NOVEMBER 6, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXI GIGGLES SINCE 1918
TUITION WAIVERS FOR STUDENTS
OPINIONS AND ADVICE
DOCTOR WHO DIRECTOR
UBC is covering tuition costs for students who have been under government care.
Tuition increase is justifiable, biased grading and toxic relationships.
UBC prof Rachel Talalay directed this year’s season finale of Doctor Who.
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BASKETBALL PREVIEWS The men’s and women’s squads look for success in the 2014/15 season.
The University of British Columbia was born in the midst of war, and war defined it for much of its early existence. The university saw its students band together in the face of devastation and adversity twice in 30 years, in the First and Second World Wars. From military training concurrent with studying to going overseas, these are the stories of UBC during the wars.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 |
YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS, PEOPLE + CAMPUS
EVENTS FRIDAY
OUR CAMPUS
THIS WEEK, CHECK OUT ...
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ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UBC
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SCHOOL OF ROCK BEVERAGE GARDEN
7:00 P.M. @ NORM THEATRE
This joint effort by FilmSoc and CiTR has resulted in a combined showing of School of Rock with performances by ATSEA, The Chris Goodchild Band and The Scuffs. Cheap beverages will be available. $8 presale, $10 door. 19+
FRIDAY
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PHOTO CHERIHAN HASSUN / THE UBYSSEY
Alex Hackney splits his time between his studies, Ultimate Frisbee and working as the vice-president of the PVRA.
BASKETBALL HOMECOMING 5:00 P.M. @ THE PIT, WAR MEMORIAL GYM
It’s UBC basketball homecoming weekend and they’re celebrating at The Pit with a pre- and after-party. T-Birds will storm the gym at 6:00 p.m. for the women’s game, and 8:00 p.m. for the men’s. Free tickets at The Pit at 5:00.
TUESDAY
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NOVEMBER 6, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXI GIGGLES SINCE 1918
REMEMBRANCE DAY TUITION WAIVERS FOR STUDENTS
OPINIONS AND ADVICE
DOCTOR WHO DIRECTOR
UBC is covering tuition costs for students who have been under government care.
Tuition increase is justifiable, biased grading and toxic relationships.
UBC prof Rachel Talalay directed this year’s season finale of Doctor Who.
10:45 A.M. @ WAR MEMORIAL GYM
UBC’s annual Remembrance Day Ceremony is being held on Tuesday. Join your professors and peers at this ceremony to remember the victims of war. Refreshments will be provided after the ceremony. Doors open at 10:00. Free P4
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BASKETBALL PREVIEWS The men’s and women’s squads look for success in the 2014/15 season.
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ON THE COVER The University of British Columbia was born in the midst of war, and war defined it for much of its early existence. The university saw its students band together in the face of devastation and adversity twice in 30 years, in the First and Second World Wars. From military training concurrent with studying to going overseas, these are the stories of UBC’s wars.
Sharing their photographs is one of the small ways we hope to preserve the legacy of UBC’s veterans.
Want to see your events listed here? Email your events listings to ourcampus@ubyssey.ca.
U THE UBYSSEY EDITORIAL
Coordinating Editor Will McDonald coordinating@ubyssey.ca
Design Editor Nick Adams printeditor@ubyssey.ca
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News Editors Jovana Vranic + Veronika Bondarenko news@ubyssey.ca
Culture Editor Jenica Montgomery culture@ubyssey.ca
Sports + Rec Editor Jack Hauen sports@ubyssey.ca
Video Producer Tim video@ubyssey.ca
Photo Editor Cherihan Hassun photo@ubyssey.ca
Opinions + Blog Editor Austen Erhardt aerhardt@ubyssey.ca
STAFF
Copy Editor Ciaran Dougherty
Natalie Scadden, CJ Pentland, Kosta Prodanovic, Dave Nixon, copy@ubyssey.ca Soren Elsay, Olamide Olaniyan, Lawrence Neal Garcia, Tariq Distribution Coordinator Vira, Kelley Lin, Jenny Tang, Lily Cai Leo Soh, Mateo Ospina, Lu lcai@ubyssey.ca Zhang, Brock Newman, Koby Michaels, Jasmine Cheng
NOVEMBER 6, 2014 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXI BUSINESS
CONTACT
Business Manager Fernie Pereira
Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301
fpereira@ubyssey.ca
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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.
“Frisbee Alex” is the ultimate disc athlete Ciaran Dougherty Copy Editor
The sport of Ultimate Frisbee is young, but it is gaining incredible momentum, especially here at UBC. You only need to watch the game to understand the level of skill and physicality required to be a good player. However, it is a sport that anyone can pick up and few people leave the field of play without a wide smile on their face. Alex Hackney, one of UBC’s top young ultimate players, is no exception. Hackney — or as his friends know him, Frisbee Alex — a second-year Science student, seems to have a permanent grin across his face that accurately displays his character; he is happy, and has plenty of reasons to be. Earlier this year, Hackney was one of several UBC Ultimate players to be selected for the Team Canada U19 roster. This in itself is a huge achievement, but it’s even more impressive when you consider he had only been playing the sport for just over a year when he was chosen. “I started playing in early 2013. Several classmates and friends convinced me to come out and try this ‘new sport, Ultimate.’ I thought I should go out and sort of appease them and also have an activity that keeps me fit,” said Hackney. It’s fair to say that he did more than just appease his friends. The sport proved to be a natural
fit for him, and he quickly developed a love for it. This affinity has driven him to success; first on the UBC team, then with the selection to Team Canada.
I was actually in my room in Vanier when I got the email inviting me to be part of the U19 open team ... I ran to the floor lounge because I wanted to tell people ... it was one of the proudest moments of my life.” Alex Hackney Second-year Science student, Place Vanier vice-president and Ultimate Frisbee athlete.
“I was actually in my room in Vanier when I got the email inviting me to be part of the U19 open team. I ran to the floor lounge because I just wanted to tell people. Then I called several people. I was just so ecstatic — it was one of the proudest moments of my life,” said Hackney. With the national team, Hackney went to several tournaments including the World Championship in Italy. However, misfortune struck in the very first game. “The first game, we were playing Japan. It was raining all morning so we weren’t sure if
we were going play. In the third or fourth point of the game I was out there on ‘D’ line and we went up for the disc, swatted it away and when I came down, we landed and he landed right on my ankle,” said Hackney. This injury kept him out for the rest of the tournament and he was forced to watch his team win gold from the sidelines. Despite this disappointment he enjoyed supporting his team, taking the unfortunate injury with good grace. “Obviously I wish I wasn’t injured and I guess it creates a desire, I want to make it back to the world championships or some major tournament like that so I can help my team but there’s not a ton of regret, I did what I could to help my team,” said Hackney. Alongside his good nature and evident talent, Hackney has other interests off the Ultimate field. “I am the vice-president of the Place Vanier Residence Association, so we are sort of the student council of Vanier, we put on events for the residents, make sure they are having a good social life and getting a lot of new experiences that they might not have otherwise received,” he said. With sporting excellence, a great team ethic and a desire to improve the university experience for others, Hackney is a character we are lucky to have on campus. U
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 |
EDITORS JOVANA VRANIC + VERONIKA BONDARENKO
VOLUNTEERING >>
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AMS >>
Engineers Without Borders students help bring clean water to Malawi New SUB
to hold five single-stall, gender-neutral washrooms
Elba Gomez Navas Contributor
UBC student Franny Varty has spent the last four months volunteering with Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to bring clean water facilities to Malawi. In its efforts to improve living standards in developing countries around the globe, EWB’s UBC Chapter has recently launched a new initiative called the Junior Fellowship Program. Varty, who is an international relations and environmental geography major, is among the first generation of EWB UBC Junior Fellows. “I was working with the water and sanitation venture in Malawi,” said Varty. “Their main goal is building capacity within the resources that they have available for the government to do its work.” Still, Varty said that, as outsiders, EWB fellows must be careful not to overstep the decisions coming from within the government sphere, but rather serve as catalysts for ideas to become realities. “We wanted to have the movements be led by the government, not by an outsider coming in and tell them what to do,” said Varty. “I’ve seen this happen firsthand and it can be very damaging.” One of their largest initiatives came from Steve Meja, Varty’s supervisor, and district water development officer in Machinga, who suggested enlisting local community groups to participate in the projects alongside the volunteers.
PHOTO MICKI COWAN/THE UBYSSEY PHOTO TIMOTHY HOGGAN/THE UBYSSEY
UBC student Franny Varty is a Junior Fellow with Engineers Without Borders.
“The way that people often get water in rural areas in Malawi is through a borehole or a well,” said Varty. “An initiative that has been set up in most districts is to empower local volunteers to be the ones to fix those boreholes or wells if they’re broken.” This initiative was successful not only given its cost-efficiency, but also given the existing connections between groups, which made it easier for them to work together. But there were also challenges arising from imminent resource constraints, including having only four individuals working in the
Water Management Office for the whole district and awaiting funding on a month-to-month basis. “Four people for an entire district is kind of difficult,” said Varty. “We thought about how we could utilize other structures of furthering those goals of the district but using other local structures to make sure everyone is part of the process.” Nonetheless, Varty and her team saw it as an opportunity to thrive and experience a positive side of Malawi that is not often portrayed to western audiences through the media.
“When we only hear that one side we can forget that there are so many governments, and individuals and local initiatives that are trying to support their people,” said Varty. Varty hopes the success of this initiative can open doors for more ventures into Africa in upcoming years. “I would like to see more leaders from countries in Africa taking more roles within the actual organization,” said Varty. “Right now we have a lot of goals in terms of sustainable food systems and mining, so I would like to see more impact in terms of more sustainable agricultural practices.” U
ELECTIONS >>
UBC student Urooba Jamal running for Park Board Mariam Baldeh Contributor
Urooba Jamal, a fifth-year international relations student at UBC, is running for a spot on Vancouver’s Park Board with the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) in the upcoming municipal elections. A strong advocate for change and social justice, Jamal has taken on several leadership roles both on and off campus over the years. She was a Residence Advisor in her second and third years at UBC, took on various executive positions for clubs around campus and is one of the co-founders for The Talon , UBC’s new alternative student publication. In her current role as a community animator for the Global Lounge on Lower Mall, she manages a committee of students on campus while still being involved in off-campus, grassroots initiatives centred around artistic expression through poetry and other forms of performance art. “I didn’t know a lot about municipal politics, [but] as I learned more and more, I realized that there needs to be a fundamental change in City Hall,” said Jamal. “One of the areas I wanted to effect change in was youth participation and involvement in civic politics.” One of Jamal’s main platform points involves advocating on behalf of racialized youth and their <em>
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right to live in the city, particularly in the realm of arts, culture and youths’ access to various programs and services. Jamal’s campaign also focuses around economic justice — in particular, Jamal hopes to push for a $15/hour increase to minimum wage, widespread support for Community Association employees’ expansion to a unionized workforce and more grassroots community programming for its power to mobilize people and shift conversations. “I really just want to see a shift in politics that isn’t for the benefit of developers in the city, and that is [instead] able to produce change for those most affected or overlooked by the city’s decisions like working class populations, women, indigenous peoples and people of colour,” said Jamal. Jamal also said that a lot of the same people are being pushed out of the city because Vancouver is becoming increasingly unaffordable and less accessible, which further motivated her to run with COPE because of the party’s belief in bringing about change through grassroots organizing and people power. Through her repertoire of community development initiatives, leadership roles, commitment and passion for promoting social justice, Jamal hopes to do her part in creating a more inclusive and accessible Vancouver. U
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PHOTO COURTESY DAVID SIMMONDS
Jamal’s platform can be found online at cope.bc.ca/urooba
The new SUB is going to be home to five gender-neutral washrooms.
Veronika Bondarenko News Editor
The new SUB will have five gender-neutral washrooms, but each space will still be confined to a single-stall room. The washrooms, which will each be equipped with a sink and toilet fixture, will be placed in between the multi-stall men’s and women’s washrooms on each of the new SUB’s five floors. Michael Kingsmill, project manager for the new SUB, said that the decision to put in more gender-neutral washrooms was part of the new SUB’s initial design. While the current SUB has three gender-neutral, single-stall washrooms, the AMS wanted to include several others in the new building. “Now that we’ve had opportunity to design a new building, we’ve embedded it into the building and also into the culture that there are these universally accessible washrooms for people who are in need of these facilities,” said Kingsmill. Ashley Bentley, assistant manager of the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC), said that gender-neutral washrooms are an important step towards creating a safe and accessible space for people who identify as transgender. “I think it’s really important for us that this happens because we want to create an inclusive space, a safe space for trans folks, and washrooms are a really important part of doing that,” said Bentley. While the washrooms will be labelled as a safe space for people of all genders, they will also have signs that label them as accessible for people with physical disabilities and contain changing tables. “It will be very clear through the signage that it’s accessible to all and that it’s a safe space to anyone,” said Bentley. “But with a lot of transgender people, they don’t necessarily always feel comfortable being in a non-single stall washroom, so I think it’s important that we have the single stalls available.” According to Kingsmill, the increased privacy will provide opportunities for anyone who may not feel comfortable using a multi-stall washroom to feel more at ease. “I’m optimistic that the more we reach out to all people with facilities that are accessible, then that’s a positive thing.” U
4 | NEWS |
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
FEES >>
PHYSICS >>
Tuition waived for students leaving government care
Researchers work on levitating cars, portable MRIs
FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
UBC is waiving tuition fees for 11 students from UBC and six from UBC-O.
David Nixon Senior Staff Writer
UBC has waived the tuition for 17 students who had previously been under government youth care. UBC is among seven post-secondary institutions in B.C. who have responded to a challenge from B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond to support youth who are leaving government care by waiving tuition. “It’s the first time in my life for a very long time that my biggest stress is almost purely academic,” said one second-year Engineering student who requested anonymity around the sensitive subject. After spending one year at UBC already, the student was amazed to learn that he qualified, and that they would even refund him his first year’s tuition. “It was a huge relief, a huge weight off my shoulders,” he said. “To be frank I don’t think I would have been able to work through the school year, because it has been a very challenging school year academically.” The program came at the right time for him, when the high costs and stress led him to look elsewhere, like the trades. “Even if I were able to get through it with work and loans, it would leave me with a crap ton of debt and I would be evaluating at every point if it was worth it or not,” he said. In B.C., all support for youth in care ends at 19. Every year about 700 youths “age-out” of care, and are statistically at risk
of homelessness, early pregnancy, incarcerations and poverty among other situations. “UBC recognizes that we want to provide access to education as much as possible for this community,” said Darran Fernandez, associate director of enrolment services for UBC. UBC will waive tuition, while related tuition fees will be waived by the AMS and UBC together. This can be applied for within five years of leaving government care, and students must qualify through regular UBC admissions to get in. Nine recipients this year were existing students and eight are new students. There are 11 recipients at UBC and six at UBC Okanagan. “We anticipate seeing the numbers increase, and we welcome that,” said Fernandez. “We want to make sure we capture as many folks as we can, and then provide additional support to them.” UBC also offers additional support through one-on-one advisor services to help the students with any problems along the way. The program has worked with ease so far, and the application takes only about a month from start to finish. “You don’t have to push anything, they almost push it onto you, it’s not difficult if you qualify to take advantage of this program,” said the Engineering student. The program has already had a huge impact on this student’s life. “There’s a chance I might not be at the university [without it],” he said, “and I appreciate it so much and somewhere along the line I hope to give back if I can.” U
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COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS
Seher Asef Contributor
A team of UBC researchers and physicists is working to make highly-efficient levitating cars, portable MRI scanners and thinner power lines accessible to the general market. The scientists have received $1.7 million from the provincial government through the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund for a project that will help UBC physics professor Andrea Damascelli and his team of student researchers discover a new set of quantum materials with superconductive properties. These new materials are expected to be superior to existing ones, as they will be able to conduct electricity at room temperature without the loss of energy. “[Superconductors] can give you many applications and better applications which are not possible through normal conductors,” said Damascelli. “Magnetic levitation is one of them.” Damascelli said that although there are existing quantum materials that have the capacity to lift a car or train into the air and propel it into motion, they have to be cooled to extreme temperatures in furnaces, which makes the production process both expensive and inefficient. By using materials that are not subject to thermodynamics, Damascelli and his team hope to make superconductivity at room temperature a reality. If this is achieved, levitating cars and trains could become a standard mode of transportation. “We want to make materials for the next generation of devices, materials which are far beyond what you could grow with conventional chemistry,” said Damascelli.
FILE PHOTO HOGAN WONG/THE UBYSSEY
Andrea Damascelli is working to make flying cars and portable MRI scanners a reality.
The results could also lead to wider applications, including in the field of medicine. Damascelli said that if room temperature superconductivity is achieved, MRI scanners will no longer require a bulky cooling system to operate. The new MRI machines could potentially be portable and, with a more versatile scanner, as light as a laptop. Fourth-year Engineering student Scott Lawson explained that the discovery of new quantum materials could also save billions of dollars and lead to the discovery of new devices. “A room temperature superconductor would basically
change our world,” said Lawson. “It would be a bigger discovery than the first transistor. It would save billions of dollars for power transfer lines.” Damascelli also said that further research into how superconductivity can be achieved at room temperature has the potential to open up a wide range of technological possibilities. “If I could get one room temperature superconductor, that would be a gigantic breakthrough,” said Damascelli. “That would be a completely different way of looking at the future in terms of technologies.” U
Notice of Open House Cancellation - DP 14036
Public Open House - CANCELLATION National Soccer Development Centre
The Open House originally scheduled to be held on Wednesday, November 12 for the new National Soccer Development Centre will be held at a future date, that has yet to be determined.
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 Time: 4 :00 - 6:00 PM Place: Commons Room, MBA House, 3385 Wesbrook Mall Plans will be displayed for the proposed new 3,400m2 National Soccer Development Centre, a joint project between UBC Athletics and the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club. Representatives from the project team and Campus + Community Planning will be available to provide information and respond to inquiries about this project. For more information on this project, please visit: planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations For further information: Please direct questions to Karen Russell, Manager Development Services karen.russell@ubc.ca 604-822-1586 This event is wheelchair accessible.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 |
STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.
FEE HIKES >>
5
ADVICE >>
Tuition increases are justified: change my view Ask Natalie: on toxic relationships
and the best place to go on a first date
NATALIE MORRIS
Advice Columnist
Some students silently demonstrated at a Town Hall on UBC’s housing and tuition fee increases.
LUC BRIEDÉ-COOPER Letter
This past Sunday I had an idea… I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the proposed increase in future international student tuition and the increase in eight-month residence fees. I’ve been really happy about the emphasis on the student body about getting informed. AMS representatives and undergraduate society executives, who have been heavily immersed in the issue have been taking initiative. The Facebook page “I Am a Student — UBC” is dedicated to informing students although I felt it could do more to encourage open discussion, which cannot be underemphasized. Anyway, back to Sunday. Taking Cunningham’s rule to heart and staying true to Reddit’s r/ changemyview, I posted this and further elaboration to the “UBC Class of 2018” Facebook page: “Change my view: The 10% increase in international tuition is reasonable. By reasonable I mean: -it is not inherently or circumstantially wrong (unfair, immoral, etc.) -the pros outweigh the cons ***If you convince me that the increase is unreasonable I will actually buy you a Blue Chip cookie.***” Soon after, I received a PM saying, “ … I just wanted to drop a
message and thank you for starting the change my view on the group and encouraging something other than ‘it’s wrong.’” It is clear to me that many students value legitimately open discussion and critical, rational thought. I find we’re most often immersed in activist circlejerks or circumstances where everyone agrees we should “question everything” but no one knows how to ask answerable questions. Someone commented “Higher Education should be free for everyone. An increase in tuition prices is a step in the opposite direction and so it is wrong.” I like the logically laid response but the problem is its unsupported implication that higher education is a right and not a privilege. Nowhere in the Canadian Charter/Constitution nor in the B.C. School Act is higher education given as a right. Find the right in those documents and you will convince me I’m wrong. In terms of the tuition increases, this means the increase is not violating any rights. To be fair, UBC’s way of handling the propositions has been very disappointing at best. When I hear they were initially extremely vague and quiet, I think “sketchy” and when they cherry picked data to claim rez fees are still below market value I think “manipulative.” It’s condemnable but when they said that international tuition profits will be distributed as international tuition already is, I was
PHOTO WILL MCDONALD / THE UBYSSEY
convinced it will actually serve its purpose of funding research and all else. Also, it is a valid point that international tuition is lower than other Canadian universities and 7.4 per cent of the money increase is going towards financial support for international students. International scholarships are sparse and the international student financial support advisory group may not be effective but permanently funding Jump Start as part of the increase is a direct benefit for future international students However, profits from the residency fee increase will be distributed towards specified initiatives, yet unspecified UBC bodies are to implement it, which is sketchy in a way the tuition increase isn’t. So far, I am convinced that the increase in tuition itself is reasonable, that the rez fee increase itself isn’t but as for why they should be increased at all, you will have to ask yourself how much you value the quality and prestige of a UBC education and how much to those, the increase will contribute. Again, my opinions on this are not firm. Show me the tuition increase is not reasonable and I will take a new stance, but until the day someone has changed my view on this matter, no one will receive a Bluechip cookie! — Luc Briedé-Cooper is a secondyear physics major.
“How do you get over someone who is completely ignorant they are hurting your feelings?” First off let me say, I’m taking this from a romantic point of view. Let me also say, this is a sucky thing for anyone to deal with. I’m sorry this is happening. There are a few things you can do, but not all of them will have a great ending. You can express to said person that they are actually hurting your feelings. Since they don’t know that their actions are hurting you, you could give them a chance to correct themselves. If it is a certain thing they are doing or even just how they are treating you, let them know that it isn’t okay and if they want to continue being friends with you, they have to stop. Give them a chance.
JONATHAN DUELING Letter
Re: UBC’s confusing anti-bias policies. You see, there are some UBC professors who ask that students refrain from including their name on the assignments they hand in. That way they will be less biased in case what the student is saying is against their values/opinions/etc. I think this might be slightly effective if we are trying to weed out bias, but not as effective as what they could do. Here’s what I suggest: say, for example, that it is a paper on religion, and the prof is religious, let the religious
But even if you do try and tell them exactly what they are doing to hurt you, they may continue their actions. Some people don’t want to change. And even if you pour out your heart and soul about your feelings, they still can turn you down. You can’t force someone to accept your feelings and you can’t force someone to love you back. Some say to get over someone, it’s best to just cut them out of your life. If you cut the person from your life, you give yourself a chance to heal from them and grow. It can be painful, but if you think it’s worth giving yourself a clean break, it can be for the best. It may be hard, but staying with them without saying anything will only build unhappiness within you. Not only will you continue to get more and more upset with this person, you will also become upset at yourself for not doing anything. Either way, no matter what you do, or don’t do, know that your worth as a person is not dependent on how this person treats you or if they like you. “What’s a good place for a first date?” There is the always The Point, in Marine Drive. A classic, unmatched place for the first date of many first-years, not only for its reasonable prices but also the fact that they accept flex dollars from the residence’s meal plan. Just make sure you have something else planned too and it’s not just dinner. I suggest you get the poutine and plan a better second date. U teacher mark it in the way she thinks is fair. Then let another non-religious teacher — or teacher from the other side of the coin, in general — mark it the way she thinks is fair. I think you might be able to weed out bias quite well then. Why am I passionate about this? I got 50 per cent last year on a paper I put blood, sweat and tears into (maybe not tears, but still). Why? I have a feeling it was because I took a pro-life position, whereas that is not a popular stance for many people, including professors. — Jonathan Dueling is a thirdyear philosphy student minoring in music.
By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
“ The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” › Thomas Edison: Relentless Inventiveness Failure is no biggie. Just ask Edison. If he stopped at failure, he would never have moved on to invent a little thing called the light bulb. So if you’ve failed a class somewhere else, or have a scheduling conflict, come on over. You can catch up with our world-recognized online courses, then move on to bigger successes. Talk about a light bulb moment.
open. online. everywhere. Learn more @ athabascau.ca/edison
6 | FEATURE |
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
The War Years by Austen Erhardt
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY UBC LIBRARY
In October, millions were touched by the death of corporal Nathan Cirillo: a young man murdered in the line of duty, standing guard at Canada’s most profound monument to peace. Cirillo’s death tore at the hearts of people all around the world including, to a great extent, those of young people. Maybe it was something about Cirillo’s youth, or the circumstances of his passing — but, regardless of the reason, his death humanized the losses that have been suffered over the years. His life opened up to the world like a book. Photos and stories of him, his family, his pets and his friends all painted a picture of his character: a biography that was both full and all too short. Cirillo wasn’t a faceless soldier — he was a person, and one with a full life left to live. It’s hard for people born in a time and place of peace to relate to the trials that faced our predecessors. With each year, more of our direct connections to the World Wars — the last remaining veterans — pass away. Our generation is the last that will have anyone or anything tying us to these wars, beyond a distant relative or a textbook. What is crucial to remember is that these people, from the soldiers of the World Wars and the Korean War to those of modern conflicts, were and are more than pages of a history book. Like Cirillo, they had family, friends, lives and aspirations. Like Cirillo, many of their lives were cut short. UBC was established in 1915, near the start of the First World War. Still a fledgling university, located in Fairview and struggling to secure its future existence, the war ran parallel to academics. The construction of the Point Grey campus, which had been planned in the years leading up to the war, was postponed at its outbreak. Students and faculty alike became involved with the war effort, with 697 of the the student body enlisted in the armed forces over the course of the war (enrolment was 917 in 1918/19) — of which 78 died in service. Many of UBC’s servicemen were a part of the Western Universities Battalion, which first went
overseas in 1917. D company, the UBC branch of the battalion, was led by Dean of Applied Sciences, Major R.W. Brock (after whom Brock Hall is named) and included UBC’s first AMS president and later chancellor, Sherwood Lett. UBC weathered its first war, and developed considerably over the next 20 years. Construction on the Point Grey campus was finally restarted, following the Great Trek of 1922, and it was opened in 1925. By the outbreak of the Second World War, UBC was a well-established — though still growing — community, with an enrolment of 2,594 in 1939/40. Though there was considerable uncertainty surrounding the war in its early years, the entire campus realized that life at UBC would change dramatically with Canada having joined the war against Germany and the Axis powers. Soon after Canada entered the war, military training was made compulsory for all male UBC students, largely as a part of the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps (COTC). Six hours per week were dedicated to training, which included a mix of lectures, drills and exercises. Bill Wong, a UBC graduate and student from 1941 to 1946, was one of the hundreds of students for whom military training was as much a part of his weekly routine as studying and going to class. “I think most students had pretty busy lives, because there was training every Saturday. That means Saturday, you’re tied in with your drills. And also once a week, there was a three hour lecture. That would take your time away from studying.
Rain or shine, you gotta spend six hours a week in training,” he said. The training ranged from weapons handling, to the proper use of a gas mask, to physical fitness. Students and faculty in the COTC — including commanding officer and faculty member Colonel Gordon Shrum, a WWI veteran who fought at Vimy Ridge — waived their army pay to support the war effort. The money was used to build and equip the UBC Armoury. Though military training was compulsory only for men, many female UBC students contributed to the war effort in various ways. Some volunteered for the Red Cross, or sewed and sent letters and parcels to soldiers. Others, like UBC alumna Doris Gregory, followed their male counterparts overseas in organizations such as the Canadian Women’s Army Corps. Gregory started at UBC in 1940, and worked at The Ubyssey for two years before deciding to join the CWAC and go overseas. “I wanted to get away from home. In those days, girls stayed at home until they got married … So the idea of joining the army appealed to me, because there I’d be wearing the same uniform as everybody else, going through the same regimen and being more at the scene of the action. University was kind of a backwater at the point — everything was happening elsewhere! It was the sense of adventure.” The war was, in all ways, a “total war” — demanding focus and contributions from every level of society. Though at least in some ways, life on campus continued as normal, the war did leave a gash in campus life.
“Jack Morritt, who was in my class. Really nice guy — a shock of blonde hair. He was killed very early in the war.”
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“Butter is rationed, sugar is rationed — liquor is rationed! Even the good women were rationed, because the women went into uniform!”
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
“At the end of ’41, so many fellas had left university to join the army … It left a hole in the university — there were no guys to go to dances with!” Gregory said with a laugh. Though many UBC students continued their studies through to graduation, hundreds put their education on hold or put it to use immediately after graduating by joining the active service and going to fight overseas. At the peak in 1940-41, 1,879 students were enrolled in the COTC at UBC. Over the course of the war, 1,680 would serve overseas. Of them, 169 would never return home. “Jack Morritt, who was in my class. Really nice guy — a shock of blonde hair. He was killed very early in the war,” said Gregory. Although the war had an undeniable impact on UBC and its students, coverage of the more serious topics of the war was limited in The Ubyssey . It was common to see military orders placed beside dance announcements and fashion columns; obituaries and discussion of significant events overseas were surprisingly rare. “Not much was written about the war in The Ubyssey at that time. I don’t remember censorship coming up, really, I think there was sort of an unspoken willingness to not emphasize [the war] — maybe there was pressure, but I wasn’t aware of it,” Gregory said. An exception to this was in the final issues of the school year of The Ubyssey , and UBC’s annual yearbook, The Totem , which included dozens of military photos and a list of those in active service and who had been injured or lost their lives in the line of duty. Rationing was a part of everyday life for students in the early 40s: everything from sugar, to gas, to alcohol was conserved due to shortages resulting from reduced production and availability. Wong reminisced on only having enough gas allotted to drive to UBC two days a week, which led to car pooling becoming the norm among students. UBC had its share of decorated soldiers, perhaps the most renowned being Robert Hampton Gray. Gray, a pilot, was awarded the Victoria Cross — the highest Commonwealth award for valour — for sinking a Japanese destroyer despite injury and a damaged aircraft. He was one of the last Canadians to die in the war.
The end of the war saw a massive influx of veterans enrolling at UBC. From 1944/45 to 1946/47, UBC’s total enrolment jumped from 3,528 to 11,446. The university brought in temporary buildings — “huts” — to accommodate the massive increase in the number of students. Ed Trewin, who served in the Royal Canadian Airforce as a flight instructor — having tested in the top 10 of his flight class — was one of thousands of veterans who took advantage of government grants to attend university. He worked at UBC for years, and attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at UBC’s War Memorial Gym for decades without fail. “After the war he stayed in [the Air Force], and he was able to go to UBC in the Air Force doing reserve duty on the weekends … He flew Vampires. He also flew search and rescue, and mercy flights up into the interior,” said Ted Trewin, Trewin’s son, about his father. It’s been almost 70 years since the end of the Second World War, and for some, it’s difficult to see the relevance. For many of today’s students, the biggest issues that are faced are working a part-time job to pay tuition, keeping up our GPAs and dealing with the construction that seems to be a constant on campus. What we have to remember is that these men and women were just like us. They too were just entering adulthood and discovering what they wanted to do with their lives. They had friends, family and hobbies. They probably enjoyed going to dances, playing sports and meeting classmates at the bar. They worried about their grades, what their parents would think of their new boyfriend or girlfriend and what to get their moms for Mother’s Day. They were students — just like us. Some might say that these men and women died before they had a chance to make their marks on the world — before they had a chance to start families and create and lead with the knowledge they gained from their education. But these men and women did make their marks. It’s because of them that we’re able to live in the world that we do. They gave their youth and their lives in defence of their country and the ideals that they believed in. Whether it’s Remembrance Day, or a passing thought on any other day of the year, it’s up to us to remember them. We owe them that. U
There was a certain bond between those of us who went overseas — a camaraderie... I think it was stronger for those of us who went overseas.
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A view of the UBC Point Grey campus from the 1945 yearbook called The Totem.
UBC students in the Canadian Officer’s Training Corps march in front of the recently built Brock Hall memorial building during WWII.
“He was able to go to UBC in the Air Force doing reserve duty... He flew vampires. He also flew search and rescue, and mercy flights up into the interior.”
A troop of UBC students stand at ease outside the Arts building at UBC’s original Fairview campus.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 |
EDITOR JENICA MONTGOMERY
FILM >>
CBC’s The Nature of Things features the work of UBC post-doc
PHOTO COURTESY GABRIEL LEVESQUE
Roslyn Dakin is a UBC post-doctoral fellow with the department of zoology.
Alex Lenz Contributor
Sex — it’s everyone’s favourite taboo topic. We blush, we giggle and we gush when sex comes up in conversation. But sex is a perfectly natural phenomenon, an activity that is characteristic of every animal species on the planet. The omnipresence of sexuality among animal species is what is being explored in the upcoming documentary film, Decoding Desire.
The film, which will premier in this week’s episode of CBC’s The Nature of Things, features the work of Roslyn Dakin, a UBC post-doctoral fellow in the department of zoology. Dakin’s research, which she completed while working on her Masters and PhD in biology at Queen’s University, focuses on the mating rituals of peacocks. “Peacocks are a classic example of sexual selection. The males have this metre and a half long tail, with
these intricate feathers, and each feather has a pattern with five or six different colours, and the colours change, depending on how you look at them. How did that evolve? It’s incredible to think about,” said Dakin. Peacocks are a prime candidate for the study of sexual selection, which is one of the central topics of this film. “Not only do they have extravagant feathers, which I was really interested in as a topic, but they also have courtship behaviours that
are really easy to observe. They’re big, they court out in the open…. So all of these behaviours that I’m really interested in are out in the open in these big populations, where the birds are pretty used to humans. So it just seemed like a really fruitful system for being able to catch birds and see lots of behaviour and get lots of data.” The findings that Dakin compiled were mainly the result of her extensive fieldwork in Arcadia, California; a Los Angeles suburb that is a hotspot for peafowl. The birds roam freely throughout the neighbourhoods in this area, which creates a perfect environment for observing the mating rituals of these animals. Dakin also conducted research at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, the Toronto Zoo and the Bronx Zoo. The Nature of Things invited Dakin to be a part of Decoding Desire due to the relevance of her research within the context of the film’s theme. Decoding Desire touches upon the sexual patterns of various species and how they utilize sex in order to survive. “There are a lot of different ways of doing it in the animal kingdom. And I think there is a really strong temptation to compare things that animals do to humans.” Decoding Desire premieres on the CBC’s The Nature of Things, on Thursday, November 6, at 8 p.m. U
THEATRE >>
Tremors Festival brings simultaneous sadness and hilarity
PHOTO COURTESY TIM MATHESON
Emerging theatre talent were given the opportunity to work with seasoned professionals as a part of the Tremors Festival.
Mariam Barry Contributor
Newly coined theatre graduates are often plagued with the difficult task of finding work, and doing it well. Rumble Theatre Company alleviated this anxiety by aligning emerging talent with seasoned theatre veterans to produce four plays for next week’s Tremor Festival. However, this is not a festival in the conventional sense, but rather a four day theatre experience of three simultaneously staged plays presented by Rumble Theatre Company. Each night, three shows (Trainspotting, This is War and The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed
Love-Suicide) run concurrently within one venue. “If [we see Tremors as] a theatre party, let’s keep the party going … as theatre [at its essence] is about getting people together in a room,” said Stephen Drover, Rumble Theatre Company’s artistic director. When the performances are over, the audience is invited and encouraged to attend the after-show party. The purpose of the party is so that the collective audience members, who have had three individual experiences at the viewing of the various productions, can have a communal experience as they get to mingle with the cast and crew.
Post-show celebrations include performances by emerging artists in slam poetry, drag shows, burlesque and live music. Additionally, Tremors features the emerging talent of artists within five years of their professional debut. Emerging directors, stage managers, designers, technicians and actors alike have worked together to mount these upcoming productions, done under the guidance of local theatre professionals. Every artist is assigned a disciple-specific mentor from the professional theatre community to offer them advice throughout their creative process. The mentorship “allows [new artists] to ask questions about
their craft [and] build relationships with established professionals,” said Drover. A rare opportunity that actress Sarah Roa of this year’s festival extols as an unbelievably encouraging experience as “everyone is very guided.” This year’s selections of plays, chosen by Rumble, share a resounding spirit of the drama that ensues with being a young person who inherits a situation they did not ask for from the complex, and often corrupted, world of the adult. Each play explores the intrigue of a young person dealing with dangerous times. Actress Naomi Vogt, a recent UBC BFA graduate, who plays the role of Rachel in the production of The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide, echoed the same sentiment as the production to her investigates “how kids inherit a complicated life handed down to them by adults, and [some children cannot] operate within such a world.” The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide follows the events of a child’s life, eventually leading up to their suicide. In this play the victim has himself written a play as his suicide note, with his 4th-grade peers written into the show who stage it. Though sensitive in subject matter, the play is “a beautiful piece of childhood observation of some of the most nightmarish elements of an adult’s existence,” said Vogt. The Tremors Festival runs from November 12-15 at the Russian Hall. U
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ART >>
Peace of mind at the AMS Art Gallery
PHOTO CHERIHAN HASSUN/THE UBYSSEY
Olivia Law Senior Staff Writer
Psychological health is something almost everyone is conscious of; whether it plays an active part in everyday decisions, or is simply a niggling feeling in the back of your mind, most UBC students are aware of the impacts of stress and worry in everyday life. The BC Psychological Association is presenting viewers with the question “what does psychological health mean to you?” Addressed through a variety of art forms, students from UBC, SFU, Emily Carr and the greater Vancouver community show personal responses to the question through their art. The variety of styles and interpretations of the question certainly reflects the variety of outlooks upon mental health, and the likelihood is that almost everyone who visits will find at least one piece which resonates with them. Each piece of artwork is accompanied by a placard by the artist, explaining their decisions and attitudes towards mental health. Yuliya Badayeva emphasizes the importance of creating a life which is fulfilling to yourself, demonstrated through an explosive array of colour and style. Like psychological health, art can be interpreted in different ways according to the individual. Although almost every artist involved placed an emphasis on serenity and inner peace, each artist chose to represent this in completely contrasting ways. “The Girl at the Edge” by Mary Savage uses calm, smooth, swirling colours and strokes in a painting inspired by a black and white photo of herself, juxtaposed to the layers and textures of Karren Holland’s “River Runs Through and Ups & Downs: The Good with the Bad,” which places emphasis on the strength of the unpredictability of life and its paths. The meandering rivers and rocky paths represent the need to keep going through life, even when the path is not what you expect, showing that balance is key, perfection unattainable. Ron Schwartz’s “Snakes and Ladders” serves to represent the different environments in life through balance, travel and exploration. His dream-like painting provides insight into what could be considered the most important aspects to a positive psychological health profile, showing that differences are key to maintaining balance in everyday life. Although there is no specific flow or theme in terms of style of art, the initial question is demonstrated and interpreted in each and every work. The Piece of Mind exhibit, which is at the AMS Art Gallery until November 7, is thought-provoking and inspiring to the viewer, challenging preconceived notions towards this potentially controversial theme. U <em>
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| CULTURE | 9
TV >>
The two-part season finale of Doctor Who was directed by a UBC film prof
UBC film production prof Rachel Talalay directed a two-part finale this year’s season of Doctor Who.
Edmund Henry Contributor
Have you ever wanted to take a look inside the TARDIS and meet the Doctor? Well, that’s exactly what UBC Film Assistant Professor Rachel Talalay did on her first day on set, directing the two-part season finale of the immensely popular British science fiction series, Doctor Who, the first of which aired on November 1.
“You just think, really? Is this really happening to me? And you are trying not to bust out into the hugest smile,” said Talalay, who has had a versatile and multi-faceted career in theatre, film and television following her first job as a production assistant on John Water’s Polyester in 1982. Talalay, who graduated from Yale University with a BA in mathematics, grew up in a household of scientists who nonethe-
less had a love for art. “I wasn’t born with a camera in my hands, but with a passion for movies,” she said. Much of her early work was within the horror genre, including a number of films in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. She would revisit the horror genre many times throughout her career, most recently directing the MTV horror movie, The Dorm which aired on October 26.
CAMPUS >>
Koerner’s increases involvment in arts and culture community
PHOTO MABS COATES-DAVIES/THE UBYSSEY
Koerner’s has become one of the go-to hubs for students on campus.
Yoki Li Contributor
Previously run by the Graduate Student Society, Koerner’s Pub closed in 2011 due to significant financial losses. Having re-opened in 2013, it is now under the management of a third party, HK Commerce. After taking over, Tim Yu — UBC alumna and the principal of Koerner’s Pub — renovated the pub and made it more stylish than before. Changing the idea of what it means to be a students’ pub, Yu’s new goals included providing better food and drinks. “I like to think it’s … an alternative to going to a food place in Gastown,” said Yu. But more importantly, he hopes to turn Koerner’s Pub into a cultural hub and also be “known to be the live music place on campus.”
Every Monday to Friday night, Koerner’s Pub has a list of events to keep the campus community entertained. Right now, they have Open Mic Night on Monday, live music on Tuesday, karaoke on Wednesday and DJs on Thursday and Friday. Yu also expressed interest in hiring a house band in the near future. Yu acknowledged the wide range of hidden talent here at UBC. “I don’t feel in the past few years that there’s been anywhere on campus [for] people [to] express that,” said Yu. Through events such as Open Mic Nights, Yu aims to draw out talented students with musical talents. Koerner’s Pub is about providing students a stage to showcase their skills without the need for “big events”. Koerner’s goal is
to become a part of the campus culture, providing a consistent cultural life five days a week and bring the campus community closer together. Along with the Chan Centre, Museum of Anthropology, Frederic Wood Theatre and UBC Theatre, Koerner’s “really wants to be a part of [the cultural precinct]” at UBC. Located on Crescent Road near all the cultural action, it strives to be the place for people to have a bite to eat before or after a show or event. Yu wants Koerner’s to become more than just a bar for students, he envisions a campus pub for members of the UBC community. “It’s great when we have faculty, students, visiting people who are going to see a show. And its kind of mixing things [which] is nice,” said Yu. Small things such as the interior design of the bar help encourage Koerner’s role in UBC’s arts and culture scene. Rather than the individual small tables from before, Koerner’s has introduced long wooden tables in the middle, which allows groups of people to share ideas and have larger group conversation. The full glass window walls showing the patio also foster a warm and inviting area. Now celebrating its one-year anniversary, a lot has changed since the re-opening in 2013. Koerner’s has new goals and is taking steps to become a major player in UBC’s cultural precinct. U
PHOTO COURTESY DOCTOR WHO
“As I was producing the Nightmare on Elm Street series, I became more and more creatively involved, and as I worked more closely with the directors, the itch to direct myself grew,” she said. In 1995, she would direct her last feature film, Tank Girl, a science fiction film, based on the comic series, about a fight against a mega corporation that controls the world’s water supply.
Since then, Talalay’s work has focused on television, directing episodes of Ally McBeal, Supernatural, Without a Trace, Boston Public and many others. “I have been incredibly lucky to work in a wide variety of genres. And Doctor Who needs that,” said Talalay when asked how her past work influenced her task on Doctor Who. “Especially useful experiences were the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Tank Girl, Wind in the Willows and Touching Evil.” As a diehard fan, Talalay had been hoping to direct an episode of Doctor Who for some time. “I’ve been pursuing it since season two, and I absolutely credit my agent for following it up year after year,” she said. “Tom Baker was my Doctor of the past and I have loved all the new incarnations. It would be impolite to pick amongst them,” she said. Talalay, who is currently on sabbatical, has a number of upcoming projects she’ll be keeping busy on and with no shortage of ambition. “I want to do a Marvel movie. There, I said it.” However, she still has some advice to give for any aspiring directors in UBC’s film department. “Respect and appreciate everyone you work with as best you can, which isn’t always easy, or even possible. And to quote Doctor Who: ‘Listen.’”
The second part of Doctor Who’s season finale, “Death in Heaven,” airs November 8. U
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014 |
EDITOR JACK HAUEN
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BASKETBALL >>
Men’s basketball brings talent and experience into 2014/15
PHOTO CHERIHAN HASSUN/THE UBYSSEY
Led by a group of dynamic seniors, the Thunderbirds are among the early favourites to bring home the CIS championship this year.
Jacob Gershkovich Staff Writer
With the start of the regular season less than one week away for the UBC men’s basketball team, there are many reasons for Thunderbird fans to feel optimistic; UBC went 6-1 this preseason. They’ve looked explosive offensively. Their roster is abundantly deep. Knock on wood, they’re healthy. I could go on, but first, let’s remember what happened last year. UBC finished the 2013-2014 season with an 11-11 record in conference play, which was good enough to secure them the final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. In the first round of the playoffs, the Thunderbirds faced a University of Alberta Golden Bears team that won the Prairie Division with a 20-2 record. It took all three games of a best-of-three series to determine the winner. After leading early in game three, UBC allowed the Bears to battle back. Alberta won the game by a score of 80-67, and UBC’s year came to an end. “I think that making playoffs last year and giving Alberta a run for their money was a very positive sign for us,” said UBC’s head coach Kevin Hanson. “We were without three starters for that series, we took them to three games, and we gave them all that they could handle.” The Thunderbirds are coming off a year in which they finished near the middle of the pack in virtually every significant offensive and defensive category. Averaging 74 points per game on offence, and allowing 76.4 points per game on defence, UBC respectively ranked ninth and eighth in the conference. Considering UBC’s roster was plagued by injuries, lacking in depth, and scarce in veteran leadership, this was no small feat. “Last year, we missed many man hours of practice time,” said Hanson. “A lot of our guys were injured. I’m not trying to make an excuse — we are what we are — but we were shy of numbers. Some guys logged a lot of minutes and got tired by the end of the year. We weren’t deep enough.”
There’s good news this year. After being resigned to the pine last year with a broken foot, Connor Morgan, the second-year out of Victoria, B.C., is healthy. The kid had a stellar preseason and looks poised to put up big numbers this year. Furthermore, the team had one senior last year in Michael Steele. This year, Tommy Nixon, Andrew McGuinnes, Brylle Kamen and Tonner Jackson are all entering their fifth years. What’s more, they can all score. Nixon led the team in scoring last year, and McGuinnes, Kamen and Jackson all demonstrated their offensive abilities during the preseason. “I think the veteran guys are playing like veterans. You need those fifth-year guys to play really well, and this year we’ll be expecting a lot out of our seniors. The confidence is there. I think this team believes,” said Hanson. With Connor Morgan healthy and firing on all cylinders, Tommy Nixon’s consistent output and numerous other niche players to pitch in here and there, this offence has the potential to finish in the upper echelon of Canada West. They averaged 82.8 points per game during the preseason. That number should be taken with a grain of salt, of course, but look for UBC to easily surpass last year’s offensive output. Defensively, UBC has the size to contend with anyone. They out-rebounded most of their opponents during the preseason, and no one was able to beat them down low. Where they may run into trouble is against quicker teams who can knock down the deep ball, as was the case with the Windsor Lancers, the team that handed the Thunderbirds their sole preseason loss. As far as individual performances go, here’s what you can expect from some of the team’s top players. Connor Morgan #9 I’ve been hyping this guy up all preseason. He’s just that good. Morgan is a threat from anywhere on the floor. The 6’9 forward can grind down low, shoot the ball as well as anyone from outside, and has incredible court vision. He’s also very <strong>
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modest. I asked him about he and Nixon going head to head this year for the team’s scoring title. “I honestly don’t see it like that. Obviously, I’ve had a couple of big games this preseason, but we’re a team. If Tommy beats me in scoring, I don’t care, as long as we’re winning games.” I suspect Morgan will draw double teams and special attention from opposing defences throughout the season, and it will be interesting to see how the young forward responds. At times his inexperience shows. He’ll force the odd ill-advised pass, or blow a defensive assignment, but time will solve the minor hiccups in his game. I’m putting my money on Morgan to lead the Thunderbirds in scoring this year. If the season is to live up to its full potential, this guy needs to be huge. Tommy Nixon #7 Nixon is the veteran leader of this team. The 6’6 forward is stoical on the court, his countenance calm and undisturbed. Nixon possesses the best basketball IQ on the team. He led UBC in scoring last year with an average of 14 points per game and looked solid throughout the preseason. Nixon is truly an all-round player whose contribution to this team spans beyond his scoring touch. He ranked second on the team in rebounding last year, second in assists, and led the team in steals. Most importantly, the ‘Birds will rely on Nixon’s leadership. If the preseason is any indication, you can expect another solid year from this senior. Jordan Jensen-Whyte #6 The third-year guard out of Calgary is in an interesting spot. At 6’5, he appears to be a natural guard at the two or three position. Throughout the preseason, however, he ran the offence from the one position. Whyte will most likely start this year as UBC’s point guard, and his ability to adapt to that role could be pivotal to the team’s success, though he doubtlessly possesses the talent to do it. Whyte is easily UBC’s fastest and most athletic player. He can drive past defenders at will and looks to push the fast break when<strong>
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ever possible. If Whyte can keep his assists to turnover ratio in check, the offence will run smoothly. Andrew McGuinness #3 McGuinness is UBC’s purest shooter, hands down. The 6’3, fifth-year guard is lights out from downtown. If he can find a way to consistently take open shots from the perimeter, he could easily match or improve upon his scoring average from last year. Brylle Kamen #5 Another veteran force on this Thunderbird’s team is Kamen — the 6’7 forward out of Paris, France, will pitch in some key minutes in the post this year. Kamen led the team in rebounding last year, and he’ll likely repeat that title this season. He’s also a threat to score, and doesn’t shy away from the deep ball. Sometimes he’ll fall into trouble when trying to do too much on offence, but if Kamen can continue to rebound and defend like he has been, UBC will benefit greatly. David Wagner #8 At 6’9, 245 lbs., David Wagner is a burden for opposing teams to handle inside. He’s big, he’s physical, and he can finish plays and get to the line. The fourth-year out of Kamloops ranked second in scoring last year for UBC, and led the team with a .562 field goal percentage. Amazingly, his field goal percentage was better than his .552 free throw percentage. If Wagner can subvert the stereotype and show that centres can hit foul shots, he should have no problem posting another double digit scoring average. Tonner Jackson #10 Jackson might be the hardest working player on this Thunderbird squad. He’s the quickest of UBC’s three major post players, he’s solid defensively and he’s a threat on offence. Jackson led the team last year in minutes played per game (28.1), and he’ll see the floor often this year as well. At times this preseason, he’s struggled to finish plays in close, but he’s better than anyone at fighting for position down low. Kedar Wright #11 Wright didn’t play for most of the preseason due to a lower body injury, and he’ll be out to begin the </strong>
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year. The 6’2, second-year guard out of Toronto, Ontario, posted impressive numbers as a rookie. His efforts were recognized when he was selected for the Canada West all-rookie team. Wright shined during the playoffs last year, leading UBC in minutes played (36.7) and points per game (18.7). A relatively small, quick guard, Wright’s return to the lineup will be eagerly anticipated. “He’s going to be a big part of our puzzle,” said Hanson. “He’s from Ontario, and he’s got a little bit of that Ontario attitude. He’s a hard-nosed guy, and it becomes a personal battle when you’re out there with him on the court… Last year he was fantastic for us in the playoffs. He came alive, scored for us, defended well, so he’s going to be our defensive stopper.” All of UBC’s players will need to be at the top of their game to begin the regular season, as UBC opens the year against two of the toughest teams in the Canada West conference. Their home opener is against the University of Victoria Vikes, a team that had the numberone-ranked defence in the country last year. The Vikes posted the best record in the Pacific Division last year at 19-3, and lost to Alberta in the CIS bronze medal game. Following a two game series at home against Victoria, UBC will head out west to Edmonton for a chance at redemption against the Golden Bears. “This is probably the toughest start to the season that we’ve had since my time here at UBC,” said Hanson. “You’ve got to be good early on in the season, and we’ve been preparing for it. I know that we’re going to be ready to get in there and compete.” Hanson reached a milestone of his own this preseason, when he became the winningest head coach in UBC men’s basketball history after a road victory against the University of Guelph Gryphons. With 338 wins under his belt, Hanson will hope to add a national championship to his long list of accomplishments. He might just have the team to do it. U
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
| SPORTS | 11
BASKETBALL >>
Women’s basketball knows what it takes to win this year
PHOTO WILL MCDONALD/THE UBYSSEY
The women’s squad retains a solid, experienced core this season.
Mason McIntosh Contributor
This year’s group knows the recipe to success: creativity, hard work and that championship-winning component: defence. The question on the Thunderbirds’ minds is one of leadership: who is going to step up to lead this team through Canada West, or the main goal, Nationals? With an experienced and well-rounded team offensively and defensively, UBC looks poised for success this season. The T-Birds are led offensively by fifth-year Kris Young who averaged 17.6 points per game (10th in the CIS), 388 total points (eighth in the CIS), and 6.9 rebounds per game. This season being Young’s last, she expects big things from this squad, and head coach Deb Huband could not agree more. “[Young] has a lot more support than she did in past years, as far as experience goes. The load on her
shoulder is nicely divided amongst other players on the team,” said Huband. Another core player for the Thunderbirds is Nebraska product Harlene Sidhu, also playing in her last season of eligibility. Sidhu’s basketball IQ is amongst the highest in the CIS, and she continues to excel in her post play. Last season she played with power and consistency, averaging 15.1 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and an outstanding 50.7 per cent field goal percentage — good for 10th in the CIS — in the 29 games she played. Her height and willingness to work constantly gives her the space needed to knock down long range or inside shots. Sidhu is proud of how the team played this pre-season, but recognizes the team’s lack of consistency in the final minutes of their games, “We all need to be making smart plays and continuously be aggressive,” said Sidhu.
Also instrumental to the Thunderbirds’ success this season is Cassandra Knievel, the upand-coming shooting guard who seems to be moulding this defence together. Knievel is the player that Huband can rely on for maximum efficiency at any point in the game. She is the core of the defensive side of the court, and has already averaged upwards of 31 minutes per game. “Knievel has really shown growth in her game in the last six or seven months, I think offensively and defensively. Under the high expectations of a fourth-year athlete, she has made a big jump in performance,” said Huband. Knievel understands her position on the team. “It’s my responsibility to be one of those players to always be aware about what’s best for the team, and who needs the shot,” she said. UBC may have seniors to lead the way this season, but depth down the
roster continues to be troublesome subject. Hillary Wood, a third-year transfer student from Scotland will have to watch from the sidelines this campaign due to injury. Joining her will be Kiana Lalonde — the ex-Kelowna Secondary forward is another patient on the injury list and will be red-shirting the entire 2014/15 season. The Thunderbirds do have some players who are looking to bloom this season, patiently waiting for the spotlight. “Diana Lee is transferred in, she’s very experienced and skilled point guard competitive and a two-way player. She is strong defensively and offensively; is a playmaker as well as a scorer; we’re looking to her to be our extension of a coach on the floor. Our vocal leader,” Huband said. It will be no easy task for the 2014/15 Thunderbirds to clinch a berth in nationals this season; their conference is no cakewalk. They
seem to be exuberant that real games are just around the corner, but with powerhouse competitors such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and Regina, these players must convert practice and solid preseason play into concrete results when it matters. The Thunderbirds jumped out of the gate this preseason with a seven-game win streak including wins over the University of Guelph, Queen’s and Fraser Valley. Also, the Thunderbirds were Ryerson Darcel Wright Memorial Classic Champions; they met the University of Saskatchewan in the finals and earned a 20 point lead at half enroute to a 75-51 victory. A single loss against the University of Western Washington disrupted the group’s perfect pre-season; Thunderbird’s came short with an ending score of 62-68. UBC’s regular season begins on November 7 against Victoria at War Memorial Gym. U
SWIM >>
Thunderbird swim team hosts, wins 2014 Odlum Brown Colleges Cup meet
PHOTO NATALIE SCADDEN/THE UBYSSEY
UBC won the meet, scoring more than 500 points over second place Calgary.
Lawrence Neal Garcia Senior Staff Writer
The 2014 Odlum Brown Colleges Cup was the biggest warm-up for teams prior to the Canada West Championships just three weeks later. As the first meet of the season,
it was also a chance for teams to gauge their performance against the competition. The meet had every Canada West school in attendance — minus the University of Alberta — plus a high school all-star team from the Lower Mainland. To foster competition within and between them,
the meet was divided into A and B finals, with a maximum of two athletes per school able to advance to the A final. The UBC Thunderbirds won with a combined total of 1,674 points (men’s and women’s) — over 500 points better than the University of Calgary Dinos in second place, and a promising start for the season. “It bodes really well,” said Steve Price, the swim team’s head coach, of their performance. “I think we basically established ourselves as the number one team going into the Canada West, so we’re certainly looking going in there and trying to dominate that competition.” “But more importantly we’re getting ready for CIS in February, and obviously we’re getting ready for Pan Am [Pan American Games] and Worlds [FINA World Championships] trials in April. These are all stepping stones towards what we’re looking for and we think we’re positioned well right now.” On the men’s side, Price noted the mix of younger swimmers and
veterans; but even without three of their best swimmers — Coleman Allen, Yuri Kisil and Luke Peddie, who were away for the 2014 World Cup in Singapore, where Allen recently took home silver — the team still swam to victory. Sergey Holson broke the meet record for the 100m breaststroke, while Alex Loginov, Stefan Milosevic and Keegan Zanatta did the same for the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle respectively. Zanatta, a third-year transfer from the University of Victoria, also set the new pool record in the 1500m freestyle. “I thought I would be close, but I didn’t think I would actually be able to do it; so it was nice to come home in the last 100 [metres] and do it,” said Zanatta, who is working to break the team record for the 400m free at Canada West, and is working towards making the national team in the summer. On the women’s side, Price noted the strong, balanced performance of the team. But there were also
standouts, with a number of meet records broken by Thunderbirds: Savannah King in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle, Tera Van Beilen in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson in the 200m backstroke. As part of the Lower Mainland high school team, Emily Overholt of the West Vancouver Otters Swim Club set the new meet record in the 200m IM. Seltenreich-Hodgson also set the new pool record for the 400m IM. “It was some back-to-back hard racing, but it’s good do it at this point in the season,” said Seltenreich-Hodgson, who is also looking to the summer competitions [Worlds and Pan Am]. As for future college meets like this one, Price hopes to build up the tradition over the coming years and carry it over to the forthcoming aquatic centre. “Were just excited about the results and we’re really happy that we can host a college swim meet here at UBC.” U
12 | GAMES |
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2014
CROSS
WORD ACROSS 1- Greek peak 5- Soft palate 10- Colombian city 14- Chemical used on trees 15- Name on a bomber 16- Toward the mouth 17- Camp for children 19- Malodorous 20- That, in Tijuana 21- Asleep 22- Pertaining to the mind 24- California peak 26- Joe 27- Capital of Utah 33- Give it ___! 36- Macho guys 37- Through 38- Lays down the lawn 39- Mum’s mate 40- Give a ring 41- Devour 42- Eliot’s Marner 43- Cartoon part 44- Extrinsic 47- “Star Wars” princess 48- Uncounted 52- Sharon’s land 55- He loved Lucy
57- Society page word 58- Codger 59- Shield 62- Novel ending 63- Grocery, e.g. 64- Title bestowed upon the wife of a raja 65- Fabled fliers 66- Spanish Mister 67- Jack of “Rio Lobo”
DOWN 1- Desert havens 2- Partly melted snow 3- Navigators Islands, today 4- Upper limb 5- Consisting of words 6- Suffix with exist 7- Burden 8- Einstein’s birthplace 9- Cartographer 10- Good brandy 11- I smell ___! 12- Tibetan monk 13- Pastoral poem 18- Really bother 23- Opposite of odd, especially when applied to numbers 25- Flat sound 26- Son of Mary, Queen of Scots
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28- Muse of comedy 29- Sic on 30- Lendl of tennis 31- Roofing item 32- Dixie pronoun 33- On the briny 34- Highway 35- 1999 Ron Howard film
39- Merciless 40- Support for a broken limb 42- Dagger of yore 43- Perfidious 45- Thrills 46- Expulsion 49- Actor Ryan 50- Hotelier Helmsley
51- Strong blue cotton fabric 52- Champagne bucket 53- And ___ bed 54- Campus mil. group 55- Pest control brand 56- Monetary unit of Austria 60- Canonized Mlle. 61- Charlemagne’s realm: Abbr.
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