March 5, 2015

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MARCH 5, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XLIII ARGYLE AUSTEN SINCE 1918

AMS ELECTIONS

NEWS

CULTURE SENIOR TALENT

SPORTS VOLLEYBALL

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J U T RSU D ETA U I N ELECTIONS, B ILL C- 51 & E D U C AT I O N


THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS, PEOPLE + CAMPUS

EVENTS SATURDAY

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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SELF-DEFENCE WORKSHOP 2:00 - 3:30 P.M. @ SRC DOJO

Rec is hosting a workshop in which you can learn the basics of self-defence. Whether you want to learn how to protect yourself or just want to see if martial arts may be something you’re interested in, it’s worth checking out. $24

SATURDAY

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AMS LAST BAND STANDING

PHOTO JAKOB WELLS/FLICKR

Kurtis Ling was a UBC sociology major until he dropped out to play Dota 2 competitively.

8:30 P.M. @ KOERNER’S PUB

Come watch UBC musicians perform their original songs and compete for the title of this year’s last band standing. The winner will perform as the opener at this year’s Block Party. Free

SATURDAY

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THE UBYSSEY’S HOOTENANNY 9:00 P.M. @ 303 COLUMBIA

Do you like to have a good time partying the night away? Want to support starving journalists while doing so? Come on out to The Ubyssey’s sixth annual Hootenanny. $10; tickets at Ubyssey office SUB 24

ON THE COVER

Want to see your events listed here? Email your events listings to ourcampus@ubyssey.ca.

EDITORIAL

STAFF

Coordinating Editor Will McDonald

Copy Editor Ciaran Dougherty

coordinating@ubyssey.ca

copy@ubyssey.ca

Design Editor Nick Adams

Distribution Coordinator Lily Cai

printeditor@ubyssey.ca

lcai@ubyssey.ca

Web Developer Peter Siemens

Illustrator Julian Yu

web@ubyssey.ca

julianyu@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

Natalie Scadden, CJ Pentland, Kosta Prodanovic, Dave Nixon, Soren Elsay, Olamide Olaniyan, Lawrence Neal Garcia, Olivia Law, Tariq Vira, Kelley Lin, Jenny Tang, Leo Soh, Mateo Ospina, Koby Michaels, Jasmine Cheng, Miguel Santa Maria, Natalie Morris, Mackenzie Walker, Sam Fruitman, Braedon Atkinson Pauze, Jacob Gershkovich, Emma Partridge, Ben Cook, Ming Wong, TammyHsieh, Chloë Lai, Mischa Milne, Aiken Lao

MARCH 5, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XLIII BUSINESS

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Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301

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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

Nikos Wright Contributor

As far back as he can remember, Kurtis Ling has wanted to be a gamer. And now, at 22, the former UBC student is living that dream. In the past two months alone, Ling has made $258,000 playing video games professionally — and he hasn’t even graduated yet. Ling, also known as Aui_2000, is a professional gamer: one who earns a living playing video games, winning competitions around the world, and earning tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars in tournaments. In fact, Ling is the highest earning Canadian professional gamer, and ranked 13th in the world. He currently plays the role of support in Dota 2, a competitive teambased video game with nearly 10 million active players around the world. He started his studies in UBC in 2010, but left school indefinitely in his third year. He now considers online gaming his full-time job.

I think eSports in general is at a time of growth, so this is the best time to sort of get into the scene — especially in a game like Dota 2.”

His eyes are so dreamy. - Cherihan Hassun

U THE UBYSSEY

In the eSports ring, Kurtis Ling is king

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.

Kurtis Ling Former UBC student and professional Dota 2 player

“I just decided to take a year off to try to pursue gaming full time. Monetarily … it made a lot more sense to try to go professional in gaming than it did to complete my degree,” he said. The eSports scene has exploded in the past couple of years. Sponsors for professional game tournaments now include corporate titans such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. Prize money is in the millions of dollars and eSports has increasingly begun to resemble traditional sport competitions, with live events attracting tens of thousands of spectators, and professional commentators giving play-by-plays at live events and online streams to millions of viewers.

“I think eSports in general is at a time of growth, so this is the best time to sort of get into the scene — especially in a game like Dota 2,” Ling said. Ling first started playing Dota 2’s predecessor, DotA, when he was in grade nine. Competitive gaming, however, didn’t start until he entered university, when he also joined UBC’s Starcraft Club. But the eSports scene wasn’t quite as established in 2010.

My first year of playing competitive Dota 2, I was taking four courses and working two jobs.” “The highest prize pool tournament I ever competed in with DotA was $500 for first place. There was no reasonable way a person could make a living off the scene back then,” he said. In his second year at UBC, Ling began playing Dota 2 — this was when he first started getting a taste of his current success. “When Dota 2 first was introduced the company that made it hosted a tournament called the International, and it was a $1.6 million prize pool. And it spurred a lot of interest in the game.” Ling’s total career earnings so far stand at nearly half a million dollars. He has only played two tournaments in 2015, but the prize money he has earned from these couple of tournaments constitutes more than half of his career earning total. His $498,000 career total also does not include any money he earns from streaming his games online, sponsorship deals or the salary he receives as part of his Dota 2 team, Evil Geniuses. Though he’s risen very high, Aui_2000 had humble beginnings. “My first year of playing competitive Dota 2, I was taking four courses and working two jobs while playing. But that was sort of insane. I was working as a janitor at a preschool and I was working at a supermarket as a stocker. That was not sustainable because I think I was going crazy.” Ling’s parents were also a bit skeptical at first. It wasn’t until he

started winning more games that they came around to accept Ling’s new day job. “It eventually come to a point where I was making more from playing these games than I probably would ever make from anything else in my life. So that’s when it turned into more of a fulltime job.” By playing video games competitively he has had the opportunity to travel around the world: Korea, Sweden, France and Germany are just some of the countries he’s been to. Despite all this success, Ling does not see online gaming as a career. “I don’t know about it as a career, since that sort of implies that it’s long-term — ­ 20 to 30 years,” Ling said. He acknowledges that pro-gamers usually only last until their mid-20s, and quickly burn out or lose motivation. Ling says that if that were to happen to him, he would be interested in pursuing other careers in the eSports industry, such as managing teams. Although he no longer attends UBC, the former sociology major does value his university experience. “[In] my years at UBC I’ve definitely learned a lot, and I’ve met some really cool people,” he said. On the subject of finishing his degree, Ling remains uncertain. “It’s an option. I don’t think it makes sense economically right now. Just because, if I finish the sociology degree, it’s not like I’m going to get some sick job out of it,” he said with a laugh. “I think I would want to explore most avenues of eSports first. Going back to school is a backup for me at this point.” “Compared to learning through education, I think that this eSports experience has taught me a lot as well. Just by being able to travel, I get to meet people from all over the world, talk to them … it’s been a real cool learning experience outside of just playing games,” Ling said. In the end, Canada’s top Dota 2 player has no regrets about leaving university to become a professional gamer. “It’s my passion. It’s my dream job. It’s really what I’ve always dreamed about doing.” U


THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 |

EDITORS JOVANA VRANIC + VERONIKA BONDARENKO

AMS >>

Revised policy against tuition increases in the works Elba Gomez Navas Contributor

The AMS is in the process of creating a policy to better advocate to the university for lower tuition. Although the society opposed UBC’s decision to increase tuition for international students, UBC still passed the 10 per cent increase for international students at the beginning of December. Now, the AMS hopes to revamp its advocacy strategy to push for decreased tuition and better address any potential tuition issues in the future. According to VP Academic Anne Kessler, the AMS hopes to achieve this goal with a new, more robust tuition policy. Kessler explained that the previous policy set the official AMS stance with regards to tuition, saying that the student body was in favour of lowering tuition as long as this was matched by increases in provincial funding. It also stated AMS opposition to increases above the two per cent provincial government cap for local students and the usual three per cent yearly increase for international students. This policy expired in August 2014 and was not immediately renewed mostly due to logistical issues. Still, the AMS wanted to make sure that the new policy better reflects the results of the January 2014 referendum when 90 per cent of voters wanted the AMS advocate for lower tuition to the university. According to Kessler, previous tolerance for relatively modest increases has since stopped. “The new policy is a bit stronger and says that we’re not okay

FILE PHOTO STEPHANIE XU/THE UBYSSEY

AMS VP Academic Anne Kessler is spearheading the revision of the society’s policy on advocating for lower tuition.

with any increases,” said Kessler. “In January we had a student referendum, so this policy is more in line with what the referendum said.” The new policy is meant to both state the official AMS position on tuition and also empower student executives to have greater advocacy power, but the society’s stance on fees will stay the same. “We’ve always lobbied the government for more funding for university, so I think that will continue, so that’s not a big change,” said Kessler.

AMS ELECTIONS EVENTS

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Although this policy won’t be used to target past fee increases, including last year’s, Kessler said it will help cases in the future. “It’s not so much the policy but what we do with it,” said Kessler. “I think we’ve always worked really hard to advocate for lower tuition, but the reason that we have policies is to agree on what we stand for.” The new policy is still undergoing final edits and is pending the approval of the AMS council, but if all goes well, it should take effect soon. According

to Kessler, the revised policy will help the AMS continue the fight for fair tuition rates and affordable education. “I think we’ll be more aware that [tuition increases] are more likely to happen in the future, and the university has told us that there will be more increases for next year, program by program,” said Kessler. “Right now we are trying for them to get to talk to us earlier, and so far what I’ve seen is that they’ve heard those concerns and are trying to be better, so we’ll see.” U

ACTIVISM >>

Anti-abortion group protests Justin Trudeau’s visit to campus

MARCH 5

SECOND DEBATE

12:00 - 2:30 P.M. @ SUB CONCOURSE

Candidates for VP External, President, Board of Governors and slates for the Student Legal Fund Society square off in mini-debates. Audience questions are welcome and encouraged.

MARCH 6

CANDIDATE SPEED DATE 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. @ THE GALLERY

PHOTO WILL MCDONALD/THE UBYSSEY

Grab some free nachos, cheap drinks and get to know the candidates in all races. Ask them about their positions, platforms and goals. First 10 people to stop by receive a coupon for a free drink.

MARCH 10

THE GREAT DEBATE

5:00 - 7:30 P.M. @ ABDUL LADHA

All candidates running in this year’s election will take part in this heated debate on all sorts of different AMS-related topics. CiTR will be broadcasting live on-scene. Lots of free pizza will be offered to everyone who comes out.

MARCH 10

THE UBYSSEY’S PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 8:00 - 9:00 P.M. @ THE GALLERY

Make your way over to the SUB after The Great Debate and join us in drilling the presidential candidates with questions on what students care about most. We’ll be asking the real questions.

MARCH 13

RESULTS PARTY 5:00 P.M. @ THE GALLERY

The big reveal! Come find out the results of all the races of this year’s elections. Congratulate the winners and get to know who will be running your AMS in the upcoming year.

A small number of anti-abortion supporters gathered outside of the SUB.

Will McDonald Coordinating Editor

Yesterday afternoon, around six students held graphic images of abortions outside the SUB in response to Justin Trudeau’s visit to campus. Irene De Souza, a member of the UBC Lifeline club, said the display was organized against Trudeau’s pro-choice stance. “We just want to show people what he’s standing for and what this actually is — just the brutality of abortion,” said De Souza. Some students objected to the graphic images, including one student who stood silently a few feet from one of the Lifeline members holding a full-length mirror. Madison Candline, a third-year anthropology student, showed up to oppose the abortion protesters.

“For a university campus, in general, that’s supposed to talk about inclusion, it’s pretty awful,” said Candline. “I just don’t agree with the images,” she said. “I think the images can be really painful to some people. I just think it could be done in a more sensitive way and a less direct and hateful way.” De Souza acknowledged the images could be offensive, especially to certain groups of people. “I’d rather inform people who are either contemplating [abortion] or people who have had abortions so that they know that there are people out here who are willing to help them and who are there for them,” she said. By 3:30 in the afternoon, the protesters had cleared the area. U

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NEWS BRIEFS UBC announces support for upcoming transit referendum On March 3, UBC sent out a broadcast email informing students that the university has officially taken a stance on the upcoming transit referendum. Both UBC President Arvind Gupta and SFU’s Andrew Petter announced their support for the funding of the Metro Vancouver Mayors’ Transportation and Transit Plan. In the message, Gupta wrote “I believe we have a duty to support actions that have such a positive impact on the health, safety and wellbeing of our faculty, students, staff and residents.” Gupta also linked the transit plan to some of the university’s strategic initiatives. He said that the transit plan would strengthen ties between UBC and regional communities and subsequently help the university build on its research and innovation goals. Having better ground transportation to UBC may also “be a catalyst for the development of a technology, health and life sciences hub” somewhere on the Broadway corridor, said Gupta. UBC has also set up a website for information and resources on the plebiscite, found at transportation.ubc.ca/vote. Voting will be taking place between March 16 and May 29. AMS Elections update: candidate drop-outs, referendum being discussed The two-week period between February 13, — when the AMS announced the candidates running in this year’s elections — and the start of the campaign saw a large drop in those who had originally planned to run for positions within the society. In the biggest surprise of the race, current AMS President Tanner Bokor dropped out of the presidential race on Feb. 26, leaving Aaron Bailey, Cheneil Antony-Hale and joke candidate V to face off for the top spot in the society in the next two weeks. Over the last week, Marjan Hatai withdrew from the race for VP External, leaving Janzen Lee and Jude Crasta to contend for the position. Incumbent Christopher Roach, Harsev Oshan and Rohan Nuttall all withdrew from the race for two spots of the Board of Governors. Incumbent Daniel Munro and Niloufar Keshmiri also withdrew from the Senate race. The AMS held a supplementary Council meeting Wednesday night to discuss the BDS referendum. It is unclear whether the referendum question will be released alongside candidate voting. U

Write Shoot Edit Code Drink COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS


4 | NEWS |

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

TRU DE AU ELECTIONS, B ILL C- 51 & E D U C AT I O N

Trudeau’s speech started reminiscent of his time as a student at UBC.

Veronika Bondarenko News Editor

Justin Trudeau, Liberal leader and one of the three leading prime minister candidates in the upcoming federal election, stopped by the UBC campus on Wednesday amid a room packed full of students. Trudeau, who completed his Bachelor of Education at UBC in 1998 and taught French and math at Vancouver’s West Point Grey Academy in the late 1990s and early 2000s, frequently visits university campuses across the country to talk about politics, government and student leadership. During his visit, Trudeau spoke of B.C. as the place that he was drawn to in his youth to escape from the celebrity status and recognition that came from being the son of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Canada’s 15th prime minister. Trudeau then dove straight into politics and his upcoming campaign by talking about the importance of striking a balance between a strong economy and protection of the environment. “There are so many politicians that are still trying to push that there’s a choice to be made — it’s either the environment or econ-

omy, it’s either jobs or the trees,” said Trudeau. “I think we all understand, particularly now in the 21st century, that we cannot build strong economy unless we are protecting and cherishing our environment.”

Bill C-51 As he has done last month in Ottawa, Trudeau expressed his overall support for Bill C-51, a stringent anti-terrorism bill put forward by Stephen Harper in the wake of the shooting in Parliament Hill, but also said that the bill would need to be modified significantly. In particular, Trudeau supports three features of the bill — the strengthening of no-fly lists for people who have been suspected of terrorist activities, better use of preventative arrests and coordination between intelligence agencies — but stressed for change towards better oversight, review of measures and narrowing and clarifying definitions in the bill. “Anyone who happens to disagree with the Conservative government is worried that they


THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

| NEWS | 5

“A strong economy depends on people reaching their full potential,” said Trudeau. “When people make decisions to not further their education because they’re worried about or simply unable to attend higher education, that’s a loss for our entire community.” PHOTOS CHERIHAN HASSUN/THE UBYSSEY

might be targeted through this legislation and I understand that view,” said Trudeau. “That’s why, in a few months time, if the government doesn’t make those modifications, we will be offering Canadians, in an election campaign, improvements to this bill.” Still, Trudeau said that he would vote for the bill even if the amendments are not made.

BDS Trudeau also left time for questions from the audience, including a question from a student for his stance on the BDS campaign that asks student societies to support Palestinian rights by divesting from pro-Israel companies. Trudeau expressed strong opposition to BDS, saying that it has no place in this country. “[BDS] is not about Canadian values of respect and openness and engaging with each other,” said Trudeau. “These movements have made Jewish students feel unsafe being in a place of learning, in a place of respect and dialogue and, for me, it’s something that we have to take a firm stand against.”

Harper Another student asked for Trudeau’s thoughts on Stephen Harper’s recent announcement of a potential bill that would deny the possibility of parole to people convicted of murders involving sexual assault, terrorism, death of a police officer or kidnapping. Trudeau replied that, as Harper’s announcement only came this morning and has not yet been tabled, it was too early to take a stance. “It’s already an aspect of our justice system that someone classified a dangerous offender will never be free, is not eligible for parole […],” he said. “I look forward to seeing what the prime minister’s legislation actually changes or brings in.” Trudeau also answered questions about collaboration with the NDP, his desire for election reform from first-past-the-post ballots to a candidate ranking system and the disproportionate rates of missing and murdered indigenous women across the country.

“This tragedy, the fact that we still haven’t addressed it, still haven’t figured out what to do about it, still haven’t generated the political will to do what needs to be done is a stain upon every one of us as Canadians,” said Trudeau. “One of the things that I am so proud of in this election is that we are drawing together extraordinarily wide range of strong voices from the Aboriginal community to be part of the next government in Canada.” In a later private meeting with campus media, Trudeau talked about provincial cuts to education and the financial difficulties that young people across the country are facing. Trudeau said that the Liberal party will be addressing these problems by looking at repayment models in other countries, strengthening RESP and bursary programs and working with individual provinces to make sure adequate funding is given to postsecondary institutions. “A strong economy depends on people reaching their full potential,” said Trudeau. “When people make decisions to not further their education because they’re worried about or simply unable to attend higher

education, that’s a loss for our entire community.” When asked about how he will manage his constituents if he is elected, Trudeau said that he will opt for collaboration and dialogue whenever possible, but will stand firm on issues that violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as opposition to women’s reproductive rights. “Fundamentally, respecting women’s rights around reproductive issues is a Charter issue for me and standing up to women’s rights is not negotiable if you want to be a Liberal candidate or a Liberal MP,” he said. As the October federal election looms closer and closer, Trudeau plans to continue his campaign by travelling across the country and advocating his platform to all Canadians instead of targeting specific places across the country as has been done in past elections by the Conservative government. “I believe that creating a strong voice that represents and doesn’t pick a part of the country to run against is the kind of national government that Canada needs,” said Trudeau. “It’s a little bit idealistic, I agree, but Canada is a country of idealism and I know that this is what Canadians are asking for from their MP.” U


6 | NEWS |

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

AMS ELECTIONS >>

VP Admin candidates discuss how to support clubs and transition into new SUB

VP Finance candidates square off about AMS fiscal management

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

This year’s VP Admin candidates are Alex Remtulla, James Jing and incumbent Ava Nasiri (left to right).

Jovana Vranic News Editor

VP Admin candidates James Jing, Alex Remtulla and incumbent Ava Nasiri talked clubs, student life and SUB delays at the first debate of this year’s AMS Elections. Given that much of the responsibility of the VP Admin in the past school year has been centred around the construction of the new SUB, the first question of the debate asked candidates what responsibilities they would prioritize this year. Remtulla and Jing both emphasized the importance of transitioning into the new building. Remtulla said he would focus on easing clubs into the Nest and building up their support system through OrgSync, the Student Administrative Commission’s (SAC) new networking application, and an online clubs resource centre. “People need to get comfortable with this new facility,” said Jing, who believes in throwing events in collaboration with prominent campus groups to welcome students into the building, and agreed with Remtulla on offering a resource website for clubs. Nasiri stepped away from the topic of the SUB and said she would like to move forward to better empower student groups, such as activists, on campus. “We go to a school with a campus population of 50,000 students and yet this room is not at capacity,” she said. According to Nasiri, it is part of the VP Admin’s duties to encourage all students to get involved

with their AMS in one way or another. She suggested taking the position one step further to explore what else the AMS can offer students, such as job, money and housing resources, which could potentially be offered in collaboration with ESPs. Next, moderator Joaquin Acevedo steered the debate into the topic of club support with the two following questions. Jing said that the AMS currently lacks “tailored assistance and guidance” to clubs, which he hopes that OrgSync, in part, can help address. He also mentioned working one-on-one with club executives to offer management workshops and provide interclub networking opportunities. Remtulla touched on these same points and again mentioned offering online resources. He also suggested grouping similar clubs together in common office spaces within the new SUB to encourage and facilitate close collaboration. OrgSync, the clubs guidebook and the clubs resource centre are projects Nasiri has worked on during her term and hopes to continue to develop if reelected. In addition to this, she said she would want to help clubs find sponsorship in order to offer more services and incentivize more students to join. Jing questioned how clubs would maintain neutrality if sponsored externally, to which Nasiri responded that this wasn’t an issue, and the goal is simply to help clubs grow. The candidates will be meeting again at the Great Debate on Tuesday, March 10. U

Sole VP Academic candidate Jenna Omassi absent from first debate Gabriel Germaix Senior Staff Writer

VP Academic and University Affairs candidate Jenna Omassi did not appear for her scheduled talk at the Tuesday AMS debate. Omassi, who is the president of the Arts Undergraduate Society and also in the running for UBC Senate, did not show up at the debate that took place in the Gage Ballroom on March 3. Omassi explained that her decision was based on an academic priority that she had that evening. “I actually have a seminar that happens once a week from 4 p.m.

to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. Firstly I am going to be missing it next week for the Great Debate, so I cannot really miss it twice in a row,” she said, adding that she had an important assignment in class. Being the sole runner-up for VP Academic, Omassi will have a chance to develop her platform unchallenged during the Great Debate on Tuesday, March 10. According to Omassi, the decision not to attend was not motivated by the lack of opposition. “I have been in student government for now a couple of years and know that the tradition [to have a debate] is really important,” she said. U

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The 2015 AMS Elections will be held Monday, March 9 through Friday, March 13. Keep an eye out for our coverage of the races, including candidate profiles, debate recaps and results.

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Incumbent Mateusz Miadlikowski and Will Pigott (left to right) are running for VP FInance this year.

Mateo Ospina

Senior Staff Writer VP Finance candidates Will Pigott and incumbent Mateusz Miadlikowski met on Tuesday night to debate on how to deal with the AMS’ fiscal responsibilities in the upcoming year. The first topic introduced was the budget deficit the society is currently operating under. Pigott suggested a dramatic overhaul of the entire fiscal management system, accusing the last year’s AMS Council of being wasteful with money. “Hopefully we’ll see businesses succeed and the AMS return to a somewhat balanced budget,” said Pigott. “I hope that I can be the person to guide us through this project, the new SUB, and it’ll hopefully work as a bit of a saviour for the AMS finances.”

Pigott criticized the current AMS, saying multiple times that his administration would not “spend money to spend money.” Advocating for a more conservative approach to society spending, Pigott hopes that a movement away from risky expenditures might allow for a greater safety net in case of emergency. Miadlikowski seemed unbothered by his competitor’s criticism as he explained that the role of VP Finance included keeping AMS businesses accountable of their projection. He sidestepped the issue of the current deficit and brought up other sources of revenue, such as the recent sale of the Whistler Lodge. “Our AMS needs to ask for permission not forgiveness,” said Pigott, as he claimed that AMS could take a more preventative approach

when seeking places of investment. Next, the candidates moved on to talk about new management software to be introduced to the AMS. Miadlikowski described the steps that are currently being taken to transition into the system, including discussions with club executives and other AMS groups that will be affected by the new software. Pigott disagreed with Miadlikowski’s system, suggesting that elected representatives should be hired to implement this software, and that the transition shouldn’t be rushed. “This will take time; there will be bugs,” said Pigott. “I would make it my goal to [transition into the software] over the entire year.” If elected, Pigott said he would remain dedicated to the position and work carefully to ensure the best for the society. “I will be that person who will always have my door open,” said Pigott. “I like operating on little sleep. More reasons to drink coffee.” Later, Miadlikowski reminded Pigott of some of the other roles and functions of the VP Finance, specifically the position of ensuring that clubs with lofty expectations meet more realistic goals. “The role of VP Finance [is] to say, ‘listen, I’m so sorry but we cannot afford that, it’s not feasible,’” said Miadlikowski, jogging voters’ memories of all the work he has begun in his last year in office, and vowing to continue these projects if re-elected. U

Senate candidates talk policy, mental health and student debt Kelley Lin

Senior Staff Writer This year’s race for Senate kicked off with the Tuesday debate for the AMS elections. Six of the 11 total candidates were able to participate in the debate and battled to stand out amongst a series of similar platforms. “Now, you’re going to hear a lot of similar ideas with the Senate, so I’m going to speak about what makes me a little different,” said Aaron Bailey, a current student senator running for his second term. As the only candidate on the first debate panel running for re-election, Bailey emphasized his goals to derive more continuity and action-oriented progress in the student council, hoping to move the Senate’s slow pace in the direction of realistic and student-driven change. Viet Vu, running for his first term on Senate, further advocated for a more action pushed forward through Senate, such as President Gupta’s “data-driven” direction being challenged with a more “story-driven” vision from students. Vu is also the only candidate hoping to create a stronger connection between technology and teaching in the university. When asked about candidates’ main campaign platforms, there was a running theme of mental health and wellbeing, as well as several objectives to reduce overall student stress. “I want to see what UBC is lacking in [mental health and stress management] and bring that to the Senate,” said candidate Marjan Hatai. Hatai promoted her intended areas of focus in co-curricular transcripts, a first semester

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Senate candidates present at the first debate were Viet Vu, Aaron Bailey, Marjan Hatai, Margareta Dovgal, Ian Sopollnik and Gurvir Sangha (left to right).

academic break, and earlier final exam schedule release dates, but spoke in lesser detail as to her approach on how to do so. Candidate Gurvir Sangha highlighted his heavy involvement in the UBC community throughout his academic career. Regarding matters such as academic learning spaces, academic withdrawal and student focus groups, Sangha asked, “how can we make implementations that are student-centric and mindful of what students want?” Both candidates Ian Sapollnik and Margareta Dovgal spoke about allowing for more access to academic grants and scholarships. “There’s an increasing sentiment going on [that] universities are now less of universities and more businesses and I think that’s something the Senate can definitely tackle,” said Sapollnik. Sapollnik also pushed for giving more academic control to students and creating more unity within Senate when it comes to disagreements, while Dovgal called for increased student representation on Sen-

ate and more transparency in course enrolment. The debate concluded with a question from an audience member who wanted to know what the running candidates would do to advocate for graduate students at UBC. Most candidates offered responses not too far from the same financial and academic learning policies they would promote for undergraduates, including grants, awards and scholarships. However, Bailey and Dovgal also expressed goals to help not only resolve existing debt burdens for both graduates and undergraduates, but also to further investigate the policies on relationships between supervisors and students in the graduate schools. “I’ve heard of this issue a few times,” said Dovgal. “It comes up in a lot of equity-related issues and I definitely think we need to explore this.” Candidates Anne Kessler, Eric Zhao, Hannah Xiao, Jenna Omassi and Niloufar Keshmiri were absent from the debate. The Great Debate is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, March 10. U


THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 |

EDITOR JENICA MONTGOMERY

7

CITR >>

Annual Fundrive to raise money to digitize programming library

PHOTO COURTESY CITR

Last year CiTR raised funds for the move to the new SUB.

Reem Yousif Contributor

Last year’s annual CiTR Fundrive raised money for their future move to the new SUB, but this year they turn their eye to the past and raising money to digitize their library. To commemorate their week­long mission to raise $40,000 from February 26 to March 6, CiTR

hosts the annual Fundrive Finale in honour of members, volunteers, musicians, artists, listeners and students. But before the beer is poured, the community should know where every nickel and dime from Let’s Get Digital is going. While last year’s Fundrive opted to fund the relocation of the station to the new SUB, this

NETFLIX >>

TALENT >>

year’s Let’s Get Digital campaign will focus on transcribing CiTR’s content onto “a site that people can actually maneuver,” said Eleanor Wearing, student executive president of CiTR. Their stash includes reel-­to-­reel tapes of programs dating as far back as 1947. “It’s hard to go back to the history of things. Once you make it accessible, it gives this incredible context of how far CiTR has come,” said Wearing. As she conducts her daily station tour, Wearing revealed a music library comprised of a vinyl sea and over 35,000 CDs. The vinyls will remain untouched, but this year’s Fundrive proceeds will digitize everything else in order to streamline programming and song selection. “We’re over halfway there,” said Peter Doolin, one of CiTR’s Digital Library Coordinators. Digitizing content is laborious and, as he swivels in his chair alongside a stack of CDs, he said “I’ve put in 10 hours a week since September.”

Despite popular belief, local music isn’t all CiTR has to offer. With over 90 programs, the station treads on social justice issues, hosts programs in different languages and promotes events for shows in the community. “People can access podcasts and watch interviews,” said Wearing of the website. “So CiTR stays relevant and becomes easier for people to share.” “To increase the value for everybody,” said Wearing. “We make free ads for all UBC clubs and groups, depending on what they’re doing on campus. The site will make all the incredible work we do much more visible and accessible.” The evening of the finale marks the final date to offer pledges. “It’s everyone together that makes it happen. If you want to give us $1, awesome. If you want to give us $1000, amazing. It’s the people and the power of numbers, and that’s what we say when we’re pitching on air,” said Wearing.

But all work aside, Wearing encourages everyone to witness this year’s Rock and Roll Lottery, where local bands must draw names from a hat at the start of Fundrive and create music with their new assembly for the Finale. “We did it for last year’s Finale, and it was one of the best shows I went to all year.” In addition, a silent auction will feature prizes from local retailers in the realm of ice cream vouchers and ukuleles, and all proceeds will top up the money raised. As of March 4, CiTR has fundraised close to $22,000. Prepare to pour some drinks (and maybe donations) because the Fundrive Finale will rock the city at 9 p.m. on Friday March 6 at Pat’s Pub. The venue is 19+, and wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 upon entry. “People care so much about CiTR, and it gives you so much energy and enthusiasm to keep doing it because this matters to people, and thats f­­­‘in’ awesome.” U

Bottom of Sauder students strive to show off seniors’ skills the Queue: Senior citizens and students can benefit from planned social events Charm Chloe Lai Staff Writer

Sam Fruitman Staff Writer

The Ubyssey wasn’t sure how to categorize this film. Horror? Crime? Comedy? Mockumentary? Charm is a weird mix of all four genres. It has a low budget documentary-style aesthetic to it that succeeds in creating an off-putting feel. Or maybe it’s just the subject matter that does that. Think American Psycho meets Michael Moore. The film follows Malcolm, a psychopathic pseudo-intellectual New Yorker (or as we like to call it, a triple threat) who is tired of the gentrification and general sterility of New York City. So what does he do? He goes around killing people, hoping to start a revolution that will usher in the so-called “golden age” of the ‘70s and ‘80s, where crime and artistry were at all-time highs. The only thing stopping him? No one cares. Charm really succeeds in telling the story through the ultra low budget camerawork. It gave the film a unique, unsettling sense of realism — though sometimes the shaky-cam was a little rough to watch. Director Ashley Cahill really made the most of what little resources she had. While the setting and concept of the film are handled quite well through the film’s low budget style, Charm ’s main pitfall is in the characters. We’re all for the bad-guy protagonist, but Malcolm lacks any sort of likability (not that we want to sympathize with a psychopath). He’s sort of like that one know-it-all friend we all have (minus the serial killing … we hope). In fact, there aren’t any characters that we found ourselves rooting for. That said, the film’s ending is surprisingly satisfying if you can make it through Malcolm’s laughably pretentious monologues. The bottom line: If you liked American Psycho , Taxi Driver or A Clockwork Orange , chances are you’ll get a kick out of this movie. Otherwise, it might not be for you. U </em>

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Want your grandparents to live longer? Spend more time with them. A 1999 study led by associate professor Thomas Glass at the Harvard School of Public Health followed more than 2000 seniors over a 13-year period to investigate the effect, if any, of social activities on life expectancy. His study found that “social and productive activities that involve little or no enhancement of physical fitness lower the risk of all causes of death as much as exercise does.” On the darker side of that same coin, the National Seniors’ Council of Canada reported last year that seniors experiencing social isolation were four-to-five times more likely to end up in hospital. They also found alarming associations between social isolation, depression and suicide. Seniors aren’t the only ones who fare better with a strong social support network; the same goes for all of us. In order to ensure long-term health for our society as a whole, then, it’s important to encourage interaction between seniors and the wider community. Which is precisely what the minds behind Timeless Talent intend to do. Sauder students Aprilando Suryokusumo, Jenny Peng, Betty Li and João Victor Lima have teamed up with the South Granville Seniors Centre to put on a talent show that will have seniors and UBC students sharing a stage. The talent show, which originated as an assignment for a project management class, has evolved into so much more. Both Suryokusumo and Lima have personally witnessed the detrimental effects of isolation on the seniors in their lives. “Once they retired, they just stopped. They didn’t know what to do … they went into depression,” said Lima, of his elderly family members’ declining health. Suryokusumo nods quietly.

PHOTO EVENING STANDARD/FLICKR

Timeless Talent is a talent show created by Sauder students in collaboration with the South Granville Seniors Centre.

It’s easy to see why these two would jump at the opportunity to showcase the multi-generational talents that exist in the community. “They have this singing group, they’re awesome,” said Suryokusumo, of the informal choir that meets every Monday at the centre. He is still buzzing about their performance last week, and is already looking forward to watching their next session. This particular group is not directly involved with the talent show, but for Suryokusumo, that’s beside the point. “We’re starting to make friends.” And their new friends are talented indeed. Performers from the seniors centre include a comedian, a pianist, a dancer and a poet, among others.

Joining them on stage from UBC will be dancers from K-Wave, the Korean entertainment club, members of the Magicians and Illusionists Association and a bellydancer. Lima’s connections with the Judo club on campus means that spectators can also expect a martial arts performance. The show is still a few weeks away, and already the Timeless Talent team is seeing positive effects of their project — the bellydancer that they recruited is also an artist, who now hopes to obtain a community grant in order to host a four-month series of painting classes at the South Granville Seniors Centre. Creating opportunities for community engagement is not

about being an expert at event planning, or anything else, Lima said, but rather “having the drive and the will to get together and form relationships.” Suryokusumo agrees. “Whether you’re two years old or 90 years old, everybody has a talent to share.” And if sharing those talents means living longer and better, then this event may just be the ultimate multitask.

Timeless Talent will be held at the South Granville Seniors Centre on March 21, from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for seniors, $7 for the public (including students). For tickets and information, contact (604) 732-0812. U



THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.

LAST WORDS >>

9

DIVESTMENT >>

Calling all students of conscience: vote YES on Israel divestment UROOBA JAMAL Letter

ILLUSTRATION JULIAN YU/THE UBYSSEY

LAST WORDS STUDENT APATHY? IT’S NOT TRUDEAU Today, students filled the SUB ballroom to see Justin Trudeau. Despite our campus usually being quite apathetic, hundreds of people actually showed up. While these Q&A sessions can often lack opportunities for audience questions, Trudeau didn’t hog the microphone. The several questions he took ranged from his opinion on the BDS movement (he was against it) to repeated questions about Bill C-51 (which he handled gracefully). Party politics aside, it was great to see some actual political engagement on campus. Hundreds of students came to a standing-room only session to talk about politics. We’ve seen far too much political apathy on campus as of late, and it was refreshing to see an engaging politician speaking to engaged students. With AMS elections coming up, it’s a reminder of what can happen when students think both politics and politicians are relevant.

AMS IS MAKING A NEW ANTI-INCREASE SLING The AMS is formulating a new policy on tuition increases, and their stance hasn’t really changed from previous years — they still oppose fee increases. What they are doing

PARTING SHOTS AND SNAP JUDGEMENTS FROM THE UBYSSEY EDITORIAL BOARD

is trying to expand the abilities of student executives to advocate for the lower fees that students want. Though, as always, we have our doubts about AMS lobbying having much effect on the university’s decisions, it’s admirable that they’re putting in a solid effort. The way the wind is blowing seems to suggest that tuition will continue to go up for at least the next several years. The current government doesn’t seem inclined to provide more funding to post-secondary institutions, and there are only so many places that cuts can be made on the budget side of things. Lobbying the university and government, though not necessarily effective in regard to outcomes, is critical in the sense that it shows that there is opposition to the status quo. If no one opposes, all it does is give those making the decisions the opportunity to say that there was no opposition. The AMS represents a lot of students, and has some fairly significant resources at its disposal — but compared to the size of the university and government, our student society is little more than an irritating flea. The AMS’ opposition to fee increases is as good of a David and Goliath story as any. Only time will tell if it will stay true to its original ending.

AMS ELECTION ENNUI AMS elections are back and our staff are buzzing with excitement — or sweating profusely — as we keep up with everything going on in our student society. One of the most entertaining things about the elections is watching candidates face off every chance they get, whether it’s out-doing each other’s campaign posters/ websites/Facebook pages or, more excitingly, at debates. Unfortunately, debates usually aren’t as thrilling as we’d hope. Most candidates just take them as an opportunity to sit in front of a (small, generally indifferent) crowd and regurgitate their platforms. Worse yet, some even panic when asked questions they weren’t prepared for and end up either spewing nonsense or recycling their opponents’ answers, slightly reworded. We understand that being drilled with questions while sitting in front of a dozen or more other people can be horribly nerve-racking. In fact, this is exactly the kind of interview our section editors do during our own elections. So, we know exactly how the candidates must feel having to sit up there, but we don’t understand why some just don’t make the effort to be better prepared. The UBC campus can be apathetic — it’s true — but AMS executives shouldn’t be. U

In a recent op-ed by Koby Michaels, the case against adopting BDS at UBC was made. Grossly selective and imprecise in its analysis, the author, and those others opposed to BDS, fail to consider several things. The call to push for divesting from Israeli products at UBC, made by SPHR, is an important one and should be supported by all those committed to issues of social justice and anti-oppression. The claim made by Michaels that “Palestinians don’t like the BDS movement” is so inaccurate in that BDS is an initiative of Palestinian civil society. Coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee, the initial call had the endorsement of more than 170 Palestinian organizations. Another claim made throughout Michael’s piece is that BDS spreads anti-Semitism. Not only does this do a great disservice to Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation, settler colonialism and apartheid, but it also homogenizes all Jewish people as supporters of Israel. Groups such as the local Vancouver chapter of Independent Jewish Voices, to the larger U.S.based Jewish Voice for Peace, to transnational ones such as the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, all support BDS. To deem the movement as anti-Semitic, then, is to contribute to the erasure of these groups. In another letter sent recently to The Ubyssey by Ariela Karmel, Karmel writes that conflict can only end through dialogue and that “BDS succeeds in shutting down dialogue.” But it is precisely for the reason of unequal relations of power between Israel and Palestinians that so-called “dialogue” initiatives <em>

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are harmful. They often address only personal narratives rather than systemic relations of power, thereby decontextualising and depoliticizing the conflict. These initiatives are central pillars of Israel advocacy on university campuses, the most recent example being the new Open Dialogue initiative at UBC. Michaels’ piece also argues that the AMS should take a stand on “complicated international issues,” based on “Canadian and UBC’s values.” But as UBC and Canada itself stand on stolen Indigenous land, where this settler colonial state emerged from genocidal conquest of its Indigenous population, what values would these be and how would they aid in our understanding of this conflict? With Israel’s foundation too as a settler colonial state, should there be any reason to approach the conflict in this way? Where at least nine student unions across Canada have adopted BDS, it is time UBC did too. As Anuja Bose, an activist from UCLA says, student and labour organizing in the States has recently been making connections with incidents of police brutality against black people in the U.S. to the repression of Palestinians in Gaza. In this way, more and more groups are aligning with the Palestinian cause, indicating a broad-based movement against state violence. 300 Canadian academics supported sanctions against Israel in 2009, including many professors at UBC. It is time we, the students of UBC, also looked towards adopting BDS on our campus. Let us act differently than in 1987, when the majority of UBC students voted not to divest from apartheid South Africa. Urooba Jamal is a fifth-year international relations major and co-founder/editor of The Talon. U

ADVICE >>

On figuring out whether or not it’s a date in the same class and have a test coming up. How do I know if she’s viewing this as a date or just studying with a classmate?”

NATALIE MORRIS

Advice Columnist

“Hi Natalie, I asked out a girl I like, but a few days later she suggested that we study, too, since we’re

There are a few possibilities in this situation. One: this lady is so focused on school, her life so completely centred around her classes that she honestly thought you asked her out on a study date. But then she talked to her friends and they (rightfully) told her that no, that wasn’t a study date but a real romantic date. But, as we’re all embarrassed by assuming things, she asked you if you could study to find out what kind of date it was and when you agreed to study she took it as no romantic interest. My advice: Use this study date as a test run. See what she’s like outside of the classroom and if you like her still, ask her out on another date and this time make your intentions clear. Two: You asked her out. She said yes. She now wants out. Maybe she didn’t realize that she was agreeing to a romantic date. Maybe she got back together

with her ex. She’s using a study date as a way to let you down. It sucks she didn’t come out and tell you she’s not interested, but that’s life. My advice: Since she’s not being clear about what she really wants, go on the study date. You’ll soon see through her reactions and words how she sees the date. Then when she leaves early because “her friend just got food poisoning” or “her puppy just

threw up” be thankful you didn’t have to spend money on a dinner with her. Three: She actually does want to go out with you. She’s been trying to flirt with you all class and she was pumped that you asked her out. But then she tried to finish three essays and study for that test and it didn’t work. She still wants to hang out so she suggested a study date so she could do both. My advice: Again, go on this study date. But flirt. Study and flirt. You must make calculus,

Russian history or whatever it is, funny and cute. You can do it. At the end, if she has seemed into you, ask her out and tell her no math can be discussed unless it’s you+me=<3. Take this as a lesson, my friend, and be clear from the beginning about what this date will entail. Need advice? Write to Natalie anonymously at asknatalie@ ubyssey.ca and have your questions answered in an upcoming issue of The Ubyssey. U


10 | SPORTS |

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

VOLLEYBALL >>

Once-dominant Thunderbirds finish sixth

PHOTOS COURTESY MARTIN BAZYL

Fifth-year Lisa Barclay’s (2) final playoffs as a T-Bird ended in disappointing fashion.

Olamide Olaniyan Staff Writer This season, the UBC Thunderbirds finished the CIS championship in a position that many teams in Canada would see as a positive. But for a team that has dominated the league over the past eight years, this result left the ‘Birds with a bitter taste in their mouths. Still, they have plenty to be optimistic about. “It may not have gone the way we wanted, but as a team we still learned a lot throughout our playoff run and I think we can take those lessons and apply them into our preparation for next year,” said leftside hitter Danielle Brisebois. One quality that has set the Thunderbirds apart from their rivals is their remarkable ability to rebound, especially during the playoffs. Time and time again, the ‘Birds have managed to bounce back due to their exceptional skill and their insatiable hunger for the CIS title. But last week they failed to do just that. They fell hard against the University of Montreal Carabins, a loss that cost them their potential seventh CIS title. And in the consolation semi-final on Sunday morning, a battle for the fifth position and their pride against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, they came up short. Head coach Doug Reimer, who is finishing off his 18th season with the ‘Birds, said it was “disappointing” not to play at the same elite level his team was at a week before playoff time. The world stood still as the T-Birds defeated their sister school UBC Okanagan Heat (3-1) to secure their place in the championship. For them, it was a chance to return to glory after a crushing defeat last year[link] at the hands of Manitoba. Their first day in the championship, the University of Montreal Carabins strong-armed the T-Birds

out of their gold prospects with a 3-0 win, giving the ‘Birds their first quarterfinal loss in 10 years. “Montreal had a solid and experienced team, but I feel that if we had pushed through in the first set we might have got rolling,” said Reimer, who led the team to six consecutive national titles. Despite losing each set by considerable margins, the ‘Birds still fought hard. They managed to get the lead in the first set (8-2) and kept the opposition at bay for a while, but kills by Carabin attackers Vicky Savard and Marie-Sophie Nadeau made it all the more difficult for a T-Bird comeback. Set scores were (25-22, 25-18, 25-16). UBC’s fortune had begun to look up when they faced off against

Laval, who the Carabins had defeated to win the Quebec Student Sport Federation (RSEQ). They beat Laval soundly in three straight sets (25-12, 25-21, 33-31). Alessandra Gentile made a whopping 32 assists and two kills in this game, overshadowing her counterpart on the other team with 24. Third-year Brisebois and fifthyear Lisa Barclay once again scored important points with 16 and 11 kills, respectively. A final kill from Brisebois finished off a long third set at 33-31. Emily Cicon was the player of the match. But moving into the consolation final, in which the Thunderbirds were strong favourites, they lost whatever traction they had gained. The T-Birds lost in three sets to

the Ottawa Gee-Gees, a team that many would consider stable but mostly mediocre. “We played a great match against Laval so I was surprised that we didn’t follow that up in our consolation final against Ottawa,” Reimer said. It is easy to find where the ‘Birds went wrong in their third game of the championship. In the opening set they conceded a seven-point lead (8-1) to the Gee-Gees and could not recover. In the second, the Gee-Gees took a lead at 16-12, and in the third, despite efforts from the ‘Birds the Gee-Gees clinched the set. Final set scores for the three sets was 25-20, 25-22 and 25-21. The game gave an anti-climactic finish to an otherwise intense season.

“This season was full of ups and downs. We really struggled to play consistently,” said Brisebois. “Our best play did come towards the end but we were not able to maintain it throughout the tournament. I am still very proud of our team.” Brisebois has been phenomenal the entire season, not excluding the championship. In all three games she held the highest number of kills for the ‘Birds, despite this being her first CIS championship as a starting player. Veterans like Abbey Keeping, Lisa Barclay and Rosie Schlagintweit held the games down with several kills each and played well defensively. “While it is frustrating to not have made it through the first round, we earned our way to the Nationals after an up and down season and had our crack at it,” said Reimer. Trinity Western University defeated the Alberta Pandas to win the gold in the final. Both teams were from the Canada West, which says a lot about the league. It will be interesting to see what the future has in store, not just for the T-Birds but also for the Canada West and the CIS as a whole. A lot more teams are now stepping into the fray, making what was already one of the hardest championships in Canada even more competitive. The question on a lot of minds is whether the Thunderbirds’ stronghold on the Canada West is finally over. “We weren’t even sure about making nationals with our record of the season,” said Brisebois. “With that, alongside all the injuries and problems we had to overcome, being able to have finished sixth in the country is still pretty nice.” The future is uncertain, but for a UBC team that has fallen from grace, this could be the first step to getting back on their feet. U


THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

| SPORTS | 11

THUNDERBIRDS >>

T-BIRDS 5-ON-5

SUSAN THOMPSON

HARLEEN SIDHU

KRIS YOUNG

Basketball

Basketball

Basketball

STEPHANIE BELL

CHERUB LUM

Basketball

Basketball

HOOPS HOPEFULS 1. What’s your favourite basketball movie, and which character are you most like?

Coach Carter but I’m feeling a little more like Bill Murray at the end of Space Jam — going to go ice everything now.

Space Jam. Lola Bunny. “Don’t ever call me … Doll.”

Space Jam. Lola bunny because she is the only female other than the grandma.

White Men Can’t Jump, so I guess I’m most like Woody Harrelson’s character, Billy Hoyle.

Definitely Space Jam. Daffy duck because of my mumbling, fasttalking and also my big feet.

2. What’s on your pre-game playlist?

Mainly just my own rendition of “Drunk in Love.”

I don’t have a pre-game playlist. Whatever is playing in the team room right before the game is usually what pumps me up.

My teammate Adrienne Parkin’s playlist, filled with slow jams and oldies.

Space Jam theme on repeat.

R&B, always. “Fire Squad” [by] J.Cole, “Preach” [by] Drake, “Collard Greens” [by] SchoolBoy Q.

3. Tell us about a time when you were “Shaqtin’ A Fool.”

When I try to showcase my handles. #smoothlikebarkley

I’ve missed a few break away layups in my career but thankfully they’ve never cost us the game!

The ref put out his hand to show me where to throw the ball in. I thought he was going for a high five … I was wrong.

Is it bad that I had to Google what that was?

When I look like I’m getting my ankles broken with nobody around me because my feet are like flippers. #WiltStumberlain

Jason Lyle any day.

Stephen Curry ... he was one of those players that many people didn’t think would succeed in the NBA and he has proven them all wrong.

Deb Huband back in her prime. Heard she was pretty good.

Blake Griffin. So I could ask him on a date.

Stephen Curry because it would make my teammate Cassandra Knievel jealous. “Chef Curry, with the pot, boi.”

“Yachtzee!”

“Sea’s The Day.”

“Wine-o-Clock” or “Young$Money.”

“I Like it a Yacht.”

“(Che)rub a Dub Dub.”

4. If you could play one on one against any player, past or present, who would it be?

5. Let’s pretend you just won a yacht. What would you name it?

HOCKEY >>

Bisons knock out women’s hockey T-Birds in semifinals

FILE PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

It was fifth-year Sarah Casorso’s (10) last playoff series as a Thunderbird.

Jenny Tang Staff Writer History repeated itself on Sunday at the Father Bauer Arena, as the Thunderbirds were so close to reaching the finals, but lost the third and deciding semifinal game against the Manitoba Bisons. There was silence from the crowd as the third-period buzzer sounded. The scoreboard read 2-1

to the away team, and the ‘Birds put on brave faces as they saluted their fans and left the ice for the last time this season. There were tears in bench boss Graham Thomas’ eyes as the team walked into the locker room. For once, even Thomas, who is known amongst the press for his postgame monologues and overall cheery demeanor, was short on words after this heartbreaking loss.

The Bisons were a stubborn herd, having won the Saturday game to even things out. They were determined to milk every goal-scoring opportunity they got, and it showed in their offensive plays. Within the first period they took a charge to the front of the Thunderbird goal, and UBC goalie Danielle Dube had one chipped past her shoulder from Rookie of the Year Alanna

Sharman. The Bisons were able to hold that 1-0 lead into the third period. In the second, Sharman almost scored again, she stole the puck from Tatiana Rafter and faced off with Dube, but the T-Bird goalie managed to move fast to keep the second period scoreless. The game-winning goal was scored by the Bisons only 24 seconds into the final frame.

With a powerplay advantage, Sharman brought the puck up and passed to teammate Alana Serhan who tipped the puck past Dube to bring the score to 2-0. But the ‘Birds were not going to go down without a fight. Down two in the last period, UBC sent in an offensive onslaught until a four-on-four matchup found Rebecca Unrau tipping in a shot from Celine Tardif past Rachel Dyck. Unfortunately, the Bisons tightened their defence in the last few minutes, and Dyck wouldn’t let any more pucks past her, stopping all shots fired at her in the last few seconds and preserving the Bison’s ticket to finals. The Bisons will now be following the trail to face the Alberta Pandas for the Canada West Final next weekend, and then the winner of that series will head to Nationals. UBC, on the other hand, finish their season with a record of 227-5. The ‘Birds suffered a similar fate last year when they lost their series against the Saskatchewan Huskies, but this year was a first for the ‘Birds by earning second place in the Canada West Conference and a bye week before facing the Bisons. Now that the season is over, the ‘Birds will be saying goodbye to some familiar faces. Captain Sarah Casorso, Tatiana Rafter and Nikola Brown-John will be leaving their blue-and-gold jerseys behind and some major skates to fill. Still, the ‘Birds have every intention of bringing their Canada West 2012-13 banner some company, and will patiently wait until next March for another chance. U


12 | GAMES |

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015

PHOTO MICHAEL JIN/THE UBYSSEY

Concrete lasts forever.

MAR 2 ANSWERS

COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM

ACROSS 1- Slang expert Partridge 5- Author Alexander 10- String tie 14- Timber wolf 15- Crouch in fear 16- Anatomical passage 17- Airline since 1948 18- Advil rival 19- Unit of loudness 20- Now 22- City SE of Los Angeles 24- Grads-to-be 25- Gone by 26- Attorney Melvin 29- Isr. neighbor

32- Cop ___ 36- Inter ___ 37- Italian sausage 39- Prince Valiant’s son 40- In spite of 43- Spring mo. 44- Country 45- Canal of song 46- TV host Gibbons 48- Comparative suffix 49- Senior 50- ___ Jima 52- Parisian pal 53- Pigsty 57- Raincoat 61- The whole shebang 62- Montana city 64- Winglike parts

MAR 2 ANSWERS

65- Nintendo rival 66- That is to say ... 67- Maryland athlete, for short 68- Problem with L.A. 69- Sample 70- Slippery swimmers

DOWN 1- Zeno’s home 2- Drum sound 3- Support beam 4- Cabbage salad 5- Lots 6- Consecrated 7- Wow

COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM

8- St. Petersburg’s river 9- Concert venue 10- Spiritual supervisor 11- Siouan speaker 12- Director Riefenstahl 13- City near Provo 21- Former Bush spokesman Fleischer 23- Encore! 26- Commonplace 27- Run away to get married 28- Brit’s bottle measure 29- Christine of “Chicago Hope” 30- Borden bovine 31- Ulan ___ 33- Landed proprieter of Scotland 34- Bert’s buddy 35- Wrath

37- RR stop 38- Adult male 41- Thunderstruck 42- Fragile 47- Sharp turns 49- U.K. record label 51- Planet’s path 52- Coeur d’___ 53- Get an A, say 54- Bit of gossip 55- Full of energy 56- Arizona city 57- Sports figure 58- Swiss artist Paul 59- ____ Grey, tea type 60- Workout count 63- French possessive


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