October 28, 2013

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OCTOBER 28, 2013 | VoLuME XcV| IssuE XIX BIG TRUBBZ since 1918

POPPING BOTTLES UBC’s medical watchdog group has a reason to celebrate — after more than a year of waiting, they’ve finally got their funding back

P3

PARKING PARANOIA WHO DROPPED THE BALL? Metro Vancouver thought UBC was committing $1M for a Parking’s new surveillance raises privacy P3 UBC P4 wastewater facility, UBC says no — both sides are confused concerns for the image-conscious department WOMEN’S SOCCER GOING TO SEMIS P6 BAUUER DROPS THE BASS P8 COFFEE REVIEWS P11 WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL KNOCKS SPARTANS DOWN P7 FROM MOOC TO IRL: LEARNING ONLINE P5


Monday, October 28, 2013 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

this week, may we suggest...

OUR CAMPUS

2

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

MONDAY 28 STUDY NOW, HAVE FUN LATER ALL DAY @ YOUR STUDY SPACE

Midterms vs. Halloween — study for those tests so you can have guiltless fun. As they say: work now so you can work it later. Unsurprisingly free

TUESDAY

29

JUDGE DEE’S HAUNTED HOUSE

7 p.m.–10 P.M. @ 578 CARRALL ST.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s Chinese Garden is transformed into a haunted house for this interactive theatre-like experience. Find the killer before it’s too late. Tickets at the door or call (604) 662-3207. $10 for students, $12 for adults Photo CARTER BRUNDAGE/The Ubyssey

Sarah was the co-host for the UBC Events videos, a set of promotional videos telling students about various happenings on campus.

WEDNESDAY 30 OCTUBAFEST

8 P.m.–10 P.M. @ ROY BARNETT RECITAL HALL

Watch the musical stylings of the UBC tuba and euphonium studio. And then since you’re on campus anyway, why don’t you grab a drink at the Pit or something? Free (unless you go to the Pit or something)

$20 of multivitamins, one giant softbox and one last-minute cover. Photo by Carter Brundage.

Want to see your events listed here? Email your events listings to PRINTEDITOR@UBYSSEY.CA

U The Ubyssey

editorial

Coordinating Editor Geoff Lister coordinating@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Print Ming Wong printeditor@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Web CJ Pentland webeditor@ubyssey.ca News Editors Will McDonald + Sarah Bigam news@ubyssey.ca Senior News Writer Brandon Chow bchow@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Rhys Edwards culture@ubyssey.ca Senior Culture Writer Aurora Tejeida atejeida@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Natalie Scadden sports@ubyssey.ca

Video Producers Lu Zhang + Nick Grossman video@ubyssey.ca Copy Editor Matt Meuse copy@ubyssey.ca

Photo Editor Carter Brundage photos@ubyssey.ca Illustrator Indiana Joel ijoel@ubyssey.ca Graphic Designer Nena Nguyen nnguyen@ubyssey.ca Webmaster Tony Li webmaster@ubyssey.ca Distribution Coordinator Lily Cai lcai@ubyssey.ca

Staff Catherine Guan, Nick Adams, Kanta Dihal, Marlee Laval, Angela Tien, Carly Sotas, Alex Meisner, Luella Sun, Jenny Tang, Adrienne Hembree, Mehryar Maalem, Jack Hauen, Kosta Prodanovic, Olivia Law

Senior Lifestyle Writer Reyhana Heatherington Write/shoot/contribute to The rheatherington@ubyssey.ca Ubyssey and attend our staff meetings and you too can see Features Editor your name in the glorious tones Arno Rosenfeld of black that only offset printing can produce. features@ubyssey.ca

October 28, 2013 | Volume XCV| Issue XIX

BUSINESS

CONTACT

Business Manager Fernie Pereira fpereira@ ubyssey.ca 604.822.6681

Ad Sales Tiffany Tsao webadvertising @ubyssey.ca 604.822.1658

Ad Sales Mark Sha advertising@ ubyssey.ca 604.822.1654

Accounts Graham McDonald accounts@ ubyssey.ca

Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301

Sarah Chow wants to bring science to the masses Olivia Law Staff Writer

Sarah Chow’s Twitter profile says she is looking to take over the world by 2013. There’s still a couple more months to go until the end of the year, but having finished her time as co-host of UBC Events videos and finishing up her doctoral program, it’s safe to say she’s made a good dent into her goal. Set to graduate with a PhD in cardiac physiology in November, Vancouver-born Chow’s ultimate aspiration is to make science accessible to all. She wants to bring science out from the textbook and into the everyday. “The reason I do science is because I am a naturally curious person,” she said. “I want to know everything. During my bachelor’s at SFU, I felt I was only scratching the surface about what your body can do. That’s why I chose to do research, so you can get really down into the nitty gritty of how your heart works.” Aiming for a career in camera hosting and production, Chow stresses the importance of conveying science in a way that has less jargon and is more understandable, much like what they do at National Geographic and <em>

Sarah Chow Former UBC Events co-host and PhD student

“As a graduate student, it is easy to get stuck in the lab for days on end,” she said. “But by working with UBC Events, I was able to be out and about on campus, engaging myself with the daily goings-on.” UBC Events produce a set of promotional videos informing students of events on campus, and as host, Chow has had many out-of-the-ordinary opportunities to help grow her

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TIMES

Web: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey

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. 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.

It’s the thrill of doing an experiment for the first time and knowing I am the first one in the world to do it. That’s what inspires me.

MEETING

Business Office: SUB 23 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

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. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as

the Discovery Channel, both of which she cites as influences. So Chow began working with the UBC Events team to improve her speaking skills.

Come help produce our newspaper! Come to SUB 24 at these times.

confidence and improve her communication skills. “Highlights definitely include interviewing the former governor general of Canada [Michaëlle Jean], and the chancellor’s mace bearer, but also performing a skit on stage at Imagine Day,” she said. Between schoolwork, hosting UBC Events and a job, Chow stressed the importance of organization. “Organization is key. Sometimes you have to give up social commitments to work on your thesis or to research for a video.” And she certainly has got her time management down to a fine art. Rising at 5:30 a.m. every day, Chow leads a busy schedule, spending hours in the lab, filming UBC Events videos when she was still the host, commuting, working out and working in science communications at Science World. But for Sarah Chow, the science is worth it. “Knowing that every experiment I do will get me closer to answering a question that no one has ever answered before. It’s the thrill of doing an experiment for the first time and knowing I am the first one in the world to do it. That’s what inspires me.” U

GENERAL STAFF Tuesdays @ 1pm

NEWS

CULTURE

VIDEO + PHOTO

Mondays @ 3pm

Tuesdays @ 12:30pm

Fridays @ 3:30pm

SPORTS + REC

PRODUCTION NIGHTS

Thursdays @ 12:30pm

Wednesdays, Sundays onwards from 3pm


Monday, October 28, 2013 |

EDITORS WILL Mcdonald + Sarah Bigam

MOney >>

Annacis Wastewater Centre is located on Annacis Island, an island between Richmond and Delta.

GRAPHIC MING WONG/THE UBYSSEY

Research funding foibles

Sarah Bigam News Editor

UBC and Metro Vancouver are both confused regarding a change in a funding commitment from UBC to one of Metro’s research centres. In 2006, UBC had committed $1 million to the Annacis Wastewater Centre, and Metro has just discovered that UBC is now committing half of that. This change was negotiated over two years ago, and UBC says they have been waiting on Metro’s cooperation since then to move forward with the funding. The change seems to have been a result in high-level staff changes both at Metro and UBC, with an ensuing lack of communication both within Metro and between Metro and UBC exacerbating the problem. Both Donald Mavinic, a UBC professor of civil engineering, and Derek Corrigan, who sits on Metro Vancouver’s Intergovernmental

and Administration Committee, agree that the money from UBC was only ever intended go to the Annacis Wastewater Centre, which opened in 2012 and performs research on treating wastewater. The Annacis Wastewater Centre was conceptualized in 2006, when two UBC professors, Mavinic and Eric Hall, head of the civil engineering department at the time, were approached by two representatives from Metro Vancouver. “The idea that they came with was a simple one, and it didn’t involve a building or a centre, it was just an expression of interest in working more closely with UBC research around wastewater treatment,” said Hall. Later that year, Mavinic and Hall officially proposed the idea to Metro Vancouver. In 2007, UBC commissioned a feasibility study with Stantec, who predicted that the facility would cost $9 million to build.

Sometime in 2008, UBC expressed to Metro that they would be able to provide $1 million in funding toward the Centre. According to Mavinic and Hall, Michael Isaacson, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at the time, put this forward. However, Isaacson denies making this commitment. On Oct. 23, 2008, a letter to the Greater Vancouver Regional District Board of Directors said UBC had pledged $1 million to the facility. This $1 million was included in all proposed budgets for the Centre from this point onward, including a press release from Jan. 12, 2010, which reported that UBC was contributing funds to the Centre. Then, on Oct. 25, 2010, a recommendation was made to the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District board that the board get authorization to spend an extra $1.25 million to complete construction of the Centre.

The board approved $250,000 in additional capital funds, with the condition that UBC commits a million to the project. However, from this point onward, all proposed budgets for the Centre do not include any contribution from UBC. The actual cost of the Centre was $9,127,856. According to Corrigan, since the Centre has been built and paid for, the further $1 million needed came out of taxpayers’ dollars instead. Corrigan was skeptical of UBC VP John Hepburn’s statement that a final agreement of $1 million was never finalized. “I think there’s more to this than meets the eye, and if it’s a problem with our staff then I’d like to sort that out,” said Corrigan, though he said that he did not think it could be due to a problem with Metro’s staff. Between April and June 2011, a new agreement was negotiated between UBC and Johnny Carline, the CAO of Metro Vancouver at the time, stating that UBC would commit $90,000 a year over six years, for a total of $540,000. The agreement also stipulated that a memorandum of understanding outlining the specifics of the Centre would be drafted. The most commonly cited explanation for the funding discrepancy is changes in staff. Michael Isaacson stepped down as dean of Applied Science on June 30, 2008, and Tyseer Aboulnasr became the new dean on August 31, 2008. On Feb. 14, 2012, Carline retired, and Mason took over in Sept. 2012. Aboulnasr stepped down in 2011 and is currently doing research with the Nile University in Cairo. She could not be reached for comment. “I expect more out of universities,” Corrigan said. “If a university tells you that we’re in for a million dollars then I expect that you should be able to take that to the bank, and apparently you can’t.” A breakdown in communications between Metro and UBC during this period of staff transition may have also contributed. “The agreement fell apart, see,” said Mavinic. “The dean retired, and then nobody picked it up.”

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Mavinic said that the Annacis centre that was finally built was not a directly in line with the earlier discussions, which envisioned a standalone facility. Once Annacis became one of five proposed academies, a new agreement had to be arranged, according to Mavinic. However, Hall said the Centre is in line with the original plans. There also appears to have been a communication breakdown within Metro when Carline retired, since the Intergovernmental and Administration Committee was not aware of the new agreement, according to Corrigan, until two weeks ago — and neither was Mason, the new CAO. “Unfortunately, the first time we saw it was when we were told that they had recanted on the original million dollars,” said Corrigan. In a letter dated Oct. 17, Hepburn stated that “this funding is subject to further negotiations over a detailed memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the establishment of a proper stakeholders governance board,” which is why no money has gone to Annacis yet. Mavinic said UBC has set aside $180,000 and are holding it for when Metro signs the MOU. “Everything’s been cleared through UBC, including the lawyers, but Metro has not signed it and without the MOU, it’s still in limbo,” said Mavinic. However, the contract proposed on Oct. 10 is somewhat different from what was originally negotiated between Hepburn and Carline, according to Mason. It will not include a MOU or a governance board; UBC’s money will go towards paying rent on the facility. Currently, according to Mavinic, UBC is still waiting to hear back from Metro about the MOU. In the meantime, Mavinic is doing research at the Centre on recovering phosphorus from wastewater. According to Mason, the Intergovernmental and Administration Committee requested their staff to investigate what exactly happened to end UBC’s commitment to $1 million. They will report back at the committee’s next meeting on Nov. 15. U

Drugs >>

Funding restored for UBC-based Therapeutics Initiative Austen Erhardt Contributor

The Therapeutics Initiative, an acclaimed UBC-based pharmaceutical review group, had its funding and access to data restored by the B.C. Ministry of Health last Tuesday. The Ministry of Health announced on Oct. 22 that the suspension of external research contracts, including the one with the Therapeutics Initiative, had ended. The Therapeutics Initiative’s funding was reduced from $1,000,000 to $550,000 in April 2012, and it is the latter number to which funding has been restored. Although James Wright, managing director and chair of the Therapeutics Initiative, said the funding is not sufficient for the organization to operate at its fullest potential, he was pleased with the ministry’s decision to resume the contract and funding. “We were happy to get it, and we will be working to find ways to fill in the extra funding that will be needed overtime,” Wright said. The Therapeutics Initiative’s contract with the ministry was suspended in September 2012, following the emergence of information on patient privacy violations

within the ministry. Though the TI was not found to have committed any wrongdoing, it and many other organizations reliant on B.C. government data for research had their access — and funding — put on hold while the government investigated the privacy problems. During the suspension, the UBC Faculty of Medicine continued to fund the TI, albeit to a slightly lesser extent than the ministry contract. “We were not able to provide [the Therapeutics Initiative] with the full amount that would normally have been provided during the government contract. But we were able to [fund them], for the most part,” said Gavin Stuart, dean of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine. Though the lack of funding was an issue, it was the inability to access government data and networks — such as PharmaNet, a provincial system that hosts information on patient prescriptions — that led to the significant reduction in research performed. Stuart defended the importance of independent review institutions like the Therapeutics Initiative in light of increasing preference being given to government-run or affiliated organizations. “I think the cadre of academic leaders that we’ve been able to

CARTER BRUNDAGE/THE UBYSSEY

James Wright, managing director of the Therapeutics Initiative, is glad funding is back.

build at UBC in this regard is able to bring into play a level of rigour and evidence-based review that probably can’t be done as well anywhere else.” The Therapeutics Initiative also receives up to $150,000 per year from the Ministry of Health to conduct clinical evidence reviews, though this funding is not as secure as their primary grant. Recently, the focus of the TI and the Faculty of Medicine has been

on regaining access to ministry data, but Stuart said his priority now is to work with the Ministry of Health to see if some or all of the funds the Faculty of Medicine provided to the Therapeutics Initiative can be recovered. According to the B.C. Ministry of Health, researchers using data from the ministry must undergo privacy training, as a result of the conclusions of a report by the B.C. Information and Privacy Com-

missioner and the ministry’s new privacy policies. Researchers will also be subject to random audits. Research conducted by the Therapeutics Initiative has been credited by some as having saved hundreds of lives in B.C. Warnings issued by the group regarding Vioxx (Rofecoxib), an anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical that caused a higher incidence of heart attacks, led to the drug eventually being withdrawn from the market. One study attributed up to 140,000 heart attacks in the U.S.A. to use of the drug, and the Canadian Health Coalition credits the Therapeutics Initiative with saving over 500 lives in B.C. as a result of their research and warnings on it. Stuart did not comment on estimates regarding the exact number of lives that the TI has saved or positively impacted, but said it “is not a one-off. We have seen a sustained level of productivity with the TI.” Although Wright is pleased to have the TI’s contract restored, he pointed out the negative effects that the lack of TI research has had on B.C. physicians and pharmacists. “It’s really the public and the taxpayers who have been losing out in this period of time,” said Wright. U


4 | NEWS |

Monday, October 28, 2013

privacy >>

UBC Parking Enforcement’s new toy

Department introduces controversial surveillance technology, tries to improve image Arno Rosenfeld Features Editor

If there’s one thing that really sticks in Brian Jones’ craw, it’s UBC parking enforcement’s bad reputation on campus. “The department has been given a really hard rap over the years, and sometimes justifiably so,” said Jones, who has been director of Parking and Access Control Services at the university since last spring. “We’re actually here to be a service provider.” Parking Services is located in the General Services Administration Building, the dark grey monolith across the bus loop from Shoppers. But while the department remains housed in the brutalist 1968 addition to campus, parking enforcement is pushing ahead with industry-leading technology. Jones’ efforts to employ best practices in Point Grey have led to the introduction of controversial technology that has riled privacy watchdogs in other contexts. The technology in question comes in the form of cameras mounted to the roof of two parking enforcement vehicles. The cameras, using software known as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), point downward and scan license plates of parked cars as the vehicle drives by. “In the university world, we’re actually cutting edge because what [OCR] enables us to do is monitor a number of different parking methods,” Jones said. The software matches license plates against Parking’s database of permit-holders on campus and flags any cars which end up on the tow list after their owners fail to pay a certain number of fines. With this same technology, UBC’s new parking meters, like those along the bus loop, record the license plates of cars that have paid and relay that information to the enforcement vehicles. If the RCMP or Campus Security are looking for a particular vehicle, automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology enables Parking to input license plates into their system and flag the vehicle if the cameras spot it on campus.

Camera concerns Law enforcement’s use of this technology has been the source of some privacy advocates’ fury. “There has been some very controversial use of these technologies in British Columbia,” said Micheal Vonn, policy director at the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. While the RCMP does use ALPR, Campus Security declined through a UBC spokesperson to say whether they use it. “By principle, UBC does not talk about its security technology and systems,” spokesperson Randy Schmidt wrote in an email. “Any systems in use must and do comply with all UBC policies, for example on privacy, etc.”

No cameras are visible atop Campus Security vehicles at UBC. Jones explained that Parking doesn’t retain any of the license plate data it collects unless a car is ticketed or towed, in which case the photographs will be stored for 90 days to allow the owner of the vehicle to appeal the fine. “We only retain them at all [because] you won’t believe how many people want photo evidence that they parked illegally or didn’t pay for parking,” Jones wrote in an email. He said Parking has no distinct privacy policy governing their data collection, but that they followed the university-wide policy. Only the two parking managers have access to the database of stored images, Jones said. Jones added that Parking’s version of the software is less robust than law enforcement’s and that they had no need for the more sophisticated version. He said variants of the technology UBC uses are also employed by Whistler, North Vancouver, Burnaby and others. Vonn said it’s entirely possible that Parking’s of ALPR is appropriate, but that through “function creep,” privacy concerns often crop up after a technology is implemented. “Typically what happens is you say, ‘We’re going to introduce this program and we’ve got all the checks and balances in place,’” Vonn explained. “Six months later, we say, ‘This would be really interesting for a whole lot of research purposes if we just had this data.’” While still within the bounds of parking enforcement, Parking’s use of ALPR has escalated from its early use on campus. Originally installed in only one vehicle and used only to flag cars on the tow list, Jones introduced a second vehicle and expanded the functionality. “When I came along it kind of made sense to get a second vehicle just from an efficiency perspective,” Jones said. “[ALPR] is moving toward an integrated parking platform — one that can check permits, payby-license-plate ... and make sure you’ve paid for parking so there’s a level and fair playing field.” Vonn said that at first glance, license plates may not seem like personal information and photographing them may appear benign. It’s when the plates are connected with a database that hold personal information on the vehicle’s owner, like parking or law enforcement’s computer systems, that privacy becomes a concern. “If you’re walking down the street you don’t have the ability to attach that license plate number to a record — it’s the data linkages that are key here,” Vonn said.

Not the bad guys Jones seems earnest in his quest to follow best practices when it comes to parking on campus, and the ALPR technology offers a type

of standardization and consistency in terms of ticketing. But the reality remains that the high price of parking on campus — a perennial complaint among students — is not an accident. According to Jones, the expensive parking is part of the university’s sustainability strategy. The more it costs to park, so the thinking goes, the more people will take the bus or carpool to campus. Jones emphasized the importance of ensuring equity in parking enforcement, and wants it known that Parking embraces its role as a campus service. “If anybody were to approach us and say, ‘Hey, can I get a ride across campus?’ of course we’d help them out,” Jones said. Parking’s two enforcement vehicles, both colourful Toyota Priuses — better for the environment, Jones explained — patrol campus from around 7:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. With the recent assaults on campus, he said Parking employees have been keeping their eyes out for anything suspicious. “We’re still part of the UBC community, so we’ll be observing,” he said. Jones’ efforts to put a friendlier face on Parking and introduce computers to increase efficiency and consistency in enforcement comes a couple years after a period of wild turbulence for the department. In 2009, a judge issued a ruling saying UBC lacked the legal authority to issue and collect parking fines. The university was ordered to return $4 million in fines they had collected between 1990 and 2005. The decision was the result of a class action lawsuit filed by Daniel Barbour, who had his car towed on campus due to outstanding fines and got in a fistfight with the tow truck driver and later sued UBC. “I don’t like bullies,” Barbour told The Globe and Mail at the time. “Everybody has a UBC parking story. It’s harm they’re doing to their own students and staff.” The provincial legislature ended up passing legislation which retroactively gave the university the right to collect fees, and after a four month reprieve, UBC began enforcing parking on campus again. Parking at UBC presumably hadn’t gotten that much media attention prior to 2009, and they certainly haven’t gotten it since then. Jones remains determined to keep his department in the community’s good graces. “We just want a fair, equitable, ethical environment. This helps us make sure everyone’s playing by the same rules — and it is good technology,” Jones said. U <em>

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From top: Brian Jones, right and a Ubyssey editor stand outside one of two parking enforcement vehicles; a camera with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology; a parking enforcement vehicle scanning the license plate of a parked car; Enforcement officer Angel Villarta shows off the inside of the vehicle. Photos by Carter Brundage.


Monday, October 28, 2013

| FEATURES | 5

‘I was the first of her students she had met.’ Well before she ever set foot in Point Grey, Kanta Dihal — and thousands of other students — had already taken their first UBC course: for free, for no credit, from the convenience of their living rooms.

PHOTO MACKENZIE WALKER/the ubyssey

FILE PHOTO alexandra downing/the ubyssey

UBC professor Rosie Redfield, left, taught her first online course, “Useful Genetics,” from behind her desk at UBC to thousands of students worldwide — including the author of this article, right.

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hen I attended my first UBC lecture this April, I was 7,715.3 kilometres away from the UBC campus. I had never been to Canada, but I had just been accepted as an incoming exchange student for September 2013 and wanted to get a sense of what would be expected of me as a UBC student. UBC could offer me this experience entirely for free in the form of an online genetics course, taught by zoology professor Rosie Redfield. “You’re actually the first student [I’ve] met in person,” Redfield told me when I sat down to interview her on campus this fall. In 2012, UBC partnered with Coursera, a company that provides an online platform for digital courses offered by 80 different universities worldwide. Redfield’s “Useful Genetics” course was one of the first MOOCs — massive online open courses — to be offered on Coursera by the university. MOOCs are free to take and generally open to an unlimited number of students. I was one among the initial thousands of students to register for Redfield’s “Introduction to Genetics,” and also one of the roughly 700 to actually take the final exam at the conclusion of the 10-week course. Redfield initially developed the course as a replacement for the regular second-year genetics course taught to biology undergraduates at UBC. “I started to realize that what we were teaching as a conven-

tional genetics course was [often] a waste of time. And to me, it was like, how can it take me 20 years to realize that we should be teaching stuff that’s useful?” Redfield said. “I was really unhappy at what we were teaching.” But the traditional on-campus course at UBC had recently been overhauled, so in an act of academic defiance, Redfield turned elsewhere — in this case, to a MOOC — to try her new idea. “I was basically going, ‘Well, if you’re going be like that ... you guys can teach genetics, I’m walking away from this,’” the professor said. When she heard about Coursera, Redfield realized she could find an audience after all for the new genetics course she had devised. Coursera requires universities to offer at least three courses. Redfield’s “Useful Genetics” was joined by Gregor Kiczales’s “Introduction to Systematic Program Design” and Sarah Burch and Sara Harris’ jointly taught “Climate Literacy.” Starting in fall term next year, second-year undergraduates at UBC will be able to take Redfield’s genetics course — for credit, though not for free — in what she calls “an extreme version of ... flipped classrooms.” Students will acquire the necessary theoretical knowledge outside the classroom, while the seminar will be used for discussions. The midterm and final for UBC students, however, will be taken on paper and graded by staff.

The University of Alberta has tried a similar approach. Undergraduates are able to take the entire “Dino 101” course online using Coursera. “Useful Genetics” is going to be offered on Coursera again this year. Redfield and her team have made a few changes to the original format, including a larger number of peer assessments, a more flexible grading system and extra TAs. Professors on Coursera have options in how they present their classes. “The ‘Climate Literacy’ lectures applied really sort of ambitious production values,” Redfield said. “They’re real nice, they’re quite slick. They’re almost like TV show quality. “I decided to go to the other end of the extreme and go for low production values — me sitting in my office, talking to my laptop. I did it all by myself, here, at night.” In fact, Redfield did not just talk to her laptop. Her lectures were built around slides and stop-motion animations using candy. This made the course quite sophisticated compared to, for instance, Stanford University’s course on Albert Einstein. In these lecture videos, the professor was filmed talking in front of a whiteboard. “Useful Genetics” was the most demanding course I have taken so far on Coursera, which offers roughly 70 courses a month. The course included weekly quizzes, a midterm and

Everybody was highly motivated. They actually really wanted to learn genetics. And that was thrilling. Because it’s so different from an ordinary course where people are going, ‘Why do I have to learn this stuff? Can I go home now?’ Rosie Redfield Zoology professor and one of UBC’s first professors to teach a massive online open course through Couresera

a final exam, all of which were graded by a computer. There was also an optional assignment, which was peer reviewed. “Everybody was highly motivated,” Redfield said. “They actually really wanted to learn genetics. And that was thrilling. Because it’s so different [from] an ordinary course where people are going, ‘Why do I have to learn this stuff? Can I go home now?’” Redfield said one of the most important parts of the learning experience, both for students and for herself, was the discussion board. Roughly 1,300 of the students posted on the board which, while exciting, also frustrated Redfield. “It was driving me crazy what the students were doing. They were saying, ‘We want more feedback!’ And I’m going, ‘I don’t have time to give you more feedback!’” Though Redfield and her teaching assistant Alana Schick were active on the forums, they were forced to bring on another TA to help respond to students. For a class that offered no college credit, students were surprisingly concerned with their grade. At one point, an online spread sheet was made by a student on which people could calculate their average grade. (I must confess that I participated in this.) “One of the shocking things we discovered was how much people are motivated by grades, even in an online course that doesn’t count for anything,” Redfield said. U


Monday, October 28, 2013 |

EDITOR Natalie Scadden

6

SOCCER >>

UBC moves on to Canada West final four T-Birds beat Dinos 2-1, rookie Jasmin Dhanda scores game-winner in 83rd minute Natalie Scadden Sports + Rec Editor

The phrase “defence wins championships” may have a certain truth to it, but it requires a great deal of patience. In Saturday night’s Canada West women’s soccer quarterfinal match up between the University of Calgary, the offensive powerhouse, and UBC, the shutdown defensive regime, the winning goal didn’t come until the 83rd minute. UBC has relied on its defence since new head coach Andrea Neil took over this year, allowing just five goals in 12 regular season games. But at the end of the day, you still need to score to win games, and a tie doesn’t cut it in the playoffs. And after a heartbreaking extra time loss last weekend to the University of Alberta, UBC’s only loss of the season, and two straight years of getting knocked out of the playoffs on penalty shootouts, it was getting a little nerve-wracking. Thankfully, UBC rookie Jasmin Dhanda took Nicole Sydor’s pass in stride on the right side and broke loose of her defender. She carried the ball to just outside the six-yard box and expertly chipped it over Calgary goalie Lauren Good for her second goal of the game and seventh of the season.

“We knew it would only take one opportunity, and that was it,” said Neil of Dhanda’s game-winning strike. “Nine times out of 10, you want that type of player in front of the net.” After a scrappy first half in which neither team seemed to be able to control the ball or put up any great chances, Dhanda took a low cross from Janine Frazao and softly tipped it into the bottom corner to open up the scoring in the 48th minute. The lead was short-lived, though, as Calgary’s Nikki Fukuwara struck from 20 yards out less than two minutes later, her ninth of the season. Neil recognized this as another mental lapse, which got the best of UBC against Alberta the previous week as well. “It’s about controlling emotion, same as last week,” said Neil. “When we scored they came back and scored right away. That’s a key learning moment we have to take from this.” The victory moves UBC through to the semifinal round next weekend in Victoria, where they’ll get a rematch with Alberta. “It’s a nice opportunity to come back and have another go with them. It was a back-and-forth affair, and they have some very special players,” Neil said of Alberta. “We needed to learn some

lessons from that, and now what an opportunity we have to go and implement those lessons against the team we just faced and fell down short against.” UBC will need to find a way to keep Shalla Kadima under control this time around. The fifth-year defender put up a hat trick against UBC when she was left unmarked in front of goalie Alyssa Williamson, costing the Thunderbirds the first place spot in the conference. However, the rematch carries far more weight. The winner goes through to the Canada West final, and more importantly, to the CIS championship tournament in Toronto the following week. UBC hasn’t been to nationals since 2010, a testament to the strength of the Canada West conference. Neil was pleased with her team’s efforts on Saturday night. “Everybody from the back up to our tall striker did the job,” she said. “Nobody had a poor game. Everybody played to their capability, and we know we have another notch in us as well.” Neil intends to stick to the same plan next weekend, putting her team’s defensive mantra to its biggest test yet. “Everything comes down to one game, so everybody’s got to fight for it and be prepared on the day.” U

Photo carter brundage/the ubyssey

Rookie forward Jasmin Dhanda led UBC with two goals on Saturday night.

FOOTBALL >>

UBC falls to Calgary in final test before playoffs Dinos stay undefeated, T-Birds 4-4; high-stakes rematch set for Saturday afternoon in Calgary CJ Pentland Managing Editor, Web

After two solid wins that guaranteed them a postseason berth, it became clear that the UBC Thunderbirds were a legitimate contender in the Canada West. But as they found out Friday night, there is a vast margin between simply being a contender in the conference and being the best. In the last game of the regular season, the ’Birds put their perfect 3-0 road record on the line against the University of Calgary Dinos, a team that had already locked up first place and was looking to complete their first undefeated season in history. UBC, on the other hand, was looking to improve their position in the standings, as a win would most likely help them move up to third or perhaps second place, meaning they would avoid Calgary in the first round of the playoffs. In the teams’ first meeting of the year, UBC held their own against the Dinos, leading in the fourth quarter but fading late in a 41-31 loss. Friday’s meeting would show if that performance was simply a flash in the pan, or if UBC really is a threat capable of denying Calgary their sixth straight conference title. The game started out well for UBC. They held their own once again and led briefly midway through the second quarter after Greg Bowcott hit David Scott in the end zone to make it 11-8. Calgary responded right away when Mercer Timmis crossed the goal line for the 19th time this season — a Canada West record — but right before halftime, if looked as if UBC would at least be in striking distance if they weren’t ahead.

With the ’Birds driving into Calgary territory, a pass completed to Micha Theil looked promising — at least until he started to run and promptly fumbled it away, giving the Dinos the ball back. One minute and two seconds later, Calgary was back in the end zone, making it 22-11. The fumble signaled the end of UBC’s ability to do much on offence outside of Brandon Deschamps running for 161 yards. A safety, rouge and field goal were the only points the Thunderbirds could muster in the second half, and the end result was a 34-17 loss. This was not the same team who put up 60 points a week ago. Yes, Calgary is a bit better than a certain Alberta team that hasn’t won since 2010, but to turn 447 yards of offence into just 15 points doesn’t bode well heading into the playoffs. While UBC’s defence has been fantastic all year, it’s asking way too much of them to shut down Calgary. The Dinos are a team that averages 42.5 points per game and 549.6 yards of offence, so to hold them to 34 points really isn’t that bad. All that being said, the only way UBC can pull off a win against Calgary is if their offence is on its game. Deschamps can typically be counted on for a big game on the ground — he’s averaged 143.9 rushing yards per contest — but the quarterbacking duo of Bowcott and Carson Williams needs to deliver. Williams started the game, but only threw two passes before being replaced by Bowcott last night, despite completing a 37 yard pass on his first toss of the game. Bowcott didn’t put up terrible numbers on Friday, completing 16 of 33 passes for 224 yards and one touchdown while not being picked

off, but he again failed to show an ability to deliver late in the game. As mentioned before, this is something Williams has been able to do, as evidenced by narrow wins over Alberta, Manitoba and Regina on the road. UBC head coach Shawn Olson has said Williams is his starter, but he’s made it clear over the past two games that Bowcott is his main guy, giving him the vast majority of the snaps. Come next week, there won’t be any more time to experiment. You tell one guy that you have faith in them to get to job done and hope they deliver. The two pivots fought all year for this moment, and now it is here. It’s safe to bet that the running game and the defence will do their parts next Saturday, but the quarterbacking corps will need to complement these aspects for UBC to pull out the upset. Whether it’s Bowcott or Williams filling that role, they need to step up. U

FILE Photo Josh curran/the ubyssey

Greg Bowcott has received the bulk of the play at quarterback over the past two games.

BIRD DROPPINGs Women’s Field Hockey After 10 straight years of taking home the Canada West crown, the UBC women’s field hockey fell 2-0 to the University of Victoria Vikes on Saturday afternoon in the deciding match. Both teams came into the game undefeated, having tied each other three times already this season. Both teams will move on to the CIS championship tournament, being held Oct. 31–Nov. 3 in Victoria. Interestingly, UBC swept the conference awards:

FILE Photo carter brundage/the ubyssey

UBC looks to defend their CIS title next week.

Player of the Year: Rachel Donohoe Rookie of the Year: Sophie Jones Goalkeeper of the Year: Bea Francisco Coach of the Year: Hash Kanjee Gail Wilson Award nominee (outstanding contributor): Miranda Mann


Monday, October 28, 2013

| SPORTS + REC | 7

HOCKEY >>

Women’s hockey on 3-game hot streak Rafter and Casorso sit on top of Canada West leaderboard with 10 points apiece Jenny Tang Staff Writer

It was an intense Friday night for the women’s hockey Thunderbirds as they faced off against the University of Alberta Pandas, but with major improvements in offense and defence, greater consistency and a little bit of luck, UBC were able to pull ahead and take the game in a 2-1 victory. Coming off of a weekend split in Regina, UBC were eager to get going, and Alberta came on strong. But goalie Danielle Dube was not going to let the puck past her, making save after miraculous save. At the midpoint of the first period, a sprawling Dube made an amazing save by lifting her leg and blocking the shot mid-air with her pad. Shortly afterward, however, Alberta managed to draw first blood after a board pass that landed in front of the goal, which was then tipped in by Panda Alison Campbell’s shoulder. The ’Birds fought back in the second period, and a close shot on goal by Nicole Saxvik that hit the post was the start of a series of fierce tactics UBC would use to take back the game.

Skillful stick checking by UBC’s Harheet Parhar and Sarah Casorso put pressure on the Pandas for much of the second period. Finally, the score broke even in the last five minutes of the period when Saxvik made a precise pass to Casorso, who then flicked the puck into a high blocker-side shot into the net. Desperate to take the lead again, Alberta came out fast and furious in the third period. But Dube didn’t let up, and UBC took another goal when Casorso shoved the puck past Panda goalie Michala Jeffries and across the goal line. With UBC in the lead, the Pandas became more and more aggressive. Alberta’s Janelle Froehler broke through the defensive line and managed to earn a penalty shot, but her attempt was thwarted by Dube, who was unstoppable at this point. Dube saved 25 of 26 shots on goal on the night to hang on for the win. The two goals for Casorso put her atop the Canada West leaderboard with 10 points, but she didn’t forget about the teamwork behind her success. “They only came because everybody worked so hard to get the goals,” said Casorso. “I wouldn’t say they were individual by any means.

The team were pushing [hard] and it was a result of work by everybody.” Teamwork and consistency were key for the win, and head coach Graham Thomas glowingly praised the team for finally playing for a full 60 minutes, which has been a fault for them so far this season. “They had a bit of a tag team moment.... A light going on, I guess. That was our most consistent game ever for that 60 minutes,” Thomas said. “We’re definitely seeing that the girls are starting to figure it out — what it takes to win and how to win and how to pull it out when facing a challenge.” The Thunderbirds kept their winning streak up with 2-1 victory on Saturday night for their third in a row. With the game locked at one apiece and heading into a shootout, Thomas made an interesting move and pulled goalie Danielle Lemon, who had made 30 saves to keep UBC in the game, in favour of Danielle Dube. The move paid off, though, as Dube stopped both shooters she faced and Christi Capozzi and Tatiana Rafter scored to seal the victory for UBC. The Thunderbirds (5-2-1) will take on the Mount Royal Cougars (2-6-0) in Calgary on Friday. U

volleyball >>

UBC powered past Alberta for two victories this weekend.

Photo kosta prodanovic/the ubyssey

MORE v-ball >>

Women’s volleyball sweeps Men’s volleyball rivals in opening weekend drops home opener

Bailey Ramsay Contributor

Saturday’s women’s volleyball home opener was a tight 3-1 win for the six-time consecutive national champion UBC Thunderbirds as they defeated the number two-ranked Trinity Western University Spartans. “They are, in the true sense of the world, rivals, and a healthy one,” said UBC head coach Doug Reimer, of the Spartans. After what started as an early 5-1 lead for the Spartans, UBC closed the initial gap in the first set. The score then rocketed from 7-9 to 16-9 as a nine-point streak put the T-Birds in a comfortable lead. They continued to wedge a gap in the score of the first set as it climbed rapidly to 22-12. After being denied their set point for three plays, UBC finally finished it off with a defiant hit from outside hitter Juliana Kaufmanis to close at 25-15. The second set was not as comfortable as the first for UBC as the Spartans regrouped and returned with more intensity. With the gap never more than two or three points, possession and points experienced a high turnover rate. Inching from tie to one-point lead and back again, points crawled for UBC to 22-21 as they barely held on to their short advantage. Approaching the game point, the rallies became longer and the stakes grew higher. A hit from UBC was blocked by the teamwork of Royal Richardson and Lauren Moncks resulting in the winning point of the second set for the Spartans with the score finishing at 23-25. “We were a little unsure. We have had some pretty tough moments in terms of preseason,” said Reimer. “It did look a bit like [the]

Bailey Ramsay Contributor

Photo geoff lister/the ubyssey

Lisa Barclay led UBC to victory over Trinity Western with 12 kills and 12 digs.

early season where you see the potential of both teams, but you know there are quite a few unforced errors.” The intensity of the second set leaked into the third as the score continued to climb tightly upward. The match started out with Lisa Barclay serving up five consecutive points to gain the initial lead. But UBC’s reassuring 9-2 lead dwindled down to 9-7 as Trinity worked hard to close the gap with a five-point streak. With a cushion of three of four points, the score continued to climb as UBC held the lead all the way towards the final set point with TWU unable to quite catch up. A kill by Alissa Coulter made it 25-22 and 2-1 in sets for UBC. With a consistent lead of five points in the final set, UBC finished

strong, with the final point being a punishing hit from Barclay as the ball smacked the ground a little out of reach of a diving Spartan. Barclay finished with 12 kills and 12 digs, both game highs. Rosie Schlagintweit and Kaufmanis added 10 kills each for UBC and Kirsty Setterlund had 11 digs. “Almost without exception we have good battles, and I think both teams play a fairly physical volleyball game,” said Reimer. “Each season has a little different rhythm, but by a large number of years, both teams have pushed each other, and the result is never a foregone conclusion by any means whenever we play them.” UBC will be back in action at War Memorial Gym on Friday and Saturday as they host the University of Manitoba Bisons. U

What started out as an extremely close game soon went downhill as the Trinity Western University Spartans spoiled UBC’s men’s volleyball home opener. With the Thunderbirds starting out strong in the first set, a fragile lead of 6-5 grew into a more confident 12-6. Trinity worked hard to close the gap and chased closely behind. Branden Schmidt of the Spartans tied the game with a powerful hit to make it 20-20. With UBC ahead by one point, Trinity retaliated to tie it up again until the score hit 26-26. The point that tied the game was caused by UBC hitting the ball into the net and it dropping to the ground. With Trinity’s next serve hitting out of bounds, the possession and lead was returned to UBC as captain Ian Perry set the ball to Gabriel Aaron, who hit the winning point to take the incredibly close first set 28-26. As close and intense as the first set was, UBC was unfortunately unable to remain the dominant team in the sets to come. “I thought today was not a good response to how we played last night,” said UBC head coach Richard Schick. “Last night we competed well and tonight I was expecting to come out much the same, and we didn’t. It was a good character check for us and I didn’t think it was a very positive reaction.” In the second set, Trinity server Adam Schriemer earned his team an early four-point lead. The score continued to grow in the Spartans’ favor as a gap of 2-10 was dug. UBC couldn’t recover and finished the set with less than half

their opponents’ score, a painful 11-25 defeat. Despite increased efforts in the third set, Trinity again took an early lead. A brief tie was achieved by UBC due to an attack error by the Spartans, which brought UBC back into the game and wrestling with a small lead.

When you have two injuries that keep two main guys out of your lineup, it shows. Richard Schick Men’s volleyball head coach

Trinity soon caught back up and subsequently took the lead by storm, scoring seven points in eight rallies to make it 12-17. The set would finish with that same five-point gap in Trinity’s favour. In what was the fourth and final set of the match, the Spartans again came out strong with a dominant start that the T-Birds struggled to compete with. UBC tried to play catchup, but with a consistent cushion of four to five points, Trinity kept the lead for the remainder of the game and closed out with a convincing 25-17 win. “I think this showed that we need to get healthy,” said Schick. “When you have two injuries that keep two main guys out of your lineup, it shows.” UBC (0-2) will host the University of Manitoba Bisons (1-1) on Friday and Saturday night. “There is nothing we have to work on,” Schick said. “If there is anything we have to work on, it is probably every part of the game.” U


Monday, October 28, 2013 |

EDITOR Rhys Edwards

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Disorder in the court

theatre >>

Players Club opens 2013 season with judicial drama at Dorothy Somerset studio When a scene is over, the closeness of the cast and crew becomes evident. Even right after a tense and emotionally draining scene, they are able to joke about trivial matters such as who handles each chair on set. “I start to move towards it and then somebody sits on it,” Mattes said, laughing. With major projects come great obstacles, and Never the Sinner is no exception. Each member of the club faces their own challenges within the rehearsal process. “For me, the most difficult thing is making my characters seem obviously distinct, because I play four different characters and have very minimal costume changes,” said journalism student Chris Lane. “You feel like you are getting closer to understanding your character, and then you are further away than before,” added Asher Isbrucker, a fourth-year interdisciplinary student who plays the role of Leopold. The cast likes to use the metaphor of a puzzle in order to better describe the issue. “Every time you think you’re getting close to getting the puzzle, you find another piece, and then you have to disassemble the entire puzzle,” said second-year film produc<em>

photo will mcdonald/THE UBYSSEY

Although Never the Sinner is adapted from the macabre real-world trial of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, the Players Club are a jovial bunch.

Marlee Laval Staff Writer

“I can see sin in all the world, and I may well hate that sin, but never the sinner,” exclaims defence lawyer Clarence Darrow, portrayed by UBC Players Club member Steve James. At 53 years old, James, along with students and non-students alike, is busy rehearsing for the upcoming UBC Players Club production of Never the Sinner by John Logan, a theatrical adaptation of the 1924 so-called <em>

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“Trial of the Century” of Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb. The play follows the true story of the two students who, seemingly without a motive, kidnap and murder 14-year-old Bobby Franks. As Darrow fights to save the boys from a potential death sentence, the story is not a case of “whodunit,” but rather, an investigation into why it was done to begin with. The storyline may be serious, but the cast and crew still know how to have fun.

“With every show I’ve been in, the more serious the subject matter, the goofier the rehearsals are,” said first-year Arts student Marianna Mattes, who plays a multitude of characters in the show, including a reporter covering the trial. “We’re still making jokes and giggling like little schoolboys or girls,” said director Paul Weston, a fifth-year film student. “Our rehearsals run anywhere from five to six hours a pop. We very quickly love each other or hate each other.”

film >>

The frames in Africa

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tion student Noah Cohen, who plays Loeb. No matter the challenges, the club agrees that the rewards are starting to come. “It’s an investment of time and effort, and you almost always get it back,” Isbrucker said. And it seems that the biggest reward will be more than simply entertaining an audience. The cast says that there is a lot more to the story than just a courtroom drama. “One of the notes in the beginning of the play is ‘remember that this is a love story,’ and I would like people to take that [with them],” Mattes said. “It’s a love story between two boys who would not function without each other and could not be as absolutely evil without each other.” “I read about 15 plays before I found this one, and I don’t know why, but something resonated with me,” Weston said. As showtime draws closer, the Players Club hopes their production will resonate with audiences, too. Spend a night with the oldest club on campus from Oct. 30–Nov. 3 at the Dorothy Somerset Studios. U Tickets can be reserved at tickets@ ubcplayersclub.com. <em>

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Music >>

Pit shakes with Baauer bassquake

New Wave film series brings African auteurs to Vancouver

COURTESY JULIE MACARTHUR

The New Wave in African Cinema runs until Nov. 7.

Alexandra Meisner Staff Writer

Internationally recognized yet highly personal, African cinema is transforming. This transformation can be witnessed at the New Wave in African Cinema film series, coming to Vancouver next week. The series, playing at the Pacific Cinematheque, will bring directors from across the African continent to Vancouver, and is intended to entice the wider public into issues of African identity and cinema. The film series — sponsored by UBC African Studies and the Liu Institute for Global Issues, among others — will allow many of the featured film’s directors to actively participate in post-viewing Q&A sessions, as well as academic roundtable discussions. The lineup includes both feature-length titles and short film programs about a range of subjects, from an existential drama about a Cameroonian cancer victim in France to a post-apocalyptic samurai flick from Burkina Faso. The project is piloted by Julie MacArthur, an African historian and professor at UBC. “We thought, what better way to raise the profile and get people talking about African studies than a film series that would really showcase the new talents that are emerging from the continent?” she said. “The point of the series ... is to showcase what I see as a new wave, a new generation of African filmmakers,” MacArthur said. “[Those] who are asking different questions, who are engaging with the world

of cinema more directly and who are pushing the boundaries of what defines African cinema.” Films being shown throughout the week — some for the first time — are no more than four years old, with at least three of them joining the series straight from their first showings at the Toronto International Film Festival. MacArthur sees the series as an opportunity to recognize the journey young African directors are engaging in through shifting the dynamic of African cinema. “My goal was to bring great African films to Vancouver,” she said. The featured productions, MacArthur explained, are “stories about people themselves, struggling in various contexts.” African cinema in itself is not a genre, she stressed, but rather a regional cinema that engages in common genres identified around the world. As programmer of the series, MacArthur placed the films’ individual storytelling approaches within the context of global sociopolitical issues, ensuring that they become more relatable and emotionally stimulating to the general population. “In that way, they are much more recognizable for people in a wider world. I think they have a greater appeal to a global audience, because they are more about individual stories,” she said. The New Wave project will also involve UBC students in other ways. “We have a partnership with the Africa Awareness Initiative on campus,” said MacArthur. “[It] is made up of undergraduate students, both African and non-African, who are involved in discussing African issues and concerns.” Starting next term, MacArthur is also bringing the world of African cinema into the classrooms of UBC with HIST 309A, “Topics in Sub-Saharan African History,” which will showcase the work of many new African directors. MacArthur affirmed that this younger generation of filmmakers is now working beyond the borders of their own culture. “They’re more engaged with questions about how the individual deals with things like trauma, deals with things like violence [and] deals with things like family, rather than being much more specific to an African context.” U The New Wave in African Cinema runs from Nov. 1-3, and then again from Nov. 5-7, at the Pacific Cinematheque cinema. Discount tickets are available for students.

PHOTO geoff lister/THE UBYSSEY

As the Pit found out on Friday, there’s more to Baauer than his hit “Harlem Shake.”

Jenica Montgomery Contributor

The night might have started out slow, but it ended with a bang — or better yet, a bass drop. On Oct. 25, eminent trap artist Baauer, alongside SRGNZ and Alex Mason, performed an intimate set at the Pit Pub on campus. Known by many for his hit track “Harlem Shake,” which quickly skyrocketed earlier this year when it was appropriated as a popular internet meme, Baauer’s performance showed that he is much more than an internet sensation. The party started later than advertised and took a few hours to find its bearings, but once the night got rolling, there was no stopping it. While the opening lineup was fantastic, and invigorated a seemingly dead evening, Baauer’s performance brought a renewed energy to the crowd. Even though this was an intimate performance, he didn’t hold back — the crowd was receptive to the deep bass lines, and the energy

rose as his set went on. The air was thick with alcohol and sweat, but Baauer’s chaotic rhythm brought the crowd together. The separate artists’ sets flowed together nicely, with no hard breaks, but Alex Mason’s and SRGNZ’s sets were difficult to differentiate. Baauer set himself apart from the other artists with his distinctive bass lines and heavy beat. The event itself, put on by AMS Events and TheCalendar.ca, was Halloween themed, but the music and the theme of the party didn’t quite match. The night would have been more cohesive if the artists had incorporated the Halloween theme into their sets. Regardless, the energy was strong and flowed through the crowd. The performances of Alex Mason, SRGNZ and Baauer were ones to remember, and although the energy of the crowd wasn’t necessarily focused on taking in the music, their talent spoke for itself, managing to bring even the outliers onto the dance floor. U


MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013

MUSIC >>

BZZR >>

Q&A

S.F. Brew and brUBC duke it out at Deep Cove

Gregory Pitts contributor

with Joyce Island Mariam Baldeh contributor

UBC alumna and Vancouver songwriter, guitar player and vocalist Lisa Joyce is about to embark on a cross-country train tour, titled Folkways and Railways, to promote her debut EP, Joyce Island . The album, which has been played on CBC and various college radios, was released to positive acclaim in April this year. The Ubyssey interviewed her to learn more about her sound and her Canadiana-inspired sojourn. <em>

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The Ubyssey : So you actually graduated from UBC. When and from what faculty? </em>

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Lisa Joyce : Yeah, I graduated a few years back! Did a major in anthropology and a minor in English. <em>

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U : Your sound has often been called a rock and roll mix between Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty. Who are your musical influences and why? <strong><em>

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PhOTO COuRTEsy aNgELa huBBaRD

Lisa Joyce, a uBC alumna, will travel across Canada via train to promote her new album.

so we recorded the seven songs, and then one day in the studio, I was just playing something on the guitar between takes and whatnot, and they said, “What’s that?” And I said, “Oh, it’s just this song I wrote... it’s more folky and old country than the rest of the songs on the album....” And they said, “Well, play it again.” So I played it for them and they said, “You know, we love it and we should add it to the album somehow....” U : What was your inspiration in writing the songs? <strong><em>

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LJ : I guess the inspiration behind the songs is just a lot of troubled experiences.... Life in general, the ups and downs and hardships of life are my inspiration. The things that in the end make you stronger. I find that it’s those things that people can relate to in the songs. The honesty and vulnerability. <em>

LJ : I’d say the biggest influences are the things I listened to in my parents record collection growing up. A lot of rock and roll and old country.... Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, the early Rolling Stones, The Who, The Band, Bob Dylan.... My sound became a mix between those two genres without intentionally trying to make it that way. Nowadays, I’m listening to a lot of Wilco and Will Oldham and stuff like that.

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U : So there are seven songs on the album? <strong><em>

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LJ : Yes, and then there’s also the secret song. <em>

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U : The secret song?

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LJ : It’s funny, actually.... We set out to make a rock and roll album, <em>

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U : What inspired you to do a train tour? How exactly does that work? <strong><em>

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LJ : Well, I’ve always known that there was a train that went all the way across Canada, and taking a train across the country is something I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time. And I love playing music, so I thought it would be perfect to combine the two ideas. I’m inspired by the nostalgic idea of musicians back in the day who

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used to hop on a train and play their music and carry their message to other travellers. U : Has anyone ever done a train tour before? <strong><em>

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LJ : It was done one other time that I know of in 1970.... Artists like Janice Joplin and The Band all got together and went across Canada on a train.... And they’ve done the exact same route I’m doing, playing music on and off the train in select cities, which I thought was an inspiring idea. It’s not something people are doing, so I thought it would be a unique and fun way to get my music out there and see the country at the same time. I’ve never been to the Maritimes before, so I’m really excited to see that part of the country. It’s a bit of a dream for me. <em>

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U : So the tour starts when?

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LJ : The actual tour starts on Tuesday, Oct. 29 when I board the train. First stop is Halifax, and then I’ll also be stopping to perform in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton and other cities, as well as performing on the actual train. I’m really excited. U

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MORE ONLINE Read the full interview with Lisa Joyce at ubyssey.ca.

PREvIEW >>

Colin MacDonald: savage and silly

PhOTO COuRTEsy COLIN MaCDONaLD

Colin MacDonald leads his ensemble in creating bold, experimental music.

Jolin Lu contributor

Music, to Colin MacDonald, is “a puzzle you have to figure out.” The sound of his ensemble, the Colin MacDonald Pocket Orchestra, is rich like a symphony — yet its dark, mystic aura leaves wonders in your mind. In 2006, the Vancouver-based saxophonist started the Orchestra to develop his compositions for a larger instrumental force. Modelled after minimalist ensembles such Steve Reich and Musicians and the Michael Nyman

| CULTURE | 9

Band, the Pocket Orchestra explores the boundaries between classical, jazz and contemporary music. On an abstract level, their music is gracefully savage. It combines the luxuriance of baroque orchestras with trance-inducing repetitions of minimalist music, sprinkled with a hint of tango passion. In a word: cryptic. A few artists in the Orchestra are UBC alumni, including MacDonald himself. When MacDonald was nine, his elder brother asked him to sign up for the saxophone program — “because it [was] so cool,” as MacDonald put it. At the same time, MacDonald started listening to some classical records. “It got me hooked,” he said. On his odyssey as a saxophonist, MacDonald attended UBC and studied with Julia Nolan and David Branter. Their open approach to different styles of music has profoundly influenced MacDonald as well as his orchestra. The three then became colleagues. “I’ve been playing with them more than I ever studied with them,” said MacDonald. Currently, Branter plays the alto and soprano saxophones in the ensemble. The Pocket Orchestra’s cellist, Stefan Hintersteininger, also

studied at UBC. Hintersteininger started playing the cello at the age of five; he then went on to receive several degrees in both music and library science. “To me, music is all about emotions and this is what I try to put in all music that I do,” said Hintersteininger. “It has to have certain meaning behind it. Music that is purely technical is not interesting to me.” On Nov. 1 at 8 p.m., the ensemble will be performing at the Orpheum Annex. “Fantasia” will present some new arrangements of existing pieces, including works by Benzion Eliezer, Steve Martland, Michael Nyman Band, Steve Reich and the Musicians and the Philip Glass Ensemble. In addition, the Pocket Orchestra will be premiering pieces written by its members, cellist Hintersteininger and trombonist Brad Muirhead. “The new pieces are primarily inspired by the British composer, Michael Nyman. His music is very energetic, driving, and rhythmic,” Hintersteininger said. The concert will be brimming over with energy. As Hintersteininger said: “Music should not be afraid to be silly.” U

The UBC Brewing Club began its 2013-14 year in style with the first ever Hops Connect tournament, slated to become an annual brewing competition between UBC and SFU. The event is a landmark for the club — also known as brUBC — which has grown rapidly since its founding four years ago. “Initially, the club was hard to get rolling because of alcohol and licensing issues,” said president Kerry Dyson. “It was a little like herding cats.” That’s in the past, though, as membership has almost doubled since last year. The growth in popularity also reflects a wider trend in the city of Vancouver. Nine new microbreweries have either opened or are scheduled to open in 2013. Deep Cove Brewery in North Vancouver — where the tournament was hosted — is one such facility. Its combination of state-of-the-art equipment and old-world pub feel made it the perfect venue for such an event. “Ten years ago, you couldn’t walk into a bar in Vancouver and order the types of beer you can now,” said Dyson. “It just wasn’t possible.” If that’s true of the bars, the same certainly applies to the brewing community; flavours of beer at the competition included honey basil, Earl Grey, midnight pumpkin and salted caramel, to name a few. A total of 11 beers were entered by UBC, and 13 by SFU. Don’t let the exotic names fool you, though; Kerry says they were all easy and cheap to make. “For

members, the price of brewed beer averages around $2 a litre.” Although the Hops Connect cup went to SFU, UBC did win the award for best wheat ale, and tied for best dark ale. Prizes included a 20-litre brewing cask, which Kerry says will be a fine addition to the club’s collection of equipment. But UBC Brewing doesn’t seem to hold grudges or resentment in the slightest. That’s because both SFU and UBC Brewing stress an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration rather than competition. Patrick Warshawski, VP of marketing, says the club is trying to balance its growing membership body while maintaining its signature feel of a tight-knit community: “We meet once a week on Sundays from 3–7, but we’re hoping to expand by organizing more professional workshops and tours.” As the club grows, the number of opportunities to be actively involved in it have to grow as well. “Overall, we’re a group of students who appreciate beer and its many benefits,” said Warshawski. “And we hope to have as many students get involved as possible.”` Kerry says the next step is to gain enough clout to have a say in reforming B.C.’s “archaic” liquor laws, such as eliminating the total ban on liquor in parks and beaches and reducing the taxes — and therefore price — imposed on microbreweries. It might be a ways away, but if UBC Brewing can make that happen, they might just become the most popular club on campus. U


Monday, October 28, 2013 |

student voice. Community reach.

LAST WORDS Fascism at the AMS? Not quite, but... Watch out, UBC. The AMS almost imposed martial law on Wednesday night. Well, not exactly — unless one considers the black-clad AMS security guards in the SUB a military — and certainly not on purpose, and in the end not at all. But when AMS Council had difficulty finding qualified students to appoint to one of their committees on Wednesday, they moved a motion suspending code — that is, the AMS’ governing laws — so ineligible candidates would be allowed to be appointed. They needed to appoint two students-at-large (i.e. not members of Council) to a committee, and of the three students present, two of them were already on a committee, which means that, according to code, they’re not allowed to join another. There are a few problems here. President Caroline Wong’s jump to suspend code the instant it became inconvenient is somewhat authoritarian and frankly alarming. Also concerning was Council’s immediate wholehearted bandwagoning. The motion had already been moved and seconded before VP Finance Joaquin Acevedo said, “Could we just further specify which part of code we’re suspending?” This incident highlights the poor job the AMS is doing of reaching out to the student body when it comes to getting involved. Council members are supposed to advertise student-at-large openings to their constituencies, but they apparently are not. VP External Tanner Bokor confirmed at the meeting that these positions were not advertised online, either. Now, Wong’s line of thinking was understandable: the committee was going to start working regardless of whether anyone was elected that night, so maybe it’s

10

PArting shots and snap judgements from The ubyssey editorial board

better to have some students-atlarge on the committee, even if they’re not strictly qualified to be. But the rules exist for a reason, and in this case the reason is to get students involved — which apparently the AMS needs to be doing more of. This particular committee, which will create the questions for the January referendum, wasn’t the only one having trouble. The University Sport and Recreation Council also did not advertise their openings. This was the second student-at-large position discussed that night of which students at large were not well informed. AMS Council has also been trying to appoint a chair for the Legislative Procedures Committee (which, ironically, reviews code) at three consecutive meetings during the past three weeks. So far, none of the over 40 council members have stepped up to the job, which doesn’t inspire confidence that whoever eventually does take the job will do it well. Thankfully, it wasn’t all bad. Other AMS Council members themselves raised these same concerns as we are here. The motion which would have suspended the student-at-large section of code failed 26-3. And eventually, they just appointed the one student who was eligible. But it was pretty concerning for a while.

A funding mess at sewage plant Something weird happened with UBC’s funding commitment to the Annacis Wastewater Centre, a sewage plant on an island in Delta where UBC professors are doing research. Annacis, which received the bulk of its funding from Metro Vancouver, was expecting $1 million up front. That didn’t come, and the plant was built anyway — but organizers were still expecting UBC to pitch in. Now, the university says they’ll pay half that amount over a period of

several years, and backers of the project like Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan are unhappy with the university’s change of heart. UBC’s defence seems to be that they communicated years ago that they wouldn’t be funding the full million, but that staffing changes on both sides led to the mix-up. The reality is that budgets change over time, and for the university’s ability to fund the project to change over time is hardly scandalous. But when you decide you’re only going to be able to pay half of what you originally committed, it’s important to let backers of the project know before construction is already done. Corrigan is mad that taxpayers are going to have to plug the hole in Annacis’ budget that UBC left — just wait until he hears how UBC gets funded in the first place — and that’s a reasonable complaint. On the whole, it seems like better communication on both sides was needed, and the university doesn’t come out looking great here — but they’re still donating half a million dollars to the project, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Restoring TI funding a no-brainer UBC’s Therapeutics Initiative saves lives and money, and restoring its funding is the only responsible decision the provincial government could have made. The initiative does objective testing of various new drugs to determine if they really are effective, or if they are simply being pushed through the approval process despite providing no real benefit. Its evidence-based approach looks at existing trial data to determine if there is enough information to justify, say, prescribing antidepressants for insomnia, or self-testing devices for certain types of diabetes. Their independent voice helps keep B.C. healthcare costs under

ILLUSTRATION jethro au/the ubyssey

Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan is none too pleased with UBC.

control and keeps patients safe, goals that we can all agree are worthy of pursuing.

Halloween welcomed by fog Last week, Vancouver was intermittently covered in swathes of eerie fog. Although the impenetrable greyness provided a potent atmosphere for mid-term existential crises, it portends more macabre ramifications. Don’t believe what you read — many a meteorologist will tell you that fog is merely the condensation of water droplets in the air resulting from lowered temperatures. Some climatologists may even have the gall to suggest that there’s a logical relationship between the fog and increased weather events across the globe. But we at The Ubyssey know the truth: Point Grey is slowly turning into Silent Hill, the town from Capcom’s hit horror video game franchise of the same name. <em>

</em>

Don’t believe us? Just look outside. We’ve already received reports of ghoulish creatures — zombies, mutants, Justin Bieber lookalikes — appearing on campus at night, and we predict that many more will appear on campus

Some climatologists may have the gall to suggest that there is a relationship between the fog and increased weather events across the globe. But we at The Ubyssey know the truth. before the week is over. As fans of Silent Hill know, these beings are manifestations of our inner depravity, so lock your doors, arm yourself with a rusty pipe, and be sure to only think about wholesome things, like bunnies, doves and 2009-era Miley Cyrus. U

OP-ART >> Dear Ubyssey,

I recently worked on a photo project regarding the “blue phones” on campus that might be relevant to your coverage of campus safety. They are arranged from new or clean to out of order, missing or inaccessible. There are 27 phones listed on the Campus Security website. When I took the photos, i found an extra one not listed to make it 28, and of the 27 listed, one was behind a fence, three were out of order and three were missing because of construction projects like Main Mall, Ponderosa and the New SUB. –Chris Mills, second-year UBC student


Monday, october 28, 2013 |

PICTuREs + wORDs ON yOuR uNIVERsITy EXPERIENCE

Caffeine roundup

Convenience how close is it to the major buildings on campus? Do they have more than one location? was the wait long?

Variety Do they serve anything other than just drip coffee? americanos, lattes, double-whip blended cold beverages?

Price we would pay money for a good cup of joe, but is it reasonable? all prices based on a 12-ounce cup of black coffee.

Overall In a nutshell, would you go here again?

Quality we’re talking mouth feel, balance of flavours and good blends.

The Ubyssey reviews coffee on campus. Featuring our esteemed panel of tasters: Sarah Bigam, Carter Brundage Jenica Montgomery and Kanta Dihal.

Great Dane Coffee

Starbucks

a bit out of the way, but great sandwiches and coffee make for an excellent study spot when it’s not busy. you’ll pay for it, though.

an abundance of locations (university Village, suB, kaiser, near Forestry building, Bookstore), good variety and fast service for great convenience, but you’ll pay a premium for prett y average quality.

C+ B- ($2.14) aB B+

aB ($1.95) B+ B B

UBC Food Services well, it’s cheap, you can always find it, and it has caffeine. and that’s all we’re going to say about that.

aa- ($1.85) C C B

The Boulevard They boast artisan coffee like great Dane, but they’re more central, a bit cheaper and not quite as good. Lots of room for table spots and definitely has atmosphere. good for meeting with people.

B B- ($2.14) B+ B B

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Blue Chip Cookies good central location (the suB). The cookies and cheap drip make up for the acceptable coffee. They have a clear menu, though: three roasts for light, medium and dark.

B a- ($1.80) B+ B+ B+


12 | GAMES |

MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013

Crossword

PuZZLE COuRTEsy BEsTCROsswORDs.COM. usED wITh PERMIssION.

aCross 1- ___ II (razor brand) 5- Marine mammal, secure something 9- Not neg. 12- British nobleman 13- Collection of maps, Titan of greek mythology 15- Trading center 16- architectural pier 17- Dense 18- “hard ___!” (sailor’s yell) 19- azure 21- Phantom 23- Roseanne, once 24- Destiny 25- Backward direction 28- guiding light 33- Dirty looks 34- swiss river 35- gaelic language of Ireland

or scotland 36- gibbon, e.g. 37- “snowy” bird 38- ages 39- Lens holders 41- The Clan of the Cave Bear author 42- Barely enough 44- Perfected 46- schedules 47- append 48- Pampering places 49- Distort 53- Not anywhere 57- writer wiesel 58- ___ Beautiful Doll 60- The wolf ___ the door 61- Tins 62- Equals 63- This, in Tijuana 64- Observe, viewing organ 65- Fencing sword 66- Break

down 1- afternoon affairs 2- social standing 3- Bohemian 4- Curdled milk 5- sixth planet 6- Early anesthetic 7- The greatest 8- Chantilly product 9- Dark cloud 10- sweet sandwich 11- Type of gun 14- Frying pan 15- ___-tung 20- Metallica drummer ulrich 22- her partner would be a buck 25- what you put on snooze 26- Photographic tone 27- abounds 28- Trimmed 29- hurler hershiser 30- Pay for 31- all together 32- Leases 34- a shivering fit — often a precursor to malaria 37- Dangling item of jewelry 40- Declares 42- Deli side 43- Money handler 45- Tokyo, formerly 46- One’s husband or wife 48- Night noise 49- gospel singer winans 50- Oil of ___ 51- Baseball team 52- Old-fashioned pronoun 54- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto) 55- Darn it! 56- Coup d’___ 59- you betcha!

Oct. 24 answers

Don’t have a Halloween costume yet? Go as campus news! 1. Gather as many copies of The Ubyssey as you can. 2. Attach the newspaper to your body. Voila! You are now what’s making headlines! What a relevant and timely costume! COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE : SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS

BE PART OF A LEGACY. Volunteer for The Ubyssey. Your campus media since 1918

Sudoku

PuZZLE COuRTEsy kRaZyDaD. usED wITh PERMIssION.

MORE ONLINE Is main mall brighter now after the sexual assault incidents? Read our blog to find out at ubyssey.ca/ theblog.


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