January 29, 2015 by The Ubyssey

JANUARY 29, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXXVI PUTTING THE ANAL IN ARTISANAL SINCE 1918

AUSCHWITZ LIBERATION

LAST WORDS

After 70 years, UBC reflects on the stories of the Holocaust.

Ponderosa’s elevator situation is most people’s worst nightmare.

PROFILE: ANDREW WREGGITT Emmy-award winning scriptwriter and alumnus visits campus to talk about his career in TV.

P10

5-ON-5: GLOBETROTTERS UBC athletes have been all over, and they have the stories to prove it.

Stephanie Gröthe Neil Mackenzie Elena Cernicka

P11

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS, PEOPLE + CAMPUS

EVENTS SATURDAY

OUR CAMPUS

THIS WEEK, CHECK OUT ...

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS THAT MAKE UBC

THE CALENDAR’S 90S PROM

9:00 P.M. @ THEA KOERNER BALLROOM

Revisit the greatest decade the earth has ever known at The Calendar’s 90s prom. Bring your wallet with a chain and prepare your ears for this one-night renaissance of boy bands. Free

THURSDAY

John Robinson standing inside his magnum opus, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability.

John Robinson is sailing UBC toward a sustainable future

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INNOVATION JAM 5:00 - 8:00 P.M. @ DL009 DESIGN LAB (UNDER SAUDER)

Innovation Hub and the Social Enterprise Club will be bringing in five social ventures to work with students on solutions for real world problems that their start-ups are facing. $7

THURSDAY

THE SCIENCE OF BEER

6:00 P.M. @ THE GALLERY

BruBC, with the help of Dr. Joel Kelly, will be leading observers on a journey through the science behind beer. Learn more about and enjoy responsible amounts of your favourite beverage. Free

ON THE COVER Read our memorial to the lives of three adventurers on pages six and seven.

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

Web Developer Peter Siemens web@ubyssey.ca

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 Hoggan video@ubyssey.ca

Photo Editor Cherihan Hassun photo@ubyssey.ca

Opinions + Blog Editor Austen Erhardt aerhardt@ubyssey.ca

JANUARY 29, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XXXVI

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Copy Editor Ciaran Dougherty

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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.

Austen Erhardt Opinions & Blog Editor

Over the past few decades, the concept of sustainability has become ubiquitous: it permeates every facet of life, from culture to economics. Today, the notion of a person growing up in Canada without learning about sustainability — even in an abstract form — is completely foreign. Yet John Robinson, UBC associate provost, sustainability, and the driving force behind UBC’s Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS), was first exposed to the concept of sustainability when he was 17 and Monte Hummel, president emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund, gave a talk at his small-town Ontario high school. “That got me quite excited, and when I went to UofT the next fall, I looked through the program for courses about environmental issues and found a bunch, and that’s how things got started.” Robinson earned his degrees at UofT and York, and taught at the University of Waterloo for 11 years before taking a job at UBC in 1992. Robinson’s original position had a focus on research, but over the past two decades his job has evolved to bridge the gap between academic and operational sustainability. “What we’re doing here that I think is really exciting is trying to deeply integrate [academic and operational sustainability]. So it’s the institution as a whole taking on sustainability, not just individual researchers or teachers or operational staff,” Robinson said. “And that speaks to a larger agenda about the role of the university in society … that the university is increasingly being asked to show its value to society.” Robinson’s most significant project so far is CIRS: a LEED Platinum building, recipient of numerous sustainability awards and one of the world’s first “net-positive” buildings. Though CIRS was first conceived as a landmark of environmental sustainability and a “living lab” in 1999, Robinson and his collaborators soon started to consider social aspects of sustainability, as well. “We started to think, ‘what about adding human performance to the environmental performance idea?’ And then, secondly, how about going beyond just

being less bad and reducing damage to being net positive? Could we imagine a building that would actually improve, simultaneously, environmental wellbeing and human wellbeing, just by its normal operation?” Robinson said. “So that became the guiding principle: a net-positive operation both in environmental and human terms. And we ended up designing a building that was designed to be net positive in seven ways: four environmental and three human.”

I’m not a big fan of laying it all on the heads of people at the consumption level, like ‘the reason the planet is in trouble is because you drive an SUV.’” John Robinson Associate Provost, Sustainability

CIRS was designed to be net-positive in energy use, operational carbon, structural carbon and water quality. The social aspects are health, productivity and happiness. Though CIRS has seen many successes, Robinson pointed out that the entire project was undertaken with the expectation of some failures; failures from which UBC would learn so that other institutions would not make the same mistakes. Robinson has a metaphor to explain his approach to sustainability which, itself, is a broad and complex concept and one that even specialists in the field sometimes struggle to define. “[It’s] the difference between a powerboat and a sailboat. Both of them can get you where you want to go, but the powerboat consumes non-renewable environmental resources, degrades them and powers through the biogeochemical systems (waves) in a straight line — just to get from here to there. And it powers through cultural systems, as well,” Robinson said. “The sailboat uses the energy of the system but doesn’t degrade it, and it uses it to get where we want to go but it’s less controlled, it’s less a direct line … you’re kind of in a collaborative relationship with environmental flows. You still want to get where you want to go, but it’s a very different way

of getting there. If you add the cultural side to it: we’ve typically powered through other cultures on the planet, just bulldozed them under … what would it be like if we sailed through cultures — if we used the energy of the cultures without degrading them? That’s the key.” Though sustainability as a critical issue has largely been accepted in much of the world, some do still challenge its value. Robinson views sustainability’s importance as a question. “The environmental challenges we face — and the social ones, the challenges of poverty and disparity and intercultural issues and warfare — those challenges basically confront us with the questions, ‘who do we want to be when we grow up? What kind of world do we want to live in? What kind of neighbourhood do we want our kids to grow up in?’ Those are all the same question … the sustainability question.” As far as solutions go, Robinson doesn’t think that there is a single be-all and end-all fix to the environmental issues facing the world. He does stress the importance of a combination of grassroots movements and high-level policymaking for success. “I’m not a big fan of laying it all on the heads of people at the consumption level, like, ‘the reason the planet is in trouble is because you drive an SUV — it’s all your fault, you’re consuming too much.’ We do way too much guilt tripping of people.” Robinson said. “I want a world in which the things you naturally do — your normal social practice — is sustainable... where you don’t have to make a conscious choice to violate some other goal in order to be sustainable.” Despite the challenges facing the world, Robinson remains optimistic about the future. “I think we have to move from the powerboat to the sailboat and we have to sail the world, not power through it. The ‘world’ means the cultures of the world as well as the physical environment of the world. If we can use that, if we can learn how to use that energy without degrading it and still figure out where we want to go and processes of decision making that do that, wow — that would be pretty cool.” U

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 |

EDITORS JOVANA VRANIC + VERONIKA BONDARENKO

HISTORY >>

STUDY >>

Seventy years since Auschwitz liberation

Social media especially powerful during times of crisis, finds Sauder professor

Stories of strength and resilience resonate from Poland to UBC to studying the resilience and psychological welfare of people who had lived through the Holocaust and World War II. According to Suedfeld, the stories of Holocaust survivors have been varied and diverse, but the common theme of resilience in the face of great adversity overarches their narratives.

ILLUSTRATION CHERIHAN HASSUN/THE UBYSSEY

Student organizing efforts over social media are especially powerful during times of crisis.

PHOTO FEDEWILD/FLICKR

To commemorate the anniversary of Auschwitz liberation, survivors visited the camp in Southern Poland.

Veronika Bondarenko News Editor

The stories and the legacies of Holocaust survivors continue to resonate both at home and abroad. With January 27 marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, over 300 survivors visited the former concentration camp in Southern Poland to commemorate the day when Soviet troops broke into the camp to liberate it from the Nazis in 1945. The Holocaust, which began in 1933 when Hitler first came to power in Germany, saw the death of over 11 million people, 6 million of whom were Jewish. Auschwitz was the largest and deadliest of the thousands of concentration camps scattered across Europe during World War II, with over 1.1 million prisoners dying in the camp’s gas chambers from 1941 until liberation. This anniversary is a special one because it is unlikely that the survivors, the youngest of whom were young children in 1945 and are now well into their

70s, will be able to visit the site in such large numbers for the 80th anniversary.

I think there’s a lot of resonance to what’s going on right now in Europe ... There’s a rising intolerance not just against Jews, but against Muslims, against Romas. There’s a whole wave of intolerance going on that’s quite disturbing.” Peter Klein Director of UBC’s School of Journalism

Peter Klein, director of UBC’s School of Journalism, is the child of two Holocaust survivors. Several family members on his father’s side were sent to Auschwitz during World War II and never came back. Klein, who launched the International Reporting Program

for students at UBC, said that the celebration should serve as a stark reminder of the racial and religious intolerance that is still taking place around the world today. “I think there’s a lot of resonance to what’s going on right now in Europe,” said Klein. “There’s a rising intolerance not just against Jews, but against Muslims, against Romas. There’s a whole wave of intolerance going on that’s quite disturbing.” Klein also said that it is important to commemorate history and to regularly remember the atrocities that occurred in the past in order to ensure that they do not repeat themselves in different ways today and in the future. “These are patterns that, unfortunately, often repeat themselves,” said Klein. “I think that as much as we can both expose what’s going on and discuss what’s going on openly, then that’s really what’s going to allow us to prevent it.” Peter Suedfeld, a professor emeritus in UBC’s psychology department, dedicated his career

I think that many of [the survivors] had, during the Holocaust and since, some strong motivation, some reason to live, some reason to do well.... They had a very high need to achieve and to regain some of the selfrespect that they may have lost when they were being persecuted.” Peter Suedfeld UBC Psychology Professor Emeritus

“The Holocaust experience was very varied,” said Suedfeld. “Not everyone underwent certain kinds of terrible experiences, but because that’s where the media attention has been, we tend to forget that a lot of the survivors survived in other ways and in other places.” Suedfeld also said that it is especially important for the accounts of the atrocities that took place during World War II to be passed down alongside the survival stories of people who, both throughout and after the war, drew upon their inner strength to continue their lives in meaningful ways. “I think that many of [the survivors] had, during the Holocaust and since, some strong motivation, some reason to live, some reason to do well,” said Suedfeld. “They had a very high need to achieve and to regain some of the self-respect that they may have lost when they were being persecuted.” U

PHARMACY >>

Initiative for Sustainable Health Care hopes to kindle conversation

FILE PHOTO ARJUN HAIR/THE UBYSSEY

Pharmaceutical Sciences is offering a new professorship in Sustainable Health Care.

Kelley Lin Senior Staff Writer

UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences is starting the Initiative for Sustainable Health Care, a professorship that focuses on making the current health care system more accessible and economically sustainable. Mark Harrison, epidemiologist and assistant professor at

the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, hopes to educate the public on how to deal with the ever-evolving health care system through research. “I’m looking at the efficiency in which we provide health care, treatments and the best benefits of the health care system,” said Harrison. “I tend to focus on health

outcomes. We’re paying more and more for our health care and it’s stretching our ability to pay so we’re moving away from a situation where it’s affordable.” The new initiative will work alongside the Sustainable Health Care Advisory Council, as well as several of the top industry partners and members in pharmaceuticals across Canada, such as Pfizer Canada, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada, AstraZeneca Canada and more. UBC’s ‘Start An Evolution’ campaign encourages support and alumni fundraising for the many campus-wide faculty projects — one of which includes the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences’ Initiative for Sustainable Health Care. “I think UBC is in line with us being a research-focused organization and also trying to take that research into the future curriculum, so it hits those joint goals,” said Harrison. “Both UBC and B.C. have the

opportunity to [be a voice for] future Canada and the rest of the world, as we’re being quite proactive with this initiative and looking to ... research these problems.” Aside from working towards delivering more successful and cost-effective health care treatments, the professorship will also focus on finding gaps where the health care system fails to provide for the increasing demand of routine care. “It’s a snapshot of how my background is related to and why I’m interested in these issues, and how we might start to approach them in the future,” said Harrison. Harrison hopes that initiative will help generate discussion about rising health care costs for Canadians as well as a possible change in perspective on what the industry, government and academia can do together to adapt to the issues faced by all health care systems. U

Amie Kim Contributor

A recent UBC study shows that the more traditional, top-down approaches to both political and humanitarian organizing are being pushed aside as more people turn to social media in times of distress. Ning Nan, an assistant professor at Sauder, looked at the use of social media, particularly in online university forums, as an effective planning and organizing tool after the disastrous 8.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Sichuan, China in 2008. In the study, Nan found that when the Sichuan province of China was in utter chaos after over 4.8 million were rendered homeless, the students of the University of Chengdu were surprisingly resolved as they sought comfort and safety through online student forums. “I’m very interested in the power of self-organization,” said Nan. “The theory I investigated has always been about how the ordinary person could use today’s internet technology to self-organize.” Nan and her co-author Yong Lu analyzed and categorized 27,271 online posts made by the students of the University of Chengdu during and shortly after the earthquake. Expecting to find a figurehead who students would turn to for direction, Nan was surprised when results showed quite the opposite with no one set leader or organizer. “If you look at the comments made by the students, none of them tried to give instructions or commands to other students that would usually follow the traditional crisis management steps,” said Nan. The posts that came after the earthquake were sorted into several categories, with some focused on receiving emotional support and others related to reflection on the role of the students at the university. Students soon started to exchange ideas on how to provide aid and support for those who have been most affected by the earthquake. According to Nan, many of the responses could be seen as “sense-making” or a “trialand-error process” during a difficult time. “When we deal with unfamiliar situations, such as the aftermath of a natural disaster, we don’t really have existing schemes in our heads about how to react,” said Nan. “Sense-making is trying to decipher what the proper course of action is in an unfamiliar situation.” Nan also said that the collective responses and organizing efforts that stemmed shortly after the initial display of shock show the changing role that social media will continue to play during emergency situations. U

4 | NEWS |

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

SUSTAINABILITY >>

EVENTS >>

Common Energy brings World Wildlife Fund National Sweater Day to UBC

Muslim Students’ Association hosts superhero-themed Islam Awareness Week

GRAPHIC COURTESY MUSLIM STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

This year’s Islam Awareness Week will try to use popular culture to its advantage.

Sarah Pribadi Contributor

PHOTO COURTESY WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

National Sweater Day is held annually on February 5.

Jovana Vranic News Editor

This Sweater Day, UBC Common Energy is urging students to bundle up, turn down the thermostat and join them for a full day of sustainability awareness. The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) National Sweater Day has been held annually on February 5 since 2010. According to the WWF, 80 per cent of residential energy use in the country comes from heating, and lowering all residential thermostats in Canada by two degrees would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,000 tons. Common Energy has brought the event to UBC year after year. “Every year we try to change it up a bit, but still with the same underlying idea,” said Sophia Yang, Common Energy events & outreach coordinator.

According to Yang, this year’s Sweater Day at UBC will be split up into a series of daytime and evening events. Throughout the day, they will have a tent outside the SUB, where students can join in on trivia, hot chocolate and a photo contest. To enter the contest, students can don a sweater and do one of two things: either pose for a picture at Common Energy’s outdoor photo booth, or snap their own selfie beside a turneddown thermostat. Prizes include a Bookstore gift card and a UBC sweatshirt. In the evening, Common Energy’s Tangible Solutions team will be putting on a knitting workshop, with the help of the UBC Knitting and Sewing Club. There, students can turn their old t-shirts into yarn, and knit themselves a sweater. Yang said her team is also looking

to host a seminar with a UBC sustainability expert. Common Energy is UBC’s largest student sustainability club, hosting regular events and collaborating with other UBC groups. For Sweater Day, they will be collaborating with Campus + Community Planning to help engage faculty and staff. According to Yang, Common Energy’s main goal for Sweater Day will be to encourage the entire UBC community to take part and foster discussions about energy conservation. “The thing with Sweater Day is that this is an event that happens nation-wide, so we would urge students to also tell their families, and everyone around them,” said Yang. “The key take-away is that this isn’t just a one-day event. There is more to be done [throughout the year] as well.” U

Intercultural respect and understanding in a diverse community are the main purpose of this year’s Islam Awareness Week at UBC. Islam Awareness Week (IAW), hosted by the Muslim Students’ Association of UBC (MSA-UBC), is a week-long series of events that mainly focus on spreading the word about Islam. The events will consist of engaging seminars hosted by reputable Islamic speakers, dynamic exhibits at the SUB and free learning materials. “It used to be [that] each university in Western Canada had its own separate IAW, but for now we decided to do it as collaboration in order to gain more awareness,” said Sivar Rajab Khan, president of the MSA-UBC. IAW is being held this week, January 26 to 28, in universities throughout Western Canada. According to Khan, events for the week had been planned throughout the year since the last IAW; it took a lot of time for the MSAUBC to brainstorm themes, book speakers and organize volunteers, while being “on the same page” as other universities. This year, the Muslim Students’ Associations of Western Canada

chose “The Messenger,” a sort of superhero theme, as their main focus for all of the seminars being presented. This was decided with the thought in mind that it would be interesting to integrate the idea of Muhammad (as the final messenger of Allah) as the superhero of Islamic teachings, based on the public’s familiarity with iconic superhero tropes. According to the IAW Facebook event, seminar themes include “Kryptonite for Corruption,” “Transformer: Age of Illumination,” and “The Incredibles,” among others. “We want to link these ideas in order to be fun, make it appealing and easier for the UBC community and beyond to learn in depth on what Islam is all about,” said Khan. According to Khan, IAW’s main goal is simply to raise awareness and show “the real Islam.” “In order to reduce misconceptions about Islam, through this event we give ourselves a chance to teach others about our religion, but also, at the same time, give the opportunity for others to ask questions and make everything clear about Islam,” he said. U

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

SALARY

| NEWS | 5

DATA BAS E

REDNEG GENDER BY WILL MCDONALD

Faculty with Highest Average Difference

$144,990

$211,106

MEN MAKE

$66,116 MORE

Staff by Gender earning over

$75,000

1,773 2,513 Women

Men

Among UBC’s 40 highest earners, only three are women. In our salary database, approximately 2,513 out of the 4,334 total are men. Their salaries work out to be, on average, $21,397 higher than women who earn more than $75,000 annually. UBC’s administration says the numbers are misleading, and there is no wage gap between men and women, after all tenure track female faculty members were given a two per cent raise in 2013. Rachel Kuske, senior advisor to the provost on women, said it is a “demographic difference,” not an issue of pay equity. Margot Young, chair of the faculty association’s status of women committee said the two per cent raise helped solve what they found to be an unaccountable three per cent salary difference between men and women. “Gender equity is a big systemic issue, and it’s one that universities are starting to grapple with and will have to continue to do so ... in a way that’s more effective than how they’ve done so in the past,” said Young. Young, however, took note of the lack of women among UBC’s highest paid employees. “That’s probably a reflection of how gender matters. How gender counts.... I don’t really know if there is a way to fix that, to tell you the truth,” said Young. “In terms of the upper echelons of pay and power, it’s still a man’s world.” Kuske said UBC only hires based on qualifications, giving the example that if a woman was the dean of medicine, she would be paid as well as the current, male dean. “It’s easy to see a problem on a list of numbers when there is little detailed analysis of how those numbers came about. Lists like these fail to differentiate between pay equity and equity

in representation and that’s a fundamental issue to explain,” said Kuske. “What the equity in representation issue suggests to women is opportunity. UBC, like other universities, is looking to strong and capable women to fill leadership positions as they arise.” UBC’s VP Human Resources Lisa Castle said that half of UBC’s executives are women, as are more than half of the university’s associate vice presidents. Young said that in addition to ensuring pay equity, women also struggle with not only getting positions in the first place, but retaining them, and being awarded promotions. “These sorts of unconscious biases play a role in how you evaluate candidates for retention, for starting salary, for administrative leadership appointment. That’s a hard thing to target, but it’s exactly what we need to target and sort of pull to the surface and make people really conscious about trying not to reach these predetermined decisions about merit,” said Young. In the STEM fields, women are noticeably underrepresented. The ratio of men to women who earn over $75,000 is over 3 to 1 in Applied Science and over 2 to 1 in the Faculty of Science. “The extent that women faculty aren’t fully actualized or flourishing here, they’re wasting this huge, amazing resource that is their female faculty. Both for leadership potential ... and simply for research and community participation,” said Young. The Sauder School of Business, in addition to having the highest paid faculty member, had the largest difference in average salary between men and women — almost $64,000. “We want the very best people to work at our university and Sauder is no exception. We draw

the best candidates we can find from a limited pool, especially in the business community where the private sector can be significantly more profitable for men and women,” said Castle. “We are one of the largest and most successful universities in Canada, but we are competing with schools from around the world to recruit, hire and retain the best talent we can find. Salaries must be competitive.” Faculties at the Okanagan campus had the lowest average salary difference between men and women. “The Okanagan campus has a much different history than the Vancouver campus,” said Castle. Castle said the difference at UBC-O, which became part of the university in 2005, can partially be attributed to its smaller campus and lack of professional faculties compared to Vancouver. She also pointed out that UBC-O female faculty received the same two per cent raise in 2013. Castle said she is satisfied with the current level of pay equity at UBC, and the university is still working on programs to ensure pay equity for the future. “Equity in representation has clearly improved at UBC. We will continue working to make improvements and we will not hesitate to rectify wage gaps in the future,” said Kuske. Young said the university is continuing to work on pay equity, especially though programs focusing on equal starting salaries, promotion and retention of women faculty. “What’s important to do now is to hold these two important players in the university community to account for their promises to actually see some program implementation and transparency of process around dealing with what is admittedly a really tricky issue. Because it’s about culture change and attitude change,” said Young. U

Faculty Salary Difference by Campus MEN

OKANAGAN

$125,182

+$10,221

WOMEN

$114,961

+$24,897 VANCOUVER

MEN

$152,659 WOMEN

$127,762

On Average Men Make

18%

More Than Women

$118,018

AVERAGE SALARY

$139,415

AVERAGE SALARY

3 Women in 40 Highest Paid

Data by Peter Siemens and Ben Cook. Staff genders are not disclosed in UBC’s annual report; genders determined by common genders assigned to names; ambiguous cases researched for accuracy or omitted. Report only includes staff earning over $75,000 per year.

6 | FEATURE |

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

Remembering: Stephanie Gröthe, Neil Mackenzie & Elena Cernicka By Natalie Scadden

bout 60 kilometres north of Whistler, Joffre Peak stands some 8,900 feet high on the edge of Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. In a province with too many mountains to count, Joffre is relatively unknown to the average British Columbian. But for mountaineers, it’s a classic. Joffre’s glaciated northeast face is dominated by several steep couloirs — narrow passages that give climbers the feeling of being inside and part of the mountain. Of these, the Central Couloir is said to be Joffre’s crown jewel, a straightforward but imposing 55 to 60 degree ramp that demands respect. Near the top is a head wall that steepens dramatically and is guarded by an overhanging cornice of snow and ice. On Sunday, January 11, Stephanie Gröthe, Neil Mackenzie and Elena Cernicka were on this final stretch of their ascent of Joffre Peak when they fell to their deaths. While the Central Couloir is without a doubt a difficult climb, it was well within the perceived ability of these three highly experienced and diligent climbers. Based on coroner’s evidence, they appeared to have been making good time up the route and proceeding with relative ease. What remains unclear is what exactly went wrong. Accidents like this always rattle the Canadian climbing community from coast to coast. But at UBC, this has struck right in the heart of the Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC), where Steph and Neil were two of the most active members.

he allure of nature, and of mountains in particular, exerts a powerful influence on the lives of human beings. It is no exaggeration to say that Vancouver’s proximity to a wide variety of outdoor experiences is a prime factor in the decision making of many students who come to UBC. For Steph and Neil, who were working on their PhD and postdoc, respectively, the mountains are what brought them here. Steph, who held an undergraduate and master’s degree from the RWTH Aachen University of Technology in her home country

“[Neil] had this way of being funny and laughing at himself in this kind of self-deprecating way. So it was good to have him along because even in the worst situations he’d make a joke about himself and find it really funny. That makes everyone feel at ease.” Elliott Skierszkan Neil’s roommate and fellow VOC’er

of Germany, fell in love with the mountains during an exchange at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. While she did not start climbing there, hiking in somewhat rough terrain in the Southern Alps stirred a deep passion in her. “Once we returned to Germany, we pretty soon figured out that we want to be somewhere where there’s nature,” said Clemens Adolphs, Steph’s partner of nine years who has known her since high school. “So basically, Steph knew about the VOC and what the VOC did before she looked up what type of physics groups UBC has and what research there is going on.” Within a week of arriving at UBC four years ago, Steph and Clemens signed up for the VOC and had already started going on trips. Keen to learn everything they could, the pair made an effort to go on as many trips as possible and pick up all of the VOC’s instructional events — something both would later give back to. As a club, the VOC functions in such a way that those that come in not knowing anything are taught by those with more knowledge and experience, and as beginners work their way up the levels, they start leading trips and eventually teaching skills, thus continuing the cycle. Steph was a perfect example of someone who used this system to gain an extensive repertoire of knowledge and skills, and she made every effort to pass it on. She was club secretary for a year, then she was president last year, and this year she served as the public relations representative. “Steph was always very, very involved [in the VOC],” said Jens Vent-Schmidt, a friend and current VOC trips coordinator. “In the year she was president, and also probably the year before that, she always organized a lot of beginner-friendly trips. Like a mind-blowing amount. Essentially every weekend she would organize a trip for beginners and bring beginners out. I think she learned a lot from the club and gave a lot back.” Like Steph, Neil made a very conscious decision to come to B.C. because of the climbing and skiing opportunities. Having already completed a post-doc in his home country of Scotland, he talked about quitting science and becoming a full-time climbing instructor in Canada. When the opportunity came to take on another post-doc, this time at UBC’s Centre for Blood Research, he decided to stick with academia and pursue outdoor adventures during his free time.

“I think his whole time as a scientist since he finished his PhD, he was always on the fence between trying to balance his career and his desire to be in the mountains. That was ongoing for sure,” said Elliott Skierszkan, a fellow VOC’er who lived with Neil from September 2013 until about a month ago. No matter how busy work would get, Neil always managed to get away. “I always thought of him as a full-time mountaineer and a part-time post-doc,” said Emily Rossnagel, another housemate and outdoors enthusiast. Neil was half way through a successful threeyear term at UBC, had won several awards and published around a dozen papers. He didn’t know what he was going to do next, but was thinking about applying for Canadian residency. Since he wasn’t a student, Neil couldn’t serve on the VOC executive panel as Steph had, but was always eager to help on instructional trips. “Neil came here knowing everything but still every time there was an instructional trip he would take his personal time to teach and share the passion,” said Jens. “He gave back a lot even though he never learned it through the club.” “He was a really good teacher because anyone who was learning from him always felt really relaxed,” added Elliott. “He had this way of being funny and laughing at himself in this kind of self-deprecating way. So it was good to have him along because even in the worst situations he’d make a joke about himself and find it really funny. That makes everyone feel at ease.” While he was usually the most experienced climber in a group and often could have chosen more difficult objectives than those around him were doing, Neil was the type of guy who was having a blast as long as he was outdoors. “[Neil] was an incredibly skillful and experienced guy out in the backcountry, but he’d go on a trip with anyone,” added Elliott. “It didn’t really matter who you were. He didn’t care. He’d just hang out with anyone and make a good time of it. He had this really unique ability to connect with people.” Described by his housemates as a very modest person with a bright and bubbly personality, Neil was usually nonchalant about trips beforehand, but when he’d get home on a Sunday night his excitement was always evident. “It was always the best hearing about [his trips],” Emily recalled. “I’m like ‘so where’d you go this weekend?’ It was always different. I think that was the cool part. There was such a variety.”

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

“[Steph would sing] whatever came to her mind. Things like the “I feel pretty” from West Side Story, but the mocking version from Anger Management. That was her favourite. Or [she’d] just blare out the Lord of the Rings theme when it was particularly scenic.” Clemens Adolphs Stephanie Gröthe’s partner of nine years

On a backcountry skiing trip in November, Elliott, Neil and Steph made a goal of discovering huts not found in any guidebooks. “We had identified a whole bunch of places where we thought we’d find some huts, ‘cause there are a lot of huts that aren’t official up there,” Elliott said. “We were kind of reading between the lines of the guidebooks thinking “‘yeah, this is a good promising spot.’” ALL PHOTOS COURTESY VOC

“He would arrive Sundays at midnight, 2 a.m., whatever, and then he’d just show up for work on Monday morning, no problem,” added Elliott. “He was this incredible amount of energy.… Really, he was 31 when he died and he had lived like three lives in those 31 years, you know? I could count on a single hand the weekends that he spent at home.” When he wasn’t out climbing, skiing, snowboarding, sailing, biking, canyoneering, hanging out at the beach or doing just about any other outdoor activity one can think of, Neil was an easygoing, laid-back guy who loved to be around people. Emily has fond memories of him in the kitchen, where discount bags of vegetables were a part of many meals. “I always really liked also how often he’d come home and we’d all be in the kitchen starting to make dinner, and he’d be like ‘I got dollar bag soup ready!’ He wanted to be a part of everyone’s life, even if it was the little way of making soup to share.” Elliott enjoyed their extended breakfasts together in the mornings, which often ended with pulling out a map and thinking of where they’d go next. He’s not sure how many mountains Neil climbed, only that he’d summited peaks in Scotland, the Alps, B.C., Washington, Alaska, California and Japan — it was probably quite a large number. “One per weekend for the last … I don’t know. Looking at the map here, you know, I don’t think it matters. And his answer would’ve been ‘I haven’t done anything yet.’ He certainly had his eye on all sorts of things.” Equally ambitious, Steph was on track to finish her PhD — which her supervisor confirmed will be awarded posthumously — in the next couple of months. Anticipating graduation and pondering what to do next, she started teaching herself Spanish about a year ago. “She thought maybe Argentina or Chile might be nice to do a post-doc at,” explained Clemens, Steph’s successor as VOC presi-

dent. “And again, [it was] ‘where’s the outdoors, where’s the climbing, where’s the mountaineering and how can I possibly go there?’” When Clemens tried to think of something that embodied who Steph was, all he could think about was how important the mountains were to her. “She would not stay in the city if at all avoidable. So typical city activities weren’t really a thing she would do. All I can picture is Steph going to the climbing gym to train climbing, buying food to dehydrate to have lightweight food for a ski traverse. [She was] very diligent in that way.“ Overjoyed anytime she was in the mountains, Clemens remembers Steph singing a lot during trips. “[She’d sing] whatever came to her mind. Things like the “I feel pretty” from West Side Story, but the mocking version from Anger Management,” he said with a smile. “That was her favourite. Or [she’d] just blare out the Lord of the Rings theme when it was particularly scenic.” While Neil was also an avid music fan, specifically of hip-hop and bluegrass, he liked to celebrate in a slightly different way. “Whisky was definitely one of his passions. Whisky and haggis. [He was] very conscious about his Scottish-ness,” Jens recalled. “We did a pre-work trip together and we realized neither of us brought a whisky and we were like ‘fucking shame.’ A little flask was always there.” The group of friends had all kinds of ideas for the winter.

aving moved into a new residence after the holidays, Elliott and Emily threw a housewarming potluck party on Friday, January 9. It would turn out to be the last time they saw Neil, who brought his usual dollar bag soup. Not quite settled into their new place yet, they declined Neil’s invite to join him, Steph and Elena on a climbing trip to Mount Fee that weekend. On Saturday, both Neil and Steph contacted their friends to let them know that their plans had changed. Due to a road closure, they couldn’t drive up the logging road used to access Mount Fee. Instead, they decided to head to Keith’s Hut and climb Joffre Peak’s Central Couloir the next day. Steph had hiked Joffre Peak in the summertime, but neither had climbed it before, so Neil asked friends for information, while Steph took photos of a guidebook. As Steph’s designated emergency contact, Clemens started to get worried on Sunday night when he hadn’t heard from her or gotten any messages from the SPOT satellite device Steph was carrying. Still, delays are not uncommon in mountaineering, and at this point his thought was that maybe the climb took longer than expected and they just went back to the hut for another night because it was getting dark. He sent Steph a text message asking her to let him know when they were back and telling her that if he did not hear back he would notify authorities. The next morning, Clemens still hadn’t heard back from the climbers. Upon discussion with a mutual friend, Piotr, who was Steph’s

“They were where they liked to be, where they liked to live. I haven’t seen them but I know there were pictures recovered from Steph’s camera. And I can guarantee that if you look at those pictures you’ll see all three of them smiling, living.” Elliott Skierszkan

second emergency contact, they agreed that if the climbers were at the hut overnight, it would take them a few hours to get back out. If they still hadn’t heard from them by afternoon, they’d call the authorities. It wasn’t until the media emailed the VOC for comment about an accident involving, at that point, unnamed climbers that they learned anything had gone wrong. “When I heard that, I knew she was in that area climbing with friends, and that was when I realized that there might be a bad situation, so I looked up the news report,” said Clemens. “I kind of tried to convince myself that the descriptions of the victims wouldn’t match. So I thought okay maybe they are just there helping out.” The climbers’ names couldn’t be released until their next of kin were notified, but by Monday evening friends learned from the RCMP that the families were in Scotland and Germany, which was enough to confirm the worst. “I think it took a couple of days for it to become real. It’s still making its way slowly,” said Elliott. “I mean I guess it’s been a week now and I was back at work today and able to focus for longer periods of time than I was last week. Life goes on but I guess there’s still always this funny hope or feeling that we’ll see him again, or I’ll walk over to the house and he’ll be there, or I’ll get a phone call saying ‘Hey you wanna go skiing this weekend?’ It’ll take a while for that to go away I think.”

n the days following the accident, friends tried to figure out what happened. The Pemberton Search and Rescue unit who retrieved the bodies recovered Steph’s camera, and the VOC was given access to photos the coroner took from the helicopter. Unfortunately, little is known except that the three climbers were roped together and whatever they had to secure themselves to the slope failed. With good weather and low avalanche danger, the mystery remains, making it hard to see the lessons in all of this. “From everything we see, there is nothing that we could take out of it and learn from it, so I didn’t come up with any conclusions,” said Jens. “Elena, being a mother of two, she would be very very conservative, even more so than Neil and Steph. And if anything would’ve been only somewhat sketchy she would’ve said ‘okay stop, we’re turning around.’ And so by all of those facts I’m pretty sure they did everything they could correctly.” “They weren’t pushing hard at their limits,” said Clemens. “Was it bad luck or did they make a bad call? We can’t really tell at this point, and I don’t know if we ever will…. It’s something we’re still puzzling over, in terms of what there is to be learned.”

sport like climbing involves a careful balance between pushing yourself while also holding yourself back from anything that is unsafe. Safety is paramount, but no matter how many precautions you take, accidents can happen. “I think when you go to the mountains you know that you can leave your life,” said Elliott. “It never really hits home until you lose someone, I guess. You know now we’re living with the impact of a loss, we’re seeing people grieving and we’re seeing the big hole that you leave behind. I think it takes a while to process that. But I think also mountains is where you feel alive, more alive than anywhere else. That’s certainly how Neil felt. It’s a place that requires

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all of your energy and your focus and your attention. I don’t think there’s really words to describe the rewards. There’s always this talk of why. I don’t think that it’s possible to put words. I think the only explanation is achieved by going out and experiencing and then you just know. The mountains are this beautiful place. Dangerous, for sure, but beautiful.” “I think a type of reaction could be to be now more cautious or more scared of the mountains and not want to go there, but I don’t feel that way at all,” explained Emily. “Maybe the cautious part, but he lived his life to the fullest. He was always giving it 100 per cent and doing what he was passionate about, and it makes me want to do what I’m passionate about. It makes me want to go skiing and try my hardest and do the things that are the most fun and the most full of adventure, and to share that adventure with everybody.” Prior to his death, Neil organized a VOC trip for the weekend of January 30 to celebrate Robbie Burns Day, a Scottish holiday. He called it “Burns and Turns” — photos from last year’s event show him snowboarding in his kilt. For friends who have spent the past couple weeks grieving and putting together a public memorial service, this will be an opportunity to get together and have a good time in Neil, Steph and Elena’s memory. “Neil was like ‘there’s gonna be music, haggis and whisky!’” said Emily. “I think it’ll be nice to do that in his honour. It’s sad that he won’t be there but I think he’ll be there in spirit. Who knows, to think that far in advance, but it would be nice for it to be a yearly tradition.” In terms of what the VOC will do moving forward, Clemens said the club will try their best to keep doing what they do while also being mindful to focus less on the objectives of climbing and more on enjoying the process. “We still want to get people excited about the outdoors. We all have to ask ourselves how much risk are we willing to take for the privilege to experience the outdoors in this way,” he said. “But I think ultimately it’s worth spending time in the mountains. [Steph and Neil] wouldn’t want us to stop enjoying the outdoors.” “If anything it just inspires us to keep going out. We’ll be thinking about them while we’re out in the mountains, maybe getting a bit closer to them in some ways,” added Elliott. “They were where they liked to be, where they liked to live. I haven’t seen them but I know there were pictures recovered from Steph’s camera. And I can guarantee that if you look at those pictures you’ll see all three of them smiling, living.”

mily found comfort looking back to a conversation she had with Neil a few weeks ago. “We were just sitting at home, shooting the shit, and I said that if you could know, the day that you were going to die, but you couldn’t change it, would you want to know? Neil’s like ‘yeah for sure I would want to know, because that means every day before that day I would go out and do the gnarliest shit! I would run the craziest rapids, I would climb the coolest stuff and I would free solo. I would go nuts!’ As long as that was for sure the day, he was like for sure he would want to know,” she said. “It was an interesting conversation to have so close to his actual death because the gist of it was that he would keep on living life to his maximum and he would do everything he does. He wouldn’t change a thing.” U

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.

LAST WORDS >>

CENSORSHIP >>

To UBC Rec, from the former Peter North Stars MARK CHEN JACK HAUEN

- Harder, Better, Faster, Pronger - Dat Shit Krejci - April O’Neil’s Teenage Turtle Heads - Sasha Grey Cup - Michael Assbender - Peter Opposite of South Stars - Pea Tear North Stars - Slammin’ it Five-Hole - One night in Parise - Double Penner Tration - Stick Lickers - Dallas Porn Stars - Matt Doucheanal - The Mighty Fucks of Slammaheim - Don “Poppin’” Cherry - Jakub Whoreacek - Tyler Saggin’ Ballsack - 2 Girls 1 Stanley Cup - Washington Fapitals - Goal Horny - Red Light District - Opium Farm Team - Manitoba Moose Knucklers - Mark Messier Was the Best Canuck Captain

Letter

ILLUSTRATION JULIAN YU/THE UBYSSEY

LAST WORDS BITCOIN IS THE BEST, RAH RAH RAH On Tuesday, the UBC Bitcoin Club held a talk about how Bitcoin is the future of currency everywhere, but we are still not feeling particularly convinced. We’ve talked about the many hoops that Bitcoin enthusiasts would need to jump through before they are taken seriously here, so we are not going to rehash these arguments here. That said, we found it pretty amusing that their discussion panel consisted entirely of self-proclaimed Bitcoin experts and enthusiasts. We get that the primary purpose of the UBC Bitcoin Club is to herald the benefits of this currency to the UBC community, but another rah-rah Bitcoin presentation will not help get any of us who are less than enthused aboard the Bitcoin Express. In other words: you can hold your panel, but allow the discussion on the merits of Bitcoin to become a genuine debate rather than what seems like one long promotional campaign.

CENSORSHIP HAS NO PLACE AT A UNIVERSITY — EVEN IN REC Who cares if an intramural team names themselves after a porn star? Apparently, UBC Rec. As the league co-ordinator said in an email to the Peter North Stars (now the *CENSORED* North

PARTING SHOTS AND SNAP JUDGEMENTS FROM THE UBYSSEY EDITORIAL BOARD

Stars) captain: “In today’s social climate it is difficult to say we are an organization that supports equality in all aspects of what we do, and at the same time allow a team name that is in reference to someone that many people link to a profession that again many people find demeaning to women.” Rec seems to be pretty selective here. Is Insulin Spikers not making fun of diabetics? Is Dyslexia Untied not insensitive toward those with the disorder? Victorious Secret is a play on a company many people believe reinforces patriarchal standards. By Rec’s definition, The enviroMENTALS should have been renamed ages ago. Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy? Show Me Ya TDs? Girls Gone Wild? Beaches Be Cray? All team names in the same league as the Peter North Stars, and all potentially offensive references. The hypocrisy is so blatant it’s nearly unbelievable. Whether or not the pornography industry is demeaning to women should have no bearing on whether a team in a university intramural league can name itself after a porn star. If you’re going to start policing the morality of the league to this extent, you may as well just name everyone yourself.

PONDEROSA PROBLEMS SEEM TO BE NEVERENDING Ponderosa has had its share of problems since it opened, of

which a broken elevator has been a relatively major part. This past weekend, though, showed just how bad the building’s residents situation is. A broken elevator is one thing — we get it, it happens. But for the elevator to have a major incident with an alleged “free fall” just a few days after it was reopened having been ‘repaired’ is ridiculous. The sheer number of issues that the building has had makes us wonder how many corners were cut — either in the interest of time or cost savings — in its construction. Free falling is pretty much everyone’s worst nightmare — often literally. It’s safe to say that just about everyone has, at some point, had a bad dream involving an elevator. Even if no one was in real danger, as UBC seems to be saying in their press releases (along with repeatedly assuring concerned residents and onlookers that safety is their top priority), it shouldn’t be understated how traumatizing an experience like a (perceived) free fall could be on people. People shouldn’t feel unsafe in their own homes. It may be rez, and SHHS may not have any obligation to make their residents feel comfortable, but I think we can all agree that it’s the morally decent thing to do. U

UBC Rec — thank you for wisely renaming our intramural hockey team; the Peter North Stars definitely doesn’t have the same ring as the *CENSORED* North Stars. We members and supporters of the *CENSORED* North Stars recognize that times change, and what is deemed acceptable changes with it. In today’s social climate, we must conduct ourselves in accordance with what other people think is right. Pursuant to that ideal, we have generated some humble suggestions for a rebranding of the *CENSORED* North Stars: - Travis Zajac Off - Ovechkin Laich Semin - Zidlicky my Clitsome - Fiddler Clitsome - Michael Ryder Clitsome Moore - Brookbank Mountain - Camel Toews - Sticks N’ Cider - Alex Semin on her Backes - Semin Stains - Mother Pucker

Again, thank you very much for your wise decision, UBC Rec. We hope you find these suggestions appropriate and filled to the brim with equality. U

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business.humber.ca/postgrad

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 |

EDITOR JENICA MONTGOMERY

FILM >>

MUSIC >>

Naked Cinema: Prominent jazz musicians to Mercury Falling may be perform together at Barnett Hall better for the stage

Matheson and Mikkola have been friends since meeting at the Tartu Jazz festival in Estonia.

Joey Whittemore

Contributor

Mercury Falling is a well-executed drama, perhaps more fitting for the stage.

Miguel Santa Maria

Staff Writer

If you happen to be one of the few cinephiles who longs for the days when Lars Von Trier still made his guerilla style Dogme 95 films with nothing but a camcorder, then Naked Cinema: Mercury Falling might just satisfy the craving. Directed by UBC’s Tom Scholte in collaboration with various BFA and MFA students and alumni of the theatre and film department, Mercury Falling revolves around the staff and customers of the newly opened Vancouver bar “Mercury.” From this premise alone, the film goes on to feature various scenarios that occur within the bar, including, but not limited to, an overtly pretentious artist seducing amateur poets, a socially awkward waitress trying to do her job well while two others compete for tips and an illegal immigrant with a fascination for cross dressing. Admittedly, these examples sound like they’re worthy only of the occasional short CollegeHumor skit on YouTube, but it’s the guts of these set-ups, the dialogue, the characters and the humour of the film that keeps the audience’s attention. Much of the film’s humour can be attributed to character interactions that create a well-balanced mix of realistic

em>

PHOTO COURTESY SHAN FUN

and perfectly timed slapstick. One notable example is Lillian (Catherine Fergusson), the socially awkward waitress at the bar, whose actions can at times seem cringe-worthy or utterly unthinkable, yet the performance, writing and delivery almost make these look plausible. It is all the more fitting that the film is done in the Dogme 95 hyper-documentary format. This style involves only using the natural lighting, using digital handheld cameras and avoiding any audio insertions, such as music or re-dubbing for clarity. This technique further added to the feeling of plausibility — no matter how ridiculous the scenario. That said, this style of filmmaking is not for everyone. The Dogme format can be, at times, jarring for some and has an unpolished look that can distract the audience from the meat of the film. Though the film’s strengths stem from these techniques, the lengthy character interactions and the use of precious few locations makes the performance seem more suited to the stage over film. Overall though, the film still has a juicy amount of well-executed drama. Mercury Falling and its cast are ready to serve you a good amount of crazy social hijinks. U

When Alan Matheson was eight years old he began studying the piano with a goal of becoming a composer. However one day his father, who worked in the record business, brought home an LP of a solo by Bix Beiderbecke, a prominent jazz soloist in the 1930s. When Matheson listened to this solo “a penny dropped,” he said, and he realized that Beiderbecke sounded like “he’s composing while he plays.” This is how Matheson discovered his love for jazz, an art form of expression that combined the two things he loved, composing and playing. Currently, Matheson teaches, performs, composes and arranges all over Vancouver at many schools though predominantly at UBC. His work takes him around the world performing and collaborating with many other musicians. This is how he met Wade Mikkola. Mikkola is a well-known Finish bassist who met Matheson while the two were invited to perform at the Tartu Jazz Fes-

The Perch to bring artisanal downtown dining to campus

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they looked to classical composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century,” said Matheson. This is how jazz music would have been influenced by the styles of Merikanto’s time period. This relationship is very interesting because it shows that the evolution of two distinct art forms are very much intertwined. While many see a contrast between classical and jazz, the two genres are influenced by each other. M ikkola and Matheson both agree that audiences should listen for the melodies and harmonies in the pieces they will be playing at the concert. Besides Merikanto, the other composers, Ellington, Kenton and Strayhorn, have strong melodies in their music. Matheson will be playing trumpet and the piano while Mikkola will be playing the bass. It is a personal setting and will seem “like a conversation between two people through music,” said Mikkola. It promises to be a fantastic concert and you will not be disappointed, regardless of your knowledge of classical or jazz music. U

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tival in Estonia. Their friendship grew as Mikkola said they had “similar views on jazz history and the evolution of music,” and that they would “share recordings with each other,” as they were both interested in scholarly music analysis. Now, after releasing an album together in 2013 called “Duetti,” they are playing together in a concert for the Music on the Point Series at UBC’s Roy Barnett Hall on February 6. They will be playing a variety of music from original compositions to jazz classics by legendary artists such as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and Stan Kenton to music of Finish composer Oskar Merikanto who is of special interest to the two. M ikkola and Matheson discovered that there was a relationship between Merikanto’s music and the jazz music of the 1920s and 30s. However, it is not that Merikanto created music of the future, but rather, as Matheson said, “it is more what became jazz.” “When jazz musicians looked to expanding their harmonic vocabulary in the 20s and 30s

PHOTO COURTESY THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

PHOTO TIMOTHY HOGGAN/THE UBYSSEY

Jenica Montgomery

Culture Editor

For those who were expecting that The Perch would be the same old SUB food, pull up your socks and get ready to be surprised. The Perch, set to open in May, is the AMS’ attempt to bring the downtown foodie experience to

campus, and it may just exceed expectations. On January 27, the AMS hosted a preview lunch so students could get a taste of what The Perch will offer once it’s open. Reasonably priced between $5 and $20, The Perch will be offering students a separate experience from what they’re used to finding in the SUB. Though there wasn’t a whole menu to review, AMS executive chef Ryan Bissell noted that the food will be a change from what is usually found on campus — offering dishes with more complexity and depth — though he confirmed that The Perch will still have a burger option, a student comfort food favourite. One of the Perch’s goals is to be a highly sustainable food outlet on campus, sourcing local and fresh ingredients — in fact herbs are cut fresh per order, adding an unexpected complexity and crispness to the dish.

The preview dish was $7 and chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson served richly flavoured tamarind glazed pork cheeks with spongey chickpea fritters. The pork cheek was cooked to be melt-in-you-mouth tender and had the perfect amount of flavour from the glaze, a far cry from the expected SUB basement-esque serving. The fritter was dry, but still spongey — a healthy alternative to the fried foods so often sought. The combination had a subtle middle eastern spice blend that created a coherence between the two seemingly juxtaposed elements. The plate was completed with freshly cut coriander and pea shoots, adding a vibrance to the otherwise aesthetically bland dish. If the preview dish can be any indication of what students can expect, then The Perch is set to provide students with a little bit of decadence and a lot of comfort. U

10 | CULTURE |

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

FILM >>

SPEAKERS >>

Emmy-award winning screenwriter Reliving the 90s with and UBC alumnus visits campus Clueless As he worked on his masters degree, Wreggitt realized that poetry was unlikely to pay the rent, so he took a summer job a the CBC offices archiving episodes of The Beachcombers . His job at CBC put him into contact with the show’s story editor, and, at the end of the summer, he bravely ran three ideas for new episodes across her desk. She rejected all of them. Undeterred, he told her he had one last suggestion. She said she would consider it if he was able to write it down. He made another gusty leap, took a script from the office so he could copy the format, and began work on the first draft of what would become the episode called “Hanson’s Ark.” Wreggitt attributes this gumption to necessity. “How else are you gonna do it?” he said. “How do you break in?” He published his last book in 1997. These days he finds himself juggling multiple television and movie projects, often all at once. “Part of the reason I stopped writing poetry, I think, is because I kind of said what I wanted to say in that form. In a way, poetry [was] kind of [a] rehearsal to get at the kind of material that I was trying to find in my screenplays,” said Wreggitt. Far from selling out to the smoke and mirrors of the silver screen, Wreggitt has allowed his creativity to organically navigate his career choices and his decisions about the projects he will work on. “One of the great blessings of what I do now is, because I do so many kinds of movies, I become a mini expert for a little while in whatever I’m working on,” he said. “I don’t say yes unless I think it’s something that I can get really excited about, [if] I think I want to be in that world.” Wreggitt has worked on the Emmy award-winning TV movie The Phantoms — based on the story of the 2008 tragic bus accident in Bathurst, involving the school’s basketball team — to Corner Gas: The Movie , and the sci-fi thriller Survival Code . He has also worked on scripts for episodes of Canadian favourites like Heartland and Flashpoint . Wreggitt is currently working on a movie for Discovery Channel and continues to work on multiple series with the CBC. With his ever-growing list of credits, Wreggitt has certainly come a long way down that yellow brick road. U

Andrew Wreggitt (right) is both a screen writer and a poet.

Keagan Perlette Contributor

Behind every spectacle, there is a person on the other side of a green velvet curtain creating the illusion. One UBC alumnus is the man behind the curtain of many well-known Canadian TV shows and movies, including Emmy award-winning The Phantoms and Corner Gas: The Movie . From his house in the mining town of Fraser Lake, B.C., a young Andrew Wreggitt watched The Beachcombers , a CBC show about exactly the kind of small town he was growing up in. Wreggitt never suspected that one day he’d be the person pulling the cords and pushing the buttons behind the curtain of that very same television show. “I knew that people must write [television],” Wreggitt said of his first encounters with the genre, “but I didn’t ever imagine that I was going to be one of those people.” Today, the Canadian screenwriter has produced over 90 hours of network television. Wreggitt always knew he wanted to be a writer, but he was drawn first and foremost to poetry rather than screenwriting. During his time in Fraser Lake, he was influenced by the poetry of Michael Ondaatje, citing The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems as one of the texts that turned him on to writing poetry. “That book just blew my mind,” said Wreggitt. “I didn’t realize poetry could be like that.” Amongst others like Leonard Cohen (a favourite being The Spice-Box of Earth ) and Al Purdy, Wreggitt also enjoyed Canadian poet Phyllis

PHOTO COURTESY ANDREW WREGGITT

Webb who became a teacher of his when he was accepted for his first year to UBC’s creative writing program on a scholarship. Having been accepted earlier than most creative writing students (who enter the program after their second year), Wreggitt was intimidated but eager to be surrounded by people who shared his creative drive and to experience a community outside of Fraser Lake. “I was really a puppy,” said Wreggitt. “A lot of [my classmates] were older than I was. There were people from all over the country and the world and I found that very exciting.” During his time at UBC, Wreggitt continued to work on his poetry, thriving amongst his newfound creative community. “I was very influenced and supported by the other students,” he said. “These [peers] are your contemporaries, and you’re going to have your first successes together and your first abject failures together ... We would trade our work back and forth, so I think in some ways it was almost as influential as what your professor says to you.” Wreggitt credited the opportunity to explore new authors as an important factor to the development of his work. “I took a Canadian poetry course, and I was exposed to a whole bunch of poets that I didn’t know about, and then I really kind of got into it. [I] started to write more and submit to publications. I got some books done,” he said. Wreggitt has written five books of poetry including Making Movies in 1989 which won the Writers Guild of Alberta Stephan Stephanson Poetry Prize.

Clueless is a 1995 film about a group of teenage girls.

Miguel Santa Maria

Staff Writer

Nostalgia is sometimes an irresistible attraction. This is the case for FilmSoc’s latest Beer Garden event for the cult classic Clueless . “I think for whatever reason it’s pretty much a movie that we all have seen,” said FilmSoc exec Emily O’Brien. “People really like this movie. It’s fun.” For those not in the know, Clueless is a popular 1995 chick-flick According to FilmSoc member John Tastad, it is also part of the holy trinity of high-school teenage girl films along with the 1988 film Heathers and 2004’s Mean Girls. While, neither O’Brien nor Tastad could pinpoint the source of their lasting appeal; both execs had a number of theories as to why the film is still applicable today, despite the generation jump. “Universities [and] high schools, they’re all these sort of microcosms of society where social relations are played out on a much smaller scale,” said Tastad. There are other elements to consider that make the film perfect for a Friday night. Apart from the film being a rare contrast to the Mean Girls stereotype,

FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY

according to O’Brien, there’s also the fascination of seeing the 90’s editions of Paul Rudd and Brittany Murphy. More notably, Clueless is one of the last few hits that Alicia Silverstone had before her declining stardom. “This is her crown and glory. It’s the pinnacle of her [career],” said Film Soc exec Mady Davis. Gabey Lucas, an Arts student who attended the event, could also name a couple of things that kept her going back to the film. “It’s conscious of how silly [it is] ... whoever wrote [it] didn’t think it was serious,” said Lucas, who also thinks that its sheer “90s-ness” still makes the film stand out today. “If you’re gonna get a primary artifact from the 90s [and] put it in a time capsule, this’d be one of them.” Whether the film is still relevant due to its comedic take on life lessons or its 90s gimmicks, perhaps all that matters, according to Davis, is that we are all still unified by our nostalgic sentiments. “In a sense, nostalgia is a pretty big part of pop culture,” she said. “What isn’t made for us?” U

CULTURE VULTURE On February 4, the SSA, ESA, PSSA, PSA, and the Feminist club are hosting a Mean Girls movie night. Watch and then dissect the movie with fellow intellects to understand the movie’s depiction of power dynamics amongst teenage girls. When: February 4 Where: MASS 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

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015 |

EDITOR JACK HAUEN

THUNDERBIRDS >>

T-BIRDS 5-ON-5

OLIVER SCHOLFIELD

LAUREN SEABROOK

ADDISON KRAMER

Field Hockey

Basketball

Track and Cross Country

GRACEFUL GLOBETROTTERS

KATIE GREENWAY

CALLUM MACKENZIE

Hockey

Rowing

I’ve been fortunate enough to play in India, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Holland, England and the USA. I’d love to go back to New Zealand. I think the sporting culture in Australia is unbelievable. They get behind almost every sport and follow it with a passion. Driving on the streets of New Delhi. They use honking as a form of communication and don’t follow any rules of the road.

I’ve been to 21 countries on all continents except Antarctica. I loved Istanbul (Turkey) and could see myself going back.

I have been to 12 countries. I would most like to revisit Uganda/ Rwanda. I fell in love with the people and culture in East Africa.

I’ve been to 19 countries. Would like to re-visit Spain and go further down to the Southern area — Granada.

I’d probably go back to Indonesia. The place is so helter skelter, so much fun. Anything can happen.

American sporting culture — college football, March Madness, the Super Bowl, etc. is insane!

The Italian area of Switzerland [called] Lugano. The crazy fans were called “hooligans” like in soccer!

Probably New Zealand’s attitude to rugby. [In] any major airport is a bunch of massive cutouts from the All Blacks.

At a border crossing between South Africa and Swaziland where there was a passport mix up. We were police-escorted to a hotel.

The Dominican Republic. They worship the baseball players from there and the baseball players try to give back to their community. In Uganda when my host mother, my roommate and I were walking to town. There was a lot of blood splattered on the road.

[In Paris] we were waiting for a tour to start when a young girl approached us and notso-subtly attempted to pickpocket us!

Hitchhiking through the desert in Western Australia... got picked up by a guy who looked like something straight out of Wolf Creek.

4. On your travels, what’s the funniest or most insightful thing a local has said?

“Don’t drink the water.”

In Thailand locals kept saying “same, same but different.” ... No matter where you travel so much in life is the same, but different.

[A German tour guide] said the past is part of us and we must never forget it, it is how we remember our past that shapes our future.

“Canadian beer is like having sex in a canoe … just full of water.” – Unknown Swiss man.

“Might have had a bit too much chocolate milk when I was in Bali last week. Might have gotten married to a prostitute.”

5. Where have you not been yet that you are just itching to go?

I’d love to see more of South America. I really like the culture and the weather down there.

I would love to explore more of the Middle East, specifically Jordan. Petra has incredible archeology sites with fascinating culture,

I really want to go to China. I’ve taken two and a half years of Mandarin and really want to try to use it in China.

Southeast Asia — Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia.

Probably England. I want to see if I can get a scholarship at Cambridge to race the Cambridge versus Oxford Boat Race.

1. How many countries have you been to, and which would you most like to revisit?

2. Where is the most interesting place you’ve been to in terms of its sporting culture?

3. Describe the scariest or strangest moment you’ve had while travelling.

The Ubyssey’s intramural sports team name awards

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION JACK HAUEN/THE UBYSSEY

Jack Hauen Sports and Rec Editor

2: The SRC Futsal League’s Torts Illustrated

In addition to its varsity teams, UBC runs a bevy of successful intramural leagues. And unlike the Thunderbirds, teams competing in these leagues have unrestricted creativity when it comes to naming their teams. Here are The Ubyssey’s top five intramural team names, with per-league rankings below:

And the ever sought-after award for The Ubyssey’s favourite intramural team name goes to: The Bodin Ball Hockey League’s Peter North Stars

5: The Ultimate League’s Dodge Mahal 4: The Todd Ice Hockey League’s HATTRICK SWAYZE 3: The Cross Volleyball League’s Practice Safe Sets

Author’s note: the Peter North Stars have since been renamed by UBC Rec to the “*CENSORED* North Stars.” See page eight for the team’s response. The rest of the best: Nitobe Basketball League 1: Yao Know What I Ming?

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION JACK HAUEN/THE UBYSSEY

2: Hoops! I did it again. 3: Tunesquad. 3 (tie): Monstars. Honourable mentions: BC Buds, Beta Blockers. Handley Cup Soccer League 1: Goal Diggers. 2: Bend it like RECkham. Bodin Ball Hockey League 1: Peter North Stars. 2: Transpharmers. 3: Tortorella and Friends. Cross Volleyball League 1: Practice Safe Sets. 2: Insulin Spikers. 3: Net Results.

Honourable mentions: Gold Diggers, Popped A Volley I’m Sweatin, My Bumps, Peter’s Manbridge. Point Grey Flag Football League 1: No Punt Intended. 2: Brady Bunch. Honourable mention to the league itself, which plays for the (Point) Grey Cup. SRC Futsal League 1: Torts Illustrated. 2: Unreal Madrid. 3: Let’s Get Messi. Honourable mentions: Foot Fetishes, Sons of Pitches, The More Attractive Franco Brother.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION COURTESY MIKE CHEN

The Ultimate League 1: At Least My Disc Stays Up. 2: Slipped Discs. 3: Pinky and the Brian. Honourable mentions: Huck and Hope, Hammerheads, Only Operating Monday-Friday. Todd Ice Hockey League 1: HATTRICK SWAYZE. 2: Ugly Pucklings. 3: Sharkitects. UBC REC Dodgeball League 1: Dodge Mahal. 2: Ball of Duty. 3: Snoop Dodge. Honourable mention: Microballology. U

12 | GAMES |

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015

Photo of the Day

PHOTO VIVIAN WONG/THE UBYSSEY

The Lions Gate Bridge is beautiful at night.

Public Open House – February 10 University Boulevard Precinct Planning

UBC is updating plans to implement the precinct vision. This is needed to respond to changes in the area and to guide new development and programming opportunities on the remaining sites. JAN 26 ANSWERS

JAN 26 ANSWERS

Please join us at a public open to learn more about the vision and proposed uses for the remaining sites and provide your ideas on proposed ways to achieve the vision.

Place: 2nd Floor Foyer, The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall Refreshments will be served. Date: Tuesday, Feb 10, 2015 Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm Can’t attend in person? An online questionnaire will be available from February 10 – 23. This first phase of public consultation also includes a public workshop. Visit planning.ubc.ca to sign up for the workshop or to learn more. For additional information on the project, contact: Aviva Savelson, Senior Manager, Consultation, Campus + Community Planning at aviva.savelson@ubc.ca or 604-822-9984

This notice contains important information which may affect you. Please ask someone to translate it for you.

COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM

ACROSS 1- Magic stick 5- Money-related: Abbr. 9- The Elder or The Younger 13- That’s ___! 14- Outspoken 15- ___ and terminer 16- Resembling sugar 18- Aromatic plant 19- Unprincipled 20- State of drowsiness 22- Apartment sign 23- Marsh of mystery 24- Architect Saarinen 26- Attire 31- ___ were you... 34- Cereal grain 37- Like some vbs. 38- In spite of 42- Mountain nymph 43- Petty quarrel 44- CIA forerunner 45- Strict disciplinarian 47- Not of the cloth 50- Not express 53- Swedish imports 57- Adjustable resistor

61- Literary ridicule 62- Over-50 org. 63- Self-centered 65- ___ Cong 66- Horne and Olin 67- Internet writing system that popularized “pwn3d” and “n00b” 68- Greek goddess of strife 69- Caustic substances 70- Goes wrong

DOWN 1- Attended 2- Memorable mission 3- Actor Williamson 4- Formal order 5- Pro 6- Frosting 7- Capital city of Yemen 8- Ecclesiastic 9- Silver salmon 10- Affirmative votes 11- Actress Hatcher 12- Globes 14- Actor Kilmer 17- Abhor

21- General Powell 23- ___ Ark 25- Go bad 27- Old California fort 28- Threesome 29- Coop group 30- Breakfast staple 31- Are you ___ out? 32- ___ song (cheaply) 33- Tabloid tidbit 35- Sugar amt. 36- Stable compartment 39- Armed conflict 40- Graven images 41- Loss leader? 46- No kidding! 48- This ___ outrage! 49- Bovine animals 51- Shrewd 52- Make up for wrongdoing 54- Broadcaster 55- Prickly plant 56- Religious offshoots 57- Pan’s opposite 58- “Aquarius” musical 59- ...___ saw Elba 60- Chooses 61- Paris possessive 64- ___ in Charlie

COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM