U
Proposing to Canucks since 1918
the ubyssey
June 7, 2011 summer volume 28, number 3 room 24, student union building published mondays and thursdays feedback@ubyssey.ca
STOLEN What goes missing on campus? A report shows what disappears from campus .
PAGE 3 Page 5: CiTR makes changes
Page 4: CEO Bucha whiz nan c kids a ourtya nd rds
Page 6: Wilson steps down as women’s hockey coach
2 / u b y s s e y. c a / e v e n t s / 2 0 11 . 0 6 . 0 7 june 7, 2011 summer volume xxviii, no iii editorial
events
coordinating editor
ongoing events
managing editor, print
Ubyssey Production • Come help us create this baby! Learn about layout, editing, video production and more. • SundaysFridays, 11am-5pm.
Justin McElroy : coordinating@ubyssey.ca Jonny Wakefield : printeditor@ubyssey.ca
managing editor, web
Arshy Mann : webeditor@ubyssey.ca
news editors
Kalyeena Makortoff & Micki Cowan: news@ubyssey.ca
noon yoga $1 • Led by the UBC
Taylor Loren : tloren@ubyssey.ca
Yoga Club—all skill levels are welcome. Bring your own mat and enjoy this invigorating session. RSVP on the Facebook events page. • Tuesdays, 12–1pm, UBC Bookstore, $1.
Drake Fenton : sports@ubyssey.ca
Bard on the beach • Join the
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Geoff Lister : art@ubyssey.ca
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senior culture writer sports editor
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comics
many Shakespeare lovers on the waterfront in Vanier Park right next to the downtown core for another season of Bard on the Beach. This season sees the comedy As You Like It and the classic drama The Merchant of Venice on the main stage. Bard on the Beach continues their third year of “The Kings” with Henry VI and Richard III . • June 2-Sept 24, Vanier Park, $21-40. More info at bardonthebeach.org </ital>
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contributors
Jon Chiang Will McDonald Tim Blonk Bryce Warnes
Playland • Playland is open again
with all of your favourite rides waiting for you. Grab some cotton candy and play the midway, or hit the links and play minigolf. Come monkey around on the climbing wall or just simply absorb the fine fair culture that Playland provides. The fair is always best with the sun shining! • Now-Sep. 25, 10am-3pm (6pm on weekends). www.pne.ca/playland.
Comicmaster by maria cirstea
Wednesday, June 8 One-of-a-kind: Quests, songs for a solo voice • Nuns, kings
Jasel Reyes Paul Bucci Rhys Edwards
legal The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. “Perspectives” are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750 words and are run according to space. “Freestyles” are opinion pieces written by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity of the writer has been verified. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.
and comic strips all make an appearance in this mischievous, beautiful and poignant concert for solo unaccompanied voice, drawn from composers spanning a millennium. The astonishing Phoebe MacRae channels some unforgettable characters. • 1pm-2pm, Music building, admission by donation.
Friday, June 10 All things shining: Visions of malick • Vancouver is set to
celebrate films from critically acclaimed director Terrence Malick. Films to be screened include The New World, The Thin Red Line, Days of Heaven, Badlands, Pocket Money and The Dion Brothers aka the Gravy Train. • June 10-16, Vancity Theatre.
Saturday, June 11 Roller Derby Double header •
The Bad Reputations take on the Taco Kickers and Riot Girls are going up against the Dockyard Derby Dames. Roller Derby teams of five going head-tohead on a track on rollerskates creates quite a spectacle! • Doors at 5pm, event at 6pm. Tickets $17 in advance, $23.50 at the door. More info at terminalcityrollergirls.com.
Saturday, June 18 UBC Fa rm P re sen t s chee se Workshops • More cheese roll-
ing your way! New to cheese making, take the beginner class where you’ll learn to make fromagefrais, paneer, blue cheese, cheese curds, yogourt and kefir in the beginner cheese workshop. • Satuday, June 18-19, 10am-1pm or 2pm-5pm, Tapestry Residence, $35.
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Want to be a comicmaster for us next year? Have your wit celebrated throughout campus? Send us a sample of your work to art@ubyssey.ca. U theubyssey.ca
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News
editors KALYEENA MAKORTOFF & MICKI COWAN » news@ubyssey.ca
UBC student dies in swimming accident
Timeline: Hospice
Arshy Mann webeditor@ubyssey.ca
finally recovered on Monday morning by the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team. Odera, a Kenyan from NaiA man who drowned Sunday robi, began studying at UBC in at Kawkawa Lake near Hope, 2007, majoring in political sciBC, has been identified as 24ence. According to his personal year-old UBC student Felix Riblog, which he started in April, aga Odera. he was interested in social jusOdera was visiting the lake tice, entrepreneurship and spirwhile on a trip with the Interitual understanding. He had a Varsity Christian Fellowship— full scholarship to attend UBC an AMS club. Accord i n g t o t he RCM P, 250and was the VP Finance for the Africa Awareness Initiative. Odera was staying at a bible His final blog post, written on camp on the lake. He jumped in April 30, described the monththe water on Sunday afternoon from a floating dock that was 200long missionary trip called the Vancouver Urban Partnership approximately 70 feet way from that was to start shortly after his the shoreline. Four or five othtrip. It involved a week of intener students were on the dock sive bible study in Sundre, Alat the time, and when Odera did not resurface, they called 150berta, followed by three weeks of scripture studies, lectures the RCMP. and internships in the Down“The early stages of the in104 town Eastside. vestigation point to the young man being unable to swim,” Cst 100 His body has been sent to Royal Columbian Hospital for an auTracy Wolbeck told the Hope topsy. The coroner determined Golden Star. “It’s a really sad that neither foul play nor alcohol accident and very upsetting for the people who witnessed it.” 50were factors in Odera’s death. A page on Facebook has been The initial search for his 20 set up to memorialize Odera. U body was unsuccessful, but was
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The UBC Board of Governors is set to approve the construction of a 15-bed hospice on campus on Wednesday. The decision has been a long time coming.
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February 2008: The Order of St. John and the Vancouver Hospice Society present a proposal to the Board of Governors (BoG) to build a single-story hospice on campus, with the land donated by UBC and the administration of the hospice overseen by St. John. 25 13 Felix Riaga Odera. Facebook 9
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September 2008: The BoG gives tentative approval to a hospice, subject to “a suitable site” being found by Campus and Community Planning.
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Crime on campus still the same problem THEFT
B&E
THEFT FROM AUTO
THEFT OF AUTO
Petty thieves on campus quick to steal unwatched goods in 2010 Will Mcdonald wmcdonald@ubyssey.ca While most students are safe at UBC, their unattended belongings may not be. Despite theft prevention programs implemented by Campus Security in conjunction with UBC RCMP, the number of thefts on campus hasn’t dropped. In 2010, 214 thefts were reported to Campus Security in 2010, the same number as 2008. In addition to their security patrols, Campus Security’s theft prevention campaign has included education and awareness programs. These include signs that warn students not to leave property unattended, the bait bike program, the bait locker program, property engraving and mapping of high-theft areas. However, Campus Security says that for all their programs, student diligence is the best defence. Paul Wong, manager of Crime Prevention and Community Relations for Campus Security, said the majority of thefts are ones where somebody leaves something unattended, and comes back to find that it is no longer there. “I don’t have numbers of the items most commonly stolen but bikes, electronics like laptops and phones, backpacks and wallets are typically reported. Many students who have a backpack stolen often have electronics, books and a wallet inside,” said Wong. Commerce student Winsie Tang experienced exactly that while studying in Koerner Library for a midterm last year. “I thought that it would be safe to leave my stuff there and just walked literally almost ten steps to the washroom and then
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October 2009: After an outcry from students, the decision is reversed.
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April 2010: Campus and Community Planning tell the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) that the area between the Promontory condominium and Thunderbird Stadium has been selected as the location for the hospice.
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September 2009: UBC announced the hospice will be located on Northwest Marine Drive, sandwiched between Marine Drive, St. John’s College and Place Vanier.
B&E
THEFT
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THEFT FROM AUTO
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THEFT OF AUTO
Data from the Campus Security report. Paul Bucci Graphic/The Ubyssey
when I came back…I realized that my bag was stolen and in it were my keys, my wallet and my phone,” said Tang. The bag was later found in an elevator at the library, but her wallet and phone were gone. “I feel so stupid because I trusted everyone. [They were] just too into their own studying that I didn’t want to tell them to look at my stuff…and I also thought that the washroom was so close,” said Tang. “I was too innocent to think that someone would steal my stuff.” Tang reported the theft to the staff at Koerner Library. “They weren’t really helpful. I told them I lost my stuff and then they said you can fill out this form which we will give to the campus police. The campus police never got back to me. It’s pretty useless,” she said. Wong said the recovery rate for stolen property is unknown,
but emphasized the 95 per cent recovery rate for items turned into Campus Security’s lost and found, totalling thousands of dollars every year. He stressed the importance of not leaving valuables unattended and properly locking bikes with hardened steel locks in order to prevent thefts. “If you have an ability to protect the property, then even if it’s for a minute, that’s something you should do,” he said. “We encourage people to use the programs that campus security has…and to watch out for each other. Try not to leave any valuable items unattended.” According to Wong, laptop theft usually has the most impact. “There is a financial cost as well as an impact on academic commitments, such as term papers, class notes, dissertations etc…that have not been separately backed up.”
Tang’s laptop, which was also sitting on her desk at Koerner Library, was spared. She said that while she was lucky that it too wasn’t stolen, she had so much trouble concentrating on her exam that afternoon after the loss of her bag that she got a poor grade. Wong said to also take caution with items left in vehicles, of which theft is on the rise. The number of thefts from vehicles since last year, according to Campus Security reports, has risen from 13 to 25 cases. Wong stressed the importance of taking action to prevent future cases. “Take expensive electronic equipment from your vehicle when leaving it parked. GPS devices, iPods and phones in plain view are targets of choice for thefts from auto. “Removing the opportunity for theft is the best preventative measure.” U
June 2010: The BoG gives tentative approval to the hospice being located at that position. January 2011: Residences of Promontory stage a public campaign against the proposed location. They cite a Chinese stigma towards death and possible lower property values as reasons for their displeasure. UBC announces they will put the final decision on the hospice’s location on hold. February 2011: The UNA board approves a motion that “urges UBC to reconsider the choice of the Promontory site and to consider selecting another site.” May 2011: A final open house is held for residents to discuss the location of the hospice, but UBC announces that the hospice will go ahead as planned in the proposed location June 8, 2011: Date of the BoG meeting where it is expected that UBC will formally approve the construction and location of the St. John’s Hospice.
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University student at 14, alumnus at 18, millionaire at 20 Brian Wong reveals the story of his success, despite an average of only 77 per cent Geoff Lister art@ubyssey.ca Not many people spend their birthday on a roof with MC Hammer. Fewer still are also the CEO of their own multi-million dollar company. But UBC graduate Brian Wong, who returned to campus last month for Alumni Weekend, is living a life normally found in the movies. And he’s only 20. “I’m still figuring out what my day is supposed to look like [as a CEO]. It is never the same,” he said. “I always leave at least 20 per cent of my day open, because there will always be shit that happens.” Wong graduated from high school at 14. Since then, he’s started a Twitter service that helps connect users with new people to follow, scrounged $200,000 in seed money for a platform that advertises in mobile games, and turned that into a company, Kiip, backed by four million dollars of funding. Not bad for a guy who can’t legally drink at parties south of the border. Wong proved to be bright early on—he skipped grade two and was placed in a multi-aged cluster class for gifted children. “I literally remember one day our teacher going ‘hey, who doesn’t want to go into grade seven next year and wants to go to grade eight?’” said Wong. “I got in [to high school] at the age of eleven.” Wong attended University Hill, where he was accepted two
years early. “I did a regular year of grade eight, which was pretty fun, I never got shoved in a locker. I was considered the cute grade eight guy, [but] the cute part was a baby cute, not cute as in good looking.” After finishing grade eight at University Hill, Wong entered the school’s Transition Program, a joint initiative between UBC, the Vancouver School Board and the BC Ministry of Education, where he was able to compress his final four years of high school into a two year program. After graduating, Wong transferred into the UBC Sauder School of Business at 14. ”A lot of people will try and imagine what it’s like, but I’ll just tell them it was as normal as anyone could have guessed it to be,” he said. Wong made the decision to be up front to his peers about his age at UBC. “If you start by pretending, then when you get past a certain point there’s a point of no return, either a) you’re a completely untrustworthy individual, or b) you’re lying.” He did, however, make one exception. “I didn’t want my professors to know,” he said. “I wanted to be... judged without any type of bias, where I could just do the classes and pretend as if I was another 18 or 19 year old.” Wong was an active member of the Commerce Undergraduate Society and was VP marketing in his third year. Yes, he went to conferences and parties.
Brian Wong at UBC Alumni Weekend. Geoff LIster PHoto/the ubyssey
“[Being underage] obviously added very interesting elements around social events,” he said. “In first year most people are underage anyways so it wasn’t a big problem. When second year came along, I got very lucky, my brother was four years older than me, and kind of looks like me. So I’m just going to leave the rest to what people would imagine.” Wong admits that academics weren’t his highest priority at UBC, instead putting an emphasis on extra curriculars.
Buchanan courtyards: from mud to paradise
“I don’t think UBC or Sauder had any idea what I was doing until things started to pop out,” he said. “I wasn’t a star student, I’m going to admit it. I don’t even know what my GPA was, my average graduating was 77, so it wasn’t absolutely stellar...but the reason why I didn’t make the effort to [improve] is because the marginal effort I found that was required to get from 77 to 85 was phenomenally larger than the effort that would be required just to get 77 in the first place.
“So if I’m happy with 77, it’s enough to get me where I need to go, which is to finish fucking school then I’m cool with it. Because after that, all the other percentage points are just you putting a shitload of time into something [when] you could be doing other shit, like actually being productive and doing extracurricular activities.” A fter leaving UBC, Wong worked for Digg in San Francisco. But when Digg laid off 37 per cent of its staff, he found himself without a job. “It was the best decision I never made. I took a couple months off, it was not really my choice obviously, and decided to start Kiip. It’s been about eight months now.” After last month’s public announcement of the project, funded by Hummer Winblad and True Ventures—the money behind ideas like Napster and SocialCast— Wong’s schedule is busier than ever. His birthday celebrations in April were cut short by a red-eye flight from San Fransisco, California to Lexington, Kentucky for another conference. “There’s one thing that happens when you get venture capital funding is that your entire life, and more, is your company,” he said. “You need to focus 180,000 per cent on it, because t hey are putting t hat money behind you as a vote of confidence.” No time to stop for a 20-yearold behind a multi-million dollar company, not even for MC Hammer. U
Trudeau Scholarship goes to UBC student
Nearly complete renovations give art students a new public space
A view of the courtyard’s new pavilion. geoff lister photo/The ubyssey
Micki Cowan news@ubyssey.ca A small boy pushes two ladies around in a circle on a moving seat, as a live ensemble produces flowing background music atop a stage set on water. The scene isn’t an afternoon in Disney World—it’s the grand opening of UBC’s Buchanan courtyards during Alumni Weekend last month. The objective behind the redesign was to bring together the newly renovated Buchanan buildings. “At some point in this project it became clear that if the buildings were renewed and became extraordinary new spaces for learning and playing and relaxing, that in the heart of these buildings— in this courtyard and the next— we would have these rather decayed spaces,” said Dean of Arts Gage Averill.
Visitors to the renovated space will find two distinct courtyards. The east courtyard is designed to be a more solitary area intended for contemplation, while the west courtyard is more public and open. The moving seats found in the west courtyard are part of the architectural objective to create something kinetic that represents the arts. Bright purple, just like the faculty’s colour, they move on a pivot when pushed. The pavilion itself is a concrete structure that was designed to frame in the courtyard, provide a cover from rain and a stage for performances. “This is our Central Park. Two court yards combine open space and uplifting space, connected by water,” said Averill. While the Buchanan building renovations were funded by both the university and the province of British Columbia, the $2.7
million for the courtyard renovations were paid solely by the university. The design came from architects Busby Perkins & Will, but also from community members. “We got faculty, staff and students together in a workshop to brainstorm ideas about what they wanted to see happen in these spaces,” said University Architect for Campus and Community Planning Gerry McGeough. One of the unique features of the west courtyard is the rainwater reflective pool, which collects rainwater under the pavilion and drains it into a filtration system to be returned to the ground. “We wanted the pavilion to be of the language of the early Buchanan buildings—so a simple concrete frame—but then they said how do we take the style of the 60s and 70s and bring it into today?” said McGeough. The answer for McGeough was to use the pavilion to showcase and celebrate the rainwater— rather than simply hiding it in pipes—by bringing in modern values of sustainability. “It becomes something that’s rooted in our history, but also says what our values are today.” The courtyard redesign is a project that was recommended almost seven years according to Anne Piternick, a member of the President’s Advisory Committee on Campus Enhancement. Piternick, who was also the first female associate dean of arts, was at the event to see the recommendation come into fruition. “The old surface was terrible. It was just mud. When you look at it and consider what it was like before, with the planting, trees and landscaping, it’s really beautiful now. It’s really opened up the place.” U
A photo from Rosenoff’s photo essay of Uganda. Courtesy of The ARtist
Jasel Reyes Contributor Lara Rosenoff, an anthropology doctoral candidate at UBC, has been awarded a 2011 Trudeau Scholarship, a distinguished award in the social sciences and humanities for students from both Canada and abroad. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, Rosenoff ’s research was prompted by ref lection on t he atrocities of WWII. Under the supervision of Professor Patrick Moore, her work focused on how the civil conflict in Northern Uganda has disrupted the transfer of cultural knowledge between generations. The scholarship, amounting to $180,000, is annually awarded to outstanding PhD students whose work explores concerns in fields that include the environment, international affairs, responsible citizenship and human rights. This year, Rosenoff is one of 14 recipients. Rosenoff grew up in Montreal, and after completing her BA in Communication Studies at Concordia University in 1998, she produced a film in Northern
Uganda with her mentor Erin Bains, an assistant professor at the Liu Institute for Global Issues. During her t hird visit to Uganda, Rosenoff began her project called Her Name is Beatrice, documenting the life of a then 15-year-old Acholi girl in an Interna l ly Displaced Person’s camp in the town of Padibe. The girl, who lost her mother at a young age, was abducted by the Lord Resistance Army. “Rural communities should be able to report on their own stories but currently don’t have the resources and technology, so independent media fills the void,” she said. She later received her MFA in documentary studies from Ryerson University in 2009. Rosenoff continues to be inspired by her friends in Uganda, as well as the lessons she learned from Beatrice. “People who survive war are strong. When we pity people, we don‘t respect them.” Rosenoff smiled as she finished up the interview. “I don’t know if my work will change the world, but I hope it will.” U
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culture
editor GINNY MONACO » culture@ubyssey.ca
CiTR sends off two long-time staff members Luke Meat and Bryce Dunn say goodbye after ten years at the station Ginny Monaco culture@ubyssey.ca While campus radio station CiTR is increasing student funding and embarking on technological challenges, two of their longest-serving staff won’t be along for the ride. CiTR has announced a restructure of the Music Director and Program Coordinator positions, ending the tenures of Luke Meat and Bryce Dunn. Meat had served as Music Director since 2000 and Dunn as Program Coordinator since 2004, though both had been involved with the station well before becoming paid staff. According to a statement made by Board of Director’s Chair Janis McKenzie, the decision was made to reflect “the importance of a renewed focus on students as listeners and as programming participants and the need to adapt to and lead technological change.” Funds brought in by the referendum earlier this year were an “increased vote of confidence” and bring the “challenge of even
greater accountability to the student segment of our campus radio community,” added McKenzie in the statement. Penny Clark, outgoing President, echoed McKenzie in saying that the decision to restructure was “hard, but made the most sense.” Last semester, Clark campaigned in favour of the “Yes” vote for raising student fees in the March referendum. The question passed with 52 per cent of the vote, increasing the CiTR fee from $4 to $5 per student. Though the station was relieved to receive the extra funding, the low margin by which it passed was startling for the Student Executive. “The referendum was important because it didn’t pass by very much, so we take that as a warning signal from students that they’re feeling disengaged from their club services,” said Clark. In a meeting with staff and programmers on Thursday, those in favour of the decision reiterated the need for greater student involvement, something the old positions weren’t
Luke Meat has been with CiTR since 2000. Geoff Lister Photo/The Ubyssey
equipped to coordinate. “Dedicated volunteers are what help a not-for-profit like CiTR grow. Volunteers require challenging and interesting responsibilities that give them a personal stake in the station,” Clark said. “We had positions that were designed to run the station but we need positions that are designed to draw volunteers into station operation.”
Student programmers currently represent 11 per cent of CiTR’s on-air talent, a figure Clark called a “big problem.” In comparison with other campus stations, CiTR ranks among the lowest in terms of student-produced on-air content. St at ion Ma na ger Brenda Grunau said those in Thursday’s meeting represented “the successful volunteers, but there
are a lot more unsuccessful volunteers who aren’t here. We’re good at recruiting volunteers, but not keeping them.” Clark added the station is looking for ways to become more user-friendly and student accessible by making it “easier to get shorter term or less frequent shows. It’s hard to commit to a regular schedule.” But no one is quite sure yet what t he restructured positions will look like. Further meetings and consultations will take place before the redefined positions are to be posted in July. Janis McKenzie thanked Meat and Dunn “for their passion, dedication and valuable service to CiTR.” Nardwuar the Human Serviette, CiTR’s most notable programmer, offered a motion to give Meat and Dunn honorary lifetime memberships to the station. “Luke and Bryce were really integral to CiTR. They gave everything to CiTR and they taught me about music,” he said. “You don’t want to lose people like that.” U
Bard on the Beach ready to kick off 20 season th
Rhys Edwards redwards@ubyssey.ca All the world may be a stage, but there’s a better view in Vanier Park. Since its inception in 1990, Bard on the Beach has been lauded as a Vancouver cultural institution. Each summer, thousands flock to Vanier Park to partake in a festival of Shakespearean
comedies and tragedies, as well as operas, arias, numerous lectures and special events—all held in an open air ‘village’ that allow actors to perform against the beautiful backdrop of English Bay. There are several changes to this year’s festival. Most notably, the venue has expanded, with a new main stage tent that will seat up to 742 people. Director
Dave MacKay, a UBC Theatre graduate, has been tasked with opening this year’s season with As You Like It on the new stage. As a performance venue, he notes, it presents a wealth of new theatrical opportunities. “I think we are just starting to see that this is going to be quite a great and fantastical step for Bard,” he said. “The addition of more people viewing will not only reward the audience, but the cast as well, with all the additional ears in attendance.” Christopher Gaze, the charismatic founder and artistic director of the festival, is particularly excited about the historical dramas. “What could be better, if you love Shakespeare, than to watch the entire History Cycle, with the Henry VI plays [which the director has compressed into one play] and then finishing that whole cycle with Richard III,” said Gaze. “People should see both if they have a particular interest in the history and the emergence of the gloriously seductive, dangerous, and fantastic Richard III.” Gaze points out that such a staging of the history
Charles (Charlie Gallant) fights with Orlando (Todd Thompson) on stage in As you Like It. Courtesy of Bard on the beach
cycle has “never been done before in Vancouver, on any large scale.” Part of the attraction of Bard is its brand of affordable, succinct and high quality Shakespearean productions. Gaze notes that the directive of the festival “is to reveal the play and to take any obscurity away from
it, so that the story is there, the language is there and the characters are there for a stimulating, fun, thoughtful and dramatic evening in the theatre.” However, there is more to Bard than the plays themselves. “I used to resent the fact that people would talk to me about the view and not about the show,” said Gaze, “and then it took me some years to understand that there is a whole Bard experience. It’s a tradition for people to come to Bard, the physical place, and enjoy the sort of buzz and festival nature of it all.” U Bard on the Beach of f icially opens on June 10 and runs until September. As You Like It premiers on opening night, The Merchant of Venice on June 18, Henry VI (The War of the Roses) on July 6, and Richard III on July 16.
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Nancy Wilson resigns after three seasons
Women’s hockey coach leaves to run lighting business DRAKE FENTON sports@ubyssey.ca Last week UBC women’s hockey coach Nancy Wilson announced her resignation from the program. Wilson served as an assistant coach from 2005-08, and was named head coach before the 2008-09 season. In her three full seasons as head coach, she led UBC to a 26-46-3 record. “It’s time for me to have a change, and I think the program at UBC needed a change as well,” Wilson said in a phone interview Sunday morning. “I’m very happy and proud of the UBC players in the program, but I feel like it’s time to move on.”
It’s time for me to have a change, and the program needed a change. NANCY WILSON
FORMER WOMEN’S HOCKEY COACH
Wilson is a partner in a successful lighting company (CNJ Lighting Solutions) and the time commitment at UBC did not allow her to run her business in a satisfactory way. Wilson came to UBC with an impressive resume. She led the Women’s National Under-22 Team to a gold medal at the 2007 European Air Canada Cup and was an assistant coach with the Senior National Team in 2008. In her first season as head coach, Wilson guided the ‘Birds to a
Rich lam photo/the ubyssey
8-15-1 record. UBC’s eight victories matched a program high, and allowed them to qualify for the Canada West playoffs. It was only the second time the ‘Birds had qualified for the playoffs in the last ten years. But UBC never reached a record of .500 or better during Wilson’s tenure, continuing a streak over ten years long. The ‘Birds have been in the basement cellar
of the Canada West for a long time, and not even the wealth of experience Wilson brought to the program was able to change that. “It is always hard to build a program,” said Wilson. “UBC has very high academic standards so getting players into UBC, quality players, can be difficult.” A lack of depth has perennially plagued a UBC roster that has shown flashes of brilliance. Last
season UBC defeated the consistently dominant University of Alberta Panda’s 3-2 in regulation time. It was one of only four losses the Panda’s suffered all season. “They players [on] the first two lines were very solid,” said Wilson. “They can compete with any team in Canada West. The Canada West is a very competitive division though, so if you have issues such as illness or injuries you really need to have a third or fourth line that can step up, and we didn’t have that last year.” The inability of coaching a team capable of rolling with four lines is one thing that Wilson is remiss about with her departure. “Our recruitment this year was very solid,” said Wilson. “I think that if the recruits want to finish what I started there [and] they still go to UBC, then I think the program will have more depth [next season].” Wilson was unable to turn the Thunderbirds into a title contender, but three years may not be enough time to adequately judge her tenure as UBC’s bench boss. UBC Athletics has yet to announce Wilson’s successor. For now, last season’s assistant coach Jeff Oldenborger has been named interim coach. Whether it is Oldenborger who inherits the job, or someone else, Wilson believes that the foundation pieces have been put in place. “UBC is only a few players away from competing for the top spot, they are that close,” said Wilson. If Wilson is correct, expect the ‘Birds to gain ground in the ultra competitive Canada West next year. U
Bird Droppings TRACK AND FIELD
Men and women’s track finished in the top 20 at the NAIA outdoor track and field national championships last weekend in Indiana. The women finished 17th in a 65-team field, while the men’s team finished 13th in a 74-team field. UBC’s long distance ace Tim Smith set a school record in the men’s marathon with a time of 2:34:11.00. Smith came in 12th in a field of over 60 runners. Nelly Amenyogbe had a stellar race, finishing in 4th place with a time of 3:01:05.01, a mere 25 seconds away from 3rd. BASKETBALL
UBC will be sending basketball coach Kevin Hanson and guard Nathan Yu to the 26th Summer Universiade Games, August 12-23, in Shenzhen, China. As UBC’s sixth man, Yu averaged 13 points a game. Coach Hanson, this year’s CIS coach of the year, has a talented roster led by CIS player of the year, Carleton’s Tyson Hinz. Hanson will be looking to improve on Canada’s 9th place finish in the 2009 Universiade Games. WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Eight current or former T-Birds will be competing national- ly to qualify for the 2012 Olym- pic Summer Games in London. Current T-Birds Kyla Richey and Lisa Barclay made the senior team and Shanice Marcelle made the development ‘B’ team. Recent graduate Jen Hinze also made the senior team, along with former grads Carla Bradstock, Liz Cordonier, Marisa Field and Claire Hanna. These players formed the nucleus of UBC’s current run as four-time defending CIS champions.
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editorial a real municipality? hospice debate proves otherwise This Wednesday in sunny Kelowna, the Board of Governors will give final approval for a hospice to be placed in between the Promontory condo and Thunderbird Stadium. The two-year long debate over its location has produced plenty of headlines and cultural cleavages, but we can’t help but think the end result is a win for all sides. UBC has the satisfaction of supporting the hospice community and doing an unambiguously good thing by providing land to the project. Students win by having the hospice placed in an area that will not provide conflict with either the academic or more leisurely pursuits that we take part in. And the University Neighbourhoods Association, the quasi-municipal group that represents the permanent residents on campus? Well, to be honest, the hospice issue has created more tension in their ranks than anything else in their history. Residents have called for the resignation of the entire board an overhaul of the monthly newsletter, and everything else in between. People feel like the organization created to represent them has failed. Yet we can’t help but feel this is a good thing. Permanent residents upset with the change have been given a reality check as to their rights as residents of UBC, the only major urban area in Canada without a municipal government. After 20 years of growth of the non-student population at UBC, there’s a community on campus would like to believe that they have a real say in how their neighbourhood develops. Instead, they are given the option by UBC to be put on a priority wait list for new units on campus. UBC Campus and Community Planning head Nancy Knight framed this in a positive light, arguing that “a municipality would not be able to provide this level of service.” True—but a municipality would have much more democratic accountability in their land-use decisions. It’s a reminder that, not having to live by the rules of any real government, UBC can do many things for its citizens—both pleasant and unpleasant. At least now, UNA residents should be as aware as students that, when it comes to how this campus is governed, the status quo is unacceptable in the long-run. translink passes the buck on u-pass fraud A Translink official recently told the Vancouver Sun that issues with lost, stolen, resold and fraudulent passes are costing the company enough to threaten shutting down the program altogether. The subsidized student transit system, which costs around $30 a month per student, is apparently responsible for $15 million in fraud each year. For one thing, Translink’s figures, completely overblown in our view, reside in the realm of good ol’ fear mongering. Besides the numbers including passes lost in the mail, lost by students, and passes that were never claimed, a focus on the fraudulent passes should require a deeper look at the circumstances that creates both the desire to resell U-Passes and why people risk buying them. Students at participating universities can’t opt out of the program and so students who do own a car or don’t use their pass are not compensated if they do not wish to take part in the program. If you have a car, the U-Pass is a three-figure mandatory tax. Some people are of course just looking for a quick buck, and many people are complicit in fraud, or find ways to legitimize it to themselves. However, there is something to be said about the affordability of transit for students who are not attending classes during the summer, or have recently graduated. University and college students across the Lower Mainland in the lower economic bracket are usually just as broke during the summer months as they are during the year. Graduates who have had the chance to use the U-Pass program during their studies aren’t suddenly going to be able to afford the $151 multi-zone pass the moment they step off campus. Before Translink reps begin threatening to shut down the U-Pass program, they need to get their numbers straight and stop blaming students for their losses. U
Krissy Darch graphic/the ubyssey
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Toope’s graduation address lacked courage micki cowan news@ubyssey.ca At the majority of 2011 graduation ceremonies this May, President Toope, fighting the evils of improper language usage, condemned Maclean’s “Too Asian?” article in his speech. He stated the controversy surrounding the article, “resulted from strong language, masking sloppy thought,” adding that it is “the sort of thing I hope you university graduates are inoculated against.” Overall the speech went well for Toope. He even got a few laughs. This speech was given to 7500 attentive (or inattentive) soon-to-be graduates, as well as thousands of their guests. He assured everyone that as UBC students, they have been instructed against thinking in the way those Maclean’s writers did (in his own words): sloppy. Anecdotal. Hurtful. It is “Everything that a university education speaks against.”
But what Toope failed to inform his audience is that the writer of “Too Asian?” was a student—a UBC student, to be exact, trained by our very own system. It was in the classrooms of our own institution that one of the writers of the article, Stephanie Findlay, developed a good portion of her critical thinking. At one time, she was even an editor of this bi-weekly rag. Apparently, for her, four years was not enough for the kind of “inoculation” that Toope talked about. While this mistake may be an acceptable one to make for some, Toope should have been more careful. For me, knowing the authorship of the article made his speech seem careless. His words? They became uninformed. Perhaps even guilty of the crimes he bequeathed upon the writers of “Too Asian?” Especially for someone who has made it part of his Presidential agenda
to address creating dialogue between different cultures—an issue he acknowledged exists—“I don’t want to pretend that just because you have people from different backgrounds they’re going to interact—they’re not,” he commented in Maclean’s “Too Asian?” As someone who takes this issue seriously, I would have expected Toope to have made the authorship of the piece explicit. It wouldn’t have sounded as nice to the thousands of excited people packed into the Chan Center—to let everyone know that our institution contributed to the frame of mind behind “Too Asian?” And it would have reminded us all that we still have a long way to go before his agenda to “create mechanisms, programs and opportunities for people to interact” is in place, ready to inoculate the young minds at UBC. But at least he would have been honest.
should have come into play much earlier. Butting heads with unions is messy business, so I wish that there were more warning or consultation with them before the major decision. (On that note, I don’t think students really have a place to vote for Koerner’s fate— it’s almost purely a business decision.) I hope the little guys aren’t forgotten and that they receive any compensation due to them. I love Koerner’s and I’ve had many fond memories there, but I do not advocate it to be reopened unless it makes financial sense and it is within GSS means to do so. Koerner’s has weaknesses rooted in its location, marketing, targeted audience, etc. and this is an ideal time to rethink the strategy and come up with an innovative solution. There are other pubs around campus and many options for socializing— it’s too frivolous and wasteful for Koerner’s to remain niche. It seems to me that GSS has done both a right and a wrong. I’m not hearing an outcry from the student population about the summer closure so one can argue that the right outweighed
the wrong; however, let us not sink to that level of commitment. GSS can do better and I expect council to smooth things over with Koerner employees. PS: I don’t think much of Jaishankar Iyer’s (the past GSS VP Finance) opinion. It might have been a careless thought on paper, but raising GSS fees by $10 to support a struggling pub that has no extraordinary hold on GSS services? Let’s stay away from dangerous thinking.
letters koerner’s closing sound business I commend Jamie Paris’ concise commentary in May 24’s Ubyssey and the Executive’s decision. As much as it’s a sad day to find out that Koerner’s Pub is no more for the summer, it’s galling to imagine it staying open at a projected loss of $175,000. Leaving it open would have been against financial logic, and diversion of funds from other recreational or support services for GSS would have led to a chain of unpredictable outcomes undesirable by a greater student population. I’ve known that the Pub has been struggling, but I had not realized the huge and growing deficit. It’s odd that a business could continue to operate under such conditions, and I’m surprised that it didn’t get axed earlier. Student society businesses are not supposed to profit hugely, but it’s also backwards for it to survive on handouts. The Executive made a tough decision, but a correct one. Dramatic problems calls for dramatic solutions. However, as the editor put it, the method didn’t have to come at such a surprise to stakeholders, and labour relations
– Jackie Law MSc, School of Population and Public Health
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OUR CAMPUS Geoff Lister art@ubyssey.ca The NHL invaded Doug Mitchell Sports Centre in between games one and two of the Stanley Cup finals turning it into both a media centre and a practice arena while Bruno Mars took over Rogers Arena for his concert on June 3. Media set up in Thunderbird Arena right on the ice, while Father Bauer Arena was transformed into a closed practice space for both the Canucks and the Bruins. The Canucks practice regularly at the arena throughout the season, but for the first time, fans were barred from observing as press and broadcast teams dominated the stands. U
geoff lister photo/The Ubyssey