February 27, 2014 by The Ubyssey

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 | VoLuME XcV| IssuE XLIII SNOWPERSONS since 1918

RAINING SNOWBALLS P11 UBC survives massive cross-campus snowball fight

BEER AT T-BIRD ARENA YOGA MAT-TERS UBC has applied to serve alcohol at concerts more than five years after losing the privilege

UBC’s yoga club instructor says the biggest mistake you can make is trying to hard

UBC COURT DATES P4 VIDEOMATICA COLLECTION P9 MEDEO BRINGS DOCTORS TO SKYPE P3 LEARN TO SPEAK ANY LANGUAGE P8 UBC RELAYS FOR LIFE P6 UBC BASKETBALL IS A FAMILY AFFAIR P7

Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

this week, may we suggest...

OUR CAMPUS

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

THURSDAY 27 TUITION CONSULTATION 4:30 p.m. @ BROCK HALL RM 2071

This is the second and last town hall for students to voice their concerns about the upcoming 2014/2015 tuition proposal. VP Students Louise Cowin and VP Finance Pierre Ouillet will be there to take questions.

FRIDAY

SIX SHOOTER

9:30 p.m. @ 2880 WESBROOK MALL

The Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity is hosting a country-themed party for all those who have a penchant for plaid shirts, cowboy boots, and square dancing. We advise you to leave your lasso at home, even if you want to pick someone up. Call 778-628-8346 for tickets, or at the door. $15

SATURDAY

TWERKOUT

9 p.m. @ MASS (BUCH D)

From AUS First Year Committee: “Workout jocks meet yoga babes in this crazy all-ages rager that is sure to get everyone hot and sweaty!” Spandex galore. All faculty and students welcome. Call 778-929-9427 for tickets. Check Facebook event for more details. $10

ON THE COVER

No photographers were harmed in the creation of this cover. Photo by Carter Brundage.

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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 Veronika Bondarenko vbondarenko@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 Senior Lifestyle Writer Reyhana Heatherington rheatherington@ubyssey.ca Features Editor Arno Rosenfeld features@ubyssey.ca

Video Producer Lu Zhang video@ubyssey.ca Copy Editor Matt Meuse copy@ubyssey.ca

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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, Jethro Au, Bailey Ramsay, Jenica Montgomery, Austen Erhardt, Alice Fleerackers, Nikos Wright, Milica Palinic, Jovana Vranic, Mackenzie Walker, Kaveh Sarhangpour, Steven Richards

FEBRUARY 27, 2014 | Volume XCV| Issue XLIII

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Cicely Blain coordinated the biography and photography exhibit Celebrating Women at UBC.

Everday feminism at UBC with Cicely Blain Ming Wong Managing Editor, Print

Many people frequent the Facebook page UBC Compliments, but not many actually get compliments written about them. One was written about Cicely Blain. “Oh yeah!” recounts Blain. “That was a really great moment.” “I’m just passionate about human connection and I really like meeting new people.” Her passion has led her to a variety of clubs on campus, one of which is her role as the coordinator for Celebrating Women at UBC, a photography and biography project that celebrates students, staff and faculty on campus who identify as women. It’s aimed to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 6, and was created along with the other equity ambassadors Rachel Lee and Dahlia Riley, and out of UBC’s Access and Diversity office. The project is hosted on a blog, but will transfer to print and be presented in Irving Barber the Friday before International Women’s Day. Blain said the goal of the project was to target student apathy at UBC. “I’m kind of interested in everyday feminism ... a lot of times people have this conversation about feminism but it’s

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.

very academic and elitist,” said Blain, which she believes excludes those who want to get involved with issues but don’t know how. She hopes people can look at the women she’s photographed and profiled and maybe connect them to figures they see. She hopes to extend the campaign past Women’s Day by interviewing more subjects and maintaining Twitter presence after March 6. She identifies the equity ambassador program as a “mild” activist group, focusing more on celebration than crushing the system. But she still hopes the project will draw attention to issues such as unfair faculty wages between men and women. Her work in making campus more inclusive extends to UBC Intercultural Alliance, an aggregate of cultural clubs that aims to break cultural cliquing and increase cross-cultural understanding. “If you go to a Caribbean-African students association event, it’s just Caribbean-African people,” Blain mentions as an example. But she understands why people gravitate to people who are like them, at least socially. “Sometimes when you’re far from home you just want to have those people who look like you and act like you.”

She manages art submissions for the blog and has a couple of pieces of her own paintings up. She says her art pieces have a lot to do with the pressures of assimilation she felt growing up in London, U.K. Her mother is half-Gambian and her father is Jamaican. Blain says she very much accepts her British identity, but moving to an international school in Holland at age 16 started the cultural conversation for her, which extended to UBC. “I’m having all these cultural conversations and before I wasn’t having any because I was trying so hard to be British, and the Caribbean and African side of me was being suppressed,” she said. “So that’s what my artwork was about.” “It relates to work I do with access and diversity. We want people to be mindful of what they say and the only way to do that is to get to know people from different cultures.” In the second year of her modern European studies and Russian degree, she hopes to do a teaching degree, perhaps in California, after graduation. The compliment on Facebook was posted a year and a half ago, but the message is still on the wall. “You don’t notice how you’re impacting someone else and I think if you just work hard... people notice.” U

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Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

EDITORS WILL Mcdonald + Sarah Bigam

bzzr >>

Courts >>

Dispute over B.C. Binning House continues

photo david Zeibin/flickr

The B.C. Binning House is in West Van.

Danni Shanel Contributor

Next time Steve Aoki or Kid Cudi comes to Thunderbird Stadium, attendees might be able to enjoy a beer at the show.

Photo Kosta Prodanovic/THE UBYSSEY

Thunderbird applies to serve liquor at concerts

Veronika Bondarenko Senior News Writer

Students may soon be able to buy alcohol at Thunderbird Arena concerts. UBC recently applied for a change to the current liquor license, which would allow alcohol to be served at concerts in the area. The current licensing policy dates back to 2009 and only allows alcohol to be served at sporting events. While this policy was first put in place out of a concern that concerts would pose a higher risk to community safety on campus, recent evaluations have shown that the risks would actually prove to be minimal, according to Kavie Toor, UBC Athletics

NEWS BRIEFS Future of Acadia Park residents still unclear Since September, there have been a couple of meetings in regards to the plans for Acadia Park, but the university has yet to fully respond to an AMS report on the area. Former AMS VP Academic Kiran Mahal prepared an extensive report on Acadia Park, but newly-elected AMS VP Academic Anne Kessler is now responsible for bringing the issues to UBC. In mid-December, Kessler met with the university on Acadia Park. The university provided an 11page response to the 180-page AMS report. According to Kessler, the university plans to spend $16 million over the next four years to renovate Acadia Park units. Kessler said the university has answered some questions about their plans for the area, but many details remain unclear. “We are hoping they will be soon through our conversations with the new AVP.” The university has already approved plans to renovate Acadia Park to have a higher density. Cowin said that the new AVP of Campus and Community Planning, Michael White, is planning to tackle the issue of taking on consultation with its constituency groups including students. “This is not about going backwards. It’s about resetting and going forward.” U

associate director of facilities and business development. Toor is confident that the additional planning and safety controls that will accompany the licensing change will not pose any additional risks to the UBC community. “What I’ve learned from conversations with our stakeholders as well as the RCMP and security groups is that the events are very well-run and managed in a safe way, so the risks are minimal,” said Toor. In order to meet the community’s safety standards, a Safety and Operations committee, including the RCMP, Fire Department, Campus Security, and the Department of Athletics, will evaluate each event that is to be held at Thunder-

bird Arena for its potential risks and benefits. High-impact events would also need to be reviewed by the Outdoor Booking committee, which would include feedback from the University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA). Toor also pointed out that events that are not deemed beneficial to the UBC community, from either a cultural or community point of view, would not be held at Thunderbird Arena. “The strategy is such that there is always a noted beneficiary of the event and that they’re more community-oriented, so certainly there are lots of events that we wouldn’t seek and there are certain events that we would just say no to when they do ask,” said Toor.

In the past, UBC Athletics has refused several MMA and DJ-based events on that basis. Richard Alexander, Chair of the UNA, also believes that, when appropriately organized and managed, the licensing change will not pose any serious problems to the wider UBC community. “With anything that involves alcohol, there must be appropriate controls in place and we are satisfied that those controls will be in place,” said Alexander. “The UNA had good conversations with UBC Athletics on how they are going to manage the events, so that’s a good example of community working together.” UBC applied for the changes to the liquor license earlier this year. The changes can take up to eight weeks for approval. U

Health care >>

Medical video conferencing added to AMS health plan

Veronika Bondarenko Senior News Writer

An app that lets patients connect with doctors through video conferencing is now available to all UBC students through the AMS health and dental plan. Medeo, which launched in late 2013, connects patients with doctors within a time frame of 10 minutes to a couple of hours. Ryan Wilson, Medeo’s CEO, is optimistic about the app’s potential to help students. “I remember what it’s like to be a student and I also remember what it’s like to live on campus,” said Wilson. “From a convenience perspective, often getting the care that you need is a challenge.” Wilson founded the company with a software engineer and a doctor when the three of them realized how much time could be saved if patients could ask doctors simple questions online. “We were just like, ‘Why can’t you Skype with your doctor?’” Wilson said. “If there’s a simple prescription or if you just want to renew your birth control medication or asthma inhaler, why do you have to go and spend three hours travelling [and] paying for

photo courtesy medeo

The AMS has added an app to its health and dental plan that lets you video chat a doctor.

parking when you could do it in a couple of minutes? And Medeo allows you to do that.” VP Finance Joaquin Acevedo said the app, which cost nothing to add to the AMS health and dental plan, is an opportunity to make students less reluctant to seek help. “We thought it was a good idea to be able to provide students with an additional avenue to access medicine since we find that a lot of students are either too busy to be able to visit their doctor or are simply stranded in their dormitory or residence hall,” said Acevedo.

Wilson said the app could prove to be especially helpful for students who are struggling with mental health, as being able to speak to a doctor from the privacy of home could help alleviate some of the embarrassment that may come with getting help for illnesses such as depression or anxiety. As such, Wilson hopes that Medeo will make at least a few students more likely to seek the medical help they need. “There are really innovative things happening in health care,” said Wilson. “Medeo has been designed to put you in better control of your health.” U

UBC has filed an appeal in the ongoing dispute over the B.C. Binning House. The house, built by Bertram Charles Binning in 1941 and owned by the late Jessie Binning, has been the subject of a dispute between UBC and The Land Conservancy (TLC), a B.C. land trust. TLC, who attained the house in 2008, attempted to sell the Binning house to investor Bruno Wall for a reported $1.6 million. Had the sale gone through, TLC would have used the money to repay its reported $7.5 million in debt. UBC contested the sale on the basis that if the house was not maintained as a heritage site, then it should be sold. The money, the university argues, belongs to UBC; particularly to the scholarship fund Binning created in honour of her late husband. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Fitzpatrick initially ruled that the university had no stake in the land sale, and that the TLC had the rights to the property. However, the court put the sale of the house on hold indefinitely. “What we would like to see is either the house gets preserved, and is operated as a heritage house in memory of Mr. Binning ... [or] if it is sold to be operated by somebody else, then that money should not go to pay for the debts of the conservancy,” said UBC spokesperson Lucie McNeill. UBC has filed an appeal to the decision on the basis that the court mistakenly interpreted the intentions of the late widow. “The outcome for us is ... the house remains and is operated as a heritage house and open in the memory of Mr. Binning. We are happy with that. But if it’s sold to another entity, then it becomes something else,” said McNeill. “We believe that the will of Mrs. Binning should be honoured.” U

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Thursday, February 27, 2014

the law >>

Legal action: UBC in the courts

This month, the BC Supreme Court and Court of Appeals have judged three cases involving UBC. The first one was further judgment in a 23-year case between UBC and a former employee. The second dismissed a student caught plagiarizing who wanted to appeal her failing grade. The third put a hold on UBC’s claim that one student’s appeal of two decisions ruled against him was an abuse of process. —Sarah Bigam, News Editor

Earlier this month, one more decision was made in a case between UBC and a former employee that has now spanned 23 years. Jeannine Kapelus was dismissed from her position as an administrative assistant at UBC’s Centre for Metallurgical Process Engineering in 1991 after uncertainty regarding grant funding for the Centre eliminated her position. She sued the university for insufficient notice and in 1994 was awarded $45,994.10. In 1993 UBC had offered to settle and pay Kapelus $60,716.66, but she did not accept this offer. The issue of costs came up in May 1995, but no decision could be reached on this until 2002, when Judge David Tysoe determined that Kapelus was entitled to costs prior to UBC’s settlement offer, and UBC and co-defendants Technexus International

Corp and James Brimacombe were entitled to the costs determined in their favour after the settlement offer. Brimacombe was director of the Centre. “Virtually every step taken was challenged by the plaintiff or the defendant,” commented judge Alan Donaldson on a further decision in 2004. Donaldson and the Registrar of the B.C. Court of Appeal determined after the 2004 decision that Kapelus owed $105,147.41 to the defendants collectively and $57,937.46 to Brimacombe. By 2012, Kapelus had yet to pay any of the claim amounts. After interest, Kapelus was determined to owe $231,029.78 to the defendants and $149,531.59 to UBC, as Technexus has now dissolved as a corporation and Brimacombe has died. The remaining $81,498.19 is owed to Brimacombe’s estate.

In the most recent decision on the case, Kapelus’s appeal to the 2012 decision was dismissed. Kapelus had planned to add further evidence, including a letter that UBC’s lawyer submitted to the trial judge concerning additional case law. UBC’s lawyer said that this letter had been requested by the trial judge, but Kapelus claimed that it had not been. For this, he requested additional costs against Kapelus “because of her personal attack on his character.” He submitted that Kapelus questioned his ethics and suggested he misled the Court. On Feb. 2, Kapelus’s appeal was dismissed and UBC was awarded further claims from Kapelus, both for regular costs in the appeal and “special costs” for the fresh evidence application that defamed UBC’s representative.

UBC’s submission that a former student’s request for judicial review of two decisions ruled against him was put on hold on Feb. 20. The Faculty of Graduate Studies told former student Bahafor Rafie Baharloo to withdraw from his PhD program in Craniofacial Science on November 10, 2009, for “failing to produce an acceptable doctoral dissertation proposal within the time allowed to achieve candidacy.” Baharloo claimed that he was not able to complete the program on time due to ongoing harassment by dentistry professor Donald Brunette and mental health issues that worsened due to Brunette’s treatment of him.

Baharloo appealed the Faculty’s decision to the Senate Committee on December 2, 2009. Before the Senate Committee’s hearing was concluded, Baharloo filed a discrimination in employment and public service complaint against UBC, Brunette and two other faculty members with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, citing discrimination based on race, place of origin and mental disability. Baharloo alleged that Brunette intimidated him with physical aggression and verbally abused him a number of times, calling him “stupid, crazy, and delusional.” On October 13, 2011, the BCHRT dismissed Baharloo’s complaint on the grounds that it had been

appropriately dealt with in the Senate’s proceeding. Baharloo filed an application for judicial review of both decisions on December 9, 2011. UBC claimed this was an abuse of process. BC Supreme Court judge Catherine Bruce decided to wait to determine the merits of Baharloo’s application for judicial review of the BCHRT’s decision to determine whether the petition is an abuse of process. “A finding that [Baharloo’s] judicial review application concerning the Senate Committee decision is an abuse of process is tantamount to a finding that the Human Rights Tribunal properly concluded that the petitioner’s complaint was barred,” Bruce wrote. U

Three court judgments involving UBC have come down this month.

2 A former UBC student’s request for judicial review of a decision by UBC’s Senate Committee not to permit her appeal after she was caught plagiarizing a class assignment was rejected by the B.C. Supreme Court on Feb. 14. Mihaela Albu was a student in the Bachelor of Dental Science program in the 2007-2008 school year. In 2008, she submitted a paper for her DHYG 404 course which was determined to be plagiarized. She admitted to it and was failed in the assignment. Albu appealed UBC’s decision to fail her to the Senate Committee. Prior to being heard by the committee, Albu entered into a settlement agreement. The agreement was

Photo bloomsberries/flickr

signed by both Albu and her lawyer. One of the conditions of this was for her to withdraw her appeal to Senate, but she did not do so. Another term of the settlement agreement was that Albu would be permitted to repeat the assignment she had failed. However, she failed the repeat assignment. Albu then launched a claim against UBC over the findings of plagiarism, alleging breach of contract and negligence. Albu claimed that the letter agreement she entered into was unenforceable, but judge John Truscott found her case to be an abuse of process and dismissed her request. “It is my conclusion that she has not come to court with clean hands,” wrote Truscott.

the big kids >>

Major donors, alumni to receive honorary UBC degrees Sarah Bigam News Editor

Two major UBC donors and two UBC graduates made the list of nine individuals who will be receiving honorary degrees from UBC this spring. Honorary degree recipient Djavad Mowafaghian is the creator of the Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation, which aims to better the lives of children through health and education. In 2011, Mowafaghian donated $15 million to UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, its largest gift to date, for the construction of the newly operational Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. Mowafaghian said his decision to support the project became more meaningful after he had a stroke last April. “I am lucky that I have recovered,” he said in 2011. “But thousands more people per year in Canada suffer strokes, with many of them dying or never fully recovering. It is my hope that this facility will help lay the foundation for future discoveries in brain health and make a difference in the lives of the children of British Columbia and beyond.” Mowafaghian’s foundation also donated $4 million in 2011 to construction of the UBC Medical Education Centre; the partnership between the province, UBC’s

Photo will mcdonald/the ubyssey

The newly opened Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health was funded by a $15 million donation from Mowafaghian.

Faculty of Medicine, Vancouver Coastal Health and the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation will be housed at Lions Gate Hospital. The Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium at the Beaty Biodiversity Centre, which houses the blue whale skeleton, is also named after him, due to a $3 million donation in 2010. That year, he donated an additional $1 million to establish a program for UBC’s Human Early Learning Partnership to research

children’s health and education in UBC faculties. Michael Audain, who helped found the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the Audain Foundation for the Visual Arts in British Columbia, will also receive a degree. Audain is a $5 million donor to and namesake of the new Audain Art Centre. In 2009, he also gave $2.5 million to the Museum of Anthropology. In 2008, he gave $2 million to UBC

to educate curators. Audain made his millions during his time as CEO of Polygon Homes, a large home-building company in Vancouver formed in the ‘80s. The other candidates receiving honorary degrees are Raymond Lee, Marvin Storrow, Dempsey Bob, James Clifford, Bonnie Klein, Janet Rossant and Lisa Sennerby-Forsse. Lee is the founder of Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Ltd, a large

paper and pulp manufacturer based in China. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in Applied Science from UBC. Storrow graduated from UBC Law in 1962. He has worked in both civil and criminal law, and is recognized for his work in aboriginal law. Bob is a First Nations master carver and recipient of the Order of Canada. He has seven pieces on display in UBC’s Museum of Anthropology. Clifford is an American historian of anthropology. He served as a member of the Museum of Anthropology’s advisory board from 2010 to 2013. Klein is a documentary filmmaker, author and activist for women’s and disabled persons’ rights. Rossant is a scientist recognized for her work in understanding the role of genes in embryo development. She is a professor at the University of Toronto and a senior scientist in the developmental and stem cell biology program and chief of research at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Lisa Sennerby-Forsse is a forestry scientist. She is vice-chancellor of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and holds an honorary doctorate from UBC’s Faculty of Forestry. U

Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

EDItoR NATALIE SCADDEN

YOgA >>

Practising safely with the UBC Yoga Club Reyhana Heatherington senior Lifestyle Writer

Have you tried yoga? Wait. This is Vancouver. Of course you have. What you might not have contemplated is what it takes to safely enjoy a fulfilling practice. Once a self-described “classic stiff person," Michael Olivotto began teaching yoga two years ago and now benefits from the guidance of three mentors with different areas of expertise. But he didn’t come to the practice willfully. “I was really afraid of it, actually,” he said. “I think it’s kind of ironic that I teach for the yoga club because when I was at UBC I scoffed at yoga.” In fact, on his first solo journey to a yoga studio, Olivotto walked past the door five times before mustering the courage to go inside. “Especially for guys, [the] yoga space is often quite intimidating. We’re so used to having, especially in our workout environment, a very male-dominated space,” he said. “When you walk into the typical yoga studio ... it’s quite feminine.”

A lot of us, especially at our age, need that strong dynamic release to shut our brain oﬀ because we’re so amped up. Michael Olivotto Instuctor, ubC yoga Club

Once you’re in the door, there are other limitations. A recent consumer report listed the hidden dangers of hot yoga, including infection from unsanitary conditions, heat stroke and muscle damage from pushing past your body’s limit. Olivotto maintains that the most common mistake in any kind of yoga is trying too hard. And what better way to explain the

Photo stEPhANIE XU/thE UBYssEY

Many Vancouverites do yoga for its physical and mental benefits, but the UBc Yoga club warns yogis not to overstretch.

risks than a dating analogy? “If you just met someone, and you got their number and you both like each other, but now you just send them 24 texts in 24 hours, no matter how much there was that attraction, you’re probably going to scare them off,” he warned. “And it’s the same thing with all the things we do.” Young adults often choose challenging power or hot classes to feel as though the workout and benefits are substantial. “A lot of us, especially at our age, need that strong dynamic release to shut our brain off because we’re so amped up,” Olivottto said.

It’s not just New Age, hippie-dippie, loveydovey. It’s a deep, powerful, insane practice that is quite physically demanding. Michael Olivotto Instuctor, ubC yoga Club

Maggie Billingsley, a fourthyear pharmacy student, started as a volunteer with the UBC Yoga Club before working her way to vice-president and is now the club’s president. She began yoga

eight years ago and has been practising regularly for three years. “Everyone has their own ‘How I Came to Yoga’ story, it seems, but mine was initially because I was a really angry person, to be really honest,” Billingsley said. After years managing stress as a competitive high school athlete, she attended a yoga class on a whim and immediately noticed her attitude shift. “I just happened to go to a class and the way that I felt after was just so uplifted and happy and clear,” she said. The UBC Yoga Club offers a range of classes from relaxing yin

yoga, to energetic power yoga, to workshops including acrobatic acro yoga, which Billingsley calls “pretty cray." “When you get a whole bunch of people that come together and they align on one single thing, which is yoga for us, you feel so supported and so loved,” she said. The diversity of options, along with a supportive class environment and low-cost membership, keeps students coming back. “Because our club offers yoga at a very affordable price, a lot of people can get introduced to that [environment] ... without knowing a single person in the class,” Billingsley says. A former archaeologist and UBC alum, Olivotto found his years of schooling related to archaic exploration of ancient Middle Eastern cultures were a surprising asset to his new career choice. Both yogic thought and archaeological philosophy rely on similar principles. “All you’re doing is trying to take an ancient culture and make it understandable to us,” Olivotto said. Unlike other athletic activities, there is no clear end goal in yoga. Instead, along with spiritual growth and increased flexibility, Olivotto says the main physical goal is achieving balance. “It’s not just New Age, hippie-dippie, lovey-dovey,” he says. “It’s a deep, powerful, insane practice that is quite physically demanding.” Olivotto urges would-be yogis or people looking for new physical activities to search for the activity they connect with most. “Whatever way works for you is what you need to find,” he said. “But you need to take the time to actually understand what that is, and not just run around like a chicken with your head cut off.” U A one-year student membership to the UBC Yoga Club is $10. Members then pay just $2 per class.

Advice straight from the guru: Michael Olivotto deﬁnes the types of at-risk yogis

Intermediate Competitive athlete yogis yogis Beginners are often safer in yoga since they can be limited by fear of the unknown. the intermediate zone is the “danger zone.” You know what you’re doing but don’t necessarily understand. Advanced yogis have learned how to listen to the signs in their bodies and back off when needed.

successful high-level athletes are often hyper-specialized, and this strength can contribute to overconfidence in a yoga studio. Internal competition to push yourself or comparing yourself to others in the class can also lead to injuries.

3 Chronic injury yogis watch out for your lower back — it’s one of the most common places for injury. Like the arches that give cathedrals strength, a slight curve in our spine is important to maintain. Remember to lengthen instead.

6 | SPORTS + REC |

Thursday, February 27, 2014

CHARITY EVENT >>

Bringing the Relay to life at UBC 3rd annual event benefits the Canadian Cancer Society; fundraising goal set for $60,000 Reyhana Heatherington Senior Lifestyle Writer

“I’m a little girl on a big campus. How can I do this?” Zahra Khamisa was full of questions when she came to UBC from Mississauga and decided she wanted to bring the Relay for Life cancer fundraiser to the university campus. Now a fifth-year kinesiology student, Khamisa started the UBC Relay for Life in 2012 along with co-chairs Salima Hirji and Samantha Sasyniuk, who have since graduated. In the first year, the relay exceeded the fundraising goal by $17,000, and it has continued to grow by thousands of dollars each year. The third annual event will bring together cancer survivors, friends, family and supporters for a relay complete with various activities and a luminary ceremony where candles are lit to remember those lost to cancer. The overnight relay benefits the Canadian Cancer Society and teammates each commit to raising at least $100. Last year, events across Canada collectively raised $46 million, and over the past two years, the UBC event raised more than $100,000. The goal has been set for $60,000 this year. Khamisa’s experience bringing the event to UBC and working with cancer research has also driven her career goals; she currently interns at a clinic that advocates for exercise for chronic health conditions. “It’s sort of driven every decision in my life,” she says. “Now my real passion really lies with cancer and exercise and health promotion related to cancer, so it’s interesting how one thing can lead to another.”

Readying the relay Throughout the planning process, Khamisa had support from groups including UBC REC and the Kinesiology Undergraduate Society to make the event a reality. She credits powerful teamwork with the event’s continued success and numerous leadership opportunities for students. “Salima always told me that you’re the combination of the five people you surround yourself most with, so pick wisely,” Khamisa remembers. “I think it’s about that reciprocal relationship.” Lee Gangbar, an event committee member and fourth-year kinesiology student, was an event day volunteer at the inaugural UBC Relay for Life. Although that first relay was an inspiring highlight for her, her increased responsibility the next year became a source of fear as the big day loomed nearer. “We were nervous wrecks leading up to the event,” she remembers. “The awesome but also unfortunate thing about doing an event like this at a university is students are so last-minute, which is terrifying for us.” The stress release moment last year came halfway through the night when Gangbar and fellow committee member Hayley Schwarz learned the fundraising total had surpassed $50,000. “Hayley and I burst into tears because we were like, ‘Oh my God,

PHOTO richard graner/flickr

During the 12-hour Relay for Life, at least one member of each eight- to 15-person team must be on the track at all times.

like a week ago we thought this was not going to come together at all,” Gangbar says.

Personal connections Year after year, cancer experiences continue to be the unifying factor as participants share their stories and motivations for joining the relay. When her older brother was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 16, Khamisa saw first-hand how the Canadian Cancer Society helped her family as her brother’s life was transformed before he eventually recovered and landed his dream job as a sportscaster. “He played hockey, he played soccer, he played everything, that was his life. And then watching him do no activity after that ... [there were] so many things I notice now that I didn’t understand then,” she says. Chris Howe, a fourth-year varsity UBC volleyball player and sociology student, is the captain of his relay team for the second year in a row. Howe’s mother passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2005 and he has been participating in the event since 2006. Howe named his team “T-Birds for Life” last year to commemorate all of those affected by cancer, but the name has another special significance for varsity athletes at UBC this year. “I started to hear about all of my friends that have been touched by cancer so that [is one] aspect of it, but also the sports targeting review, that’s also like “T-Birds 4 Life” regardless of what happens,” Howe says. While some people unfamiliar with the event associate cancer fundraisers with feelings of sadness, Howe views the relay as primarily a celebratory event. For him, the positive energy comes from a variety of factors, including

the lighthearted team bonding events. “The celebration and the walk and all of the games and the activities that you do, they’re almost like, beyond stupid,” he says. “I think that gives it this really instantaneous positive atmosphere.” During the 12-hour relay, at least one member of each eight- to 15-person team must be on the track at all times. Howe prefers the 2 a.m. relay timeslot above all else. “When the diehards come out and there’s people kind of walking silently and you’re just like, ‘Hey, what’s up? What’s you’re story? What’s going on?’ And you can kind of be someone’s friend,” Howe says. “That’s what I love about every relay. It’s probably my favourite point, right there in the middle of the night.” Gangbar remembers one of those special moments happening at the second annual UBC Relay for Life. One unforgettable participant came to the event to support

his childhood best friend who was dying of brain cancer. The student went on to inspire other event participants with his unique way of empathizing with his friend’s pain. “He literally ran the entire 12 hours with a weighted vest on,” Gangbar says. “People were really confused by him at first.... Then at the end of the luminary, I saw people who definitely did not know him going up to him, and hearing his story and supporting him.” As she mans the promotional booths for the relay around UBC with fellow committee members, Gangbar says she often recognizes people from their involvement in the relay and can sometimes even recall their fundraising totals. “We feel like we know everyone on campus,” she says. While more students are aware of the event every year, it can still be difficult to recruit participants at a busy time of the academic year.

“Definitely the biggest challenge is convincing people who have no idea about the event why they should stay up all night, why they should go around asking family and friends for money,” Gangbar says. Once people show up however, Khamisa, Gangbar and Howe all agree that the magic of the event takes over and the anticipation is palpable. “I’m excited to be there for 12 hours, do yoga, listen to great music, participate in the ceremonies and remember why we do it,” Khamisa says. “Sometimes people think cancer’s not a young person’s disease, so it’s interesting to hear about it from different people and to know our personal connections to it and to know at our age what we can do. "I think that’s pretty impactful.” U The UBC Relay for Life takes place at the Life Sciences Institute March 7-8 at 7 p.m.

FILE PHOTO NATALIE SCADDEN/THE UBYSSEY

The Relay For Life is held annually in hundreds of communities and schools across Canada, and for many participants, the luminary ceremony is the most moving part of the event.

THURSdAy, FEBRUARy 27, 2014

T-biRdS 5-ON-5

BRAD HOBAN

TATIANA RAFTER

COLEMAN ALLEN

hockey

swimming

LISA BARCLAY Volleyball

| SPORTS + REC | 7 KEDAR WRIGHT Basketball

PLAYoFF stARs Flex in mirror. tell myself , ‘I’m the man.’ Do a few butt squeezes for good measure and I’m on my way.

Always sit in the same spot for video, always put my jersey on the last chair on the bench, never sit during timeouts — just to name a few.

I treat every game the same way however areas of focus may change week to week. After my pre-game meal I do visualization which usually transforms into a nap.

Foam roller. #theyseemerollin’ #theyhatin’

getting massaged by our massage guy, Nate. his hands are so tender and warm. he rubs all my pain and sorrows away. I don’t even have to tip him!

Ice and getting treatment from our awesome trainers.

My favourite recovery tool comes in a trio. After most games and practices, I always ice and massage the areas that hurt and then have a delicious dose of protein.

sid seixeiro’s rant on ice dancing.

cheering and believing in the women’s team canada hockey team until the bitter end!

the canadian team as a whole. they performed at the highest level possible. It was really inspiring as an olympic hopeful for the Rio games.

the men’s moguls. to see Alex Bilodeau struggle with the first run and then eventually take home the gold was really inspiring.

the canadian women’s hockey team winning gold. Being down two goals late in the game, it would be easy for any team to give up. Perseverance takes heart.

4. if UBc were an Olympic team, who would be our ﬂag-bearer?

Ilan cumberbirch. the guy knows everyone in kitsilano. Plus that hair!

sport targeting review for their continued support of athletics.

Probably Rey from the Vanier cafeteria. he would work it.

Mariah [Bruinsma]. she always puts the team first and just brings so much love to every practice and game.

A young Mike steele! he’s the epitome of a student-athlete. he does his job, nothing more and nothing less. And he’s consistent - I like that.

5. You have decided to become a farmer. Where do you move, and what are you growing?

I’d starve to death if this is how I had to make my living, but I’d move back near swift current and grow lentils or durum or something like that.

Move to Nicklas Backstrom’s backyard and grow some swedish total ones, because apparently I break enough of them.

I’d move to Idaho and be a potato farmer so I could make my own yam fries. I love yam fries.

Most people would assume I would move back to Manitoba and grow some type of grain I guess because that’s what my family did, but it’s way too cold back there.

1. Do you have any special pre-game or playoﬀ traditions?

Put everything left to right, drink Dr. Pepper with Bardaro, and lots of other ocD things.

Paint my nails, give my stick to the geno whisperer prior to on ice warm up, bum drops, chesters, thrusts, throw sauce with cascorezo, bring the Payne.

2. What’s your favourite recovery tool or technique?

Ride the bike after games.

3. What was your favourite performance of the Sochi Olympics?

I would move to Miami, Florida where I would raise chicken and grow corn.

bASkeTbAll>>

All ball in the McGuinness family

Mehryar Maalem staff Writer

Basketball is a family affair for the McGuinnesses. Active throughout their childhood, Thunderbird Andrew McGuinness and his older sister Erica found inspiration through their father’s coaching to pursue basketball as their main sport after high school. Shaun McGuinness, a former T-Bird football player who is currently an assistant coach for UBC's women’s basketball team, passed on his passion for sports to Andrew, who transferred to UBC last year, and Erica, a former T-Bird standout. It all started in the West Vancouver Secondary School gym where Shaun was coach of the women's high school varsity team. As youngsters, Erica and Andrew would find themselves on the court after practices and in between quarters at games trying to get shots up and even mimic what they had seen from the older players. Erica was even the team's ball girl. “In Grade 1, watching the high school-aged girls play basketball was pretty inspiring and piqued my interest," said Erica. "I was always going out at halftime and trying to get the ball to reach the rim." The athletic family tradition did not stop at basketball. Both Erica and Andrew were brilliant multisport athletes as well. Andrew played baseball at a very competitive level with the provincial team and Erica played four sports during her senior year of high school. “They were all multi-sport athletes until they got to an age where they chose basketball as something they wanted to pursue in post-secondary, and they were kind of concentrated on that,” Shaun said of his kids.

Ultimately, both Erica and Andrew found basketball to be their sport of choice to pursue at university. Erica played for the T-Birds throughout all five years of varsity eligibility. “My mom and dad are both UBC alums ... so growing up [we] would come out to UBC and watch games,” said Erica. "I think it just seemed like a really good fit for me and I had a lot of positive feelings for the school.” Andrew also got an early start, enrolling in a rec league in second grade. "My dad was coaching basketball when I was really young. I was always around basketball and got going pretty early," he said. After spending three years playing for the University of Calgary Dinos, Andrew transferred to UBC in 2012. He averaged 9.5 points per game this season after red-shirting with the team last year. “I wanted to go to a place that has a strong tradition of basketball and good academics as well. And it got to a point in Calgary where I decided I needed a change and UBC was just the best fit,” Andrew said. For Erica, her father’s expertise in the offensive aspects of basketball not only helped her become a varsity athlete at UBC, but also to become one of the best shooting stars the CIS has seen. The father-daughter coach-player duo stacked up two national championships for the T-Birds, and Erica remains UBC's all-time leading scorer with 2,523 points in her Thunderbird career. She's won just about every individual honour a UBC athlete can attain, holds six school records and upon graduation went on to play basketball professionally in Europe.

"My dad coached me a lot in high school too," said Erica. "So I grew up with my dad being a coach and I was used to playing for him. It was not a big transition having him on the bench at UBC. " It's not a coincidence, then, seeing Andrew lighting it up from behind the three-point arc during the T-Birds games this year. He's hit as many as seven triples in a single game, just one shy of the school record. With Shaun working on shooting and ball-handling skills with both players at a very young age, you can see the absence of bad habits from Andrew during T-Birds games. “He’s a really good shooting coach," said Andrew. "My dad definitely had a huge impact on both me and my sister.” Despite their busy schedules and the strains of everyday life, the McGuinness family still finds ways to stay true to their

all-round active lifestyle. During the summer, you will find the three playing golf, tennis, or just outdoors shooting hoops with one another. “We have a basketball hoop in our backyard, so we still do more fun shooting games like horse or something," said Erica. “Especially in Photo stEVEN RIchARDs/thE UBYssEY the summer we like to golf and throw Andrew Mcguinness (left) transferred to UBc this year, joining the football around, his father, shaun, who is an assistant coach with the UBc play some tennis," women’s basketball team. Andrew added. “We breaking all-star of a player in like to get out and just enjoy the Erica and the current skilled outside and compete with each sharpshooter of the T-Birds in other.” Andrew, growing up in the With 25 years of successful McGuinness household was coaching in Shaun, a record indeed a basketball life. U

Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

EDITOR Rhys Edwards

hola amigos >>

Polyglot partners practice patois in UBC Tandem program

theatre >>

UBC students find their inner thespian at Festival Dionysia

Language exchange project proves effective

PHOTO carter brundage/THE UBYSSEY

Marie Shuman, the coordinator of Tandem, emphasized that it provides a welcoming environment for language learning while offering vocabulary you won’t get in a classroom.

Ruby Chen Contributor

As a world-class university home to undergrads from 151 countries, UBC students don’t need to go on exchange or take higher-level language courses to achieve fluency in a foreign language. The UBC Tandem Language Exchange Program is a free, student-run initiative that pairs up students who wish to learn each others’ languages, and offers weekly facilitated sessions that run for 10 to 11 weeks. Since the start of the program in 2011, the number of Tandem applicants has grown from 100 to 840 this year. Yaron Cohen, the program coordinator, cites autonomy as one of the factors for Tandem’s success. “The option to choose what you want to learn with your partner, and how fast you want to move forward, unlike class lessons,” Cohen said. “Our program is much more flexible and people like it.” The peer teaching format also allows Tandem participants to practice in real time and benefit from mutual mistake correction. “Having a tandem partner is great because you can make mistakes without fear of being judged, and

they will give you in-conversation feedback, all while learning upto-date vocabulary,” said Marie Shuman, a Tandem facilitator and participant. “In classrooms, you don’t often have the chance to put your hand up and say, ‘Can you explain the meaning of this Dutch joke I heard on TV?’” Indeed, one of the keys to learn a new language is to speak it. “Be open to making mistakes. The more you speak, the better your speaking will get,” said Carla Hudson Kam, the Canada Research Chair in language acquisition and linguistic associate professor at UBC. “If you’re too worried about saying something the wrong way, you miss out on lots of valuable practice.” So does it mean that the Tandem approach is better for language acquisition than the traditional approach? The answer is classic: it depends. “Some people think that Tandem is a good way to learn a language from scratch. However, Tandem is a program that is meant for people who already have some background in a certain language who would like to gain more day to day experience through working

with someone who speaks this language as [their] mother tongue, or has a high proficiency in it,” said Cohen. Kam offered more insight into second language acquisition for adults. Unlike children, who are more capable of automatic learning, adults are better at explicit learning — we get off the ground faster in a structured format. “So studying a language in a classroom is a good thing. But don’t just do that,” Kam said. “For adults, doing both classroom-style learning and immersion opportunities are important for successful acquisition.” She also urged students to get linguistic inputs from a variety of contexts. “Try and get exposure to casual speech, formal speech, different accents and the like.” For many participants, improving proficiency in a foreign language is only one aspect of the whole Tandem experience. “My partner and I learned a lot about each other and our cultural backgrounds based on the things we decided to do together,” said Shuman, “[and] I didn’t just improve in the language I was learning, I also learned a lot about the way that I speak. It turns out I say ‘though’ an obscene amount — a word whose meaning is extremely difficult to explain.” As the popularity of the Tandem program continues to grow, Cohen and his team is working on new ways to expand the program. “Since many people ask to improve their French or Spanish and there aren’t enough speakers of those languages on campus, we are developing online Tandem programs with universities inside and outside Canada.” UBC Tandem currently partners with the National Autonomous University of Mexico to coordinate the Spanish-English online sessions. Kam offered some final tips for effective language acquisition: “Immerse yourself as much as you can. If you are learning a language that is not the one generally spoken by the community, then get on the web and find TV shows, movies, etc. Find ways to get exposure to hearing people speak the language.” U

PHOTO Steven Richards/THE UBYSSEY

Actors from the UBC Players Club rehearse on stage at the Dorothy Somerset Studio.

Tom Spano Contributor

This week, the fraternity and sorority system isn’t the only thing going Greek at UBC. Over the span of five days, the Dorothy Somerset Studio will host the Festival Dionysia theatre festival. Featuring six plays presented by the UBC Players Club, the oldest club on campus, all of them are performed and written by former and present UBC students. This year’s schedule offers a smorgasbord of genres; viewers can expect anything from cannibals and psycho-thrillers to a one act play about squids on Valentine’s Day, entitled Cephalopod Love Story . “This is the third year that we’re doing the festival, it [was] started three years ago by a BFA student who just had the idea of doing a tradition similar to what was done in ancient Greece. So we just wanted to put that on the stage and we’ve been doing it ever since,” said Jason Dio, the artistic director of the festival and a second year physiology major. “Since October we have been getting applications from directors and writers of shows and choosing them since then,” added Dio. “But we’ve been rehearsing and actually doing stuff for about four or five weeks.” Four of the plays will be making their theatrical debut later this week. The actors were given four weeks to rehearse. “The hardest part was just making sure that everything is running on schedule, because our timing is definitely

crucial in theatre,” Dio said. The Greek-inspired gem of local culture is uniquely operated by UBC students of all years and majors. Its open auditions allow for a spectrum of actors and stage personnel outside of the usual BFA acting program. The festival gives students the opportunity to experience a theatrical personnel position they might otherwise not have occupied. Since Joylyn Secunda is a student in UBC’s BFA acting program, she was encouraged to take on an alternative position within Festival Dionysia. She will be making her directorial debut with a meta-theatrical play titled Exit Stage Left . Like many others, Joylyn acquired several new insights into the production process. “This is my first time directing so it was challenging… I learned a lot throughout the whole process. I guess each new thing was a new thing to face,” she said. “So for auditions, that was the first time that I had to decide who I wanted in my cast.” Rather than causing a manic power struggle, the student-run dynamic promotes co-operation and teamwork. “It was just kind of interesting,” said third year Political Science major Erica Dolman. “Instead of having an adult figure we all kind of worked together.” U

Festival Dionysia runs from Feb. 26 to March 2 at the Dorothy Somerset Studio, located near the Ponderosa Commons. Tickets can be purchased through the UBC Players website or at the door.

film >>

MFA students go loco for local Crazy8s movie festival

Aurora Tejeida Senior Culture Writer

UBC students are heading to the big screen — on a small budget. Every year six teams are chosen to compete in an eight-day filmmaking challenge known as the Crazy8s. The teams, which get $1,000 plus filming equipment, have three days of shooting followed by five days of post-production before handing in their short films. This year, three teams in the challenge have direct ties to UBC. One director is a former student of UBC’s Film Production Program, another is a current student of the same program and a third film’s writer and director are both MFA film students. In an interview with The Ubyssey, Ryan Atimoyoo, who is in his second year of a joint MFA in screenwriting and film production at UBC, spoke about his experience directing Sacrifice , one of the six participating projects.

“The shooting was brutal, I mean it was fun, it was good, but we had a lot of things that went wrong,” said Atimoyoo. Three days is an incredibly short time to shoot, and at the time The Ubyssey spoke to Atimoyoo, his team had just started post-production; they also had the misfortune of having three generators break down during the shoot. “We had to go back into Vancouver, we were in Richmond, and buy another generator. It was ridiculous,” he added. The trouble started before they even had their first shot, so they were already three hours behind on their first day. And that wasn’t the only problem. “Because we’re working with child actors at night time, our schedule was really tight. We were always in danger of not getting all of our shots in time, not to mention the wind and rain was really bad on Sunday,” said Atimoyoo.

stories in person, then 12 of those get to workshop their scripts with professionals before moving on to the six finalists. Ryan Bright, a UBC student who is doing a MFA in creative writing, wrote Sacrifice — the short film Atimoyoo is directing. Atimoyoo described the film as a mix between horror and a psychological thriller, similar to David Fincher’s Seven . “Peter Bishop is this crazy serial killer who believes that if he sacrifices enough people it will save his dying daughter. When it doesn’t seem to work, Mary [Peter’s daughter] starts taking matters into her own hands,” explained the filmmaker. Now that filming is done, his team is focusing on post-production, which he said requires much more time and work than shooting. At this point he only has a couple of days left to edit and work out all the visual effects of his film before he can hand it in.

PHOTO Kosta Prodanovic/THE UBYSSEY

Sacrifice is one of the short films currently being developed for the festival.

Somehow the team managed to get all of their shots, even though many of their scenes were outdoors. “We were soaked to the bone,” said Atimoyoo. “I threw away my shoes afterwards.” To participate in the Crazy8s challenge, filmmakers are required to submit a five-minute video explaining their idea. Out of the 100 people who submit an idea each year, 40 are chosen to pitch their

“You can’t make a mistake because you only get three days of shooting. It was an ambitious script and we had lots of prep time, but it’s just never enough,” he added. But the payback is worth the effort. The six films will be presented at a gala event on March 1 that will be attended by important members of Vancouver’s film industry. “The gala is full of respected sponsors and mentors and industry professionals who come to see our work. That means a lot for further opportunities,” he added. Tickets for the screening gala March 1 at The Centre, as well the after party at Science World, are available to the general public. “This is a great opportunity for emerging filmmakers,” said Atimoyoo. “I would highly encourage [students] to get involved, even if it’s just to help out on a show or donate some time. Get involved in some way.” U

Thursday, February 27, 2014

| CULTURE | 9

film >>

Favourite flicks and movie masterpieces at UBC library

Famous Videomatica collection now available for free rental to students Jenica Montgomery Staff Writer

Invite some friends, make some popcorn, and head to the library. Koerner Library is now in possession of one of the largest and most well-known film collections in Canada. The Videomatica collection has over 30, 000 titles, ranging from Lord of the Rings to Vintage 1920s erotica. The collection was originally housed and curated by Videomatica, a Kitsilano staple, until it closed its doors for the last time in 2011. In late January, the UBC Library acquired Videomatica’s collection of DVDs, VHS tapes, and Blu-rays; SFU received the collection’s documentaries. Ernest Mathijs is a professor of Film Studies at UBC, and a local cinema expert. “If you were a cinephile and you lived in another part of the world and for whatever reason you visited Vancouver, you knew you had to go to the Videomatica store,” said Mathijs. With Videomatica’s closure, it was imperative that the collection remain as complete as possible. Mathijs, who was a part of the discussions for the transfer of the collection, said: “I thought that was a particularly good idea, so we sat down with the owners and some other stakeholders; people from SFU, Vancity Theatre, and the Cinematech, basically a sort of gathering of the tribes of the cinephiles in and around Vancouver and we figured out if there was anything we could do to keep the collection intact.” Acquiring almost all 30,000 films was one way in which the university was able to preserve not only the films themselves, but also the history they represent. When Videomatica closed its doors, it signalled the end of an era. Video stores played an integral part in

film history, as well as the community in which they thrived. “[Video stores] add something to a community which has been taken away by the rise of the internet and the digital age,” said Angela Walsh, an MFA student in Film Studies. It’s no surprise that the downfall of video stores came with the rise of the internet and pirated media. Finding a movie on the internet is an easy task if you know where to look, and services like iTunes and Netflix cater to the need for the instant streaming of content. Users no longer have to leave their house to go to a video store or spend the time looking for a movie on the shelves, and for some, this particular ritual adds to the experience. “I always find a certain joy in being able to go to a video store and pick out a DVD and take it home,” Walsh noted. “There’s a certain ritual and performance in going and looking through the shelves and looking at titles, talking to clerks and getting recommendations from them. And it sets you up for a more formal viewing experience where you’ll have to play it off your TV or on your DVD player, so you have to concentrate on it.” The Videomatica collection is a representation of this history. It also represents the Kitsilano neighbourhood in which it began, as well as a particular instance in film history. “What I find particularly important is how opinion has changed on video stores,” said Mathijs. “When they came into being, and Videomatica was one of the first in the early 1980s, they were seen as sort of the best of film, because these were the cheap places that were going to replace all the repertory theatres, and all the proper movie theatres, and movie palaces;

FILE PHOTO Geoff Lister/THE UBYSSEY

Access to the collection comes at the expense of the video rental industry, which has declined as a result of the internet.

the video stores were sort of the evil guy, if you want.” “And in the last couple of decades that has changed completely, because now video stores are under threat because of online availability of most of film, because of YouTube, because of the internet, because of downloadable cinema, and the ongoing digitization.” Molly Lewis, another MFA Film Studies student, believes the library is the best home for the collection.

“They’re going to take good care of the DVDs. And certain stuff does get lost... It’s a way to make sure that films that might be forgotten still have a home... Netflix doesn’t have everything.” Koerner will continue to showcase the irreplaceable nature of the collection through its availability to anyone with a Library card and through film events such as the Cinema Salon, held on the last Thursday of every month.

Trish Rosseel, the head of Koerner Library staff, noted “We’re hoping to continue featuring media more prominently in our programming in Koerner just because it’s such a great collection.” U To access the Videomatica collection, UBC students must visit the Videomatica collection website and make a selection. They can then pick up the title from the library.

ART >>

Alternate herstory

culture vulture

Famous women highlighted in latest exhibition at Regent College Olivia Law Staff Writer

A Vancouver artist envisions that one day, the portrait room in the Victoria Parliament building will be full of paintings of pioneering women. Beginning on Thursday Feb. 27, Women of Substance will open at Regent College, featuring paintings by Vancouver artist Sharalee Regehr. Although only a selected number of her works will appear at the exhibition in honour of International Women’s Day, Regehr has worked for years, exploring and researching women in history whom she feels are unacknowledged. The exhibition honours women who have made major contributions to society and history. “The purpose of the exhibition is to highlight women in a different way – women we are more unfamiliar with,” Regehr said. When asked about her inspiration for one particular painting, she immediately thinks of the Enigma women. “These are the women who decoded the Nazi carrier pigeon messages,” she said. “They contributed a huge amount to the war but are pretty much unrecognized for it.”

After questions from students asking why so few women scientists, artists and musicians are featured in their textbooks, Regehr made the decision to find out for herself. “I wanted to know why there is such a limited history of women,” she said. One other figure featured in the exhibition is Emily Roebling – the engineer who completed the supervision for the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York, now considered one of the seven wonders of the industrial world. “After her father-in-law, the designer of the bridge, died and her husband contracted caisson disease, Emily taught herself and supervised the building of the bridge, thus solving the engineering problems for the remaining fourteen years of construction,” Regehr said. Overlooked or unknown to most, Emily Roebling is represented in the Women of Substance exhibition in the hope that individuals will be able to both appreciate the art and attain knowledge simultaneously. Regehr describes her work as a “modern take on an icon” – the images are closely related to

Make a drunken fool of yourself Koerner’s Pub is once again hosting open mic nights on Mondays. The first one begins on March 3; sign up is from 7-8 p.m. on a first come first serve basis. Performances run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Stephanie Xu/THE UBYSSEY

Sharalee Regehr’s artwork celebrates the contributions of women to world history.

medieval works, embodying an individual’s story but making it universal. “There are no faces depicted in the images, because if I put a face on a body it becomes her individual story, but without a face, the story can be anyone’s,” Regehr said. The exhibition is intended to inspire people to share their own stories. The juxtaposition of medieval imagery with modern

ideas ensures viewers of the exhibition can interpret the images in their own way. Regehr hopes that the exhibition will inspire women of all ages. “I want women to share their stories, or to go out and create new ones.” U The exhibition runs from Feb. 27 to March 27 at the Regent College Lookout Gallery. International Women’s Day is on March 8.

That 70s House In light of efforts to decrease social isolation, a group of Vancouverites have turned their home in East Vancouver into a portal to the 1970s. Entitled “Our Generation: Open House and Living Shrine to the 70s,” visitors to the 70s House can listen to old rock LPs, drink coffee and socialize with the residents of the building and other visitors without the interference of digital distraction. There’s no TV, and anyone who wants to use a cellphone device must go outside. More details can be found on Facebook and Meetup.com U

More online

For web-exclusive culture articles and an array of other delights, visit ubyssey. ca/culture.

Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

stUDENt VoIcE. coMMUNItY REAch.

How to stay sober and have kinky sex

Just like hot yoga, but cooler!

ILLUstRAtIoN JEthRo AU/thE UBYssEY

lAST WORdS

PARtINg shots AND sNAP JUDgEMENts FRoM thE UBYssEY EDItoRIAL BoARD

laWsUits MUst stoP

determined costs for her most recent appeal. That really sucks.

America has lots of problems, and Taco Bell’s new breakfast menu can’t fix them all. In addition to obesity, racism, stupidity, morbidity and misplaced aggression, the 46 states making up the union (for these purposes we’re excluding Montana, Hawaii, Costa Rica, New Jersey and New Mexico) also suffer from a bevy of frivolous lawsuits. Such lawsuits drive up the price of healthcare and keep the young people from going hang-gliding under dangerous conditions or like, skateboarding in front of parliament. It turns out UBC has no short share of these lawsuits itself. One in particular, the Kapelus case, has drawn on for 23 years as UBC and Kapelus have argued over who pays what fees. Kapelus originally sued the university and won $50,000, but after losing numerous subsequent appeals she ended up owing them $150,000 in legal fees, plus extra as-yet-un-

West coast yoga sWag Yoga may seem like one of three things: a trendy West Coast cliche that all the RHOV are doing, a lazy way to get some exercise into your schedule, or an excuse to wear Lululemon stretch pants. As our article shows, those who get into yoga for the wrong reasons can end up hurting themselves. As the Globe reports, the heat in hot yoga merely delays the pain response. Like how dark roast coffee does not equate to a higher dosage of caffeine, just because it hurts and you’re sweating lots, doesn’t mean hot yoga is the healthiest for you.

tiMe FoR a BooZe PaRtay! UBC has applied to allow liquor to be served at concerts at Thunderbird stadium. This would be great, obviously. They already serve booze at sports

games, so not doing so for music seems a little silly. Even the UNA, who are famous for being annoyed at the loudness and drunkenness of UBC students, is on board, which is a good sign. Hopefully Metro Vancouver gets back to the university soon with a big yes. More money for the university and more fun for us. Wins all around.

Food shoUld Be shaRed eQUally Ontario recently brought in legislation mandating that fastfood restaurants must display the calorie values of all meals next to their price. Although an argument could be made that fast-food frequenters blatantly disregard the calorie value of their meals to begin with, we feel this is a step in the right direction. The AMS could easily incorporate similar rules in the soon to be completed SUB, whether in their own business, or fast-food chains so we could all know how terrible those shitty, shitty subs are for you. U

POiNT/COUNTeRPOiNT: TANdeM bikeS

WAWA

coURtEsY wIkIcoMMoNs

Don’t be a cheating scumbag.

here ‘s a double bicycle. they are awesome! You know what else is awesome? sausages! Backyard in a hurry, my master and my work with tenants Ubyssey down dirty dog paws! It is a wonderful place, but they pee in the backyard of a two-wheeled cart, too. skeptics, say, “But wawa, can you not pee in a normal-sized bike?” I do not have a strong ability to reason, so I can not answer. I know I want to pee, but it was by bicycle along the backyard chief Justice Pentland. ‘cause I’m in the area in exchange for vehicle combination, sausage or some other type of chinese food (no jokes please) will be open to the exchange.

CHIEF J

USTIC E

wawa: you make it sound like us downstairs tenants pee

outside on the tandem bike. Let’s make it clear: you are the only one who does that (although I’ve never actually seen it happen). It’s a real bike, even if tandem bikes really aren’t all that they’re hyped up to be. sure, if you’re living in saskatchewan then riding a tandem can be scenic bliss. But when it comes to hills, you might as well be trying to ride a tricycle. the only reason that our oﬃce tandem is in your yard is because it’s way too damn hard to ride a tandem bike from oakridge to UBc. so wawa, stick to the bushes, and no selling the bike for sausages; but yes, sausages are definitely way more awesome. U

Editor’s note: Wawa is the dog of the landlord of two editors in The Ubyssey oﬃce.

HOW TO BE konrad Philip

soBeR in seattle

Dear Konrad,

Recently I’ve chosen to abstain from alcohol but have found it difficult to tell people. How do I decline alcohol at a party when everyone else is drinking without sounding uptight or judgmental?

Non-alcoholic anonymous According to Statistics Canada, 71 per cent of Canadians aged 15-29 drink alcohol. Conversely, 29 per cent don’t. For that reason, before serving alcohol to someone for the first time, it is good to ask, “Do you drink?” Whether or not someone asks you that question, you have two options. If you don’t think you will be around alcohol with the same person again any time soon, you can make up an excuse. Blame it on those antibiotics you’re taking, or say you have something to do later that will require you to be sober. Once you tell your story, quickly change the subject. The second option is to be honest. Just say “No thanks”, or “Thank you but I don’t drink.” If anyone starts pressuring you, stay firm without making concessions or giving further explanations. Giving into pressure will not win their respect, standing your ground will.

deViant disco

Dear Konrad,

I’m into some weird stuff in bed and I’m not sure how long I have to wait with each new sexual partner to let them know what I want. Is there a good rule of thumb?

on time and a lot on the context. As you have (thankfully) spared us of the details, I will assume that this activity is reasonably safe, but something you wouldn’t want the world to know about. For this reason, you must first wait until you have established trust with the person. By then you should have an idea of what they would be comfortable with. Even if they refuse, at least it will stay between the two of you.

cheating scUMBag

Dear Konrad,

I cheated on my longtime boyfriend when I was home for winter break and he doesn’t know. I’m pretty sure there’s no way he would ever find out and I don’t want to hurt his feelings or damage our relationship. Do I have to tell him? Sincerely, Unfaithful unsure

Like a long uphill climb, keeping a secret gets harder with time. You are right in assuming that the revelation would damage your relationship. According to a survey by the Associated Press and Cosmopolitan Magazine, cheating is the second most common cause of break ups. Assuming it was your first time cheating, you should examine why you did it. If you feel like you were manipulated or acted on impulse, learn to control your behaviour in the future. On the other hand, if you feel there is something wrong with the relationship, talk about those issues with your boyfriend. The decision to tell him or not is a personal one. If you do choose to admit to cheating, do it in private, truthfully answer any questions, and do not place any blame on him during the conversation. Most importantly, avoid getting into this situation again. U

Konrad Philip is an etiquette writer and creator of NotAwkwardAnymore.com, a popular manners website for youth. He believes that following proper etiquette makes one feel confident and comfortable, not conceited. Follow Konrad on Twitter @notawkanymore .

Sincerely, Kinky kuestioner In any social situation, you shouldn’t reveal everything about yourself right away. Knowing when to share sensitive information with people depends less

Thursday, February 27, 2014 |

PIctUREs + woRDs oN YoUR UNIVERsItY EXPERIENcE

Photo kostA PRoDNANoVIc/thE UBYssEY

What does something like this say about school spirit?

Friendly pelting

Photo kostA PRoDNANoVIc/thE UBYssEY

UBC made use of the February powder, and TheCalendar.ca hosted a good old-fashioned school-yard snowball fight down Main Mall. Between the Chemistry Building and Henry Angus Building, a battle of snow waged on but it was all in good fun. Organizer Rob Morton was pleased with the turnout. “People were well-behaved, soft snowballs, all smiles, good time. No one got aggressive. It was exactly how it should be.”

You just got to give everybody a reason to come. You can’t expect them to manufacture it. - Kevin Hamersley, engineering I do [think UBc has spirit]. I think it has a lot but sometimes it just goes unnoticed. - Genevieve Schmoeker, engineering Photo cARtER BRUNDAgE/thE UBYssEY

well Monday one of our first year reps had the idea of throwing a

big snowball ﬁght so we put the event up [on Facebook] at

11 p.m. there was 1000 and by [tuesday] morning there was

Photo JIMMY thoMsoNthE UBYssEY

7:30 p.m., people attending

2000.

- Rob Morton, organizer, TheCalendar.ca

Photo JIMMY thoMsoN/thE UBYssEY

Know graphic design? Create cool stuﬀ with us! Contact printeditor@ubyssey.ca

12 | GAMES |

THURSdAy, FEBRUARy 27, 2014

43- where ___? 44- semihard light yellow cheese 45- Resting on something else 49- Beg 50- the most heavily populated continent on Earth 51- Ashen 54- Numbered rd. 56- Like afterschool activities 64- serbian folk dance 65- capital of Norway 66- Form of oxygen 67- hydroxyl compound 68- catbird seat? 69- Pale reddish purple

doWn

PUZZLE coURtEsY BEstcRosswoRDs.coM. UsED wIth PERMIssIoN.

acRoss 1- Bahamanian island 6- ___ Nui (Easter Island) 10- Quick look 14- Puerto ___ 15- Flatfoot’s lack 16- Actress Mcclurg 17- In spite of 20- And not 21- Novelist Joyce carol ___

22- Exile isle 26- Muslim opponent of the crusaders 30- seratonin, dopamine, epinephrine, e.g. 34- Vedic god 35- Atlantic food fish 36- summer games org. 38- hot spots 39- Antlered animal 40- Latin-American dance 42- Verily

1- Prince Valiant’s son 2- Life story 3- tread the boards 4- cornfield cry 5- getting ___ years 6- Enthusiastic 7- horace’s “___ Poetica” 8- Agt.’s take 9- Bingo! 10- scholar 11- Prepare a book or film for release 12- Mozart’s “___ kleine Nachtmusik” 13- clothes-pins 8- Puccini classic 19- Denials 22- Diplomatic agent 23- Departs 24- chest of drawers 25- give ___ for one’s money 27- Lean back 28- In a frenzy 29- heston’s hero, with Loren: El ___ 31- switch settings

32- salon jobs 33- woman doing Indian exercises 37- terra ___ 39- chieftain, usually in Africa 40- Russert of “Meet the Press 41- Jessica of “Dark Angel” 43- gallery display 44- All, in music 46- gasoline 47- “orinoco Flow” singer 48- orange root plant 51- short dog, for short 52- Neural transmitter 53- wwII battle site 55- Earth Day subj. 57- Against a proposition 58- Function 59- “treasure Island” monogram 60- Israeli submachine gun 61- chat room chuckle 62- santa ___ 63- VcR button

FEB. 23 ANSWERS

U Follow us for all the latest

UBC NEWS current events, culture, sports, features, photos on

twitter @Ubyssey

Staﬀ Meetings Wednesdays @ noon SUB24

Show your school spirit and you could win a new camera! Hey UBC! The Artona Group wants you to win a Nikon camera! 1

‘Like’ our Facebook page (facebook. com/ubyssey) in order to be eligible for the contest.

Snap a picture on campus that shows your school spirit

Photo must be taken on campus during the contest period. The theme is School Spirit, so bring out your blue and gold.

Send your photo to webeditor@ ubyssey.ca with “Artona Photo Contest” in the subject line.

The photos will be put in an album on our Facebook page. The top ten photos with the most likes will go to the judges.

The sooner you enter your photo, the sooner it will be up on our Facebook page, meaning more time for it to get ‘likes.’ Photo submission deadline is Friday, March 8. The winner will be announced on Sunday, March 9. The camera up for grabs is the Nikon Coolpix P7700 is a high-performance compact camera with 3D LCD. Features full HD (1080p) video, 12 megapixel resolution and full manual control for advanced amateur photographers. It’s brand new, from The Artona Group and worth $650.

Ubyssey staff members may not enter this contest. we reserve the right to change the terms of the contest.