AUGUST 23, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII | ISSUE IV HAVING MONEY FOR THAT SINCE 1918
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NEWS
CULTURE
OPINION
SCIENCE
SPORTS
‘Birds face off Poetry competition Don’t worry, the UBC requests Sad summer’s Tall Wood Building against SFU, ends millions in funding winner: “Blue River” ending? Ask in scoreless tie by Eleanor Panno Natalie how to deal won’t burn down for engineering
THE UBYSSEY
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UBER’S INEVITABLE TRIUMPH OVER THE BC TAXI INDUSTRY PAGE 6 T���
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AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE
EVENTS
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OUR CAMPUS
Panhellenic president Tovi Sanhedrai is living the Greek life THURSDAY AUGUST 25 SUMMER NIGHTS 7 P.M. @ 3772 MAIN ST. Shop with The August Market while gorging on delicious Rain or Shine Ice Cream. No better way to spend your day.
FREE
SUNDAY AUG 28 I LOVE VANCOUVER ART SHOW @ 98 SMITH ST.
Local artists express their love for Vancouver through various mediums. Everything is produced locally!
FREE
PHOTO COURTESY HAYLEY HUDSON/UBC SORORITIES
Sanhedrai’s sorority is a home away from home.
SAT SEPT 3
Leo Soh Staff Writer
SUMMERFEST 2016 @ 123 CARRIE CATES COURT
Movie starts at dusk! Bring your own chair and grab some dinner at the International Food L����� Court (open until 10 P.M.)
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ON THE COVER PHOTO/ART BY Aiken Lao
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Want to see your events listed here? Email your event listings to printeditor@ubyssey.ca
U THE UBYSSEY
EDITORIAL
BUSINESS
Coordinating Editor Features Editor Jack Hauen Olivia Law coordinating@ubyssey.ca features@ubyssey.ca
Business Manager Ron Gorodetsky business@ubyssey.ca
Design Editor Aiken Lao printeditor@ubyssey.ca
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News Editors Sruthi Tadepalli & Samantha McCabe news@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Sam Du Bois culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Olamide Olaniyan sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer Kate Colenbrander video@ubyssey.ca Photo Editor Philippe Roberge photo@ubyssey.ca Opinions + Blog Editor Bailey Ramsay opinions@ubyssey.ca
Science Editor Koby Michaels science@ubyssey.ca
AUGUST 23, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII| ISSUE IV
President Tanner Bokor president@ubyssey.ca
Office Administrator Emma Partridge advertising@ubyssey.ca
STAFF
LEGAL
Matt Langmuir, Josh Azizi, Bill Situ, Elena Volohova, Jeremy Johnson-Silvers, Julian Yu, Sruthi Tadepalli, Karen Wang, Jessie Stirling, Vicky Huang, Henry Allan, Natalie Morris, Miguel Santa Maria, Sivan Spector, Sarah Nabila, Sophie Sutcliffe, Rithu Jagannath, Lucy Fox, Ben Cook, Avril Hwang, Ben Geisberg, Lilian Odera, Adam Waitzer, Emma Hicks, Ben Geisberg, Helen Zhou, Nadya Rahman, Boris Bosnjakovic, Aiden Qualizza, Jerry Yin, Arianna Leah Fischer, Tisha Dasgupta, Isabelle Commerford, Evelina Tolstykh, Mischa Milne, Julia Burnham, Gaby Lucas, Rachel Lau, David Deng, Tendayi Moyo
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“You’re at UBC to be a student, not to be a sorority woman,” said Tovi Sanhedrai, president of UBC’s Panhellenic Council. “School always takes precedence for us.” As the leader of the affectionately dubbed “Panhel Council,” Sanhedrai holds the uppermost position in the UBC Sororities hierarchy. “There are eight sororities and the council governs all the sororities,” she explained. “The council makes all the bylaws that they all have to follow.” All members of the eight official UBC Sororities are able to run for a position on the Panhellenic Council. There are 13 positions within the council and the goal, according to Sanhedrai, is to have one woman from each sorority on the council. Sanhedrai believes that at UBC, the Greek experience transcends the image of parties and drudgery it has gained in the media. “Canadian sororities and fraternities are quite different than the ones in the states, so people coming to UBC don’t even know that sororities are a thing – they just think it’s a states thing and a party thing,” she said. Sanhedrai speaks from experience when criticizing party culture: “I’ve only been to like three frat parties, and they’re really not that great.” In fact, the Panhellenic Council enforces bylaws that restrict irresponsible behaviour. “All the sororities at UBC, or at least the ones within UBC Sororities, are dry. So, we are not allowed to drink in our letters, not allowed to
“I know it sounds cliché, but they say it’s not for four years, it’s for life. It’s just true.” - TOVI SANHEDRAI host parties or anything like that.” Instead, Sanhedrai views UBC Sororities as an all-inclusive club for its members, with the potential to dramatically transform not only one’s university experience, but their life. “I know it sounds cliché, but they say it’s not for four years, it’s for life. It’s just true,” she said. Joining a sorority gave Sanhedrai a sense of belonging at UBC, and a place to call her home away from home. “In first year, I wasn’t living on rez, I was living at home, so I really liked joining a sorority to find a community and have a home on campus,” she said. “Now when I walk down Main Mall, it’s really hard to not pass someone I recognize or I’m friends with, just because there’s just so many people you meet through all the different activities.” Furthermore, each sorority and fraternity supports a philanthropy or charity in hopes of contributing to the greater good. “They’re mostly international charities, and every single chapter
in the sorority donates to the same place and volunteers their time. Each sorority and most of the fraternities have philanthropy events. We go out and support them, and they come out and support ours.” If this process seems daunting, you’re not alone. According to Sanhedrai, “A stereotype [of recruitment] is it’s very exclusive, which is technically true, you need to get an invite.” However, the likelihood of an initiate receiving a bid, or invitation to join, is very high. In the beginning, initiates meet with representatives from all eight sororities, then narrow down their interests to two as the rounds progress. Having spent 6-10 weeks with members from these two sororities, a bid is often a formality. Sanhedrai argues that the annual dues, which can cost upwards of several thousand dollars, is like compiling all club activity fees into one and paying up front. “Let’s say you were going to do rec sports on your own, you’d have to pay the fee every single time,” she explained. “With sororities and fraternities you just pay one fee, and then your chapter can put in teams. It also goes towards social events and to educational programs.” Unsure what she wants to pursue after UBC, Sanhedrai has her eyes set on a career in HR, but remains open-minded about her prospects. Lifeguarding in her spare time, and taking part in activities in and outside of Panhellenic life, she is making the most out of all UBC has to offer. U
NEWS
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITORS SRUTHI TADEPALLI + SAMANTHA MCCABE
GROWTH //
Faculties of applied science lobby government for money to assist plans for massive growth
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FINANCE //
Increase in federal student financial assistance finalized
Aidan Qualizza Staff Writer
Faculties of applied science at postsecondary institutions across BC are beginning to lobby the provincial government for $58 million over the next three years. During a Board of Governors (BoG) meeting last month, Marc Parlange, the dean of the faculty of applied science at UBC, gave a presentation explaining the growing demand for engineering graduates throughout the province. UBC as well as UBCO, University of Victoria (UVic), Simon Fraser University (SFU), Thompson Rivers University (TRU) and University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) are all looking to double their intake of undergraduate and graduate applied science students to meet this increasing demand. In a presentation to the BoG, Parlange emphasized the need for UBC and other schools across the province to consider the long-term effects of the demand and how they will plan to meet it. Under the currently considered initiative, the current 8,500 seats available will rise to a possible height of 17,000 seats. “We are looking at re-imagining engineering,” said Parlange. “We are not just thinking that we would double [enrolment of ] existing programs. We are not just going to double mining or double geological engineering, but we are going to open new lines of engineering as well.” This type of comprehensive re-imagining of engineering education will hopefully happen at institutions across BC. For UBC specifically, Parlange spoke of new specializations, joint programs among other opportunities that they hope will allow UBC students to get an engineering education that can be considered the best in the world. Some of the faculty of applied science’s plans include creating programs in biomedical engineering, computer software engineering, computational engineering and others, as well as partnering with organization across UBC’s campus to allow students to turn academic projects into actual businesses, such as e@ubc, which offers support to entrepreneurs at UBC. “One of the things key to the direction of engineering education is [to try] — in society at large — to try and diversify the economy,” said Parlange. “Vancouver and British Columbia have a huge entrepreneurial ambition that has gone largely untapped up till now.” Parlange explained that there has been a shift in the Lower Mainland towards the knowledge economy in recent years. By increasing the amount of highly trained engineering graduates in the job market, and also by diversifying the specialisms and specific skill sets these graduate will have, the knowledge economy could grow exponentially. There are three societal demands that applied science faculties will be focusing on in their initiative. The first is that there are extremely high numbers of vacant positions in the tech sector in the lower mainland for engineers, and an insufficient amount of graduates to fill these
FILE PHOTO JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY
Sruthi Tadepalli News Editor
If all goes to plan, the Kaiser building is going to get a lot busier.
vacant positions. In an open letter to Premier Christy Clark, leaders in the technology industry in the lower mainland wrote, “tech is already outpacing nearly every other sector in terms of growth, and the launch of the BC Tech Fund promises to supercharge that trend. But realizing this promise and making good on your $100-million investment requires overcoming one important hurdle: talent. Skilled graduates fuel the BC tech industry, yet we’re facing a significant shortage. This year alone, BC’s tech companies will be seeking thousands of new employees.” Jeanie Malone, president of the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS), noted that students in BC have experienced the high demand for graduates, especially in fields such as software and biomedical engineering. James Olson, dean of research and industrial partnerships for the faculty of applied science, explained that this growing demand for highly trained professional engineers poses a larger issue when considering the amount of foreign workers who are expected to fill the vacant positions in the BC tech industry job market. “Graduating students will [fill] 50 per cent of the demand, and in-migration will account for the other 50 per cent. The problem with that is … we actually don’t control in-migration. It’s not a provincial initiative,” said Olson. This presents an issue because we are unable to accurately project how many foreign workers will enter the tech sector in BC, and fill vacant positions. Projections that are done often leave large gaps between actual and projected levels of employment — leaving thousands of positions vacant. The province cannot expect to fill these vacant positions with incoming migrant workers, and instead need to educate people in BC and fill those positions with their own graduates. This is the only way that employment projections will be accurate, and the provincial need for engineers will be dampened. The second societal demand is that there has been a growing
demand for individual seats in BC applied science programs. “If you look at the universities — UVic, SFU, UNBC, TRU, UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan – we have unfortunately many more applicants, highly qualified applicants, than we have seats available for students,” said Parlange. “So, in some sense we lose students to other provinces who choose to study engineering, who go to Queens, or McGill or Toronto because they can’t get into UBC and study engineering.” This growing competitiveness in BC has caused applied science programs within the province to become the most competitive engineering programs to gain entrance to in Canada. This competitiveness is stopping the growth of the knowledge economy within BC and is making it more difficult for tech companies to move their people into the Lower Mainland. “Getting into UBC is a competitive school to begin with. Though I think engineering certainly has one of those exceptional averages where you have to have extremely good grades,” said Malone. Olson explained that UBC engineering at the undergraduate level has a fairly comprehensive application structure. As the faculty became more aware of the issues surrounding the demand for seats they introduced the personal profile — a written component of the application to further understand the character of each individual applicant — and a more comprehensive look at high school courses taken by applicants, and their performance in these classes. These admission standards will continue as engineering grows through this initiative, even if the average percentage for admission is lowered through an increase of seats available. The third societal demand is a demand for diversity in the work force. UBC has already made a commitment to becoming 50 per cent female and 50 per cent male by 2020. This commitment, paired with the initiative to double the size of engineering across BC,
FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER /THE UBYSSEY
could greatly influence the way that the engineering profession will change over the next twenty years in the Lower Mainland, and across BC. “We want all of society in a sense — if they want to study engineering, we want them to have the opportunity to study engineering,” said Parlange. By increasing the number of seats available to students in all academic programs — bachelor’s, master’s and PhD — there is an opportunity for universities across the province to not only educate up to 17,000 students solely in applied science programs, but also grow the economy within BC and change the way the industry is currently operating. Without all three of these components working together, there is no possible way that a knowledge economy could be developed fully in BC. Students in UBC’s faculty of Applied Science are prepared for an influx of seats over the next three years, and are excited about the chance to diversify their skill sets and work with a greater diversity of students. However, there are concerns regarding how prepared the faculties are for such an influx. “It really is just the matter of making sure the infrastructure is in place before you grow,” said Malone. “It is a matter of making sure there are enough faculty members and that there is enough building space. From what I’ve seen so far … it seems that the deans are trying to get those pieces in place before they grow.” Parlange explained that with any organizational change come complications. In the meantime, the faculties are attempting to stay as transparent as possible with student organizations such as the EUS to show that they are open to, and are encouraging of, consultation with the community. Parlange asserts that above all, this initiative is meant to help UBC provide students with the best education possible. “This initiative is for our students.” U
Just in time for the 2016/17 school year, some Canada Student Grants amounts will increase by 50 per cent, helping over 350,000 students. A news release at the end of July announced some changes to the Canada Student Grants. Grant changes starting August 1 will include: an increase from $2,000 to $3,000 per year for fulltime students from low-income families, an increase from $1,200 to $1,800 per year for parttime students from low-income families, and an increase from $800-$1,200 per year for students from middle income families.
“As a result of these new measures, post-secondary education will be more affordable, and students will be better positioned to transition into the workforce after graduation.” - MARYANN MIHYCHUK As of November 1, student borrowers will also no longer have to make any repayments until they are earning at least $25,000 per year, due to a rule change in the Government of Canada’s Repayment Assistance Plan. AMS VP External Kathleen Simpson recognizes the changes as “a good step towards reducing barriers to access.” Further increases to student financial assistance are said to be in store for the 2017/18 school year. “The future prosperity of our country depends on young Canadians getting the education and training needed to succeed in the job market,” said Minister of Employment MaryAnn Mihychuk in a written statement. “As a result of these new measures, post-secondary education will be more affordable, and students will be better positioned to transition into the workforce after graduation.” U
4 | news | TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016 ADMINISTRATION //
Panel of Canadian students and alumni discuss mishandling of sexual assault by universities Sophie Sutcliffe Staff Writer
Glynnis Kirchmeier, the UBC alumna who filed a human rights complaint against the university over its handling of sexual assault reports, presented on August 5 at a panel entitled “What Are Canadian Universities Actually Doing About Sexual Assault.” “I had [co-organized] a private conference with people from across Canada who had either filed human rights complaints or are in the process of thinking about filing,” explained Kirchmeier. “As part of that, Mandi Gray (another panelist) suggested that we have a panel where we discuss this question in public.” Kirchmeier was joined by four other panelists: Ellie Ade Kur, a PhD student at the University of Toronto; Tarrah McPherson, a former student at Mount St. Vincent University; Mandi Gray, a PhD student at York University; and Paniz Khosroshahy, an undergraduate at McGill. Both McPherson and Gray have also filed human rights complaints against their universities, which are currently in front of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and the
Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, respectively. Gray was also at the centre of a sexual assault trial where the guilty verdict was praised by both advocates and fellow survivors. A common theme brought up throughout the panel was the confusion and dissonance surrounding the universities’ procedures. “It felt very disconnected,” said McPherson of her experience. “I shouldn’t have to go to the registrar’s office to ask for assistance and then turn around and go to health services to ask for assistance and then my dean, go to my chair, to this department, that department. They should be — in my opinion — connected, so that a student that is going through difficulties, whether it be sexual assault or a death in the family or any student in need. They shouldn’t have to go to each department separately to get the help that they need.” Panelists also brought up points such as a lack of follow-up and not being taken seriously by universities. “It’s pretty functional for universities to have confusing procedures, to have the front line workers that you’re disclosing to, whether that’s a counsellor or
The university has seen increasing discussion of its handling of sexual assault.
an equity officer or even a board member, for them to minimize and downplay and say things like ‘Are you sure this wasn’t a misunderstanding?’ or ‘We’re not sure that our jurisdiction matters here,’” said Kirchmeier. “These sorts of responses are very consistent across universities, retaliation was consistent across universities … a lack
of follow up until someone gets to the media was very consistent.” Despite their disappointment with how the universities handled their cases some of the panelists were optimistic that change is coming, and hope that universities will be open to this change rather than resistant. “This is not an issue that’s going away,” said McPherson. “What I
FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY
hope that the universities take away [from this] is that any of these three [universities] right now are positioned perfectly. They can choose to step forward, lead the way, be a good example, do the right thing. I think the change is coming one way or another, and they can choose to either lead the pack or follow later.” U
COMMUNITY //
“Journey Canoe” launched by Musqueam Indian Band in partnership with UBC
PHOTO AIDAN QUALIZZA/THE UBYSSEY
The event was well attended by various members of the UBC community.
Aidan Qualizza Staff writer
On Saturday, August 6, the Musqueam community launched a cedar canoe into the Fraser River in a cultural celebration to show thanks for what the Earth has provided. The launch was a part of a “cultural revitalization project” conducted in partnership with UBC.
This is the first time the ceremony has taken place in 30 years. The canoe used in the ceremony was carved out of a 350-year-old cedar log over the course of three months. Musqueam band member Corrina Sparrow explained that the public ceremony was held to “awaken the spirit of canoe culture at Musqueam once again.” Canoeing has a deep-rooted
heritage and cultural significance for the Musqueam people. Each generation has passed down the knowledge of canoe building from their elders. This generation’s master carvers are Elmer Sampson and Dickie Louis. “It means a lot to me because we have always been involved with canoes. Our canoe builder before passed away, so there is no one here to build canoes anymore.
I had the opportunity to work with him,” said Louis. “Knowing how to build [a canoe] is a real honour, especially learning to build one from a professional canoe builder. Hopefully I can teach younger men in the reserve to carry on this tradition.” The event began with speeches from community members who took part in the process of carving the canoe. Many members
spoke of the relationship that the Musqueam have with their natural environment and about how grateful they are to have the opportunity to be so closely connected with their culture, community and late elders. After the speeches, the ceremony continued with the canoe and paddlers being blessed by the waters edge. The blessing included traditional songs, drumming and the burning of cedar. As the canoe was lowered into the Fraser River, singing and traditional drumming continued. The entire community cheered and sang until the canoe returned back to shore. The ceremony concluded once the community brought the canoe back to the carving centre and performed one last blessing on the paddlers and the canoe. This project was made possible by an Social Sciences and Humanities Research Grant worth $500,000, which was given to Sparrow to develop this project. The grant — which is usually meant to help develop research in the social sciences and humanities — has never been given to help the carving of a canoe in an Indigenous community until now. The canoe will be launched again in celebration of the new coast guard station that is opening in Kitsilano. This is meant to cement the relationship between the coast guard and the tradition practices of the Musqueam. U
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY | news | 5
The 2016 Academic Experience Survey Jack Hauen Coordinating Editor
This article breaks down the issues that the 1,564 students who responded to the 2016 Academic Experience Survey — and make up about 2.6 per cent of UBC’s overall enrollment — indicated to be the most concerning.
Who responded? Thirty-eight per cent of respondents identified as ethnically Chinese, and 37 per cent identified as white. The next largest ethnic groups were South Asian at seven per cent, Korean at six per cent and Southeast Asian at six per cent. One quarter of respondents were under the age of 20. That shoots up to 58 per cent for the 20-25 age bracket, with 25-30 coming in at 11 per cent and people older than 30 making up six per cent of respondents. Women made up 54 per cent of the respondents. Men made up the other 46 per cent and the
“other” category was less than one percentage point. Eighty-six per cent of those who took the survey identified as heterosexual. Homosexual and bisexual individuals, as well as those who chose “don’t know” or “prefer not to answer” made up four per cent each, and pansexual and queer people came in at one per cent each. People who chose “other” made up less than one percentage point. The only category of students that varied more than four per cent from representative of the student body, were the number of domestic students who responded to the survey. While 90 per cent of survey respondents were domestic students, only 77 per cent of the student body are domestic students.
How do students feel about the AMS? Confidence in the AMS is up from last year in terms of how much students trust them to spend their money wisely. The AMS also faces challenges in informing students
of what exactly they do — that said, students have a lot of ideas about how they could improve. Representation One third of students — up four points from 29 per cent last year — think they’re well-informed about what the AMS does, compared to 38 per cent who disagree. Students also agreed at a higher percentage than last year that the AMS does a good job of representing students’ financial interests to the administration and faculty. The survey also indicated that one third of students trust the AMS to spend their money wisely — an increase of 10 points since 2014. Something, the report notes, might be indicative of AMS efforts to combat recent tuition increases . “We’re always happy to see that confidence in the AMS is increasing — it shows that we are doing something right. Communication is key. Students who responded that they understood the AMS were much more likely to indicate that they trust the AMS,” said Samantha
So, VP Academic and University Affairs, in a written statement. Room for improvement Answers were scattered when students were asked how the AMS could improve, but responses like better communication (12 per cent) and involvement (10 per cent), increased transparency (nine per cent) and fighting for lower tuition (10 per cent) seemed to resonate with students. So notes that some of the suggestions are things that the AMS already does, which points mainly to an issue of communication. “We’re expanding our communications plan for the year — we’re adding more campaigns, broader reach for our social media channels and more opportunities for students to provide us with feedback,” she said. So noted that students can attend Council meetings and executive office hours if they wish to be more informed.
What about UBC? While 70 per cent of students feel satisfied with their university experience overall, the survey points to a number of areas of concern. Tuition/textbooks While 49 per cent of students feel they’re getting good value for their tuition, just one in five agree that UBC actually cares what they think about rising cost of education. Ninety-four per cent of students have bought a textbook or other course resources and never or rarely used them. Sixty-three per cent have resorted to accessing course materials illegally. Just 31 per cent agree that professors take into account cost to students when assigning textbooks. Safety Just over half of students feel safe on campus at night (56 per cent). The survey has previously highlighted concerns with student
Clockwise, beginning in top left: a breakdown of respondents to the 2016 Academic Experience Survey; how well UBC students trust the AMS; how often students experience discrimination, and what types they have experienced; how the AMS could better represent students’ interests to the university. SCREENSHOTS VIA INSIGHTS WEST
safety, especially in times of highly publicized strings of sexual assaults. Fifty-seven per cent of students have personally experienced discrimination on campus — 10 per cent are discriminated against frequently. Only 39 per cent of women feel safe on campus at night, compared to 76 per cent of men. 41 to 51 per cent of people in an ethnic minority group have experienced discrimination. Unsurprisingly, they’re significantly less likely to feel a sense of belonging at UBC (47-55 per cent, compared to 64 per cent of Caucasian students). Almost half (48 per cent) of LGBT students have experienced discrimination due to their sexual orientation, and 45 per cent of women have been discriminated
against based on their gender. To help combat students’ lack of safety on campus, AMS is hoping to augment their Safewalk program through a collaboration with UBC Football, as well as working to provide student feedback on UBC’s new Sexual Assault Policy draft through consultations with UBC and students throughout September.
Mental health Thirty-four per cent of students agreed that they have felt “passed around” between UBC services, and that that has negatively impacted the care they received, but 36 per cent say faculty members are open with their students in engaging in conversations surrounding mental health and wellbeing (as opposed to 22 per cent who disagree).
Belonging Only 56 per cent of students feel a sense of belonging on campus. Just 15 per cent felt connected to the Thunderbirds. This statistic managed to incite a bet between The Ubyssey and Len Catling, the senior manager of media relations and communications for UBC athletics and recreation.
Finances Seventy-two per cent of students rely on familial financial support, and 51 per cent rely on jobs they take during their university career. Forty per cent of students are reliant on student loans in 2016, compared to 34 per cent last year. Just one quarter (24 per cent) expect to graduate debt-free. Among students who are able to
calculate their expected debt, twothirds (66%) expect to owe $25,000 or more. Just 58 per cent of students think they’re able to manage their finances overall — 44 per cent worry about how to pay for textbooks, and 43 per cent are stressed about how they’re going to pay for tuition. Seventeen per cent of students feel that they might need to abandon their studies at UBC altogether due to financial pressure. There has been a significant increase in the proportion who agree that they might need to abandon their studies at UBC due to financial reasons (17%, up five points). “I think the financial pressures students feel from UBC is
reflective of the financial pressures put on UBC by the [provincial government],” said So in a written statement. “Because of decreases in post-secondary funding, student tuition now makes up a larger fraction of UBC’s operating budget than Provincial funding.” The AMS will be running an Affordability campaign this year which hopes to put pressure on the BC Liberals to demand changes to post-secondary funding. Studies Sixty-one per cent of students expect to take longer than four years to complete their degree — a growing trend as students take on more jobs and fewer courses to compensate for high tuition costs and increased demand for work experience. U
FEATURES
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITOR OLIVIA LAW
6
Taking the High Road WRITTEN BY MIGUEL SANTA MARIA ART BY AIKEN LAO
IXAT
TAXI
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY | FEATURES | 7
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ber has become enough, armed with its own lobbyists a fundamental and all. part of municipal “Typically, companies lobby t r a n s p o r t a t i o n intensively and governments are in recent years, receptive. You pay X-thousand ferrying young and old alike around amount for a dinner, then you get the Los Angeles, New York, London ear of a minister which may influence and most other major metropolitan the policy of the industry. It’s sort regions across the globe. of unfortunate, but that’s the way However, up here in Canada, things work,” Lindsey, who studies Uber’s success has been less than transportation economics, explained. absolute. While those living in Though the strong barrage of Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal are free lobbying efforts is an annoyance for to use the service, the government of people still waiting for Uber, it is an British Columbia has blocked the unsurprising response from the taxi ride-sharing service from operating industry. This is because if and when anywhere in the province, including Uberdoesfinallystarttooperatearound one of the nation’s most populous British Columbia, the provincial cab cities — Vancouver. industry is So how has the most important gateway city on Canada’s Pacific coast avoided Uber so far? In all likelihood, you already know the answer: the taxi industry. If you follow the news I can only speculate that they’re frequently, you know listening to the tourist industry taxi companies or they listen to people who like have rolled out it and have had experience in everything — from topless other cities. Only a fool never drivers in court changes his mind. to outright – Robin Lindsey, operations and logistics professor assaults in the middle of the road — in protest against Uber. Most of these actions have expected to go on life support. ended up being for naught given the In New York City, according to company’s steady takeover of cities Lindsey, Uber gained considerable everywhere. Yet, due to legislation, growth and value during 2013. Vancouver is still predominantly taxi Simultaneously, taxi district permits territory — whether commuters like — or “medallions” — in the city it or not. plummeted in value by 50 per cent. There are plenty of theories as This translates into an incredible to why British Columbians are still capital loss for these companies, since unable to access to the service. Maybe obtaining these permits requires a Uber’s lack of regulation is not as very expensive initial investment. popular among general consumers as In fact, one of San Francisco’s most some would think. popular taxi companies, Yellow Cab, According to Robin Lindsey, an recently filed for bankruptcy in the operations and logistics professor at wake of its inability to keep up with the Sauder School of Business, the ride-sharing’s popularity. reason is not that complicated. Simply However, all this should be put, Lindsey speculates that the local unsurprising given the regulatory taxi industry is just fighting hard divide between traditional taxis
and ride-sharing services like Uber. Typically, taxi companies and their respective drivers are only allowed to operate within specific sectors. This results in a number of inconveniences, including riders being unable to go to a desired destination or drivers losing time and income just to reposition themselves. Uber drivers don’t share these restrictions. Pickup and transport times are generally shorter as well. Along with surge pricing — where the price goes up based on the demand — the service is simply more costefficient for the drivers. Victor Ngo is an urban planner and researcher who graduated from UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning. He conducted the first comprehensive review of Uber’s operations around North America, (available from UBC’s Open Collections) as well as identifying regulatory options available to the City of Vancouver. According to Ngo, Uber’s unbound efficiency has also provided more accessibility for lower income individuals. “One study found that Uber has provided residents in New York’s lower-income and minority neighbourhoods beyond the downtown core with more transportation choice and improved service,” Ngo wrote in an email. “As transportation funding continues to be an issue in the Metro Vancouver region, Uber may be beneficial for passengers in areas where transit improvements are desperately needed.” To make matters worse for traditional taxi companies, provincial policymakers are noticing the outweighing benefits Uber offers and are slowly changing their stance towards ride-sharing in general. This also stems from a mix of the app’s popularity among tourists and watching other cities adapt to their
8 | FEATURES | TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016
services with ease. party sourced,” said former AMS in any city being supportive of any “I can only speculate that they’re VP External Jude Crasta, to The reform favouring Uber due to the listening to the tourist industry or Ubyssey last year. “The data was potential losses they will suffer. That they listen to people who like it and provided from … Uber with very said, he also believes that achieving have had experience in other cities. few independent sources and others a policy balance is not impossible, Or they see writing on the wall – the were working with Uber.” depending on the approach. figures are going to come in in favour Nevertheless, the company is “I believe [that] ridesharing of it,” said Lindsey. “‘Only a fool never already treating its BC presence services should be viewed in a more changes his mind.’ If the evidence as inevitable and already began comprehensive light as one possible shifts, your assessment of reality hiring drivers in Vancouver earlier transportation solution within a should shift as well.” this year. There are also numerous larger multi-modal transportation Additionally, the company is out reports that many traditional cab system. For example, research in full force with its own retaliatory drivers are already considering that indicates that ridesharing services lobbying efforts, according to Ngo. job offer, with defections happening have been able to better service Efforts being further bolstered by across other cities. Meanwhile, passengers during late night periods. positive reception of the company other somewhat similar services are This is [important] for late-night from the general public, despite popping up in Vancouver such as the workers who travel during times significant safety and regulatory ridesharing app Spare Rides, which when there is poor public transit concerns. was created by UBC alumni. The service. Ridesharing can play a “Uber has been running an critical difference with that service distinct, but complementary role to aggressive and prolonged public though is that it is strictly meant taxis,” he said. lobbying campaign urging the for carpooling — There is also still an uphill provincial government and the not a perfect battle waiting for Uber if and City of Vancouver to allow them when it finally finds its place to operate,” Ngo said. “Signatures within Vancouver and the rest on their online petition to the of the province. Just recently, government are almost at 70,000 the service was pulled out Ten years into the future, the now, up from over 40,000 since from Calgary and Edmonton last September. Company due to insurance policy conventional taxi industry representatives have problems, while also will still exist, but to a smaller regularly met with withdrawing from scale, while Uber will have a municipal politicians Austin, Texas a few and staff across the months ago due major share and then there Metro Vancouver to much stricter may be variants of [it]. region. [They have] background significant resources checks being – Robin Lindsey, operations and logistics professor and it shows.” imposed on its Last summer, Uber drivers. There are representatives courted the also the numerous cases AMS for their advocacy towards surrogate for a taxi service. of compromised passenger safety increased ride-sharing presence Of course, this does not mean that impede on the company’s quest within Vancouver — but not that taxis are going to become to be more widely accepted. necessarily for Uber directly. With the extinct. Lindsey is confident that Ngo’s research also found that failure of last year’s transit plebiscite, both types of services can co- Uber’s business model is still there was some consideration to exist. Although he speculates the lacking in terms of disabled and the idea as a small-scale solution conventional cab company will still elderly-friendly assistance. This is to student transportation issues. have to compromise more in the problematic given that traditional However, the AMS ultimately turned face of changing generations and taxi companies, whose business is down the requests later in October trends. already being undermined, have due to concerns regarding the ride“You have the market segments more assets capable for these sharing data presented to them by against the niches out for different services. the company that would support supplies. Ten years into the future, Given all these complications, such a move. the conventional taxi industry will obtaining legalization is only half “I told [the Uber representative] still exist but to a smaller scale, the battle. But whatever the details, that I understand that it’s not Uber while Uber will have a major share the end to Vancouver’s lack of asking us to endorse Uber but to and then there may be variants of ridesharing is no longer a question of keep in mind that any information [it],” he said. if, but when. And when it happens, that [they] send us will be seen in Ngo is a little less optimistic. He the cards are already stacked against that light if it’s not properly third- has yet to observe taxi industries traditional taxis. U
TAXI
CULTURE
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITOR SAMUEL DU BOIS
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LITERATURE //
Book review: U Girl is a tidal wave of emotion that UBC students will relate to Alyssa Low Contributor
U Girl is a coming-of-age tale about a small town girl who moves to Vancouver in 1972 to attend the University of British Columbia. As she seeks to discover and define herself among the new people she encounters in the unfamiliar city, she ponders the disparities between men and women and questions the relationship between love and sex. Former UBC English Professor Meredith Quartermain has truly outdone herself this time. Through her poetic depictions of Vancouver landscapes and unique yet relatable characters, she weaves together a story that pulls the reader into the fictional reality residing within the pages of U Girl. This bildungsroman is an extraordinary new addition to Canadian literature as Quartermain beautifully portrays British Columbia in her descriptions of Wreck Beach, Desolation Sound and UBC among other local sites. This should make the novel an interesting read for UBC students who are acquainted with these places. Some students may even find themselves familiar with the protagonist’s experiences of taking notes in lecture halls and managing a crush on a professor. U Girl captures a number of details about life as a UBC student and even makes reference to The Ubyssey, as one of the characters is said to have written an article for it. This truly brings the characters to life as their relatable experiences allow them to seamlessly blend with reality. The fusion of fiction and reality is further achieved through metafiction as the protagonist seems to be drafting ideas for the novel that is being read. She contemplates how she should portray the individuals she
encounters and how she herself should be depicted. Although it may seem perplexing at first, the self-referential nature of U Girl makes it a fascinating read for introspective readers. Quartermain has made a name for herself as a Canadian writer through her previous literary works including Nightmarker and Recipes from the Red Planet. Her collection of poetry titled Vancouver Walking earned her the 2006 Book Award for Poetry. The literary skill for which she is known nationwide is evident in her newest novel, U Girl. Quartermain possesses a talent for calling attention to real world problems as she brings the treatment of women into the spotlight, broaching the topic of domestic abuse when the protagonist overhears a dispute occurring in her building a few doors down. Readers may begin seeing themselves in her shoes while reading the story, as her journey of self-discovery mirrors emotions and insecurities all too familiar to all who have tread the path to find their purpose and meaning in life. However, this does not mean that the protagonist, Frances Nelson, is in any way cliché. Frances has her own unique personality, which shines through in her voice as she narrates the story. Her curious and introspective nature reveals questions and shocking new perspectives that readers may not have considered before. Readers should prepare themselves for a tidal wave of emotion, reflection, and new perceptions when they dive into Quartermain’s latest masterpiece. U Meredith Quartermain’s U Girl is published by Talonbooks. It is 272 pages and costs $19.95.
COURTESY TALON BOOKS
POETRY CONTEST WINNER Hilary Leung Contributor
Blue River BY ELEANOR PANNO
Blue river winds through mystery sauna flatlands Blue-raspberry Nile curling over the backs of tanned American babes like a grinning python under a violet sky says Say baby, what’s with the Patagonia mountain crests and hundred dollar hiking vests when we could be a new age colour I’m as charming as a snake the way I hiss, the way I ssslither I’m the old blue river. chillin like a chesire coddle rocked to salty tongues of sea water where Zephyr dips his body in the quagmire and lathers up in mud like he’s a body rockin’ pistol cockin’ hot debaucherin’ son of a gun and with my belly to the sun I’m going all the way to San Francisco tasting the land with a wet blue tongue. ILLUSTRATION AIKEN LAO/THE UBYSSEY
Reading like classic Americana literature about the sprawling patchwork of landscapes and spiritual voices that echo through the mountains and fields, “Blue River,” by Eleanor Panno, is in love with its time and subject — an often lyrical portrait of the land that is America, in an age when the old romance of the open road and the vastness of nature was still thriving. The poem’s spirit is not an affectation but rather a motif which can be found not only in its words but also in the author herself. It was written while she was walking, but is inspired by a trip she took by train to California, making it not only a kind of surreal dream of wandering, but also a product of it. When asked about her influences, she said that individual people were not really relevant to her. Inspiration comes more from “just specific poems and things I get really obsessed with. When I started really writing poetry I was reading Jack Kerouac and Allan Ginsberg which I enjoy, and then mostly just people I’ve met. I met some poets in New York who I think were mostly my
main influence. I read a lot of poetry that doesn’t really stick with me so much. It’s more just things I hear, like listening to patterns of speech and characters.” Kerouac and Ginsberg seem especially relevant to “Blue River,” with a lot of the slang and spirituality that saturates works like On the Road or Howl, weaving its way through Panno’s work. She is a third-year student about to enter the Creative Writing BFA program on both her poetry and screenwriting. Funnily enough, she has never taken a poetry class before, though she has been writing since high school and more seriously in the last two years. When writing, her preferred drink is — rather impressively — straight vodka, rarely with a chaser. When asked what time period she would go back to if the scenario from Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris were real, she said either the time of the Beat Generation or maybe Versailles during Louis XIV’s reign. Panno was not going to submit her poem for the competition but did so at a friend’s insistence. So, on behalf of The Ubyssey, thank you also to Eleanor’s friend for getting her to submit her poem. We appreciate it! U
10 | CULTURE | TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016 MEMOIR //
Royal Blood is exceptionally well written but troubling in its treatment of racial issues Avneet Athwal Contributor
Not all memoirs are written by people who make history, and not all memoir writers can compel the reader to experience emotions with them as they tell their story. On this, Laurenda Daniells is exemplary. By exploring snapshots of her life throughout the pages of her memoir, Daniells does a magnificent job outlining 93 years of excitement, fear, travel, love and loss. The book follows Daniells from growing up in Winnipeg to settling in Vancouver with her husband, where she became the first university archivist of UBC in 1970, as well as around the world as she traveled to Europe and Africa. The short stories describing her childhood are beautifully written, frequently beginning with striking imagery describing these years through the eyes of her younger self. For example, when her mother was in the hospital recovering from fracturing her skull, young Laurenda focused more on the attention she received from her cousins than her limited understanding of her mother’s condition. In another story, she describes sending a frightening note to a neighbour in order to maintain
her friendship with another group of girls, a deed she has regretted ever since. The stories outline the universal struggle of growing up, creating a place for herself, and trying to find a way through complicated relationships. While her writing is evocative and her personality shines through wonderfully, her relationship with her ancestry leaves much to be desired. Daniells firmly places herself within the context of her family. She chooses to outline the lives of her ancestors before she begins her own story, putting great importance on the fact that her great-great-grandmother, Salis, was a First Nations woman. Over and over, she refers to this connection in her memoir, emphasizing its importance in her life. Perhaps she believes that her story is a continuation of those of her ancestors, and is attempting to link herself with the grandeur of the family’s past. Even the title of her book, Royal Blood, comes from the connection to Salis, who was the daughter of the nation’s chief. At least to a point, she seems to identify with the story of having royal blood in her veins, which makes it even more disappointing that she does not talk about it in any great detail.
FILE PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY
The author shares what it was like to grow up, their fears, their anxieties, their goals and their dreams.
Daniells seems to like the idea of having exotic ancestry more than she understands the realities of the grandmother’s life. This exoticization of people of colour is not a unique event in her life. She never mentions any of the names of the nations she writes of, choosing to call people “Indian princess,” “Indian boy,” or “Indian girl” instead. She also displays a startling amount of racism as she details her
travels in Africa — in Ghana, she relates Creole dialects to a lack of intelligence: “English words but not English sense.” Laurenda Daniells comes across as someone who was always wishing to be a grand adventurer as her greatgreat-grandfather Alexander Ross had been. In Ghana, she relates meeting a trader to being in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, at UBC she plays the detective as she tracks down a tape recorder stolen
from the archives by a hippie, and in 1986 she chooses to continue on with her trip through the Iron Curtain into Russia in spite of the Chernobyl accident. It seems that her connection to the glorious past of her family only serves the purpose of linking her to the grandeur of their lives. While the stories she has written captivate the reader, behind them hides the troubling need for her to be glorified by using her ancestors. U
DRAMA //
The upcoming theatre season boldly challenges expectations
FILE PHOTO DON ERHARDT/THE UBYSSEY
The season commences with Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II which has “challenged contemporary Elizabethan morality,” according to UBC Theatre and Film Department Head Stephen Heatley.
Rosemary Hu Staff Writer
UBC’s 2016/17 theatre season boasts an exciting string of productions with overarching themes all challenging the norm. The season will commence with Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II, which has “challenged contemporary Elizabethan morality,” according to UBC Theatre and Film Department Head Stephen Heatley. “The first show of every season is dedicated to this year’s cohort of 12 students in their last year of
BFA, and almost every year the chosen playwright is Shakespeare,” said Seamus Fera, the fifth-year BFA student playing Mortimer in Edward II. “You don’t get a lot of Marlowe — it will be a nice challenge for us to delve into a play that’s not that well-known but is also very prevalent to our society right now.” The play includes topics ranging from homosexual relationships to kings being overthrown by barons. Next up is Samuel Beckett’s Beckett 16, which is a fundraising
performance that benefits the Peter Loeffler Student Prize and also involves theatre alumni. Love and Information, by Caryl Churchill, involves “50 self-contained scenes that are all thematically linked through love and or information,” said MFA candidate Lauren Taylor, who is the director of this play. “I think love and information are two major driving forces in our lives, and the play looks at where and how those driving forces connect.” She expresses that Churchill is interested in looking at
moments where people have to negotiate what it means to be human within different roles of power. Taylor points out a quote by the playwright herself that gives insight into her interest in exploring the human condition through her work: “We need to find new questions, which may help us answer the old ones, or make them unimportant and this means new subjects and new form.” Led by Professor Tom Scholte, the annual Naked Cinema III will bring students from the Department of Theatre and Film
together to make a feature film rooted in the philosophy of Lars Von Trier’s Dogme 95 Manifesto. To end the season, audiences will be treated to Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-Soeurs. First produced in 1968 during the time of the Quiet Revolution that was happening in Quebec, the play has since made a profound impact on Quebec culture and theatre. Fera reminds us that “theatre is about making a change and about relaying some message to the audience, whether it be political or just for fun.” U
OPINIONS
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITOR BAILEY RAMSAY
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WELL-BEING//
Mind your mind: The importance of being assertive Daphnée Lévesque Contributor
A few weeks ago, I had to confront my boss in order to request time off work. I worried about my boss’s reaction. What if he said no and refused? What if I got fired? What if he pressured me until I agreed to keep working five days a week? Although my manager did none of these things and reacted in an appropriate and professional manner, a little voice inside my head spent a lot of time trying to convince me otherwise. Practicing being assertive is not easy, but it’s necessary when it comes to cultivating healthy relationships, especially the one we have with ourselves. Setting clear boundaries, for instance, keeps you out of resentment and allows more space for compassion. The reality is that people will always ask more from us — more of our time, energy, even expertise. The danger is that when we’re bombarded by countless demands and high expectations, and feel obligated to say yes. It can often leave us appearing sweeter on the outside, but way more enraged and bitter on the inside. Being assertive is a vital skill to have because when we say yes automatically without checking in with ourselves, it can do some serious damage to our self-worth.
Practicing being assertive is not easy, but it’s necessary when it comes to cultivating healthy relationships.
It’s important to understand that learning how to say no takes practice, especially if it’s not something we’re used to. On more than one occasion, I’ve gone out with friends and when I was the only one who wanted to be home by midnight, I lacked the courage to stand up for myself, sacrificing my own needs by staying out until 3 a.m. instead. I suffered through a lot of parties and boring shifts at work because I wanted to earn someone else’s approval.
Why do we constantly feel the need to justify our behaviour when we don’t owe anybody an explanation for our decisions? I think the answer is fear. I’ve come to realize that we get so caught up by our fear of rejection that we make up lame excuses, become overly apologetic or tell white lies to avoid spotting disappointment on other people’s faces. Instead of being brave and respecting our limits, we say yes, then pray for the flu so we can
cancel plans made with friends or call in sick to work. We want safety and familiarity, so we opt for being liked by our peers, family, friends or significant other, all in the name of approval and fitting in. Sometimes, that can lead to other people walking all over us and treating us like shit. Then we often resolve to find someone to blame for our misery. But the real question is who’s to be held responsible? Most of the time, it’s us.
ILLUSTRATION STEPHANIE WU/THE UBYSSEY
Setting clear boundaries and respecting our limits as well as communicating our needs is a matter of cultivating self-love. It can be hard to advocate for ourselves, but the good news is that we get the opportunity to practice and improve everyday. Being firm and persistent requires consistent time and effort, but I think that believing in our rights, speaking up and doing the best we can under the circumstances is truly a rewarding process. U
ADVICE //
Ask Natalie: Summertime sadness For solid advice, head to a local nursery — NOT the garden centre of a store — and ask the people there. I’m not an expert by a long shot, so I can’t give you any more advice than this. My plants seem to have a 50/50 chance of making it through the winter.
“Dear Natalie, Summer’s nearly gone and I feel like I have not made the most use of it. How can we study and still enjoy the fall school term at the same time?”
FILE PHOTO MACKENZIE WALKER/THE UBYSSEY
Summer’s nearly gone and I feel like I have not made the most use of it.
Natalie Morris Advice Columnist
“Dear Natalie, Is it a bad idea to start gardening when July is nearly over?” Well, July is now over, but it’s never too late to start an indoor
garden. Grab a pot that drains, some seeds or a potted plant, and get ready to liven up your house over the fall and winter. Make sure you get a big enough pot and that the pot has either rocks at the bottom or draining abilities (preferably both). Get rich soil or some way
of giving your plants vitamins if you’re not planning on changing out the soil often. Water often or as directed. Good starter indoor plants include aloe, spider plants and English ivy. Flowers tend to be a little touchy and thrive less indoors, especially for beginners.
I find many people during the school term have trouble justifying a night out because they know they have school work to do. The problem with that is if you don’t give yourself time away from school, then you won’t be able to fully engage yourself in that school work. The best solution that I’ve found for when it gets hard to let go of school — even when you’re away — is to categorize your time. Give yourself, say, two hours to get through six chapters or whatever portion of your work you’d like to realistically get through. That’s all you need to do. After those six chapters, you get to go out and have fun. This also helps when making plans because you should know exactly when you’re free. This works too with work and other activities. It may be annoying to plan out your whole day in advance, but you should
be set to move things around if something you want to do comes up. For example, you may have to schedule a whole night of paper writing, but then you can get Tuesday night free for your friend’s birthday party. If you can stick to your schedule, then you shouldn’t feel guilty about having a healthy social life. Having time to relax and be social is an important part of your mental health. Overworking or stressing constantly will only lead to more stress. Similar to how you need a rest after a long workout, you need to give your brain a break sometimes. “Dear Natalie, How did you make popcorn without engulfing the entire office in smoke? Sincerely, Hungry” Dear Hungry, If this is the Ubyssey office, please don’t fill it in smoke. We may have windows now, but they are not that big. Never use the “popcorn” button. What you want to do is look on the bag for suggested times and pick something slightly on the lower end. Listen to your corn as it pops and when you hear 1-2 seconds in between pops, you know you’re ready. Live long and popcorn. Need advice? Contact Natalie anonymously at asknatalie@ubyssey. ca or at ubyssey.ca/advice and have your questions answered! U
SCIENCE
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITOR KOBY MICHAELS
INNOVATION //
UBC developing microneedle technology Andrea Gonzalez Contributor
Are you scared to go to the doctor because you hate needles? New UBC technology may ensure that you never have to see a needle again. Researchers at UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences and Engineering, in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland, have developed a painless, minimally invasive and inexpensive microneedle drug monitoring system that could potentially replace needles used for blood draws and vaccines. The microneedle monitoring system was developed out of a research collaboration between Urs Hafeli, associate professor in UBC’s faculty of pharmaceutical sciences; Boris Stoeber, professor in UBC’s faculty of applied sciences; PhD student Sahan Ranamukhaarachchi, previous PhD student Iman Mansoor and researchers in the Paul Scherrer Institute. “The technology of microneedles has been around for some time now, but the microneedle drug monitoring system is a new idea. Microneedles are actually less than a millimetre in length and they can be used equally effectively as hypodermic
needles for applications such as vaccinations and blood draws. We target skin layers with microneedles and the main benefit of that for patients is that it’s pain-free and there’s absolutely no bleeding or anything associated with that,” said Ranamukhaarachchi, a Vanier scholar in UBC’s faculties of applied science and pharmaceutical sciences. Ranamukhaarachchi explained that microneedles work by going through the outermost layer of your skin, called the stratum corneum, a 10 to 20 millimetre layer of dead cells that provides mechanical strength and is a protective shield against external factors. The needles can then access tissue under the layer and deliver a variety of drugs. “In collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute, we were able to develop the microneedle device and combine it with sensing elements so we can extract a little bit from the skin and actually detect what’s in there. So in terms of drug monitoring systems, this can potentially eliminate the need for blood draws. We can extract less than a millionth of a milliliter of fluid — a typical blood draw — and monitor drug levels equally effectively in lab conditions.” said Ranamukhaarachchi. At the moment the research
ILLUSTRATION JERRY YIN/THE UBYSSEY
The microneedles could be used for drawing blood and delivering vaccines.
team at UBC is focusing on two venues for the microneedle monitoring system — drug delivery and drug monitoring. Looking ahead, the team is also exploring other applications for microneedles, such as the delivery of anaesthetics in dentistry. In addition to allowing patients who are needle phobic to receive treatment, for patients receiving cosmetic treatment such as botox, microneedle technology could be used in areas where the skin is thinner and closer to bones, and therefore the likelihood of bleeding or pain is higher. The microneedle technology
is being commercialized by Microdermics Inc. — a UBC offshoot company started by Stoeber, Hafeli and Ranamukhaarachchi — and could potentially be self-administrable, so you don’t actually need to go to a clinic or have a trained professional administer the injection. “Some day we envision that we could also mail out some of the vaccines right to your home and you can just use the device yourself. So it would be almost like using an insulin pen, but without the pain or bleeding.” added Ranamukhaarachchi. U
Marijuana 101: a beginner’s guide to weed used on campus — everyone knows cigarettes cause cancer. Everyone knows that alcohol damages the liver. However, the majority of people don’t know what marijuana does to the body. MARIJUANA OVERDOSE
Qadeem Salehmohamed Contributor
Here in Vancouver, weed culture is ubiquitous, and university gives students the freedom to experiment with drugs. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit substance at Canadian universities. For many new students at UBC, weed will be the first drug they try. While marijuana legalization is coming, weed is currently illegal in Canada with the exception of medical usage. However, laws against recreational use are not typically enforced by police. People who use recreational cannabis usually do so in social settings for its euphoric and relaxing effects. “I smoke weed about one or two times per week — it’s a social
FILE PHOTO STEVEN DURFEE/THE UBYSSEY
thing,” said Zach, a UBC student who wished to remain anonymous. According to Zach, “everything seems newer … like you experience things at a different level.” “You feel more relaxed,” said James, another UBC student. “The biggest advantage to smoking weed [is that] it feels nice.” Of course, things can always go wrong. While a bad time on weed is less likely and less intense than, say, LSD, the potential for paranoia and pretty significant mental discomfort is there. If you choose to partake, always be sure to do so in a place you feel comfortable and with people who make you feel good. Before trying weed, new students should have some basic knowledge about the health effects of cannabis on the body. Consider other common drugs
ARCHITECTURE //
Why the Tall Wood Building is fireproof Samuel Du Bois and Koby Michaels Culture Editor and Science Editor
DRUGS //
Be smart, kids.
12
MARIJUANA AND SCHIZOPHRENIA
When activists highlight marijuana’s safety, they often assert that it is impossible to overdose on weed. However, cannabis overdose, while extremely rare, is possible. One of marijuana’s effects is that it increases strain on the cardiovascular system. Researchers estimate that the risk of a heart attack is almost five times higher one hour after taking cannabis. Too much marijuana can also, in rare cases, cause stroke. When people say that it is impossible to overdose on marijuana, they are implying that the drug must be safe. This is misleading. The potential to overdose is not the only thing that determines a drug’s safety. It is also extremely difficult to overdose on tobacco smoke, but no one would say that cigarettes are safe.
A large set of data shows that using marijuana, especially during youth, likely increases the chances of developing psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. This effect is dose-dependent, meaning the more cannabis used, the greater the risk. One study from New Zealand found that daily use of cannabis increased the risk of psychosis by 2.3 to 3.3 times. While it is possible that marijuana causes psychotic disorders, there is some uncertainty. It is possible that another factor could explain both the marijuana use and the psychosis. The most common alternate explanation for this association is that people with schizophrenia self-medicate with marijuana. Think of it like the chicken or the egg question — which came first? It is not yet clear whether marijuana causes schizophrenia or whether people who are likely to develop schizophrenia are more likely to use marijuana.
MARIJUANA AND LUNG CANCER
SO IS IT SAFE?
A study from Ontario found that marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke are quite similar. Both contain large amounts of tar, as well as ammonia and hydrogen cyanide. Research has shown that smoking large amounts of marijuana causes the same pre-cancerous changes to lung cells that we see in cigarette smokers. However, it is unclear if this actually progresses to lung cancer.
It is important to note that most negative effects of marijuana are relatively rare. One should also keep marijuana in context of other drugs. Compared to alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana is relatively safe. That does not mean, however, that it is completely safe. Students who are looking to try weed should know that there are risks to cannabis use, just like every other drug out there. U
Contrasting Walter Gage like day to night, the Tall Wood Building, officially named Brock Commons, has been rising up on the horizon of campus at an impressive speed and with a refreshingly new aesthetic. In a campus largely dominated by glass and concrete, to have a structure whose composition is largely woodbased marks a remarkably bold move on the part of those involved. John Metras, the managing director of UBC Infrastructure, confirmed the building is ahead of schedule. The last wood panel was installed on August 9 and the last glue laminated column was installed on August 12. Wood is not uncommon in modern architecture, UBC’s campus being an excellent example. However, in most cases its usage rarely exceeds a stylistic choice, with concrete still making up the skeleton or the structure. Brock Commons is the product of the lauded, Vancouver-based architecture firm Acton Ostry as in one of the tallest wood buildings in the world and had to get special approval because it exceeded the building code’s height regulation for wood structures. Russel Acton, one of the two principals at Acton Ostry, explained that the wood building is environmentally conscious, more sustainable and produces less waste that other building materials. It is also more fireproof that you might think. “Have you been up through forest fire country after a forest fire has been through? So you see all these trees? They’re standing and haven’t fallen down,” said Acton. He explained that fire will burn through the first layers of wood and then stop. “The reason why it stops is that in the depth of that charcoal layer, oxygen can’t get into the wood to keep the combustion process going.” Acton said that is why you have to poke a prod a piece of firewood to get it to burn completely. Trees use this property to protect themselves from forest fires. Sequoias can survive wildfires due to a thick bark coat that won’t burn completely. The tree is damaged in the fire, but survives, and can continue growing because the tree’s innards are unaffected. Similarly, a wood building constructed from cross laminated timber floor panels and glulam — glue laminated timber — pillars offers remarkably sound structural integrity, even after damage from a fire. When put under stress tests early in development, the wooden components were reported to have surpassed their expected breaking points, providing further evidence for its viability as a common building material, according to Acton. Acton said wood for the building is from land in Penticton and Kelowna. The building is scheduled to open in September of 2017 but Metras said the building should be opening even earlier, in late spring of 2017. U
SPORTS+REC
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY
EDITOR OLAMIDE OLANIYAN
13
MEDALIST //
Emily Overholt earns bronze in swimming at Rio Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor
PHOTO COURTESY UBC ATHLETICS
Overholt, 18, is now the first UBC student to win a medal at Rio de Janeiro.
On day five at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Emily Overholt won bronze in the 4x200m freestyle relay. The incoming UBC student competed alongside Canadian team members Katherine Savard, Taylor Ruck, and Kennedy Goss on Wednesday. Overholt, 18, is now the first UBC student to win a medal at Rio de Janeiro. Her teammate Brittany Maclean was replaced by the BC
native after Maclean fell sick. Penny Oleksiak — who tied for gold with Simone Manuel (USA) in the 100m freestyle — swam heats in the afternoon and her role was filled in by Kennedy Goss. Overholt also raced in the 400m medley final and placed fifth despite a hamstring injury. Last summer, Overholt swam at the Toronto Pan American games and came away from the competition with three medals. She won a gold in the 400-metre
OLYMPICS//
Dunfee finishes fourth in 50km racewalk at Rio Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor
The men’s 50km Racewalking event was an emotional rollercoaster for UBC Alumnus Evan Dunfee. After an arduous race on the fourteenth day at the Rio 2016 Olympics — which he completed in 3:41:58 and came in fourth— the 25-year-old was given the bronze medal after the Japanese race walker Hirooki Arai was disqualified. This decision came after Athletics Canada protested the original result, which had Arai in third place. With less than two kilometers left in the race, Dunfee had sped past Arai to move into third place. Arai followed this with a dash of his own but in the process walked into Dunfee, making him fall out of step. “Following the race, our coaching staff asked for a review of the video, at which point the track referee decided that an infraction had taken place,” Dunfee said in a statement released by Athletics Canada. The bronze win was compounded by the fact that he had
beaten his own Canadian record of three hours 43 minutes and 45 seconds. The BC native was an Olympic bronze medalist for only a few hours. Officials reversed Arai’s disqualification and reinstated his bronze after Japan led a successful counter-protest. Dunfee was moved back to fourth place. He had a chance to further appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international body that settles sport disputes, but decided against it. In his statement, he said that he did not believe that the contact was “malicious or done with intent.” Despite the heartbreaking finish, Dunfee did well —putting out a performance that he is proud of. “What a day, fourth place at the Olympics in a new National Record. I couldn’t be more proud of my efforts out on the course today,” said Dunfee in the Athletics Canada statement. “I know that I left everything I possibly had out there and I can’t ask for anything more than that.” U
Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor
The women’s soccer team are the defending CIS championship team. But despite a fantastic ending to their 2015/16 season, they started their preseason in a disheartening fashion. The Thunderbirds fell 4-1 to the Eastern Washington Eagles at Cheney, Washington last weekend.
But the flowing rivers of outrage can wait, because it’s still preseason — things are too early to call. This was the new head coach Jesse Symon’s debut game — he was hired in May, two months after the previous head coach Marisa Kovacs resigned. Kovacs herself had tied her first game to Warner Pacific Knights from Oregon before leading the
Vancouver Derby ends in draw
PHOTO BOB FRID/UBC ATHLETICS
Olamide Olaniyan Sports and Recreation Editor
PHOTO COURTESY UBC ATHLETICS
Evan Dunfee broke his own Canadian record at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Women’s soccer crushed by Eagles, shut out Cardinals
FILE PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS/THE UBYSSEY
MEN’S SOCCER //
The ‘Birds came out in full force against SFU, and SFU did the same.
PRESEASON //
The women’s soccer team are the defending CIS national champions.
freestyle. This came less than 24 hours after she was disqualified for an illegal turn in the 400m medley. She has also competed internationally in games like the FINA World Championships and the Commonwealth games, in which she has won medals or placed notably in. Overholt deferred her admission for a year to focus on the Olympics, but will be studying Science at UBC this fall. U
team to 11 regular season victories and the program’s sixth CIS national title in her first year. After her debut she said, “It wasn’t the result we wanted but there were lots of positive things to build off… Moving forward, we know what we need to do. It’s really early. We got some freshmen in the match as well.” The ‘Birds started the game out really well, out-shooting the eagles six to nothing in the first half. After an initial shot on goal that went over the bar in the 22nd minute, T-Bird forward Jasmin Dhanda scored in the 38th minute thanks to an assist from midfielder Sydney Jennings. But everything was downhill from there. Eagle Savannah Hoekstra, who came on three minutes before UBC’s goal, went on a rampage in the second half, and scored a goal in the 62nd minute. After about a minute of chaos in the T-Birds half, Hoekstra again got her foot on the ball to put the Eagles above the ‘Birds at 2-1. Hoekstra explains this quick succession of goals on the Eagle’s athletics website “I think teams are always vulnerable over the next five
to six minutes when you score a goal on them. We wanted to press high up in the field and snap right back into the game and that’s what we did.” Two more goals followed, with Eagle Chloe Williams scoring in the 69th and her teammate Jenny Chavez sealing the deal in the 85th. Still in Cheney, UBC went out looking for blood on Monday, pulling off a 2-0 win against the North Idaho College Cardinals. The ‘Birds found their stride and really put the pressure on the Cardinals with 12 shots in the first half, and 18 in the second half. Dhanda scored the first goal at the 74th minute thanks to an assist from T-Bird forward Shayla Chorney. Elizabeth Swoboda was substituted in for Chorney right after the goal, and she went on to score a goal of her own in the 83rd to finish off the game. The team has three more games before the regular season begins, which is ample time to prepare before they have to defend their national title. After this weekend’s disconcerting result, let’s hope they do just that. U
This weekend, on Friday August 19, the UBC men’s soccer faced off against their crosstown rivals, Simon Fraser University (SFU) in a game that ended in a scoreless tie. Despite the draw at their home in the Thunderbird Stadium, it was a positive result for the ‘Birds. The team’s preseason so far has seen a pair of painful losses to Oregon State University and Seattle University, with both games ending 1-3 against UBC. The T-Birds had hoped to improve their preseason record, which they did. The T-Birds came out in full force against SFU, and SFU did the same. Both matched each other for most of the game. The first half saw only one shot on goal from each team, and although the game ramped up in the second half SFU had four shots on goal and UBC had five. The game was also riddled with a total of 31 fouls, to be expected from a derby match, but only one yellow card. Chad Bush— the solid goalkeeper who kept the Thunderbirds Canadawest hopes alive last season— was as dependable as always, with four saves in the game. “It’s a rivalry game. We asked our guys to come out to battle and compete and they did that,” said Head coach Mike Mosher in an article by UBC athletics. “That’s a great starting point for us. If we don’t give up a lot of chances and then you have a quality goaltender in Chad Bush, that’s pretty darn good spot to begin with and set yourself up to win games.” U
14 | SPORTS+REC | TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016
PLACES TO BE
PHOTO AND WORDS BY RACHEL ONG
It didn’t look very exciting from the parking lot, but then again what really does? We parked the car seemingly too far away from the actual lake, only to be feasted on by the largest mosquitos I have ever seen. Itching to get to the water, I decided to run ahead of the group with my camera in hand, ready to capture something great. On the left was the “Rockpile,” which resembled its namesake. Families and adventurers alike were scaling the beast, fearless and bold. A thin strip of water was the only thing separating me from being up there with them, so I jumped a few logs and was on the other side in no time. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for everyone. As I sat, I watched in horror as a father attempted to follow his son to the other side. It was almost as if it was happening in slow motion — the boy would jump onto a floating log with ease and just seconds later his father would follow, and the log would oh-so-slowly give and slip out from under the poor man’s feet. All of a sudden he was waist deep in cold lake water, with strangers gasping, staring and flocking to help him. The view from the Rockpile was gorgeous and majestic with the mountains in the background and the lake in the foreground. The entire scene felt calm and undisturbed. The number of tourists started to dwindle as the evening wound down, adding to the calm. Beside the lake was a short trail that took about an hour each way, with a nice rewarding waterfall on the opposite side of the lake. It was spacious, tree-lined and extremely flat, making it more of a walk than a hike, which I highly recommend to everyone.
AUGUST 23, 2016 TUESDAY | SPORTS+REC | 15
“Wow, I’m out of shape,” was my first thought. Five minutes into the first hike and I was completely aware of my embarrassing, unfortunate reality. The uphill trek to Peyto Lake was “easy” as described by TripAdvisor and the many travel blogs I’d read. This was confirmed as I saw people three times — maybe four times my age — breezing past me. They didn’t even look tired! I had hoped that they were just faking it. It was about a 15-minute hike, and for the first time during the trip the weather looked like it was about to hold steady. With every step my backpack gained weight and my muscles began to whine at me. Meanwhile, the little old couples happily marched onwards and upwards. The path was well kept and trees lined the area, along with different ground shrubs and various other plants. It was narrow, but still felt larger than life. I’ll never forget the way the air smelled. As a city girl who rarely leaves the concrete jungle, I felt a little bit out of my element. The air was cool and forgiving, the trees swayed gently in the wind and the clouds rolled in and out as they pleased. Instead of a scorching summer, it vaguely felt like fall, and I definitely wasn’t complaining about it. After a couple more stops to catch a breath and a mental “you can do it,” we finally made it. The view of Peyto Lake was breathtaking and 100 per cent worth it. The star-shaped pool was filled with a water so blue it looked like someone had taken a picture, upped the contrast, brightness and saturation on it, and maybe slapped on a filter or two. This lake isn’t the most highly-rated lake on the list of must-see places in Alberta, but it definitely made my list.
Lake Louise was the Disneyland of lakes, complete with its very own castle. I had gotten a sneak peek the night before right as the sun was setting, but by the next morning, it felt like I was stepping through the streets of Downtown Disney. The boardwalk was jam-packed with tourists of every sort: families getting group pictures, tweens and moms with selfie sticks, people walking their dogs, and even a newly engaged couple who jumped into the frigid water in their underwear. It was a circus of people and I was more than happy to get away from it with yet another breathtaking hike. The Lake Louise Fairview Lookout trail was a wonderful escape from the craziness of the boardwalk. It started to drizzle a little, and then started to rain a lot, but the tree cover was dense enough to keep us mostly dry and happy. The uphill hike was about 25 minutes of brisk walking and was considerably tiring as we stopped every so often to catch our breaths. Not many tourists seemed to have come up this trail, making it a serene trip with a rewarding view. The trail stopped exactly where the view began, where your eyes are greeted by the most perfect aqua colour. The bench, though wet, was also very welcoming for tired legs. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise stood by the lake’s edge, producing a postcard quality picture. By the time we came down, it was early evening and the canoe rentals were enticing. The little red boats were being pushed off into the middle of the lake with people of all ages paddling and coasting along. Sitting on the lake for a good hour was exactly what we needed, as we let the boat drift, enjoying the beauty and the silence. I hadn’t been canoeing since I was a pre-teen, so this experience reminded me of how rewarding it is to enjoy nature and get away from the fast paced city life. It helped me to appreciate how much beauty there is within our own country, and made me excited to spend more summers exploring Canada and its great outdoors. U
16 | GAMES+COMIC | TUESDAY AUGUST 23, 2016
COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1- Zaire’s Mobutu ___ Seko; 5- Judge’s seat; 9- Covered on the inside; 14- Confer; 15- Airline to Israel; 16- Ghana’s capital; 17- Palmist’s words; 18- Inter ___; 19- Daybook; 20- Chickaree; 23- Donkey; 24- U of U athlete; 25- Supermodel Sastre; 27- Gaucho’s rope; 31- Depression in a surface; 33- Competent; 37- Beyond; 39- Sun. delivery; 40- Historic Scott; 41- In spite of; 44- Bones found in the hip; 45- Actress Charlotte; 46- Roof of the mouth; 47- Not e’en once; 48- “Artaxerxes” composer; 50- Spanish Mister; 51- Group of individual facts; 53- Exec’s degree;
55- Business card abbr.; 58- Imaginary; 64- Pong maker; 66- ___ never work!; 67- Ship’s company; 68- Wait ___ Dark; 69- Film unit; 70- Versailles verb; 71- California border lake; 72- Woe ___; 73- C.S.A. soldiers; DOWN 1- Agitate; 2- Facilitate; 3- Hill toy; 4- Supplements, with “out”; 5- Lulu; 6- Joined by treaty; 7- Neet rival; 8- Woodwind instrument; 9- Big dipper; 10- Here, in Le Havre; 11- Final Four org.; 12- Goes astray; 13- 24 hour periods; 21- Somewhat; 22- Snare; 26- Bicycle seat; 27- Arrested; 28- French school; 29- Clarinetist Shaw; 30- In the direction of; 32- Ruhr city; 34- Skater Boitano; 35- Slow, to Salieri;
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JULY 26 ANSWERS
36- Gardener’s tool; 38- Layers; 42- Ceremonial suicide; 43- Twangy, as a voice; 49- Symbol; 52- Miss by ___; 54- Ball girl; 55- Tight; 56- Sicilian smoker; 57- Plaster backing; 59- Hot times abroad; 60- Bakery worker; 61- Harper’s Bazaar illustrator; 62- Action word; 63- Female sheep; 65- ___ de Janeiro;
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