October 12, 2016

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OCTOBER 12, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII | ISSUE XI SINCE 1918

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NEWS

CULTURE

OPINION

SCIENCE

SPORTS

Comp sci students aren’t happy with class spaces

Bachelor Daniel swings a dildo at the Granville Strip

Ask Natalie: Drunken helicopter rescues

How Main Mall’s echo chamber works

Women’s hockey guns for another successful season

THE UBYSSEY

PLACES TO BE / PAGES 12 AND 14


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OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE

EVENTS

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OUR CAMPUS

Steven Yzerman is UBC’s “Food Truck Tycoon”

THURSDAY OCTOBER 13 ARTS FOOD TRUCK FEST 11 A.M. @ AROUND BOOKSTORE

Have fun with live entertainment and tasty treats! A dollar from every purchase goes to United Way. FREE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 15 LIGHT THE NIGHT 4 P.M. @ STANLEY PARK

Make a difference and help the 110,000 Canadians affected by blood cancer with your illuminated lattern.

FREE REGISTRATION, CHECK ONLINE “You can easily create a video game out of my job — Food Truck Tycoon“

Leo Soh Our Campus Coordinator

MONDAY OCTOBER 17 CIVIL RIGHTS 1 P.M. @ THE GALLERY LOUNGE

Learn your civil rights as a student on and off campus. Free food and refreshments provided!

FREE

ON THE COVER PHOTO BY Kelsea Franzke

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

U THE UBYSSEY

EDITORIAL

Photo Editor Josh Medicoff photos@ubyssey.ca

Coordinating Editor Jack Hauen coordinating@ubyssey.ca Our Campus Coordinator Design Editor Leo Soh Aiken Lao ourcampus@ubyssey.ca printeditor@ubyssey.ca News Editors Sruthi Tadepalli & Samantha McCabe news@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Samuel Du Bois culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Olamide Olaniyan sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer Kate Colenbrander video@ubyssey.ca Opinions + Blog Editor Bailey Ramsay opinions@ubyssey.ca Science Editor Koby Michaels science@ubyssey.ca

OCTOBER 12, 2016 | VOLUME XCVIII| ISSUE XI

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LEGAL

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The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University

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If you have bought an item from a UBC food truck this month, you’ve had a taste of chef Steven Yzerman’s hospitality. Since the beginning of September, Yzerman has managed the food trucks and catering divisions of Student Housing and Hospitality Services. Yzerman describes himself as a “mobile chef.” While his office is located next to the commissary kitchen, located in the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, he routinely traverses the campus in his Might-E-Truck. “I’m very conscious about getting out to all the food trucks every day to make sure they’re performing [up to] expectations.” Beyond the day-to-day operations of the trucks, Yzerman is currently developing a new menu for all five outlets. While he hopes to bring his expertise and talent to the forefront in the new menu, he recognizes the longstanding tradition behind each truck. “We’re doing at least a 50 per cent menu change for all the food trucks, [but] there are definitely staples at the food trucks. [For example], everybody expects that you can go to the Hungry Nomad and get a really good poutine. Those items are never going to change, but the flavour profile may alter and change.” For the Hungry Nomad, Yzerman is incorporating products from the UBC Farms to keep with the “foragey, local forest vibe.” With the Roaming Bowl, Yzerman is taking inspiration from Asian street food and wants to offer “healthy, fast, snacky items.” He wants to elevate It’s About Thai by making it more authentic and turn the School of Fish into an Oceanwise seafood feast unparalleled by the other seafood

options offered on campus. “[With the Doghouse], we’re planning to take some different components from the other trucks and create new dogs,” said Yzerman. With shows like Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen monopolizing TV ratings, industry outsiders may envision menu renovation as a fun, creative process. According to Yzerman however, chefs spend much more of their working hours in an office, not the kitchen. “From a purchasing and inventory standpoint, it’s a business. It’s not for fun like you see on TV — creating a dish and that’s it,” said Yzerman. “[The menu] has to be cost effective, relevant to which truck it’s going out on and you need to have the inventory behind it.” Despite these grueling administrative tasks, Yzerman tries to make the job fun for himself and his staff. For Yzerman, cooking is an activity in which the stove stokes not only the flavour of food, but also the bonds between cooks and customers. “There’s something deeply human when you’re cooking. We have the opportunity every time we come in to work to cook food with our friends [and] that’s the way I look at it with my team,” said Yzerman. Putting the restaurant on wheels presents unique challenges and opportunities, which Yzerman relishes facing. “I love it because it’s like having five diverse businesses all at once. That offers a lot of flexibility for creativity, which you don’t get in any other culinary environment. It being in a retail capacity is really fun as well.” Indeed, his voracious appetite for fun and success imbues the unremarkable aspects of his job with a virtual, Sims-like quality. App developers beware — if Yzerman ever learns to code, his

PHOTO KATE COLENBRANDER/THE UBYSSEY

first application could be a smashhit game. “You can easily create a video game out of my job — Food Truck Tycoon, or something like that — where you get to design your own food trucks, menus and send them out into a little imaginary world where people could buy from them.” It’s fun, but reality is no game. Years ago, Yzerman was a dishwasher “sweating bullets till 2 a.m.” That experience taught him the importance of respect and integrity in the kitchen — lessons that now inform his leadership as a chef. “With food, you immediately deal with people’s health. I need to make sure that [my staff are] taking that into consideration that you’re not offering just a really awesome, enjoyable service, but that you’re offering sustenance to people, which needs to be respected.” But quality of food is just one aspect of the food trucks business. As the majority of his customers are incredibly price-sensitive students, Yzerman makes sure that the items offered by the trucks are affordable, even on a student’s budget. “This isn’t a major food conglomerate that’s here to take over the universe. Our mission in hospitality at UBC is to — above all — offer a sustainable service to students, faculty and visiting guests,” said Yzerman. “We are confident that our food costing processes reflect industry standards.” Yzerman wants customers to engage in dialogue with the food trucks team. “I encourage people who love the food trucks to continue offering feedback [to my email].” There is also a new survey campaign, Spill The Beans, which you can complete online or at any of the five UBC food trucks. U


NEWS

OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

EDITORS SRUTHI TADEPALLI + SAMANTHA MCCABE

3

SAFETY //

Student charged with assault, UBC receives backlash over untimely notification to students Sruthi Tadepalli and Samantha McCabe News Editors

At 11:30 a.m. on October 4, university RCMP was called to Totem Park Residence after an alleged assault against a women on campus. A witness told CTV News that the assault happened at Salish House in Totem Park Residence. They said that the woman’s attacker held a knife to her throat when students went to help her. The woman’s throat was reportedly partially cut. An RCMP release confirms that her injuries are not lifethreatening. Early stages of the police investigation have found that the male suspect was apprehended by another male following the alleged assault of a woman. “The man is currently in police custody and police can confirm that the public is currently not at risk,” said an RCMP press release. Further details about the assault have now been released, identifying the suspect taken into custody as Thamer Hameed Almestadi, an 18-year-old firstyear student at UBC. According to CBC News, Almestadi has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon. The suspect is expected to appear in Richmond Provincial Court on October 11 at 9:30

a.m. He has been banned from campus. There is currently a publication ban imposed on the case under section 517, sub-section 1 of the Canadian Criminal Code, meaning that during the course of the proceedings an order can be made at any time directing that information concerning the case shall not be published in any document or broadcasted in any way before the time that the proceedings are discharged or the trial has ended. The university has now released their public response to the incident, but some members of the community have expressed unhappiness with the tardiness of the notification to the UBC community more broadly. A few hours after the alleged assault occurred, the university sent out a broadcast email to students residing in some firstyear residences. It wasn’t until Wednesday afternoon at 3:40 p.m. that they sent out an additional email to the entire university. Dr. Lucia Lorenzi, who co-authored the university sexual assault panel report, took to Twitter to express her dissatisfaction with the way UBC handled the communication of the assault. “There’s always a real balance to strike here between making sure that the university responds without unduly raising alarm,” said VP External

FILE PHOTO KAITLYN TISSINGTON/THE UBYSSEY

The assault took place on October 4, in Salish house.

Philip Steenkamp regarding the complaints, “and I think [that] … we’ll sit down with Student Services and see in this instance, if this was the right approach.” “An attempted murder occurred on the @UBC campus. The university MUST speak out before the end of business day,” tweeted Lorenzi. “It has now been 27 hours since RCMP responded to a violent assault on a woman in a @UBC residence. 27 hours of #silenceisviolence from UBC,” she wrote in another tweet.

Lorenzi was not the only concerned party on Twitter — others responded in a similar fashion. “@ubcprez why am i hearing about a violent assault 2 blocks from me frm the news the next day instead of my university releasing a broadcast?” wrote rachel__jg on Twitter. “Only some students received an email about yesterday’s brutal assault. This affects the whole campus, it’s not an isolated incident #UBC,” tweeted Twitter user KimSnowden73.

Explaining the decision to send out the original email to solely those students in select first-year residences, VP External Philip Steenkamp said, “Student Services has to make a call about who’s immediately affected and what the continuing risk might be — they were advised by the RCMP that there was no continuing risk at all, so they made the call to contact the students most directly affected.” Santa Ono also posted on Twitter this afternoon at 2:41 p.m. to comment on the assault and release a statement. In it, he expressed his shock at the assault and concern for those involved. “Right now we are focused on supporting the victim and the victim’s family,” Ono wrote in the statement. “We are also deeply concerned for the students who witnessed the assault or who have been affected in any other way and we are providing the help they may need. “The suspect is the subject of an RCMP investigation and faces criminal charges and court proceedings, so we cannot discuss details of the incident,” wrote Ono. “As president, I am committed to working with senior leaders and all members of the campus community to ensure safety and I can assure you I will remain directly engaged on this matter.” University RCMP, with support from E Division Major Crime, will continue to investigate the crime. U

SERVICES //

SASC making operational changes to support more students

PHOTO TIMOTHY MCBURNEY / THE UBYSSEY

SASC is making some changes to their operating hours in order to provide support for more students.

Sarah Pribadi Contributor

Beginning this fall, the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) has decided to make several operational changes to their support service at UBC. It will soon be extending its operational hours to meet the demand of UBC students for sexual assault consultation.

According to Marina Bochar, volunteer and outreach coordinator at the SASC, these changes will include extended operational hours and additional supporting staff — changes which will effectively take place in October — and forming partnerships with BC Women’s Hospital and UBC Hospital to deliver on-campus sexual assault exams and forensic exams for sexual assault survivors.

“We’re doubling our staff team right now ... we went from four last year to nine [now], so we’re increasing our staff quite bit,” said Bochar. The SASC’s operating hours are also being extended as of October 17 — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, to an increased 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. all week. The staffing changes will also be accompanied by a new manager, as

previous manager Ashley Bentley is taking a new job with UBC. The SASC expects that these changes will make the service more available for students. “We think increasing our hours really makes it more accessible for students to seek support and also seek support at the hospital,” said Bochar. “Also, we collaborated with the sexual assault service at [BC Women’s Hospital] to bring sexual assault survivors for exams to UBC Hospital. [Ashley Bentley] had worked really hard to partner [with them], so then we’re increasing our hours to match the needs of the hospital.” The other reason why the SASC is extending their hours was to match student needs. They found that many students had classes during the service’s original operational hours. “I think it would just really help to encourage seeking support … support on the weekend and support in the evenings would be helpful for students to access what they need,” said Bochar. The changes were partially funded by the AMS through the the SASC operational fund and the Sexual Assault Initiatives Fund (SAIF). SAIF is a fund provided by the AMS which is used to

finance projects proposed by the members of the community to raise awareness around the issue of sexual assault. According to Louis Retief, AMS VP Finance, the source of the SAIF Fund originated from the $3.47 “sexual assault support services fee” that students pay annually as part of their AMS fees. These funds are distributed to both SASC and the SAIF Fund. Retief also said that the total amount of the funds that the AMS receives varies each year, depending on the number of students registered at UBC — and therefore the SAIF Fund amounts vary as well. In a previous interview with The Ubyssey, Narae Namkung, the support and advocacy coordinator for the SASC, noted that the funding is a limited funding, which means that it currently only goes until the end of this fiscal year. The SASC is working on further funding so that the additions can become permanent, according to Namkung. Despite numerous challenges during this transitional phase, Bochar still feels optimistic about the future of the SASC. “Once everyone is trained and we have our team solidified, I think it will be really great for the SASC and for the student body on campus.” U


4 | news | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2016 ACADEMICS //

Too many students, not enough seats in computer science Alex Nguyen Contributor

UBC’s computer science department and its students are caught in the middle of a classic supply and demand problem. Since 2010, the total undergraduate enrollment in the department has more than doubled. This demand is further heightened by the fact that some majors — such as mathematics — also require computer science (CPSC) courses. Due to this high demand, CPSC courses are oversubscribed, and many students accept long waitlists as just part of the department. The worst course is reportedly CPSC 310, which has a combined 250 students in its two waitlists for the winter 2017 semester. Students seem generally unimpressed. “There are a lot of us who have delayed graduation due to CPSC not knowing how to schedule. We miss a year of professional development [and] the costs are in the thousands, especially for those of us not from Vancouver,” said Reddit user PiperPrettyKitty in a r/ UBC thread called “State of CPSC Waitlists.” “If they had told me [that] the department was full, I would have just majored in something else. Yet here I am unable to graduate, but too late to switch.” Similar feelings of anxiety and frustration can be found across this r/UBC subthread and others, with numerous threads asking about the probability of getting into courses and ranting about the lack of action from the administration. So what are the problems, and what is being done by the computer science department to fix them?

SHORTAGE OF PROFESSORS The shortage of professors is visible. Some courses such as CPSC 410 are not available, despite their popularity, due to trouble finding instructors. One particular course called CPSC 426 was reported to “have not been offered for five consecutive winter terms,” according to UBC alumnus James Deng. The high demand for computer science and a booming tech industry are at the heart of the problem. According to Chen Greif, the head of the computer science department, the department is “hiring aggressively” to keep up with the large influx of students, but UBC is “competing with a lot of other [institutions] because computer science is hot right now.” The department has developed an interim and a long-term recruiting approach based on the difference between sessionals, lecturers and tenure-track professors. Tenure-track professors are hired for a long-term stay, thus requiring them to undergo a rigorous interview process. The success and length of this hiring process are also affected by the current competition to attract professors. “It is out of our control whether someone would respond to our ads,” said Greif. “We need to hire excellent people and those excellent people have other options too.” The current effort is to hire more sessionals and lecturers, whose stays tends to range from

PHOTO JOSH MEDICOFF / THE UBYSSEY

Students aren’t happy with the current state of the computer science department.

one semester to one year. Because of the short-term commitment and “aggressive hiring effort,” the process usually takes a few weeks, according to Greif, which is “quite short given the fact that it is multi-stage.” At the Waitlist Open Forum, a feedback session directed towards computer science students, the department announced that it has hired four sessionals for the summer and four for the fall. It has also hired three lecturers, but lost two.

SHORTAGE OF TAS Another large constraint on the computer science department is the shortage of TAs. Aside from the skewed ratio due to the influx of students, the problem could mostly be attributed to the pay, which is currently $14.90 an hour for undergraduate TAs. “I know someone who is a TA [and] says that ‘If I was not broke right now, I would not be a TA,’” said Henry Chee, a sixth-year student and current TA. “Pay comes up really often. People do it purely for the pay. It is not a bad thing — it is just the way it is.” Chee also noted that from his viewpoint, there tend to be more problems finding TAs for upper-level courses than lowerlevel courses. He attributes this to the fact that the complexity of the course materials means that not everyone can qualify to be a TA and that even for those who do qualify, there are more lucrative work opportunities for them in the booming tech industry. Better opportunities financially aren’t just found in the computer sciences field, either. According to Reed Mullanix, a fourth-year student, he made “more money working as a barista in fewer hours last year” than he would have as a TA. “I was also a tutor for computer science and math courses,” said Mullanix. “[I tutored instead of TA’d] because I can set my own availability, I can find my own client, I can set my own price. When you are tutoring, you easily

make five to ten dollars an hour more than what you would make as a TA.” Noted Greif in response, “[the pay rate] is not in the [department’s] control.” This has been confirmed by Peter Lane of CUPE 2278, the union that represents UBC TAs, in an emailed statement to The Ubyssey. “Of equal importance, wage increases are currently mandated by the provincial government, so even UBC could not agree to increase wages outside that mandate.” Aware of the standardized pay rate, some students have also suggested different forms of benefits that are not part of the Collective Agreement. Chee mentioned desiring “tuition credit alongside with the pay.” Jerome Rasky, a third-year student and current TA, talked about “academic credit … which could be equivalent to being in a co-op.” “I also do not have the authority to determine things of this sort,” said Greif when asked about these suggestions. “I can definitely talk to some people … I feel that the issue of pay is a very complex issue that involves a lot of entities of the university.” The department’s current strategy is to continue requesting students to become TAs.

LIMITED SPACES Capacity is also a factor. The most immediate solution is to move classes in high demand to larger lecture halls, which has already been done for CPSC 221, 213, 320 and 340. The department is also increasing the number and size of sections, but this method is constrained by the number of available instructors and TAs. While there is still much to be done to fix the issue, the overall increase in the number of seats has overtaken the increase in the number of students by three per cent in the last two years. A more long-term approach could be to innovate the teaching method. At the Waitlist Open

Forum, students have responded positively toward the idea of expanding online content. Recorded live streaming could also be used to resolve the capacity issue because lectures could then be accessible everywhere. Solutions could potentially extend beyond online learning. “There’s a lot of redundancy in third and fourth-year courses. Some courses are just a rehash of second and third-year courses,” said Deng. He believes that consolidating them would alleviate the instructor and capacity limitation problem because the instructor of the upper-level course could just teach a section of the lower-level course. To these suggestions, Greif said that the department “takes huge pride in innovative teaching methods” and is “actively thinking about them.” However, at the moment, there is no concrete decision or implementation plan.

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY While the lack of transparency and communication problem are not root causes, they have become a major issue for students. “I think this is where the conversation shifts from ‘it takes a long time to hire profs’ or ‘the department needs more time to adapt to a large influx of students taking CPSC courses’ to ‘we need to demand transparency in this process,’” wrote Reddit user palisadeviews604, creator of the “State of CPSC Waitlists” in the description of the thread. Others students also stressed the importance of transparency to them, especially regarding waitlist situations for each course, so that they would be kept in the loop and make different decisions if necessary. In response to complaints about delayed feedback to emails to the department, Greif suggested that students should “first visit the department’s very detailed website

because it says exactly how we operate when it comes to managing waitlists.” “The mechanism for [monitoring waitlists] itself is very complex,” he said. “What we are doing much more than before is that we have software script [monitoring] how the waitlists look everyday. We are also actively refining and fine-combing them to understand what exactly are the sources of pressure.” Aside from the technological aspect, he also believes that the Waitlist Open Forum, “a first of its kind,” was also successful at making the process more transparent. In particular, the priority system was clarified. As classified by this priority system, computer science majors are given first priority, students with majors that require computer science courses and exchange students are second, and all other students are last. The department is putting more manpower into resolving communication problems, as outlined in an emailed statement. There is currently one course coordinator for the department who helps with the logistics of courses and assignments and schedules TA meetings. The department is “in the process of looking and hiring for another one, so there will be two coordinators in total,” according to Greif. Five faculty members serve as undergraduate advisors. There are three administrative staff who “deal directly with the program and answer students’ questions. One of them also helps with advising.”

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The department says they are determined not to “close gates” on students who want to study computer science regardless of the current demand. This means that the department is now working towards closing the supply gap of instructors and supporting infrastructure. The timeline for this, however, is currently unknown. U


OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY | news | 5 TRANSIT //

UBC plans $22-million bus loop at future Gage student residence

Hopefully these plans make students feel better about all the construction they’re going to see.

Ana Maria Oproescu Contributor

UBC is planning to enhance the student transit experience by creating an integrated bus loop and residence development, scheduled to be completed by August 2019. The new Gage South Student Residence complex will include four interconnected buildings built on a podium above the new Diesel Bus Exchange, which will cost $22 million. The residence complex will accommodate 651 upper-year and graduate students. “Integrating these two things together is a really smart way to maximize use of valuable land [on campus],” said Andrew Parr, managing director of Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS). Construction on the Gage South Student Residence is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2017 on the site of the existing bus loop. An interim bus-loop facility — located between the new Aquatic Centre and War Memorial Gym — is currently being constructed.

John Metras, managing director of UBC Infrastructure and Development, expects the project to be “a much improved gateway experience for the university.” Metras explained that the new facility was designed with improved bus shelters for those waiting at pickup bays, as well as a more efficient system to move the flow of riders onto campus once they are dropped off. The housing complex will include a range of layouts, with studio units similar to those at Ponderosa and Marine Drive — spaces that range from one to four bedrooms and some townhouses, according to Parr. The complex will also include the 140 square foot nano-units, a model of which was on display to students in February earlier this year. According to Parr, the project was inspired by “the need to expand student housing and to do so as quickly and as effectively as possible to meet the needs of students at UBC.” “UBC’s desire to invest in partnership with TransLink in a proper arrival experience is a good one and an important one [for] UBC

PROGRAMS //

UBC to open new school of biomedical engineering

PHOTO COURTESY UBC

to make,” said Parr. This integration will help to build the social core of the campus — new amenities will also be added in the area surrounding the development. “That area of UBC was originally not dedicated to student housing — it was actually going to be a neighborhood, so more market housing and rental housing,” said Parr. “The AMS and students didn’t agree with that and began a process of communication with the university, which ended up changing it from that dedication to student housing.” Parr also noted that the project would contribute to UBC’s Sustainability Initiative in several ways by reducing the number of commuting students and using low-flow water systems as well as renewable and sustainable finishes. “All of our buildings that we’re building now are meeting LEED gold standards, so they’re very well constructed buildings with strong envelopes,” said Parr. “We’re very conscious of the ecological sustainability in terms of the development itself.” U

PHOTO ROWENA KONG/ THE UBYSSEY

Students will soon have a new option on UBC’s Vancouver campus

Salomon Micko Benrimoh Staff Writer

A recurring theme at UBC these days is constant expansion, and it seems that both the faculties of engineering and medicine are no exception to this trend. The two are coming together to form a new school of biomedical engineering that could see students entering as early as fall 2017. There is already a graduate division of biomedical engineering here at UBC that offers a master’s degree as well as doctorate opportunities, but the latest initiative seeks to implement a new undergraduate division within a new school specific to biomedical engineering. The idea has been floating around for the last three years or so, dating back to when Marc Parlange became the dean of the faculty of applied sciences. When he originally came over from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Parlange was surprised that UBC had not already created an undergraduate division. “It’s been an idea that goes back even some three years ago when I came [to UBC],” said Parlange. “I was wondering why we didn’t have an undergraduate major in biomedical engineering because a lot of research universities of the stature of UBC had already done that. Of course, some of them had already done that 60 years earlier.” The real discussion, Parlange pointed out, began last year with the appointment of Dermot Kelleher as the dean of the faculty of medicine. There was also growing interest in starting this program from professors at UBC who hold joint appointments in both engineering and medicine. In addition to the interest from faculty members, there has been a high level of interest from students. According to Parlange, “the students themselves have been great at organizing themselves — they’ve organized a student team called BEST.” BEST, or the Biomedical Engineering Student Team, was started back in 2012 with the “goal of designing health-related solutions.” More important than the interest in creating the program is perhaps

the actual need for biomedical engineers in Vancouver and more broadly, Canada. Parlange noted that the “knowledge economy of BC is growing” and engineering as a whole is a growing market in Vancouver, with the rise of new start ups and the establishment of other larger firms. “[The field has] been growing for quite a while around the world and certainly in Vancouver,” said Parlange. “But I’d say one of the key things is professors are doing work in biological engineering at UBC so that really gives us a position of strength. It’s not like we’re starting from scratch.” Elizabeth Croft, associate dean of education and professional development in the faculty of applied sciences, explained how biomedical engineering is the fastest growing sector within engineering across the continent. She also explained how there is an estimated need for 100 new engineers in that sector alone every year. The current plan to financially get this program off the ground, according to Croft, is to have the faculty of applied sciences work jointly with the faculty of medicine and the Office of the Provost to invest in the program and hire new staff. Eventually, Croft hopes to secure provincial funding to help continue building the program. Other Canadian universities have acted similarly to UBC — McGill recently started its first year of an undergraduate biomedical engineering program this fall. Partnership between UBC and other Canadian schools like McGill and the University of Toronto can be expected, according to Croft and Parlange. Parlange also mentioned the University of Washington as a “very strong biomedical engineering school,” noting that there are plans for partnership between the two institutions as well as with firms in and around the Cascadia corridor. Faculty involved are hopeful that funding, investment, staff and other variables will all come together in the immediate future and that enrollment will start soon for the new undergraduate program. Croft is hoping that a small group of students will be able to enter second year as early as the first term of next school year. U


CULTURE

OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

EDITOR SAMUEL DU BOIS

NIGHT TIMES II These nocturnal dreams are excerpted from Night Times at the Press Bar, located in the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery on campus. Record your dreams and contribute to the next issue of Night Times at the Belkin as part of Julia Feyrer and Tamara Henderson: The Last Waves, on through December 4. For more information about the exhibition, visit belkin.ubc.ca September 23, 2016 I was mth was rejuvenating. s always frighten me. Its war cat why ing der won and cat a cuddling

September 28, 2016 I dream about people I have no business dreaming about, or even thinking about for that matter.

September 27, 2016 I dreamed about you again last night. I still love you.

September 28, 2016 Poetry I dreamt I was writing a book of ing a book of poetry. I dreamt I I dreamt I was writing a book of trying to burn a book of poetry. etry won’t burn. The little book

poetry. I dreamt I was writing a book of poetry. I dreamt I was writwas writing a book of poetry. I dreamt I was writi ng a book of poetry. poetry. I dreamt I was trying to burn a book of poetry. I dreamt I was I dreamt I was trying to burn a book of poetry. The little book of poof poetry won’t burn. The little book of poetry won’t burn.

September 29, 2016 I actually did cut my finger off, not a dream, reality.

October 4, 2016 I gave birth to a baby girl in my parent’s bathroom. My brother did not congratulate me.

September 30, 2016 a wedding I once dreamed that me and my family were at a weddi ng. I remember looking at my sister in her blue dress when I felt the sensation of my teeth beginning to fall out. I looke d down at the table where my teeth had fallen and saw only rice crackers, the round pale lumpy ones. I looked back at my sister and suddenly her hair was pulled back in an uncom fortably tight bun.

October 5, 2016 Last night I dreamt that I was flying over the surface of an ocean but I dove down and swam forever down til the water turned navy black and I swam through a city of sharks by the ocean floor and I never needed to come up for air and none of them hurt me, we just admired each other in silence and swam.

September 30, 2016 Where the grasslands meet jungle, I run with a man who shifts between human and tiger form. My hand meets skin and fur alternatively as I run my hand across him.

October 2, 2016 On the cusp of solving something, only to wake up and realize it doesn’t really matter, whatever it was.

October 5, 2016 I dreamed I was back in that big old house, you know, the one with many rooms…

October 4, 2016 My back has been hurting lately, so last night when I was sleeping, each time I had to roll over – which was a lot – I dreamed that I had to make a journal entry, like an accountant, and each roll I had to credit $400 and debit $400 to two different accounts, but I could never quite tell which accounts I was debiting and crediting. One was my back, but I couldn’t see the other.

6


OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY | culture | 7 FOOD //

THE CANADIAN //

Review: Bachelor Daniel sips wine and waves a dildo around

Previously reserved for faculty and staff, Ideas Lounge has now been opened to students.

PHOTO MICKO BENRIMOH/THE UBYSSEY

Ideas Lounge is a UBC secret no more Salomon Micko Benrimoh Staff Writer

Ideas Lounge is a wine bar and lunch spot nestled away in the courtyard of the Koerner Learning Centre on the very northern tip of campus. You can actually cut through a little path just off the centre of the Rose Garden to get to the fairly picturesque patio space. Finding it can be a bit tricky, but there are plenty of signs to guide you the entire way there. Ideas Lounge started a couple of years back with the central premise being to create a place where you could get a quick and healthy bite to eat while talking with your students or colleagues. Originally, the restaurant was reserved for UBC faculty and staff, but it is now open to students as well. The restaurant’s food and drink are all catered by Sage Bistro, located just on top of the restaurant. Soup and salad

are served in a buffet-style and regardless of what you take, you pay $15, tax included. There are also some desserts resembling little tarts and other assorted goodies, but they cost extra. Beer and wine are available and they are both four dollars each per glass. The service was friendly, the atmosphere quite nice and the food was decent for its price point. The salad bar is nothing too special — then again, it’s not like you would expect anything incredible from a salad bar. The lettuce and toppings available were relatively fresh and more importantly, healthy. The soup was a pleasant surprise. There are two options offered — my choices happened to be a vegetable soup and a salmon curry. I opted for the curry and found a nice blend of spices and vegetables that worked surprisingly well with the salmon in it. Add in fairly cheap beer and

wine, and you’ve got a pretty good and healthy meal — minus the beer and wine. With a nice view and location, decent food and a smart concept, Ideas Lounge is great spot for lunch, especially if you are a member of faculty or staff. However, it does not seem that the restaurant changed much when they opened lunch service to students. To better attract this demographic, they will need to think more from the student perspective. Paying $15 for soup and salad is not something that most of us will want to do. Add two entrée options for the same price and students will be flocking to the restaurant. Regardless of whether or not any changes do come, Ideas Lounge is still a cool spot on campus to go chat with friends and — more importantly — take a break from the insta-ramen to actually have a good, healthy meal. U

The Walrus Talks returns to Vancouver Presents

The Walrus Talks Africa’s Next Generation

Join eight great speakers for an evening of ideas and debate about African leaders, education access, youth, gender equality, social justice, and more Featuring

Pierre Kwenders

Kennedy Jawoko

Brian Mukeswe

Ivy Mwai

Musician

MasterCard Foundation scholar, UBC

Wisdom Tettey

Dean, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Science, UBC

Professor, Seneca College Program Manager, Education and Learning, The MasterCard Foundation

Sharon Shamuyarira

MasterCard Foundation scholar, UBC

Sina Yetbarek

Doug Ward

Tuesday, October 18, 7 p.m.

Buy tickets

Youth Reconciliation Leader, Canadian Roots

University of British Columbia Frederic Wood Theatre, 6354 Crescent Road, Vancouver

Chair, Farm Radio International

thewalrus.ca/events General: $15 Students: $10

Ladies night at the Granville Island Strip.

Sarah Neubauer Contributor

Do you know what’s really impressive? Like, really impressive? Watching an incredibly fit girl in heels spin around a pole using nothing but her legs, while simultaneously getting naked. Of course, on the night of September 30, this was not the main attraction at the Granville Strip. Daniel Maguire, a contestant from The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, hosted ladies night. He is infamously known as “The Canadian,” and is remembered for his well-defined abs and weird antics such as pouring maple syrup all over his body. Originally from Penticton, Maguire divides up his time between home, Vancouver and modelling gigs in Europe. As a strip-club virgin, I walked in around 7 p.m., totally unsure of what to expect. If you’ve never been to the Granville Strip, it is a nice vicinity with tall brick walls, soft lighting and of course, a giant silver pole in the centre of the stage. Maguire was introduced around 9 p.m., where he stood awkwardly on stage, sipping white wine and answering questions regarding his experiences on the shows. Maguire presented the audience with some profound knowledge — he was never attracted to Jo-jo, Vinnie was his favourite guy and he liked Sarah’s personality the best. Insight worth the $30 door ticket? That’s up to you. While Maguire was the big header for the evening, his participation in the night’s events was fairly tame. He helped the emcee pick out the free shot winners of sex trivia (70 per cent of women SAY they have an orgasm every time — who knew?) and sat in a chair holding his penis. “What?” you ask. Ah, yes. A classic ladies night game — the dick ring toss. Maguire sat in a chair, holding an impressive fake penis, while lucky women from the audience threw rings at it. At this point, the crowd began to get a bit hectic with the phallic excitement and booze kicking in. Some lucky birthday girls and a bride-to-be even got special attention from Maguire, getting some free ring throws in. Congratulations on your big day, Michelle! Maguire even lifted his shirt, giving us a sweet five second shot of his abs. Don’t get too crazy there, bud.

ILLUSTRATION SAMUEL DU BOIS/THE UBYSSEY

In general, the male dancers for the evening were mediocre at best. The first stripper came out in an army outfit and spent the majority of his performance checking himself out in the window. His moves involved pec dancing, a few floor dry humps and a whole 10 second view of his genitalia. Did you think that strippers were supposed to demonstrate talent using the pole? Yeah, me too. The second dancer for the evening was remarkably better, actually demonstrating some skill on the almighty stripper pole. With some acrobatic talent but questionable costume choice (do you find sweepers sexy?), he was significantly better than the first stripper. Unfortunately, Mr. Sweeper could not hold a light to any — literally any — of the girls. Ladies night, which lasts approximately 2.5 hours, ended abruptly when the Chippendale waiters were replaced with women in lingerie and a half-naked girl suddenly came up onstage. Now, let me tell you — she was so phenomenal that I stayed and watched three more women perform after her. They are insane acrobats with a level of flexibility and strength that is way too underrated. These women put on amazing performances. That’s right ­— actual performances. I don’t know what you would call the subtle movements and strutting that the first male dancer did, but it is definitely not worthy of being called a performance. These ladies amazed me — no, astounded me. I was totally flabbergasted by their unbelievable fitness — I can only dream of calf muscles like that. Also, all three of the women I saw got naked — as in, full on titties and vagina naked. Out of the two male strippers I saw over a three hour time period, only one got naked. It lasted maybe a minute and if he was trying to dance, I really didn’t get it. These women were completely naked for nearly their entire show, while simultaneously doing insane physical feats on a pole. I assumed that would cause some sort of chafing or rug-burn situation, but what does the strip-club virgin know? So, what is my big takeaway from Daniel Maguire Hosts Ladies Night? Magic Mike is a scam, ladies and gentlemen. Female strippers are way more talented, way hotter and deserve way more credit. U


8 | culture | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2016 MUSIC //

Wednesday Noon Hours are the perfect way to relax Maddison Zapach Contributor

Whether you are looking to squeeze in a cheap lunch date or just de-stress between lectures, the UBC music department’s Wednesday Noon Hours are a little-known gem. Just five dollars a ticket for students, these afternoon concerts have an air of cultured sophistication that is strangely disorienting at 12 p.m. on a Wednesday. However out of place it seemed in a day packed with ECON and COMM 101, this routine is common practice for first and second-year music students, who must attend a minimum of 10 noon hour concerts by the end of the year. Opera student Tessa Waddell doubts she’ll have a problem filling the quota. “At first a lot of us didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as it started, I was like, ‘Holy crap this is cool,’” said Waddell. Keep in mind that these are not performances by UBC students — nor by your English literature professor moonlighting in a middle-aged reggae funk band, although there’s no dispute about how hilarious that would be. The concerts are given by visiting or local professional musicians and cover a variety of genres — from jazz to Celtic folk.

Microcosmos performs “night music,” which is a fancier way of saying “fucking terrifying music.”

This time, it was a 20th century classical quartet called The Microcosmos performing in Barnett Hall, where all of the concerts are held. Based in Vancouver, the group performs “night music,” which is a fancier way of saying “fucking terrifying music.” Their program included one of six quartets by Hungarian composer Béla Bartók with

another related work. With its eerie, dissonant chords and modern-sounding melodies, the group rebelled against any preconceived notions of classical string quartets. When asked which of Bartók’s pieces she likes best, cellist Rebecca Wenham went with “#4,” on account of it being “pretty rock and roll.”

Despite the mild apprehension at never knowing when to clap, the concert was very casual — with many students leaving early to arrive on time to classes — and incredibly spectacular, even from the perspective of an uncultured plebeian. It is definitely worth taking in a couple of these in the next few weeks and writing them off as “midterm therapy.”

PHOTO COURTESY UBC FACULTY OF MUSIC

The performance on Wednesday, October 5 consisted of a guitar and fiddle duo who performed traditional Celtic music from Scotland. On October 12, concert-goers have late-60s “blue note modal bag” jazz to look forward to. U For more info, check out music. ubc.ca.

CLUBS //

Agapé Street Missions and students reach out to homeless

On Fridays, students will go to the west-side to hand out drinks and socks to those in need.

Charlotte Beaulieu Contributor

Through the years, Agapé Street Missions has sought to raise awareness among UBC students about the tremendous and growing problem of homelessness in Vancouver. Agapé — which means “unconditional love” in Greek — is about reaching out to the homeless people and connecting with them on a more personal level. That is why the club’s president, Aliana Carlos, is so passionate about it. “You actually get to go out there and see the impact that you make on someone’s day or someone’s life,” said Carlos. “There’s actually that one guy — I

think his name is Lionel — and we always see him every Mondays and Fridays. Sometimes he’s just like, ‘Oh! You guys weren’t here last Friday!’ He’ll remember that we come out Mondays and Fridays, and that’s awesome.” UBC Agapé Street Missions is a 100 per cent student-run club. As a club, every month they organize different activities such as sandwich making with their partner, the Directions Youth Service Centre, in downtown Vancouver. Once a year, Agapé also organizes a conference inviting speakers to raise awareness to the problem of homelessness. Their main outreach missions are their “outings.” These happen

PHOTO COURTESYWARISA CHAWALITANON

twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, and are times during which the volunteers walk around the downtown west-side and give out granola bars, Ensure drinks and socks. The socks were actually a recent idea of Agapé. “We started giving out socks last year, but we ran out towards the end because it wasn’t part of our main supply ... But once we started doing that, a lot of people started to ask for socks. So this year we’re going to make it part of our main supply,” said Carlos. But the donations are not solely what makes Agapé’s outings so special — Carlos describes them more as an icebreaker. “By supplying [the homeless] with food, or a drink or clothes, we’re

able to communicate with them, talk with them and ask how their day was. Just break down the stigma of why they are there.” Carlos is well aware of the many bad representations the homeless community often has to deal with. She points out that what is being repeated in the media and the public at large — about the homeless population being drug addicts and alcoholics — is not the only perspective to be had on the issue. “There are also some people out there that have a bad past [and they] come out here because they have nowhere else to go. I think a lot of the stories that impact me the most are the youth that are out there,” she said. Carlos admits that it can be a little intimidating or difficult to reach out to the people. But fear not, UBC students! Agapé is well prepared. Firstly, they have two planned routes through the west-side that group leaders get to pick, according to the number of volunteers who show up to the outing. Secondly, you are never left alone to accomplish the outreach mission. As Carlos said, “We’re always sticking as a group, just for safety reasons ... If there’s not three people, then we cancel the outing. We don’t want to put people in a position where something might happen.” The club also provides insights to its members as to what questions you might want to ask and what questions might be more delicate. However, for the president, it’s definitely worth it. “You get to hear their side of the story,” she said. Agapé is convinced that their activities can have a great impact on the community. Not only does

it give the homeless people that they connect with the ability to share their story, but the outings also have an impact on the students that volunteer. “When you talk to these people, you just feel so grateful for every little thing that you have because they’re struggling just to get by, day by day. It’s a good experience, I think. It’s a humbling experience,” said Carlos. UBC Agapé Street Missions does not seek to change the world in one day, but the club does cherish its mission to connect with the homeless people of Vancouver’s west-end and to raise awareness of UBC students. Carlos feels that, when studying at a prestigious school such as UBC, “you start to forget that there are people out there that are struggling. Just going out there and being able to see and make a connection with them raises awareness about the problem that is growing in downtown.” “You just see how grateful they are just even for a little piece of granola bar. They’re so appreciative of anything that you give them. It brightens their day up,” said Carlos. “It impacts your day as well, because then you feel like you just made that person’s day a little bit better by either hearing their story out or by giving them a little bit of something that they needed.” U Check out the club’s Facebook page or their website for more information on their events and on the different ways you can get involved.


OPINIONS

OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

EDITOR BAILEY RAMSAY

WELL-BEING //

9

STUDY ABROAD //

Mind your mind: What to do in case of a mental health crisis Their Campus: Daphnée Lévesque Contributor

One of the hardest challenges of being a student is learning how to balance academics, work, extracurriculars and so on. It is be easy to be overwhelmed during midterm/exam season and unfortunately, stress and other factors can take a toll on any student’s physical and mental wellbeing. The danger is that, when left unchecked, built-up mental unrest can lead to a mental health crisis and painful consequences. Everyone’s stressors are different, but factors that can spark an emotional emergency include: • Mental illness (depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.) • Recent loss (job, loved one) • Sudden change in environment • Relationship stress (romantic and non romantic) • Financial difficulties The following are coping strategies for if you find yourself in such situations: 1. The most important thing is learning how to recognize the signs that you might be heading in the direction of a crisis. They include behaviour changes (sleeping pattern, appetite), physical neglect/ lack of proper hygiene, intense

emotions/rapid mood swings or feeling numb and worsening symptoms of mental illness including suicidal ideation. Self-awareness is important and knowing yourself and your triggers so you can remove yourself from distressing situations are even more so. 2. Reach out to your friends, family or whoever is part of your support system. Make sure that person is a good listener you can trust on an intimate emotional level. Call them to ask for advice if needed or request that they distract you from whatever issue is currently bothering you. The important thing is to connect with them so they can help you determine which steps to take next. 3. If you still find yourself facing difficulties, it may be time to seek out professional help. As scary as it sounds to ask for help and open up, have faith that you will receive help. Trust me, the kindness of strangers will never cease to amaze you. Resources for UBC students include: • ESP • Academic Advising • Access and Diversity • UBC Counselling • SpeakEasy • SASC • Peer support group (Kaleidoscope, S.H.A.R.E.) 4. If none of those options are accessible to you or have made a

Coping with coursework in Bordeaux

“If you can’t visualize tomorrow, go.”

significant difference, consider checking in with yourself. If you start to feel hopeless or if the intensity or your pain is too unbearable, remember that it is not only acceptable but also admirable and necessary to check yourself in at the hospital. It is your job to keep yourself safe. In these kinds of scenarios, it’s important to remember to do three things — be responsible, advocate for yourself and reach out for help. If getting yourself to the hospital seems like too much or is not possible, don’t forget that

ILLUSTRATION STEPHANIE WU

you can call 911 or a crisis line — you could save someone’s life or your very own. Mental health crises are like being stuck in a violent emotional storm. If none of your current coping skills are helping, going to the hospital is simply another strategy and it can be compared to seeking shelter or refuge until the storm passes. It can become a matter of showing up for your life, standing up for yourself and fighting for your right to happiness. Like a friend once told me, “If you can’t visualize tomorrow, go.” U

DRUNK//

Ask Natalie: Hiding huge drunk helicopter rescue bills from your parents Everyone makes bad decisions. That’s what make us human. It’s fine. Repeat after me — this will be fine. This will be fine. This will be fine. You didn’t rob a jewelry shop or commit grand theft auto. You got far too drunk once. This will be fine. Talk to your support group, friends, your RA, boss or anyone who can listen. You can get through this. This isn’t the end, even if it feels that way.

You just got far too drunk once. This will be fine.

Natalie Morris Advice Columnist

“Dear Natalie, I got airlifted from Wreck Beach for alcohol poisoning. I had never had a drink before that night so I am pretty hesitant to drink again. I know my parents are going to kill me once the bill comes. I am seriously considering dropping out and I don’t know where to go for help. Please help me!!!!” Well, chances are your parents will be pissed. I mean, yes, you did have to get airlifted off of Wreck Beach and yes, that’s going to be expensive. But I’m sure your parents are going to be slightly happier that you... you know… survived. Alcohol poisoning is serious and there was a reason that you needed to go to the hospital.

Over-drinking, abusing alcohol or binge drinking can have serious effects and there is a reason that residences don’t allow drinking games. I drink, but I also know it is more fun to drink within reason. If you’re having trouble keeping control when drinking, consider pulling back and talking to someone, be it your RA or Student Health Services. If you’re not comfortable drinking again, don’t. You can still have fun without drinking. If you want to start again, know that everyone goes over their limit sometimes (that’s kind of what first year is for) and it shouldn’t hold you back from drinking in moderation. Of course, you should be following any and all medical advice you received at the hospital. As for your parents, you have

PHOTO COLETTE PARENT/THE UBYSSEY

to tell them before the bill comes. If you want them not to be super mega extra pissed, come up with a plan. That might mean giving them 30 to 50 per cent of your paycheque until the bill’s paid off or offering money that you’ve been saving for a long awaited trip. Tell them the steps you’ve thought of and mention residence (if you live in residence) alcohol training sessions you might have to go to. If you want to leave university, you can — no one is going to stop you. But don’t let one dumb night change your future. If you’re worried about the people you live with, don’t be. It’s only one year at your current place and you never have to see any of them again. If you’re worried about your parents getting mad at you, they will be, but they will get over it through time.

“I’m in love with my former OL from jumpstart. This person has had my heart since the moment I laid eyes on them. Their hair though.” Ahh, first love. Again, everyone makes bad decisions. Decide if you want your OL to be yours. Good luck. ;) “Are faculty-student socials worth attending? I feel that they’re a waste of time...” If your faculty is small or you want to do research in the future, it’s not a waste of time. If you want a decent reference letter sometime in the future, it’s not a waste of time. If you would rather not get involved with anything to do with your department once graduating, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to skip them. “Is it always bad to drink coffee in the evening?” It’s always 100 per cent horrible to speak in absolutes. U

Need advice? Contact Natalie anonymously at asknatalie@ ubyssey.ca or at ubyssey.ca/advice and have your questions answered!

PHOTO ALEX DYE/THE UBYSSEY

There’s no escaping Connect in Bordeaux.

Alex Dye Contributor

Remember how you spent the first class at UBC going over the syllabus and didn’t do “real work” until the second class? I was expecting a similar experience with my first class at KEDGE Business School in Bordeaux, but it was not to be. For my 5 p.m. class, we were delving into the subject matter of what creates a simulation at 5:01 p.m. and we were solving really neat mathematical problems by 5:30 p.m. This hit-the groundrunning pace seems to be similar across the board for classes at KEDGE. This pace makes sense because, unlike UBC with a twosemester model, KEDGE runs on a cycle model where each cycle is one month long. In each cycle, you take one or two classes for 10 three-hour sessions, with the tenth session being the final exam. However, some cycles — while still a month long — are composed of classes that are only a week long in duration, but still have the 30 hours of class time... just squeezed into a week. So since I’m on exchange until December, I will be here for three cycles, including one cycle with week-long classes. Even though I registered for courses in August, I only found out my first cycle courses one week before they began and I will find out my second and third cycle courses on October 1. I do prefer the UBC method of course registration where your schedule is known well in advance of the start of school, but learning to appreciate ambiguity is great as well! I’m curious how having only one to two classes at a time over a shorter time period will affect my learning. I have never taken summer courses, but heard mixed reviews — some folks felt their learning was diluted and others love the ability to focus on one or two courses at a time. With the jump-right-into-it pace, ambiguity and new timeline, I’m excited to discover more about my classes and the school system here as I continue to learn. However, I’m less excited that the online platform the school uses is the same as Connect, but oh well. You can’t win them all. U


SCIENCE

OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

EDITOR KOBY MICHAELS

10

CAMPUS MYSTERIES //

How that weird echoey spot on Main Mall works Emmanuel Villamejor Contributor

A circular bench in the middle of Main Mall would probably be the last thing you’d think of as an echo chamber and yet, such an oddity exists on campus. While I, a self-proclaimed Hufflepuff, want to believe that this phenomenon is due to the ghost of an over-enthusiastic Imagine Day leader cursed with an unresponsive group, the answer is much simpler than that. “The key thing to remember is that sound travels as compression and expansion waves in the air,” said Dr. Jared Stang, a postdoctoral fellow in the physics and astronomy department. “The neat part about those waves is that they don’t care much about direction. They come out of your mouth and they expand spherically away from you, going in all directions at once.” As these circular waves spread, a portion of them inevitably hit the benches and that’s where the magic happens. “The sound that’s going straight towards the flagpole or up to the sky — that’s gone. It’s that sound that goes down towards the benches — that’s what is reflected back to you.” Another crucial part of the chamber is the pedestal near the centre. It wouldn’t work out as well without the centre pedestal, said

PHOTO JOSH MEDICOFF/THE UBYSSEY

Wave interference makes your voice louder while cancelling out everyone else’s.

Stang. “When sound waves reflect off walls, they don’t necessarily reflect back the direction they came, but rather reflect at the same angle.” It is the pedestal that allows these waves to turn around and go back to the source, positioning the speaker in such a way that the sounds they produce bounce perfectly off the benches.

But the benches and the pedestal alone aren’t enough to create this both eerie and interesting occurrence. “The whole thing is setup in a circle. That’s where the interference part matters,” said Stang. Interference happens when two or more waves meet, creating a resulting sound wave that can either be louder — when the waves

combine — or softer — when the waves cancel — than the source. The entire chamber is arranged so that the interference of the outgoing and reflected waves creates the echo you hear when you shout while standing at the pedestal. Had the benches been arranged differently — say, into a square — sound wouldn’t have been reflected nicely.

It’s this circular shape that allows your voice, and only your voice, to echo when you’re at the centre of the benches — the interference drowning out your friend’s squeals about how their crush just doubletapped on their selfie. I’ll be at the echo chamber, repeatedly reassuring myself that despite what Pottermore said, I am not a Gryffindor. U

SPACE //

NASA and UBC team up to map an asteroid with lasers

PHOTO COURTESY NASA/KIM SHIFTLETT

The Atlas V rocket arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on September 7.

James Vogl Contributor

The scientific community recently celebrated the successful launch of the OSIRIS-REx probe. Its journey, however, is only just beginning. The probe will orbit the sun for a year before ultimately catapulting itself into an intersecting course with the asteroid Bennu using Earth’s gravitational field. After another year cruising through deep space, the two will intersect and OSIRISREx will attempt to collect a sample from the surface. The

studying of the sample will offer important insights into both the origin of life on Earth and even potentially what might need to be done in order to preserve it. Integral in the rendezvous between OSIRIS-REx and Bennu is a piece of technology that UBC planetary geophysicist, Dr. Catherine Johnson, helped develop. The OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) is a tool that “will map the asteroid shape in unprecedented detail, down to a resolution of a few centimeters,” according to Johnson. The OLA works in a manner

similar to radar, but instead of using sounds waves, it utilizes a barrage of lasers. The OLA differs from laser altimeters that have been used before in that its laser probe utilizes cross-tracking to create a much more accurate image. Having this data will give planetary geologists insight into both the exterior and, when combined with gravitational data, the interior of Bennu. Most important to the success of the mission, however, is the map of Bennu generated by the OLA in conjunction with information from other

instruments will allow the OSIRIS-REx team to pick the best possible landing spot which should minimize complications for the acquisitions of the sample. Bennu is of particular interest to scientists because it is a leftover of the solar system’s birth. A sample of such material could provide answers to remaining questions of how the Earth and its neighbors came into being. In addition, Bennu is rich in organic molecules that play central roles in theories of how life may have first begun. A sample of these molecules could answer important questions about possible

extraterrestrial origins of life. Bennu also is one of the asteroids currently classified as “high-risk” for collision with Earth in the 22nd century. Should an intervention be necessary to deflect Bennu sometime in the future, detailed knowledge of its structure and composition would prove invaluable. One of the mission goals is to study the Yarkovsky effect which describes the way that solar radiation can change the orbit of an asteroid. It is not fully understood and compromises predictions of an asteroid’s future course. U


SPORTS+REC

OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY

EDITOR OLAMIDE OLANIYAN

SCRAPE //

11

HOPE //

Men’s soccer defeat the Vikes 3-2 to top division Football is

back on track

Lucy Fox Staff Writer

Returning home from four games on the road, the Thunderbird men’s soccer team scraped by with a 3-2 win on Thursday evening against the University of Victoria Vikes. “For a lot of the good things that we did, there were some not so good things that were a little bit frustrating and disappointing, and that’s why it was closer than it needed to be in the end,” said UBC head coach Mike Mosher about the match. The ’Birds got the one-up early, with midfielder Titouan Chopin capitalizing on a fumble by Vikes keeper Noah Pawlowski in the second minute of the match. Zach Verhoven launched the original cross, earning him his fifth assist of the season. In the 12th, UBC’s defence was called into action when the Vikes made a break towards the net. Goalkeeper Chad Bush came up with the initial save, out of his net to block a shot. Vikes striker Keegan Lang rocketed the rebound towards the T-Bird net, but the defence came up big at the six-yard line, clearing the ball out of harm’s way. Even with the attacking push by the Vikes, it was UBC who got the next goal. Verhoven doubled the team’s lead in the 22nd, blasting a shot past Pawlowski from just inside the box. In the second, the Vikes were the first to strike, getting themselves

FILE PHOTO BORIS BOSNAJAKOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

The team is currently third in the Canada West.

Matt Langmuir Staff Writer

PHOTO PATRICK GILLIN/THE UBYSSEY

UBC solidifies their seventh win of the season.

within a goal early after the restart. Midfielder Jack Hill blasted the ball past Bush in the 51st, putting the pressure on the home side with forty minutes to go. It didn’t take long for UBC to regain their two-goal lead, as Chopin took the ball to the net himself in the 53rd minute. Crossing the entirety of the box, he side-footed a rocket past Pawlowski for his second goal of the night. Victoria put in a last-minute push towards net and caught a break as the UBC defence was caught flatfooted in their end. Vikes midfielder

Xavier Araujo sent a quick shot past Bush from the top of the box, surprising the keeper as the ball breezed past him. The 3-2 score line would stand though, as UBC solidify their seventh win of the season. The win places the T-Birds at the top of the Pacific Division table, with one game in hand over second place Trinity Western. Chopin also takes leading scorer position for the ’Birds, with six goals so far this fall. “This year I’ve had lots of shots, so it’s good to finish some — get some

in the back of the net,” said Chopin. The team now heads over to the island to face the Vikes again on Saturday afternoon at 2:15 p.m. “We[‘ve] got to defend better than what we did. Some of the defensive stuff was frightening to be really honest. It was quite disappointing,” said Mosher regarding the improvements to be made for Saturday’s game. “We should take pride in clean sheets and, you know, we let in two — we could have let in four or five … so that definitely has to be addressed.” U

HOCKEY//

Season Primer 2016/2017: Gunning for another successful season

Women’s hockey will be on the guard this season, as defending Canada West champions.

Bill Situ Staff Writer

The UBC women’s hockey team ended their 2015/2016 last season with a silver medal finish — the best season in team history. Now, the team is settings its sights on producing yet another successful season. The T-Birds have had a perfect record in the preseason, allowing no more than one goal in each game. Head coach Graham Thomas — who is entering his fourth year with the

’Birds — is impressed with the team’s performance so far, but said that last year’s Canada West championship title only heightens competition from other teams in the conference. “We got to be on our guard — we got to be at our best because we’re going to have every team gunning for us,” said Thomas. With the regular season now on the horizon, Thomas expects the team — which has a blend of both veteran and freshman players — to produce some good results even with the challenges that might come.

FILE PHOTO JOSH CURRAN/THE UBYSSEY

“We have a mix of new faces that are making our team better and challenging everyone, as well as having a really, really fantastic leadership corps,” said Thomas. Even with the departure of last year’s leading scorer Rebecca Unrau, the ’Birds still have nine senior players — the largest group since Thomas became head coach in 2012. Notable senior players this year include forwards Haneet Parhar, Kathleen Cahoon and Casandra Vilgrain. On defence, the T-Birds also have Kelly Murray.

“For me, I obviously want to continue our production of points,” said Cahoon. “Our team is a lot deeper than last year, so I think we can get scoring from literally any line.” Cahoon also said that on top of the skill that the veteran players bring to the ice, they also bring in a strong element of team cohesion which she sees as being an advantage for the team. “This year, our team is really a family. We do everything together — we just love being around each other and I think that’s going to help us on the ice,” said Cahoon. In the net, the T-Birds will be seeing action from three new goaltenders — Danielle Wierenga, Tory Micklash and Amelia Boughn — the last of whom was a transfer from Cornell University. Danielle Dube, Samantha Langford and Laura Taylor — the goaltending staff from last season — will not be returning to the team. Still, Thomas believes that the goalies have performed strongly and is confident that they will continue to play well in the regular season. “We’ve got all the confidence in the world in our goalie coach Pasco Valana. He’s been here with me every step along the way every year and he’s just phenomenal at working with our goalies,” said Thomas. U The ’Birds will play their first regular season doubleheader at home this weekend against the Saskatchewan Huskies. The puck will drop at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 7 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 8.

Let’s face it, UBC football did not start this season’s campaign like Vanier Cup champions. After a home victory against the University of Alberta Golden Bears in their season premiere, the ’Birds underperformed against the Calgary Dinos, scoring just one touchdown in a 35-8 loss. A week later, the team suffered the most disappointing defeat of the season, losing 20-10 during Homecoming in front of 7,834 fans against the Regina Rams — a team that had ended their 2015 season with an 0-8 record. However, the last two games have given the Thunderbirds a glimmer of hope. They recorded their second win against the Alberta Golden Bears in convincing fashion, obliterating them 62-0. It was the biggest win in UBC football history. Last game, the ’Birds won a dramatic contest against the University of Manitoba Bisons — a game that took four overtimes to resolve. There’s no doubt about it — this game had a flare for the dramatic. UBC tied the game 3030 in the fourth quarter and the game went into overtime. During that, the teams matched each other’s points three times before UBC finally ended it in the fourth overtime, with a touchdown to best Manitoba’s field goal. The final score was 53-50. Moreover, a big chunk of the scoring came in overtime. Quarterback Michael O’Connor was outstanding, throwing a total of 463 yards. This surpassed the 413 total that he recorded against Alberta the week before. In addition, O’Connor threw four touchdowns, while running back Ben Cummings ran in for two and recorded 206 rushing yards. With three games left in the regular season, the ’Birds look to be on the right track. However, their remaining games are against three tough opponents. In order to host a playoff game, they are going to have to finish in the top two of the standings. At the moment, UBC is third in Canada West and two of their last three games are against the two teams ahead of them — Calgary and Regina. Considering the team was also 3-2 at this point in the season last year, a Vanier Cup repeat is definitely still possible. U


12 | SPORTS+REC | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2016


OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY | SPORTS+REC | 13

PLACES TO BE:

Lighthouse Park WORDS KELSEA FRANZKE / PHOTOS PAULINE CHAN AND KELSEA FRANZKE

I

woke up on Friday morning to an overwhelming feeling of restlessness. I needed to get out — out of my house, out of the city and out of my comfort zone. I texted my friend Pauline about my need to get away and she willingly agreed to go exploring with me. Our destination of choice — Lighthouse Park. The early morning drive through North Vancouver was beautiful with fog lifting off the mountains in the distance. It was officially autumn — my favourite time of the year. The early birds were already out walking their dogs with coffee in hand and wrapped in layers to combat the chilly temperature. I can still feel the dampness of the crisp morning air creeping through the seams of my sweater. We quickly parked, bundled up and grabbed an old park map which led us towards the lighthouse lookout point. The trail crept between towering evergreens, with the filmy morning mist rising from the ground and a veil of fog hovering just above the floor of ferns. Upon arrival at the lookout, we clambered up on the rocks to get a view. The lighthouse stood just beyond the trees against a backdrop of low hanging clouds and grey water. Wanting to get a closer look, we carefully made our way down the slippery rocks, only to discover that our view was blocked by the trees. Slightly disappointed by the scenery, we sat atop the rocks and brainstormed how we could best climb down to the base of the lighthouse. We went back to the main trail and began to wander through the surrounding area containing small cabins. We followed a descending footpath which brought us to a gate. The pathway to the lighthouse was just beyond it, but we were brought to an abrupt halt. On the

gate was bright yellow tape with the words “Do Not Enter” printed on it. Hesitantly, we looked around to see if any people were nearby, weighing the risks and benefits of trespassing. With a look passing between us, we realized we were unashamed by our readiness to trespass and took a step forward, only to hear a noise behind us. It was a BC Hydro employee in his truck, unloading his gear to go work on the lighthouse. We realized that this wasn’t going to be the day that we got to explore the lighthouse. We headed back up to the main path and decided to go past the lookout trail to see if we could explore further up along the edge of the park, in order to get a view from a different angle. Wandering through the wet trees, we found a small path leading towards the water. As we went in a single file down the slope, the trees cleared and there we stood atop a meager hill leading down to a rock beach with calm water making small ripples upon the stones. The glade widened and upon scanning the area, an exclamation of excitement spewed from my lips. Leaving Pauline behind, I scrambled down the rocky slope and slid beneath a fallen tree to get to the edge of the water. With Pauline yelling at me in bewilderment, I waved my arms for her to follow, all the while signalling for her to be quiet. A large, spotted seal lounged on the rocks in front of us. Pauline caught up to me and we stood in silent excitement, gawking at the creature. Relaxing in the morning sun, the seal rested on low sitting rocks in the water, completely undisturbed. In that instant, I felt so appreciative of the moment I was sharing with my friend. It was calming and gratifying to appreciate being in the present, just the two of us. Upon reaching for my camera, I was disheartened for having only brought

my 24mm lens. In hindsight, however, I’m glad I forgot a zoom lens. Although I wasn’t able to get close-up photos of the seal, it allowed me to appreciate being in the moment rather than focusing on getting the perfect shot. After realizing the seal wasn’t going anywhere, Pauline and I began to climb up the rocky terrain to see how far we could go. Jumping from rock to rock, I was struck by a wave of child-like nostalgia, kept going further and further until there was nowhere left to climb. The scenery around us was stunning. The solid white rocks beneath our feet seemed to glow in the sun that was just beginning to peek out from behind the clouds. We could hear the water crashing against the rocks and see the deep-green trees stood sturdily upon the cliff behind. After what must have been over an hour of climbing and exploring the rocky terrain, we decided it was time to head home. Passing the seal on our way back, we stopped to get one last look before heading on our way. Our walk back to the car was brief once we managed to find our way back to the main trail, and our conversation consisted of how awe-struck we were by our seal sighting and how silly I looked clambering down the rocks to see it. Our morning wandering around Lighthouse Park turned out to be exactly what I needed — time spent in the open air and space to let my mind wander. Days like this make me overwhelmingly appreciative for people in my life who are willing to drop everything for me. Exploring the forest and coastal rock face that autumn morning and catching a glimpse of sea-life was amazing, but what’s more important is that I was able to share it with someone I care about. U


14 | SPORTS+REC | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2016

Places to be: Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet PHOTO AND WORDS TETIANA KONSTANTYNIVSKA LAYOUT MAXIMILLIAN HOLMES

I

t was another cold and wet September morning in Vancouver, with dark nimbostratus clouds and threatening rain. My friends and I were bored to death on campus as we had three days of the weekend ahead of us and no clue how to beat our boredom. Idly typing with my fingers on the laptop keyboard, I googled “places to visit in BC.” Images of the golden sand beaches of Tofino and crystal-clear Pacific Ocean water where carefree surfers ride eight foot waves coaxed me over. Three hours later, my adventurous friends and I were sailing on a small BC ferry towards Vancouver Island. We were inspired for the upcoming weekend in the beautiful surfer town of Tofino. However,

when we finally arrived there, all campgrounds were fully booked. Without a moment’s hesitation, we left Tofino in search of a secluded place to camp overnight. As we got to the first junction on our way, we saw the sign with the words “Tofino/Ucluelet.” Excited for the unknown, we decided to give this scenic coastal town of Ucluelet a chance. Relatively quickly, we found a cozy place for camping called Ucluelet Campground. In an hour, our tents were set up right in the heart of the famous Pacific Rim National Park. Surrounded by the beauty of the Ucluelet forest with its palette of the fall colours, we went to explore the area, specifically the Wild Pacific Trail. It was not hard to reach the

start of the trail, nor to follow the trail signs. The Wild Pacific Trail is very well constructed and wellmarked with plenty of oceanfront benches to rest. Even though the round trip hike was only seven kilometres long — we started from the Brown’s Beach and finished doing the Ancient Cedars loop — we spent the whole day exploring the picturesque views of Mother Nature. The frightening, but fascinating power of the Pacific Ocean — with its huge crashing waves into the black lava rocks — washed away our exhaustion and gave us a real second breath after the long hiking day. When we got back to the campground, it was already dark. Not only physically tired but also

emotionally over-excited, nobody could fall asleep at night. As our attempts to overcome the sleepless night were useless, we got out of the tents to watch the clear starry sky devoid of light pollution. Lying on the warm blanket and listening to the sounds of crashing waves, each of us tried to catch a falling star and make a wish. My wish was to go back there again. The following morning, my friend and I woke up to the crackling burning logs sound and the smell of food. It turns out that while we were sleeping, the male members of our team collected fresh sea mussels on the beach and cooked them. It was the best breakfast in my life, even though we drank hot ginger tea instead of a chilled white wine.

After this healthy high-protein breakfast, we took down the tents and packed our backpacks. It was time to say goodbye to this small but very welcoming town of Ucluelet. That morning, everything seemed to be different — fiery-red and golden leaves looked paler, the sky was gloomier and even the blue ocean water seemed to be darker than the day before. We did not want to leave. As I stood on the edge of the steep cliff and looked out over the ocean, I wanted to capture every moment of this trip in my heart. I remembered then how I caught a falling star the night before and in that moment, I sincerely wanted to believe that my wish to go back there again would soon come true. U


OCTOBER 12, 2016 WEDNESDAY | SPORTS+REC | 15


16 | GAMES+COMICS | WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 12, 2016

COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1- Sailor; 7- Implement used when rowing a boat; 10- Gone by; 14- Group of eight?; 15- ___ Baba; 16- Teen follower; 17- South American aquatic rodent; 18- Barbie’s beau; 19- Few and far between; 20- Capital of Utah; 23- Body of salt water; 26- TKO caller;

27- Horne and Olin; 28- Cartoonist Silverstein; 29- For instance; 30- Hair goo; 31- City in W central Israel; 33- Ltr. holder; 34- Mac; 37- Wide shoe width; 38- Intense anger; 39- Wade opponent; 40- Suffix with Capri; 41- Bruins legend; 42- Fam. reunion attendee; 43- Loss of memory; 45- J. Hancocked?; 46- Application; 47- Corker; 48- Japanese-American;

51- Vane dir.; 52- Dogma; 53- Characteristic of journalism; 56- Treater’s words; 57- Queue after Q; 58- Shoot from the root of a plant; 62- Nothing, in Nantes; 63- Ltd., in Paris; 64- Stir up; 65- Challenge to complete a task; 66- The Crystals’ “___ a Rebel”; 67- Spoiled; DOWN 1- Junior; 2- Euro forerunner; 3- ABA member; 4- Cooking wine;

COMIC ANTHONY LABONTE/THE UBYSSEY

COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM

5- Birdlike; 6- Actress Patricia; 7- Annie with a gun; 8- Shake like ___; 9- Skating area; 10- Package; 11- Encore!; 12- Perfect Sleeper maker; 13- Low cards; 21- Journey; 22- Cricket team; 23- Bony prefix; 24- Gaiety; 25- Sniggler; 29- Begat; 30- Garden figure; 32- The ___ Mary; 33- Rubs out;

34- Boatswain; 35- Of service; 36- Lulu; 44- Voter; 45- Tranquil; 46- Combines; 48- Norse god of winds; 49- Ancient region on the Aegean; 50- Ancient Mideast region; 51- Borden bovine; 52- Jewelled crown worn by women; 54- Flatfoot’s lack; 55- Streetcar; 59- ___ Town; 60- Sugary suffix; 61- Actor Beatty;


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