February 4, 2020

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NEWS

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SCIENCE

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How to learn the joy of missing out

Seismic lines bad news for caribou

T-Birds come in second at home Rugby 7s’

New caucus unites Get educated on Black students, Black history with staff and faculty these courses

BLACK ON CAMPUS STORIES AND EXPERIENCES FROM BLACK STUDENTS AT UBC // 07

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FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS & PEOPLE

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OUR CAMPUS

EVENTS

From law school to Lind Initiative, Sara Ghebremusse advocates ‘presence matters’

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4 INDIGENOUS LEGAL STUDIES BOOK TALK 12:30 TO 2 P.M. @ LEW FORUM For Indigenous Awareness Week, the Indigenous Legal Studies program is hosting lawyer Jean Teillet, who will be discussing her new book, The North-West is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, the Métis Nation.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

“You just have to really dig deep and tell yourself that … you’re doing good work. You deserve to be here.”

Sarah Zhao Senior Staff Writer

UBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 7:30 P.M. @ CHAN CENTRE With Conductor Jonathan Girard at the helm, the symphony orchestra is taking the Chan to serenade the folks of UBC. Tickets online are $8 but are free in person, while supplies last!

ON THE COVER COVER BY Jade Olaniyan

Want to see more events or see your event listed here? ubyssey.ca/events

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Sara Ghebremusse didn’t plan on being an academic.

The bookshelves in her office at the Allard School of Law are slowly filling as Ghebremusse nears two years as an assistant professor at UBC, the result of a years-long journey to find her place in academia.

Ghebremusse went into law school wanting to do meaningful work with underprivileged communities, but when she finished her law degree at the University of Ottawa with a master’s in International Affairs from Carleton, she couldn’t find a job.

Like many students before her, Ghebremusse’s solution was more education, so she completed a Master of Laws and is working towards a PhD. It was in the beginning of her PhD, while she was also working as a teaching assistant, that she started to think seriously about teaching.

Ghebremusse applied to a year-long visiting professorship at the Allard School of Law, got an interview and was hired.

After that temporary position ended, she landed a tenure-track professorship and became the only Black woman faculty member at Allard.

“I feel there’s an obligation that comes with being the only one,” she said. “... I don’t know if students in my class would appreciate being taught by Black woman and recognize how unique that is.

“It’s been meaningful to the Black law students here because they’ve expressed that to me … I think it helped change their own perception of what law and law school would entail.”

Ghebremusse came to UBC knowing that academia wasn’t designed for people who look like her to succeed. As one of the only racialized faculty at Allard, she put high expectations on herself to do the best work possible and

overcome a system that has kept racialized people out for decades, while also creating a space for others to follow behind her.

“You work as hard as you can to make sure that everything you do is is the best work you could possibly do, [that] it’s top notch work so you’re not giving anyone the room to really complain or point fingers or poke holes in what it is that you’re doing.”

Entering the classroom at UBC, she wondered how she would be received and if students would treat her differently because of her race and her gender.

It was easy for Ghebremusse to let in the creeping doubts that also made her wonder if she deserved to be at UBC as a law professor — but when those thoughts do come in, she tells herself that they aren’t real.

“You just have to really dig deep and tell yourself that … you’re doing good work. You deserve to be here. Your presence matters.”

Imposter syndrome isn’t the only by-product of being the sole Black woman among the Allard faculty. Although Ghebremusse would love to be able to simply focus on the research that brings her joy, she’s participated in several Equity and Inclusion Office initiatives since coming to UBC. Despite the exhausting nature of that labour, she’s willing to put in the work. Ghebremusse hopes that sharing her own experiences can bring attention to problems like the lack of diversity in the law schools that act as barriers to the legal profession — hopefully leading to meaningful change. “[It’s about] doing that emotional labour that comes with being the only one, because there are certain things that you, just by virtue of being the only Black person in a space, could observe and understand,” she said.

“If I don’t see that change happening, it just makes the exhaustion even worse … If I can see that the things that I’m saying or doing can really lead to some

ELIZABETH WANG

type of change or difference in this institution, then it will be worth it for me.”

Beyond her work with Equity and Inclusion, Ghebremusse will be moderating the next installment of the Lind Initiative’s “Thinking While Black” series with Ta-Nehisi Coates. She came to know Coates through Between the World and Me, the book he wrote as a letter to his son, and she’s been immersing herself in all of Coates’s work to prepare.

“After having a moment of ‘This can’t be happening’ … and confirming with [the Lind Initiative] that, actually, in fact they do want me to do it, I readily accepted,” she said. “It’s not an overstatement to say that [the talk] will be the highlight of my career.”

Along with that excitement, however, comes the bittersweet acknowledgement that Canada doesn’t have high-profile Black intellectuals like Coates or Roxane Gay or any of the other speakers in the series — not in the way that America does.

“The Black experience in Canada is different in a lot of ways from what it is in the States, but in a lot of ways, it is also the same,” said Ghebremusse. “... We have that narrative that racism doesn’t exist in Canada, that we’re in this post-racial utopia … but we have a lot of problems in this country too. “[These authors] are just not inhibited to the same extent that someone in Canada might feel they are.”

Ghebremusse wonders if there could ever be a Coates-like figure in Canada. Given the different nature of conversations about race at UBC and in Canada as a whole, the significance of these respected Black scholars coming to UBC to have conversations about Blackness isn’t lost on her.

“There are things that I want to speak to him about and better understand and just engage in a conversation as a Black woman to a Black man about some of these issues that are really shaping our lives.” U

NEWS

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITORS HENRY ANDERSON AND EMMA LIVINGSTONE

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CONSTRUCTION //

INCLUSIVITY //

$189-million Gateway building will house health facilities, delay space for counselling services

FILE THOMAS O”DONNELL

The task force will be made up of staff, students and faculty from both UBC campuses.

UBC launches Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force J Ockenden Contributor

In order to create a more inclusive environment for the gender-diverse community at UBC, the university is creating a new Trans, Two-Spirit and Gender Diversity Task Force under the Equity & Inclusion Office (EIO).

The task force will be made up of staff, students and faculty from both UBC campuses. Applications to join the task force are open until February 9.

According to EIO’s website, the creation of the task force is partly a response to the external events that caused students, staff and faculty to question UBC’s commitment to its Trans, Two-Spirit and genderdiverse community. In June 2019, UBC allowed anti-SOGI speaker Jenn Smith to hold a talk on campus and was subsequently banned from the Vancouver Pride Parade.

Associate VP of EIO and Task Force Co-Chair Dr. Sara-Jane Finlay added that the task force is also a response to data from the Undergraduate Experience Survey showing that Trans and non-binary students were “clearly having a much less satisfying experience than their colleagues.”

As Finlay explained, policy change can be slow in an institution as large and complex as UBC. “It just takes so long to do anything,” she said. “It took us 18 months to make what sounds like such a simple change: to make sure class lists were produced with chosen names rather than birth names and to remove the sex identifier from them.”

INSTITUTING INCLUSIVITY The student reaction to the proposed task force has been mixed.

“A lot of the time the university just wants to tick boxes,” said Chris Munn, a second-year undergraduate studying computer science and math.

To them, the task force seemed like an attempt to mitigate negative media coverage.

“UBC as an institution feels the need to respond to attacks on its image rather than the well-being of the student body. At the end of the day, UBC is trying to make as much money as possible and attract the best and brightest students,” said Munn.

They did acknowledge that there are “certain surface-level things that the university has been getting

better about.” But they said large inconsistencies still exist between different faculties when it comes to respecting gender diversity.

“That’s when it really gets you … when professors don’t respect your pronouns or ask you for your pronouns, your trust towards your professor is hindered,” said Munn.

“That affects students learning at the university far more than having more [gender-neutral] washrooms.”

Jay Pahre, a second-year in the visual arts master of fine arts (MFA) program, also expressed reservations about the university’s treatment of Trans, Two-Spirit and gender -diverse students.

Pahre described situations “where UBC has made a gesture, but they’ve not actually completed the gesture,” citing the patchy presence of gender-neutral bathroom facilities and the fact that students’ preferred names are not used consistently on paperwork or in person.

But Pahre is planning to apply to the task force, where he hopes to discuss “options for consolidating resources and making them more accessible.”

Ky Sergeant, a second-year commerce student, has already applied to join the task force and is keen to propose “more formal education” for professors across UBC. But they also highlighted inconsistencies in the ways faculties and individual professors handle gender diversity.

They felt that people at UBC were “aspirationally inclusive,” but under-educated about gender diversity issues.

As Pahre observed, different faculties can feel like “totally different worlds” — both “geographically isolated and discipline-isolated.” This makes it especially hard to regulate the ways Trans, Two-Spirit and gender diverse students are treated and set an “institutional baseline.”

But that’s what the task force is aiming to achieve. They will advise the senior administration, who will ultimately be responsible for taking action on those recommendations.

For Finlay, it is critical that senior UBC leaders are included in equity work such as the task force, so that the recommendations can be instituted.

“It’s vital that responsibility and accountability for implementation lie with senior leadership, because if it lies outside of senior leadership it never gets fully embraced,” Finlay said. U

The new building will be situated at the intersection of Wesbrook Mall and University Boulevard.

Eashan Halbe Contributor

The first stage of the University Gateway project has been approved by UBC’s Board of Governors (BoG).

Situated at the intersection of Wesbrook Mall and University Boulevard — a “gateway” that many students pass as they commute to campus — the proposed building will provide a permanent space for UBC’s new Integrated Student Health Services (ISHS), UBC Health and the Schools of Nursing and Kinesiology.

According to a report presented to the Board on December 5, ISHS is meant to consolidate all of UBC’s medical and counselling facilities into a “central point of contact for students to access primary health care.”

An “institutional consortium,” UBC Health facilitates collaboration among UBC’s many faculties and schools that conduct medical research.

The School of Nursing has been located in temporary locations for almost 40 years while the School of Kinesiology has been distributed across numerous locations on campus. The new building will serve a long-term home to both.

But beyond its various practical uses, University Gateway is also intended to serve as a welcoming, visually engaging first entrance to campus that will “signify a world class university.”

In an interview with The Ubyssey, UBC Associate VP Facilities John Metras said his team has explored including a “commitment to the Musqueam people” in the building’s design.

They plan to collaborate with a Musqueam artist who will be selected through consultation with the Musqueam Indian Band.

University Gateway will also integrate sustainability features to minimize its carbon footprint, such as the use of treated wood in its design as opposed to concrete and metal.

But Dr. Charles Menzies, a faculty representative on the BoG, is concerned that the building is a part of a trend of rapid development on campus that will only cause environmental harm.

“The practical impact of construction is because of the economic model to hire contractors, builders, suppliers,” he said. “… The project itself isn’t the concern, it’s the process of building and the emissions introduced by the particular methods employed in the construction process.”

Menzies said that the Board’s recent progress committing to divestment from fossil fuels does little to address the cumulative carbon footprint of campus expansion and emphasized the need for deeper engagement on the topic of emissions.

Pending several phases of Board approval, University Gateway is slated to begin construction in January 2022 and finish in July 2024.

MONEY AND TIME The project’s initial estimate of $134 million approved by the BoG had increased to $189.9 million when it was presented in December, raising concerns from a number of governors.

“I would really hope that the university comes back to the Board of Governors with a plan that more accurately reflects the costs that were originally intended for this building,” said Julia Burnham, AMS VP academic and university affairs. “[An] over $50 million cost increase — ultimately, at the end of the day, a lot of that will come to burden students so I think that’s a huge red flag …”

But Metras defended the price and pointed out that it’s subject to change.

“The project cost previously given did not take into account various factors that the revised estimate gives a more accurate representation of,” said Metras. “…

There is potential for change in the

FILE ZUBAIR HIRJI

projected cost and consultation will continue to be had.”

Some of the cost increase can be attributed to the how the building has been expanded to include the ISHS centre, which was originally planned to be incorporated into Brock Commons in 2022.

While integrating health services can be beneficial in the long run, Burnham thinks the increased construction time is cause for concern, especially because it means Counselling Services will have to wait an additional two years before it gets a permanent location in 2024.

BoG Vancouver student representative Max Holmes noted that UBC Counselling is already dispersed across several facilities due to overflow.

In addition to its headquarters at Brock Hall, the office has been operating out of Orchard Commons and construction is still underway for a temporary modular building next to Brock Hall that will serve students’ increasing demand for counselling until Gateway is completed.

But student advocates pointed out this is not the first time finding a permanent home for Counselling Services has been kicked down the road.

“The old SUB [now the Life Building] when it was being renovated was where Integrated Health was supposed to go, and so we’ve seen continuous delays of this project,” said Holmes.

“Over time, many students who are in their first year right now are not going to see these services delivered until they graduate or [are] in their final year.”

Metras responded that the extra space in Orchard Commons and the modular building, along with UBC Hospital, should fill any gaps in service.

The Board will discuss an update on Integrated Student Health Services and University Gateway at its People, Community & International Committee meeting on February 5. U

4 | NEWS | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020 COMMUNITY //

New caucus provides ‘unified voice’ for Black students, faculty and staff Janmeet Dhami Contributor

Amid tensions surrounding gaps in racial equity, a Black Caucus has been established on campus to give a voice to UBC’s Black population.

Conversation around UBC’s lack of inclusivity was stirred after an incident involving racial profiling at the annual Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences in June 2019.

Shelby McPhee, a Black master’s student attending the conference, was wrongfully accused of stealing a laptop by two white attendees.

Following an investigation by a human rights lawyer hired by Congress, the organizers banned the white participant from the conference for three years. The other individual was not a participant so they didn’t receive a penalty from Congress.

The incident acted as a springboard, leading Dr. Aftab Erfan of UBC Equity and Inclusion (EIO) to take on the project of uniting Black faculty, staff and students into an advocacy group. It is now called the Black Caucus.

The caucus is less than a year old, but it has held several meetings over the course of the summer and the fall involving discussions about the group’s goals and values.

On February 6 at UBC Robson Square, the caucus will host its first event: “Black Activism in Education and Community: exposing antiBlack racism in Vancouver with Shelby McPhee,” a talk about his case and how it’s reflective of a

larger problem.

‘LOST IN THE MIX’ Dr. Handel Kashope Wright, professor and director of UBC’s Centre of Culture, Identity and Education, has been part of the group since its first meeting in late summer.

While Wright said he does not speak for the entire caucus as a whole, he explained that the group has outlined two overarching objectives: building a community among Black folks on campus and advocating for that community to the university.

“It’s … a space where Black folks can meet talk to each other about their lives, commiserate about issues they might be facing, speak about what their working relationships are all about, etc.,” said Wright.

“So it’s a way of creating community where people can talk with one another.”

Wright noted that their needs can get “lost in the mix” in inclusion initiatives, due to the small population of Black students on campus. The Caucus is working to reverse this by highlighting and promoting Black life on campus through community outreach and increasing the number of Black people in leadership positions at the university.

As a Black Caucus member, a Black Student Union (BSU) member, Associate VP External Affairs for the AMS as well as an EIO Policy and Research Assistant, Will

Shelling wears many hats at UBC. But, he said he has experienced underrepresentation throughout his time as a student.

“I haven’t felt represented on campus for a variety of reasons, stretching from who my professors are in the faculty of political science and going all the way up to larger administration,” said Shelling.

But he was encouraged when VP Students Ainsley Carry was hired in May 2019.

“I definitely [felt] like, ‘Hey this a strong Black man at the table as an executive and also as someone leading this university especially on the student life side,’” said Shelling.

“I think that’s super impactful to other folks like me because it just gives us another way to kind of break through that door and break that glass ceiling.”

FIRST OF ITS KIND Another founding caucus member, assistant professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law Sara Ghebremusse highlighted how no institutionalized group of its kind had ever existed prior to the establishment of the caucus. In fact, students have largely taken the lead in Black representation through forming groups like BSU or the Africa Awareness Initiative.

So far the caucus’s inclusion of individuals from all dimensions of university life — student, faculty, staff and administration — has worked to their advantage. “[It] gives us a stronger and more

HENRY ANDERSON

UBC students have largely taken the lead in Black representation through forming groups like Black Student Union or the Africa Awareness Initiative.

unified voice,” she said.

But Ghebremusse explained that due to the lack of existing infrastructure before the caucus, Black staff and faculty have had to take on the unrecognized emotional labour of supporting Black students.

“Some of the work I do with the Black Law Students Association, for example, it might end up being a footnote in my tenure file when there has been so much work I have done to support the group since I started,” said Ghebremusse. “… It would be great to have that type of equity work being recognized.”

Ultimately, Ghebremusse hopes the caucus’s work will lead to increased hiring of Black faculty and staff and more outreach to

Black students.

“UBC is one of Canada’s top universities and the fact that there is such a low number of Black students — and it’s so evident — is atrocious,” she said.

For Shelling, it’s important that the principle of diversity becomes part of a year-round critical race discussion that isn’t only limited to Black History Month.

“My experiences as a Black man play into my life at every moment, so I think it’s important that we don’t just silo it into one month of the year when we can discuss these topics all across the calendar,” he said. U Will Shelling worked as a guest editor for this issue’s Black History Month supplement.

GPP 591 //

Phil Lind Initiative Seminar centres Black thought and scholarship

COURTESY SANDRA BREWSTER

Every year, the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC hosts an “annual dialogue series and course” called the Phil Lind Initiative.

Oliver Zhang Contributor

A small group of students is taking one of UBC’s only courses on Black thought and theory, learning from some of the world’s leading Black intellectuals.

Every year, the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs

(SPPGA) at UBC hosts an “annual dialogue series and course” called the Phil Lind Initiative.

For their 2020 series, the theme is titled “Thinking While Black” and features celebrated Black authors Claudia Rankine, Jesmyn Ward, Ibram X. Kendi, Roxanne Gay and Ta-Nehisi Coates. As detailed on the course website, “each speaker will

give a public talk at UBC and teach a class in the GPP 591 Lind Initiative Seminar.”

The seminar is the brainchild of Dr. Phanuel Antwi, an assistant English professor at UBC. It has a total of 13 registered students, ranging from upper-year undergraduates to master’s and PhD students. Antwi was not available to

be interviewed for this article.

The most recent event, called ‘It’s What You Say: Language & Violence in the Space of the Encounter,’ was held at Frederic Wood Theatre on January 15. It featured Rankine, a New York Times best-selling poet, MacArthur “Genius” award recipient and professor at Yale University.

For Chimedum Ohaegbu, a fourth-year English literature and creative writing student, having the speaker sit in during the course was “pretty incredible.”

“I feel like, with a lot of my courses … you don’t necessarily get the chance to talk to the author of the book unless the author is the professor of the class,” said Ohaegbu. “But with Claudia, it was super exciting to get to talk through her process and why she made the narrative and literary decisions she made — and just what she thought about things in general.”

Will Shelling, a fifth-year political science and international relations student as well as a Black Student Union member, described how eye-opening it was to be able to talk with Rankine about her thoughts on other texts.

“For instance, we were discussing Audre Lorde’s piece, ‘Uses of Anger’ and how that directly relates to [Rankine’s work] Citizen: An American Lyric and how there’s that kind of poetic drive through both texts,” said Shelling, “and it was really interesting because she would bring up things I never would have discussed or never would have thought and it’s

based on their perspective first.”

Within the course description, both the speaker series and seminar asks: “How Blackness manifests in often unconnected guises that can be tracked through the event of racial violence, and what can be done about it?”

Shelling pointed out that racism is often “non-kinetic,” appearing as microaggressions or micro-insults.

“I guess, for me — to answer it plainly — Blackness at UBC means you’re persisting more than anything,” he said.

“You are constantly chipping away at the wall or at the glass ceiling or at the door to get through so you can be able to have these conversations, so that everyone behind you isn’t excluded [from] them.”

At this moment, the seminar is one of the courses that do a deep dive into the approaches of Black thought — something that students from the seminar want to see more of at UBC. “I think the main thing I would say about this is the number of people who are interested and the amount of interest this class generated really shows the need for UBC to do more courses like this focused on Black thought or speaking to at least a Black experience — in this case, the American one,” said Ohaegbu. U Chimedum Ohaegbu is a senior staff writer for The Ubyssey. Will Shelling worked as a guest editor for this issue’s Black History Month supplement.

CULTURE

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITOR THOMAS O’DONNELL

5

THEATRE //

Review: Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story teaching the importance of love and faith in an inconvenient place Jasmyne Eastmond Staff Writer

As he emerges from a shipping container labelled “Tehva” — the Hebrew word for life or nature — the Wanderer, played by Ben Caplan, declares that “we all come out of the same box.” He fills UBC’s Frederic Wood Theatre with the boisterous booms of his hoarse vocals overlapping an array of live Yiddish folk melodies.

The 2B Theatre Company production of Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, presented by the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, is a powerfully magical homage to Jewish ancestors ­— a history lesson that leaves you feeling depressed and heartbroken yet full of hope.

Set in 1908, Old Stock follows the true love-story of Chaim, played by Eric Da Costa, and Chaya, played

by Shaina Silver-Baird, both Jewish refugees from Romania who meet at Pier 21, an immigration depot on the Halifax harbourfront. Similar in their survivorship, the naive Chaim and the worldly Chaya differ in their character. The charming Chaim’s awe of his new world is overridden by Chaya’s demanding, yet humorous, condescension.

Repeatedly deemed the “chosen ones” by the banjo-playing showman/rabbi/stand-up comedian Wanderer, Chaim and Chaya’s fates are unclear and undetermined.

FADI ACRA/ PUSH FESTIVAL

The Wanderer, played by Ben Caplan.

The actors effortlessly retreat to their seats within the shipping container after many tender dialogues, Da Costa alternating between various woodwind instruments and Silver-Baird delicately drawing a bow across her violin. Audience members are left questioning why the two have been chosen for one another and if their status as “chosen ones” will eventually lead them to any form of solace.

Quite comedically transitioning from speech to song, the Wanderer

acts as an omnipresent narrator — breaking the fourth wall to check in on audience members; making snarky comments before impishly leaping out of the spotlight: “If you’re getting too depressed, remember none of this really happened. This is just a story...

That’s a lie.”

Old Stock is politically driven, dark, humourous and heartwrenching. Lullabies turn into love songs and jokes transform into political statements as the stage doubles as Halifax and Montreal, a

wedding altar and a prayer site, to chronicle the protagonists’ burdens of typhus, tuberculosis and trauma. Sexual innuendos, obscene swearing and maniacal shouting bellow through megaphones while the Wanderer stumbles across the stage, making light of the play’s weighty religious and political themes. Much like the Klezmermeets-rock backing tracks, these comedic interjections momentarily relieve the audience of the play’s brutally emotional plot.

Old Stock does not venture

far from its Jewish roots — the tale tells the love story of the playwright’s very own greatgrandparents. Nor does it broaden the Jewish refugee experience to definitively illustrate a single refugee narrative, reminding us that this is ‘a’ refugee love story, not ‘the’ refugee love story.

Old Stock allows viewers to grieve, consider their present in light of their past and appreciate the complex beauty of a union established through suffering, trauma and faith. U

MUSEUMS //

Celebrating Black Canadian women at MOA

The event is part of a larger initiative for MOA..

Thomas O’Donnell Culture Editor

For their Black History Month events the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) is looking to focus on and celebrate Black Canadian women.

On February 6, the museum will have their Decolonizing Voices: A Celebration of Canadian Black HERstory event. The event will feature a spoken word performance by Adelene da Soul Poet and a poetry reading and book signing with Chantal Gibson.

FILE CHERIHAN HASSUN

Capping off the night will be a performance by multidisciplinary artist and musician Tonye Aganaba in the Haida House.

Aganaba will be performing music from their new album Something Comfortable.

A Celebration of Canadian

Black HERstory was organized in collaboration by Nya Lewis, founder and director of BlackArt Gastown; Nuno Porto, Curator of Africa and South America at MOA; and Marie Wustner, Curator of Public Programs & Engagement for MOA. The event is part of a larger initiative for MOA to hold space for marginalized groups and to let members of a community create events and programs that interest them.

“As the curator of public programming it is my responsibility to bring the museum to life and the way that I do this is by asking people to curate for their own communities.

Black Herstory month events were created by Black women for Black women and to educate and share with MOA visitors their personal experiences as marginalized voices in this country,” said Wustner, in a written statement to The Ubyssey.

“This community of strong women have graciously agreed to share their conversations, art and hearts with the public in an effort to speak their truths and celebrate themselves, their ancestors, and the vibrant communities that they come from.”

The work at MOA to authentically represent Black stories doesn’t just end in February though.

“Nuno and I have been

collaborating with Black communities and individuals here in Vancouver for the last year and a half. We are asking Black artists and intellectuals from Vancouver to participate in a series of events and a large research project that aim to decolonize the African collection,” wrote Wustner.

Earlier this year MOA announced the creation of 16 student positions to revise and research over 1,000 African objects on display.

The museum will be hosting the program Youth Speaks later in the month for a discussion on the effects of racism on young people’s lives. In April MOA will be hosting a poetry night where students from the Black Student Union will have the opportunity to “share their poetry and experiences.”

“Our responsibility as a museum is to invest in these voices and to learn from them in order to better understand the collections that we house as well as continuing the path towards diversity and inclusion by creating space for self-representation,” wrote Wustner.

“By doing this we uphold a broad worldview of humanity and allow the full range of cultures to be represented by themselves.” U Decolonizing Voices: A Celebration of Canadian Black HERstory will take place at MOA on February 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.

6 | CULTURE | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020 HATCH //

EDUCATION //

Review: 100 questions about the Hatch’s 100s Day

JANICE ZHAO

100 Bulk foods on a shelf.

I do not have 100 questions about the Hatch’s 100s Day. I mostly have like, four.

What am I talking about?

The Hatch Gallery’s latest exhibition, 100s Day, is, of course, referring to the North American elementary school event wherein you, a child, bring in 100 objects to better visualize what 100 actually looks like. This must not have been a thing we did in my North American elementary school, because I still can’t visualize 100.

The Hatch’s 100s Day contains nine collections of a hundred, each by a different artist. So: 900 things. Each hundred is loosely organized around a theme, which varies from childhood treasures to grocery store bulk bin items to fonts to Grindr profiles.

You heard that right. The art in this exhibit is — well, put crudely — junk. Literal (mostly) pre-made objects with a non-art function that the artists have picked up or had previously owned, just arranged in a gallery setting. If you

don’t like art, you might call that junk. Historically, it’s called “found object art” and it’s been around for a damn long time.

Most famous of found object art is Marcel Duchamp’s concept of “readymades,” which I think is best summed up by his work “Fountain” that is just a urinal with some sharpie on it.

100s Day contains a variety of items. Pokémon cards, dried green beans, a backpack, connectthe-dots papers, dried peaches, a lockbox, a book of fairytales — the list goes on.

There are some pieces, however, that step out of the box in terms of what 100 “objects” they contain. There are appliqués embroidered together. There are Grindr profiles written in white ink on squares of black construction paper, which look terribly impressive and ominous.

There is even a collection of 100 recorded sounds, which is so conceptually interesting and would be so much more captivating if it wasn’t played over the speakers to the entire gallery.

The issues that the Hatch’s 100s Day struggle with are

PHOTO: ZOYA LYNCH

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UBC SKI SHOW

Learn about Black histories and experiences with these UBC courses

challenges that often come up with found object art in general.

How much narrative construction must there be for someone else to understand the importance of random items?

Can’t you just put together items and the viewer can construct a story how they want from those?

Alas, hell no.

If found object art was really only about random found objects, it wouldn’t take up as much a place in art history as it does. A hundred objects found on the ground might be interesting, depending on who did it. We care about found objects only insomuch as they tell us about the eye that found them or the place that they were found or the people that might have left them there.

100s Day works in a classroom setting because it’s participatory.

You bring in a hundred things and learn about how much space the things you love can take up. Moving that concept into a gallery setting could be super interesting! It could give us an in-depth look into the choosing process of other people, into their priorities and how they make decisions.

That just isn’t quite there in the Hatch’s 100s Day. Firstly, there aren’t any artist bios. The informational pamphlet, or gallery text, is a “play” arranged from a transcript of a conversation by two of the Hatch’s curators who are discussing the meter. Like, the measurement. While that play was delightful and fun to read, it didn’t tell me anything about the individual pieces in the exhibit or how the artists were chosen or how the artists chose their items. The art in 100s Day is 100 per cent up for our own interpretation.

For an exhibition talking about the dissonance of connecting concepts with reality, it sure is failing to connect that concept to the reality of its art.

Which brings us — me – back to the question at hand. A hundred — or four — questions about 100s Day. 1. Why those 100 items?

2. How was the experience of picking each item?

3. What was it supposed to teach you?

4. What was it supposed to teach us?

Those are my questions. Add your own. Maybe we’ll make it to 100. U 100s Day will be at the Hatch until February 14.

FILE ARIEL QI

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

Thomas O’Donnell Culture Editor

Black History Month is here and you may be finding yourself woefully unknowing about Black history and Black experiences. Don’t worry, there is no time like the present to learn — and thankfully you’re at a world class university. And instead of asking a person to describe entire histories and societal structures, you can take a course to learn more.

We’ve compiled a list of some courses that discuss Blackness, race or African cultures. This is by no means an exhaustive list, think of it more as a sampling of courses across the Faculty of Arts you could take to educate yourself. Caveat: some of these classes are not offered every year, so plan your worklist accordingly.

ENGLISH ENGL 222 - 001 — Vancouver’s Black Canadas: Culture, Identity and Memory ENGL 353 — Race, Ethnicity, and the British Empire in EighteenthCentury Literature ENGL 370 — Literatures and Cultures of Africa and/or the Middle East - The Women Who Refuse to Keep Quiet: Fiction by African Women

FRENCH FREN 328 — Selected Works of African and Caribbean Literature FREN 418K — Studies in African and/or Caribbean Literatures of French Expression

HISTORY HIST 237A — History of the United States HIST 256 — History of Africa HIST 252 —Modern Caribbean History HIST 312 — Southern Africa

HIST 456 — Race in the Americas

SOCIOLOGY SOCI 102 — Inequality and Social Change SOCI 302 — Ethnic and Racial Inequality SOCI 361 — Social Inequality

ART HISTORY, VISUAL ART & THEORY ARTH309 — Arts of Africa and the African Diasporas

GEOGRAPHY GEOG 457 — Social and Behavioural Geography GEOG 496 — Geography of Africa

PHILOSOPHY PHIL 335 — Power and Oppression

GENDER, RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE GRSJ 224B (002) — Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice in Literature: Literary Interventions GRSJ 306 — Globalization and Social Justice: Gender, Race, and Sexuality in International Politics GRSJ 307 — Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Popular Culture GRSJ 311 — African/Black Women in the Americas GRSJ 415 (201) — Critical Racial and Anti-Colonial Feminist Approaches

AFRICAN STUDIES AFST 250A — Introduction to African Studies AFST 351A — Perspectives in African Studies: Literary and Theoretical Approaches

HIST 313 — Africa from Imperialism to Independence

AFST 352A — Perspectives in African Studies: A Social Science Approach

HIST 331 — The United States, 18651900: Labour, Race, Gender, and Empire

AFST 450R — African Diasporic Culture in Canadian Communities. U

BLACK ON CAMPUS

Asmaa Heban

GUEST EDITORS DANNI OLUSANYA AND WILL SHELLING

DARKNESS

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

Asmaa Heban

7

THE GIFT

may this truth hold us guide us when the wild winds blow Blackness is a gift

from darkness (womb) to darkness (skin) it’s lit (spirit)

FROM THE EDITORS Last year, a Black man was racially profiled on this campus while minding his own business.

It was during a conference, Congress to be specific. The theme was Circles of Conversation, but all conversation stopped when the RCMP showed up.

He was racially profiled not for any wrongdoing — but because for those who found it hard to see past his Blackness, he did not belong.

“How do you feel?”

“Are you shocked, surprised, horrified?”

We weren’t.

For those who persist and resist on this campus, it is a permanent footnote at the bottom of our academic journeys. It is baked into every time we hear the N-word and stay quiet, lacing into the manner in which we freeze when we feel an unsuspecting hand paw at our hair, bracing for the looks and stares we garner as we exist in a space not meant for us.

And so this supplement is a love letter to the struggles we as Black students, faculty and educators have on this campus, but it is also a celebration of our power and history.

To our brothers and sisters who have bravely shared their stories with us, we are not only behind you. We are standing beside you.

Carrying torches lit by our ancestors, waiting to pass it on for generations to come.

Danni olusanya and Will Shelling Ubc Black Student Union Co-President and Member

DESIGN Lua Presidio Illustrations Jade Olaniyan

8 | BLACK ON CAMPUS | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

A QUINTESSENTIAL UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE O Idaresit Thompson

n my very first day on campus, I followed some people I had met on my floor to a party. We walked in a frenzy and waited in line and I laughed in excitement as we entered the room. I held my breath during all the hip hop songs — and there were a lot — because I was certain of what was coming once the rapper on the song slurred the deeply contentious ‘N-word.’ Of course, every non-Black person in the vicinity loudly and proudly recited the word in time with the beat.

I felt a deep shiver come over me.

My skin began heating up and I looked around, hoping someone nearby was as bewildered as I was. The room was warm and cramped and my blinding rage was becoming too stifling. Realizing that I could not fight everybody in the room, I left and on my way home, I began to unravel.

I thought, “What did you think was going to happen, especially in a room where you could count the number of Black people present on one hand?”

The sense of anger was very strange because it was not the first time that I had been present while the spirit of anti-Blackness overtook a group of non-Black people. It was not the first time.

After all, I had spent the past ten years of my life in spaces that lacked diversity. I went to predominantly white schools, swimming classes, dance classes, summer camps. My neighbourhood also included many white and Asian people, but no Black people.

What was four years in a school with not many people who looked like me?

But secretly, in the crevices of my heart, I had hoped that it would be different in this new academic environment. I hoped that the inept attitudes towards racism that I dealt with in high school would not surface here — a space filled with many of the most intelligent people in the country.

The shiver terrorized my spine once again.

I thought about calling my mother but then thought better of it. My mother, ever the pragmatist, would have responded to the situation with a dry chuckle, asking if “That was it?”

She would most likely remind me that worse things could have been said and done. She would be correct and I

would only become angrier. Both my parents had never shied away from the realities of racism and we spoke of it often enough that I had learned that growing thick skin was my greatest defence. They were always there to remind me that I could never get too emotional because whenever I did, that was when the damage would become catastrophic. Blackness in my childhood was always about being on my guard. It was about being careful in the way I spoke to authority, in the way I behaved on the bus, in the way I went shopping at the mall, in the way that I expressed myself — because I was often too much and too little at the same time. My parents were just being realistic. It was the only way they knew to prepare me for the world.

But I was aware that the cold shiver down my spine would not go away even after a stern talk with my mother.

As I finally returned to my dorm room, which was disappointingly the size of a shoebox, I went back to my bed and planned to resign in misery. I could hear a raucous group of boys speaking over each other loudly from my window, the excitement of the new school year palpable in their voices. I thought in annoyance: what was I even doing, sitting alone in my room?

I was supposed to be out there!

I was supposed to be having the quintessential university experience.

But, the cold shiver on my spine had become heavier. It had become so heavy that it felt like it was seeping into my bones. I needed to do something.

So, I called a very good friend who was on the other side of the country. She was a childhood friend and was part of my core group of Black friends in high school. A groggy voice responded and I quietly asked if she was able to speak with me. After some silence and a ruffle of unintelligible sounds, she agreed. The weight on my spine shifted as I spoke into my phone.

I regaled her with a common story that was very familiar to her. She scoffed in indignation at all the right places, sighed at all the right moments and clucked her tongue at the ridiculousness of it all. We reminisced about similar situations that had happened in the past. We pondered about what it was about Blackness that so many people felt ownership over it. I joked about how so many felt they possess an experience that they would never have.

She laughed and replied, “Black is cool. It always has been.”

I nodded in agreement and promised to call her back, feeling the weight on my spine shift some more. U

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY | FEATURES: BLACK ON CAMPUS | 9

TO BE A BLACK MALE ON CAMPUS ismaël Traoré To be a Black male on campus means to experience…

Symbolic racism Double/triple consciousness John Henryism Survival assimilation Only-one-ism Ambivalent racism Tokenism Racialized empathy gap Institutional and interpersonal gaslighting Race-based traumatic stress Panopticism and panopticonian hypervisibility Racial battle fatigue Whitesplaining Racial combat stress reaction Hypervigilance Dysconscious racism Colorblind racism White men’s fear of losing privilege White women’s fear of being found culpable Uncompensated racial labour Unacknowledged racial hierarchy Minorities’ internalized racism The trepidation of whitelash Being read as intimidating/aggressive Exhaustion of being a minority Liberal white betrayal Lack of same-race mentorship Lack of same-race counsellors The bureaucratic compartmentalization of anti-racism People’s stares and gaze Having to choose my battles Tiptoeing around white fragility Letting some acts of racism slide A decreasing resilience quotient Never being able to know if some things were racially motivated Slowly walking toward the institution’s revolving door Being a black male on campus. U

TO BE A BLACK WOMAN ON CAMPUS melanie mpanju

T

he lived experience of a Black woman at UBC is a unique one.

It is one that is often misunderstood and forgotten by the wider community. My first year at UBC was one of learning and many surprises.

I think back to one of the first parties I attended. As I made my way closer to the venue, I grew more and more excited to finally be diving into the university social scene. Mainstream hip-hop tunes blasted through the speakers, while masses of people jumped up and down around me. I felt excited by the new environment I had entered and nevertheless confused. I always dreamt of being a part of a tight-knit Black community in university — one in which I am viewed as more than the “sassy” friend or the friend who “could actually dance.”

Looking around that party, I quickly learned that I was in for a surprise.

Hair was my next hurdle.

I actively searched for a Black hairstylist in the area who could handle my tight curls but was stunned by the few expensive Black salons that I found.

I decided then to hide my natural hair under sew-in weaves for the remainder of first year and ignored any further discussion of it. I later realized how I was restricting my Blackness. I was not allowing myself to fully express my Tanzanian-American identity or even explore how my natural hair could be transformed into diverse styles beyond my knowledge.

And so, I end with this: an open letter to the Black women that have impacted my UBC experience thus far. To my sisters I met in Jumpstart, thank you for empowering and accepting me in my truest form, from first year up until now. To my sisters I met through the Africa Awareness Initiative club, thank you for creating a space where dialogue about the African continent and decolonization is shared and encouraged. Finally, to my sisters who I have yet to meet on campus, thank you for being you and providing me with the reassurance that we are stronger when we are together.

This is our month: Black History Month! U

10 | BLACK ON CAMPUS | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

DON’T TOUCH MY HAIR

arnaud Dione

I

grew up having my hair cut short. So short, in fact, that for a good portion of my life, I was called bald.

According to my parents, having my hair long would have made it look messy and improper.

When I got to UBC, I decided that I would grow my hair out because I had never gotten the opportunity before and long natural hair is becoming increasingly

popular. I learned a lot about moisturizing, styling, picking — and it took me some time to figure it out, but I think I got a decent hairstyle down.

People at UBC noticed and I really appreciated all of the compliments I got. But on the other hand, I also started getting people touching my hair a lot and it hasn’t been a good experience. Not only does it mess it up the hairstyle, but it has put me into uncomfortable situations.

I understand that people touch my hair out of curiosity and with good intentions, but I believe that it’s overstepping my boundaries. A lot of people assume that we are close enough for them to touch my hair, but the reality is that we’re not.

I only wish there was some way to convey that to them easily. U

RESOURCE LIST

to encourage critical discussions pertaining to the relevance of the African Diaspora. Find them on Facebook by searching UBCAAI.

WIll Shellinge

UBC Ombudsperson

On campus

An independent, impartial and confidential resource for students at UBC. Find them online at ombudsoffice.ubc.ca.

Community

From their website, “The Equity and Inclusion Office envisions a community in which human rights are respected and equity is embedded in all areas of academic, work and campus life.”

Find them on www.equity.ubc.ca.

UBC Wellness

Black folks working in solidarity with communities seeking justice from racialized violence. Find them on Facebook by searching Black Lives Matter - Vancouver, BC.

UBC Human Rights Advisor

Sexual Assault Support Centre

UBC Equity and Inclusion Office

If you’re concerned about discrimination, email the human rights advisor at humanrights. advisor@equity.ubc.ca.

UBC Black Student Union Aims to highlight and celebrate the multifaceted nature of Black cultures through events, programming and community building.

Find them on Facebook by searching UBCBSU.

UBC Africa Awareness Initiative Aims to produce outstanding academic forums

A UBC-sponsored peer support service that focuses on everyday concerns related to health, relationships and workload. Contact them at wellness.centre@ubc.ca.

Free and confidential support and services for all genders experiencing sexualized violence, harassment and unhealthy relationships. Find them in person at in Nest room 3127, or online at amssasc.ca.

AMS Speakeasy Peer support and services run within the AMS Student Nest. Find them online at ams.ubc.ca/ student-services/.speakeasy.

Black Lives Matter Vancouver

AfroVan Connect An online group created to power the voices of African Descent Youth through community values. Find them on Facebook by searching Afro Van Connect.

Black in Vancouver FB Group

Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office

This Facebook group seeks to unify, create and preserve Black culture in Vancouver. Find them on Facebook by searching Meanwhile, Black in Vancouver. U

A confidential place for students who have experienced sexualized violence regardless of where or when it took place. Find them online at svpro.ubc.ca.

This list is curated by Black students, for Black students. If you think other resources should be added, email d.olusanya@ubyssey.ca.

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY | BLACK ON CAMPUS | 11

MIXED FEELINGS Coral Santana

I

was born in the Dominican Republic, raised by historical soil and Caribbean sea. In my homeland, I was blanquita. White. There is no point denying that my skin tone is not what most expect from a Black person. Every time I would go to a hotel back home, they would ask me where I was from, as if my tongue didn't roll the words to the same beat as theirs. Up until 2016, I would go to the hair salon every week and blow-dry my hair until every single curl ceased to exist. My hair came with a warning: “Do not add water, it may add Blackness.”

Occasionally, when I went to the beach and tanned, I would get called trigueña. Mixed. The saltwater would turn my carefully manufactured straight hair into a mane of uncontrollable curls that refused to die despite their burns.

I was embarrassed by this failure. A hair texture so powerful that it defied all human law and crowned me. I was taught to see it as an omen. It loomed over my head as a reminder of the lies it helped me craft: Black.

I would talk about plastic surgery with my friends and family. I did not enjoy the idea of aesthetic procedures much.

But there was one I could not help but crave. A nose job. I wanted an ‘elegant’ nose, a ‘polished’ nose. My nose was just a tad too wide, a tad too flat. My grandma would remind me every time I saw her.

She would gently caress my face, but she would harshly pinch my nose. Moulding me to fit into a role that had always fit a

tad too tight.

In TV and film, I did not see people that looked like me. However, I saw fractions of myself spread amongst them. Soft light olive skin with silky blonde hair or rich dark skin with luscious curls. I was not allowed to look at the features that resembled mine. I was privileged with light skin — how dare I seek anything else?

Why would I want to look unprofessional, lazy, unpolished? I had been given all the opportunities and exits in the language: blanquita, trigueña, rubia. My entire society was designed with the denial of blackness in mind. The message was clear, anything but Black.

I did not know my curl pattern until university. My hair had been beaten straight for so long it no longer remembered its natural state. When I moved to Canada, I did not want to live my life attached to a hair salon. In a city like Vancouver, my “Do not add water” warning seemed futile. I started letting my hair be.

My hair struggled. It had been doing what was asked of it for so long it didn’t know how to be free.

But my curls started to flourish under my care. I learned how to treat it without breaking it, how to love it, how to protect it from those who denied our conjoint existence.

In Canada, I was no

longer a blanquita. I presented myself as this strange hybrid creature that lurked between spaces, not quite white, not quite anything else. People would have the same question in their eyes, what are you? Little did they know I was figuring it out.

I was told all my life I was mixed, but I was only allowed to be white. The Black community at UBC changed me forever.

They embraced me. They allowed me to stumble and explore. They opened their arms and called me ‘sister,’ no questions asked. For them, it was not a question of how high my Black percentage was.

They stared into my eyes and perceived a galaxy of similarities. Our existence, often distanced by white history, was fueled by the same resilience. While the differences were blatantly obvious, they allowed me to occupy the space and embrace the voice I was denied for so long. I am a direct result of colonization. A mixture of impossibilities and cruel realities. An odd one out with the opportunity of privilege.

I used to feel guilty about the privilege my skin tone gave me. But I have learned that, with privilege, you “use it to lose it.”

I have been given a voice and a perspective to aid those who cannot reach these spaces. I cannot be ashamed of who I am because that prevents me from becoming more. My Blackness is not to be diminished by those who wish I had kept it trapped. I am allowed to celebrate my lineage and my history because my experience is more valid than your prejudice.

Soy negra, carajo. Ya no permito que me fuercen a ocultarlo. U

IN COLOUR TemidaYO AYODELE-OJA It seems that all your life You've been punished for Your race, nationality and the colour of your skin All traits you never had control over But have been used to undermine the very being you are You see now how the world has been an unsafe place How you have learnt to bubble yourself in denial, In the perception that by getting through, things shall be better But what exactly are you getting through?

You have always asked yourself why Why your life is still influenced by the stereotypes that have been written in the ink of hate so long before?

Nevertheless, you have taught

yourself to see those individuals, those strangers as ignorant instead of focusing on the pain However, in the dark of the night, You still remember the crude names bullies called you for more than half of your childhood; the sting of rude remarks friends have made You now know that what you assumed was older men being friendly was inappropriate and objectifying You are sure it is dehumanizing when people come up to you to touch your hair, or ask for photos with you, and more so when they secretly take them Some nights, you feel a rage for the fact that your passport is looked at twice, inspected multiple times, through airport customs

because of the colour of your skin and the country the passport comes from Don't be mistaken This experience, this life, isn't an opportunity to throw a pity party for yourself You are stronger due to the bricks you have had to push out of your way; due to the walls that those before you had to knock down But it is time you were more mindful and vocal The world still has a long way to go before it is a safe place for so many minorities, not just the one you are. U

12 | BLACK ON CAMPUS | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

DEAR HUMANS Ethan AUstin Dear Humans, I’ve got something to say, there are lots of issues in the world, but I’m here to address a specific one today.

So many problems on this planet to face, but one of the worst ones of all is the problem of race.

As a boy growing up my life was just fine, but something changed when I had turned 9.

I told my mom I needed a skin colour crayon for school, but when she bought me a brown one I told her it wouldn’t do.

I said I needed a tan one, because that’s what the teacher said in class.

But when she told me that wasn’t my colour, I had just laughed.

I never really thought that I wasn’t the same, I knew my skin was different, but I wasn’t ashamed.

When Trayvon Martin was killed I became more aware, as a Black boy in North America I was a little bit scared But I thought that living in Canada I would be okay, but my family down in the States, I prayed for them every day.

When Eric Garner was killed, it brought me to tears, I had never seen such injustice in all of my years.

Tell me why “I can’t breathe” was said 11 times as he was choked to death, and the officer went uncharged without breaking a sweat.

Tell me why Michael Brown’s hands were up in the air, but the police still shot him without a care, like he was a balloon on the wall of a county fair.

Tell me why Walter Scott was running away, but the cops still decided to let the bullets spray.

Tell me why Amadou Diallo was reaching in his pocket, getting his wallet in place, but they still fired the gunshots like a false start at a track race.

These are just a few of the names of the innocent Black men that were killed, the unnecessary blood that was spilled, the lives that were taken, mother’s left shaken.

Is dark skin really that bad?

Is a Black man’s life a crime?

And if it is, what do I do to protect mine?

Slavery may have ended, but what has really changed?

Our brains are enslaved, minds are in chains, My people are dying just because we don’t look the same.

When I bring my boy and my girl in this world will they be at a disadvantage because they are Black?

I want them to succeed, not to bleed.

And that means, we need change.

Change takes time, change is slow, but as a people it lets us grow.

Please humans, I’m begging on my knees, humans.

We need to remove the chains from our brains and be free.

Free from this twisted mentality that we refer to as society.

For my people, this is all that I’m asking, and one day, dear humans, I believe it will happen. U

THOUGHTS ON BLACKNESS Danni Olusanya, A.A.Heban, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Bianca Raiva “One time (on campus), a non-Black acquaintance said I wasn’t dark-skinned enough to be Black and proceeded to pull out his phone to show me a picture of his friend who was “an actual Black person.” We don’t talk anymore.” U “I’m a Black African Muslim woman, a diversity campaign’s wet dream. But besides experiencing the intersections of the various axes of oppression — anti-Black racism, anti-Muslim sentiments, etc. — I also get to witness and partake in the unique joys of having this skin, this history and this faith. As Fred Moten said, to ‘understand how terrible the terror has been,’ you must also know ‘how beautiful the beauty has been against the grain of terror.’ And any denial of this richness is in itself an act of violence.” U “Can I give a quick tribute to The Nod? To that flash of recognition you get and give when you (finally!) see another Black person on campus or in class, the moment that declares you aren’t just a lonesome rarity here after all, and neither are they? When you’ve had a long day, or they have, or the hours have weighed down both your postures, there it is: eye contact, dawning delight, The Nod to crown it all. And yeah, yes, fine: The Nod’s really just a smile and a look and a seconds-long movement of the neck muscles if you want to get anatomical about it. But it’s nice, very, to see and be seen.” U “I never thought that getting braids could be so scary. I had them my whole childhood, but detested how black they made me look as I entered in adulthood. And while I re-embraced them alongside my blackness, it’s been a month and I still hold my breath every time I see an old acquaintance. I’m glad you like my hair but I have also heard this 23 times today and 38 times yesterday.

Please allow me to change my hair in peace.” U “Yes it’s the shortest month. Yes it’s a cold ass month. And yes there’s not a whole lot of us here to celebrate. But somehow it still feels like a privilege to celebrate our Blackness and the excellence that we consistently exude. Simply because this is OUR short ass, cold ass month.” U This supplement is just the beginning. Throughout the month we will be posting your stories and we want to hear from you! If you are interested email d.olusanya@ubyssey.ca

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OPINIONS

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITOR TRISTAN WHEELER

14

BOREDOM //

Ask Pawan: I’m not engaged in school since coming back from winter break Pawan Minhas Advice Columnist

Dear Pawan, I’m having a really, really hard time feeling engaged in class.

We’re only a few weeks into the semester and I really miss my family back in my home province.

How do I avoid booking a ticket back there to skip school?

The beginning of the semester is the make-or-break time for your academic drive. Your semester can start with a bang, where your professors come out of the gate with engaging and impact content. Or it can start with a slog, where you lament the restful weeks of December break. It seems like you’ve landed on the latter and are looking for a reason not to tune out a few weeks into the semester. Hopefully I can convince you otherwise!

PASSION PROJECT My first point may be a controversial one: every subject has the potential to be exciting, so it’s really a matter of accessibility. Imagine being your professor back when they were in their undergrad, when they were faced with a course that they didn’t think was worth their time, but something clicked and they decided to take it on as their life’s work. Put differently, my criteria to measure whether a class is worth taking puts less weight on the content than on the professor because I find the content being said matters less than the passion of the educator.

Unfortunately, that also means that a dry professor can kill good content. When you find yourself in this kind of situation, I find the best practice to be immersing yourself in the syllabus and divining what the course is actually meant to be like from it. Does this mean you’re teaching yourself instead of having the person you’ve paid many dollars teach you? Yes, but it also means you’re less liable to catch that next flight back east.

FILE MAGED

These little interactions are the culprit for that feeling of ‘missing out.’

token, that also applies to right now! Cooking dinner with your roommates, running into friends by the Chem Building and doing this week’s Ubyssey crossword are part of the little things that you’re going to miss when you eventually head east of Blanca for the last time.

If you love, hate or are apathetic to this campus, the life you’ve led in your time here has been strongly linked with the little interactions you’re having with the folks who inhabit it. With that in mind, try to be a bit more mindful of where you’re heading to, on campus or around Vancouver — that little bit of awareness of all the awesome things you’re doing might help fend off the yearning for back home

SMELLING THE ROSES

IN THE MOMENT

Missing home is a totally natural thing to do when you’re a few thousand kilometres away, but it’s also something that can make the school year a bit more hard to bear.

If you’re anything like me, you call home a few times a week but still feel like you should be there to have the calm, casual interaction that builds lasting human connections.

It’s hard to mimic that feeling when you’re in a different part of the country (or world!), but remembering the things you have in Vancouver is something that grounds me.

If you can think back to living in your family home, you’ll remember some of the small things you’re missing right now — impromptu conversations, household tasks to help a family members out and all the other things that make up casual interactions. These little interactions are the culprit for that feeling of ‘missing out.’ By the same

In my experience, being away from family really, really sucks — especially in the weeks after you’ve just seen them. You think back to December break and remember all the fun times you had watching holiday films, sipping warm drinks and opening presents, if that’s your thing.

But as I think a little harder, I also remember some of the more tedious parts of being back home: having a parent-enforced curfew, not being able to hop on transit to go anywhere and a general lack of that sweet university freedom.

Thinking back, I remember how caught up I was in explaining to my family that as a fully grown 20-something, I was entitled to go where I please. The ensuing fight definitely wasn’t worth it.

My last piece of advice is that missing home when you’re away is one thing, but try to hang on to that feeling, when you do get the

chance to visit again. It’s easy to appreciate that casual connection mentioned earlier, but it’s even easier to lose that appreciation a few days in to a cable TV binge.

So, just as you’re taking the time to appreciate Vancouver while you’re missing home, remember to appreciate home when you’re missing the freedom of university, as

both are equally fleeting. U Send all your questions to advice@ ubyssey.ca or anonymously at ubyssey.ca/advice.

FROM THE BLOG

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITOR TRISTAN WHEELER

GET COMFORTABLE //

Turn your FOMO into JOMO

CHEATING //

The Dingbat: High-scoring students execute strike action over others ‘trying to copy iClicker answers’

“We were sick of it, it’s the biggest injustice that is currently happening on campus.”

Maneevak Bajaj Staff Writer

You’re your own person and you’re on your own track.

FILE ABBIE WILSON

Sara Arora Staff Writer

STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A BIT

We’ve all been there: holed up in your room for whatever reason, scrolling through Instagram and swiping through stories of all 500 people you follow. That’s a lot of information to process at once and sometimes, just sometimes, it can be quite overwhelming.

No shame here, I’ve experienced it from time to time — and it becomes especially difficult during the start or the end of the term, when everything’s mellowed down and people return to their party animal selves.

Now, let me get one thing straight. It’s perfectly normal to be alone during the weekends.

You’ve been socializing for five days straight so being alone is alright. Being a social party animal is also great for you extroverts — whatever floats your boat.

Here are some steps you could potentially take to experience less fear of missing out (FOMO) and turn it into joy of missing out (JOMO).

If social media is sometimes your trigger, try staying off of it for a while. A lot of us sometimes get caught up in the constant notifications and this really shortens our attention span too. Once you’re able to control your social media habits, you’ll learn there’s so much more out there to explore.

LEARN TO ENJOY YOUR COMPANY If you’re feeling up to it, take a bus downtown or wherever.

Put on a pair of earphones and just jam to some music. Imagine you’re in your own music video and look out the window. Enjoy the scenery. Once you reach downtown, just take a walk — walking down Granville is immensely relaxing. Walking with just you, yourself and your mind alone amidst the hustle and bustle really put things into perspective For a night in, put on your favourite movie, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a cozy blanket and some snacks. Do anything you’d do while hanging out with friends — it’s the same but less pressure.

You’re your own bestie.

KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS ON THEIR OWN TRACK. Everyone is different. Some people relax by partying, some relax by hanging out and some just want to hang out with themselves. But someone else partying doesn’t and will never reduce your self-worth.

You’re your own person and you’re on your own track. Remember: comparison is the thief of joy.

Sick of their classmates trying to leer over their iClicker remotes, “high-scoring students” from all UBC faculties staged a strike action this morning.

According to a statement issued by the student association, iClicker-acers — students who know the answer to every iClicker question — launched their first phase of strike action to protest against “iClickercheaters.”

Dani Kishore, a pro at acing iClicker questions and (apparent) leader of the association, said, “All of us put in hard work and effort to solve iClicker questions, but we’re only rewarded with awkward stares.”

She explained that even though awkward eye contacts are common when iClicker questions are

asked, students like her have to go through a completely different ordeal.

“One time, I become really conscious when I saw 213 people staring at me.”

“As I lowered my head to key in the answer on my iClicker, everybody’s gaze shifted from my face to my thumb,” she continued.

“We were sick of it, it’s the biggest injustice that is currently happening on campus.”

In a statement, Kishore confirmed the first phase of the strike action focused on using a “deceive-and-desist” strategy.

“All of our members confidently keyed in the same wrong answer,” explained Kishore, “and as expected, everyone copied the wrong answer.”

Santa Mander, a tenth-year Sauder student who witnessed this strike action, didn’t expect such

MAYA RODRIGO-ABDI

a thing in “[his] darkest, scariest most demented nightmares.”

“I followed my usual routine of pressing the most common answer I obtained by estimating probability and normal distribution of the answers I see around the classroom,” said Mander.

“All of us were flabbergasted when we stared at the screen to find none of us got the correct answer.

“It is us the cheaters who should be striking, not these nerdy fellas,” Mander said exiting the interview room in angst after crumbling his iClicker remote. U ­— With files from an anonymous TA The Dingbat is The Ubyssey’s humour column. You can submit completed pieces or pitches to blog@ubyssey.ca

UPPER UPPER CLASS //

An open letter to the people in the Canada Goose jacket on campus

SET ASIDE ‘ME’ TIME I know everyone has a hectic schedule, but try to set aside some time everyday — it could just be 10 to 30 minutes — where you focus on you and you only. In this time, you’d be able to learn to appreciate yourself, so when it comes to the weekends and if you’re alone, it isn’t anything new.

These tips have really helped me overcome FOMO that I experience from time to time, so I hope they help you too! Remember, you’re on your own unique journey, so comparing — although sometimes inevitable — is not worth your time! Lastly, when it all gets too overwhelming, vent it out to someone. It could be your residence advisor, parent, close friend or even the wall. Getting it out is always better than bottling it all up!

But a kind reminder — when you need to — schedule a catch up session with your closest friends who completely get you and enjoy a night of togetherness. Socializing isn’t always a bad thing! U

15

About as unneeded as ice cleats on Main Mall.

Zachary Tharpe Staff Writer

Do you feel good about yourself?

Looking down on us peasants with our ‘cheap’ jackets? How much did your little outfit set you back? $800? $1,000? $1,500? You might say it’s just a jacket and it’s only purpose is to keep you dry and warm. However, we know the truth; you bought that ‘suit of money’ for the status, the ‘ability’ to show that you have capital and are a high-class student.

It’s basically a Sauder student’s pajamas.

From the day that it hit 10

ELIZABETH WANG

degrees you pulled out your essential expedition parka or took the first SkyTrain heading to Vancouver City Centre to finally pick up your slice of eminence from Nordstroms. We know that you really bought that jacket for the feeling of having that coveted logo on you and the ‘prestige’ that comes with it.

We know that cute coyote fur lining your jacket isn’t synthetic, it’s real — to “cover exposed skin from the elements,” which is about as unneeded as ice cleats on Main Mall. You might be thinking, “Why do you care? It’s my money and my choice; I have a right to

be shrouded in a blanket of one month’s rent.” You probably think you earned this jacket, whether it be after submitting your fifth internship application to Goldman Sachs, a resume to Cactus Club or you’re just flat-out not prepared for the frigid weather of Vancouver after spending a summer in Bali or Mykonos.

We probably won’t understand how your newfound paleo-vegan diet just makes you cold. You’re absolutely right, we probably won’t understand the stress of not having good heating in our BMW 2 or 3 series, or the fact that you deserve a jacket that’ll keep you warm when at the next Paris fashion show. Unfortunately, we do glean that you feel sad when you’re not complimented on your “super cute winter coat” so we’ll do you this one favour and keep our mouths shut out of consideration for you.

Sincerely, The Peasants P.S. If you don’t have one and you really want a Canada Goose jacket, I urge you to buy used. U

SCIENCE

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITOR JAMES VOGL

16

SLEIGH BELLS //

Threatened caribou population won’t be saved by just seismic line restoration, UBC study says

Wolves, who are the caribou’s main predator, use these lines to move faster across the land.

Charlotte Alden Senior Staff Writer

Found on the quarter and in the boreal forests of northern Canada, caribou are an iconic part of Canadian cultural identity.

But a new study led by Erin Tattersall, who conducted this research as part of her master’s thesis, reports that the restoration efforts in northern Alberta to mitigate the impact of the oil and gas industry on the threatened caribou population isn’t as

effective as hoped.

Northern Alberta and northern British Columbia are crisscrossed with seismic lines created by energy industry activity. They fragment forests and habitats and drastically impact the behaviour and survival of wildlife, particularly caribou.

Wolves, who are the caribou’s main predator, use these lines to move faster across the land and enter caribou habitat that they had not previously been able to access. The disturbances to the

COURTESTY FLICKR/DENALI NATIONAL PARK

land where trees have been cut also increase food availability for caribou competitors, such as white-tailed deer and moose.

This creates a “legacy of disturbance that’s changed the ecosystem in a way that’s bad for the caribou,” according to Dr. Cole Burton, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Forest Sciences at UBC and a senior author of the study.

The government has proposed to recover the habitat by restoring the forest and planting trees and placing obstacles in the seismic lines.

This study investigated the effectiveness of habitat restoration in the Algar sub-range of the East Side Athabasca River, which is 70 km southwest of Fort McMurray. The restoration the study tested was done by the Algar Caribou Habitat Restoration Program, which began their work in 2011.

Dr. Jason T. Fisher from the University of Victoria and Dr. Joanna Burgar from the Wildlife Conservation Lab at UBC and the Applied Conservation Macroecology Lab ​at the University of Victoria also worked on the study.

The team set up cameras by the seismic lines normally used by caribou in this area, and monitored the use of two restored and two unrestored seismic lines by caribou, white-tailed deer, bears, wolves and moose.

The study determined that three to six years after restoration, “species responses to restoration were muted, indicating that restoration alone may not be immediately effective in stabilizing threatened caribou populations.”

Restoration efforts therefore have to be tested, the study claims.

IMPLICATIONS ON HABITAT RESTORATION EFFORTS This study was one of the first to test if habitat conservation in boreal forests is working for wildlife conservation.

“We got the opportunity to do the work to ask the question, ‘Did

the wildlife notice?’ They went in there and spent a lot of money and effort to create this restoration, but we wanted to know [if ] it was having the desired impact,” Burton said.

Tattersall stressed the importance of testing to see if wildlife conservation strategies are actually working, as habitat restoration is expensive.

“It’s crucial, imperative to know that if we’re going to be doing some sort of restoration we want to know that it’s working,” she said.

Both Tattersall and Burton emphasized that this study does not mean that habitat restoration of seismic lies doesn’t work.

“I dont see this study as saying restoration doesn’t work, that we shouldn’t try it. Because ultimately what caribou need is functional habitat, which will involve restoration given the amount of disturbed land,” Tattersall said.

But restoration doesn’t work if we’re simultaneously developing on the same habitat.

“We’re not going to halt development, nor should we. But we need to think carefully about how we can continue to develop the landscape in a sustainable way and in a way that minimizes harm,” Tattersall said.

“I think this study is an example of us trying to find that balance by trying to restore the habitat by trying to find ways that we can both have our economy and have our caribou,” Burton said. U

MISCONCEPTIONS //

Study of Canadian sexual assault cases challenges the ‘statutory rape myth’ Jessica Li Contributor

While Canada’s legal age of consent to sexual activity was raised from 14 to 16 in May 2008, the ‘statutory rape myth’ refers to the belief that raising the age of consent primarily targets consensual relationships between teenagers. A recent study

by UBC law professors has shown that most Canadian sexual assault cases with a teenage girl as the victim involve abuse by an older male in a position of trust.

The study, which was published in the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law, examines three years of Canadian case law in which the victims were girls between the 12 and 17 years old. 99 per cent of those accused were men, and the average age gap between the victim and the accused was 19 years. Furthermore, 46 per cent of the cases involved abuse by a male family member.

According to Professor Janine Benedet, who co-authored the study with Professor Isabel Grant, this study is part of “a multiyear research project on sexual assault across the lifespan.” With an interest in how the ages of sexual assault victims relate to what cases enter the criminal justice system, Benedet and Grant sought to question “literature and reports that were critical of the decision to

In addition to sexual assault by male family members, the study revealed that in a significant portion of the cases, the accused was an older male in a position of trust.

raise the age of consent in Canada, and generally the idea that when we are prosecuting sexual assault against teenage victims, we’re really prosecuting statutory rape.”

In addition to sexual assault by male family members, the study revealed that in a significant portion of the cases, the accused was an older male in another position of trust — for example,

a friend’s father, a teacher, or a religious leader. Despite “the myth that we primarily prosecute sexual assaults against the [victims’] boyfriends,” Benedet noted that such cases in their sample primarily cited accusations of violent sexual assault rather than an age difference.

“Sometimes when we think about the criminal justice process,

we imagine victims who are adults and well-equipped to understand the process, but we should understand the typical sexual assault victim as being a 13 or 14 year-old girl,” said Benedet. “So we need to design a criminal justice system that doesn’t treat them as exceptions, but as the rule.”

Beyond dispelling the ‘statutory rape myth,’ the researchers hope

ANDREW HA

that this study will also shift public perceptions of the typical sexual assault victim in Canada and broaden the public #MeToo conversation. Noting that the #MeToo movement has sparked a dialogue on sexual assault in the workplace, Benedet said “we haven’t really applied that kind of lens to the family. And there’s a lot of power in the family.” U

SPORTS+REC

FEBRUARY 4, 2020 TUESDAY

EDITOR SALOMON MICKO BENRIMOH

17

A WHOLE NEARBY WORLD //

Recreating Recess: A walk in Pacific Spirit Regional Park Brendan Smith Senior Staff Writer

Two steps into Pacific Spirit Regional Park and I am lost in the trees.

Each one is different from its neighbour in size and shape. Some you can wrap both arms around without effort. Others you can barely grasp half of the trunk. A few defy gravity with a curvature that would make Newton smile. Others are conquered by fungi.

A light breeze makes the thinner trees sway back and forth like a pendulum. On their branches, birds chirp rhythmically in organic fashion.

The park is alive, but I am left out of the conversation.

Near my feet, there are sword ferns and small plants. Together they create a mosaic of burgundy and green that extends into the horizon where distant blue mountains and grey clouds reside.

I then take my third step.

The gravel path takes me further away from the concrete buildings, car noises and classrooms into this natural symphony as I breathe in shots of fresh air.

Deeper into the woods, fallen logs block the path. Some are hurdles that are easily crossed and one provides a nice resting spot later in the journey.

While sitting down, you can see their roots lifted up from the earth and moss spreading over their trunks.

Curiously, there are no squirrels in the forest today. On campus, the common black or grey one is spotted while walking down Main Mall any

Pacific Spirit might be next door, but have you ever taken the time to visit?

day of the week. Yet none are seen here.

Another animal missing in action is the seagull. But no tears are shed in their absence. As the path moves along, familiar faces walk past. It feels wrong to say something, so everyone obeys the unwritten rule to maintain silence in going about their separate journeys. It is hard not to think about poet Henry David Thoreau in this situation. This quiet pilgrimage feels familiar to his adventures at Walden Pond when

he lived in a cabin deep in the wild.

I remember reading that during his retreat he usually walked about 20 miles a day and wrote when time allowed.

Theodore Roosevelt, the former president of the United States, was also an avid outdoorsman. In college, he published a book on birds and took many courses on natural history.

Later in his life, this passion led him to buy a cattle ranch, walk among the giant sequoias in

FILE MAYA RODRIGO-ABDI

California, go hunting in Africa and risk his life while navigating the Amazon.

I can only imagine them in this park.

A boulder is discovered off to the right of the path. There are no initials circled with a heart — the classic romantic gesture — and no graffiti from a rebellious student.

In other words, it is the complete opposite of the Cairn.

Past the boulder there are more trees and plants, and the search for

animals remains empty — which is peaceful yet upsetting.

The path descends gently down a slope, and from behind the sound of voices breaks the silence. A class has come to the forest. Unable to tell what they are doing, I turned around and walked slowly over to where they gathered, making sure to give them enough space.

The students are carrying what looks like wooden pyramids, but this raises more questions than answers. Laughter makes it hard to understand what they are saying as well.

Time to move on.

With homework and classes waiting, the return trip begins. The nice thing about this park is that it is hard to get lost, and even when you do, you will probably still have WiFi. Although feeling proud to avoid looking at my phone throughout the walk, the urge has never left like a persistent mosquito.

Maybe this is because nature is rarely exciting. And compared to a video of a hedgehog getting a bath, it is not that humorous either.

But walking back toward the entrance of the park, you are tempted to stay longer among the ferns and trees even though nothing has changed.

The entrance is now in view.

Outside homes worth millions stand and luxurious cars move along the sombre streets while drops of rain start to fall. With the protection from the trees gone once past the gate, I leave the park behind and return to the real world. U

RUGBY //

T-Birds come in second in UBC leg of Canada West 7s’ Series Robert Ford Staff Writer

The Thunderbirds rose to third in the standings in the Canada West Rugby 7s’ Series with a secondplace finish at home. The weekend saw wins against the University of Calgary Dinos, UBC Okanagan (UBCO) Heat and the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns while only suffering losses against the first seeded University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes.

The T-Birds day started with a morning tilt against the Dinos.

UBC played a calm game, on many occasions opting to set up for penalties others would be tempted to take quickly.

Partly due to frequent turnovers and great defence from both teams, the game would not see points until the second half despite each team looking strong at different times.

Both teams had moments of strength, but the T-Birds would strike first. Emily Meier would get a try and make the score 5–0. The Dinos would not strike back and the Thunderbirds would win their first game.

The next game saw the Vancouver campus dismantle the eighth-seeded UBCO 48–0. Despite efforts, UBCO could not get an offence started or match their opposing players defensively. The Thunderbirds saw 14 points from Madison Gold and 5 from Alancia Jeffery, Nicola Jones, Kally King,

The T-Birds wrestle for the ball in Saturday’s first matchup against the UVic Vikes

Rachel Smith, Jordan McLeod and Meier. Shoshanah Seumanutafa kicked two successful conversions.

The T-Birds were met with a tougher game against rival and number-one seed UVic in their last match of the day.

While the fans would be treated well by a tense second half, the first would be marked by a single Vikes converted try from Ella O’Regan and a conversion from Brooke Bazian.

The second half of the match would see UBC play some of the tournaments’ best rugby.

The Vikes are a strong team that plays good rugby but the Thunderbirds would outplay them.

They did it with aggressive defence,

cutting down UVic’s space and doing everything possible to sow chaos in the Vikes offence.

The increased aggression wasn’t restricted to defence. The first UBC try was scored by Shoshannah Seumanutafa off of a quick tap, an opportunistic option that the T-Birds had been reluctant to use. With this try the score read 7–5 for UVic. Unfortunately for the T-Birds, UVic’s offence wouldn’t need to organize or string together plays.

Leading by two points, a bold read by Bazian on a Thunderbird pass lead to an interception on her own 22-yard line. A converted try put the game just out of reach at 14–5 for UVic. The Thunderbirds, undeterred,

SALOMON MICKO BENRIMOH

stuck to their second half and maintained possession for the rest of the game. An offload to Meier saw her beat two defenders and score just before the final whistle, the score 14–12 for the Vikes.

The first game of day two saw the Thunderbirds dispatch the third seed Lethbridge Pronghorns in the tournament’s semifinals.

The T-Birds looked exceptionally strong against Lethbridge. In the first half, Lethbridge rarely got the ball and when they did they lost it quickly. Not only did the Thunderbirds deprive the Pronghorns of the ability to score, but they resolved to bury them under a mountain of tries. Shoshana

Seumanutafa would score two tries from her own end, stepping some, outrunning others and fending the remainder. Kally King would also find her way to an overlap, scoring to take the Thunderbirds into the half 17–0.

Lethbridge had a much better second half but the score would become a 24–0 at full-time.

The final was a second battle of BC and for the second time in the tournament, the title would go to the Vikes.

Both teams appeared to be equal in scoring chances with the difference seemingly in UVic’s tryline defence. Thunderbird difficulties in the final yards mixed successful Vikes play deep in UBC’s end culminated in tries from UVic’s Alexie Pusch and Ella O’Regan. The score was 12–0 at half.

The second half saw UBC improve. Thunderbird Rachel Smith would open the scoring, instilling hope in a team that had seemed snakebitten in the first half. The T-Birds needed the next try, but UVic would get the honour, Rachel Gonzalez scoring in the match’s last try.

A second-place finish in the tournament netted UBC 12 points, putting their total going into the final leg in Victoria at 20. It brings them from fourth to third place in the series, jumping over the Lethbridge Pronghorns. The Canada West Rugby 7s’ Series resumes in Victoria on February 29. U

18 | SPORTS+REC | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

WEEKEND RUNDOWN T-Birds split weekend against Lethbridge, earn playoff berth Jordan-Elizabeth Liddell Staff Writer

The UBC women’s hockey team hosted the visiting University of Lethbridge Pronghorns this weekend.

The two-game series were the last home games of the season for the T-Birds. Going into the series, there was an understanding of the impactful nature of both games.

It was not just the playoff hopes on the line, but Friday night’s game was the annual Bell Let’s Talk game.

In Friday’s game, Lethbridge was able to overcome serious penalty issues to win 3–2 in double over time.

The Pronghorns gave UBC two two-player advantages and UBC’s power-play unit was able to capitalize on both. Lethbridge found themselves in the penalty box for a total of ten minor penalties.

It was the Pronghorns’ Kyra Greig who scored both the gametying goal in the third as well as the game winner deep into overtime.

In both games Lethbridge opened the scoring, with Katelyn Breitkreuz hustling after her own

rebound to open scoring in the first game. This was answered shortly by Rylind MacKinnon’s power-play goal, leaving the score tied up entering the second.

It was T-Birds’ Hannah Clayton-Carroll that brought them ahead by 2–1.

In the third period, Greig tied up the game with a dramatic goal in the dying moments of the game.

Once in overtime the two teams battled into double overtime. High intensity and desperation marked the physical game.

With both teams battling for the final playoff spot, emotions spilled over.

In the final moments of double overtime Lethbridge’s Breitkreuz was awarded a penalty shot. While no goal came to fruition, Greig put a stop to the game with her goal shortly after.

Saturday’s afternoon game was important. Entering the game, UBC had beaten the Pronghorns twice earlier in the season, before falling by one in double overtime the night before.

Again, the Pronghorns took the lead early, with Alli Borrow opening the scoring five minutes in.

SCORE BOX Sport

Home

Score

CLAIRE CAMPBELL

Women’s hockey continue to stumble down the Canada West rankings.

UBC challenged the Pronghorns lead with a multitude of chances.

Clayton-Carroll and Jaedon Cooke got a two-on-one late in the first, which resulted in a tripping penalty against the Pronghorns.

On the power play, ClaytonCarroll scored with a close up

on Lethbridge goalie Alicia Anderson, snapping it just above her shoulder and tying up the game.

UBC took two penalties for having too many players in the second, creating a chance for Lethbridge to retake the lead.

The Pronghorns’ Meg Dyer

seemed to capitalize on this chance only to have the goal waved off due to another player being in the crease.

The score remained tied until Cooke picked up a game-winning goal off a rebound, sending the T-Birds into a guaranteed playoff spot with a 3–2 win. U

Back-to-back straight set sweep for T-Birds

Away

Friday, January 31

Women’s Hockey Men’s Hockey Women’s Basketball Women’s Volleyball

UBC Lethbridge MacEwan UBC

2–3 Saskatchewan (OT) 1–6 UBC 69–83

UBC

3–0

Regina

Saturday, February 1

Women’s Hockey Men’s Hockey

UBC Lethbridge

2–1

Lethbridge

4–5

UBC

Women’s Rugby 7’s

UBC

5–0

Calgary

Women’s Rugby 7’s

UBC

48–0

UBCO

Women’s Volleyball

UBC

3–0

Regina

Women’s Rugby 7’s

UBC

14–12

Victoria

Women’s Rugby 7’s

UBC

24–0

Lethbridge

Women’s Rugby 7’s

UBC

7–19

Sunday, February 2

Victoria

After suffering a double defeat to Trinity Western last week, the T-Birds rebounded against Regina.

Diana Hong Staff Writer

Along with the straight sets (25–19, 25–17, 25–21) win in Friday’s game against the University of Regina Cougars, the UBC Thunderbirds women’s volleyball team brought home another straight sets (2516, 25-17, 25-13) victory this past weekend at War Memorial Gym, It leaves the T-Birds at a 10–10 record while the lowly Cougars drop to 2–18 in Canada West.

“There’s obviously still lots of room for improvements … I just think it was good to have backto-back weekend straights like

that,” said UBC head coach Doug Reimer after the game on Saturday evening.

Not only did Gabrielle Attieh lead the T-Birds with 14 kills on Friday, she set a new three-set Canada West single-match record after making 31 serves over 3 sets on Saturday with 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage along with 6 blocks and 24.5 points in the victory.

After giving the first set point to the T-Birds, the Cougars tried to fight back along with the two strong serving runs made by Cougars outside hitter Brittany Rousseaux, but it wasn’t enough

AMAN SRIDHAR

to win a set against the surging T-Birds.

Even with a successful weekend, Reimer plans to focus on the improvements heading into next week’s games against the UBC Okanagan Heat in Kelowna.

“I think our blocking has gotten better. So, we’re going to have to be really cued in on what their attackers are doing. So, we have better transition leading a better transition offense,” Reimer added. The squad will return to UBC on February 14 and 15 for the Canada West season finale and senior night against the Brandon University Bobcats. U

20 | GAMES | TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2020

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ACROSS 1. Woodstock singer Joan 5. Gymnast Korbut 9. Trading center 13. Put ___ to (halt) 15. Get as a result 16. To ___ (perfectly) 17. Pandemonium 18. Clanton foe 19. Hwys.

20. Riled (up) 21. Quick sharp bark 23. Edible root 25. Plays are divided up into these

26. Observe 27. Excavating machine 30. Absorb, as a cost 31. Jibe 32. Edible snail 37. Winder for holding flexible material 38. Disgusting dirt 40. Enormous 41. Pursuit of high principles 43. Gal’s guy 44. Fashion designer’s monogram 45. Member of a touring company

47. Few and far between 50. Chamber 51. Surroundings 52. Big East team 53. Medicinal amt.

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22. DDE’s command 24. Kofi ___ Annan 25. Pack leader 26. Resting place 27. Adriatic port 28. Got older 29. Manitoba Indigenous People 32. Spreading tree 33. Head cold 34. Big swallow 35. Eyeball 36. Eye drop 38. Cracks 39. Land in water

42. Harp relative 43. Having feet 45. Sad 46. Decay 47. Cassette half 48. Fold 49. Grocery lane 51. Aggregate 52. Prepare to be shot 53. Pad ___ 54. Planted 55. Hey, over here!

58. Directional ending 60. ___.la.la

U

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within existing Plan densities.

Share your ideas online or in person FEBRUARY 10-24 Online Survey: planning.ubc.ca/wesbrookplace Public Open House: February 11, 4:30pm to 6:30pm Wesbrook Village Community Centre 3335 Webber Lane

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Contact Aviva Savelson, Senior Manager, Public Engagement aviva.savelson@ubc.ca or 604 822-0273

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