October 2, 2014 by The Ubyssey

october 2, 2014 | VoLuME XcVI | IssuE xII quitting since 1918

canada’s smartest person?

VIFF review

behind the buildings

UBC law student vying for the title of Canada’s smartest person.

Five reviews from students on recent films in the Vancouver International Film Festival.

A look at the finances and history behind some of UBC’s most well-known structures.

one guy, one wheel Scott Ballon wants you to join him on a unicycle at UBC.

housing problems

P10

thursday, october 2, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS, PEOPLE + CAMPUS

EVENTS Friday

OUR CAMPUS

this week, check out...

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE and buildings that MAKE UBC

Back to the 90S 9:00 p.m. @ Beta house

Do you yearn for the days of grunge, baggy pants and Britney Spears? Beta Theta Pi is offering you a throwback to the days of yore with their ‘back to the 90s’ party. Tickets are $10 and a post-secondary ID is required for entry.

Saturday

PROHIBITION PARTY 9:30 p.m. @ DKE HOUSE

Bring your best Gatsby gear (and attitude) to DKE’s Prohibition-themed party this Saturday. Dress like you’ve come straight out of Boardwalk Empire, and be grateful that you’ll have choices beyond moonshine. The event is 19+ and tickets are $10. UBC ID required for entry.

Sunday

TURKISH COFFEE

1:00 P.M. TO 5:00 P.M. @ UBC GLOBAL LOUNGE

The UBC Turkish Student Society is hosting their welcome back event, at which they will be providing Turkish cuisine such as Turkish coffee, desserts (like Revlani), pastries and Turkish Delight. Tickets are $10 for non-member UBC students.

Scanning the faces on campus, it’s easy to imagine everyone has a story. But you would be hard pressed to find a story as inspiring as the one behind Nick Geddes. A third-year engineering student at UBC, Geddes spends the summer mountain biking professionally and then in winter he trains alongside his studies. He has been riding his bike for as long as he can remember. “It’s basically my life,” he said.

Cleaner then an actual dorm room! -Photo Kosta Prodanovic

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U The Ubyssey Coordinating Editor Will McDonald coordinating@ubyssey.ca

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Copy Editor Ciaran Dougherty

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CONTACT

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“I immediately burst into tears,” he said of when he was diagnosed. “It was very, very serious. You don’t mess around with that stuff.”

october 2, 2014 | Volume XCVI | Issue xII

Business Office: SUB 23 Advertising 604.822.1654 Inquiries 604.822.6681 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey

LEGAL The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein

cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. 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.

PHOTo cherihan hassun / THE UBYSSEY

Nick Geddes is a competitive mountain biker who has overcome cancer Nuala Turner Contributor

ON THE COVER

editorial

Nick Geddes overcame Leukemia and has since returned to his passion — mountain biking.

Nick Geddes Third-year Engineering student and sponsored mountain biker.

Geddes’s been around the world on his mountain bike, but the bike park in nearby Whistler, BC, where he lives, is still his favourite spot. When racing season arrives in May, after months of training and anticipation, at the back of his mind is the first race of the 2011 season, which was in California. Geddes remembers being sick on and off in the weeks leading up to this race, and received comments on his unhealthy appearance. “I was feeling pretty tired, and I wasn’t feeling great,” he said. After deciding to race, the front tire on his bike slid out

and he crashed to the ground. That’s the last thing he remembers. An extremely high heart rate hours after the crash forced him to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. Later that day, Geddes’s father entered his room with news from the doctor. The diagnosis was Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) of ambiguous lineage. The words “You have leukemia” are vivid in his memory. “I immediately burst into tears,” he said of this moment. “It was very, very serious. You don’t mess around with that stuff.” Being in Grade 12 at the time, many things immediately came to mind. He had to wonder whether he would ever be able to mountain bike again, and whether he would be able to keep his sponsorship with Norco Bicycles. Not to mention his family and friends, his UBC application and graduating high school. He was forced to consider the possibility that he may not be alive within the year.

“It felt like the weight of the world was just sitting on my chest, and I just couldn’t breathe.” “It felt like the weight of the world was just sitting on my chest, and I just couldn’t breathe,” Geddes said. And who could blame him? When the initial shock cleared, it was time to start treatment. After being moved to BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, chemotherapy and radiation began, following three or four months of initial treatment. During this time, Geddes was isolated in an eight

foot by eight foot room. He was allowed a week to go back to high school and finish his courses. UBC granted him a deferral, giving him a year off to recover. Following a successful bone marrow transplant in August of 2011, he did exactly that.

“Live every day as it comes, because your plans can change in an instant.” During his treatment, all he wanted to do was mountain bike. It gave him motivation and a “light at the end of the tunnel.” Geddes’s main goal was getting healthy so he could ride his bike again. He even had a new spin bike brought into his hospital room, reminding him every day of his goal. Eventually, he was able to start riding it. He described returning to Whistler as a key to his recovery. Through the support of his family, friends and the entire community in Whistler, who organized endless fundraisers and awareness campaigns, as well as his own perseverance, he has fully recovered and is back where he belongs, riding his bike. He said the biggest thing that he learned, cliché as it may be, is that you should “live every day as it comes, because your plans can change in an instant.” A short film entitled “Elixir” can be found on Vimeo, made by Geddes and a friend, Leo Zuckerman, which talks more about Geddes and his story. U

thursday, october 2, 2014 |

EDITORS Jovana Vranic + Veronika Bondarenko

fundraising >>

research >>

United Way’s ’5 Days of Caring’ campaign to hit campus next week UBC prof

advocates the eating of insects

Serena Chao Contributor

This year, the United Way of the Lower Mainland (UWLM) will kick-start their campus initiatives with a weeklong campaign called ‘5 Days of Caring’. Taking place from October 6 to 10, ‘5 Days of Caring’ will be holding several campus events to raise money for United Way’s mission of eradicating poverty and helping seniors and children in the Lower Mainland. The events include a pancake race on Monday, a spelling bee on Tuesday, an Applied Science Turkey 2K Trot on Wednesday, an Education Barbecue on Thursday and a Super Swag Sweepstakes on Friday. Aylin Tavakoli, UWLM campaign coordinator, said that the campaign’s early start date and interesting and accessible events will help the organization reach beyond their traditional audience and extend to more groups on campus. “Our primary goal with the “5 Days of Caring” kick-off week is to raise awareness,” said Tavakoli. “It is also about building a community on campus and strengthening staff, faculty and student connections.” As a way of encouraging more people to participate in the campaign, Marc Parlange, dean of Applied Science, challenged all other faculty deans to participate in the Applied Science Turkey 2K Trot on Thursday. Parlange also pledged to donate $1 for every registrant that exceeds the turnout from Applied Science.

PHOTO courtesy alpha/flickr

Karolina Kapusta Contributor

PHOTO courtesy ubc united way

United Way’s week-long campus campaign event kicks off on Monday.

Joan Denenfeld, UWLM cochair, said that the money raised during the campaign will go towards the organization’s different target communities throughout the Lower Mainland. “Donations to the UWLM go directly to our local communities with a focus on the areas of child poverty, bullying, and senior isolation,” said Dennefeld. “United Way utilizes research to develop partnerships in the community to ensure that every dollar goes as far as possible.”

sauder >>

According to Denenfeld, UBC has been collaborating with UWLM in many different ways since 1976. In particular, the university continues to partner with the organization on research and provides space for them to hold forums on community engagement, social innovation and public policy. As such, the organizers of ‘5 Days of Caring’ hope that the campaign will not only draw out the usual crowds for the events, but also encourage more students

to become involved with the organization throughout the year. Courtney Lee, fourth year Arts student and United Way campaign associate, said that students interested in getting involved will have a chance to sign up during the events. “Students are more than welcome to sign up for the different events during the ‘5 Days of Caring’,” said Lee. “There are a lot of volunteer opportunities on event days and within the committee. We are always happy to have more help and support.” U

students >>

UBC’s ISIS Research Centre to change name UBC Law student Braden Lauer competing to be Canada’s smartest person Kelly Lin Contributor

Sauder’s ISIS Research Centre will no longer bear the same name as the Middle Eastern terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The business faculty at the research centre has recently announced their plans to change the name on account of the negative connotations that currently come with the acronym. According to Joanan Buczowska, Director of Social Innovation at the ISIS Research Centre, the initial idea of using the name came from Isis, the Egyptian goddess of fertility. “We felt that it really represented some of the work that we did in terms of creating a space and being a think-tank focused on social innovation and business,” said Buczowska.

As of now, the Sauder ISIS website may turn some heads with headlines such as “ISIS plays a critical role in the society,” and “Training tomorrow’s leaders.” Although the Sauder marketing team has yet to decide on a new branding, hopes are that the ISIS name will soon be replaced with something less synonymous to the violent extremist group gaining even more rise in recent world media. “All the activity around the world associated with ISIS has just started to get amplified in the last couple of weeks,” said Buczkowska. “It no longer represented all [our] values and all the work that we do.” Sauder students involved with the Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation will continue their mission for a low carbon economy, social economy and economic development with First Nations. U

photo coutesy braden lauer

UBC Law student Braden Lauer is competing in Canada’s Smartest Person.

Scott Jacobsen Contributor

UBC Law student Braden Lauer is vying for the title of the smartest person in Canada. Hosted by Jessi Cruickshank and Jeff Douglas, Canada’s Smartest Person is a CBC show that aims to get rid of the idea that you need a high IQ to be smart and has contestants compete against each other in a series of musical, physical, social, logical, visual and linguistic intelligence categories. These six categorizations of intelligence derive from the Multiple Intelligences Theory of Professor Howard Gardner of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. Lauer, who went to University of Alberta for his commerce degree and is now going into his second year at UBC Law, applied for Canada’s Smartest Person on a whim in the middle of a downturn in studying for law examinations. “I was in the middle of exams last semester,” said Lauer. “The middle of first-year exams, which are considered the hell, so to

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speak, of Law school, is terrible. I saw a commercial on TV and was feeling down on myself.” As a result, Lauer decided to apply to the show and see if he would be selected. “In a very sassy way, I filled out an application,” said Lauer. “From there forward, I went through a pretty long process until they called me to be 1 of 32.” According to Lauer, the turning point of his audition came from his big smile. The show has a total of 32 participants, with four of them going head-to-head each week. At the end of nine weeks, there will be a competition among the finalists, with the winner being announced on November 2. While the show has been filmed over two days in August, contestants are not allowed to comment on the results until the final episode is released. Still, Lauer is confident that the show will prove to be both interesting and surprising in the weeks to come. “Winning is in the cards for me,” said Lauer. U

Bugs are tiny, creepy, crawly, crunchy, slimy, delicious and nutritious. On September 26, Yasmin Akhtar, a UBC professor and researcher from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, held an insect-tasting event where she prepared different Canadian, Mediterranean and Asian dishes. According to Akhtar, the main goals of her research are to increase awareness of the benefits of eating insects and to show people how to mildly incorporate them into their lives. “Food makes things very interesting,” said Akhtar, “people love to eat.” This is why she chose to centre her entomological research on eating. “Bugs are a great substitute for meat,” said Akhtar. There are thousands of edible insects that have a nutritional advantage many people are not aware of. According to Akhtar, bugs are overall good for people; they’re low in calories and fat, and high in protein, magnesium, calcium and vitamins. Bugs are also very sustainable because they produce far less greenhouse gas emissions. “You can rear them in the lab or you can rear them at home,” said Akhtar, because they take limited space, water, and food. It is cheaper to produce bugs than raise a chicken or cow in your backyard. Akhtar suggests eating them by boiling and then baking them while adding spices, salt, lemon, herbs or chilli. Insects can get very dehydrated during the cooking process so there is the option of grinding them and turning them into a powder. People can mildly incorporate bugs into their diet by sprinkling this “protein powder” into anything. Currently, bug eating is uncommon in Vancouver, but one can get a fix at Vij’s Restaurant where grasshoppers are served on top of a pizza. Akhtar predicts entomophagy will rise in the future. She plans to hold more tasting events and to teach a course on the preparation and eating of insects. “Insects are cool,” she said. “Bugs are here to stay, so it’s about time we get over our fears and appreciate their benefits.” U

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4 | News |

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

housing problems by David Nixon

Pulkit Verma spent his first UBC semester sharing a temporary residence in a floor lounge with two other international students. A walk through some Totem Park and Place Vanier residences will take you past locked lounge doors with three name tags crammed onto the small covered window. If you looked inside a Vanier lounge, you’d see three cots spaced out around concrete pillars, separated by desks, cabinets, dressers, and littered with chairs and metal bars on wheels that function as closets. Many of those spaces have already been emptied, but others are full of students awaiting word from UBC Housing.

Neglected in

temporary residences Verma didn’t come to UBC this year. He was accepted September 2012 and, despite being a first-year international student, was forced to fight for a temporary residence spot — something students are still doing today. It started when he received a late admission notice in mid June and called to ask about the residence guarantee. “In the very beginning, [UBC] said they could not offer me housing,” said

Verma, “It was weird because I expected that they would at least try to accommodate international students.” Despite having no housing lined up in Vancouver, Verma flew out to participate in the Jumpstart pro-

gram, which ran for the last two weeks of August. “I was three or four days into Jumpstart,” he said, “and I went into the housing office in Marine Drive, talked to a few people, and then they told me it might be possible.” He accepted the offer of a lounge space, which

he didn’t mind too much despite the lack of privacy. He got along with his roommates, but he never expected to stay there until December. “I wasn’t happy about it, but I couldn’t help it,” said Verma, emphasizing that “nothing, nothing, nothing, [had been] communicated since the initial letter.” The letter he referred to had little detail. It only mentioned early-September as a date for when permanent residences would open up. In The

Ubyssey’s interview with Andrew Parr, Managing Director of Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS), he said all the temporary residences were typically empty by late-October or early November. This was never communicated to any of the five students that The Ubyssey interviewed, and would mean little to Verma, who was writing his final exams in December when he finally got an offer for permanent residence. “The lack of communication was certainly unprofessional,” said Verma, “if somebody is writing emails to UBC Housing, they need to respond within a fair amount of time. It’s not fair if

THURSDAY, october 2, 2014

students are writing you and you don’t get back to them in four weeks or five weeks.” Fast forward to 2014, and another international student, Laila Jamil, received an identical email on August 28. She accepted the lounge space offer as a last resort. Jamil had received a residence offer in June, which was rescinded when her third-party scholarship payment didn’t go through in time. Her experience in the lounge was much worse than Verma’s, despite being short-lived. “I was handling too many things at one time prior to my arrival here,” said Jamil, “on top of my visa, scholarship issues, and arriving to UBC a week after class starts, I felt that this housing problem of mine was unnecessary.” The email Jamil received from SHHS described the rooms as “spacious, clean, and comfortable”, which Jamil felt was “definitely an exaggeration.” Her and her roommates had clashing lifestyles and schedules. Other students on the floor, lacking a lounge, took to the halls outside the room to talk to each other, which added a lot of noise pollution at night. The toughest part though, was not knowing when she would get out. “They just said early September. I thought I was going to end up there for the rest of the academic year … They didn’t really promise anything.”

? Confusion ?

with

midterms looming Jamil has since received notice from SHHS and was able to move out of the lounge, but the confusion she expressed was a consistent theme among each student The Ubyssey spoke to. “I wasn’t very happy about it,” said Clea Harrison, a first year domestic student who had been placed in a Vanier lounge. “I had the feeling that it would end up being a hassle in the end, having to move and meet all new people again. You get connected to your floor, but you’ll have to move [soon].” Harrison’s experience differs in that her process was completely normal. She just got the short end of the first-year residence

guarantee. That guarantee promises a place on campus, just not where or how. She has since moved out as well, and it was every bit a hassle as she had expected. She had to request that her move-out day be delayed twice. “I had two midterms the next week, so it was not a good time to have to move and unpack all my stuff.” Next door in Tec De Monterrey, The Ubyssey interviewed one of three domestic students staying in a floor lounge, while another roommate slept nearby. “I was pretty sure I specified I was fine with either single or shared,” said Xiyu Wang, “so when I showed up and checked my residence it said just a temporary room, I was really confused.” Wang got along with her roommates, so she got over her initial intimidation at the prospect of sharing a lounge with two other girls. But she was surprised to learn from The Ubyssey that students in the temporary Korea House residences had already moved out. “Besides the initial email telling me it will be a temporary room, there’s been nothing,” said Wang.

Demand at

unprecedented levels According to Parr, UBC has been placing around 40 students in floor lounges each year for at least five years. “It’s not something we did this year because of extra demand,” said Parr, “[it’s] something we do because it helps as many students reside with us as possible. It allows us for quick transition early in the year.” The transition “early in the year” is far from a guarantee, however, especially in the case of Verma and his two roommates. For some reason, those international students seem to have been given the short end of the stick among students allocated to temporary residences. Along with paying $17,700 to $23,900 more tuition per year to attend UBC rather than their domestic counterparts, they were also paying the normal rates for a 2-person shared residence the whole time they were in these tem-

porary spaces. Many students called this rate unfair during their interviews. The temporary spots at least get students on campus, which many are still thankful for given the high competition for beds. UBC’s 2013 enrolment report shows the international student population has soared from 7 per cent in 2000 to 19 per cent in 2013, and a 2014 Senate report estimated a further 9 per cent climb over the next five years, partially as a result of the opening of Vantage College. These students will be disproportionately driving demand for on-campus housing given their circumstances — but they won't be the only ones pushing. This year, increased overall demand paired with growing international student population numbers led to approximately 750 upper year students being bumped from Ritsumeiken and Walter Gage. According to Parr, it’s the second year for this type of displacement. It means upper-years are increasingly searching for housing off-campus regardless of whether they apply to the lottery, while the first years in upper-year residences experience less of the community-oriented environment typical of first year buildings. Parr noted that in recognition of this, an effort is made to put older, more mature first years in upper year residences. All this comes in the wake of the highest volume demand for on-campus housing. According to Parr, the sum of the 2014 year-round and winter term wait-list for residences hit a peak of 5,200 spots, up from 3,500 in 2010, with each student still paying $100 to enter a lottery with sinking odds. Parr said a new housing demand study found that 73 per cent of students now want to live on campus next year, while 60 per cent want to spend their whole undergraduate degree there. There are approximately 10,000 beds on campus for students. According to current building plans, that should increase to approximately 12,600 beds by early 2017. Given the 149 per cent increase in demand over the last four years, UBC is fighting a steep uphill battle to improve the situation.

Execution still

requires work

UBC is experiencing record high housing demand, so trying to cram as many extra students on campus may be forgiven. According to Parr, they considered converting single rooms to doubles, but decided against it because “we feel it creates a less healthy living environment for students through overcrowding.” In comparison, he felt the temporary suites were better routes to address demand gaps. The core issue shared by students was an experience of poor communication. When Jamil got her permanent residence offer in late September, she declined, and took the off-campus option she could have taken from the start. If the process had been more transparent, she may have opted for temporary residences in the first place, which would have allowed another student to take her spot. “We appreciate students’ flexibility because they’re not fully settled in the temporary unit,” said Parr. “Once students move into those temporary residences, we’ve historically found they actually quite like living there, so it shouldn’t be thought of as a hardship necessarily for those students.” Temporary housing may end up being a net positive experience for most, and a possibly good experience as Parr indicates. But the reality of some students’ experiences shows that UBC Housing’s execution of its temporary residences needs work. U

| News | 5

STICS I T A T S THE

149%

increase in housing demand in the past 4 years Approximately

40 STUDENTS

per year have had to live in temporary resident spots or lounges for the past 5 years

73% of students want to live on campus next year

60%

of students want to stay in residence for their entire undergraduate degree

There are

5200 STUDENTS

on the 2014 year round and winter waitlists

(3500 in 2010)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014 |

EDITOR jenica montgomery

VIFF Reviews Jalanan (“Streetside”)

Daniel Ziv decided to use the song composed by the street buskers as a story telling device and as another layer of the narrative. Daniel Ziv had created powerful main figures that surprisingly amazed audience by putting the main characters as heroes, not a victim of poverty. The three main figures in Jalanan are Boni, a street busker who lived below the sewage tunnel, Titi, a female street busker who encountered several family problems and Ho, another eccentric street busker who always criticizes Indonesia’s current political state through his songs. All characters seemed innocently outspoken about their lives. Daniel Ziv tried so hard to find very colourful, humorous, strong, charismatic character due to his preference on creating “character-driven documentary” rather than “issue-driven documentary”. Jalanan is a one-of-a-kind documentary film that brings you emotionally linked to the characters and their lives as street buskers. U

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Sarah Pribadi Contributor

Directed by Indonesian-based Canadian amateur filmmaker, Daniel Ziv, Jalanan captures the perception of social class disparity in Jakarta, Indonesia through the eyes of three street buskers. This documentary follows the daily life, struggles, destiny and quest of the three street buskers in the middle of busy, crowded, metropolitan Jakarta.

Unlike regular documentary films, the plot was incredibly inventive and unpredictable as Jalanan depicted daily life of street buskers naturally, without any dramatization involved. Jalanan was mainly set in the heart of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, where strong emphasis on social class disparity was clearly seen through the juxtaposition of rich and poor in some scenes. The main highlight of this film is the soundtrack, </

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A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

Lawrence Neal Garcia Staff Writer

The Tale of Princess Kaguya , the latest (and last) from director Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies, My Neighbors the Yamadas ) is unlike any Studio Ghibli film before it — a feat in and of itself. Based on the 10th century Japanese folktale “ The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” the film takes an ancient story — about a woodcutter who finds a small princess in a bamboo grove — and

imbues it with a thrilling urgency. The canvas of the film, which unfolds over 137 minutes, manages a balance of intimacy and scale, leaving room for much-needed expansion in a story with such mythic qualities. Centring on the eponymous princess, the film finds Kaguya navigating a world that wants to force her into a prescribed role, and becomes a story of identity and destiny that, while never less than entertaining, has a wistful, melancholy undercurrent.

It also, despite its thousandyear-old source material, plays out as more progressive than many films today. Eschewing modern anime techniques for more traditional Japanese art, the film is drawn entirely in strokes of charcoal and vibrant watercolour, which gives it an aesthetic that perfectly meshes with the folk-tale source. In the film’s best sequence (and arguably one of the greatest animation scenes ever), Kaguya flees the celebration of her name day, and the image practically disintegrates into a frenetic blitz of motion and colour, breathtaking and devastating at the same time. It’s a thrilling scene in a film chock-full of them; and while some elements may veer into the bizarre and extraneous, there is never a dull or visually un-spectacular moment. Sure to delight Ghibli fans and gain scores more, The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a film for which the term visionary is truly deserving. U

Miguel Santa Maria Contirbutor

If you’ve never thought that the likes of Steve Carell or Channing Tatum can pull off dark dramatic roles, this is likely the film to change your mind. Directed by Bennet Miller ( Capote, Moneyball) and based on true events in the late 80s, Foxcatcher tells the story of washed out US Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz (Tatum) in his quest to regain glory — and even purpose — through eccentric billionaire and newfound “mentor”, John du Pont (Carell). Although it sounds traditionally inspiring, Foxcatcher is anything but that. Instead, it is a much darker affair, centred on the insecurities, obsessions, and fragility of Mark as he tries to escape the shadow of his older brother, David Schultz, played by Mark Ruffalo, and trying to find a parental figure in du Pont. Much can be similarly said for du Pont, obsessed with

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Tara Bigdeli Contributor

In her chilling directorial debut, US-based, Iranian born writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour provides us with a beautiful dark twisted fantasy by combining two contradicting yet enthralling concepts: savagery and hopeless romance. Shot in black and white, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is set in a fictitious Iranian dystopian hell-scape referred to as ‘Bad City’ — and the name fits perfectly. Desolation looms over the city while corpses rot in the sewers and misogynistic pimps like Saeed (Dominic Rains) and his lascivious prostitute Atti (Mozhan Marnò) use each other as well as the other sordid souls living there. Parasitically sucking up the remaining filth that daunts Bad City is a chador-clad Nosferuta known as the girl (Sheila Vand). When this mysterious vampire comes across Arash (Arash Maran

di), a human who ironically dresses up as Dracula at a Halloween party, the two experience an inexplicable connection. Both are outsiders in a cultural landscape that is primarily evil, and both sense the desperation within the other. Despite Arash’s oblivion to the girl’s malevolent vampire tendencies and her general disdain for the city’s inhabitants, her supernatural instincts become suspended and the couple submit to each other and together flee from the city’s depravity and hopelessness. An admirable feature of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is Amirpour’s personification of Iranian feminism. Creating a character that embodies the femme fatale aesthetic but also dons a traditional Iranian cloak, a chador, Amirpour’s character mercilessly devours the misogynistic, socially conservative men who expect women to be will

ingly submissive. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night combines elements of film noir and the restraint of Iranian New Wave cinema with somber depictions of a bored youth culture. The intensity of the storyline is reaffirmed with gorgeously high-contrast cinematography that highlights the surrealism of the film’s desolate location. It is the use of blurry lens flares and long shots that make it seem like every scene is more beautiful than the last. Complimenting the atmosphere of the film is the colourful array of Middle-Eastern music that seeps into every scene, ranging anywhere from funky Iranian synthetic pop to Arabic rock and underground Iranian new wave. Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night ’s stimulating intensity leaves you with a cinematic high that you can’t shake without one or two cold showers. U

Foxcatcher compensating for lacking actual talent, and seeking his mother’s approval. Sometimes, these themes produce fun and amusing moments (du Pont in particular says the darndest things), but overall, it escalates in its disturbance factor as it leads up to a tragic and destructive end. Tatum, although not a show-stopping performance, is a complete opposite of his typecast; coming off more pitiful rather than the stud

we usually know him. Carell is the real star though, with a performance verging on downright creepy and even intimidating, enough to give you chills in your seat. The film has some faults: du Pont’s characterization makes you wish more focus was put on him as we only get hints to his psyche compared to Mark’s. Overall though, Foxcatcher is not only dark drama piece, but an effective character study. U

em>

Two Days, One Night

Lawrence Neal Garcia Staff Writer

The Dardenne brothers make films that are naturalistic, intimate in scale and brimming with empathy, often pitting human suffering against life-affirming acts of love and kindness. Not unsurpisingly, Two Days, One Night is no different.

The film follows Sandra (Marion Cotillard) who, over the course of a weekend, must try and save her job after she is deemed redundant and her co-workers vote to receive their 1,000 bonuses instead of keeping her on. Sandra tries to persuade each of her sixteen co-workers to vote in her favour before a second ballot on the coming Mon-

day. Having just recovered from depression, Sandra is in a situation both cruel and all-too recognizable; and Cotillard plays her with such subtlety and rawness that you need only look into her eyes to understand her predicament. What could have easily been formulaic is here both raw and real, and while the film suffers slightly from the constraints of the premise, it is consistently absorbing and affecting — a social-realist drama distilled down to its essence. Despite its intimate canvas, Two Days, One Night embraces the spectrum of humanity through its varied cast — cruelty, messiness, kindness and all. It may only take place over two days and one night, but it’s a film for the ages —or at least until the next Dardenne masterpiece. U

All photos courtesy VIFF

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

| CULTURE | 7

film >>

Filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson shows no signs of stopping Joshua Azizi Contributor

His first film, A Day Much Like the Others won awards at the Canadian Student Film Festival and the Rencontre Henri Langois festival in Paris. “It surprised me because it was a pretty eccentric, experimental film,” said Gunnarsson. The success led to his next film, After the Axe, a docudrama about executive-employment terminations which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. Since then, Gunnarsson’s work has remained very eclectic: his projects include a documentary on the 1985 Air India bombing (Air India 182), an adaption of Beowulf (Beowulf & Grendel) and a biographical film about David Suzuki (Force of Nature). Gunnarsson has also directed for various TV shows such as Motive, Twilight Zone and the long-running Canadian coming-of-age drama Degrassi: the Next Generation. For aspiring filmmakers, he insists on following your passion. “If you want to be a filmmaker, you have to have something to say, and you’ve got to chase that,” he said. “You can’t wait for permission from gatekeepers. You have to go out there and do it.” Furthermore, he insists on independence. “Number one: you have to make films; and number two: make films you believe in, not films that you think somebody else is gonna believe in.” U

With 35 years of experience in Canadian film culture and over 20 films accredited to his name, veteran award-winning filmmaker and UBC graduate Sturla Gunnarsson has established a name for himself as one of Canada’s most renowned directors. Yet the well-known filmmaker still shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he is about to debut one of his most ambitious films yet: Monsoon , a documentary following the path of the Indian monsoon as it storms through the nation. To Gunnarsson, the project was very personal. “I have a long, romantic relationship with the monsoon that goes back many years,” said Gunnarsson. “It’s this event that happens once a year every year since the beginning of time, and it brings a billion-plus people the entirety of their freshwater supply for the year. So the whole of society is built around the monsoon. You know you need it for farm, you need it for fishing, you need it for life, you know, rain is life.” Monsoon isn’t the first time Gunnarsson got to experience India: his 1998 Mumbai-set drama Such a Long Journey remains one of his most prominent films, earning multiple Genie nominations and a 92 per cent approval-rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With Monsoon , Gunnarsson

Monsoon is Sturla Gunnarsson’s latest film which documents the path of the Indian monsoon.

got another chance to explore the nation. “There’s something about the place that I find very vibrant and alive,” he said. The film recently debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it will see a theatrical release in February. Gunnarsson got his start in filmmaking in the 1970s while doing his undergraduate degree

in English literature and political science, but his interests were focused on film and travelling even then. “I was making films when I became an undergraduate, and then I went and I travelled for twoiyears,” he recalled. “I was working all over the world: I worked on a fish boat in Iceland, I worked on the North Sea Oil in Shetland – things like that.”

PHOTO courtesy monsoon film

However, the mid-70s recession left Gunnarsson without a job when he returned to Vancouver. “I thought it would be easy to get some money and go back travelling,” he said. “But my good fortune was that I couldn’t get a job, so I went to school and it was the first year of the post-graduate film program at UBC.”

literature >>

Word Vancouver a literary haven for bibliophiles Connie McKimm Contributor

Inspiring words. This was the focus of Vancouver’s Word Festival, a free literary festival that took place at the Vancouver Public Library this weekend. The festival celebrated its 20th anniversary on September 28 with many events highlighting British Columbian literature and literacy. The festival was established in 1995 by the Vancouver Book and Magazine Fair Society to bring together different elements of the West Canadian bibliophile community. Word Festival began as a small event but has since grown to become a five-day literary extravaganza. On Sunday, the festival’s final day, Vancouver Public Library and its square swarmed with people keen to experience the best of the city’s literary scene. The Main Stage hosted a range of acts, including music from The Ukesters, the Van City Soul Quartet and Fiddlin’ Frenzy. These bands all play an integral part in Vancouver’s blossoming independent music scene. Many of these musical acts have been influenced and inspired by spoken word poetry. Many poets performed at the festival on Sunday, including Jillian Christmas and Chelsea D.E. Johnson. Johnson and Christmas are an East Vancouver collaboration who perform a fusion of poetry and vocal music and they are one of the most impressive and exciting acts in Vancouver’s poetry scene. Sunday’s crowd was treated to songs including “One Day.” Their visceral performance revolved around haunting harmonies and punching rhymes. Rhyme and rhythm featured elsewhere at the Festival in ‘Poetry on the Bus.’ Spectators sat on a stationary Vancouver bus to watch

PHOTO courtesy elizsa robhasa

Word Vancouver invaded the Vancouver Public Library this past weekend and gave local bibliophiles more reasons to love literature.

established poets perform their work. Audience members were impressed by Vancouver poets such as Elaine Woo, Jane Munro and Henry Rappaport. Besides poetry, the festival also highlighted the work of prose writers. Historian Eve Lazarus spoke about her new book Sensational Van-

couver. The book narrates the city’s twentieth century history. Lazarus’s talk provided a fascinating insight into prohibition Vancouver. Lazarus was followed on the ‘WordTalks’ stage by fellow writers Dianne Whelan, Jerry Kruz and others. Individual writers were joined at the festival by organizations

promoting West Canadian literature. Magazines, bookshops and literary reviews congregated in Library Square to sell their wares. Patrons could purchase the latest editions of The Douglas College Review, The Capilano Review and read the latest work of Vancouver poets.

All in all, Word Festival succeeded in showcasing the best and brightest of Vancouver’s literary scene. Hundreds of people enjoyed spoken word, book-binding workshops, music and dance for free. Word Festival remains a stalwart of Vancouver’s cultural community. U

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014 |

YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

Behind the buildings The origins of some of UBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most well-known structures Walter H. Gage Residence

$14.5 Million This stunning and super conveniently-located residence was built in 1972 for $8 million. The apartment portion of the residence was added in 1984 for $6.5 million. It's named after Walter Henry Gage, a Canadian professor and sixth UBC president, and was built to honour his 50th year of service to UBC. Gage graduated from UBC with a BA, then later taught on campus before becoming the president. He was apparently so passionate about developing financial assistance programs for students that he would sometimes give students financial assistance from his own pocket.

Walter C. Koerner Library

$12 Million Construction began in January 1995, but the library officially opened on March 10, 1997. It was named in honour of Walter Charles Koerner, a Canadian businessman and philanthropist, in recognition of his support of UBC and his lifelong commitment to the institution. He also chipped in a substantial amount of moola towards the construction of the library. The man himself died on his birthday in 1995, aged 97.

Brock Hall

$9.735 Million It was constructed from 1939-40 in honour of Reginald Walter Brock, former Dean of Applied Science. The funding was primarily donations â&#x20AC;&#x201D; from the Brock family and the community. The Brock Hall Annex and the SSC were added from 1956-57 and 1991-93 respectively. In 1954, the building was damaged by a fire, so the AMS started a "Rebuild the Brock" fund and the building was restored within six months at a cost of $400,000.

Buchanan Building

$1.625 Million Buchanan is named after Daniel Buchanan, former Dean of Arts and Sciences before his passing in 1950. It was built from 1956 to 1958, and renovations to Blocks C and D took place in 2007 at a cost of $6,800,000 and $7,200,000 respectively. The name also invites some pretty cringe-worthy pronunciations.

Woodward Library

$5.5 Million Built in 1964, courtesy of a generous donation by Mr and Mrs Woodward, in honour of Charles Woodward (Mr Woodward's father). Charles Woodward founded the first pharmacy in BC, as well as the Woodward's department store chain.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014 |

STUDENT VOICe. COMMUNITY REACH.

Editorial >>

UBC needs to consider short-term solutions to the student housing shortage

Jovana Vranic News Editor This year, UBC is working on the consultation and construction of four separate student housing projects while current students are forced to contend with a lessthan-ideal priority placement system in campus housing. Construction of the second division of the Ponderosa Commons residence space began in winter 2013, and is expected to draw to a close by spring 2016. Considering this is the only one of UBC’s four current student housing projects already in the building stage, it’s safe to assume it will be the first to open. Ponderosa Phase 2 will free up more beds for upper-year students who are now being bumped out of other on-campus housing by freshmen with guaranteed residence spots. Over 750 formerly upper-year spots in residence were given to domestic first years and newly admitted first- and second-year international students this year, so long as they met some basic criteria. That number is high enough as it is, and it’s only going to grow in the years to come. Building new residences like Ponderosa will, of course, solve much of UBC’s housing issues in the future. But as long as upper years are being replaced in the meantime, another solution needs to be found — and it needs to stem from the problematic prioritization system currently in place. First years and new international second years are promised spaces in residences if they meet basic eligibility for housing based on their age and course load, timeliness of their application, and whether they accept UBC’s offer of admission by June 1. Students from Vantage College, Go Global, Korea University, Tec de Monterrey and the UBC Ritsumeikan exchange program are given this same guarantee for spaces.

I say “spaces” because rooms can’t truly be promised, according to UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS). According to SHHS’s Managing Director, Andrew Parr, about 40 students have been placed in temporary residence spaces every year for the past five or so years. In other words, at least 200 students have experienced the unfortunate circumstances of setting up shop in a floor lounge while their move-in date to a real room remains up in the air. Why do they guarantee these spaces in the first place? They happen to answer that right on their website: “because [they] believe living in residence is an important and meaningful way for new undergraduates — domestic and international — to begin the university journey.” SHHS seem to be dead set on providing new students with the first-year experience they assume all freshmen long for — that is, starting with a small living space in which you may or may not be forced to coexist with other externally selected students. Dorms overall aren’t too much of a luxury for most of the students who are privileged enough to be able to afford this form of mediocre lodging. But let’s face it, SHHS caters to a culture of rez life, which happens to be a primarily first- and second-year thing, so why not advertise its appeal in order to accentuate the charm of on-campus housing? To understand why exactly this is done, it takes a step back to a view of the wider UBC administration. UBC places a huge emphasis on community building and student engagement, which, for freshmen, means socializing, making friends, networking and branching out to groups on campus they may not have known about or considered had it not been for their friends in rez. Rez is its own little community, which is nice in theory, but becomes problematic for those who would rather strap on their blinders and focus on academics. Rez and rez life are not one and the same thing. Their equity falls somewhere on a spectrum between first-year and upper-year housing. It’s hard to imagine a fourth-year student living in Marine Drive running around playing sock wars. It’s safe to assume that most upper-year students are generally more concerned with the convenience that comes along with living on campus. It’s a big plus for both their academic and social lives to be living right in the thick of the community they’ve chosen as their scholastic abode. Now, will most of them be

torn up about not getting a space in rez? Probably not. Will they be greatly inconvenienced, though? Most likely. Definitely more so than the bulk of the favoured domestic first years who are more concerned with the social aspects of living on campus. To be fair, living in student housing is a great means to achieving a heightened sense of autonomy if you’re coming to UBC straight from high school or college. But there are other paths to take that could grant the same wisdom. And when UBC has a case of residences overflowing to accommodate students who have been blindly promised housing, maybe it’s a better idea to explore those other options. Domestic first years should not have housing priority in times when earning a room is so tough. If upper-year students, who have already invested so much of their time and money into the institution, don’t get any special treatment, why is so much given to new students who could easily be living elsewhere? Fostering new generations of community-builders through rez life is undoubtedly a great success for UBC. Rez life happens to encourage some lovely values, namely inclusivity, cooperation and mutual respect. SHHS does a great job of upholding positive principles, but in dire times, these should be more available to those who really need it — the international students — while not shutting more academically-minded upper years out. 180 of the 750 displaced spots are entirely justified. All of the Vantage College students living in rez this year have been placed in Vanier beds until the Orchard Commons residence is built and adds 1,048 beds to SHHS’s total tally, hopefully by 2017. Also anticipated for 2017 is the opening of the Tall Wood residence, as it’s being referred to now. The 16-18 storey building will provide another 400 upper-year beds to alleviate some of the swelling of first year and international student population numbers. So will the Site B project, yet another 2017 goal. The building, which will take up the space of the parking lot beside the War Memorial Gym, will offer 125 rental units, with an obvious appeal to upper years. Things are looking bright for the future of on-campus housing. We can expect a long-term solution to the housing shortage in the form of an even greater influx of construction on campus through the next three years. But can we expect a short-term solution, like a temporary restructuring of the residence priority system? Maybe not. U

advice >>

Ask Natalie: On getting along with roommates and dealing with classes living situation more stressful. Keep in mind that if you try hard but can’t work this out, you can always talk to your RA. You can also apply for a room transfer, but they are not guaranteed and you can only hope that your new roommate will be more compatible with you. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try you get dealt a sucky hand in life. Either you deal with it, or you live with your anger for seven more months. Ultimately, it’s up to you. “I thought I knew what I wanted then I started my classes. I hate them all.”

“Ask natalie”

natalie morris

Advice Columnist

“Well, I hate my new roommate. What now?” It’s a month in. You’re just settling in to a new lifestyle. Unless your roommate is an actual crazy person, it may just take some time to get used to the change in your personal schedule. Maybe they are actually a terrible roommate. Maybe they steal your food and use your shampoo and maybe you woke up once to them using your eye lash curler. But have you talked to them about any of this? Remember: there are two of you in your room and even though you may have signed a roommate agreement, you still have to discuss things that you have issues with. Tell them you dislike the way they play their music at midnight (or the fact that they do). Tell them you would prefer if you set a time frame for when music is allowed to be played without headphones. How late can you leave the light on? When is it really okay to have friends over? It’s been a month — maybe it’s time to have a serious conversation about your living arrangement. You should keep in mind that maybe your roommate doesn’t like things about you. Don’t take this conversation as a one-way street. View this as a way to discuss how you both can make each other’s experience better. Try conflict resolution techniques like writing down the top five issues you have with each other. Then exchange and read over what your roommate has said. Maybe they haven’t noticed what they were doing was bugging you. It is important to not get confrontational. If you or your roommate find yourselves getting confrontational, it’s important to take a step back. Raising tensions will only make your

Chill. Take a step back. First thing’s first, do you actually hate what you’re planning on doing or do you just hate CHEM 123? (Hint, I haven’t meet anyone who really liked O-Chem) The job you thought you wanted is going to be different than the classes you’re taking, that doesn’t mean you will hate that job. Sit down and decide seriously if the career you wanted is still what you want. If it is, tough luck. You’re going to have to push through the boring first year courses so you can take the slightly more interesting upper year courses (CHEM 213 may be an exception). If you can keep your eye on the prize you’ll get it. To keep your sanity I suggest looking into a minor in something you don’t hate. If it’s not, well, it’s time to make a new plan. Sit down and think honestly. What are you good at? What career can you make from that? Can you see yourself doing that career for the next couple decades of your life? If these questions are giving you a headache already, intro classes are your friends. They may be basic and they may be boring, but they can give you an idea of what is out there. You may have a passion for something you didn’t think of. I can’t tell you what that is, you’ll have to do the course work. Try to figure it out quickly, though. For the price you’re paying for each class, you’re going to want to put every credit towards your degree. After you’ve rearranged your academic life (we pretty much all do it at least once), figure out your next steps. Depending on your faculty and the requirements to get in your (new) intended major, deadlines must be made and prereqs must be filled. One last piece of advice: any class you don’t put any effort into is going to be boring. It’s just one of those things! U Need some advice? Write to Natalie at asknatalie@ubyssey.ca and have your questions answered in an upcoming issue.

Letter: Ebola protest was just a farce While I enjoy comedy as much as anyone else, one must pick subjects carefully. Ebola is far too serious and threatening to use as the context for a farce. If your spokesperson has to immediately clarify that the intent was not to trivialize something then clearly you have trivialized it. Better to attempt to advance one’s case by stating — in clear terms with provable facts

— the alleged deficiencies of the Canadian response. There is no doubt that Canada needs to lend its world class medical expertise to the dire situation. Merely making a game of it greatly detracts from the intent of the message. U James Carson is an undergraduate Anthropology student.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014 |

EDITOR Jack Hauen

recreation >>

One guy, one wheel: Scott Ballon unicycles UBC

photo steven durfee / the ubyssey

Ballon wants you to join him on his one-wheeled journey.

Lawrence Neal Garcia Staff Writer

Dressed in red pants and a regular hoodie, Scott Ballon, now in his second year of Arts, looks like a regular student — that is, until your eyes are inevitably drawn to

the bright blue unicycle he holds in his right hand. He may only have half a bike, but he’s prepared to go all the way. After growing up in Toronto, Ballon came to UBC for a change of pace, trading snowy east coast

Thunderbirds >>

T-BIRDS 5-ON-5

weather for more temperate B.C. rain and sun. The year before the move, his brother lent him his old, well-worn unicycle. Having mostly just biked in high school, he was ready to try something a bit different.

“This was the first sort of ‘out there’ kind of thing that I started doing, but I’m glad I did it,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun so far. I’m sure it will continue to be a lot of fun as I get better.” For many, riding a unicycle is a curiosity; for Ballon, it’s a main mode of transportation, and he rarely goes anywhere by other means. While most people speak of class distances in minutes walked or biked, he refers to them in minutes unicycled. One of the best parts of his day involves going from class to class, weaving through campus traffic on his unicycle, which invariably gets him some weird looks. “Sometimes, I’ll be going down Main Mall and I’ll pass by people who are having a conversation and they’ll just stop talking,” he said. “It’s good because I like showing people something that they don’t necessarily experience often.” Playing the trumpet with the Thunderbird Marching Band and doing Storm the Wall, both while on a unicycle, certainly count. It may makes things more difficult, but that challenge is precisely what he loves about it. “Unicycling is just so unique,” said Ballon. “It makes things more difficult, which makes things more fun if you end up actually achieving that.” Having mastered the basics of riding around, Ballon is currently teaching himself more technical skills like idling and hopping, and hopes to do more trail cycling through Pacific Spirit Park

Mindy minhas

Reetu johal

marcus davis

Basketball

Soccer

Football

or the North Shore. But beyond that, he wants to get more people interested in unicycling and eventually start a club. He went so far as to post in the UBC Class of 2017 Facebook group looking for recruits. It may be a one-wheel sport, but for Ballon, it’s also one built around community. He recalled a club back in Toronto where he played unicycle basketball with his brother and some other enthusiasts: “It was just a community thing. The guy who started it started because he wanted to get family members closer together… it really [had] sort of a community feel, which was nice.” He hopes to build a similar community here at UBC. Having met veterans interested in joining and students just wanting to try it out, Ballon looks forward to what the year will bring. And though it may seem like a niche sort of activity, he sees it as something that everyone should try out — at least once. “It’s really all just about practice … anyone can do it,” he said. “You just got to get out there and try it. If you’re not falling, you’re not learning.” So the next time you’re looking to do something a little “out there,” just look for the guy zipping down Main Mall on a bright blue unicycle. If you’re interested in joining Scott’s unicycling group, get in touch with him at scottballon@ gmail.com or look him up on Facebook. U

victoria behie

Volleyball

yuri kisil

Swimming

Rockin’ Rookies 1. What first-year stereotype do you embody?

I’m really eager to meet new people from different cultures and backgrounds and hopefully make some new friends.

I would say I embody the typical student athlete stereotype... definitely still trying to figure out time management skills.

Just a student that plays football a lot everyday. A typical student-athlete.

I embody the stereotype of first-year forgetful rookie.

I embody the dorm dweller stereotype. The only place people can usually find me is chilling in my dorm ... playing an intense game of D&D with my homies.

2. Which team tradition has surprised you the most so far?

Just how the team is like a family. Everybody is so nice and everyone is treated like a brother.

I haven’t come across any odd team traditions yet.

Can’t wear any red t-shirts for practice, because of a conference rival.

The team tradition that has surprised me most so far is the game day mandatory Instagram video.

None of the team traditions really phased me but when I came to the team I brought my mankini ... I am thinking there might be a new tradition coming soon!

3. Where do you see your sports career taking you?

I don’t want to put any limitations on how far I can go so I usually say as far as it takes me.

I would love to see myself playing at an elite level even after university but if not I hope to learn valuable life lessons.

I’ve put in a lot of work for my sport so my goal is to play professionally in the CFL or NFL.

I see my sports career taking me through five crazy years on an amazing team.

4. Which T-Bird, past or present, do you look up to most?

My AAU coach and mentor Pasha Bains. Since I was a kid I’ve looked up to him and wanted to be like him.

I look up to past T-Bird and my current coach Andrea Neil the most ... I have learned so much from and will continue to do so.

Josh Kronstrom. He is my veteran for this season. He is one of the hardest, most dedicated workers on the team.

The T-Bird I most look up too is Brina Derksen-Bergen who also played for the women’s volleyball team and graduated in 2013.

I would have to say the T-Bird that I look up to the most would have to be dirty dog Mitch.

5. What are three things someone could learn about you just by looking at your dorm room?

I like to keep clean and organized, you’ll find FIFA somewhere there... and some personal motivations and goals on the wall.

My favourite colour is purple, I’m very organized and I have a pretty big collection of stuffed animals.

I am Jamaican, I play football and I like shoes.

Organization is not something I have mastered, I like cacti and I appreciate a good pun.

The three things in my room that you can learn something about me from are Nutella, whip cream and some imagination.

If I were to guess I would say a small village just off the Himalayan mountains in Tibet. There I would own a small farm raising cattle and goats with my supermodel wife.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

| sports | 11

volleyball >>

Men’s volleyball poised for success this year

Making the playoffs isn’t up for debate, says head coach

file photo matt meuse / the ubyssey

Last year was a disappointment, but the ‘Birds are on the track to success this season.

Olamide Olaniyan Staff Writer

After their bitter loss to the Brandon University Bobcats in the Canada West quarterfinals last year, the UBC Thunderbirds men’s volleyball team is back stronger than ever. “We’ve been saying that it is time,” said head coach Richard Schick. “It is time not only for this program [to] make the national championship, but to win the national championship.” Despite having a difficult season start and a tough league to compete in, the Thunderbirds managed to finish second in the regular Canada

West season, with a conference record of 15-7. The team then proceeded to the playoff quarterfinals where they were knocked out by the Bobcats and finished with an overall record of 21-11. Schick couldn’t think of any real problems throughout the season. “There were just some setbacks in personnel and a lot of injuries. We had, in our minds, a decent year,” said Schick, who is entering his 12th year as the Thunderbirds head coach. “We lost Jarrid Ireland for the entire season. He is coming off a broken ankle and he didn’t play last year at all, which left a void in our offence.”

The Thunderbirds are hardly satisfied with their performance last season and look forward to stepping up their game this time around. Their preseason games saw a 2-0 record, with a 3-0 win against Thompson Rivers University, and a 3-2 Win against the Heat at UBC Okanagan. It has been a learning experience for the ‘Birds, the younger players as well as the veterans. “We haven’t really concentrated on getting a lot of games for exhibition, it’s more or less been working on what were trying to accomplish, and working on our systems rather than playing a lot of different teams,” said Schick.

Although a substantial amount of players graduated, the team’s lineup still looks as solid as ever. Setter Milan Nikic and defender Ian Perry will return as captains this year — both players had the most assists and two of the most digs for the Thunderbirds last year. Offensive hitters Ben Chow and Quentin Schmidt, who ended last season with .312 and .215 hitting percentages respectively, will continue to be key offensive players. The middles, such as fourth year Alex Russell and fifth year Chris Howe, are to keep the team’s strong defence up. Both

had the most total blocks for the entire of last season, 0.94 and 0.91 blocks per set, respectively. Their hitting percentage was also remarkable, with Russell hitting .429 and Howe hitting .328. Players like second year Irvan Brar and third year Mac McNicol might also step up this year. “I think we have one of the most balanced teams in the league,” said Schick. “We have the stars but we pride ourselves on being a team with a lot of weapons”. But even as the T-Birds have grown since the abrupt halt of their journey, the Canada West conference remains one of the toughest and most competitive in the whole of Canada. The last 19 of 21 CIS national champions have come from Canada West. Top contenders this year include defending national champions University of Alberta Golden Bears and the Trinity Western Spartans who also made it to the national championships. This ultra competitive league is definitely not a league to be taken lightly. “It’s not like some conferences where you don’t have to play your best to win. For us, we’re going to have to play our best each and every night for us to have a chance,” said Schick, who has led the Thunderbirds to the post season 10 times out of the past 11 years. However, Schick is completely confident in his team’s ability to do well this season. In fact, he is certain that his team will make it to the playoffs this year. “It’s an expectation, that doesn’t even have to be brought up. We are going to be in the playoffs, and we are going to be competing this year not only for Canada West, but for the national championship.” The Thunderbirds’ homecoming game will see the them host the Mount Royal University Cougars at the War Memorial Gym on Friday, October 17, at 8:00 p.m. U

Charity >>

Help gobble up poverty: run in the Turkey Trot

photo will mcdonald / the ubyssey

Slade (left) and Parlange (right) hope at least one jive turkey can beat them this year.

Joey Whittemore Contributor

Last year, on a cool October day, David Slade, a fifth-year materials engineering student and former track team athlete, and the Dean

of the Faculty of Applied Science, Marc Parlange, took their marks at the start of the first UBC two-kilometre Turkey Trot, a small race designed to raise funds for the United Way charity.

After a successful inaugural event, the Faculty of Applied Science is hosting the second annual Turkey Trot on Wednesday, October 8. “I want this event to become a fixture,” said Slade, who is now on the organizing committee for the upcoming year. Slade was one of the principal contributors to last year’s event and the defending champion. Having been signed up, unbeknownst to him, at a party by a friend only two weeks before the event, Slade scrambled into action. He talked to professors, family and friends and raised just under $500. Last year, Parlange put out a challenge and matched the donation of anyone who beat him in the race. This year, Parlange has also challenged the deans of all the other UBC faculties. If any other faculty can bring out more participants than the Faculty of Applied Science, Parlange will donate one dollar for every additional person.

“UBC has some very friendly competition between faculties,” said Parlange. He hopes to capitalize on this and bring all the faculties out together in order to raise money for a good cause. Parlange believes that “the Faculty of Applied Science can be like glue,” in making the university a more integrated place. This is one of his commitments as dean and comes at a time when the university is introducing more cross-faculty educational programs. The United Way Lower Mainland is UBC’s designated charity. It is a community-oriented charity that provides support for families in need, children who are bullied and isolated seniors. Last year, in recognition of his fundraising efforts, Slade was nominated for an award by United Way and won the Thunderbird Athletes Council Award. “Fundraising is really a give and take,” said Slade. He and Veronica Knott, the current Engineering Undergraduate

Society President, are planning to give more back. For this year’s Turkey Trot there are prizes for the top male and female athletes, and best costume. There are also plans for a DJ and a barbecue. Knott has been campaigning hard to the engineering students and the other faculty undergraduate societies. She says she’s “starting to feel the excitement.” There are many themes to this event, including competition, promoting an active lifestyle and charity. Parlange hopes that people can draw on any of them to come and participate. “Participation is the most important thing … you just have to show up,” he said. The suggested donation is two dollars. The race will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Engineering Cairn on Main Mall, but you can register before the event begins, from 12-12:30. Slade says that anyone can come to walk or run the two kilometres up Main Mall to the flagpoles and back. He is hoping that “someone can beat [him] this year.” U

12 | games |

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2014

* numbered section ends at 43 julian yu /the ubyssey

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Across 1- Farm measure 5- Eject 10- Astronaut Grissom 13- Afrikaner 14- French dance 16- Afore 17- Objectionable 19- China’s Chou En-___ 20- Thwart 21- One who is psychoanalyzed 23- Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 24- River to the Ubangi 26- End in ___ (draw) 27- Washroom

29- Distinctive 32- Dagger of yore 33- Cellist Pablo 36- Normal color vision 41- ___ Pieces 42- Neighbor of Cambodia 44- Business matters 48- Eskimo boot 50- Gin flavorer 51- “We’re all in the same _____” 53- Trick ending? 54- Persevered 58- Slippery ___ eel 60- Shoebox letters 61- Abnormal fear of light 64- IV units 65- Westerns

66- Forearm bone 67- Vietnamese New Year 68- “The Planets” composer 69- Staying power

Down 1- ___ Dhabi 2- Oppose 3- North American dogwood 4- ...___ saw Elba 5- U.K. record label 6- Like some infections 7- Mindlessly stupid 8- Castro’s country 9- Narrate 10- Trattoria treats

Sept 29th answers

11- Muse of astronomy 12- Large beer mug 15- Mystery writer Josephine 18- Swing around 22- Pouch 23- ACLU concerns 25- One engraving 28- Circle of flowers 29- Identical 30- Blood fluid 31- Superlative suffix 34- Ancient Athens’s Temple of ___ 35- Distress call 37- Dernier ___ 38- Kind 39- Marketable 40- Lamentation

43- Heavens 44- Facet 45- Swindle 46- Land covered with trees 47- Loser to DDE 49- D-Day beach 51- East Indian pepper plant 52- Smells 55- Wall St. debut 56- Ayatollah’s predecessor 57- Baum barker 59- Redding’s genre 62- L.A. clock setting 63- Small batteries