vancouver to Brandon, and feature eleven teams from four provinces – three from Manitoba, two from Saskatchewan, three from Alberta, and three from B.C.

Losing territorial rivals Lost in the disregard for territorial divisions, as well, are the territorial rivalries. The UBC Okanagan gymnasium – dubbed “The Furnace” by fans, has been at its loudest over the last two and a half years when the rival UBC Thunderbirds came to town. While this rivalry is currently akin to an older/younger brother complex at this stage of the programs’ development arcs, this kind of rivalry is important for the identity of a campus and a varsity team. (UFV was also disappointed to be separated from nearby rivals

Trinity Western, while both Calgary and Edmonton house two teams but get no regular season matches between those teams).

Majority rules? While there will no doubt be ample time to build animosity between the teams the Heat will be forced to play over the 2014-15 season, right now frustration is solely directed at the divisional setup, which the Heat voted in favour of rescinding during an October 30th vote brought forth by UFV. The Cascades, Heat, and Manitoba Bisons were the only schools whose delegates (each school is allowed two) voted in favour of striking down the schedule, and the motion was defeated 22-6. When the schedule was first drafted up, UBC Okanagan, as well as UNBC and Mount Royal, could

not vote on the issue. UBCO was finally granted voting powers when their probationary period within Canada West came to a close in time for the October 30th vote. UNBC and Mount Royal were still unable to vote, however, which means that only half the Explorer Division was actually able to have a say in what was going on at one point during this process. So at least for next season, the Heat and the rest of Canada West are stuck with a divisional setup that at best robs certain teams of rivalry games, and at worst could be accused of tiering and segregating the conference between the newer and older teams, while likely creating a bizarre travel schedule and playoff format. The debate on what to do with future schedules and divisional formats continues, but for the upcoming 2014-15 season, it’s game on for the Explorer and Pioneer Divisions of Canada West.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

CAMPUS

Briefs

thephoenixnews.com

Rogers has signed a $5.2 billion contract with the NHL for Canada’s broadcasting rights for the league. You could build the Freedom Tower twice and have a billion left with the money from this deal. Hockey,

A plebian Calgary defender looks on as the Heat rain asteroids upon her. Photo by UBCO HEAT

This is what it’s come to, Edmonton Oilers fans. Mr. Universe himself, Ilya Bryzgalov, has been signed to a $1.6 million contract

The UBC Okanagan Heat women’s cross country team placed four runners in the top 23 on their way to winning gold at the CCAA Nationals in Etobicoke, Ontario on the 9th.

The Heat Basketball teams won three of four games on the weekend of November 30th. Atta boy, Eddiefranchize.

Festivals party all over downed Dinos

The ball cleverly evades the arms of the Heat.

Photo by UBCO HEAT

Zombie Dinos rise from dead, beat Heat

Kevin Ilomin Heat Writer

UBCO Heat 3 Calgary Dinos 0

UBCO Heat 2 Calgary Dinos 3

In a return to her home-town of Calgary, Megan Festival (2nd year) energized a lethargic Heat team early, and continued to power her team the rest of the way in defeat of the Calgary Dinos 3-0 (25-22, 25-8, 25-20) Saturday November 30th from the Jack Simpson Gymnasium. A sluggish start by the Heat in the first set allowed Calgary to gain the early 13-10 advantage, but Megan Festival would rally her team with three kills as the Heat jumped out in front 15-13. Momentum would swing back in Calgary’s favour, however, as they would score the next three points to head into the technical time-out up 16-13. Not to be outdone, the Heat would wrestle the momentum away to tie the game at 19-19, and would continue their strong play en route to the 25-22 first set victory. From there on out the Heat remained in control, and despite Calgary pressure in the third set, the game was never in doubt for the club from UBC Okanagan. “We had a slow start, but once we settled in we played well,” said Heat head coach Steve Manuel following the game. “Megan Festival was on fire, and our play from the middle was strong.” Festival would finish the game with 12 kills, while providing defensive support as well with 19 digs and five block assists. Kaitlynn Given (2nd year, Kelowna, BC) would add 12 kills as well for the Heat, and Katie Wuttunee (3rd year, North Vancouver, BC) would tally five of her seven kills in the third set, in addition to six block assists that came throughout the three sets. As a team, the Heat hit a remarkable .388 over the course of the three set match, with no Heat hitter hitting under .270. The Heat also out-dug (60-42) and out-blocked (10-6) their opponents, in addition to only committing three attack errors - a remarkable stat for any team. “As a team we went in with a game plan, and it was nice to see that plan executed well,” added team captain Jill Festival (5th year, Calgary, AB). Jill would contribute three of the Heat’s nine service aces in the match. The win keeps the straight-set streak alive for the Heat, who have now won five straight games and 15 straight sets. With the win, the Heat now move to second place in the Canada West standings at 9-2, while the Dinos fall to 4-7 to sit at 8th.

The deal was all but sealed Saturday November 30th for the Heat men’s volleyball team, but an inability to close out the Dinos in the third set allowed Calgary to win the final three sets in a come-from-behind victory 3-2 (24-26, 22-25, 26-24, 25-18, 15-13) from Calgary’s Jack Simpson Gymnasium. The Heat were dominant over the first two sets, due in large part to strong offensive production from Nate Speijer (5th year, Penticton, BC) and Kyle Pankratz (3rd year, Surrey, BC). The Heat and Dinos continued to battle throughout the third set, but the Heat would be first to reach the technical timeout, 16-14. Greg Mann and company were not to be outdone, however, as Calgary stormed back with two well-placed tips to tie the game at 16-16. Both teams would exchange points down the stretch, but the Heat would grab the 24-23 lead. An Ivan Kartev kill, followed by a Connor Frehlich ace, would see the set slip away from the Heat. Ultimately, it proved to be the difference in the match, as the Heat were unable to slow Mann and the Dinos. “Definitely not the result we were looking for tonight,” commented Heat head coach Greg Poitras after the game. “We stayed with the Dino’s all match but a couple poor executions at very key times cost us the win.” Greg Mann would finish the match with 24 kills for the Dinos, but more importantly, the majority of his kills came at crucial junctures in the match for Calgary. It seemed as if every time the Dinos needed a point, Mann would provide the necessary offense. For the Heat, Nate Speijer (5th year, Penticton, BC) scored a game-high 31 kills, while Kyle Pankratz had 10 of his own in the loss. As a team, the Heat out-hit (.269 - .260) and out-dug (47-44) Calgary, and were only outblocked by one (17-16). However, the Dinos made the plays when they mattered most, which proved to be the difference in this contest. “The stats will show in our favour, but when the pressure was high, Calgary played cleaner ball,” finished Poitras. The loss drops the Heat to 2-9, while Calgary moves over .500 at 6-5.

ARTS

UPCOMING Dec 4-22 Shrek: The Musical 8pm / Kelowna Actors Studio

Everyone’s favorite ogre is coming to Kelowna! Don’t miss out on this hilarious musical!

T R A PARTY

Dec 6-7 The Nutcracker

7:30pm / Kelowna Community Theatre Get in the Christmas spirit with this classical ballet.

Dec 7 Christmas Artisan Gift Shop

9am-4pm / East Kelowna Hall Find some one of kind handcrafted items by local aritsans and finish off your christmas shopping.

25th Annual Downtown Kelowna

11am-7pm / Downtown & Kerry Park

Clockwise from top left:

-Masked figures creep down the stairs -Ben, Asher, Alia, and Asheigh -Rearrangable letter blocks in the FINA hallway -Reid during his Dj set -Some yoots pose for the camera -One of the masked figures kept following us Photos by Laura Sciarpelletti and Cam Welch

Fourth annual Art Party draws underwhelming attendance Laura Sciarpelletti Arts Editor

Friday November 22nd marked UBCO’s 4th annual Art Party, a fundraising event for and hosted by the theatre department. This art collective was originally the brainchild of interdisciplinary performance alumnus Kevin Jesuino, and has drawn in large attendances in the past. Unfortunately, this year’s results were somewhat underwhelming. We saw considerably less visual art than in the past, although the pieces by artists such Anastasia Fox and Michael Kiss were very well

done and up to the standards of past art parties. The spoken word portion of the night also went well, but the already mediocre crowd, began to leave only an hour later, right as the music lineup was beginning. DJ artist Reid kicked off the music portion of the night, and one-man band act Windmills returned this year for yet another exceptional performance. James Deen and local folkrock band Honest Woods closed up the party. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable parts of the evening was actors Dean Krawchuk and Lauren Hjalmarson’s “Clowning,” a light-

hearted and interactive comedy performance. After speaking with many of the few attendants as well as Fine Arts students, it became clear that the general consensus was that there was an extreme lack of advertising for the Art Party. The event was barely promoted online, and posters were not placed anywhere downtown or even in many buildings at the university. The disappointment of people who had high expectations due to such success in previous years was both audible and visible and caused many to leave by 10 PM,

even though the event was meant to end at midnight. Last year the halls of the Fine Arts building were filled with dancing attendants and music up until the very end. The Art Party, while primarily functioning as a fundraiser for the theatre department, has also been great for artists to network with each other. As an art collective, it encourages writers, visual artists, actors and musicians to meet each other, and has spawned collaborations. As a result of lower attendance and a shorter duration, those possible collaborations may show to have suffered as a result.

Live music, Street hockey and a horse drawn carriage will all be present to welcome Christmas in Kelowna, stick around until 6PM to watch the tree light up.

Dec 19 Booyah Thursdays: Honest Woods 8pm /The Habitat

Honest Woods + The Newks + Kyle Tubbs

Dec 23 The Jazz Cafe Trio Christmas Show

7pm / Minstrel Cafe & Bar Feeling blue this Christmas? enjoy the sassy jazz stylings of Ana Jacyszyn featuring Neville Bowman on piano. $5 Admission

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

UBCO Creative Writing says goodbye to one of its founding members After 37 years of teaching, Sharon Thesen retires Laura Sciarpelletti

Arts Editor

Sharon Thesen has been with UBCO since its beginning, but she is now packing up her office and bidding it goodbye.

Thesen’s career beginnings Thesen graduated from Simon Fraser University in 1972 with a teaching degree, and went to Capilano College Before her move to the Kelowna area, Thesen taught in the English department at Capilano College. Her teaching career began in 1976 after graduating from Simon Fraser University in 1972. As a single mother, Thesen found the teaching life to suit her well, particularly at Capilano. “Having the kind of job that teaching was was really great,” said Thesen. “Through all those years to the late ‘80s I was in a department with people who were all around my age. We went through everything together and supported each other. When I think back on it now, it was a really great department to work in.” It was at Capilano that Thesen first got the chance to start teaching Creative Writing. This would happen once every few years, and the classes were taught by writers and painters. Thesen also worked as a poetry editor for the Capilano Review and is still involved with the publication to this day.

“There was a sense of happiness in building this vibrant new writing program.” Her accolades & teaching style Along with her impressive teaching career, Thesen is also an accomplished author, having published nine books of poetry, most recently The Good Bacteria and Oyama Pink Shale. As an editor she has published The Vision Tree—the Governor-General’s Award-winning edition of Phyllis Webb’s poetry—two editions of The New Long Poem Anthology and numerous other reputable publications. Along with fellow Creative Writing professor Nancy Holmes, Sharon co-edits Lake: a journal of arts and environment. The value of a teacher so accomplished in poetics and editing is not lost on her students. Creative Writing classes tend to be very small, which allows the students to build both a professional and a personal relationship with Thesen. The poet has become well known for her thoughtful criticisms and genuine concern for her students’ growth as writers. There was a large learning curve for Thesen coming to UBCO from the way she had taught Creative Writing at the Capilano, where there was no distribution of manuscripts, but rather a relaxed approach to teaching. “The people who took those courses were taking

December 2nd, 2013

Works published while Thesen was teaching at UBCO

[them] out of interest,” said Thesen. “It wasn’t getting them a degree. When I got to UBCO, I found it [to be a] much more programmatic and pedagogically consistent method of teaching. The workshopping method, where the manuscripts are distributed beforehand and criticism is written onto the pages and so on, was all quite new to me. It was a struggle for me for the first couple of years to incorporate this method into my own more informal kind of performative off-the-cuff kind of teaching.” Over her years here at UBCO, Thesen has constructed a teaching method of her own that both incorporates the workshopping technique as well as her craft discussion style of instructing. “I think everything helps when it comes to teaching Creative Writing,” said Thesen. “Everything anyone has within their natural talents and abilities and knowledge and experience, to be able to bring that to a classroom of students is going to be useful. No one teacher can be all things.”

Building the program at UBCO At UBCO’S start, professor Robert Belton created the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies. Thesen was a charter member of the first cohort in Creative Writing. “I remember being told about it and being really excited,” said Thesen. “I thought it was a great thing to have both creative and critical under the same umbrella. And maybe, as I’m talking to you now, it’s partly because I’m familiar with that from the English department days at Capilano. Because we coexisted and were productive critically and creatively as a single faculty.” According to Thesen, the relationship between the creative department and the English department at most universities are divided. The FCCS was an innovative way to merge the two disciplines. Many students in the Creative Writing program have voiced their concern over not being able to get a BFA, and instead having to get a BA. Thesen sees this as a big problem, and says that it ultimately comes down to the funding. “I really think that more holistic methods that still have academic value to the students are possibly going to emerge at some point,” said Thesen. “I hope they do.” As she completes her last few weeks here at UBCO, Thesen remembers the early days of Spoken Word at The Well, putting together new curriculum and courses for the FCCS, and launching issues of Lake with Holmes as high points. “There was a sense of happiness and building this vibrant new writing program,” said Thesen. “Everyone was excited about what they were doing. I hope the FCCS does not forget its roots in humanist studies. I don’t want to be the guy who is viewing with alarm the developments of the present. It’s time for me to go when I start feeling like that.”

The big picture of Canada’s literary scene Canada’s literary scene is still very new—in comparison to the states’ scene—and Thesen was just emerging

The Good

Oyama

Bacteria

Pink

2006

Shale 2011

as a poet at its birth. Her peers, along with many great BC poets, included the likes of bpNichol and Margaret Atwood, and she found the scene to be very close-knit and nurturing. “[It was] brilliant to be among that lucky cohort,” said Thesen. “We were always going to poetry conferences. Canada Council was very generous. In those days you’d just invite people and then send the bill to them. It was fabulous. The scene is now much more fractured and competitive and that’s not anybody’s fault. That’s because of the crunch on the publishing houses and council grants; the crunch on jobs. It’s hard.”

“There comes a time when you just know that your best years, as far as teaching goes, are behind you.” Her reasons for leaving Despite being disappointed by the infiltration of entrepreneurship, co-operate branding and marketing into education, Thesen feels privileged to have had that early experience. She was able to publish and work at a college in a time where the economy was booming and money was being poured into new universities. Now, Thesen feels that it’s time to switch focus. “There comes a time when you just know that your best years, as far as teaching goes, are behind you,” said Thesen. “Also just this sense that I still have some time to work on a few more projects. Maybe I’ll change tracks and become a rogue dentist. I keep hearing this term! They run these rogue dentistry offices out of their homes. And then finally they’re discovered and they go on the lamb. But maybe I should become one. That way I’ll be able to keep up my lifestyle!” According to Thesen, her productivity has decreased since she’s been at UBCO due to the teaching workload. She is currently trying to complete her tenth book, so as she moves on she’d like to focus on that. As she prepares to leave UBCO and start new projects, she will be remembered fondly as a kind instructor and a gifted writer. “I’m going to really miss interactions with young people, colleagues, [and] companionship in thought and in writing,” said Thesen. “When you are interacting with young people you tend to stay a little younger yourself. What’s being reflected back at you in your work is youth; a newness. What is really exciting is getting to nurture new writers. That’s so rewarding, you feel deeply privileged and humbled to have been in a position to help someone enter the world of writing in a very serious way. I think that’s a very exquisitely privileged thing to be able to do.”

| The Phoenix

Beyond the classroom Creative Writing students speak on their experiences with Thesen

Jessica Bonney 4th-year Creative Writing major As a fourth year creative writing student I have had the pleasure of being in a poetic prose creative writing class taught by Sharon Thesen. Throughout the course Sharon brought incredible knowledge of writing, and passion for the written word and the work of her students. Each critique was marked by Sharon pointing to the strengths in the work that we had produced, with kind reminders of how we could work to improve that first draft. Sharon is one of the kindest teachers that I have ever had. She looks to build mentoring relationships with her students that extend beyond the classroom setting as much as within it. One of the things that I most loved about her class was the material we read. I still come back to the works that we looked at in that class as inspiration for my own experimentation within the poetry genre as well as outside of it. Along with her skill as an educator, Sharon is also an incredible poet and writer in her own right. She has written enough books to fill more than one shelf. Of these I have read her exquisite book of poems called Oyama Pink Shale. I read this book for another class studying the poetics of place, and the study was finished with an interview with the writer. Here again Sharon showed her incredible, generous spirit inviting us into her home in Winfield for the interview. I will always remember the conversation on what Sharon called the innocence of objects. I know that I am not the only student that is sad to see her retire this year. Her gracious nature will be missed in the creative writing classes and the whole UBC Okanagan community.

Natalie Rice Creative Writing alumnus Sharon is not only a brilliant poet and an iconic figure in Canadian poetry, but a professor, a mentor and a friend. What an incredible asset she has been to the department and what a privilege it is to have her here. She always cultivated such an inviting, supportive, and creative atmosphere in the classroom. Visiting Sharon during her office hours were some of the most valuable conversations I had throughout university. Her skill and poetic intuition is astounding. Sharon’s work is so admirable and as an emerging poet, I am so grateful to have her as a mentor. I owe my trajectory as a poet to Sharon. Her overall generosity is truly a gift.

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

CAMPUS

WEEKLY NOSTALGIA What was your favourite concert experience?

Artist Profile

Capturing unnoticed moments

Fourth-year student Ashleigh Greene’s work with illustration & animation Jake Sherman

Alana – 4th-year International Relations “I went to an awesome festival in Spain over the summer. It was an outdoor concert for four days.”

Paul Milton – English Professor “We took our kids to see Moxy Fruvous at Upper Canada Village, which is an outdoor [venue.] Their equipment wouldn’t work, so they jumped into the audience and did a ten minute a cappella thing. And when they did go on stage, a meteor shower was happening….that was an amazing experience.”

Jory – 4th-year Chemistry “Celtic Women. It was an amazing concert. They were better than they are on CD.”

Contributor

Fresh off of a Going Global trip, Rutland native and 4th year Fine Arts student Ashleigh Greene uses animation and illustration to capture the moments that often go unnoticed. Returning from Edinburgh, Scotland, the experience helped her remember why it is she was initially moved to practice art. “I just try to have fun with it,” said Greene. “Going there made me learn how to have a good time with [my] art.” Renewed with creative thrust from her venture, Greene’s work has taken on new meaning. Through concentrating on negative space and memory, Ashleigh uses her niche to capture what she observes on daily basis. Originally a photographer, as she spent time in university, illustration became her focus. “I’ve just always liked making things, and being a part of the creation of things,” Greene told me. Though her artistic focus may have changed, her art has remained concerned with the picturesque nature of our quotidian adventures. By focusing on image driven narratives, Greene hopes that those who view her art will realize that as our memories fade, they become dream-like—that though we wish we could, we can’t hang onto our memories as best as we think. Through moving images, as well as static drawings, Greene attempts to use her ability to help us remember to recognize the little things. Capturing the unseen beauty we encounter on a daily basis, Greene’s work challenges its viewer to recognize the experiences we all too often neglect. “I’m sort of obsessed with remembering everything,” said Greene, “I hate forgetting things that I’ve done and then having no idea where that day went.” From a vending machine gone wild, to leaves blowing in the wind, to our campus at night, Ashleigh’s work deals with themes we all deal with on a regular basis. Given her wide range of focal points, Greene doesn’t want her artwork pinned down or labeled. “I hate labeling things because you really confine it,” said Greene. By using her artwork to capture those moments, Ashleigh inspires us all to recognize the hidden beauty in our every day scenarios. Greene works in conjunction with the Aboriginal Centre by covering their graphic design needs, volunteers for the Visual Arts course union, and does freelance work. Greene’s art shows up on posters around the university, as well as in downtown galleries. Currently on display at the Good Times gallery behind Prospera Place, Greene’s work will remain showcased downtown until the end of the month. Go check it out and remember that though our memories fade, they’re beauty never escapes us.

Left: Manifesto Top right: Ashleigh Greene, photographed by Jake Sherman Middle right: Momento Bottom Right: Campus After Dark

December 2nd, 2013

CREATIVE WRITING

| The Phoenix

That’s it for this semester, folks We’LL BE back on JAnuary 6th IF you’d like to get involved here next semester, YOU’re IN LUCK because WE’re Hiring FOR

NEWS EDITOR An Evening to Remember WEB EDITOR ART DIRECTOR OPINIONS EDITOR Alexander Levstik

The rain slid through the lights of a burgundy Rolls Royce as it rolled up to the Gentleman’s Club. It was days like those that gave George Green the creeps, days where the moonlight cut through the foggy evening air and cast long shadows as it rushed past chimneys, fences and lamp posts. George quickly rushed up the steps through a massive oak door and into the foyer. He checked his top hat and rubbed his hands together gleefully and entered the grand hall. Tonight was gaming night. After fortifying himself, he marched over to a table and asked to be dealt in. He was playing with a professor, a colonel and two older ladies he presumed to be their wives, proper British folks it seemed. Easy pickings he figured. He would be up several quid by the end of the evening. George hadn’t sat down for more than a few seconds when someone caught his eye. A beautiful woman in an elegant red gown had just entered the room and was walking toward their table. A man was about to sit down at the last remaining chair at the table, but George quickly shooed him away. “Already taken” he said rather rashly. His heart began to beat faster as the fetching young lady walked down to their table. As she neared he saw how well the dress suited her, as it clung gently to each hill and vale of her body. “May I join your table?” the blonde asked. “Why of course,” said George stumbling over every word.

Contributor

The lady introduced herself as Valerie, Valerie Scarlet. She was a gracious gambler; she complimented the Professor on his plum frock, and then admired his wife’s resplendent white hat, and in the process lost some hundred pounds to George. He looked down at her purse as she reached for a cigarette. Was that a rope? Simply shocking he thought with a grin. What a naughty girl! The colonel took a heavy pull from his pipe. George looked at his face, trying to read his expression, it was a rather yellow, old face and with a huge mustache. What a dinosaur! The colonel even carried a revolver! Lightning struck just outside, the storm was clearly worsening. Through the window Green saw one of the club staff working to repair a drainage pipe, how odd George thought; the man was using a wrench. He returned his attention to the game. Rats! He was about to lose the round. The lady with the peacock feather in her hat won the hand. Then the power went out and waiters brought out silver candlesticks and began to light them. George hated nights like these, even the faces of his companions looked eerie in the flickering light from atop the candlestick. “Pull yourself together Mr. Green.” He whispered to himself as he reached to his side and tightly gripped his knife. “What did you say?” asked Colonel Mustard. George began to slide his knife out its sheath. “I haven’t a clue…”

We’ll be running creative writing regularly next semester If you’d like to submit a piece, email arts@thephoenixnews.com

SO...

COntact EIC@thephoenixnews.com

if any of those INTRIGUE YOU (Or if you JUST WANT to contribute)

UBCSUO pages

POSITIONS AVAILABLE Well Events Action Group

To apply to the Well Events Action Group visit http://ubcsuo.ca/get-involved/ general-volunteering/well-events-ag/ and fill out the appropriate application form.

General Members General Members are the back bone of the Well Events Action Group. They will be the brainstorming team, the event planners, and the doers that make great Well events happen. Each General member will get free tickets to the events, as well as some free meals courtesy of the Students’ Union.

Executive Members

The roles of the executive members are described on this page. Executive members receieve a small honouraria as compensation for their time and work

Secretary Responsible for recording and minutes Responsible for preparing the meeting agenda at the direction of the chair

Productions Coordinator Responsible for coordinating all production for the ‘big 6’ UBCSUO events (BFP I & II, Semester ender Bender I & II, Halloween, and St. Patty’s Day) Includes: •Booking Sound, lighting, and other equipment •Coordinating the set up of equipment •Coordinating of all decorations Responsible for overseeing any “production team”

Promotions Coordinator Responsible for coordinating promotions of the ‘big 6’ UBCSUO events (BFP I & II, Semester ender Bender I & II, Halloween, and St. Patty’s Day) Includes: •Creation and moderation Facebook event pages •Creation and distribution of promotions materials (posters, flyers) •Assisting the Finance and sales coordinator with Tabling •Creating a ‘marketing strategy’ Responsible for coordinating the ‘promotions team’ of general members •Including delegating duties & overseeing their completion

Sales/Finance Coordinator

Responsible for coordinating finances of the ‘big 6’ UBCSUO events beyond regular Pub operations (BFP I & II, Semester ender Bender I & II, Halloween, and St. Patty’s Day) Includes: •Preparing budgets for each event •Keeping accurate financial records for each event •Keeping accurate records of all ticket sales on a daily basis •Coordinating sales of tickets with the Promotions coordinator. •Oversee door sales •Overseeing all event expenditures Responsible for overseeing the financial aspect of the ‘promotions team’ of general members with the assistance of the Promotions Coordinator

Entertainment Coordinator Responsible for coordinating entertainment for the ‘big 6’ UBCSUO events (BFP I & II, Semester ender Bender I & II, Halloween, and St. Patty’s Day) Includes: •Booking entertainers/performers •Satisfying any riders for performers (possibly in collaboration with another coordinator) •Coordinating the preparation and execution of contests and awarding of prizes •Plan drink specials Responsible for overseeing any “entertainment team”

Tax Service Coordinator

Nick Dodds - Services Coordinator and Executive Chair Description: UBCSUO offers a free tax service to all of its members. This service is run by student volunteers and is organized by one person who is on staff. The program will be running from mid/late February through to the end of March 2013, with training and volunteer recruitment beginning in late march. The successful candidate will possess the following qualities: • Strong leadership skills • Self motivated and be able to work with little supervision • Highly organized and detail orientated • Reliable • Accounting experience would be an asset The successful candidate will be responsible for: • Recruiting volunteers • Ensuring volunteers sign into the mandatory webinar training • Ensuring all regulations are followed and accurate records are kept • Coordinating the volunteers who provide the service • Writing a summary report and logging hours worked PAID POSITION To apply please submit a Cover Letter, Resume, and References to services@ubcsuo.ca

UBCSUO pages

The Future of the UBCSUO Nick Dodds- Services Coordinator and Executive Chair

I’ve been a student at UBCOkanagn since September 2008. In that time a beautiful campus has sprug up out of what used to be dirt lots and and construction sites, the number of students has doubled and significantly diversified, and a small regional school has developed into a full fledged university ready to perform on the global stage. What has not changed, however, are policies and structures that make up the UBCSUO. The governing Policies of the UBCSUO are modeled to suit the needs of a small campus that is heavily invested in the CFS (Canadian Federation of Students). This means we are well suited to address the needs of 2000-3000 homogenous students with local concerns, and pump out frequent campaigns using materils produced and provided by the CFS.

These policies do not make us well suited to meet the needs of 8000-10000 diverse students, or support clubs and course unions with enormous aspirartions, or address novel concerns that are not shared by the schools that are in the CFS. Speciﬁcally this is clear when looking at executive job descriptions. The Executive’s mandates are very clear with their relation to the CFS, but otherwise there is enormous ambguity. There is also an absence of leadership the necessity for accountability in the current UBCSUO Policies. Despite these challenges, I am very hopeful for the future of the UBCSUO. In a recent conversation with President Toope, he expressed his belief that UBC was on a tragectory to be the number one school in Canada. That the Okanagan

Campus will be the best part of that school, and inevitably the calliber of student representatives that are here now, and will continue to arrive will drive our Union through these challenges and into a very bright future. In the mean time I have one request of the Student Body. MAKE THIS AN ISSUE! Everytime you here a concern about the Student’s Union ask yourself, “Is this the problem, or a symptom of the problem?” “Are there policies in place to prevent this problem? Why not?” And in the Next general election, demand that every candidate articulate how they will address the issue of outdated Policies and organizational structure of the Union.

WANTED:

UBCO Kelowna Cycling Coalition Representative Alex Gula - External Coordinator Looking for a student who is dedicated cyclist that would like to contribute to the conversation on cycling issues in the city of Kelowna. Requirements would be attending 1 meeting per month. Email external@ubcsuo.ca

Help your Students’ Union give you the best University experience possible.

Food Service Contract UPDATE Rocky Kim - Financial Coordinator

The food services contract at UBC Okanagan is naturally terminating on June 2014. Upon termination the University of British Columbia will send out a request for proposal (RFP) to food service providers across Canada in search of a provider that can best meet the needs of students.

Finding the right food services provider is a difﬁcult task and a lengthy process that can be confusing at times. The UBCSUO Board of Directors has delegated the task of making sure that students’ are informed and consulted, and actively liaising with administration during the whole process to myself, Rocky Kim (Financial Coordinator).

Over the past months I have gotten the chance to speak with numerous stakeholders including students, faculty/staff, administration, and visitors at the UBC Okanagan campus. UBC has hired a third party consultant to do the same and draft a report on what he feels are the values and principles that best reﬂect the needs of our students

and campus. We are very fortunate as a student body to be able to attend a University where the administration cares and prioritizes the needs of students; they are working very hard and constantly consulting with students in order to best serve the student body and campus as a whole. I am ecstatic to announce that the results of the survey conducted

Consultation Results

Comment Topic Frequency

by the third party consultant mirrors results found from other parties, this gives merit and adds further legitimacy to the priorities that we have found students are most concerned about: Price, variety, more diverse menu, and healthier options. Your friend, Rocky Kim

Variety and Menu Comment Breakdown of Themes

The Phoenix |

December 2nd, 2013

Awesome ticket deAl

limited time only!

over 3,000 Acres | 115 runs | no crowds only 55mins From kelownA

only At

SKISILVERSTAR.COM

Any 3

only dAys $149