August 13, 2012

August 13, 2012 | SUMMER VOL. XXIX ISS. IV

Uncovering Betamax tapes filled with porn SINCE 1918

TREES. AT UBC. Managing UBC’s 18,000 trees is more complicated than you’d imagine.

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U

THE UBYSSEY NOT MUCH TO CHEER ABOUT

UBC’s cheerleading squad may not get any more university funding P9

B.

Bald boy from UBC (named Brent) bags bronze. Bravo!

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

A student’s guide to renting in Vancouver (without getting ripped off, harassed or otherwise screwed)

SUMMER SNACKS Because no one wants to think about September sustenance

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2 | Page 2 | 08.13.2012

What’s on 13 MON

This week, may we suggest...

Our Campus

One on one with the people who make UBC

Drop out of Sauder, take on the world

SPEAKER >>

Katie Coopersmith

Tracking Songbird Migration: 7 p.m. @ Frederic Wood Theatre Have you ever wondered why birds migrate in the paths that they do?

York University researcher Bridget Stutchbury will be on campus to discuss the results of her recent study revealing how the migratory path of songbirds can help save birds in the future. More information can be found online at beatymuseum2012frequentfliers.eventbrite.com.

14 TUE

THEATRE >>

Theatre Under the Stars presents The Music Man: 8 p.m. @ Malkin Bowl Take the night off and bring that special someone to TUTS’ outdoor performance of the Broadway classic, The Music Man. Tickets available online from $29–42.

16 THU

SCIENCE >>

“Small is Beautiful”: 12–2:30 p.m. @ Life Sciences Centre UBC’s Centre for Blood Research will be holding the third annual Blood Research Day to celebrate the conclusion of the centre’s summer student projects. Food will be provided. RSVP at cbr.ubc. ca.

17 FRI

15 WED

MONEY >>

Free financial advice for students: 1 p.m. @ 5905 Berton Avenue in Wesbrook Village As the new school year rolls around, now is as good a time as any to pull out the old register and go back to basics with budgeting. RBC Royal Bank is offering free financial advice every Wednesday afternoon this month for students of all ages.

Who knows, maybe that whole budgeting thing will pay off.

MUSIC >> Love’s Lament — Italian Solo Cantatas circa 1700: 8–9 p.m. @ Roy Barnett Recital Hall Treat your ears to a recital by acclaimed Dutch bass Harry van der Kamp with Alexander Weimann. The performance will include many seldom-performed solo cantatas from the 18th century. Tickets $35 for students.

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THE UBYSSEY August 13, 2012, Summer Volume XXIX, Issue IV

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“Social entrepreneur” is a term that 19-year-old Veronica Cho applies to herself with confidence these days. She has a clear, inspiring vision for her future, and she was recently profiled by Forbes magazine for her work on gender equality within the G20 Summit.

The feature, titled “How a South Korean Girl Will Fix Gender Inequality,” has given Cho a kind of self-confidence that hasn’t always come easily.

“I knew the type of woman that I wanted to be, and the type of life that I wanted to lead, but I didn’t know how that would manifest,” she said.

After a childhood spent moving around the Lower Mainland, she remembers feeling shy and aimless throughout high school and the beginning of her time at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

“I was pretty jaded. People tell you you can change the world.... It’s become so overused that we as university students in particular have become really desensitized to it.

“Even the people who are at the forefront of it don’t really believe it themselves.”

Cho decided to give student government a try upon starting at Sauder. She was elected as the firstyear representative for the board of directors of the Commerce Undergraduate Society, and quickly immersed herself in several other extracurricular activities. However, from the beginning of her time at UBC, she worried that she was heading down a path she wasn’t passionate about. “I would always say, even during my first year, that I’m really an Arts kid at heart.... I didn’t really stay within the Sauder bubble.”

In the summer after her first year, Cho travelled to South Africa on a business internship, and helped create a career-development workshop to equip the members of the community with interview, resumé and cover-letter skills.

“It was probably the first time in my life when I fully felt like I was doing something that was

PHOTO COURTESY OF VERONICA CHO

Cho’s visit to the G(irls)20 Summit in 2012 changed her outlook on life.

completely my own,” she said.

After her experiences in South Africa, Cho had trouble getting excited about returning to school.

Cho said she suspects that many students struggle with the secret fear that they may have sold their souls to something that doesn’t inspire them. “I’ve had people message me on Facebook that are kind of like, ‘I’ve thought about quitting, but I didn’t really have the courage to actually do it like you did.’ And it hasn’t just been one person, it’s been quite a few – which kind of surprised me, but not really,” she said, laughing.

She enrolled in second-year classes, bought her books and led a group of first-years through Imagine Day, but all of it felt wrong. “It really just came to a point in the middle of October where it just built up and I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”

So she packed her bags, hopped on a plane home to Korea and prepared to do some serious thinking.

As luck would have it, that’s when she learned about a government scholarship program that would allow her to teach English in a rural elementary school. The work was fulfilling, and she felt happy for the first time in a while.

It was then that Cho was contacted by a young woman who had represented South Korea the year before at the G(irls)20 Summit, which brings one female delegate aged 18-20 from each G20 country to a conference in the G20 Summit

host country to discuss the global empowerment of girls and women.

The former delegate had seen some YouTube videos that Cho had posted about her work with the CUS, and suggested she apply for that year’s summit. After initially disregarding the messages as spam, Cho finally researched the event and was blown away. She applied, and was chosen to attend the 2012 conference in Mexico.

“I will forever look at my life as before G(irls)20 Summit and after G(irls)20 Summit,” she said. “I’ve always had a passion for female empowerment, and I was a loud and proud feminist too, but I think this opportunity really reaffirmed that this was a life thing for me and not just a side thing.”

She’s now focusing on developing a unique initiative with another G(irls)20 delegate. The project, called Presidential Girl, will be a not-for-profit organization that aims to engage adolescent girls from impoverished countries in the global, political and economic playing field. This August, Cho returns to South Africa to launch the first group of girls in the program.

“If you have a bold idea that you believe can make an impact on society and change the world, you have a responsibility,” she said.

“You owe it to yourself, and to everybody that could possibly be impacted by this idea of yours, to see it through or at least try. It’s not just you anymore.” U

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News

08.13.2012 |

3

Editors: Will McDonald + Laura Rodgers

CONSTRUCTION >>

Regent College plans new building including housing, businesses Emma Windsor-Liscombe Contributor

Regent College is planning to build a six-storey building on their current parking lot along Wesbrook Mall.

Regent College’s Vice-President Administration and Finance Kevin Unger said the new space would be used for student housing, classrooms, auditoriums and retail space.

Although the classrooms and 68 housing units would be exclusively for Regent College students, some of

the educational spaces, such as the planned 500-seat auditorium, may be rented out.

Unger said the businesses in the new development are yet to be determined.

“We don’t know what sort of retail would go in there. We’re thinking a part of it would be a restaurant, but not fast food.… A restaurant is a great thing to pull in community.

And maybe some sort of service; there’s been some interest from various retailers, from banks.”

The project is currently in its early stages, and Regent College awaits University Endowment Lands approval. Unger said it would be at least three years before the project is completed.

Jill Knudtson, the Council president of the Regent College Student Association, was hopeful about the project.

“The plans look exciting and the college is doing well at communicating these details to students and asking for their feedback,” she said.

Unger said the only group who complained about the project was the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house.

“We have had some concerns from Beta house, south of us. Just in terms of setbacks; how close we’re going to be to the hedge… They are concerned that being surrounded by residents … will impinge on their lifestyle. We’ve pushed back the hedge line… So we’ve had a good working relationship with them.”

The project will also include a rooftop garden, which will supply

ELECTIONS >>

New UNA slate wants louder voice Laura Rodgers

vegetable produce to the college. Any excess produce will be donated to charities in the Downtown Eastside.

Unger hopes the new construction will benefit not only Regent students, but surrounding communities. However, he emphasized that none of the details have been finalized.

“Again, it’s not a done deal yet.

We’ve got a plan and we’ll address our needs and the needs of our students by enhancing the entirety of the Regent experience.” U AQUATIC CENTRE >>

Construction threatens future of AMS Block Party

News Editor

Residents of UBC’s neighbourhoods will be heading to the polls on September 26 for this year’s University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA) Board of Directors election.

A newly formed group, called the Organization for U-Town Residents (OUR), contends that the UNA hasn’t done enough to further residents’ interests over UBC’s. They’re hoping to elect three new directors to the UNA Board and to move the association into a more aggressive position against high-density development of campus neighbourhoods.

“The role of OUR will be to tender candidates for the UNA, so the residents will have a voice on the UNA. We will continue to work with UNA; it’s a question of fielding a slate of candidates who, in addition to having individual skills, will be supported by the wise minds and counsel of the OUR group,” said candidate Richard Alexander.

The UNA began as, well, a neighbourhood association — but without any other form of representative government on UBC land, they’re increasingly considering themselves to be a town council. The OUR slate, consisting of UBC associate professor Charles Menzies, UBC engineer Shaohong Wu and retired Wesbrook Place resident Richard Alexander, argues that the UNA needs to be a stronger, louder advocate of residents’ concerns.

Two of the current UNA directors, Prod Laquian and Mankee Mah, have terms that will expire in September. And as the UNA’s membership has increased recently, there will be a new director position

GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY

Brandon Chow Contributor

COLIN CHIA/THE UBYSSEY

The University Neighbourhoods Association election will be held at the Old Barn Community Centre on September 26.

added and three slots opened in the coming election. Two directors, Thomas Beyer and Erica Frank, have terms that will not expire this year.

“It’s become very clear to many of us that our efforts to influence decisions and our efforts to try to get resident views represented clearly have been fragmented.... Our efforts [are] going to be more effective if we band together,” said OUR organizer John Dickinson. “So we felt that it was time for us to try to develop a stronger voice for residents, a voice that was consistent and representative of the views of the people that live in the community.”

OUR criticizes the recent density increase and high-rise towers going

into the Wesbrook Place neighbourhood. They also want there to be a representative civic government at UBC rather than the current situation, in which UBC has exclusive control of land use in the area.

Current UNA director and chair Prod Laquian hopes that the group will get more residents interested in the association. “Last election I think about 21 per cent of the people voted. Maybe having a movement like OUR will encourage people to go to the polls more,” said Laquian.

Thomas Beyer, another current UNA director, felt that a change in direction will be beneficial for the association. “Residents have a voice like any other person, but we have

no rights really, we have no veto and we have no formal influence,” said Beyer.

OUR hopes that the UNA will be given more power over land use and civic issues in UBC’s neighbourhoods, although candidate Richard Alexander said that he didn’t expect any changes in this situation until after the provincial election next spring.

“We want to find a way to help to give more weight to the UNA,” said Dickinson. “There are many things which the UNA does which we support and which we value, but clearly for a number of reasons, the UNA has been unable, in our view, to truly represent the views and interests of residents strongly enough.” U

UBC considers creation of Vancouver School of Economics

Federal gov’t proposes stricter student visa regulations

New UBC rugby pavilion will be built by October 2012

UBC to add office of Associate Vice-President International

If the UBC Senate passes the proposal, the university’s current department of economics will become the Vancouver School of Economics (VSE) within the Faculty of Arts.

The VSE would offer majors, combined majors, honours and minors programs, as well as a bachelor’s of international economics in collaboration with the Sauder School of Business.

According to UBC’s most recent budget, some of the school’s operations might be run out of the old SUB once the new SUB is built. The proposal awaits a full Senate review in September.

Both UBC and the AMS have fired back against a federal proposal for tighter rules on international student visas.

The proposal, put forward by immigration minister Jason Kenney, argues that stricter rules are needed for study permits in order to fight immigration fraud. But UBC says that the changes could wind up costing UBC more time and money. “[The changes] will require [UBC] to transfer staff resources away from providing the student services needed to maximize recruitment and retention,” argued AMS VP External Kyle Warwick.

A new rugby pavilion will be built next to Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre and will serve as the new home for UBC rugby and a venue for intramural and UBC Rec programs.

The pavilion is budgeted at $2.5 million, most of which is donated.

UBC rugby captain Alex Kam said the upgrades should improve the rugby program for both athletes and fans. “It’s a high performance facility.

It will benefit our rugby team on and off the field,” said Kam. Kam said the facility will also help attract top talent to the rugby program.

By hiring an Associate VP International (AVPI), the university will be able to put more effort into its many international initiatives, which are currently handled by VP Research and International John Hepburn and Associate VP Research and International Helen Burt.

The specific duties of the new AVPI are yet to be determined.

Terry Kellam, director at the Office of VP Research and International, said that the new AVPI will spend most of their time at UBC, rather than abroad. The new AVPI will not be involved in international student recruitment. U

News briefs

Large gatherings like Block Party and the Welcome Back BBQ may be on shaky ground for the next few years, as UBC starts its next redevelopment project on top of MacInnes Field.

MacInnes Field is the future site of a new Aquatic Centre, the consruction of which is expected to start in May 2013 and finish by February 2015. The location of the current Aquatic Centre will be replaced by a new MacInnes Field by June 2016. But this leaves a threeyear period in which the centre of campus won’t have a large green space available for large-scale parties and recreational events.

According to AMS President Matt Parson, a smaller green space going in on the north side of the current SUB during the new SUB’s construction could be used for outdoor events.

“There’s also potential space, not large enough for a Welcome Back BBQ- or Block Party-sized event, on the west side of the SUB,” said Parson.

He is hopeful that the events will continue again after the new field is available, though.

“For the long term, post-construction phase, there are plans for a new MacInnes Field, which can house regular events,” said Parson.

According to Campus + Community Planning (C+CP), McInnes Field is slated to be the location for the new Aquatic Centre due to its proximity to the heart of campus and the bus loop. The current Aquatic Centre will remain open until the new one is completed.

C+CP has cited several reasons for building a new Aquatic Centre.

The current centre, opened in 1978, has inefficient mechanical and energy systems, according to C+CP. The new facility will feature a competition-length pool, recreational lap pool, leisure pool and family changerooms.

Despite the disruption to campus events, Parson said he sees potential in the future MacInnes Field. “It’s a similar-sized field, and if anything, it’s closer to the heart of campus,” he said. U

4 | News | 08.13.2012 STUDENT SOCIETY >>

AMS moves forward with business restructure Ming Wong Staff Writer

The AMS is about to change how they run their businesses.

The group has considered restructuring its business side for months. Now, rather than incorporating their businesses separately, they’ve decided to add a new board of directors in charge of overseeing all AMS businesses and administration.

This board of directors would allow the AMS to separate their businesses and administration from student services and student government. The new board and AMS general manager will oversee all businesses, such as the SUB food outlets and AMS Security. Student services, such as AMS Tutoring and the AMS/GSS Student Health Plan, will remain under the director of services and the AMS president. As a result, the Business and Facilities Committee will dissolve.

“It makes it so there’s a clearer chain of responsibility,” said Eric Gauf, restructuring coordinator with the Reorganization of Business Operations Committee, which was set up in February to plan the society’s new structure.

Enforcing a “nose-in, hands-off” policy, the board will focus exclusively on business operations. This organizational change will address some of the issues the AMS has had with its outdated business model, such as complex internal relationships between committees and students.

“Something like raising pizza prices,… it’s not something that the

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

The proposed new structure for the AMS will separate businesses and services.

student government should worry about.… The management is paid to do that and they’re experts at that.

Give them the responsibility and make them accountable for it,” said Elin Tayyar, former VP Finance from 2011-2012, who first championed the plan to separate AMS businesses and government last year.

AMS President Matt Parson is in favour of the change. “Having people that are … more business-minded, and also on multi-year terms, will provide a sense of legitimacy and continuity that will increase the oversight of our businesses quite significantly.”

The AMS hopes part of that continuity will come from having three alumni seats on the board, something the AMS hasn’t done before. The alumni members would have voting power, along with four other current students. The AMS president would sit as a nonvoting member, along with the VP Finance.

This divide clarifies the responsibilities of the president, which are mainly in the realm of student services, such as deciding on policies and advocating to various levels of government.

“The president would effectively do what the president has been doing in the past few years:… working as a public face to the organization,” said Gauf.

Parson emphasized that all decisions of the new business board still need to go through AMS Council for approval.

As the new SUB is built, both Gauf and Tayyar said the change will be necessary as business operations expand in the new building.

Gauf argued that most students won’t notice a change in services when the restructure goes through.

“At least 50 per cent will not notice a change, but that’s because I think 50 per cent of the students don’t know what the AMS does. We need to work on that,” he said. U

CROWDSOURCING >>

Survey explores students’ concerns Brandon Chow Contributor

A recent AMS survey shows what students really think about UBC. The AMS conducted the survey last year to gauge students’ opinions on issues ranging from academic workload to on-campus housing.

Many of the survey’s questions focused on finding out what the main sources of student stress are.

Eighty-one per cent of students said that their course workloads caused them stress. And 49 per cent of students reported that having exam timetables released late in the term caused some stress as well.

Second-year student Aaron Yeung agreed that his course workload has caused him significant stress at times. “I know that my mark reflects my effort, so I don’t think the stress is unbearable. If anything, it’s rewarding when it’s all over,” he said.

The survey also saw overwhelming student support for a UBC-wide database of old exams. Seventynine per cent of participants agreed that “access to old exams in my first or second year would have decreased my stress or anxiety level surrounding exams,” which supports the AMS’s efforts to advocate for an online exam database.

AMS VP Kiran Mahal confirmed that a proposal for a centralized exam database will be presented to the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee in September.

“We are hoping that the data from this survey will further cement the need to make this resource available,” said Mahal.

Yeung agreed that a centralized exam database would be a good resource for students. “Each professor has their own individual techniques, and it takes time to understand a teaching [or] examination style,” said Yeung.

The survey confirmed that students aren’t satisfied with the amount of housing on campus.

Respondents overwhelmingly rejected the statement “There is an adequate amount of affordable student housing on campus,” with only seven per cent in agreement.

Mahal said that, based on these results, the AMS will continue to lobby UBC to build more student housing. “The AMS has and will continue to push the university to recognize its responsibility to provide affordable student housing on campus,” said Mahal.

On the topic of campus development, responses to the statement “Campus is mainly being developed with students’ needs in mind” were particularly illuminating. Fortythree per cent of first-year students supported the statement, while 20 per cent of first-years rejected it. But fewer and fewer students supported this assertion the longer they’d been at UBC. These numbers were essentially reversed for fifth-year students, with 23 per cent supporting the statement and 41 per cent rejecting it.

According to Mahal, the survey shows that the AMS has a ways to go in advocating these issues for students. As she notes in the report, “These recommendations will be a starting point for many conversations that need to be had across this campus to address the needs of students.” U

ACADEMIC JOURNALS >>

UBC postdoc turns research into data mine Grayson Reim Contributor

UBC has struck a groundbreaking deal with a scholarly journal publisher to allow text-mining, or allowing computer programs to find patterns across broad swaths of research data.

Text-mining helps researchers find patterns across the huge number of research papers published each year, which was previously difficult and tedious to do without the use of computers. For example, a program can be used to search separate pieces of research for related sets of words, allowing researchers to make connections that would not have been possible with previous research tools.

The deal was struck after Heather Piwowar, a UBC postgraduate zoology researcher, tweeted that she was frustrated that she couldn’t text-mine Elsevier’s journals. Elsevier publishes over 250,000 scholarly articles every year in 2,000 journals covering topics in the health, life and social sciences. Piwowar said that not being able to mine data from these publications was hindering her research.

Piwowar was then contacted by Alicia Wise, Elsevier’s director of universal access, and her negotiations led the publisher to allow UBC to text-mine Elsevier’s vast repository of content.

According to Piwowar, allowing researchers to look for trends across multiple studies can be immensely helpful. “[A] certain

medicine might work on a certain disease, and no one had thought of that before, but the fact they have common gene patterns or common symptoms is something that might be discovered by this sort of text-mining.”

However, most journal publishers maintain strict control over their content, rarely allowing text-mining.

“Publishers are reluctant to open it up because they want to have control and they want to have money. And allowing other people to mine the articles they publish, they’re afraid they’ll lose both,” Piwowar said.

Wise pointed out that textmining is a recently developed technique, and as such, Elsevier is still in the process of figuring out how to handle the practice.

Moreover, Wise said there is a lack of communication between the publishers and universities, and sometimes schools don’t know that they already have text-mining access to some publications.

Based on how much UBC pays for its scholarly journal subscriptions, Piwowar said she thought it’s only fair that UBC researchers should be granted free access to their data. UBC currently pays nearly $10 million per year for its electronic licences, said Allan Bell, director of library digital initiatives at UBC Library.

Piwowar, as well as many others in the academic community, believes that the government is currently paying twice for research, funding initial studies

UBC researchers can now examine trends in studies throughout the 2,000 academic journals published by Elsevier.

and then paying for access to the published results through publicly funded universities. In Piwowar’s opinion, this is an inefficient system.

But for the growing number of academics pushing for more open

access, there are signs that the tide may be turning. A 29,000-signature petition is currently asking U.S. President Barack Obama to allow free access to all publicly funded research produced in the United States. “If the U.S. does

KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

this, it will put pressure on the Canadian government to pass similar legislation,” said Piwowar.

“If taxpayers fund research, which they do, then taxpayers ought to be able to read that research without paying again.” U

08.13.2012 | Feature | 5

What the law says about you and your landlord The law is different in each province, so reference the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). In B.C., you are only covered by the RTA if you don’t live with the owner.

• Rent is due on the first of each month unless your agreement states otherwise. Pay your rent on time or risk getting evicted.

• The landlord cannot ask for your SIN, banking or credit card info, a criminal record check, or a copy of your driver’s licence.

• A landlord can legally ask for up to half a month’s rent as a damage deposit, and half a month’s rent if you own a pet.

• Don’t pay or sign anything until you’re absolutely sure you’re happy with the place. Paying the deposit officially enters you into a contract.

So even if you don’t move in, you will have to pay full rent.

• Only sign a lease for as long as you intend to stay; you might lose your damage deposit if you leave early.

• The landlord must ensure that the place is clean and that everything works before you move in.

• Pay rent by cheque or money order so you can prove you’ve paid it.

If you pay by cash, get a receipt and keep it somewhere safe.

A student’s guide to navigating the tricky landlord-tenant relationship Lisa Anderson Contributor

The obvious lack of on-campus housing forces most UBC students to venture out into the Lower Mainland and become renters. But the landlord-tenant relationship can be tense, and sometimes downright abusive.

Jennel Youssef, a landlord and realtor with Re/Max Real Estate, said that as a landlord, “You do the best you can to keep up with the home and make sure things are done in a timely manner to keep them happy.”

Nonetheless, she expects her tenants to reciprocate respectful behaviour. Though it may seem obvious, paying on time is one of the best ways to keep your landlord happy. “If you don’t have enough money for the cheque to go through, then let me know,” said Youssef.

But what if a disagreeable renting situation is simply out of your control? What are your rights when standing up to a difficult or abusive landlord?

James Grainger, a third-year computer science student at UBC, successfully sued his landlord for excessive access. “I hated it. I didn’t want to be there,” said Grainger of his tenancy.

Currently, Grainger is renting from a more reasonable landlord.

But his previous situation was a renter’s nightmare that may sound all too familiar to students living off-campus.

At first, Grainger’s relationship with his landlord was perfectly normal. “During the month of May, it was fine, we barely saw him. And then the whole thing started,” said Grainger.

••• Grainger’s landlord posted a general notice on the front door of their

Kitsilano home, warning that he could show the place to prospective renters as he pleased between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Grainger and his roommates requested specific notice, hoping that their landlord would warn them at least a day in advance (a law outlined in B.C.’s Residential Tenancy Act).

Their landlord, however, continued to enter their home frequently, sometimes knocking but not waiting for someone to open the door.

“When I was thinking of taking him to the board, I read up on what’s allowed,” said Grainger.

Reading the Residential Tenancy Act gave him the confidence to know that he was in the right as a renter.

“He’d shown a ton of people through,” said Grainger, “so I figured he would have rented it out.

But at the end of July, he posted another notice on our door that was a general notice to enter during August.” Grainger’s landlord had also extended the hours to begin at 2 p.m. and end at 8 p.m.

While Grainger was open to communication, his landlord was not willing to compromise. He told Grainger to file a dispute if he was unhappy.

“So I did,” said Grainger. “I went to the housing board and I spent an entire afternoon there. I filed the dispute and I served it to him a couple of days later.

“The arbitrator I met was super friendly, very helpful [and] sympathetic. It was an easy process, definitely. She explained everything I needed to do, waited while I filed all the paperwork, and helped me with it.”

Then, in a scheduled three-way conference call with an arbitrator, Grainger and his landlord both had an opportunity to make their case.

Grainger read a well-reasoned

argument during the arbitration call; he named dates, described everything that had happened, and explained why he felt the incidents were excessive.

His lawsuit was successful. “You can fight bullies and win,” said Grainger, “and you shouldn’t be afraid. You shouldn’t be cajoled into inaction.”

••• Grainger’s advice to prospective renters is to make sure you feel respected, first of all. “[My landlord]

The laws really protect tenants at this point.

So if the tenants know their rights, they can use those laws to their benefit.

Jennel Youssef Realtor was treating us like we were children,” said Grainger.

Youssef suggested that renters get to know their landlord by asking how long they’ve been renting the building and what they’ve learned along the way.

Nonetheless, renters should be aware that sometimes it’s impossible to judge accurately from your first meeting. When Grainger and his roommates first met with their landlord, Grainger said, “He seemed fine. A bit quirky and weird, but friendly enough. He would just make weird jokes.”

Second, Grainger advised, renters should watch out for unreasonable demands. For instance, Grainger’s landlord demanded that he and his roommates have their parents co-sign the lease by a certain date, or they would forfeit their deposit. “Which is completely

not true at all,” said Grainger. “It’s definitely illegal.”

In a situation like Grainger’s, it is crucial to know your rights.

Documents like the Residential Tenancy Act and the Tenant Survival Guide are required reading to start your research.

From the Residential Tenancy Act, for example, you can learn that your landlord must ensure the home is clean and in working order before you move in. Similarly, the Tenant Survival Guide advises you to protect yourself by getting everything in writing and initialing any changes. Other useful tips include insisting that shared utility bills are in the landlord’s name, that moving inspections take place in daylight hours so you can see damage easily and that photos are taken during these inspections.

Beyond that, communication is key.

“If you have a problem with your landlord, talk to them. See if you can come to a compromise. If they’re reasonable, which I think most should be, they’ll be absolutely happy to come to a compromise,” said Grainger. “This guy was unreasonable.”

From a landlord’s perspective, Youssef agreed that communication is crucial to keeping both parties happy. “If you have any issues, it’s better to say it right away and it’s easier to deal with sooner than later.”

When a problem escalates, however, it is always important to know what the law can do to help you.

“Know renter’s rights, because there are a lot of them,” Grainger said. “The housing board really does keep renters safe.”

Youssef agreed. “The laws really protect the tenants at this point in time, so if the tenants know their rights, they can use those laws to their benefit.” U

• Hidden but legally allowable fees can be charged for replacing keys, bounced cheques, and facilities (like parking) if they’re not specified in your contract.

• Your landlord must maintain the heating, plumbing, electricity, locks and anything specifically listed in your agreement, such as the fridge, stove and laundry machines. Give your landlord a list of anything that needs to be repaired. Set a deadline for repairs, sign and date the list, and keep a copy for your records.

• Protect yourself by getting everything in writing. Initial any changes.

• Insist that shared utility bills are in the landlord’s name so you don’t end up footing your housemates’ bills.

• Schedule move-in and move-out inspections in daylight hours so you can see damage easily. Bring a friend as a witness and take photos.

Here are some definite no-nos. If your landlord is doing this, it’s your right to inform them that they are breaking the law, no matter what you may have signed in an addendum.

• Increasing rent twice in a year, or before a year is up on the lease

• Neglecting damage that needs repairing

• Keeping your damage deposit when you haven’t caused any damage • Entering before 8 a.m., after 9 p.m., or without giving 24 hours’ notice If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of an irresponsible landlord, apply for a dispute resolution hearing at the Residential Tenancy Branch. Hearings are generally done by phone.

Source: B.C. Tenant Survival Guide

Culture

08.13.2012 |

6

Editor: Anna Zoria

FOOD >>

Fire up the grill for a sizzling taste of summer Tyler McRobbie Columnist

Halibut with cilantro pesto

So you’re looking to bulk up your summer social life, but maybe you’re not getting as many invites to parties as you want. Do you have bad breath?

Maybe it’s awkward social skills. Or maybe it’s because you show up to things empty-handed all the time and your friends think you’re a selfish jerk.

With summer in full swing, barbecue parties provide ample opportunity to earn some brownie points with your friends by showcasing your culinary prowess. Just toss a few simple ingredients together and reap the rewards.

A great dinner option in the summer is fish, especially on a hot day.

Halibut is the perfect fish for grilling, and the pesto is easier than it sounds. Here’s what it takes:

Everyone loves a good salsa, but people rely on the store-bought alternatives far too often. This recipe is unconventional, easy to make and perfect for hot summer days. Here’s what you’ll need: 8-10 large tomatoes, whole 1/2 large onion, cut into thick wedges 2–3 jalapeno peppers, whole Fresh cilantro 2 cloves fresh garlic Juice of half an orange Salt to taste CATHERINE LAI/THE UBYSSEY

Top: Grilled Halibut with cilantro pesto. Left: Guacamole with a twist. Right: BBQ-charred tomato salsa.

Guacamole with a twist To match this salsa, you’ll need an equally delectable guacamole. Some grocery store guacs are made with artificial fillers instead of actual avocados, so steer clear of that whole nonsense and make it from scratch instead.

Serve this along with the above salsa, as well as some tortilla chips and fresh veggies for dipping.

3 ripe avocados 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro Juice of one lime 1/3 cup red onion, diced 1/2 cup tomato, diced 1/3 cup mango, diced 1 teaspoon cumin Salt and pepper to taste Mash all of the ingredients together, or serve it chunky and rustic for some textural interest.

Begin by puréeing the almond and garlic with a bit of the oil until smooth in a food processor. Add the Parmesan cheese and purée further.

Continue by gradually adding the cilantro and remaining olive oil, alternating the two while the processor runs. Add the oil slowly so it emulsifies. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper. The end result is a tasty, intensely green sauce packed with flavour.

For the halibut, start with a hot grill lubed up with a bit of canola oil to prevent sticking. Season the halibut with salt and pepper. A oneinch-thick steak should cook up in about 10 minutes, but the key is to look for opaque colouring and flaky texture throughout. If all else fails, use a meat thermometer and cook until the internal temperature hits 145 Farenheit.

Don’t forget to flip it over at the halfway mark, and rotate it 45 degrees after the first few minutes to get the perfect grill marks. Your halibut will end up looking like it came from a Red Lobster commercial.

With these easy recipes under your belt, you’re sure to be the hit of every party this summer. But if that doesn’t fix things, then maybe it was just the bad breath after all. U

CAMPUS >>

IKB receives 26 boxes of Coupland oddities Kayi Wong Contributor

In the basement of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, buried in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, sits a bejeweled hornet’s nest in a box. This bizarre art piece only represents a fraction of the 26 boxes of materials that are currently being added to UBC’s Douglas Coupland archive.

Since the initial acquisition in 2010, the archive (or “fonds”) has been home to a substantial assortment of ephemerals and works in progress from the Vancouver-based author, artist and designer. Students and researchers can find everything from manuscripts and first editions to Coupland’s Emily Carr student ID and his notes for the UBC Last Arts Lecture in 2008.

Well-known for popularizing the term “Generation X” in his novel of the same title, Coupland has captured the zeitgeist of the “baby bust” generation in his various creative projects. As Coupland is an avid social media user, it seems fitting that the process of gathering his fonds is being documented on the library’s blog.

“It is definitely out of the ordinary to blog about an acquisition as you’re processing it,” said Sarah Romkey, the library archivist working on the

Art grad’s map connects dots in globalized world

4 6-oz. halibut steaks 1/2 cup almonds 4 cloves fresh garlic 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 bunch fresh cilantro 1/2 cup olive oil Juice of half a lemon Salt and pepper to taste

BBQ-charred tomato salsa

Begin by cranking up your barbecue to high heat. Toss the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos directly on the grill until they begin to char and blacken; more is better, so at least six minutes. Remove them to a blender or food processor, and add the remaining ingredients. Purée until chunky and adjust the salt to taste.

Cool in the icebox before serving with tortilla chips. The end result is a uniquely smoky salsa that’s made peppery by the cilantro and a little snappy by the orange juice.

ART >>

project. “We’re trying to be more proactive in promoting the Coupland fonds and [blogging] seemed like a great way to build interest about the accrual.”

Working alongside Romkey are three graduate students: Dan Gillean, Sarah Hillier and Laura Hebert, who are all in their third year of the dual degree program in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies.

“One of the challenges working with this accrual has been the diversity. Many of the items would not be considered traditional archival materials and would require special preservation,” said Hillier. In addition to the silvery hornet’s nest, there is also a mould of Terry Fox’s leg and a pizza box on which Coupland practiced calligraphy. “[He] is such a multi-disciplinary artist. I was very familiar with Coupland as an author, but I had not realized how far-reaching his other projects were,” said Gillean. “Every one of these items are not necessarily related, and it usually takes a bit of detective work to figure out where they come from, how and if they relate to one another.”

The practice of archiving and updating any creator’s fonds is not as self-explanatory as one would expect; it does not begin from a chronological or alphabetical arrangement.

KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

UBC grad students are currently archiving new Douglas Coupland material.

Hillier elaborates on this: “An important part of archival work is the principal of original order: the idea that materials need to be arranged in ways which the creator intended to have them arranged. It involves an amount of analysis and surveying of the contents.” Archivists must arrange and describe the contents while maintaining their links with one another.

“A fond stands to be created by the creator. The idea behind archiving is that these records are meant to be naturally accumulated over time and that they reflect an activity,” added Gillean.

This accrual is also the first

time that Rare Books and Special Collections is extensively utilizing ICA-Atom, an open-source software for archival description. With its feature of taxonomy, library patrons can search through the sizeable fonds with “tags.”

“We maintain the order in which the items are received, so there’s the physical order. And ICA-Atom allows for an intellectual order so people can see how certain materials relate to each other, perhaps by certain subjects, for example,” said Hillier.

Though the archiving process is no easy task, the accrual is scheduled to be completed and made accessible later this fall. U

Chloe Williams

COURTESY OF ROSS KELLY

Contributor

A sign alongside the Stanley Park Seawall alerts passersby, “You are now walking on the map of the world.” Straight, crisp lines have been drawn on the curving path, tagged with lengthy numbers indicating exact latitude and longitude.

The creator of this masterpiece is Ross Kelly, a UBC art history graduate, who is working on a land art project that involves creating a 1:1 scale map of the world. Using chalk, he traces actual map gridlines on public spaces.

“What I’m asking people to do is to look at a landscape … as a map rather than what they see every day, and hopefully that might make them think a bit differently about their surroundings,” explained Kelly, who has made maps at Stanley Park and Kits Beach in Vancouver, as well as more in Windsor, Ontario. He will be revisiting the Seawall near Second Beach in early September.

“It’s like a visual stimulus to try and make people think about their environment in a different way, but I guess also how they are connected to the rest of the world and how the rest of the world is connected to them.”

Kelly’s art emphasizes the idea of an increasingly globalized world, where people in one location use technology to interact with others worldwide. “Your presence is bigger than just where you are,” said Kelly.

He hopes to spark public discussion, asking an open-ended question rather than making a statement. As such, viewers are left to interpret the idea from their own perspective.

Kelly also stressed that the latitude and longitude grid plays an important role in our lives, although people rarely consider it. For instance, it creates political borders, helped guide early explorers and was a European construct imposed on native lands.

Kelly noted that the question he is asking is complex, and most people won’t put in the effort to answer it.

“It’s an idea that requires unpacking, but there’s a lot there if you look into it, if you actually spend the time to think about it and you’re aware of any of these side issues or historical implications or political implications,” said Kelly.

“There’s a lot of ways to use this to illustrate the way the world works. The more you think about it, the more interesting it gets. But that’s the thing: it requires the effort to actually think about it.” U

08.13.2012 | Feature | 7

KAI JACOBSON AND JON CHIANG/THE UBYSSEY

Above: Collin Varner (centre) is charged with managing UBC’s vast collection of trees. At right: A tag system is used to identify every one of the more than 18,000 trees on campus.

Cultivating UBC’s urban forest

By Emma Windsor-Liscombe

Take a walk anywhere on campus and you’ll encounter trees: large and small, clustered in groves and lined up in rows, drooping over pathways and brushing against buildings. UBC has been called an urban forest, but our rapidly developing campus isn’t the friendliest place for green spaces to thrive.

The care and conservation of the 18,000+ trees on campus is entrusted to Collin Varner, UBC’s arborist and horticulturalist. Varner started working at UBC in 1977, beginning his career at the Botanical Garden.

Throughout his 35 years of working with the university landscape, Varner has considered it his responsibility to conserve trees in all corners of campus.

“This is sacred ground; nothing should ever happen here,” he said of his work to set aside green space around the newly built law building, Allard Hall.

As an expert in the plant life of the Pacific Northwest, Varner has written many pamphlets and books over his career, such as Plants of the Whistler Region, Plants of the West Coast Trail and Plants of the Gulf

and San Juan Islands and Southern Vancouver Island. In 2002, Varner and several co-workers published A Self-Guide to UBC Campus Trees.

Caring for the campus trees is no small task. Eight thousand planted trees and over 10,000 native trees make up UBC’s urban forest, and species ranging from delicate Japanese maples to sturdy European hornbeams shape the campus

landscape.

Leaving aside aesthetics, the monetary value of these trees is substantial. Depending on certain factors, a single tree can be worth up to $10,000.

“We value the trees based on diameter, square inches, species and location, and condition,” explained Varner.

It’s his job to ensure each one is duly numbered, tagged and nurtured. As Varner describes in A SelfGuide to UBC Campus Trees, every planted tree on campus has its own numbered tag.

The tag system tracks a tree’s age, species, location and botanical name, as well as when it was planted and whether it’s a gift or dedication. With this information, Varner and his coworkers can account for and appraise each tree.

Tracking the whereabouts of a tree is especially important on a developing campus like UBC. Here, construction sites can suddenly spring up around trees — and construction is often given priority. Varner and his team have two options: tearing down the tree or attempting to move it.

But the process of moving trees is labour-intensive and expensive.

“We hand-dug all the trees outside of this building and stored them, and when construction is done, we’ll bring them back,” Varner said, referring to the construction zone outside the Asian Library.

During one such operation in 2010, transplanting just 16 trees cost $4,800.

Proposals for moving trees come down to weighing the tree’s monetary value against the cost of its move.

Even if the monetary value of the trees warrants it, getting approval to transplant can be difficult. At times, Varner is forced to fight for certain specimens, and even the preservation of a single tree can become a battle.

“A beautiful yellow flower magnolia that would have been chopped down,… it literally took me six weeks to bring all the parts together so that this plant got moved.”

And the results don’t always favour the greenery. If transplanting is not judged to be cost-effective, the tree is simply torn down. But what measures are in place for restoring the loss to campus?

••• In 2010, from September 27 to October 14, UBC Campus + Community Planning (C+CP) conducted several public consultations to gain feedback on proposed amendments to the university’s land use plan.

The land use plan charts UBC’s vision for campus, be it designating green space or planning for new development sites. Through the 2010 consultations, UBC heard a new perspective on its land use.

Via survey comments, workshops and emails, the campus community’s message came through loud and clear: protection of green spaces, including trees on campus, was the most pressing concern.

“During the land use plan consultations, we heard that people were concerned about the impact of development on green space,” said Kera McArthur, C+CP’s director of communications and public engagement.

UBC responded by augmenting its policies for tree protection. Though tree guideline areas and management plans had existed since the late nineties, the new policy outlined specific requirements for tree replacement. Most importantly, the updated tree management plan states in

Section 4.1.2.3 that for every mature tree over 15 centimetres in diameter that is removed from campus, a replacement must be planted.

“We added a tree replacement policy for neighbourhood development — one for one — to augment the tree management requirements in place since 1997. A tree replacement policy is common in local municipalities,” explained McArthur.

However, clear limits were placed on this policy change. Though tree replacement is now compulsory in neighbourhoods on campus, this same respect is not stretched to the academic lands at UBC. UBC’s landscape architect, Dean Gregory, is charged with planning and maintaining the natural landscape at UBC. In his frequent work with Varner, the two ensure that trees are preserved or replaced during construction work.

But Gregory said that he still feels the current tree replacement policy does not go far enough.

“One thing that makes me sad [is] I learned that, in fact, it’s only in the residential campus neighbourhoods that we have a one-to-one replacement policy,” he said. “We do not have one on the academic campus.… I don’t understand why it’s not there.”

In recent memory, visions for the development of academic lands have promoted the removal of trees without replacement.

Varner said that during construction of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre in 2007, some people wanted to drastically change the landscape in order to fit their idea of campus. “[They] wanted to remove all these trees so that the view would be unobstructed,” he said.

The campus landscape falls under the jurisdiction of multiple parties, from developers to arborists, and many of their objectives are at odds.

“What are the important goals here?” asked Gregory. “For example, there was a very beautiful and distinct tree in the way of the Ponderosa development. Could it be built around a tree? Maybe. But where do you balance? The architects want to build around the simplest plan,… so would building around a tree be the sane thing to do?”

McArthur said that decisions regarding tree removal are internally regulated by UBC to fit its vision of campus.

“C+CP asks developers to furnish an inventory of trees that meet the replacement criteria, and provide an accounting of the trees retained, to be removed, and new trees to be planted on site in the landscape plan.

The tree replacement provisions of the land use plan allow replacement trees to be planted at appropriate locations throughout the campus,” she said.

Nonetheless, Gregory felt the trend of campus development placed great demands on UBC’s landscape.

“Ours is a young institution that has grown into a very large size over a relatively short period. There is a lot of consequence to the landscape.…

[There is] limited space on this campus, and also this demand to increase development and build things.”

The complexity of designating value based on a tree’s species, age and emotional significance cannot be overlooked. Gregory said that even the current replacement policy cannot provide true balance to the campus environment.

“The fact is, if you have to take down a 70-year-old tree that exists nowhere else on campus,… it’s difficult to just replace it.” U

Sports + Rec

08.13.2012 |

8

Editor: CJ Pentland

SWIMMING >>

Hayden brings Olympic glory to UBC

11 years after choosing to pursue swimming at UBC, Brent Hayden wins a bronze in London

COURTESY OF MIKE RIDEWOOD/COC

Brent Hayden capped off his swimming career by capturing the bronze medal in the 100-metre freestyle in London on August 1.

C.J. Pentland Sports + Rec Editor

Eleven years ago, Brent Hayden had visions of a fantastic swimming career ahead of him. The native of Mission, B.C. was already a twotime national champ at the junior level, and as he was about to graduate from high school, he stood at a crossroads.

Hayden had to make a crucial decision about his budding swimming career. He could stay local to focus solely on swimming, working day in and day out with no distractions. He could head off to the U.S. to swim and study at a school with a great swimming program, which would force him to stray from his home country. He could also decide that competitive swimming just wasn’t the career path he wanted, and forgo the early-morning practices for something less demanding.

But in the end, Hayden decided to stick with swimming and combine the best of both worlds. By enrolling at UBC in 2001, he was able to stay at home, study at university and join arguably the best swimming program in Canada. Now, he has an Olympic bronze medal to proudly call his own.

Hayden finished third in the men’s 100-metre freestyle on August 1, winning the elusive Olympic medal that had evaded him during the past two Summer Games. He finished with a time of 47.80 seconds, 0.04 seconds ahead fourth and just 0.28 back of the winner’s pace.

In what turned out to be his last 100-metre race at the Olympics, he wasn’t going to let another opportunity slip through his fingers.

“I couldn’t afford to hold anything back,” said Hayden to CTV

News after the race. “With 25 metres left, it hurt, but I was saying to myself, ‘This could be the last 100-metre freestyle race of my career,’ so all I was doing was going for it.”

Back in 2003, Hayden, now 28, made his first decision to “go for it.”

After spending two years studying at UBC and swimming for the Thunderbirds, he decided to put his schooling on hold and focus only on swimming.

Granted, Hayden admitted that academics were not a priority when he came to UBC in 2001.

“I had no idea what I wanted to do [in school],” said Hayden back in March. “I was doing all sorts of -ologies; everything had an -ology at the end of it.”

But he did know that he wanted to swim, and at that time, there was no better place than UBC. The Thunderbirds were building up their swimming program to become one of the best in the country, which resulted in them winning ten straight CIS men’s championships from 1998 to 2007.

More importantly, Hayden was able to stay in Vancouver to swim with the Vancouver Dolphins club team at UBC under national coach Tom Johnson. “[UBC] got me introduced with the swim program here, and if UBC wasn’t available to help me, I for sure would’ve gone down to somewhere in the States,” said Hayden.

“And with this being such a great program and getting that introduction into it, I think it was the right call, because even with putting my schooling on hold, I was still able to stay here.”

His coaches also know the important role that UBC played in his training. “The big thing about a guy

like Brent is that he wants to be surrounded by like-minded athletes,” said UBC swimming coach Steve Price, who first coached Hayden back in 2001. “And kids who come to our program are all trying to excel at the level they’re at, and they have that idea of excellence that is an environment where [Hayden] can step forward.

“But what sets him apart is his ability to win as a racer. He has an uncanny knack for finding a way to get his hand on the wall during competition; he seems to find a way to do that.”

Hayden’s coach of 11 years, Tom Johnson, also acknowledged that the CIS helped not only Hayden, but all of the swimmers who go through the program.

“I think the CIS is a huge building block for swimmers to move

With [UBC] being such a great program and getting that introducion into it, I think it was the right call [to come here].

Brent Hayden from being identified as being gifted enough to try and pursue [the Olympics], and it gives them four or five years of really good competitive opportunity and experience,” said Johnson. “You have the ability to train and not necessarily subjugate your ambitions in the international arena to a summer job when you have the national training centre and scholarships at UBC.” Hayden may have been surrounded by equally talented athletes if he had gone south to train

and study, but the team atmosphere just would not have been the same.

Here, he was able to swim alongside his fellow Canadians: teammates who would push him to improve and grab the final Olympic qualifying spot, friends who he would swim relays and set world records with.

“That’s what’s really important about our program; we feed off each other at every level,” said Price.

“Our varsity guys get just as much of a thrill of having Brent in the pool as he has having them around him.”

That thrill was at an all-time high on August 1, only this time, Hayden thrilled an entire nation; he delivered Canada its first-ever medal in the 100-metre freestyle.

In a career full of ups and downs, Hayden finally hit his high point.

He has now called it a career, retiring after his final race in London and walking away with a bronze medal hanging proudly around his neck.

“It’s just amazing right now,” said Hayden to CTV News. “You always have that little bit of doubt in the back of your mind, but then something comes forward and you realize you have an equal shot just like everyone else, so you just go for it.”

There was arguably doubt in Hayden’s mind when he chose to invest his swimming future in UBC, and even more when he decided to focus solely on swimming. But as proven by his performance in London, going for it can pay off.

He is now a Canadian swimming icon, a bronze medal winner on the world’s biggest stage and a former world record holder. But before all of that, Brent Hayden was a UBC Thunderbird. U

Hayden facts Born: October 21, 1983 in Misson, British Columbia • First Canadian to win a medal in the 100m freestyle and first to appear in the final since Dick Pound in 1960. (Pound was the person who presented Hayden with his bronze medal) • Competed in three Olymipcs to date • Co-world champion of the 100m freestyle at the 2007 World Aquatic Championships • Current Canadian record holder in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle in both the short course and long course • Held the world record in the 4×100 m medley relay and 4×200 m freestyle relay • Engaged to be married on August 19 in Lebanon • Known for having several tattoos, including the Superman logo on his chest and the Olympic rings on his back • Nicknamed “Soup” thanks to the Superman tattoo • Enjoys photography in his spare time

08.13.2012 | Sports + Rec | 9 OLYMPICS >>

Looking back on UBC’s Olympic efforts C.J. Pentland and Henry Lebard Sports + Rec Editor, Contributor

GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY

The future of the cheerleading team at UBC is uncertain after UBC Athletics announced the team may become a “dance team” or operate as an AMS club.

CHEERLEADING >>

Athletics may drop cheerleading team Laura Rodgers News Editor

UBC has made it clear it doesn’t consider cheerleading a sport.

The university gives its cheer team a small subsidy, but according to Theresa Hanson, associate director of intercollegiate and high performance sport at UBC, the money is spent to enhance the “in-game experience” in varsity football and basketball games.

When the cheerleading team asked UBC for more money to participate in cheerleading competitions, the athletics department said there was no more cash to be had.

Now UBC is considering demoting the competitive cheer team to a “dance team” for varsity games, or asking the team to no longer be part of UBC Athletics and operate as an AMS club instead. Team members are now wondering whether their yearly funding will dry up.

Hanson said that no firm decisions about the team’s future have been made yet, but team members are worried. Cheerleader Mackenzie Curran tweeted on July 30 that she was worried that the athletics department might take away the team’s funding and turn it into a dance team for varsity games. Curran later refused a

request for an interview.

When The Ubyssey contacted UBC cheerleading captain Sandy Cheng, she refused to speak to us as well. On our first request for a phone interview, Cheng said, “I don’t want to put our team in jeopardy with UBC, and all that stuff.” When we attempted to call her again, she responded with an email that simply stated, “I am unable to discuss the current issues we are having.” Hanson has not yet responded to a Ubyssey query on whether UBC Athletics has forbidden the cheer team from speaking with the media.

Hanson also refused to disclose the amount of university funding the cheer team currently receives.

“I don’t think you need to know that,” she said. Based on an email sent by Cheng to the team and obtained by The Ubyssey, that amount is $5,000 per year. The money goes toward championship travel for the team, as well as UBC gym rental fees.

According to Hanson, the cheer team’s desire to participate in more competitive cheerleading tournaments is at odds with UBC’s goals for the group. “They’re not a varsity team, they’re a cheer team, and I would call it more of a support group,” said Hanson. “[They are] there to support our

varsity teams.” The team competes in various tournaments each year, and won the International All-Star Federation Sea to Sky Championship in 2011.

“They want a lot more money, they want these things,” said Hanson. “We’re at a point right now that the focus is different, and they’re looking at something dif-

We’re at a point right now that the focus is different, and they’re looking at something different, and they want more Theresa Hanson Associate director of intercollegiate and high performance sport

ferent, and they want more. That’s not what we’re looking for as a varsity program.”

Hanson explained that the main goal of her department is to support varsity-level sports at UBC. She wants to make sure that UBC gets the most out of every dollar it spends to improve enthusiasm and school spirit for varsity sports.

Increasing campus-wide interest in varsity sports is a key goal in UBC’s plan to overhaul its athletics department, which began earlier this summer when longtime athletic director Bob Phillip was reassigned to an advisory role.

“If you ask them, they’d like to come to some games, but not all the games, and still do the competing side of it. We want them at all the games to help lead the cheers,” said Hanson.

UBC isn’t alone in thinking of cheerleading as support for other sports, rather than a sport in its own right. A recent decision by the Second U.S. Circuit Court ruled that cheerleaders can’t be counted as athletes according to Title IX, which makes sure that equal opportunities and funding are available to both female and male athletes at U.S. universities. According to the ruling, competing with other cheerleading squads isn’t the “primary goal” of cheerleading.

“We want to use this subsidy that’s kind of the best bang for the buck,” said Hanson. “I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, it’s just always been a challenge.... Our wants are different, or our focus, for lack of a better word, is different than what they want this group to be.” U

Don’t play sports. Drink beer and write about them.

SPORTS (and rec).

CJ Pentland sports@ubyssey.ca

U

Bronze medals, swim-offs, meeting royalty: the 2012 Summer Olympics featured much excitement for past and current UBC students.

Unsurprisingly, the swimmers had the most success in London.

Led by Brent Hayden’s bronze medal in the 100-metre freestyle, several other T-Birds put forth strong efforts.

Alumnus Scott Dickens started the competition strong as the first Canadian to swim the 100-metre breaststroke in less than a minute, coming in at 59.85 seconds. He made the semi-final in that event, along with the semi-final of the 200-metre breaststroke and the final of the 4x100-metre medley relay team, which also featured Hayden.

The reigning CIS male swimmer of the year, Tommy Gossland, swam in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay heats along with Hayden, but their time didn’t qualify them for the final.

As for the women, Martha McCabe led the way by finishing fifth overall in the 200-metre breaststroke after positing a time of 2:23.16 in the final. Tera van Beilen recorded a time of 1:07.48 in the 100-metre breaststroke semi-finals, which put her in a tie for eighth and forced a swim-off. However, she lost the two-person race and failed to make the finals.

CIS female swimmer of the year Savannah King raced in the 400-metre and 800-metre freestyles, recording a personal best in the 800-metre. Heather MacLean swam in both the 4x100-metre and 4x200-metre freestyle relays, with her 4x200-metre team finishing fourth overall.

Back on land, a few former Thunderbirds put up good results in track and field events. Inaki Gomez finished 13th in the 20-kilometre race walk with a time of 1:20:58, setting a personal best and breaking the Canadian record time in that event.

Liz Gleadle finished 12th overall in women’s javelin, the highestever finish by a Canadian in that event. Curtis Moss competed in men’s javelin, but finished 22nd in qualifying and failed to make the finals.

To round out the field events, high jumper Mike Mason came eighth in men’s high jump with a best jump of 2.29 metres.

There were also a few alumni competing on the outdoor water. In her third Olympics, Nikola Girke finished tenth in women’s RS:X Sailing. Mike Leigh and Luke Ramsay competed in the men’s sailing 470 class, ending up in the 25th spot. And Ricardo Montemayor, who was competing for Mexico, raced in the men’s sailing Laser Class and finished 38th.

In cycling, UBC’s Denise Ramsden raced in both the women’s road race and time trials, finishing 27th and 19th, respectively.

Badminton player Toby Ng met the Prince of Wales before the Games started, but he and his mixed doubles partner dropped all three matches in the group play stage.

The Olympics are now over, but there is still one more UBC athlete left to compete. Paralympic swimmer Donavan Tildesley will be swimming in four events in London once the Paralympic Games kick off on August 29. U

Opinion

08.13.2012 |

10

UBC behind the times on digital education Gordon Katic Columnist

Last Words

ILLUSTRATION INDIANA JOEL/THE UBYSSEY

Parting shots and snap judgments on today’s issues Athletics funding continues to make no sense The cheerleading team is having its funding cut. Or is it? Maybe they might still get that money, or not.

They’re being told they’re not going to be able to compete, but they weren’t ever supposed to. We’re just as confused as you are.

UBC believes the cheerleading team (whose page on the Athletics website loads with a picture and paragraph on a 2011 tournament win) exists only to cheer at Thunderbird games.

After the team requested more support for actual competition, the university has begun considering a list of options — chief among them offloading the team to the AMS as a club — to reconcile the two differing opinions on what a cheerleading team is supposed to do.

In the meantime, the cheerleaders themselves have been told to be absolutely silent in terror of losing their funding, although UBC refuses to say how much funding they have in the first place.

When an external review of UBC Athletics came in earlier this summer, two major complaints were brought to light. First, nobody knows what anyone else is doing, and second, the mechanism by which university funding for varsity students is doled out is opaque and impossible to understand.

In the brave new post-review future, it’s clear that hasn’t changed one bit.

Renting as a student sucks: What UBC can do about it If you’re like most students at UBC, you’ve experienced the tough transition from the warm bubble of rez life to the cold reality of renting in Vancouver.

For those of you still trying to nail down that September 1 lease, we know your terror. The constant search on Craigslist for anything remotely affordable. The 50-person tours of a “character home” on the Westside that hasn’t been renovated since 1972. The rental contracts with blatantly illegal provisions in the addendum. The contempt of landlords who are forced to rent to students.

We’re not saying it’s the university’s job to hold our hands through this entire process. But for a school that isn’t able to house even half of its student population on campus, UBC does very little to prepare students for the rough-and-tumble Vancouver rental market. Beyond the AMS Rentsline website and a page on the UBC Housing website, we’re told very little about our rights as renters.

Most landlords are scrupulous.

But talk to anyone who’s had the kind of landlord who shows up unannounced, increases rent without notice or withholds a damage deposit; it can be a huge source of stress. UBC would do well to better equip its students to stand up for themselves when this happens.

Bravo, UBC Olympians!

Though the results of the AMS’s first-ever Academic Experience survey weren’t a shock, they do offer UBC valuable student feedback about life on campus.

Many of the statistics collected confirm what is already generally accepted: students commuting 30 or more minutes were the least likely to be involved in clubs and campus events, the most stressed out by course workloads, and overall least likely to have “school spirit.”

Looking at these results, it would be easy to assume reaching out to commuter students should be the biggest priority at UBC. However, one last survey result reveals how much more is required to create an engaged student community.

When asked if they felt the campus was developing to meet student needs, it wasn’t long-haul commuter students but rather those living on or close to campus who most strongly

With the 2012 Summer Olympics coming to a close, we end one of our new favourite pastimes: watching people who may have been in our second-year French class compete for medals.

It is a rare and lucky thing to have 18 students and alumni from your community go to the Olympics, and one more to the Paralympics.

In terms of athlete contingents, UBC is tied for 90th place with Vietnam, ahead of 116 other Olympic teams. The one bronze medal (thanks, Brent Hayden!) is a 79th place tie in total medal count.

These are people who lived and worked here, just like us. Many of them are still in school, and will be here next year. While we’re not all on the same academic level, they can serve as an inspiration for what we can do in our own lives.

Survey shows complexity of the engagement puzzle

disagreed. Meaning students in closest proximity to UBC and likely spending the most time on campus are the most unimpressed with what’s available and the direction the university is headed vis-à-vis student life.

It seems it’s not only engaging commuter students with campus services that will create a community, but those services themselves that need changing. Develop the university to appeal to student needs; maybe then, more students (commuter or not) will feel like they have some kind of connection to this campus.

UBC Athletics on thin ice for upcoming Bassnectar concert The prospect of a Bassnectar show on campus is exciting, regardless of your feelings about dubstep. For years, UBC Athletics has tried to secure a liquor primary licence for Doug Mitchell Arena, the massive winter sports arena on Wesbrook, in hopes of hosting regular DJ concerts.

Unfortunately, Athletics has a history of catastrophic failure when it comes to liquor. Back in 2009, they managed to botch both an event with a one-off Special Occasion Licence, and an event that was given no licence at all. Security was so bad that people got even more drunk on their own liquor — before, during and after the show.

Now Athletics is trying again, and the ice could not be thinner. They’re still in discussion over the licence for that show, a process that includes a mind-boggling amount of “shareholder consultation.” The University Neighbourhoods Association has to be happy, as does the RCMP, the Liquor Control Board, the University Endowment Lands and the AMS. In the past, a few angry homeowners have put the kibosh on such events, curtailing the arena’s proposed concert schedule from 12 events to two.

It’s a shame that a few homeowners (who knowingly moved onto a university campus) are able to stop a bunch of shows that students can actually get excited about. But to be fair, UBC Athletics has been awful at managing such events in the past.

And with the department currently undergoing an unprecedented restructuring, it might very well decide that holding concerts for students doesn’t fit within its mandate.

With the way things are going, it seems likely that the Wiggles will be the only group taking the stage at the arena anytime soon. U

We are living through a technological revolution in higher education, but UBC is falling behind the curve.

While UBC struggles with the cumbersome WebCT Vista interface, under-utilizes services like iTunes U, and sluggishly adopts lecture-capture, other schools are forging ahead with innovative technologies that are fundamentally changing university teaching.

Sixteen leading universities (the only Canadian one being U of T) are partnering to create free massive open online courses, or MOOCs. Others are placing entire courses on iTunes U, which allows professors to upload audio and video of their lectures to the iTunes store for free. Others are digitizing their bookstores, encouraging online peerto-peer tutoring, and developing advanced web-based learning modules.

Despite UBC’s sluggish adoption, you only need to sit in any class and you will see these technologies are already radically transforming the way UBC students learn.

Students are already trying just about every technology to help us better absorb “traditional” methods of teaching. We record our science lectures and review them outside of class. We introduce ourselves to course material by reading Wikipedia, and listen to podcasts like Philosophy Bites to review. You can now learn the fundamentals of mathematics by logging onto the Khan Academy, or computer science on Code Academy. And class lectures can be supplemented by downloading lectures from MIT, Berkley and Stanford.

It’s no surprise that universities are putting free material online (it advances their international prestige), but it might surprise you that busy UBC students have the time to consume it.

I think we can find some answers in the recent AMS Academic

Experience Survey, which asked students about nearly every facet of student life. The most significant cause of stress at UBC, above anxiety around graduation and financial stress (second and third most stressful, respectively), was course workload. Students find their courses so difficult that, in some faculties, as much as 40 per cent of students think that some of their courses are “designed to fail large numbers of students.”

The large impersonal lecture hall is clearly not suiting student needs, so they are seeking any outside help they can get.

In an increasingly competitive environment, the professors that stand out will be those who see these new technologies as an opportunity to assist their students.

In the short term, I encourage UBC professors to use lecture capture (the technology is already being developed through the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Technology) for their students. In addition, they can help students brush up on fundamentals by integrating existing online resources into their course material, like Khan Academy videos (or, for the ambitious, original videos, tutorials or podcasts).

We should press for advanced web-based learning modules. Some of these technologies already have the ability to track individual student progress, making it easy for teachers (informed by the statistics) to spend class time teaching to the unique needs of the class. Additionally, UBC should be participating more in open-source initiatives that make research and teaching widely accessible, thereby using academic expertise in service of the general public.

It’s not entirely clear where the digital shift is taking us, but it does hold the promise of turning our onesize-fits all model of education into something accessible, dynamic and exploratory. But we aren’t quite there yet. UBC is still closer to the cold Headmaster Thomas Gradgrind of Dickens’ Hard Times than we are to the dreams of Sir Ken Robinson, or techno-utopians like Salman Khan and Candace Thille. U

A note on the ever-nuanced international student debate Editor’s Notebook Andrew Bates UBC relies on international students to bolster its budget? Well, yes.

The Vancouver Sun took time out on Friday to wonder if we really need all of these international students after Stephen Toope issued a report saying Canada needed to work harder to make itself a destination for students looking to study abroad. Sun columnist Barbara Yaffe asked whether international enrolment was just a desperate cash grab, and a letter to the editor accused UBC of being “for foreigners” and not good ol’ Canadian kids.

The thing is that universities have no other choice. After years of the provincial government refusing to increase funding for post-secondary education,

it’s now international students who are footing the bill. With B.C. scheduling funding cuts by 2015, the university has admitted that they simply can’t afford to keep up the current level of services and growth without the extra money that comes from international students’ much higher tuition. And while UBC isn’t necessarily in this position, many Canadian universities simply don’t have enough domestic students to fill seats.

The idea that attracting international students is “altruism” because we’re sharing our innately superior Canadian wisdom — and therefore they are hogging resources that would have gone to domestic students instead — is terrible.

Canada gains from attracting the best in the world. They make us better, not worse. We need their perspective, and we need their talent. And until there is a seismic shift in how we decide to fund universities, we also need their money. U

15+15+4+101+ +5+3 Scene

08.13.2012 |

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Pictures and words on your university experience

VISUALIZED >>

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THE ALMA MATER SOCIETY (YOUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT) CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF UBC STUDENTS TO DETERMINE WHAT AREAS OF THE UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE AT UBC ARE IMPORTANT, LACKING OR IN NEED OF ATTENTION. THIS YEAR, TOPICS OF FINANCIAL STRESS, CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT AND COURSE GRADING WERE AT THE TOP OF THE PRIORITY LIST. THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED OVER 21 DAYS AND HAD A RESPONSE RATE OF 2,454 STUDENTS, MEANING THE SAMPLE REPRESENTED 5.06 PER CENT OF ALL STUDENTS AT UBC.

“ACCESS TO OLD EXAMS IN MY FIRST AND SECOND YEAR WOULD HAVE DECREASED MY STRESS AND ANXIETY LEVEL SURROUNDING EXAMS”

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A PERSONAL UBYSSEY FAVOURITE, THE STATEMENT “CAMPUS IS MAINLY BEING DEVELOPED WITH STUDENT NEEDS IN MIND” SHOWED THE PROGRESSION OF APPROVAL FALLING SHARPLY FROM FIRST YEAR TO FIFTH YEAR.

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SCIENCE

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15% STRONGLY AGREE

15.1%

4.1%

5th year

1st year

KINESIOLOGY

ARTS

9.8%

EDUCATION 1.3%

DISAGREE

THE 2012 AMS ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE REPORT

AGREE NEUTRAL

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

4.8%

SAUDER 3.3%

“THERE ARE SOME COURSES IN MY MAJOR WHICH SEEM DESIGNED TO FAIL...”

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12 | Games | 08.13.2012 Hey sheeple! Connect the dots to reveal the truth behind our leaders!

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KAKURO PUZZLES are like a cross betwen a crossword and a Sudoku puzzle. Instead of letters, each block contains the digits one through nine. The same digit will never repeat within a “word.” If you add the digits in a word, the sum will be the number shown in the clue. Clues are shown on the left and right sides of “across” words, and on the top and bottom sides of “down” words. PUZZLES PROVIDED BY KRAZYDAD.COM | USED WITH PERMISSION PUZZLE DAVID MARINO/THE UBYSSEY