November 3, 2015 by The Ubyssey

NOVEMBER 3, 2015 | VOLUME XCVII | ISSUE X PUKE EVERYWHERE SINCE 1918

P / 03

P / 08

P / 09

P / 11

NEWS

CULTURE

OPINIONS

SPORTS

UBC students could present at Harvard

Student making waves with Mandopop single

Go get your flu shot

Football to host Manitoba in Canada West Semifinals

fifty-fifty BY twenty-twenty

THE UBYSSEY

ENGINEERING LOOKS TO BOOST FEMALE ENROLMENT PAGE 4

// PAGE 2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE

EVENTS

OUR CAMPUS

Veronica Knott takes on world, Board of Governors Vassilena Sharlandjieva Senior Staff Writer

TUES 3 NESTFLIX AND CHILL 8 P.M. @ “THE EGG” IN THE NEST The ultimate relaxation night featuring a movie, free tea and free hot chocolate.

FREE

FRI 6 ZUMBA CLASS 12 P.M. @ UBC REC

Take an hour out of your busy schedule to relax with some Zumba! Free healthy snacks are provided.

FREE

THURS 12 WATER WARS 6 P.M. @ UBC REC

Compete in a variety of challenges with your friend. In the water. It’ll be very fun. Registration closes on November 9.

PRICES VARY

ON THE COVER COVER BY Kosta Prodanovic and Aiken Lao

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

U THE UBYSSEY

STAFF

EDITORIAL

Vassilena Sharlandjieva, Matt

Opinions + Blog Editor Coordinating Editor Langmuir, Josh Azizi, Bill Jack Hauen Will McDonald Situ, Elena Volohova, Jeremy coordinating@ubyssey.ca opinions@ubyssey.ca Johnson-Silvers, Julian Yu, Design Editor Aiken Lao printeditor@ubyssey.ca

Features Editor Arno Rosenfeld features@ubyssey.ca

Web Developer Peter Siemens webeditor@ubyssey.ca

Copy Editor Bailey Ramsay features@ubyssey.ca

News Editors Emma Partridge & Moira Warburton news@ubyssey.ca

Web Editor Jordan Schalm web@ubyssey.ca

Culture Editor Olivia Law culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Koby Michaels sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer Tim Hoggan video@ubyssey.ca Photo Editor Kosta Prodanovic photo@ubyssey.ca

Sruthi Tadepalli, Karen Wang, Jessie Stirling, Vicky Huang, Olamide Olaniyan, Henry Allan, Natalie Morris, Miguel Santa Maria, Sivan Spector, Sarah Nabila, Sophie Sutcliffe, Rithu Jagannath, Samuel du Bois, Lucy Fox, Samantha McCabe, Ben Cook

NOVEMBER 3, 2015 | VOLUME XCVII| ISSUE X BUSINESS

CONTACT

Business Manager Fernie Pereira fpereira@ubyssey.ca

Editorial Office: SUB 2208 604.822.2301 Business Office: SUB 2209 ADVERTISING 604.822.2301 INQUIRIES 604.822.2301

Ad Sales Kenneth Chang advertising@ ubyssey.ca Accounts Abigail Pelaez accounts@ubyssey.ca

The New Student Union Building 6133 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey

without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received

by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

LEGAL 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

As the fight over proposed international tuition increases heats up, Veronica Knott will inevitably be at the centre of the storm. The fifthyear mining engineering student is one of three student representatives on UBC’s Board of Governors, which is in charge of approving the tuition hikes. Knott decided to run for BoG after attending one of their meetings last winter where housing fee increases — the subject of large student protests last fall — were discussed. “I saw AMS students really speak up and I sat there and I said, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to be able to articulate and to express and be a strong student voice on the board,” Knott said, recalling how she realized that student representatives make a difference in votes concerning student life. Knott’s responsibility as a student member of the BoG is to act in the best interest of the university, but she described herself as a “megaphone” amplifying the student voice and ensuring that the Board hears it every time they meet. Although students may feel that their voices are not heard on topics such as tuition increases, Knott believes the board strives for a balance between what’s right for the university and consistently listening to the students. “They do care … I think I would have given up on this role a long time ago if I felt like they didn’t care,” she said. Before being elected to the board, Knott has been deeply involved in other campus extracurriculars such as president of the EUS, chairperson of the National Conference for Women in Engineering, chair of the AMS Executive Oversight Committee and more than 30 other committees. “I grew up in this world that taught me that being confident and expressing myself was essential,” Knott said. Her confidence was cultivated by parents who pushed her to be brave and express her mind. As part of an annual family tradition — a family gathering they called a “bonfire” — Knott has had to perform skits in front of an audience of 40 family members ever since she was five years old.

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Veronic Knott is accustomed to extreme multitasking.

Going to an all-girls high school also fostered her self-confidence. “Our motto was about making a difference and empowering women,” Knott said. Until grade 12, it hadn’t occurred to her that women didn’t go into STEM as often as men — or in her words, that “girls didn’t rule the world.” As president of the Engineering Undergraduate Society in 20142015, Knott understood both the importance of being bold when representing the voice of students and the value of accountability. “I learned that you have to be transparent and you have to explain your decisions,” Knott said of the times when the EUS council challenged her to justify her decisions. By holding her accountable, they taught her to be a good leader. Her proudest accomplishment as president of the EUS was creating the Iron Pin Ceremony, an event in which every first-year engineering student recites a code of ethics and receives an iron pin. “It was probably one of the best moments of my life and I think that was a team that believed in what we were doing, which was about making the EUS a more inclusive place and a more welcoming place,” Knott said, noting that she still sees students wearing their pins with pride. But organizing the Iron Pin Ceremony was not without setbacks. “A lot of people were insulted by an ethics ceremony because they thought engineers were

ethical enough already,” said Knott, explaining how mean-spirited Facebook posts criticizing the event brought her to tears. That’s when engineering Associate Dean Elizabeth Croft stepped in and convinced Knott not to allow the criticism to get to her. “It was just one of those key moments where it actually really mattered because if I hadn’t had a female engineering mentor, I may have given up,” said Knott. Her leadership at UBC has made Knott realize that she wants to dedicate her future to impacting society and hopes to apply her mining engineering degree to work on environmental and social policy. As for her current duties, the proposed tuition increases will be discussed at a BoG Standing Committee on November 24 before being voted on by the BoG on December 3. Knott said she wants to take the feedback she is hearing from students during the universityorganized consultation sessions and “make the board feel it.” In June, Knott was the only student to vote against the original resolution on tuition increases. She thought the proposal was incomplete and left unanswered questions about how the changes in tuition would impact diversity. “Students elected me because they know who I am,” she added. “They know I’m a straight shooter and they know that I voice my opinion no matter what the situation.” U

// NEWS

EDITORS EMMA PARTRIDGE + MOIRA WARBURTON

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

CONSTRUCTION //

New plans for a Kin building Emma Partridge News Editor

The controversial Community Health Sciences Centre will not be built. The building, which would have been shared between the schools of Nursing and Kinesiology and the Faculty of Education, needed the support of the AMS to levy the student fees to fund its construction. In the last AMS council meeting, Kinesiology Undergraduate Society (KUS) President Justin Tsang put forward a motion to indefinitely postpone approval of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would have allowed implementation of the fee. The motivation for scrapping the MOU — and therefore the building — was that the school of Kin wants to change the scope of the project. The future building will be a kinesiology hub with students, faculty and TAs all under one roof as opposed to an interdisciplinary health centre. When asked about the motivation behind changing the building concept, Tsang that it was “just difficult because [the KUS] … was really the only stakeholder that had anything on paper.” The motion to cancel the MOU passed unanimously. According to Tsang, “This doesn’t mean that the CHSC isn’t moving forward.” Tsang says the referendum question will also need to be rerun. The first referendum was dogged by questions and controversy. Last March, a referendum to approve construction for the $88 million building passed. Make Your

Mark was a Kinesiology-funded, student-led campaign promoting the “yes” vote to the project. Kinesiology students agreed to a $250 increase in their student fees to fund the building, which would have been implemented after the building was finished. The first issue that raised eyebrows was the fact that separate faculties were also supposed to have a stake in the building, even though only Kinesiology students would be providing the whole $5 million necessary to fund the project. The Faculty of Education and School of Nursing were also supposed to be in the building, despite that it was mostly kin students feeling the need for a central location of their own. Another question that arose recently surrounding the CHSC and the Make Your Mark Campaign pertained to finances. Documents obtained by UBC Insiders through a Freedom of Information Request show that the total budget to campaign for the last referendum was just over $41,624 — exceeding the total budget of the KUS who funded Make Your Mark. Tsang confirmed that UBC helped out the KUS financially because the School of Kinesiology is a small group without much of an ability to fund large-scale initiatives. “The year previous, the KUS raised our yearly student fees,” said Jason Quach, KUS president during the time of the referendum. “But then again, we’re not even a faculty — we’re a school. We don’t have a large student population

Students have chance to present at Harvard

PHOTO COURTESY LEEROY/LIFE OF PIX

Josh Azizi Senior Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC / THE UBYSSEY

Most academic space for Kinesiology students is located in the Osborne Centre.

[and] our budget is always at the brink of capacity.” The financial issue relates to another major concern about the referendum — the involvement of the university. The spearhead of the project, Robyn Freiheit, was hired by the university to work on Make Your Mark, and was paid by UBC during her involvement with the campaign. Questions arose over whether it was a conflict of interest to have an employee of the university lead an initiative defined as student-led. However, Tsang disagreed with this. From my first year, I’ve known that all the individuals that have been involved with [it] have been passionate students from the very beginning and their vision was ultimately to have a space for students, regardless of what that looks like,” he said.

With the cancellation of the CHSC, speculation and discussion about whether the referendum was too costly or a conflict of interests is essentially moot. The school is back in the planning stages. According to Tsang, the KUS are in conversation with Kinesiology’s new director, Robert Boushel, who took over from Robert Sparks. Boushel could not be reached for comment, but according to Tsang, he and Boushel are essentially on the same page. “We’re at the preliminary stages of what this concepts is,” said Tsang. “Study space and things like that I don’t think students should pay for. But things like a gym that’s exclusively run by the KUS ... maybe students could pay for. But not at $250 a student.” U

TransLink seeks feedback on cutting the 258 Emma Partridge News Editor

FILE PHOTO GEOFF LISTER / THE UBYSSEY

As part of a package of proposals that also includes reducing stops on the 44, TransLink is asking customers for input.

According to TransLink Spokesperson Chris Bryan, a number of factors are taken into consideration when suggesting a package of changes and the company is prepared to make changes based on the feedback that they receive. However, they have identified the 258 as a more expensive route to service. Last year, the 258 was one of the most expensive routes on the road, costing over $6 per boarded passenger with roughly 200 passengers per day. “We actually analyze every single route in the region, all 212 … an important factor in our decision making is how much does it cost

CONFERENCE //

The Ivy institution is hosting a conferernce for undergrads to present research.

TRANSIT //

TransLink is seeking feedback on a package of proposed changes — some of which could affect UBC students by reducing bus stops or, in one case, cutting a bus line. TransLink has put forth more than 85 proposed changes to their service. Included in that package are alterations to the 44 and the 258 bus lines which end at UBC. In the case of the 44, TransLink is asking customers about possibly reducing stops and eliminating the 258 all together. At Wednesday’s AMS council meeting, council voted in favour of a motion to object to TransLink cancelling the 258 bus route to UBC. “One of the things we have been working is a lot of the short term improvements to bus service provisions that are available to our students. One of the bus routes that [provides] a direct connecter between us and the Westernmost part of the North Shore was the 258,” said VP External, Jude Crasta. “That’s why we strongly advise TransLink against the cancellation of such a service route.” The mayor of West Vancouver, Michael Smith, is also not in favour of the proposed changes and called the proposed cut completely unacceptable, according to North Shore News.

to deliver this service.” said Bryan. “But we also look at a number of priorities. You know we have to make sure we provide service in transit dependent areas and service transit dependent customers.” Students living all the way out in West Vancouver who may not be able to afford a car or other form of transport and could be called transit dependent. While there are other options in terms of travel to UBC — the 250 and 257 take a similar path — passengers would have to transfer to the 44 in order to continue making their way out to UBC. When asked what the AMS opposing this suggestion will look

like, Crasta said, “[They] will be drafting a statement to send over to TransLink and I have … a meeting with the acting CEO of TransLink, Cathy McLay, that is supposed to take place sometime soon. I’m just waiting to hear back and we will be stating that opposition to those channels.” The 44 is another bus route that changes may be coming to — the proposed changes affect the Davie, Nelson, Georgia, Burrard, Granville and Waterfront Station stops, according to Bryan. “We’ve found that, due to just the crowding that you find in the Downtown peninsula, it means that affects the reliability of that service so it slows things down,” said Bryan. “It’s quite a dense area so we see an opportunity to reduce the number of stops in Downtown, improve the reliability of the service [and get] those buses out of Downtown faster.” As one might have noticed, this round of changes is particularly larger. In fact, much bigger than the usual proposed changes sent out four times a year. The number of alterations can be attributed to the Evergreen Line being near completion. “That’s going to drive a lot of changes out in the Northeast like the tri-cities area, but it will also impact transit throughout the region,” said Bryan. U

The UBC Undergraduate Research Opportunities Club (URO) is offering grants for undergrads to present their research at a conference at Harvard University. The National Collegiate Research Conference (NCRC) is an annual conference held at Harvard by undergrads, for undergrads. Students who win the URO’s grant will have all travel, registration and accommodation costs covered. URO VP of National and International Collaborations Kevin Ng predicts that about six to 10 students will be able to win grants this year. “It’s an interdisciplinary conference. We would hope that we’d get UBC students from across lots of different fields to go and to represent the very high level of research that UBC has to offer,” said Ng. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference means there will be displays from the sciences as well as the social sciences and the humanities. According to URO CoPresident Jacqueline Siu, students who are interested in research will learn a lot by presenting at the conference. “It’s a very good chance to get a feel of how research at an international level is available and [how] it works,” she said. In particular, Siu notes how presenters will learn how to present their ideas to people from other disciplinary areas. “I think a big part would just be learning how to communicate your research to people not in your field,” she said. “Say you are a microbiologist: we expect you to be able to communicate why your research is important and why it’s exciting to someone ... in political science.” Additionally the NCRC can give undergraduate researchers a chance to interact, socialize and network with researchers in the same field of study from all around the world. “You’ll meet people who are in different fields,” said Ng. “But you’ll also meet people probably working on very similar problems and you’ll get to share how your approaches are different, how they’re similar and how your results may differ.” In order to win the grant, students must first apply for the conference through the NCRC’s website. After that, they have to apply for the travel grant to which they essentially explain what their research is about and why they want to go to the conference. The deadline for applying for the grant is Monday, November 1. Applicants must be members of the URO in order to apply. U

4 | News |

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

DIVERSITY //

Faculty of Engineering sets goal of 50 per cent female enrollment by 2020

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/ THE UBYSSEY

The Faculty of Engineering has created a number of programs to promote engineering to more women.

Aidan Qualizza Staff Writer

The UBC Faculty of Engineering is attempting to increase female enrolment to 50 per cent by 2020. The faculty says that the key to this is in education, awareness and beginning at the earliest age possible. To accomplish this, the faculty — along with student organizations — is creating opportunities for young women to learn and discover engineering and how it is a supportive and creative environment to be in. “We do have a situation where two-thirds of the members of our student body are men

[and so they’re] dominating the discussion,” said Marc Parlange, dean of the Faculty of Engineering. He stated that there is a need to go against the cultural tendencies of male dominance within the engineering faculty and push for more diverse representation. For Elizabeth Croft, associate dean of education for engineering, this is particularly important. “The biggest influencers of girls are their parents and teachers,” said Croft. She described how she was discouraged by peers and parents from entering engineering because of the cultural myths that surrounded the profession

and the lack of women who were represented in the engineering workforce at the time. This lack of positive influence when it comes to choosing engineering as a career becomes an issue. Many parents and teachers are not exposed to the environment and culture that the engineering profession and university faculties have developed. Therefore, they are unable to speak to its positive nature for young female students. “A lot of people think that engineering is a maledominated faculty and it’s scary for girls to get into it,” said Tirajeh Mazaheri, the Student Coordinator for UBC Women in

MASTER OF DIGITAL MEDIA INFO SESSION NOVEMBER 19th

Industry – Focused Program Startup Business Support 4 Major Canadian Universities Competitive Scholarship Opportunities

TH 6 PM JOIN US ON NOVEMBER 19 , 2015 at AT NORTHERN WAY GRE 685 , DIA ME L ITA DIG CENTRE FOR VANCOUVER, BC sion Register online at thecdm.ca/info-ses

a collaboration between thecdm.ca

Engineering. “A lot of the time it is a man’s club and it is hard for girls to get involved with the faculty … it is great to see guys coming out to all our [Women in Engineering] events because it just shows that they promote us and that they support having all of us women around.” To reach their goal, the Faculty of Engineering has created a number of programs to target traditional role models as well as young women in order to raise awareness about the realities of studying and being an engineer. Some of the programs that have been created include teacher professional days, BCwide student and parent outreach and workshops targeting young women in grades 8-10. The teacher professional days introduce elementary and high school teachers from the Lower Mainland to the faculty. The teachers learn about engineering from both male and female students as well as faculty members so that they are able to return to their classrooms and positively promote engineering to their students. This will potentially create interest in the engineering faculty within their schools and institutions. Along with the professional days, the Faculty of Engineering has created a BC-wide outreach program. This program brings parents and students between grades 6-10 to the faculty to learn more about engineering through workshops, presentations and activities. These aim to show parents and their children that the faculty is an open and inclusive environment where high social and ethical responsibilities are practiced. The faculty also puts on workshops for young women in grades 8-10 where they are encouraged and motivated to make a positive change in their environment through engineering and design projects. These events are completely organized and managed by female faculty members and students. This way, high school girls can meet women within engineering and develop relationships with women in the faculty.

“Showing role models to girls in high school can make a big difference in their future ambitions,” said Jeanie Malone, VP communications for the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS), in an email to The Ubyssey. “There are female UBC engineers who lead clubs like Engineers Without Borders, there are female UBC engineers who lead design teams and there are female UBC engineers who represent their department clubs on EUS Council.” These mentorships continue to be developed as women enter the engineering faculty as first-year students through the Women in Engineering club on campus, which runs events for male and female students. They hold events ranging from networking opportunities for female students with leading female industry professionals to social events. “I have met so many incredible women that I don’t think I would’ve if it wasn’t for this program,” said Mazaheri. “I personally didn’t know that there were so many girls in engineering who are cool, awesome, smart and driven … I want to strive for success myself. So to see other girls who are in similar mindsets as well — that encourages me.” Through these programs, the faculty and the student associations have tried to created a more inclusive environment for all students. “The nature of engineering is changing worldwide,” said Parlange, noting that the profession is in need of cultural innovation. Malone believes that a more diverse workforce will allow engineers to make great change and impact on societies globally. “When UBC starts graduating more classes with a higher percentage of women, we cause change on multiple levels. There are now more women available to enter industry positions, but there are also a variety of new grads who are used to working alongside their female peers,” said Malone. “This is how UBC starts to change the face of engineering culture [and] how we start to break down barriers and stereotypes. This is how we start to change the world.” U

// CULTURE

EDITOR OLIVIA LAW

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2015

THEATRE //

FOOD COLUMN

Cock: Intense, passionate, exciting theatre

PHOTO COURTESY TIM MATHESON

Cock was hilarious and intense. ILLUSTRATION JERRY YIN / THE UBYSSEY

Recipe to the rescue: overnight oats Elysse Bell Food columnist

Fast, healthy and cheap: the trifecta of student food that too often goes unfulfilled. Of course, these terms are all relative — especially with food. What is quick for one person might be more involved for another and budgets and diets vary from person to person. Most recipes I find only satisfy two of the three criteria, but lo and behold, this recipe is a refreshing exception, managing to meet all of the conditions that comprise the ideal of student food. I present to you my saviour from breakfast-less mornings and lunch-less afternoons in the midst of the semester’s inevitable chaos: overnight oats. They are low maintenance, require no cooking and almost infinitely flexible to dietary needs. You can buy certified gluten-free oats. If you don’t eat dairy, you can use non-dairy milks. If you have an allergy or aversion to any of the ingredients, you can substitute almost anything similar you can think of and it will still be delicious. You can also use things you might already have on hand or that aren’t a huge investment — especially if you buy them in small quantities from bulk bins. Below is my classic version, but there are many substitutions and combinations to play around with. This makes one serving and will last for up to two days in the fridge. Eat it for breakfast or pack for a delicious lunch or hearty snack! INGREDIENTS 1/4 to 1/3 cup rolled oats is where to start depending on your appetite. The oats expand as they soak, so if it looks meagre at first, have faith. 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk should match the amount of milk to oats. 1 tbsp maple syrup if you want to sweeten it. I recommend a liquid sweetener like honey, maple or agave syrup — but brown sugar also works! Just make sure you shake it really well. Err on the less sweet side because you can always add more after soaking. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and other spices are fun to play with. Try substituting cardamom, cloves, ginger or apple pie spice. But be sure to use 1/2 tsp if you do — these spices are stronger than cinnamon.

1 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds are good substitutions as well as chopped roasted nuts, sunflower seeds and hemp hearts. 1 tsp flax seeds or sesame seeds also work and add a nice savoury flavour. 1/4 cup blueberries are also lovely as are sliced strawberries, bananas, raspberries, pitted cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears or apples … The list goes on. Dried fruit is another option. Cranberries, cherries, blueberries, raisins, currants, chopped up candied ginger, dried mango, pineapple, apple and apricots are all delicious choices. 1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut is optional, but this makes it taste like dessert for breakfast. If you’re using sweetened shredded coconut, add less or no sugar unless you like it really sweet. 1/3 cup plain yogurt mixes into your oats in the morning to make them creamy and slightly more filling. INSTRUCTIONS Put oats, milk, sweetener, spices, seeds and/or nuts, fruit and coconut into a lidded container that seals tightly — mason jars or lidded tupperware are great. Make sure there’s a little air left at the top so that it will mix properly. Put the lid on tightly and shake. Put in the fridge overnight or for at least six hours to soak. Eat it cold with yogurt or warmed in the microwave like oatmeal. VARIATIONS/SUBSTITUTIONS If you want something more indulgent — though obviously less healthy — or think that chocolate deserves a place in your breakfast, add chocolate chips or substitute them for fruit. Use chocolate syrup as your sweetener. Add cocoa instead of spices. Add mini marshmallows and sprinkles. Or make a banana/caramel/pecan version. Go wild. I use rolled oats because they soak the best. Quick oats also work, but they’re a little mushier. Steel-cut oats would either need to be cooked or soaked for longer, so they probably wouldn’t work as nicely with this particular version of the recipe. You could also use an instant oatmeal packet, but you would probably need to cut out the sweetener and spices. Try putting peanut or other nut butter into your oats for a creamier version. U

Olivia Law Culture Editor

Depending on your level of maturity, you may be either attracted to — or wary of — the title of Mike Bartlett’s newest play, Cock, which is playing at Performance Works on Granville Island. While your mind might go straight to images of that kind of cock, the mise-en-scène for Rumble Theatre’s production is reminiscent of a brutal Elizabethan cock-fighting ring. John has been in a relationship with his extrovert boyfriend when, following an argument and breakup, he sleeps with a woman with whom he subsequently falls in love. Cock follows the conflicting emotions and guilt John feels between the two partners – both of whom are willing to fight to keep him. As tension and pressure mounts, a dinner with both parties is arranged in an attempt to force John to make a decision. The play is essentially a question to John: Who is he? Or, perhaps,

what is he? Less about the topic of bisexuality and more focused on the tension of John’s question of identity, Cock is hilariously witty and smart. Bartlett’s intelligent script is made stronger only by the team of four talented actors. John (Nadeem Phillip) is the only character to be given a name. He is the most dithering and pathetic — but endearingly so — of the four. M (Shawn MacDonald), John’s broker partner, is passionate, wild and desperately in love, while W (Donna Soares) is strong-willed but tender. These characters and M’s father (Duncan Fraser) all know what and who they are. For a play with a perhaps offputting title, Cock is surprisingly PG. Yes, sex happens. It’s very passionate, but at no point do clothes come off. There is very little man-to-man or man-to-woman contact, yet the tension and passion in the scenes are electrifying. As if to backhand the conventions of a traditional script,

Artistic Director Stephen Drover, a UBC MFA alumnus, uses nothing in the way of scenery, props or mime. The focus is only on the actors with scenes punctuated by eerie and somewhat piercing sounds set to cut out potentially uncomfortable and graphic dialogue. When the next scene starts, the audience is all too aware of what’s been cut. Philip is mesmerizing as the “hero” of the play, yet his character’s internal weaknesses are infuriating at times. The end of the play is perhaps a cop-out on Bartlett’s part and the climactic crux is maybe too drawn out for the 90 minutes of theatre. But this show is something special. There are theatrical conventions in the realism of the sometimes-mundane script, but Drover’s direction sustains the intensity and candid passion in every snippet scene. I definitely recommend this play — it blew me away. U

UBC Student Winter Golf Pass

A.K.A. Best Study Break EVER

ACTIVE STUDENTS - $600

ACTIVE FACULTY - $800

• Unlimited Golf (November - March)

• Driving Range – 90 balls for the price of 60

• 48 hour advanced booking privileges

• 10% Discount on Regular priced Merchandise (excluding equipment)

• Anytime on Weekdays, After 11am Weekends/Holidays

• Limited number available

For one lucky student/faculty member it’s going to be a FREE PASS! We’ll be holding a random draw to give this A+ deal away so you better come in soon. For more information come on by or call us at 604.224.7799.

University Golf Club, 5185 University Boulevard Facebook: University Golf Club • Twitter: @UniversityGolf • universitygolf.com

6 | feature |

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

G N I T S E T L A M I N A IS ? T I H T R WO IL

T ION A IK LUS T R A

E N L AO

/ THE UB

YS SE Y

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

| feature | 7

As UBC prepares to release its annual animal research data, critics continue to assail the ethics of testing on animals. UBC insists it’s necessary for medical science to advance.

Joshua Azizi Senior Staff Writer

Although it goes unnoticed by most students, UBC’s animal research program consistently manages to draw criticism from dedicated activists. As the university prepares its annual release of data on the program — which is expected by the end of the year — faculty and administrators continue to defend the necessity of using animal testing in the face of opposition. Over 216,000 animals were used for research on campus in 2013 — easily outnumbering the 59,659 students and 15,253 staff members at UBC. According to 2013 statistics, 98 per cent of the animals studied were rodents, fish, reptiles or amphibians with the other two per cent comprised of birds and larger mammals. Around one-third of the animals at UBC used in experiments were deemed by the Canadian Council of Animal Care to cause them moderate to severe distress or discomfort — known as category D experiments. Sixty-three animals fell under Category E where a conscious animal experiences severe, unanesthetized pain. Supporters of animal research argue that it is necessary for scientific discoveries and advances in medicine. But opponents maintain that inflicting pain on animals — even in the service of science — is unjustifiable. STOP UBC Animal Research is the group that originally put pressure on UBC to become more transparent about their use of animals in research by publishing statistics, which the university began doing in 2011. Their current goal is to get UBC to put a moratorium on all Category D and E experiments. “These animals are all very sentient,” said Darren Chang, a volunteer for STOP. “They can feel happiness and joy, they form relationships with other animals and they’re being subjected to really cruel and torturous experiments.” While STOP has submitted a petition with over 22,000 signatures to the UBC Senate, Chang said UBC has ignored the motion. STOP is especially concerned with the research of Doris Doudet, a leading neuroscientist who studies the effects of Parkinson’s disease using nonhuman primates as models. Doudet has been injecting primates with MPTP — a drug

that causes permanent symptoms of Parkinson’s disease such as tremors in the limbs, difficulty moving, rigid muscles as well as impaired balance, posture and automatic movements. Although Chang views her research as “basically torturing these animals,” UBC veterinarian Ian Welch noted that her experiments have led to insightful research on Parkinson’s in several scientific journals. “She has spent many years trying to understand the underlying mechanisms that will help to create treatments for Parkinson’s,” said Welch. STOP ultimately aims to have animal research at UBC replaced by alternative models. Common alternatives to animal testing include in-vitro research with the use of test tubes and culture dishes, post-mortem studies, computer modelling and using human stem cells. However, scientists at UBC find that animal models are often the only way to examine their research problems.

sound scientific hypotheses and methods as well as determine whether the proposed research is original and necessary. The proposed study is then sent to the UBC Animal Care Committee for an ethical review known as the Three Rs: replace (“Is there any other way we can answer this question without using an animal model?”), reduction (“We want to make sure the minimum number of animals are being used to answer the question”) and refinement (“If there’s an easier and better way to do something that causes less pain and distress, we will always pressure researchers or force them into using refinement”). Once the application is approved by the committee, the researcher must pass a training program. After they begin their experiments, researchers are monitored to ensure they adhere to approved methods. Despite this process Chang — who wrote his thesis critiquing animal experimentation protocols

alternative to an animal to answer those questions.” UBC’s animal research is also overseen by the Canadian Council for Animal Care (CCAC), a not-forprofit organization partly funded by the government which seeks to minimize and ensure a certain level of care for animals used in academic research. The Three R’s and the Categories of Invasiveness scale are paradigms of the CCAC. In 2013, the CCAC awarded UBC a certificate of Good Animal Care — a certificate crucial in order to receive federal funding for animal research and which indicates that UBC’s practices are aligned with the ethical considerations of the CCAC. “If there was a situation where there was an animal-based science program that was not compliant with our standards, the institution would be required to make changes necessary to bring their program to compliance,” said CCAC Executive Director Louise Desjardins.

“I have never really met a researcher that wanted to use animals in research.” - Ian Welch, UBC veterinarian

Fabio Rossi is a UBC professor studying inflammation and tissue regeneration by frequently using mice. One of his studies involves injecting a drop of snake venom into a mouse’s shin-muscle — which mimics the effects of a bruise — in order to study how the inflammatory system responds. This experiment is classified as Category D — moderate to severe distress or discomfort. Rossi, however, said that none of the mice suffered. Although Rossi wishes he could replicate his experiments outside of an animal model, none of the alternatives offer him an adequate representation of the dynamic inflammatory system. “We don’t know enough about how things work in a body in general and ... in pathological situations to build a simulation of it,” Rossi explained. In order to conduct studies on animals, UBC researchers must go through an extensive application process to ensure that animal experiments are conducted ethically and only when necessary, Welch said. The first step is an application for funding. Grant applications are heavily reviewed to ensure

at UBC — still believes research continues to take precedence over ethical considerations. “At the funding agency level when they review animal research, they don’t review the ethics of it,” Chang said. “By the time the animal research gets ethical review, the money is already in the hands of the researchers.” Chang also criticized the Animal Care Committee as being comprised of pro-animal research scientists with conflicts of interest. But according to Welch, the committee consists of both academics who use animal research and those who don’t in addition to veterinarians and community representatives unaffiliated with the university. Welch also notes that his colleagues aren’t enthusiastic about using animals in their research. “I have never really met a researcher that wanted to use animals in research,” he said. “They have pets, they have families .... They use them because of the nature of the questions they’re trying to answer and they cannot find an

Desjardins also commended UBC for their transparency regarding their animal research. “This university has voluntarily published its annual animal data and its CCAC assessment report,” he noted. “This is their move towards greater transparency and public accountability, and that’s one that the CCAC strongly supports.” On UBC’s most recent CCAS report, the university “Meets CCAC Standards” in 51 areas while 52 are considered “Generally Meets CCAC Standards.” Three practices were labelled “Does not Meet CCAC Standards.” Regardless of the university’s efforts to conduct research ethically, Chang insists they are nothing more than attempts to defend inherently immoral acts. “These animals do not consent to be there, they don’t want to be there [and] they’re just being taken against their will and exploited,” Chang said. “There is no right way to do a wrong thing.” Nearly 60 per cent of the animals used in UBC research are rodents, mostly owing to the relative ease of handling them and a lower cost of care than larger animals. The majority of lab

animals at UBC are eventually euthanized so that their tissues can be harvested and tested. “Most of us doing rodent research want to look inside,” Rossi explained. Scientists have become adept at working with mice and developed tools — such as the sequencing of their entire genetic makeup — that are not available for other animals. This understanding allows researchers to determine how a disease impacting a mouse or rat would impact a human. “Once we can find out what the genetic complication, deficiency or overexpression on the human side is, we can then find the corresponding info in the mouse and create the same types of changes so that we can replicate that human condition,” Welch said. Chang noted that people are less likely to demand high ethical standards for tests done on rodents — animals often viewed as pests. “Morally and ethically, there is no difference,” he said. “We feel like they’re so different from us, but the reality of it is that they can all feel pain, they can all suffer [and] they can all feel joy, happiness and love.” While animal activists strive for researchers to use less animals, Rossi warns that such an approach could hurt scientific progress. “We run the risk of reducing them so much that the experiment no longer has the statistical power to give an understandable answer,” he said, explaining that many animals need to be tested to produce verifiable results. If fewer animals are tested, “you’re wasting animals because you are subjecting them to a procedure that maybe creates discomfort for them [and] then you didn’t do it with enough numbers to get an answer that is interpretable.” UBC’s statistics from the years between 2010 and 2013 do not show any significant variation in trends terms of species used, invasiveness levels or total animals used in general. The lowest count of animals was 211,604 in 2010 while the highest count was in 2012 with 227,362. Rossi wishes he could find another way to conduct his research, but an alternative that can replicate his experiments well is unlikely to become available soon. “To be honest, I doubt that a predictive simulation — which is what we should strive to if you’re doing an experiment — will appear in my lifetime,” he said. U

8 | culture |

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

MUSIC //

Pharmacy student Ariel Tsai launches her Mandopop career

OPERA //

Esteemed singer welcomed back to UBC in Manon

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Tsai never had any formal training, but her wealth of experience in composing and music speaks otherwise.

Vicky Huang Contributor

They say that when you desire something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Second-year pharmacy student Ariel Tsai desired no more than to write her own songs and share them on YouTube. The universe took a step further and made her an internet sensation as a singer-songwriter, catching the eyes of well-known record labels. Tsai is the co-founder of Big Brothers at UBC and a Kappa Alpha Theta sister. Tsai loves music and is a self-taught recording artist. She is like any other involved member of the UBC community, but with her hobby taken to a whole new level. Tsai’s first video got featured on a Taiwanese talent show and garnered nearly 10,000 views within a day in April 2015. Her second video attracted over 715,000 views and she has more than 50,000 followers to date. The production team behind The Voice of China invited Tsai to go on their reality talent show, Sing My Song, which features singer-songwriter contestants performing their original compositions instead of covering songs by other artists. Tsai was invited by the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations (CSSAs) in the nine Vancouver post-secondary institutions to compose the theme song for their annual singing contest and appear as a special guest at the contest finale. Tsai composed, arranged,

recorded, mixed and mastered the song. The typical length of time for a professional studio to properly cover all these aspects of music production is two months. Tsai did all these in three days while bracing herself for two midterms. Despite her status as a rising Mandopop star, Tsai has a girlnext-door demeanor. Originally from Taiwan — the hub of Mandopop — Tsai immigrated to Canada when she was three and then moved back to Taiwan at age nine before returning to Richmond, Canada in grade 10. “Those years of being in Taiwan helped develop my sense of appreciation for [Mandopop],” said Tsai. “I was amazed by … the melody progression [in] Chinese songs …. Usually, English songs [are either] very mellow or just like beat beat beat and then rap — there’s not a lot of melody going on. When I first listened to S.H.E. or Jay Chou, I was like, ‘Oh wow, there’s actually musicality in it,’ and I fell in love.” Tsai describes her music as “ballad-style [and] very emotional,” but craves challenge and has recently been experimenting with R&B. So far, Tsai has recorded six songs and signed with Seed Music Group — the same record label that renowned Mandopop singer David Tao is under — and will be releasing her own EP in early October this year. Despite the promising music career path lying ahead, Tsai is insistent on continuing her pharmacy

studies at UBC and turned down interested talent agencies’ requests that she relocate to Asia. “To get to pharmacy, I worked hard. I like pharmacy. I like being able to interact with patients. I like the health science area,” said Tsai. The inception of her music career might be an act of self-fulfillment, but the proudest achievements that Tsai gleaned from her success are the empowerment of others. “I remember people messaging me, asking, ‘Can you give me the music sheet because I want to sing it at my sister’s wedding.’ Then there’s another person saying, ‘I want to propose to my fiancée. Can I have the music sheet?’ I felt really honoured … I was like, ‘Whoa, people are actually taking this seriously!” said Tsai. “That really touches my heart … people value [my music.]” “Having different experiences in music is pretty important to make your music more well-rounded [and] diverse,” she said. “Everything that I have today is all because of the past experiences that I was exposed to ... it all makes sense now ... it all adds up.” Tsai shines with confidence. She is a force of nature, unleashing her seemingly endless energy with such finesse. She is the shining star of the Mandopop scene tomorrow. She is a dedicated pharmacy student. She is the exemplar of what the UBC motto, Tuum Est, should represent – both in UBC and in her life. U

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC/THE UBYSSEY

Castagner will be performing two of the four performamces of the opera.

Olivia Law Culture Editor

“Sex and murder is basically how we communicate in opera,” said Philippe Castagner, who will be singing the role of Le Chevalier des Grieux in UBC Opera’s production of Manon. Manon begins with the Chevalier who meets and falls passionately in love with Manon Lescaut — an innocent, but lively, girl who has been brought to the “safety” of a convent for schooling. The two agree to elope and the couple’s families intervene to part the two lovers. A tale of kidnapping, loss and gambling, the couple’s parting and reunion lead to Manon’s eventual downfall. Castagner, the lead tenor in UBC Opera’s production, began his UBC degree over 10 years ago. During his degree, he was selected for the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artists Development Program in New York after winning their international competition. Although the Chevalier is his first lead male role, Castagner has performed numerous supporting roles across the opera world — a particularly memorable one involved entering on stage while on horseback and dressed as a harlequin clown. “I’m now at the stage in my life where the voice has settled,” he said. “It’s gone through some changes that happen sometimes in your mid 30s and so I emerged as this lyric tenor.” On his character in Manon, Castagner acknowledged the lyrical and French-stylistic elements. “He’s the lover boy, but maybe he’s got a sword.” The role is challenging in terms of lyric operatic repertoire — lengthy, dramatic leaps and smooth lines are key to portraying the Chevalier’s role.

“You have to be able to deliver a very natural style that sounds very French,” he said. “There are some very specific aspects of French classical music that are part of that, including a very smooth line where you try to not to show where all the beats are. It’s supposed to sound like the language.” Although Manon was written in the 1800s, Castagner believes it to be extremely relevant to society and culture today. “Today, we have slut shaming and unequal consequences for men and women,” he said. “The heroine, Manon, is kind of looked down upon by the other characters as making bad choices when actually she’s acting quite rationally.” The consequences for the female Manon at the end of the opera are devastating, whereas the men are able to continue living on in their hometown. The aim is to get people discussing these moral issues after the performance. Directed by UBC Voice & Opera Division Head Nancy Hermiston and conducted by Okanagan Symphony Orchestra Director Rosemary Thompson, the femaleled Manon has two separate casts — each performing twice out of the four performances. “In the professional world, time and money are breathing down everyone’s necks,” said Castagner, clicking his fingers in a frantic metronome. “Everything tends to be moving pretty quickly and there’s no room for error or for being slow. Here, you’re watching as much as you’re doing.” Ten years on, Castagner is excited to finish his degree at UBC with Manon. Costume, sets and musicians are all ready to transport audiences back to smalltown French life. U UBC Opera’s performance begins on November 5 and runs for four performances at the Old Auditorium.

// OPINIONS

EDITOR JACK HAUEN

HEALTH //

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

EDITORIAL //

PHOTO COURTESY MARTIN DEE

Martha Piper receives a flu shot.

You have a responsibility to get a flu shot Koby michaels Op-ed

You’re a university student, you love free stuff. So why haven’t you gotten your free flu shot already? Say what you want about rising tuition, the price of student housing or bookstore prices, but at least UBC will pay for your free flu shot. And you should really take advantage of it. Don’t say you don’t have enough time for it either. The shot itself takes 30 seconds and, adding in the minute or two it takes to sign in plus the five minutes you have to wait after getting the vaccine, the whole process won’t take more than 10 minutes. You can do it between classes, at the checkout at Shoppers or while you wait for the bus. The vaccine is safe and effective — you should really get it. Worst case scenario: your arm is red and swollen for a day. Absolute worst case scenario: you are allergic to the vaccine and you get a second free shot to stop the allergic reaction. If you don’t get the vaccine, you are more likely to become infected by the flu and spend up to two weeks with a fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny noise, ache muscles, headaches and fatigue. About five to 20 per cent of the adult population will get the flu, but flu vaccines can be up to 60 per cent effective and cut your chances of getting sick drastically. Ten minutes and a little poke, and you are likely to save yourself a week of bed-ridden, feverinduced misery.

Don’t think that just because you are a healthy young adult that you won’t get the flu. First of all, the vaccine isn’t just about you. The vaccine isn’t as effective for

“

Getting a flu vaccine isn’t about just keeping yourself healthy, it’s about keeping everyone healthy.”

infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, and the flu is incredibly dangerous to them. Getting a flu vaccine isn’t about just keeping yourself healthy, it’s about keeping everyone healthy. Secondly, even as a young, healthy person, you are susceptible to the flu. Peak flu season and exams fall at the same time — stress has been shown to make you more susceptible to infection. The vaccines are paid for by the university, organized by UBC Risk Management and administered by fourth-year nursing, medical and pharmaceutical science students. A registered nurse oversees each vaccination site. Last year, UBC administered 4,537 vaccines to students, faculty and staff. This year, let’s make it 65,659. U Koby Michaels is a second-year integrated science student and Sports and Rec editor at The Ubyssey.

ILLUSTRATION SOPHIA SLOAN/THE UBYSSEY

Last Words: Piper’s weird Bushism, UBC’s relentless PR, and a home for Kinners Ubyssey staff One lump or two? You would think that after all the years Martha Piper has served as president, she would be better at handling tuition town halls. While she kept up her ever-positive attitude about UBC and “excellence,” we can’t get over the weird mixed metaphor she blurted: “If you get all the camels in the tent, it’s pretty hard to poke holes.” The actual metaphor about how the camel in the tent is basically a “give an inch and they’ll take a mile” story told through the metaphor. A camel owner allows the camels to stick their nose in the tent with the rest of the camel slowly following in. Maybe that’s what Piper actually meant — let UBC hike tuition rates in pursuit of “excellence” once and pretty soon, you’ll have a tent full of money — pretty hard to poke holes in that.

Not-so-great Treks

Kin katastrophe

You might’ve seen UBC’s recently posted overview and description of Great Treks, with an emphasis on the first one. It’s true that UBC has some amazing history. This institution has a big part to play is asking questions and challenging assumptions. But there’s also been a lot of the opposite. A lot of higher level administrators have made decisions without proper consultation and there are a lot of issues concerning transparency, housing and so forth — what makes it worse is not talking about it. There have been a lot of Great Treks — to save the UBC Farm, to lobby for more government funding, etc. — but none them addressed problems at the university that showed up in UBC’s PR pieces. Suggesting our history is squeaky clean is a lie and robs UBC of a rich education about students being spurred to protest and causing administrators’ minds to be changed.

We were utterly overjoyed to see the whole sorry kinesiology building mess put to bed at Wednesday night’s council meeting. Even more refreshing was to hear Justin Tsang, KUS President, call the cancellation of the building a “blessing in disguise.” Kin students, you deserve so much better than the Community Health Sciences Centre. At every turn, you were led to believe that you were getting the best and the simple fact is that you weren’t. The Make Your Mark’s campaign was accurate — you do need a home. But you need a solid, well-built house in a nice neighbourhood with a mortgage that you can afford, not a sketchy model home built by the Bluth family. Hopefully the change in leadership within the faculty means you’ll finally get the longterm residence you deserve. U

Angry? Happy? Emotional wreck?

CONFERENCE

Send a letter to opinion@ubyssey.ca

UBC Robson Square 800 robson st. november 7 10am-7pm free admission

STU

S FOR L

SFL

VANCOUVER

10 | Sports+rec |

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

THUNDERBIRDS //

JASMIN DHANDA

JOE ANTILLA

Football

Soccer

Hockey

Coach Nill if I find a way to convey his fear-inducing aura.

I am dressing up as Princess Jasmine – you can probably guess why she is my favorite.

2. Do you have any game-day superstitions?

I need to shave my head a few days before the game — a 2015 trend.

I have to have a small amount of candy before every game!

3. If your team had to face a team of pirates or ninjas, which would you rather face?

I’d like to think the football team could take a bunch of malnourished drunkards. We’d stand no chance with ninjas.

I would rather face pirates because I feel like they aren’t as good fighters.

Pretty much every offseason morning when Coach Joe brings us in for a “warm-up.”

I can jive dance like a turkey.

T-BIRDS 5-ON-5

BRANDON DESCHAMPS

OLIVIA DE GOEDE

ROWAN HARRIS

Soccer

Field Hockey

I was thinking about going as one of the Will Ferrell characters – probably Chaz Michael Michaels or Ron Burgundy – but it has been hard to find a sex panther cologne that works 60 per cent of the time, every time.

I’ll probably be working in the lab (lame), so I guess a mad scientist?

Max from The Grinch and my best looking friend is being the Grinch.

Putting on gear from left to right and showering before suiting up for games. I also run back to the dressing room following our off-ice jump around to be the first one getting ready for game time.

Nothing too crazy – I have a lucky necklace that I wear on game days and I always put my water bottle on the same side of the goal.

I have no game-day superstitions, but for the past couple years I have been keeping up the tradition of forgetting at least one item of my equipment.

Having watched Pirates of the Caribbean and Beverly Hills Ninja I would have to say pirates. Facing that Kraken thing wouldn’t be very fun – unless it was Kraken rum.

I would definitely rather face pirates! Ninjas are super agile and way too tricky ... they’d do things like disguise themselves as team members.

Ninjas, definitely. They would accept me as their own.

My scariest moment has to have been when I joined the team and was pretty much interrogated by every senior player on our first away trip.

In my second year at UBC, we flew to Alaska to play Fairbanks and Anchorage. Ten minutes before landing in Fairbanks we had some pretty scary turbulence.

One time during a slow game, I was bored and fooling around with the net and then got caught in it and was almost scored on. It was pretty terrifying.

I blacked out once after diving for the ball in a game. The swing went right through my head. I made the save then headed straight to the concussion clinic.

I wish I knew some tricks, but unfortunately I don’t!

My party trick is probably being able to eat mass amounts of food. I have been known to eat boxes of cookies before I go to sleep.

I don’t really have any party tricks ... but, through some unfortunate experiences hosting parties in an older house, I can work some magic with broken plumbing!

I can tie a cherry stem using only my tongue. But the real feat is the insane amount of pull-ups I can do while exhausted.

WICKED WINNERS by Isabelle Commerford

1. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

4. Describe the scariest moment you have had as an athlete.

5. In the spirit of trick or treating, what’s your most impressive party trick?

Shanna (Shan) Larsen was only 24 when she lost her life to breast cancer

teamshan.ca facebook.com/team.shan.ca @TeamShan

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

RECAP //

| sports+rec | 11

TAC //

Football wins playoff Alex Mascott isn’t done leaving his mark home field advantage

PHOTO JEREMY JOHNSON-SILVERS / THE UBYSSEY

UBC finished their season with a 6-2 conference record and a home playoff game.

Bill Situ Staff Writer

After picking up a win on the road against the Saskatchewan Huskies last week, UBC football finished the regular season at home with a crucial 24-10 victory against the Manitoba Bisons. “Not only did they take every rep during the week [and] during game, they made every rep at practice and they deserve so much credit,” said Blake Nill, UBC head coach. The game witnessed noticeably strong defence on both sides of the ball from the very start. Both UBC and Manitoba recorded an interception and a fumble recovery during the first quarter. UBC was first to get onto the scoreboard during first quarter on a 14-yard run by receiver Marcus Davis. Manitoba then responded with a 30-yard field goal early in the second to narrow the score to 7-3. With continually strong defense by the Thunderbirds and the Bisons — which included an interception by UBC defensive back Stavros Katsantonis — neither team produced a point in the next 12 minutes. Near the end of the second, quarterback Michael O’Connor scored the T-Birds’ second touchdown on a four yard rush to make the score 14-3. The first 10 minutes of the third quarter was again a stalemate until O’Connor made a 45-yard rush that

set up kicker Quinn Van Gylswyck for a 12-yard field goal. UBC led 17-3 by the end of the third. In the final quarter, both teams continued to show impressive plays on defence. Katsantonis got his second interception of the game and Manitoba’s Matt Hallock recorded a sack on O’Connor. “The defence, I felt, played a really key role today in holding [the Bisons] in by 10 points, which is really impressive,” said Brandon Deschamps, T-Birds running back. With three minutes remaining, the Bisons finally gained some ground by scoring a touchdown. Less than a minute later, Deschamps responded with a 50-yard run for the Thunderbirds. UBC won the game by a final score of 24-10 and Deschamps finished with 119 rushing yards— his second most of the season. UBC and Manitoba both held a 5-2 record coming into the game. With the win against the Bisons, the T-Birds finished the season 6-2 and placed second in the Canada West Division. UBC also gets the home field advantage next week in their first playoff game against the third place Manitoba. “To go six and two with this group of young men and this group of coaches is amazing ... I’m hoping that the country sees what this university is,” said Nill. The Thunderbirds will face the Bisons at Thunderbird Stadium on November 7 in the Canada West Semifinals. U

PHOTO KOSTA PRODANOVIC / THE UBYSSEY

Alex Mascott is a fifth-year business student, Rugby hooker and the president of the Thunderbird Athletic Council.

Koby Michaels Sports and Rec Editor

UBC rugby hooker, Sauder student, Thunderbird Athletic Council (TAC) president and Red Bull student brand manager — meet Alex Mascott. The Vancouver native is entering his fifth year at UBC, but he’s definitely not done leaving his mark. He’s looking to repeat as league champions with the ‘Birds, build the TAC into a household name and make sports a rallying point on campus. Historically, the TAC has been a social club for athletes to get to know each other and organize events. They are also a platform for athletes to have a voice on campus. Mascott is growing the council, hoping that it can — as many campus groups do — build community at UBC around varsity sports. “I’m hoping to move in towards being a more prevalent club on the UBC campus,” explains Mascott. “I’m looking at really moving it from bringing athletes together to bringing UBC together.” The talent of the athletic teams, the size of the student population and the size of campus is the perfect recipe to build a school spirit around sports spirit, according to Mascott. He sees various groups on campus like The Calendar, frats, sororities and the student societies as having great

spirit and pride — but they don’t share that pride. “There isn’t really some niche to bring everyone together,” said Mascott. “There’s not really a united sense of pride and that’s one of the things I’m trying to combat.” Mascott and the TAC are working with the AMS and UBC administrators — namely Louise Cowin, the vice president of students. Aaron Bailey, the AMS president, and Cowin share Mascott’s vision of a unified, sports-centric campus, according to Mascott. “I think it’s a very promising time for athletics. They are bringing in some younger people, bringing in some people who know a lot about what’s going,” said Mascott. He cited that Laura Thompson, a former Thunderbird and TAC president, is now working for athletics. “Homecoming was huge,” said Mascott. “I think there’s starting to be some buy in [to UBC teams]. These things all take a while.” He’s hopeful that future events, like the CIS basketball championships, will be better attended than they have in the past. Outside of heading the TAC, Mascott plays for the men’s rugby team which he called, “The best club team in North America … you can quote me.” The team is looking to win the league championship again, a feat Mascott believes will

happen. The team has already proven themselves as a formidable international team after finishing second at the inaugural World University Rugby Cup hosted by the University of Oxford. “It’s been a very big 360 in my time, from losing to UVic ... in my first year to pummelling them in the premiership final. I really think we are going to repeat this year,” said Mascott. “We have a good, older team now — our team’s been together for two or three years with roughly the same consistent players. People are really starting to set up and we are gelling as a team,” said Mascott. “All the players on the team are coming together and they are all bring something powerful to the table.” “That’s my little shout out for the boys cause I know they’ll love it.” Mascott is graduating UBC this year and doesn’t know what he’ll do next. He wants to continue playing rugby, possibly for Team Canada or overseas in Europe. He’s also hoping to put his business degree to use. “[It’s such] a cool and exciting time to be part of UBC. There are so many groups that are coming together now [and] are trying to drive visible, tangible chance. I think it’s a great time to be a student and get invested in some of the stuff going around campus.” U By Levin C. Handy (per http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04326) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You don’t have to sit in school to stand among greatness. › Thomas Edison: Relentless Inventiveness Failure is no biggie. Just ask Edison. If he stopped at failure, he would never have moved on to invent a little thing called the light bulb. So if you’ve failed a class somewhere else, or have a scheduling conflict, come on over. You can catch up with our world-recognized online courses, then move on to bigger successes. Talk about a light bulb moment.

open. online. everywhere. go.athabascau.ca/online-courses

12 | Comics + games |

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015

COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1- Dollop; 5- Large artery; 10- Gravitate; 14- Actress Anderson; 15- Haggard; 16- Lanai neighbor; 17- Pub pints; 18- Surround; 19- Sicilian smoker; 20- Move suddenly; 21- Staff; 23- Hi-___; 25 Caustic chemical; 26- Italian earthenware; 31- Driving hazard;

35- Green prefix; 36- Tusks; 38- Polynesian porch; 40- Nair competitor; 42- Cosmetician Lauder; 44- Steals; 45- Genre; 47- Jewelled crown worn by women; 49- Hawaiian acacia; 50- Academy award; 52- Building; 54- Letter after pi; 56- Singer Torme; 57- Highly seasoned sausage; 62- Tolstoy heroine; 66- Wishing won’t make ___; 67- Fortune-telling cards;

COURTESY KRAZYDAD.COM

68- Sites; 69- Alpo alternative; 70- Cheri of “Saturday Night Live”; 71- ___ even keel; 72- Words of comprehension; 73- Dig find; 74- Layer of paint; DOWN 1- Pleased; 2- “Damn Yankees” vamp; 3- Lulu; 4- European-style restaurant; 5- Stickum; 6- Utah city; 7- Freeway access; 8- Woven fabric; 9- Bugs;

10- Hook’s mate; 11- Must’ve been something ___; 12- Sisters; 13- Sportage maker; 22- Shout; 24- Actor Wallach; 26- Department store department; 27- Vinegary prefix; 28- Kangaroo kids; 29- Price paid; 30- Bandleader Shaw; 32- Decoration at the top of a chair leg; 33- Japanese mushroom; 34- Off-limits; 37- 365 days;

39- This ___ outrage!; 41- Pampering, briefly; 43- Like a recluse; 46- Tombstone lawman; 48- “___ Ventura” was played by Jim Carrey; 51- Daniel Webster, e.g.; 53- Aztec god of rain; 55- Speechify; 57- School orgs.; 58- Salinger girl; 59- Prepare to be shot; 60- Hurler Hershiser; 61- Me neither; 63- Taboo; 64- Final Four org.; 65- Isn’t wrong?; 66- Second sequel tag;

OCTOBER 27 ANSWERS COMIC JULIAN YU/THE UBYSSEY

A source of news or a fun hat. WWW.UBYSSEY.CA COMIC PATRICK MURRY AND MIKE PAROLINI/THE UBYSSEY