JANUARY 31, 2017 | VOLUME XCVIII | ISSUE XIX 1984 SINCE 1918
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NEWS
CULTURE
OPINION
SCIENCE
SPORTS
UBC students protest Trump’s immigration ban
The struggles of the 24 hour hangout
Last words: A free gym is better than a lazy river
Even muggles can do magic
Basketball ’Birds are
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THE UBYSSEY
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JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE
EVENTS
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OUR CAMPUS
Daniel Kim is saying goodbye to Pop Danthology TUESDAY JANUARY 31 Q&A W/ RICH LAM 5 P.M. @ THE UBYSSEY OFFICE Drop by the office and listen to professional Rich Lam talk about photography. Bring questions! FREE
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 3 COURTSIDE 2017 5:30 P.M. @ WAR MEMORIAL GYM Bring your blue and gold and get ready to make some noise! Games start at 6 p.m. $10
Day 1 day of Awareness SUNday, FEB. 12
Day 3 day of Surprise
Invite people to our Facebook event, change your Facebook profile picture, encourage your friends to do a random act of kindness, or raise awareness for one of the charitable causes we are supporting.
Buy coffee for a person behind you in line, or leave enough money at a vending machine for a free snack.
Day 2 day of UBC KINDNESS WEEK
Appreciation Monday, FEB. 13
Let the people you care about know how much you appreciate them by writing to them or giving them a call.
Family Day
Day 4 day of Encouragement
Post a sticky note with a positive message in a public place, or surprise a hardworking student with free coffee.
FEBRUARY 12-18
Day 5 day of Creativity
It’s up to you! Be creative in how you want to show your kindness to someone you care about.
Pop Danthology 2012 received approximately 80 million views.
Leo Soh Our Campus Coordinator
Vancouver is known for being a creative hotspot, and the ranks of UBC alumni are filled with some of the city’s best and brightest online stars. Daniel Kim, a graduate from the Sauder School of Business, forged a successful music career Complete a random act of kindness between through YouTube, and went February 12th - 18th and share on social media using #UBCkindnessweek to donate $1 to a charitable cause viral for his mash-up project Pop ON THE COVER on campus. The following themes and random acts of kindness Danthology, racking up a total of kindness are just meant to give you a little inspiration – Feel free to do any random acts of kindness you’d like. 218,716,000 channel views. Kim describes higher education ART BY www.facebook.com/ubckindnessproject as a goal that was ingrained into Aiken Lao him. Despite his passion for song writing, his traditional upbringing and his father’s corporate background pressured him into applying for an accounting major at UBC. “It was something that I didn’t even think about. I’m Korean, and Want to see your events listed here? my parents [talked] to me ever since Email your event listings to I was born about what I’m going to, printeditor@ubyssey.ca where I’m going to. I didn’t question it. It was indoctrinated into me — go to high school, go to university, and JANUARY 31, 2017 | VOLUME XCVIII| ISSUE XIX after university, get a job,” he said. Photo Editor CONTACT EDITORIAL BUSINESS Josh Medicoff While his grades weren’t high Editorial Office: photos@ubyssey.ca Coordinating Editor President Business Manager SUB 2208 enough to get into accounting, Jack Hauen Sebastian Miskovic Ron Gorodetsky 604.822.2301 coordinating@ubyssey.ca Our Campus business@ubyssey.ca president@ubyssey.ca Business Office: Kim graduated from the marketing Coordinator SUB 2209 Design Editor Web Developer Operations Assistant Leo Soh 604.822.2301 program and remembers his time Aiken Lao Aine Coombs ourcampus@ubyssey.ca Peter Siemens 604.822.2301 printeditor@ubyssey.ca peter@ubyssey.ca operations@ubyssey.ca at UBC fondly. From swimming, The New Student Union Copy Editor Office Administrator News Editors Building 6133 University dance and cultural clubs, to being Miguel Santa Maria Olivia Law Sruthi Tadepalli & Boulevard copyeditor@ubyssey.ca advertising@ubyssey.ca Samantha McCabe Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 a member of the Beta Theta news@ubyssey.ca Online: ubyssey.ca Phi fraternity, Kim was heavily Twitter: @ubyssey Culture Editor LEGAL STAFF Samuel Du Bois involved as a student. The Ubyssey is the official student Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s Submissions may be sent by email Natalie Morris, Matt culture@ubyssey.ca Langmuir, Bill Situ, newspaper of the University of Brit- guiding principles. to opinion@ubyssey.ca. Please inGabey Lucas, Julia ish Columbia. It is published every The Ubyssey accepts opinion clude your student number or other “I loved it so much that I stayed Burnham, Sophie Tuesday by The Ubyssey Publica- articles on any topic related to the proof of identification. Anonymous Sports + Rec Editor Sutcliffe, Rachel tions Society. We are an autonomous, University of British Columbia (UBC) submissions will be accepted on Olamide Olaniyan from 5 a.m. till 9 p.m. I would bring Ong, Lucy Fox, democratically run student organi- and/or topics relevant to students extremely rare occasions. Requests Emma Hicks, Jeremy sports@ubyssey.ca zation and all students are encour- attending UBC. Submissions must for anonymity will be granted upon Johnson-Silvers, aged to participate. be written by UBC students, pro- agreement from four fifths of the every single meal, breakfast, lunch, Diana Oproescu, Editorials are chosen and written fessors, alumni, or those in a suit- editorial board. Full opinions polVideo Producer Stephanie Wu, by the Ubyssey staff. They are the able position (as determined by icy may be found at ubyssey.ca/ Kate Colenbrander dinner, and I pretty much lived on Emmanuel Villamejor, expressed opinion of the staff, and the opinions editor) to speak on submit-an-opinion Moira Wyton, Patrick video@ubyssey.ca do not necessarily reflect the views UBC-related matters. Submissions It is agreed by all persons placGillin, Mischa Milne, campus. I was one of those people of The Ubyssey Publications Soci- must not contain racism, sexism, ing display or classified advertising Sebastian Mendo, Opinion + Blog Editor ety or the University of British Co- homophobia, transphobia, harass- that if the Ubyssey Publications SoIsabelle Commerford, lumbia. All editorial content appear- ment or discrimination. Authors and/ ciety fails to publish an advertiseon campus who’d walk from one Bailey Ramsay Katharina Friege, ing in The Ubyssey is the property or submissions will not be preclud- ment or if an error in the ad occurs Hana Golightly, opinions@ubyssey.ca of The Ubyssey Publications Soci- ed from publication based solely the liability of the UPS will not be Lauren Kearns, class to another that might be ety. Stories, opinions, photographs on association with particular ide- greater than the price paid for the Oliver Zhang, Jerry and artwork contained herein can- ologies or subject matter that some ad. The UPS shall not be responYin, Shelby Rogers, Science Editor not be reproduced without the ex- may find objectionable. Approval sible for slight changes or typoon the other end of UBC and I’d Tristan Wheeler, Koby Michaels pressed, written permission of The for publication is, however, depen- graphical errors that do not lessArielle Supino, Mona dent on the quality of the argument en the value or the impact of the ad. Ubyssey Publications Society. Adibmoradi, Laura science@ubyssey.ca always bump into people I knew,” Palombi, Jonas The Ubyssey is a founding and The Ubyssey editorial board’s Ordman member of Canadian University judgment of appropriate content. he said.
Tuesday, FEB. 14 Valentine’s Day
Wednesday, FEB. 15
Thursday, FEB. 16
KINDNESS WEEK @ UBC Day 6 Day 7 Sign up to volunteer Donate Completeday a random actnon-perishable of kindness,dayshare it on social with an organizationmedia of of food items, money, or or create care clothes to a cause that Giving Service packages for the Centre with #UBCkindnessweek matters to you. and Wesbrook Community homeless. Friday, FEB. 17 SATurday, FEB. 18 will give you $1 towards a charitable cause of your choosing.
#UBC week
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After graduation, Kim’s happy days ended. Because of the housing crisis and the resulting recession, Kim found that job opportunities had dried up. He packed up his bags and flew to the country of his parents’ birth. “I was like, ‘There’s nothing in Vancouver, so I’m going to go to Korea to become a K-pop star.’” To support himself, he taught English at a public middle school, but at night, he chased his dream. Kim met with producers, TV networks and music labels to pitch his compositions. He was even featured on “The Great Birth,” a Korean audition program. However, Kim soon found that it wasn’t meant to be. “I realized that my Korean was not good enough and I was too old to go their traditional route in their major entertainment companies, and that I had to do it on my own. My strategy [was] to make remixes and covers on recent songs. Not even songs that I liked, but if Katy Perry’s ‘California Girls’ came out, I’d make my own rendition to get that early bird search result,” he said. During this time, after experiencing depression and suicidal tendencies, Kim met with a psychiatrist in Korea and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). After coming back to Vancouver in 2011, he received help at Vancouver General Hospital. It was there he began a road of recovery, which peaked during the viral response to Pop Danthology 2012. The video received approximately 80 million views before being taken down due to copyright claims.
JOSHUA MEDICOFF
It still pushed Kim to the top of the YouTube trending tab and to national fame, and was featured on various news networks. “It has been great in terms of I get to choose and pick what I want to do. I’d get invited to give a keynote speech. I’d talk a little about Pop Danthology, but I’d spend the rest of the time talking about leadership, working on our inner demons, so that’s been great,” he said. On the other hand, going viral has created a one-dimensional persona that his online fans have come to demand from Kim. Despite losing interest in the project, Kim has found it difficult to rebrand out of it. “The success of this one project actually cannibalized my entire channel and OCPD blog. It was great in terms of exposure, but all the branding I put into my channel to say this is me, Daniel Kim and my blog about OCPD recovery, it all became rebranded to Pop Danthology. Even Google, their algorithms now think that my blogs are about mashups. My channel has become not even about Daniel Kim, and all about Pop Danthology, so my fans get angry if I upload anything else. If I upload blogs, they purposely dislike it,” he said. In the future, Kim hopes to create demand for his personality and not for his skills and talents, as talented as he may be. “The reason why I became self-employed was not to help other businesses project their own voice, but to project my own voice. It’s going to be my personality. If you do that, and get big for that, people will want you to come and talk about anything.” U
NEWS
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
EDITORS SRUTHI TADEPALLI + SAMANTHA MCCABE
ACTIVISM //
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HEALTH SOLUTIONS //
UBC students join protest outside Trump Tower Moira Wyton Staff Writer
Dozens of protesters gathered outside of Trump International Hotel & Tower in downtown Vancouver on January 29 to rally against US President Donald Trump’s most recent executive order to restrict immigration and travel into the United States. Signed on January 27, the order initially prohibited the entry of any refugee into the US for 120 days, the entry of refugees from Syria until further notice, and the entry of any citizen of seven predominantly Muslim countries — Iraq, Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya and Yemen — in any visa class for 90 days, even those who are US green-card holders. On January 29, however, it was announced that people from affected countries who hold green cards will not be prevented from returning to the United States. A handful of UBC students joined the protest to voice their concerns for the ban and its implications for Muslims both in the US and Canada. “This doesn’t just affect Americans in America,” said Richa Sharma, a PhD candidate at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health, at the rally on Saturday, January 28. “This hits a lot of Muslims in Canada as well. My first thought was that if you’re Muslim and if you’re in transit, as many are, you are fucked right now. It doesn’t matter if you’re a refugee or if you have dual citizenship.” Just hours after the ban was signed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced via Twitter that Canadian passport-holders
From left to right: Former SUS VP External Alvin Hartono, current VP Communications Antony Tsui, President Diane Nguyen and VP Internal Katie Gourlay.
SUS execs enter their own case competition, come second Jack Hauen Coordinating Editor
“We can’t let people get this idea that they’re isolated and alone,” said Flynn Dixon Murdock.
and dual citizens from the aforementioned countries would not be impacted after consulting with President Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Despite this exemption for Canadian passport-holders, UBC students at the rally remained concerned for the “precedent of hate” that this decision could set for both sides of the border. “The executive order to stop refugees coming over from Syria, Libya, all these places that they most need to escape [is] heartbreaking,” said Flynn Dixon Murdock, a third-year civil engineering student at UBC. “There is no longer a trust that
our neighbours to the south are going to be able to keep their shit together enough that the world can keep progressing forwards and not backwards.” In response to the travel ban, the UBC Social Justice Centre is organizing a similar protest outside of the US consulate in Vancouver to take place on February 11. Sharma hopes that Saturday’s protest will help spark even further action among Canadian students. “Trudeau has made his pretty little tweet [but] he needs to have a stronger stance and I want Canadian politicians to speak up,” said Sharma. “As students,
MOIRA WYTON
we need to mobilize [and] we need to be aware. Call your MPs and let your politicians know that you expect them to stand up for democracy.” Dixon Murdock also stressed the importance of solidarity as students at “an amazing and multiethnic institution” like UBC during a time when many international and domestic students alike may be negatively impacted. “Coming out here [to the rally], it’s about standing up and showing that no, we’re not going to be calm and silent as people get spit on,” said Dixon Murdock. “We can’t let people get this idea that they’re isolated and alone.” U
POLITICS //
Christy Clark appoints Ono chief advisor of Innovation Network companies and entrepreneurs to provide “business expertise, mentorship, capital and talent,” according to their site. The BC government aims to build the same thing here, with Ono as their point person.
UBCPREZ/INSTAGRAM
Ono held a similar role during his time at the University of Cincinatti.
Jack Hauen Coordinating Editor
UBC President Santa Ono has been appointed as chief advisor of the provincial government’s “Innovation Network” — an initiative designed to attract and retain talent for BC’s tech sector.
Premier Christy Clark announced the creation of this new role and his installation on January 23. During his time at the University of Cincinatti, Ono held a similar role with the Ohio Third Frontier’s advisory board, a network which connects the university system, startup
WHAT’S THE PLAN? The initiative aims to attract 100,000 to 200,000 more highly skilled tech workers to the province by 2025 through encouraging them to move from other areas in addition to retaining those who are already here. The provincial government hopes that political instability in places like the UK and the US will also help attract more workers to Canada. “The Brexit decision ... gives an opportunity for all kinds of people who have a more worldly view to say they’d like to go to a more outwardly welcoming place like Canada,” said BC Liberal Minister of Advanced Education Andrew Wilkinson. Ono hopes new degree programs, like UBC’s new school of biomedical engineering, will help attract and retain talent in
Vancouver. He also recognizes opportunities presented by the Vancouver offices of Microsoft, Amazon and Hootsuite to these students and workers. “When you have world-class strengths that attract additional companies and activity to the region ... that will require more talent to fuel those companies,” he said. Wilkinson added that the initiative represents an “opportunity to focus on making local companies into bigger local companies rather than having them license or sell their intellectual property elsewhere.”
MOVING FORWARD Ono has begun speaking with stakeholders in the province, and plans to convene a group at the upcoming BC Tech Summit to discuss strategy. “For this to succeed, we really need everyone to come together and roll up their sleeves and work hard. Every indication that I have now is that people are ready to do so,” said Ono. “I’m extremely, extremely excited. The future [of ] BC as the heart of the innovation economy in Canada is very, very bright.” U
A team of four current and former Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) executives placed second in a case competition that was organized by the society in partnership with UBC SCI Team. According to SUS President Diane Nguyen, the only member of the society involved with organizing the event was VP Academic Sarah Park, who did not enter the competition. SCI Team has always hosted the event, but had decided not to go through with it last year since not enough returning members had experience planning it. The SUS stepped in to help with promotion and logistical issues, but not the selection of judges — according to Nguyen, who personally thanked two members of SCI Team on Facebook. In the event, students competed to find solutions to a global health crisis. Teams presented their projects to a panel of UBC professors and graduate students who assigned points to determine a winner.
In the event, students competed to find solutions to a global health crisis. “I was so intimidated,” said Nguyen. “All of them were chemistry, biotech and [microbiology] people, but we’re all integrated science students with commerce and psychology minors. So it was completely out of our realm.” Nguyen said that the event communications could have been clearer about the divisions between SUS members who were organizing the event and those who were entering as contestants. “A lot of the rules were explained in the contestant packages, so anyone who was competing was aware of how the judging process was. But I think a bigger effort [is needed] to make that clear from the start — on our event page, and our promotions, and all that,” she said. U
4 | news | TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017 POLITICS //
MONEY //
UBC fund aims to increase inclusiveness on campus In direct violation of AMS code, Council rejects motion to direct BDS referendum to Student Court
FILE JOSHUA MEDICOFF
The fund recently received a boost increasing its value by $25,000 per year.
Alice Sorrentino Contributor
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Equity Enhancement Fund, with goals to spread community involvement by increasing equality, inclusion, diversity and intercultural understanding both inside and outside of the UBC community. In 2015, the fund — which previously totaled about $50,000 — received a significant boost which increased the annual fund. Sara-Jane Finlay, associate vice president of the Equity and Inclusion Fund, said this has helped the fund reach about $75,000 per year. The fund is open to any student, academic department or administrative unit looking to initiate a project which involves a display of equity, diversity,
inclusion and intercultural understanding. However, Finlay mentions that what they are really looking for are “benefits to the representations or the experiences of those people who have been historically disadvantaged within the UBC community.” Recipients can receive funding up to $25,000 with the money being given to projects that show to be self-sustaining in the long run. “The people who have been awarded projects in the past have been quite wide-ranging, and there has been some really exciting and innovative work done as well,” said Finlay. According to Finlay, student proposal writing workshops are offered to guide applicants on developing their idea, giving students “an opportunity to discuss them and work them up
into an actual project.” Applicants are also given advice on how to write a proposal and how to fill out the required application forms. The fund is not strictly limited to the UBC community, and can have impacts outside of the university. For example, the Stem Cell Club with UBC’s faculty of medicine was funded for building their database of possible donor groups that are often underrepresented in that kind of research. “They were driving forward in that area in order to try and gather more samples of people who were indigenous [or] from the LGBT community, and so that actually has a broader impact than simply just at UBC.” The deadline to apply for the annual fund is February 28. U
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Council decided not to proceed with student court.
Samantha McCabe News Editor
At the January 25 AMS Council meeting, councillors debated over a referendum question that will likely be put forward at this year’s AMS elections: “Do you support your student union (AMS) in boycotting products and divesting from companies that support Israeli war crimes, illegal occupation and the oppression of Palestinians?” After a lengthy discussion, a motion to mandate the HR Committee to create a Student Court for the purpose of reviewing the referendum question failed. The vote was 11 for, 11 against and 11 abstentions. Earlier in the night, AMS Ombudsperson Matt Perzow gave a presentation based on an investigation that he conducted on the question, instigated by a complaint from a student. Perzow determined that the question — which uses the same wording as it did in the 2015 referendum — met the AMS Bylaw 4 requirement of being answerable with a “yes” or “no” vote, but did not meet the same bylaw’s further guideline of being “clear and unambiguous.” “Students should know what they’re voting for, as well as the consequences of that vote,” said Perzow in Council. According to his report, the current phrasing of the question also directly violates AMS code (Section IX A, Article 4), which says that referendum questions referring to contracts must outline the intent to break such a contract as well as the associated “penalty.” In this case, that would mean defining the companies that the AMS would need to divest from should the referendum be approved, as well as the financial ramifications of doing so.
FILE KOSTA PRODANOVIC
According to Perzow’s report, the Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights club (SPHR), the body that brought forward the question, clarified that they do not want to make it immediately incumbent upon the AMS to boycott, divest and sanction (BDS) from Israel. This is unclear from the current phrasing of the question according to Perzow’s analysis. At the end of his presentation, Perzow recommended that the AMS Council direct the HR Committee to fill a Student Court to advise on the question and then provide a written response informing students of the reasoning behind the decision. Council then debated this with councillors, some of whom cited financial and timeliness concerns as well as doubt about the ethics and legitimacy of convening a court for one issue. However, according to AMS Bylaw 21, the mandate of Student Court includes the rephrasing of unclear referendum questions. With last night’s vote, Council decided not to proceed with creating a Student Court. This decision stands in contrast to AMS code (Section XV, Article 1), which states that “the Student Court shall be a standing body which serves throughout the entire year” — something that has not been the case since 2010. It is currently unclear whether Council will return to the issues with the BDS question should it be formally posed as a referendum — SPHR will first need to present a form with 1,000 valid student signatures to get the question to go forward. U For a full breakdown of the January 25 decision-making, check out the live tweeting @UbysseyNews or #AMSCouncil.
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY | news | 5 STUDENT MEDIA //
CRIME //
UBC pays for replacement of student’s stolen wheelchair
Sophie Sutcliffe Senior Staff Writer
@TALONUBC/TWITTER
The Talon was initially launched in 2014.
AMS Social Justice Centre relaunches The Talon Jonas Ordman Staff Writer
The AMS Social Justice Centre relaunched The Talon on January 26, which is labelled as UBC’s alternative student press and aims to address social justice issues that are not being covered by other campus publications. The Talon was initially launched in 2014 as a horizontally-structured editorial collective of UBC students. Resurrected from a previous Social Justice Centre print newspaper called The Knoll, which ran from 2006 to 2011, The Talon was reborn as an online publication. Focusing on campuscentric issues such as tuition increase, the BDS referendum and sexual assault on campus, the publication saw a successful first year. “[The years of ] 2014 to 2015 were very successful [and] we were a big part of the campus conversation,” said editor Eviatar Bach. As The Talon editorial collective is entirely studentbased, the 2015/16 year was difficult for the publication, with graduating student editors causing it to “fizzle out.” The Talon is now relaunching for 2016/17 with a brand new editorial collective. While editors drive The Talon, the collective prefers publishing outside submissions from students, professors and activistsat-large. The Talon also places a focus on covering social justice on campus and has published pieces The Ubyssey has not. For example, professor of history Dr. Paul Krause wrote “The Enduring Silence of UBC’s ‘Hunting Ground,’” which covered sexual assault in the UBC history department for The Talon — a piece that was later cited by CBC. Publishing a diverse variety of content — from poetry to investigative journalism — The Talon is a platform for alternative dialogue. “[It’s about] giving a voice to people who might not otherwise have a voice,” said editor Tania Talebzadeh. “A more inclusive, radical voice and a form of public action and expression that isn’t otherwise available at UBC. This year, we wanted it to be more accessible, having rants and sign language content. Inclusion was a main factor when we wanted to start The Talon again.” U
When Cameron England, a third-year political science major, returned to where he’d left his wheelchair outside the Nest while he was volunteering at the AUS conference all day, he discovered that his wheelchair was gone. “I [called the RCMP] the night of, and I sat outside the Nest and just waited for them to arrive,” said England. “The police officer that arrived asked me some general questions … and he did the best preliminary work that he could. I did send the serial number over to the RCMP … but since then, I haven’t heard anything from their end.” England, who has cerebral palsy, says he usually uses his chair to travel around campus, but often parks his chair outside of buildings since he can walk short distances and does not want to remain dependent on the device. After seeing a post on England’s Facebook page asking for information, second-year arts student Austin Ferguson decided to start a GoFundMe campaign online to help England with the costs of replacing the chair. “In the next 24 hours [after starting the page], we raised over $1,500,” said Ferguson. “I couldn’t believe it. I remember I woke up one morning and there was an anonymous donation of $500. It was unbelievable.”
“I had no idea he was going to do it beforehand,” said England of the GoFundMe page. “I was incredibly floored by both his creation and how quickly funds came in afterwards. That was really amazing to see.” A few days later, England heard that UBC was willing to assist him in getting a new chair. “I didn’t know exactly what this entailed initially, so I made an appointment with my disability advisor, and then basically what she had told me was UBC was willing to fund everything — even notwithstanding the GoFundMe,” said England. While saying that she could not comment on the specifics of the case due to confidentiality, Janet Mee, director of Access and Diversity, said that “the university has a number of sources that it uses to cover the costs of accommodating people with disabilities on the UBC Vancouver campus.” In particular, she mentioned that the AMS extended healthcare benefits allow for up to $7,000 for the replacement of an electric wheelchair every 36 months. “We have only just learned that that’s a possibility, so we were pretty excited about that,” said Mee. As for England, he says that he hasn’t been able to get a new chair yet due to both administrative details and being busy with school and his role as the
Access and Diversity will reimburse England for the wheelchair.
AUS representative on the AMS Council. “The original chair wasn’t actually mine. It was a loaner from the provincial government, so I had to phone them and figure out next steps although I haven’t heard back,” said England. “I’ll have to go back to within UBC admin and [ask] what are the next steps.” England also said that while not having his chair has had an impact on him, he emphasized that it may also impact others
FILE JOSHUA MEDICOFF
more and hopes that accessibility issues will continue to be addressed. “Even though I use my wheelchair [and services] mainly for convenience ... there are some people that events like the loss of a chair or a de-funding of a service or something could be detrimental to both their academic success and just their regular life. I just want to make sure that those voices of students that require those services are heard when they do come forward,” said England. U
ATHLETICS //
BirdCoop to triple in size, have new location by 2018
CECILE BUSSY
The BirdCoop will soon be available and triple the size in the old Student Union Building basement.
Rohit Joseph Contributor
Finding the energy to work out in UBC’s BirdCoop gym can be a demanding test of one’s self-discipline and patience. Not only are you fighting your lack of motivation after a long day of classes, you are probably waiting behind three of your sweaty student brethren to use the same machine. Come next year, that could all change. The AMS is working with UBC Athletics and Recreation to expand the BirdCoop by three times its current size, using the basement space of the old Student Union Building in 2018.
The move addresses student access to fitness and recreation spaces on campus, with the university committing $5 million to cover the cost of the expansion. AMS President Ava Nasiri believes it’s about time that UBC tackled its lack of fitness facilities. “If [UBC] is going to be comparing themselves to other schools for this concept of excellence, then the fitness space they provide to students should also be held up to those quality standards,” said Nasiri. “As it stands, UBC is on the much lower end of the spectrum.” As it stands, UBC lags far behind its peers Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria and the University of
Toronto in terms of fitness space per student. But the BirdCoop’s expansion into the old SUB is not a permanent solution according to Nasiri. The AMS is projecting the temporary setup to last six or seven years. This would ideally coincide with the opening of additional fitness facilities proposed in UBC’s GamePlan athletics and recreation strategy. The GamePlan strategy is a 20-year plan proposing either extensive renovations or the complete rebuilding of Thunderbird Stadium (estimated to cost between $25 to $30 million), a brand new Athletics Centre of Excellence (estimated at $50 million) and a new facility to be built at where the War Memorial Gym is currently located (estimated between $60 to $62 million). The total cost of these projects ranges from a conservative estimate of $130 million to a high of $147 million. Kavie Toor, director of facilities and business development, says there are practical reasons for embarking on these projects, noting the old age of Thunderbird Stadium and War Memorial Gym (50 and 70 years old respectively) and the buildings having a high seismic risk. Figuring out a way to fund these new facilities is one of the
major challenges that Toor and his team are contending with. The potential revenue generated with new housing units to be built in the Stadium Road area can cover a large share of the cost, but it wouldn’t cover everything. This is where the possibility of an AMS referendum for a fee increase to fund these projects comes into play. In order for this to happen, the AMS will first have to receive a petition with a thousand signatures in support of a referendum question that will ask students if they would be in favour of such an increase to fund new athletics facilities on campus. Toor and Nasiri are optimistic about UBC students’ support. Nasiri said that having a referendum this year would be the right time. “If we have this referendum this year, instead of next year or the year after, then we’ve made our voices heard loud and clear with enough time for that to have its due influence and to be taken seriously at the table,” said Nasiri. UBC will be hosting a GamePlan workshop where students can attend to lend their voice on Tuesday, January 31, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be an online survey available and Nasiri encourages anyone who has specific feedback or concerns to email her directly. U
FEATURES
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
MATURE STUDENTS AT UBC
WORDS MALCOLM WILKINS ART AIKEN LAO
School’s out? Not for these students.
T
he average undergraduate student enters university in or before their early 20s, but some don’t find themselves at UBC until much later. Either deterred by the cost or through spending time pursuing other opportunities, some come to university through a more unconventional process as “mature students.” “My life has totally, absolutely changed after I came here [as a mature student],” said Dave Brown, a fourth-year arts student. “I was going to just retire and wanted to do things myself, you know, learn to play the piano, shoot a video. And then I got accepted into university … I can now conduct an orchestra and not just play the piano. I can edit a video myself and not just shoot one.”
WHAT IS A MATURE STUDENT? Being a mature student doesn’t have much to do with age. As long as an applicant is above the legal age (19 in British Columbia), you need only to be out of school for four years and to have not obtained a degree prior to enrolment to be considered a mature student. Interestingly, this means a 22-year-old student would be considered the same way an 85-year-old would in this category. “Mature students are those who can demonstrate high academic potential through a range of exceptional achievements and life experiences beyond academics,” reads the UBC admissions website. But many older students coming to UBC don’t enter through the university having given them this designation. Twenty-six year-old sociology major David Tolentino doesn’t technically qualify because of time he spent at Langara. But he still experiences some of the surety that comes with taking more time to consider what one might want out of a university degree. “When you jump into studies a little bit later, you get better at [continuously] learning — not just academically, but also as a person,” said Tolentino. “As an older student, I get to learn from professors who are obviously older than me, but I also get to learn from students who are younger, and that’s it. I’m subjected to a wide variety of people and ages.” The many that do enter UBC as designated mature students, however, seem to have had similarly positive experiences. Robert Eaton, a creative writing enthusiast who is taking classes as a mature student, has been out of school for decades. “I was out of school a long, long time,” he said. Having never pursued a degree before, Eaton worked several jobs, from contracting to landscaping.
“It was curiosity for me personally,” said Eaton. “It’s been okay. I haven’t had any problems or complaints or anything like that. Using better resources such as the library and computers has helped me [personally].”
FOR FREE? For mature students who want to attend UBC and are over the age of 65, the government has added an extra incentive — free education. BC residents who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents over the age of 65 do not pay application, tuition or student fees. This mechanism has acted not only as an important pathway — making affordable what otherwise might not be — but also a prominent source of motivation. “One of the reasons I came to UBC is because when you’re above 65, you don’t pay anything,” said Brown. Brown graduated from high school in the 1960s, and was then unable to attend university due to financial restrictions. He subsequently drove taxis in order to earn a regular income. However, this fee exemption doesn’t apply to a great number of mature students. According to the Planning and Institutional Research Office of UBC (PAIR), the average age out of a total of 225 registered mature students at the university is currently 32.
STUDYING “NOTHING,” LEARNING EVERYTHING Interestingly, the most popular faculty choice for mature students at UBC is “nothing.” According to PAIR, 78 of the
“I have to say that when I came here, everyone treated me like just another student. There was no difference [in experience].” - Dave Brown, fourth-year arts student
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JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY | Feature | 7
225 registered mature students belong to no true faculty, electing instead to direct their studies as they wish. This is a distinctive feature of being a mature student because it is impossible for regular, full time-undergraduates to direct their studies outside of a faculty. In terms of the faculties into which mature students are registered, arts came out on top with a total of 44 registered students as of November 2016, followed by forestry with four, the faculty of education and the faculty of land and food systems with three each and business with one. Brown, who is currently registered in arts, is pursuing a major in film production and hoping to later enter the film industry. “It’s good because you have access to specific resources,” he said. “Professors, who are leaders in their fields, and the books ... I get to learn from the very best … you know, I took directing classes, writing classes, cinematography classes. It’s great.” Despite its supposed divergence from the typical university experience, Brown, Eaton and Tolentino are happy with their undergraduate degree. University has been a life-changing experience for Brown. “Communication with people, professors, and experts in their fields … it keeps you going down the path of knowledge. I mean, whenever I talk to people my age, they’re always talking about the past. But I want to know about the future,” said Brown. When he came to discussing how he felt about being a mature student, Brown found it amusing. “The semantics of this thing get real complicated here,” he said. “I initially thought ‘mature’ meant being above the age of 65. But then that’s a senior student, in my view. But then again, a fourth year is also a senior student. When I think of mature, I think about the level of maturity [of a person]. None of those definitions match the UBC definition. “I have to say that when I came here, everyone treated me like just another student. There was no difference [in experience],” said Brown. Brown has certainly embraced campus life. Last year, he ran for AMS President — losing out to current president Ava Nasiri — and has since been seen in AMS Council campaigning for his concept, UBC TV.
“Whenever I talk to people my age, they’re always talking about the past. But I want to know about the future.” - Dave Brown, fourth-year arts student
Eaton too doesn’t have any major complaints about his experience being a university student. He is especially quick to speak in support of UBC’s provision of resources as a means to quench curiosity and spread knowledge in the future. “Having resources like the library, books and computers available to people … it should be made more accessible for everyone,” he said. “But it does not behoove UBC to do that now because the number of mature students is still small. But in the future, it could do that if there was a growth in the aging population, and that would be great.” All in all, Tolentino called being an “older” student at UBC an “eye-opening” experience. “It’s very easy to register and just become another statistic, pay your fees, go to classes and go home, right? But are you benefiting from that whole experience later on [in life]? I would wish for all people to learn as much as I have at UBC as an older student.” U
CULTURE
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
EDITOR SAMUEL DU BOIS
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AVOCADO ON TOAST! //
Study spots for the desperate vegan Arielle Supino Contributor
One of the most annoying things I had to endure upon going vegan was not feeling as free to study in coffee shops with my friends, as the pain of watching them consume delicious dairyfilled meals or lactose-infused beverages was often far too great. This limited my study sessions to campus at all times, which was no party. However, following the development of severe trauma from spending too much time in libraries over the past year, I finally found the motivation to get out and find some veganfriendly places to do my work in. There are surprisingly quite a few of them and most are not that far away. So, without further ado, here are four great study spots that can accommodate any vegan and their omnivorous friends!
1) MELU JUICE & HEALTH BAR Despite being located relatively far from campus, Melu is the perfect place to head to on your days off. As natural light pours in from the large window and hits your seat, you won’t even notice that you’re reviewing 30 pages of class notes. What makes this place even better is its menu. If you’re at Melu during the summer, they have the
most delicious banana ice cream parfaits that are alone worth the journey. As of now, they offer food like wellness porridges, rice and veggie bowls, juices, smoothies, and vegan desserts. All things that will warm you up in this less than favourable weather, while also giving you the nourishment you need to succeed.
2) CULPRIT COFFEE CO. Take the number 4 bus all the way to Vine and you’ll have made it to the coolest little coffee shop in the city. While Culprit is rather small in size, it makes up for the crowdedness by offering fresh, unique baked goods each morning, as well as yummy soups, salads and sandwiches. Most of these items are vegan and/ or gluten-free, but they offer regular items in case whomever you’re with prefers that. Just a quick suggestion — if you go, definitely try your drink with their homemade almond milk. It’s divine! Be sure not to leave without sampling their vegan chocolate-thyme brownies — your life will never be the same without them! 3) OLIVE + RUBY This place is absolute heaven! You’ve probably seen pictures of its décor on your Instagram feed a million times, seeing as not
Never suffer the pain and envy of watching people eat their delicious omnivorous foods again.
many can resist snapping a shot of its large plant wall or its cute swing seats. But what you may not be aware of is that there’s no better feeling than writing an essay while chowing down on things like their Spanglish Toast (smashed avocado, black bean and cilantro salad, secret sauce drizzle, micro greens), their Peanut Noodle Salad (kale, red cabbage, snap peas, carrot, cucumber, brown rice noodles,
light peanut dressing, black sesame seeds) or their Açai Bowl (blueberries, pomegranate juice, spinach, acai, mango, hemp, house made granola, banana, seasonal fruit). Not to mention this place is very close to campus, so there’s no losing here!
4) CARTEMS DONUTERIE You’ve definitely heard of Cartems, so I’ll be brief. Hit up its West Broadway location for
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a scrumptious vegan doughnut, a simple coffee and a nice environment to do your work in! What’s nice about this place is that there are so many options for vegans that go beyond your regular chocolate or vanilla doughnut. So this time, when your buddies decide that they want to head out for some sweets to accompany their studies, you won’t have to miss out or compromise! U
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY | culture | 9 RIP CALHOUN’S //
Is the 24-hour business dying?
REVIEW //
Portal 2: The (Unauthorized) Musical is shit Samuel Du Bois Culture Editor
With the closure of Calhoun’s many feared that the time of the 24-hour business was coming to an end.
Eve O’Dea Contributor
Earlier this month, the beloved late night hangout Calhoun’s Bakery closed its doors. The cafe, which was located on West Broadway, was a place where UBC students often went at all hours to study and gulp down mug after mug of coffee. Midway through last year the owner, Hiu Nam Wan, made the decision to change the business’ hours so the cafe would close at midnight, this being an early step towards Calhoun’s eventually closing entirely. Wan, who purchased the cafe in 2007, is now devoting his time and energy to Calhoun’s Catering — so the name will live on in some respect. “Staffing is the biggest issue,” said Wan, going on to cite the lack of late-night availability for staff as a significant problem in maintaining 24-hour operation, while also noting issues with homeless people who would stay in the cafe for hours during winter weather, occasionally taking up several tables and causing regular customers to leave. The closure of this Kitsilano establishment prompted some concerns about the existence of 24-hour businesses in Vancouver’s future. Is this a viable business model or a doomed practice? To find out, we spoke with two wellknown Vancouver restaurateurs about their respective experiences, as well as with UBC professor Dr. Darren Dahl.
Aiyana Kane and Jackie-Rae Avery are the owners Bandidas, a vegetarian taqueria located on Commercial Drive. Last year, they made the decision to expand their business and in the spring, renovations took place to expand their space, doubling it in size. Following this, their next goal was to change their hours and stay open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The idea was to create a place on the East Side where night owls could come for wholesome, healthy meals at any hour. From a business perspective, they saw it as more efficient to keep their restaurant open at all times instead of taking the time to open and close at the beginning and end of the day, as they usually opened at 9 a.m. and closed between 12 and 1 a.m. However, the time and energy that they put into their restaurant expansion ended up being more exhausting than originally predicted, and the transition to the new hours operation had to be postponed indefinitely. When working out the logistics of a 24-hour business, Kane and Avery were faced with the same issue of staffing that Wan mentioned, as this change would require a whole new team of people who were willing to work the necessary early morning hours. “We want our business to be a place that’s nourishing for people to work at and that isn’t hurting their lives or hurting them,” said Kane. “We have to find people who are into it in order for it to be aligned
with our values.” When asked if they were hoping to eventually make the 24-hour switch, Kane said yes, but was not sure when that would be a possibility. The Naam, a vegetarian eatery on West 4th, is known for its relaxed atmosphere, live music and constantly changing artwork. It is also one of the few places in Vancouver where one can grab a slice of apple pie or a veggie burger at 3 a.m. Open since 1968 and operating 24 hours since 1989, The Naam’s proximity to the beach and the UBC campus put the restaurant in a prime position for steady business. Manager Glen Delukas says that last year was The Naam’s most successful year, with their busiest hours being between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. That being said, their busy hours are not always restricted to the typical eating hours. Delukas recalls one particular instance while working the graveyard shift. “I remember it being peaceful. Next thing a bus pulls up front, like a tour bus or something, and [then] you have 20 people filing into the restaurant [who] want a full meal ’cause we serve the full menu all night,” he said. The event which impacts the restaurant the most is the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, which gives way to their busiest weekend of the year. One issue that The Naam faces stems from their presence in a relatively residential neighbourhood, which can lead to
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noise complaints from neighbours. In response, Delukas says, “I can communicate with them directly and make sure we work out a plan so that they’re comfortable and we can still continue to operate.” Unlike Bandidas and Calhoun’s, The Naam’s staffing poses less of an issue for them. “We have a solid crew — we don’t have a lot of turnover in staff at all. We have oldtime staff working these shifts that they’ve been working for years,” said Delukas. In spite of the logistical difficulties, Professor Darren Dahl of the Sauder School of Business predicts that the presence of 24hour restaurants in Vancouver will rise as the population of the city increases. Dahl confirms that these establishments in areas with a busier nightlife, such as Downtown Vancouver, will see more success. “As long as there’s a population, it will endure,” he said. However, Dahl also notes potential security risks for these restaurants, as police presence is typically reduced in the early morning hours. Ultimately, a 24-hour business is dependent on two contributing factors — a location in a populous area in order to attract heavy crowds and a dedicated team that can work together under pressure at all hours of the day. With that combination, we can expect more of these businesses to pop up around the city, maybe even on a university campus with a population of students who pull allnighters on a regular basis. U
There is the campy musical that knows it’s shit and loves it. There is the campy musical that makes the most of a shitty budget to become something special. Then there is the campy musical that is just thoroughly a piece of shit. The Geekenders’ musical version of the hit video game, Portal 2, is sadly the third option. Full disclaimer: I walked out of this at intermission, breathing a sigh of relief. Never played the game before? You will be completely lost, as the performers make no effort whatsoever to provide coherent context or even a coherent plot for that matter. My last experience with the game came only a few months ago and even I was scratching my head a few times, trying to figure out what the hell was going on as people ran around the stage in poorly made costumes, with no apparent logic. Choreography? Original music? Any semblance of plot direction, character motivations, good dialogue or even clever lyrics? Hell no. The choreography would have been poorly received at a half-assed high school play. The music was made out of a jumbled playlist full of numbers ripped straight out of Hairspray, The Little Mermaid, My Fair Lady and more, with some of the most predictable lyrics I’ve heard in a long time. You have to give it to the actors — they made the most of what they were given and their voices were solid when singing. Plus, the set was alright and the way that the portals functioned was a clever solution to a potentially difficult problem. But the costumes were terrible. When you hear words like “unauthorized” and “dark comedy” used to describe a production like this, you might expect a certain level of original, cheeky humour and irreverence. The brilliant minds behind this play opted instead to just rip all of the best jokes right from the game, giving themselves only enough creative licence to add in the real winner, “Netflix and Chell,” which elicited many groans from the audience and was the ultimate deciding factor in my leaving early. A ticket to this play cost $22 in advance and $25 at the door. A copy of Portal 2 on Steam costs $21.99 and comes free of terrible musical numbers, shitty costumes and that god damned Netflix joke. If you are a fan of the game, stay home and play it again. If you have no idea what the reference is when someone says “the cake is a lie,” go somewhere else for your dose of local theatre. U
OPINION
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
EDITOR BAILEY RAMSAY
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POO-POOING THE POOL //
Last Words: A free gym is better than a lazy river
FILE SALOMAN MICKO BENRIMOH
It’s new, it’s big, it’s clean, it’s shiny — it’s the new UBC Aquatic Centre. Obviously, everyone is excited about it. But is it really that great? First, let’s not forget the centre cost $40 million. As of 2015, Athletics was set to pay $11.4 million of that because they couldn’t find donors for the project. Secondly, UBC has significantly less fitness space per student than most North American universities. A UBC study found that the university has just 0.15 square feet of fitness space per student, a pathetic one-seventh of the University of Victoria’s capacity. UBC is aware of this and Athletics has been working to fix it. The basement of the Old SUB is supposedly being turned into a fitness/weight room and Athletics should be applauded for their work. But the execution, especially with the new pool, raises some questions.
WHY THE HELL IS THERE A LAZY RIVER? There’s nothing wrong with lazy rivers, but the centre isn’t a water park — it’s a pool. You don’t need a lazy river. Period. What’s more is that the lazy river, which is by no means small (though it isn’t waterpark huge) will, to the best of our knowledge, be included in UBC’s measurements of “fitness” space. Unless you count redirecting your tube as exercise, there is absolutely nothing “fitness” about a lazy (repeat: lazy) river. There
is nothing wrong with lazy rivers, but given the choice between slowly floating in lukewarm urine water and a free gym, we know what our decision would be.
WHY DOES THE HOT TUB FIT 40 PEOPLE? Yes, 40! While The Ubyssey can think of plenty of uses for a big, 40-person hot tub, none of them should be conducted in a university aquatic centre. Everyone loves a good soak in a hot tub (even though they are really, really gross). But we’d rather have a free gym. WHERE IS THE FREE GYM? The old pool, for all its flaws, had a free gym in the damp recesses of its basement. For students who can’t afford a private gym or don’t want to wait in the overflowing BirdCoop, the gym was perfect. With $40 million, surely UBC could have stuck a gym somewhere in the building. Taking out the lazy river and massive hot tub would have left ample space for a small but free workout room. Lazy rivers and giant hot tubs are great, but they are the kind of thing you build when you’ve come in under-budget and have some extra cash lying around. We don’t know if the planning committee had a direct choice between a free gym and the river/tub, but we know what we ended up with. It’s great that UBC is trying to build more fitness spaces but they should stop screwing around with gimmicks and focus on the essentials. U
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THE UBYSSEY
SCIENCE INDUSTRY //
Fantastic Beasts was made with the help of UBC computer scientists
The technology was used to model skin of magical beasts.
Mona Adibmoradi Senior Staff Writer
Scientists at UBC don’t just change the real world. They also change the wizarding world. The creatures in the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them were made using software developed by computer scientists at the Institute of Computing, Information and Cognitive System at UBC. Dr. Dinesh Pai’s group, whose primary focus is developing computational models on how the brain and musculoskeletal system direct movement, created the company Vital Mechanics to make their software available to various industries, from healthcare to entertainment. “We were doing all this great research at the university, but we needed to translate all of these ideas into innovation that could be usable by other people,” said Pai. One of the projects at Vital Mechanics is the software Vital Skin which simulates the wrinkling of skin to produce realistic visual effects. Pai’s group approached Image Engine, a visual effects studio based in Vancouver, and presented their software as a solution to simulating skin for compelling visual effects.
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TECH //
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Image Engine used the software to create the deformation in the skin of the large, dinosaur-like Graphorn in the film. Pai said that simulations for visual effects is just the first step. “Eventually simulations will be so realistic and accurate that whenever you design something that interacts with the human body, you’ll want to first test it with a virtual human.” Using large scale computation to simulate the body in great detail will open the door for innovations in robotics and visual effects for television, film and gaming. This will also will allow companies to test and optimize technology that interacts with the body. Using computers to map the human body will also improve practices for healthcare, as simulations can be used for diagnosis and training for surgical procedures. However, there is still a lot to learn. “The limitation has been that the human body is incredibly complex,” said Pai. Currently, his lab is focused on measuring and mapping individual muscle activity to better understand the processes involved in human movement, leading to more accurate simulations of the human body and beasts that are even more fantastic. U
Enjoy unlimited access to every exhibition
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JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
EDITOR KOBY MICHAELS
While apps are no substitute for trained, professional help, they can help fill in the gaps.
CLAIRE LLOYD
These apps can help manage your mental health Madeleine Link Contributor
Mental health issues affect a lot of students, and dealing with them can be very diffuclt. UBC Counselling wait times can be frustrating and even if your insurance covers off-campus counselling services, only a few appointments may be covered. Since us millennials spend all our time glued to our phones anyways, it makes sense that we might turn to mental health apps as a solution. Although they can’t take the place of tools like therapy and medication, they can help on a day-to-day basis and in-between appointments. These apps are not intended to replace professional help, and work best as part of a larger mental health strategy. Check out our articles on seeking therapy and dealing with mental health crises, and don’t hesitate to call a crisis line if you’re in distress or need to talk to someone right away.
MINDSHIFT Developed jointly by AnxietyBC and BC Mental Health and Addiction services, this app focuses on understanding anxiety and challenging it with constructive thinking and behaviour. The app lets you pick relevant situations, including “Managing Worry,” “Tackling Social Fears” and “Riding Out Intense Emotions.” You can rate your anxiety level and record your symptoms, which can help when you’re talking to doctors or mental health professionals about treatment. The app also suggests helpful strategies like using positive thoughts to replace negative ones, relaxation strategies that include visualizations and breathing exercises, and constructive activities like talking to friends and going for a walk while listening to your favourite music. 09/11/2016 20:20
BOOSTERBUDDY An app from Island Health, BoosterBuddy has a unique approach, encouraging you to take care of a cartoon animal by taking care of yourself. If your buddy is sleeping, you need to wake them up by completing small tasks. The activities are all designed to improve your mental health in small ways such as planning what you’re going to eat for dinner and baking cookies with a friend. Helping your friendly cartoon pal can help motivate you to help yourself, and the suggestions are positive and easy to follow. The app also encourages you to create a crisis plan in the case of an emergency. It also provides specific coping strategies for different problems. If you take medications, you can also ask your buddy to remind you when it’s time to take them and the app can also track your moods over time. If you use alcohol or drugs, BoosterBuddy also has the option to keep track of your use to see if it affects your mental health. SAM (SELF-HELP FOR ANXIETY MANAGEMENT) SAM is developed by the University of the West of England, and takes a similar approach to MindShift. This app includes information about what anxiety is and what causes it. It allows you to keep track of what makes you anxious and develop your own “anxiety toolkit” over time. Its toolkit strategies include physical and mental relaxation, as well as techniques for positive thinking. SAM also displays a graph of your anxiety over time, so you can keep track of any trends, which can help when talking to a doctor about problems you may be having. This app is useful for dealing with and keeping track of your anxieties. STOP, BREATHE AND THINK (SBT) This app focuses on relaxing meditations. It invites you to
check in daily by noting your mental state, physical feelings and selecting any emotions you’re feeling at the moment. SBT then recommends meditations from its library. You can pay for specific upgrades (including meditations narrated by singer k.d. lang), but they have a wide variety of free options. Meditations include general mindfulness exercises as well as meditations on particular topics such as gratitude and change. If relaxing while listening to rain sounds is more your speed, they also have a timed meditation option. SBT keeps track of your “weekly settledness” for you, and you can earn stickers over time as you complete more meditations. Although this app doesn’t provide the same psychological focus as some others, it is very relaxing and encourages you to take the time to check in with yourself and how you’re doing.
PACIFICA This is another app without a major medical endorsement, although they do have a clinical psychologist on their staff. Like other apps, Pacifica offers relaxation exercises and helpful strategies, but uniquely lets you input your energy level before it suggests any — meaning they’re easier to complete even if you’re feeling tired. However, some of its more specific meditations require a paid premium subscription. Pacifica also has a fancy system for tracking your habits — both good and bad. You can pick daily habits from their list that also includes taking medication, which boosts your health score, and drinking, which lowers it. You can also create your own daily habits and adjust the levels of preset ones (for example, deciding how much sleep you want to get). This app does offer some unique features, but the fact that some useful features are behind a paywall could be discouraging. U
SPORTS+REC
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY
EDITOR OLAMIDE OLANIYAN
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL //
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GOLF //
Ball ’Birds dominate Brandon
The team defeated the Bobcats on both nights.
Salomon Micko Benrimoh Senior Staff Writer
The UBC women’s basketball team won their double-header weekend against the University of Brandon Bobcats — the first time they’ve successfully won a weekend series since the first week of December when they soundly beat the UBC Okanagan Heat. Friday’s game was a more commanding win for the ’Birds than Saturday’s. UBC scored 31 points in the first quarter alone and outscored the Bobcats in every quarter. Canada West offense leaders Maddison Penn and Keylyn Filewich led the ’Birds with 19 and 18 points respectively as UBC went on to win the game 80-53.
PATRICK GILLIN
Spriddle once tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee and walked it off.
The Bobcats returned with a vengeance on Saturday evening, outscoring UBC 21 to 19 in the first quarter and 20 to 15 in the third quarter. The ’Birds answered with 21 and 18 points in the second and fourth quarters respectively, and kept Brandon to only eight points in the fourth. Penn led UBC with a total of 24 points, giving her an incredible 43 points for the weekend. Saturday’s game also saw the T-Birds make a total of eight blocks and score 22 points of Brandon turnovers. UBC won the closely fought game 73 to 66 thanks to strong defence and a solid fourth quarter. U The ’Birds will face off with the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves next week at the War Memorial Gym.
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Lachlan Spriddle has drive and the grit to match Jeffrey So Contributor
Sitting in the sunlit diner, I watched Lachlan Spriddle walk up to my table with a smile on his face. He shook my hand and sat down as he adjusted his Titleist golf cap. It took me a second to register that this was the same person I just watched on YouTube, mercilessly running people over in his football scouting video. Spriddle is a timid yet outgoing person — a freshman who is an arranged walk-on for the UBC Golf team. At this point, you might be slightly confused considering that he was the subject of a football video. Spriddle has been playing golf since he was 10, but his main sport through high school was football, in which he played as a starting linebacker and running back for the Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in Alberta. He was born into a golfing family — his father is a professional golfer — and so he was naturally introduced to the sport. After years of rigorous training, he scored the best round of his life with a 66 at a tournament in the eighth grade. But golf is an unpredictable sport and after a second round of 78, he proceeded to lose the tournament by two measly strokes. Spriddle decided to take a step back from golf. “I just had a lot of anger towards the game,” he said. “I just didn’t want to be a part of that anymore.” After this loss, he had decided to fully commit to football Golf and football are two completely different sports. One requires patience and mental endurance, while the other
requires speed and aggression. Although both are extraordinary in their own rights, Spriddle needed a lot of training and conditioning to get to the level he wanted to be at with football. Spriddle once tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a basketball game and he literally walked it off as he “didn’t think anything of it,” except for the “pop” he heard when his tendon snapped. This is an injury that cripples players, but he decided it was fine and walked two weeks with a completely torn ACL. “I wasn’t in any pain really,” he said. “Two weeks later, I planted my weight on it and it definitely didn’t feel right. I asked my mom if we could go get it checked out and she didn’t believe me at first, as I’d been walking around on it.” He received surgery, and proceeded to play football throughout high school as a starter. During the final football game of his high school career, Lachlan got hit hard in the right leg, tearing his meniscus. After that game, he decided enough was enough. “It was around eight on a Friday night,” said Spriddle. “I’m at home with my parents, and I looked at them and just said, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna play football anymore. I can’t take four more years of this, especially if I want to be able to walk in my 30s.’” And so, after a two-and-a-half year break, Spriddle switched sports yet again, spending more than four hours a day meticulously working on his golf game. The first tournament back was a monumental one
and he shot scores of 78-79-78, solidifying his motivation to work on his golf game and achieve the level he wants to be at. After contacting UBC’s golf head coach, Chris MacDonald, at the beginning of the summer, Spriddle was given a spot on the team — directly as a result of his incredible scores. Even after emailing MacDonald, Spriddle decided to play on the development team. “I wanted to red-shirt because I didn’t feel like my game was where I wanted it to be and I didn’t want to waste a year of eligibility,” said Spriddle. “That extra year will help me get back in the game.” With this plan, he can practice with the team and advance his skills. But what’s next for him? “I really have no idea,” he said. As he repeated the question to himself, he discovered an answer. “For the next four years, I’ll be committed to working hard on my golf game and if it gets to where it can get, I’ll turn pro,” he said. “I’m also going to work hard in the classroom, so I have something nice to fall back on. A UBC education is pretty outstanding.” It is apparent that Spriddle does not display the attitude of a typical 18-year-old boy. He has traits that many people of his age don’t have — grit, vision and motivation. Switching to the sport of golf after spending a large part of his life involved in football comes with great sacrifice. It’s not an easy thing to do. Getting a spot on the varsity golf team after transferring sports in the past year is damn near impossible, but Spriddle is not your typical varsity golfer. U
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY | sports | 13 AWARENESS //
EMOTION //
Men’s rugby beat Ravens 32-14
Both teams played an incredibly defensive game.
Salomon Micko Benrimoh Senior Staff Writer
“We were all super excited to be a part of that and represent all student athletes across Canada.”
UBC ATHLETICS
T-Birds join Bell Let’s Talk to reduce mental health stigma on campuses Isabelle Commerford Staff Writer
In conjunction with the Bell Let’s Talk campaign, all-Canadian swimmer Rebecca Terejko — along with other UBC athletes — is encouraging students and athletes to make their mental health a priority. “You should never feel like what you are going through is not as important as what others you know may have gone through,” said Terejko. “I felt silly seeking help for something I originally thought was the everyday stress of being a student athlete.” In preparation for January 25, the Bell Let’s Talk campaign reached out to Terejko — as well as fellow UBC Thunderbird and men’s soccer goalkeeper Chad Bush — as student athletes in the Canadian university community to discuss mental health and the stigma surrounding it. Both athletes had been honoured with the Academic All-Canadian Award in Ottawa last November by the Governor General. “We were all super excited to be a part of that and represent all student athletes across Canada and to help start off this initiative.” When Terejko first came to university, she held back from participating on campus in activities or events. As she grew closer to her team of swimmers, she broke out as a leader in that environment. “In my first couple years when I did struggle with anxiety ... I didn’t have a lot of confidence, and then as I got more
comfortable with my teammates, I felt more comfortable to talk with them about certain things. “I really grew as a person throughout all five years and I think being a student athlete really contributed to that.” said Terejko. “My teammates were really where I felt most at home.” Terejko credits her team for making it their goal to listen to each other and be open, which is what contributed to her finding a sense of home away from home on campus. Being a recent graduate from UBC, Terejko cites her times with her teammates as some of her fondest, but she recognizes that a common struggle often emerges among her fellow graduates. “I know a lot of retired athletes who struggle with mental illness once they do retire from their sport. I think that’s a really important point because a lot of the time they feel okay while they’re associated with their sport because that’s part of their identity, and as soon as they’re finished, they don’t know what to do and they really struggle.” Despite the gap in age between first-year university students and bachelor’s degree holders, Terejko notes how anyone can be affected by mental illness. The hardest part at any point on the spectrum appears to be reaching out. “I think it’s really important to reach out to someone ... I’ve known some people on the swim team who I really looked up to when I was in first-year. I knew third, fourth, fifth-years who were opening up about
certain areas that they might be struggling with and that really helped me see that there’s people I look up to who I think are perfect. It made me feel like every single person could be struggling on the inside no matter what’s going on on the outside.” By partnering up with Bell Let’s Talk Day and student athletes from across Canada, Terejko hopes that she will encourage further discussion about mental health and wellbeing. With Bell Let’s Talk’s progress in 2017, there is a lot of hope for the initiative’s success in the future and ideally for every other day of the year too. Bell Let’s Talk continues to incorporate athletes in their campaign to expose the impact of mental health on the Canadian student body. You can find a few friendly faces in their Canada West video, or see Terejko featured in the launch video for student athletes’ alliance with Bell. Having been through five years as a student athlete and now working at a pool running the aquatics program, Terejko wants UBC students to know that taking time for yourself is the most important thing. “I just want people to know that even if they feel like what they are going through is insignificant or something they should be able to handle, there is nothing wrong with setting up [an appointment] at Brock Hall and talking to a professional about it. “They are there to support you … and you should never feel like what you are going through is not important.” U
On Saturday, January 28, the UBC men’s rugby team faced off against the UBC Old Boys Ravens Rugby Club, with a 7-2 overall record and a six-game winning streak, taking the game with the final score at 32-14. The game was closely fought the whole way through. Things got heated between the players of both clubs and even the fans in the stands, who were not scared to yell out their frustrations with the referees of the match. The T-Birds entered the game with high emotions coming off their Wightman Boot victory the previous week against the University of Victoria Vikes. The Wightman Boot is a trophy awarded annually to the victor of a match between the two historic and rivalrous rugby teams. The Ravens were the first to strike, scoring on two kicks and holding the ’Birds well away from the goal line. Both teams played an incredibly defensive game, and the score was kept low throughout the first half and even well into the second half.
SALOMON MICKO BENRIMOH
At this point it looked like the game was in the bag for the Ravens, having taken on a double-digit lead with time ticking away. It wasn’t until near the end of the game that the ’Birds were finally able to break through the Ravens’ defence. The Thunderbirds stormed out to score three tries, making two of the extra point conversions. Tensions grew drastically between the players of both teams at this points, as the Ravens fell further behind the ’Birds. The Ravens’ coaches watched from the end zone of the field but made sure that their voices were heard by players and officials even if play was on the other side. The Ravens made a last attempt to retake the game with just over five minutes left, but their fate was sealed with a final UBC try as the ’Birds took the game 32-14. The ’Birds will look to prepare for their next game, a Saturday meeting with the Capilano Rugby Club on home turf at Wolfson Field. U The T-Birds will be travelling to California to take on a mix of Pacific North West teams as well as the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears.
14 | SPORTS+REC | TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017 OH GOD //
Men’s basketball crush Bobcats, extend record to 15-1 Salomon Micko Benrimoh Senior Staff Writer
It was a good weekend for the UBC men’s basketball team. In fact, it was a record-breaking weekend. The ’Birds squared off against the University of Brandon Bobcats in a weekend doubleheader and walked away with two wins. They entered the weekend with a 13-1 conference record and a 22-2 overall record. Meanwhile, Brandon entered with a 7-11 conference record. Friday’s game was one to remember for the T-Birds. They managed to score more than 30 points in each quarter and limited the Bobcats’ scoring. Brandon managed to get 21 points in the first quarter, but that momentum disappeared and the team was kept to only eight points in the fourth quarter. Fifth-year guard Jordan Jensen-Whyte led the ’Birds in scoring with 23 points in just under 21 minutes of playtime. Six other teammates recorded more than 12 points in Friday’s blowout. UBC took advantage of turnovers, scoring 20 points off Brandon’s alone. A total of 127 points sets the record for the most scored by a UBC men’s basketball in the many decades that the program has existed. Brandon was held to just 78 points the entire game Saturday’s game saw UBC
FILE PATRICK GILLIN
A total of 127 points on Friday sets the record for most points scored by a UBC men’s basketball.
President Santa Ono make an appearance, watching the game from the sidelines and cheering the Thunderbirds to another commanding victory over the Bobcats. UBC matched their offence with stellar defence, keeping Brandon from scoring no more than 17 points each quarter. The ’Birds also scored an
incredible 30 points off Brandon turnovers. Guard Connor Morgan led the ’Birds with 21 points, three assists, two blocks, and three steals, balancing his offensive and defensive game in his 32 minutes of play time. In the end, the ’Birds took the game 87-53 to the appreciation of the crowd.
Third-year forward Patrick Simon said that he was “happy with two wins and I felt that we played well together as a team.” When asked about next week’s Courtside showdown against their provincial rival — the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves — Simon said that he and the rest of the team were
“excited for sure.” “Finally we can get a whole bunch fans out to the stadium and we’re excited about that.” U The ’Birds take on the UNBC Timberwolves in a weekend doubleheader with Friday’s Courtside festivities beginning at 5:30 p.m.
MOMENTUM //
Powered up: Women’s hockey beat out Pronghorns
On Saturday, UBC earned a 3-0 shutout over Lethbridge on three power play goals in three separate periods.
Bill Situ Senior Staff Writer
The UBC women’s hockey team picked up back-to-back shutout wins against the Lethbridge Pronghorns on their return to home ice. The first game of the weekend doubleheader ended in a 1-0 win for the ’Birds, with the lone goal
from defenceman Katie Zinn during the second period. Although UBC outshot Lethbridge 33-13 and had 10 power plays, a strong goaltending performance by Pronghorns netminder Alicia Anderson kept the game close. In the second game, UBC earned a 3-0 shutout over Lethbridge on three power play
goals in three separate periods. Shots on goal were again heavily in favour of the T-Birds, this time 36-17. “It was definitely a huge weekend for us to gain a little momentum back,” said Nicole Saxvik after the game. “We were really relentless in this game, so it really paid off.”
PATRICK GILLIN
The first of the three goals came from Saxvik in the final 18 seconds of the first frame. After a tripping penalty against Lethbridge’s Isabel Johnson, the ’Birds mounted strong offensive pressure in the Pronghorns’ zone. Stephanie Schaupmeyer landed a shot from the left circle before Saxvik rebounded it from outside
the crease to pick up her 12th goal of the season. Midway through the second period, Johnson again went to the box for a tripping penalty. This time, it was defenceman Celine Tardiff who got the goal for UBC, firing a one-timer from the slot to beat goalkeeper Jessica Lohues. As the game winded down to the final two minutes of the third period, a body checking penalty against the Pronghorns’ Sarah Spence put the ’Birds on the power play for the 11th time, allowing UBC to strike again. After a scrum in front of the Lethbridge net, Schaupmeyer was able to find the puck in the slot and bury it past Lohues to secure the 3-0 win for UBC. “[The power plays] were crucial today. Yesterday we were a little frustrated with not converting, so today it was nice to see the power play goals go through,” said UBC head coach Graham Thomas after the game. With the win against the Pronghorns, the ’Birds now hold a 20-3-1 record and have tied the school record in most wins in a single season. UBC has also earned the first-place spot in the U Sports championships. “With four games left … we got a good chance at setting a new record and setting a new bar for us as a program ... and getting that first place, which has never been done,” said Thomas. U The ’Birds will travel on the road next week to play their second-last doubleheader of the regular season against the Regina Cougars.
JANUARY 31, 2017 TUESDAY | sports+rec | 15
BUILDING ICE CAVES ON MYSTERY PEAK words lucy fox photos brandon everell, Josephine lee
Lucy Fox Senior Staff Writer
As you hike up towards Mystery Peak on Mount Seymour, there is a place on the trail to veer off and take in the view. On this particular Saturday, as far as the eye could see, there was the city, the inlet and Vancouver Island all basking in the sun. A welcome break from weeks of rain, it was the perfect day for a hike. Amongst the group of casual snowshoers or the adventurous few going into the backcountry on split skis (skis that can be snapped together to make a snowboard), there was one large group that stood out from the rest. Carrying backpacks, shovels and rolled up mats on the side of their packs, there was more to this group than a day’s outing into the wild. For UBC’s Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC), it was the first big trip of 2017. Around 50 students made the journey by car or bus to get up Seymour and hike to that point beside Mystery Peak, intending to continue out into the snow-covered forest for one of the VOC’s most popular events of the year: snow cave building and an overnight backcountry trip. After a quick break, the group ventured back out onto the trail and disappeared down the last slope into the wintery terrain. As onlookers watched from the boundary of Mount Seymour resort, the group trailed off one by one deeper into the backcountry and into the Mount Seymour provincial park. In the 12 hours they spent away from the lights and noise of Mt. Seymour resort, those 50 students created around 15 snow caves to sleep in. The exercise was a chance to not only have fun with a larger group of students than usual — as most VOC trips tend to involve only a handful of people — but also a chance to learn a unique emergency shelter technique for particularly cold weather. In a nutshell, the shelters require three main things: a shovel, waterproof clothing and two metres of snow on a hilly slope outside of avalanche terrain. A partner is also preferred.
As explained by club vice president and social coordinator Byron Wilson, you essentially dig down and then across to build a small entrance way. From there, you dig up slightly and carve out the main room of the shelter — a dome shaped structure that is a little like an igloo. The first person digs out the cave, pushing out the excess snow towards the entrance for their teammate to remove until the shelter is fully cleared and ready for some wintery camping. “It is not something you would build very often — there are a lot easier things, a lot quicker things in terms of making an emergency shelter,” said Wilson. “The snow cave is great when the elements are not very fitting for the amount of warmth you have.” According to Wilson, the shelters can maintain a heat of about -5C in -20C weather. In the cold, that kind of a drastic temperature difference would be welcomed. Although this may sound daunting, all levels and abilities of outdoorsman were in attendance that weekend, from firsttimers to backcountry experts and club alumni. As Wilson explained, there were even some students there from Colombia seeing snow for the first time. “Everyone was well-prepared. [I] can’t think of anything that held people back other than their own inhibitions [or] if they got scared away and didn’t come out [for the trip],” said Wilson. It was only the rare few who didn’t pack enough waterproof clothing that learned a tough lesson about keeping warm while making their snow caves. What happens if someone didn’t have the essential gear for this kind of trip? Well, you rent them from the club. “The whole point of the club — our mission statement — is to encourage selfpropelled adventures in the backcountry,” said Wilson. “In that regard, we have gear which we rent out for free.”
The club offers equipment from backpacks, to backcountry skis, to a canoe. Anything you need to enjoy the British Columbian outdoors, they can supply or will try to get their hands on for you. Requests can be made by members for anything that is not currently on their racks. What’s more, should the club not have the gear you need for an imminent trip, there are always people willing to share. “We’re very much a community in giving out gear, so if the club doesn’t rent the stuff then usually you can ask other people,” said Wilson. With all this in mind, the trip was a huge success. “Yeah, I would do it again — it was really fun. It was a lot more of a party than most trips I go on,” said Wilson. “One of the people skied up three times and he brought a backpack full of speakers. We had lights everywhere and we were dancing.” And trips like the snow cave building weekend aren’t the only types of events VOC puts on. From smaller group hikes, to snowshoeing, to bicycle touring and climbing, there are options for every type of outdoorsman. With around 700 student club members — and as one of the biggest clubs on campus — there are always likeminded club members looking for new people to experience the outdoors with. “The club is so big and there’s so many interested people, that you just have to post on the club [page] saying I’m looking for people to go [on this trip] on this weekend … and a lot of people will show up if you have an interesting idea,” said Wilson. “Everyone is welcome [in the VOC]. The only commonality between the people is that they accept all walks of life.” If you are interested in snow cave building, or if it’s bicycling and hiking that tickle your fancy, there is room for everyone and all interests in the club. Just don’t forget to pack extra waterproof gear for the snowy trips. U
16 | GAMES+COMICS | TUESDAY JANUARY 31, 2017
COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1- Bric-a-___; 5- Best Actor of 1958; 10- Turner and others; 14- Prom wheels; 15- ___ Gay; 16- Airline to Tel Aviv; 17- Iridescent gem; 18- Caught congers; 19- Indian wrap; 20- Decapitates; 22- Country in SE Asia; 24- Mineral spring; 25- Ginger ___; 26- Monte ___; 29- Onetime Jeep mfr.;
32- Starbucks order; 36- Space; 37- Glacial period; 39- Narrow inlet; 40- In spite of; 43- Conductor ___-Pekka Salonen; 44- Fuel oil; 45- Like Nash’s lama; 46- Hawk’s home; 48- Isr. neighbor; 49- Racket; 50- ___ in Charlie; 52- Attention; 53- Emerge; 57- Opposite of below; 61- K-6; 62- Donkeys;
COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM
64- Chinese weight; 65- Columbus’ ship; 66- Singer LaBelle; 67- Hot times abroad; 68- Actor Penn; 69- Dutch painter Jan; 70- Sneaky guy?; DOWN 1- Amoeba-like alien: The _____; 2- Ready for plucking; 3- Eastern nanny; 4- Cabbage salad; 5- I ___ vacation!; 6- Supermodel Sastre; 7- Remote abbr.; 8- Hgt.;
9- Gymnast Comaneci; 10- Lipton rival; 11- Space pioneer Shepard; 12- Scarlett’s home; 13- Meager; 21- GI’s address; 23- Actress Barkin; 26- Port of Crete; 27- Got out of bed; 28- Pave over; 29- Pains; 30- Unordered; 31- Provide food for; 33- Singer Lopez; 34- Prongs; 35- Bird of prey, score in golf; 37- “Lord, is ___?”: Matthew; 38- Guy’s partner;
41- Model; 42- Threshold; 47- Person with a cool job?; 49- Forty winks; 51- Lathers; 52- Red fluorescent dye; 53- Cub Scout groups; 54- Writer Wiesel; 55- ___ cava; 56- H.S. junior’s exam; 57- Head of France?; 58- Must’ve been something ___; 59- Insect-repelling chemical; 60- Word in a threat; 63- Sault ___ Marie;
Anthony Labonte
COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM
PATRICK MURRY AND MIKE PAROLINI