March 13, 2014 by The Ubyssey

maRCh 13, 2014 | VOLume XCV| issue XLVii neVeR tAlKIng ABOUt It AgAIn SInce 1918

address molecular biology challenges in areas such as proteomics, haplotyping and sequence alignment brings together academia, industry and the public sector through research and training initiatives to develop cutting edge tools vital to the knowledge-based economy

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(Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems)

THE ERA OF GUPTA Computer science prof and non-profit CEO Arvind Gupta named 13th president and vice-chancellor of UBC

THE CULT OF THE JAPADOG P6 cOMPetItIVe cYclIng clUB P8 ROB FORD ELECTED TO AUS P4 BAttle OF the BAndS PROFIleS P5 HOMELESS FOR THE HOMELESS P9 THE AnnAcIS deBAcle P4

Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

this week, may we suggest...

OUR CAMPUS

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

THURSDAY 13 Re-TAKING THE UNIVERSITY

12 P.M.–6:30 P.m. @ VARIOUS locations

A bunch of talks on student activism. On the docket: rape culture, animal governance, sustainability and more. For a complete list, visit UBC Social Justice Centre facebook page.

FRIDAY

RED BULL WINNING 5 2 P.M.–6 P.M. @ Macinnes Field

This soccer tournament features teams of five facing off against each other but there’s a twist: each time a team scores a goal, the team that is scored against must eliminate one of its teamates. Free registration at redbull.ca/winnings. PHOTO Olivia Law/THE UBYSSEY

Jacqueline Firkins usually works in theatre, but wanted to collaborate with someone from a different field for this project.

SATURDAY

STARTUP WEEKEND

ALL DAY @ Wayne and William White Engineering Design Centre

This three-day entrepreneurship competition has open-mic pitches on Friday, product development on Saturday and Sunday and prototype demos on Sunday evening. Visit ubc.startupweekend.org for more information. $50

ON THE COVER When you’re shooting someone on a tight timeframe, a stand-in does wonders. News editor Will McDonald here was a good sport and stood in. Of course, we then moved to the other side of the room for the final photo, but this got us most of the way there. Photo by Geoff Lister.

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

U The Ubyssey

editorial

Coordinating Editor Geoff Lister coordinating@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Print Ming Wong printeditor@ubyssey.ca Managing Editor, Web CJ Pentland webeditor@ubyssey.ca News Editors Will McDonald + Sarah Bigam news@ubyssey.ca Senior News Writer Veronika Bondarenko vbondarenko@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Rhys Edwards culture@ubyssey.ca Senior Culture Writer Aurora Tejeida atejeida@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Natalie Scadden sports@ubyssey.ca Senior Lifestyle Writer Reyhana Heatherington rheatherington@ubyssey.ca Features Editor Arno Rosenfeld features@ubyssey.ca

Video Producer Lu Zhang video@ubyssey.ca Copy Editor Matt Meuse copy@ubyssey.ca

Photo Editor Carter Brundage photos@ubyssey.ca Illustrator Indiana Joel ijoel@ubyssey.ca Webmaster Tony Li webmaster@ubyssey.ca Distribution Coordinator Lily Cai lcai@ubyssey.ca

Staff Catherine Guan, Nick Adams, Kanta Dihal, Marlee Laval, Angela Tien, Carly Sotas, Alex Meisner, Luella Sun, Jenny Tang, Adrienne Hembree, Mehryar Maalem, Jack Hauen, Kosta Prodanovic, Olivia Law, Jethro Au, Bailey Ramsay, Jenica Montgomery, Austen Erhardt, Alice Fleerackers, Nikos Wright, Milica Palinic, Jovana Vranic, Mackenzie Walker, Kaveh Sarhangpour, Steven Richards, Gabriel Germaix, Jamie Hill, Jenny Tan. Kaidie Williams

MARCH 13, 2014 | Volume XCV| Issue XLVII

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CONTACT

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LEGAL The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as

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Firkins dresses up cancer for a good cause Jovana Vranic Staff Writer

Most wouldn’t put costume design and medicine together in the same thought, but theatre professor Jacqueline Firkins’ latest project is an example of exactly that. As someone who has worked in theatre costume design for a while, her latest project is an example of collaboration across disciplines. She designed a series of ball gowns inspired by cancer cells; she hopes in turn the dresses will inspire those who are battling cancer. “Fashioning Cancer: The Correlation Between Destruction and Beauty” is a project that aims to open up dialogue about the disease, including its effects on body image. Firkins said there is the “need for beauty when we’re faced with mortality.” “It’s my first time doing something like this. Most of my work is in the theatre where we have a script, we all work together, we put on a show, and that’s it,” said Firkins, who received her BA from Drew University in New Jersey, MFA from Yale School of Drama and is in her first year of teaching at UBC. Firkins searched for a way to convey her artistic work in a research capacity. She had been looking for a grant opportunity, and she came across the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies’ research mentoring program, which aims to provide faculty associates with the

chance to work with veteran UBC scholars on collaborative interdisciplinary studies. She wanted to collaborate with someone from a completely different field. She chose to work with Christian Naus, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine. On his website, she found imagery of cancer cells under a microscope. “I immediately thought that [these pictures] would translate instantly into fashion. I had such a sense of artistry about it.” She incorporated the images into her designs for the 10 dresses that form the core of her project. Each one varies uniquely in style, colour and pattern in order to match each different type of cell. “It’s art; it’s not just science!” A large influence on Firkins’ choice to use cancer cell imagery was her personal connection to the illness. “I have a few friends who’ve gone through cancer,” she said. “Fortunately, most of them are still in my life, but not all of them. “What I really do well is design and create clothes, so I thought this might be a really interesting way to do something that’s very much across disciplines, uses my skill set, but also just creates something that can generate conversation about cancer.” The project has received a great deal of positive feedback. “Already, people have started telling me their stories, and it’s been phenomenal,” said Firkins. Many have also shared with her

their opinions on self image, and their changed outlooks on life and organizations such as Pink Ribbon, which supports breast cancer patients.

I have a few friends who’ve gone through cancer. Fortunately, most of them are still in my life, but not all of them. Jacqueline Firkins UBC costume design professor

Apart from the primary goal of opening dialogue, Firkins hopes her project can also raise money toward battling the disease. In the upcoming months, she hopes to find a sponsor and venue to hold an auction for the dresses. The money may then be donated to such causes as cancer research, counselling services, or even to individuals with unique cases. Creating a website to serve as a space for public commentary on her project and for people to share their own stories may be in the works too. Whether she carries on work in raising awareness for the correlation between cancer and body image, or moves on to create more costumes inspired by disease research, Firkins is hoping her project will “have a life beyond this semester.” U

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Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

eDitORs WILL MCDONALD + SARAH BIGAM

UBC PReSiDeNT >>

arvind Gupta named next president Will McDonald News Editor

PhOtOs geOFF ListeR/the uByssey

Arvind Gupta, right, will succeed Stephen Toope, left, as UBC president. Board chair John Montalbano (centre) hosted the announcement.

Arvind Gupta, director of Mitacs and a UBC computer science professor, will be UBC’s next president. Gupta will replace current president Stephen Toope on July 1, at which point he will begin his five-year term in office. “There’s nothing more humbling than following in the footsteps of president Stephen Toope,” Gupta said at the announcement this morning. “He’s a role model not just for us, but for any university president.” Animal research protestors interrupted the announcement, standing up as Gupta was introduced and chanting, “Stop the torture! Stop the pain! UBC is to blame!” They chanted again during Gupta’s speech. Gupta has a bachelor’s degree in science from McMaster University, as well as a master’s degree and a PhD from the University of Toronto. He’s been at UBC since 2009 and specializes in algorithmic issues in bioinformatics. He has three daughters, two of whom are UBC students. The search committee tasked with finding the new president unanimously approved Gupta as their choice. “He is profoundly committed to the mission of the university and I know that he will help us all together drive UBC to even greater achievements,” said Toope. “I think we should be thrilled with this appointment. I am, personally.” In addition to his role at Mitacs — the Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex, a national research organization — Gupta is a member of the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council and serves on the Canadian Mining Innovation Council, among other bodies. “This is a world where the very nature of interaction and learning, research and work is morphing before our very eyes. It’s a world where networks, knowledge and ideas are supplanting traditional currencies as measure of empowerment, wealth and well-being,” said Gupta. “Our universities

are at the vanguard of this change and none is better positioned to handle that change than UBC.” Gupta is optimistic about the university’s government relations and potential to influence public policy. “I never see it as lobbying.... I think our relationships with governments have to be partnerships,” Gupta said in an interview after the announcement. “I’ve always believed that governments are there to try and build the best society they can, so the question is, how do we contribute to that?” Gupta said his background in computer science will help him understand new flexible learning technologies. “Technology is really changing the world around us ... and I think that we should really embrace technological change in the higher education system,” said Gupta. “When the printing press came out, I’m sure there were monks thinking, ‘Boy, I’m about to lose my job.’ Really what it did was open up knowledge ... just like technology is opening up the world.” Gupta was supportive of Toope’s strategic plan, Place and Promise, particularly the flexible learning component of it. “There’s very good long-term outcomes and when I see Place and Promise, there’s a lot of initiatives going on at UBC to try and boost experiential learning for students,” said Gupta. “That’s something I really see eye to eye on.” Although Toope has adopted a staunch stance, Gupta has his own Twitter account. “If I read an interesting article and I want to share that with people, I use Twitter to say, hey, here’s something really interesting that you might want to read. It’s a way of getting timely information like that out,” said Gupta. Gupta said his immediate goals include meeting with as many people as possible to get up to speed on the issues the president deals with. “I was just talking with Stephen [Toope] about this. His advice was to decompress a bit, step away from all this and relax, because when July comes there’ll be lots to do,” said Gupta. U

Presidents of yore: a look back at the twelve that came before START

UBC’s presidents have a long and storied history that goes beyond the streets and buildings named after them. Here are the highlights FRANK WESBROOK (1913–1918) • UBC’s ﬁrst president • Annual salary $10,000

ARVIND GUPTA (2014– )

LEONARD KLINCK (1919–1944) • Lived in a tent ﬁrst year in office conducting research • Once suspended a Ubyssey editor for publishing unflattering (but true) information about him STEPHEN TOOPE (2006–2014) • Initiated Place and Promise, uBC’s current strategic plan

NORMAN MACKENZIE (1944–1962) • Enrolment increased from 2,500 to 18,000 students during his term

MARTHA PIPER (1997–2006) • Oversaw increased market housing • Had an imaginary friend named Bort

JOHN MACDONALD (1962–1967) • Removed the bowling alley from war memorial gym

DAVID STRANGWAY (1985–1997) • Sold land for market housing to deal with funding shortages

KENNETH HARE (1968–1969) • resigned after eight months

GEORGE PEDERSEN (1983–1985) • Resigned in protest of provincial government cutbacks

WALTER GAGE (1969–1975) • Known as mr. uBC

DOUGLAS KENNY (1975–1983) • Dealt with cutbacks in provincial funding

4 | NEWS |

Thursday, March 13, 2014

money >>

UBC negotiating payments for cash-strapped wastewater centre

activism >>

UBC students host I Am a Feminist Day

Maura Forrest Staff Writer

UBC and Metro Vancouver will sign a formal contract detailing UBC’s payments for the Annacis Wastewater Centre by this summer. A board of Metro directors voted on Feb. 28 to approve six payments of $90,000, which the university had committed to the research and teaching centre back in 2011. However, the schedule of those payments remains uncertain. UBC researchers have been using the facility free of charge since it was completed in 2011 on Annacis Island, next to the waste water treatment plant. Minutes from the recent board meeting indicate that Metro is hoping “to negotiate retroactive payment for the use of the centre prior to 2014.” But UBC’s associate director of strategic partnerships, Iain Evans, believes UBC should not have to pay the full $90,000 per year dating back to 2011, as there was little research activity at that time. “There will be retroactive payment that will take place. I think it’s fair that UBC researchers pay for what they used,” said Evans. “But the reality is there wasn’t $90,000 worth of research going on in 2011. It would be odd to backdate it all the way back to 2011 and pay for things that UBC didn’t actually use.” Evans said the six-year contract will expire in 2017 if it is retroactive to 2011, which would cut the remaining time the university has to make use of the facility. He said UBC’s proposal is to begin the payments for 2013. The Annacis Wastewater Centre was conceived in 2006 as one of five sustainability academies

NEWS BRIEFS

Professors oppose Fair Elections Act 160 professors from Canadian universities signed a letter published in the National Post on Tuesday criticizing the proposed Fair Elections Act on several fronts. Fourteen UBC professors were among them. The letter said the bill would disenfranchise certain groups of citizens and favour larger and incumbent parties. The letter also expressed concerns about the lack of consultation in drafting the bill. “While we agree that our electoral system needs some reforms, this bill contains proposals that would seriously damage the fairness and transparency of federal elections and diminish Canadians’ political participation,” the letter said. Three UBC employees in top 20 public sector earners Three UBC employees were among the 20 public sector employees with the highest salaries in B.C. in the 2012-2013 fiscal year. According to the Vancouver Sun’s database, which includes bonuses and vacation pay, UBC President Stephen Toope is the 11th-highest paid public sector employee in the province. Dean of Medicine Stuart Gavin and radiology professor François Bénard placed 13th and 16th, respectively. Forty-six of the top 50 highest paid workers in the university sector work at UBC. Most of these are in medicine, business and the office of the president. U

UBC

Photo CARTER BRUNDAGE/THE UBYSSEY

Passers-by were invited to write down their own definitions of feminism.

Jovana Vranic Staff Writer

ANNACIS ISLAND RICHMOND DELTA

The wastewater centre is located on Annacis Island, between Richmond and Delta.

that would train students to find innovative solutions to regional problems like waste water management. The facility cost $9 million to build, two thirds of which was paid for by federal and provincial grants. UBC initially considered a contribution of $1 million to the project, but according to Michael Isaacson, dean of the Faculty of Applied Science at the time, no formal agreement was made. In 2011, UBC committed to half of their original proposal in a new agreement, but Metro only realized UBC would not be pledging

$1 million in late 2013. Soon after, plans for the four other academies were shelved. The Annacis centre is now operating at a $390,000 annual deficit. White Rock mayor Wayne Baldwin said the deficit has occurred because the facility is underused. “They have staff there who supposedly operate and promote it as a place for conferences or meeting spaces and they’re not bringing in very much,” he said. “It’s not an attractive place to be, next to a treatment plant.” Evans said the centre could still become profitable if it were rented

GRAPHIC MING WONG/THE UBYSSEY

out to private enterprises doing waste water research. “UBC isn’t the only institution in town that does research,” he said. “I think there’s a real opportunity to turn the centre into quite an entrepreneurial little hub that would generate revenue based on renting out the pretty impressive research infrastructure that they have.” Baldwin disagrees, saying the institution will never make back what it cost to build. “I’m not thinking that there’s much chance for it to be profitable.” U

arts >>

‘Rob Ford’ elected AUS representative Andrew Liang Contributor

Joke candidate Rob Ford won a position in the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) elections. After winning a spot as AMS representative for the 2014-2015 year, Ford announced on his Facebook page that he would be delegating his duties to Harsev Oshan, who ran the joke candidate’s campaign. Oshan ran for AMS president in January and lost by 29 votes.

Courtney Lee, AUS elections coordinator, expressed deep concern over the precedent Ford’s candidacy has set for future elections. Lee said the AUS election committee was “not pleased” that Ford beat out seven other serious candidates. “It’s not fair that he pushed out more serious candidates and if he continues to be Rob Ford on the council, that’s something we’re not happy about either,” said Lee. Oshan thought differently. “Rob Ford won, and if anything, I think that this proves that stu-

Rob Ford conceded his position to Harsev Oshan.

File photo steven richards/the ubyssey

dents are very disconnected from the whole process. It shows how much name recognition matters when it comes to these elections.” As Ford’s platform included abolishing tuition and providing free alcohol to all students, Oshan said he did not expect to win and was shocked when he discovered he came in fourth out of the five elected AMS representatives. He conceded that his candidacy may have negatively affected the election. “It definitely hurts students who were serious about it. They ran as serious candidates. It hurt them, but at the end of the day ... it’s a democracy,” said Oshan. Oshan made it clear he would not be working as Rob Ford while representing the AUS on AMS Council. “I was going to do [so] initially but I don’t think it’s going to add any value to the votes that students cast,” said Oshan. Both Lee and Oshan expressed interest in making it more difficult for joke candidates to win in the future. Oshan said one of his priorities as an AMS rep would be to rework election bylaws. “I think that the purpose of the joke candidate should be to create that buzz and then the responsibility of the students is to say, ‘I’ve heard about the joke candidate running in this election, but let me see what this election is all about.” U

UBC students gathered on Monday to celebrate women’s rights and gender equality with an interactive engagement fair in the SUB. Participants at the fair were asked to reflect on the question, “How do we enact feminism?” People could write out their thoughts on this matter on posters at the I Am a Feminist booth or talk to organizers to learn about how to get involved with clubs on campus that promote feminism. “Feminism gets a pretty bad rap,” said I Am a Feminist campaign member Alex Mierke-Zatwarnicki. “Most people would agree with feminism if it was really described to them. So, this event is about trying to show that being a feminist can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and that there’s a lot of ways to be a feminist.” Passers-by could purchase I Am a Feminist Day T-shirts and buttons imprinted with the campaign’s logo, as well as “Got Consent?” merchandise from the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC). “It’s supposed to get people who don’t normally go out and look for information on feminism [to do so] now that they see that their teachers, peers and friends are wearing these buttons [and merchandise],” said organizer Cheneil Hale. At their booth, members of the Equity Ambassadors displayed profiles of different women on campus and handed out flowers to passers-by. “In lots of different countries, on International Women’s Day, they give out flowers. We wanted to celebrate in the same way,” said Cicely Blain, a representative for the Equity Ambassadors. I Am a Feminist Day was led by the same student group who ran the Campaign to Reclaim Consent, which started last term. The group teamed up with the Women’s Centre, SASC, the Equity Ambassadors and other campus clubs to organize the event in celebration of International Women’s Day, which was on Saturday. The major goals of the I Am a Feminist Day campaign are centred around education about feminist issues through dialogue. “We tend to be confined in this little box because we think only about our own experiences, but there are so many other problems that we may not be aware of,” said Hale. “By talking to other people ... we can hopefully spread awareness and learning, and then more initiatives can pop up and take on specific problems.” U

Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

EDITOR Rhys Edwards

music >>

Jaguar prowls in style Room 202 keeps it real

Last August, a group of musicians came together for a show put on From their high school by TheCalendar.ca at the Formusic program to the upcoming Last Band tune Sound Club. They had never Standing finale, Room played with each other before. “We rehearsed as a band for the 202 has come a long way over the years. first time at sound check at this As the alternative show and it was one of the best pop-rock group awaits shows I had played to that point. We had a really good time, we just its performance at the Pit Pub this Thursday night, jammed. And that’s how it started,” said second-year UBC student frontman Zishan AbdulRobert Gorwa, the lead guitarist lah, a third-year chemical of Jaguar and self-proclaimed engineering student, medical doctor. reminisces of Room 202’s “We basically have UBC to early years and the high credit,” added trombonist Dexter school classroom that Joric. inspired their name. The eight-month-old seven-man “We spent most of our funk R&B band has seen a success- time in that room, hangphoto Carter Brundage/THE UBYSSEY ful start since their first event at ing out and playing music Fortune Sound Club. Self-described together,” Abdullah said. as “a bunch of jazz players playing Taking influence from bands like Green Day and Maroon 5, Room 202 — which consists R&B,” Jaguar expect to put on a of lead vocalist Abdullah, Rosendo Flores on lead guitar, bassist Earl Moya and Joshua Lopez photo courtesy Jaguar fun and lively show this Thursday. on drums and percussion — has played at some remarkable venues, including the Biltmore “As long as it’s groovy, man, we don’t judge,” said tenor saxophonist and “spiritual chiefCabaret and the Fairview Pub. However, there is one venue that particularly stands out in Abdullah’s mind. tain” John Awrey. “We played at Science World about a year ago,” he said. “There was a huge event that SciEccentricity lies at the heart of the Jaguar cohort. “Every show that we do, we try to think of a different theme or something that’s trending,” said Joric. ence World was putting on and a whole bunch of people [came to] it. That was really fun.” “We’re trying not to be just a couple dudes just rolling in T-shirts; it’s something to make No matter where they are playing, Room 202 hopes to transfer the passion they put into us stand out,” added Gorwa. creating their music to their audience in an effort for the band and crowd to travel far together. With Last Band Standing just around the corner, the members of Jaguar appear confident “We really like to display our passion on stage,” Abdullah said. “We like to make sure that and up to the challenge. For them, their Thursday night wouldn’t be complete without a we’re having a good time and that our audience is having a good time. We really put effort into hair-infested White Spot burger, jungle music and a pre-gig “flowjob” — Awrey’s that.” ritual haircut before every major show. Indeed, passion seems to be incredibly important to Room 202, but beIndeed, Jaguar seems to revolve around homegrown superstitions, coming deeply embedded in their music does not come without its string claiming their performance is also dependent on Awrey putting on of challenges. For Abdullah, balancing a heavy course load with the his left sock before his right sock first thing in the morning. But responsibilities of a band is sometimes a very difficult task. otherwise, their routine is simple. “We all show up, drink beer, “I’m in engineering,” he said. “It takes a lot of time, but I also then there is always one person that is really late and then we have to put my time into music. It’s a passion of mine, as well.” all get anxious waiting for them,” said Gorwa. Regardless of the challenges that come with being both a Then, after a huddle, they’re ready to perform — not just student and musician, Abdullah encourages other local bands for the show, it seems, but in their style. to keep their passion going. “Just getting bigger and better from here — that’s where “There’s no such thing as perfect, but if you keep practiit’s going,” affirmed Awrey. cing, that’s what really matters.” —Tom Spano —Marlee Laval On the evening of March 13th, four UBC-based bands — each Jaguar can be found on their Facebook page. with their own style, attitude and sound — will compete in the finale of the annual AMS Last Band Standing competition in the Room 202 can be found on Facebook or on SoundCloud. Pit Pub. Over 8,000 students voted online during the first round of the competition last week, in which six competitors, selected among dozens of submissions, streamed their music videos over Surveymonkey. The winner of tonight’s battle royale, who will be selected by a jury of industry specialists, will receive a variety of prizes, including a live video recording session, airtime on CiTR, and most coveted of all, a spot on the lineup for the AMS Block Party. We’ve profiled each of the competitors in order, in order to give discerning audiophonic connoisseurs the full skinny on who to watch Vancouver-based indie folk band Rebel on a Mountain has for during the night. Did you ever hear of an album recorded in a barnyard, complete with definitely gone through its share of changes since their formation chickens and cats? in 2012. UBC’s very own folk band, the New Atlas, has done just that. The With a series of lineup changes and genre evolutions, the group, comband was founded over a year ago when Cam Reed, Jodi Bagge and Luc Gloanec met at Trinity Western University. Even though the band is relatively monly known as ROAM, is excited to showcase these changes at the Last new, they have performed at many events and are about to release their second EP. Band Standing finale this Thursday. Their music is rich, yet simplistic. “Even though the music is written by different writers com“We’re basically Rebel on a Mountain 2.0,” said lead vocalist Kristian Wagner, a UBC ing from different places, there is a common theme of trying to make sense of relationships in the student studying political science. “I feel like we’ve gone through a lot of different stages,” Wagner said. “[Initially our world,” said Gloanec, the guitarist, vocalist and banjoist for the New Atlas. “Our values, things music] was very technically driven ... [but] the new sound, which we’re bringing to Last we hold important to us, and where we stand in the world and its conflicts.” Band Standing, is a bit more hard-hitting indie folk. It’s going to be exciting to see how The Barnyard Session, the band’s first EP, conjures the illusion of a utopian world. It makes people receive it.” the listener feel like a hobbit living in the Shire, where dancing and drinking wine are the only The chance to win Last Band Standing and earn a slot at this year’s Block Party is a big tasks in the schedule. But the EP evokes a sense of emptiness — much like how one would feel deal for ROAM, considering that they would be playing at the same show as one of their after a rewarding backpacking trip. biggest influences, Vancouver local and Block Party headliner Dan Mangan. Through musical collaborations, members of the New Atlas have established a special bond “A bunch of the guys in the band have had chance encounters with him because they work with each other. “To me, music is the last bash of spirituality in our society. We can achieve a in coffee shops,” Wagner said, laughing. “He’s randomly come into their coffee shops and connection that can be transformative,” Gloanec said. “[Music has] changed me by giving me an they get super nervous and fangirly.” outlet to create art and share Leading up to the release of their Kalendar EP last year and now their finalist spot at Last what I believe to be true and beautiful.” Band Standing, ROAM has learned about the sense of vulnerability that is required to grow The band is becoming more both musically and personally. and more active; their list of “Everyone has to check their egos at the door as soon as they enter practice. It’s a very to-dos includes releasing a special and humbling experience,” Wagner said. “It’s a toiling process, but at the same time, new EP, touring B.C., making it’s super exciting and one of the things that I personally enjoy the most. It’s not just musical music videos, and recording development; it’s also getting to know yourself as an individual.” more music. Citing their friends, family and The New Atlas is not nervthe Blank Vinyl Project as their biggest support systems, ROAM ous about their performance hopes other local bands will be in the upcoming finale of the able to find the support and confi2014 AMS Last Band Standing competition. Instead of dence that will get them far. being concerned about their “There is so much excess talent, performance, they are more especially in Vancouver ... that intrigued by the “relational really just doesn’t get showcased aspect of live performances, in or displayed the way that it terms of the music, audiences, deserves to be,” Wagner said. “I band members and how every- hope that people can feel confithing works out beautifully,” dent that they can do something said Gloanec. with their music.” U —Jolin Lu —Marlee Laval

final showdown

Rebel on a Mountain ROAMs free

The New Atlas charts a course for the wild

The New Atlas can be found on Facebook.

photo courtesy the new atlas

ROAM can be found on Facebook or on Bandcamp.

photo Stephanie Xu/THE UBYSSEY

6 | cULTURe |

THURSDAY, MARcH 13, 2014

The marvellous life and curious Fighting for death death of the Japadog vendor at UBC Euthanasia debated on stage THeATRe >>

Japan Association raises funds for earthquake JESSICA-CHRISTIN HAMETNER Food

I must admit, I have a love-hate relationship with hotdogs. The thought of a greasy sausage topped with oily onions and a dollop or two of mustard and ketchup stuffed into a bun certainly does have its appeal. Until now, I believed this was the only kind available, until I was told about Japadog, a curious fusion of Japanese- and Canadian-style hotdogs. I was intrigued. Japadog first started in 2005 when an ambitious Japanese couple began selling regular hotdogs on the streets of Vancouver, as a man known simply as Hide, Japadog’s hotdog stand manager, explained. With a flair for creativity and ambitious dreams, it was their homeland, Japan, which inspired the couple to add a tempting twist to an all-time favourite street food: traditional Japanese flavours. Tastes such as terimayo were fused with local BC ingredients, buns and sausages were especially crafted to suit the unique Japanese hotdog, and so, the Japadog was born. UBC’s Japan Association (JA) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year by hosting a food festival from March 10 to 14 in conjunction with Japadog. While the festival is aimed at foodies, it’s the JA’s philanthropic spirit that shines. “We wanted something big and fun that would also raise awareness, so we are collecting donations for the 3/11 earthquake that happened three years ago in Japan. Part of the profits that we earn will go towards the recovery and some of the programmes that are involved with helping the people that are still affected,” said Mio Tomisawa, of the JA. Tomisawa said more than 100,000 people continue to be affected by the Tohoku earthquake, living in temporary housing due to the damage caused by the tsunami. Life continues to be a daily struggle for many in Fukushima, despite the earthquake having occurred three years ago. To help out, students could savour Japadogs including the juicy kurobuta terimayo, listed on the menu as “one of the must-eat items in the world,” or alternatively, enter an instant raffle to win popular Japanese snacks such as Pocky. “The reason why we still wanted to support the Tohoku people was

iLLustRatiON iNDiaNa JOeL/the uByssey

the Japan association was selling Japadogs outside of the abdul Lhada building this week, until the operation was shut down by CuPe 116.

the fact that JA believes in continual support for when these kind of natural disasters happen,” Tomisawa said. “Any little [bit] helps; small things can go a long way, just like Japadog.” Japadog has one big goal: to make the best hotdog in the world. With enticing tangy flavours, salty seaweeds fused with classic teriyaki sauces and a touch of EDITOR’S NOTE Japadog removed from campus after request of cUPe 116 we had originally planned to publish the above article in order to draw the public’s attention to the presence of a Japadog on campus for the remainder of the week. however, during our production process we learned CuPe 116 had requested that the Japadog vendor be shut down, due to the union’s previous grievance with the business in 2009. “the union objected because we had jurisdiction for the food services on campus, it’s unionized, and we had our own hot dog stand,” said Colleen garbe, the president of CuPe 116. “we settled to the satisfaction of both parties quite a few years back.” During the negotiation process for the fundraising event, the Japan association proposed bringing in a vendor specializing in traditional Japanese cuisine, but neglected to specify that this vendor would be Japadog. “there was some sort of misunderstanding between the Japanese student association and uBC’s CuPe 116, and when we talked about inviting vendors onto campus, CuPe [116] mentioned

CULTURE We wear all the scarves.

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cheese, rice or noodles, Japadog is a hotdog with an edge — a fusion of east meets west. “When Japadog started out, it was only a small cart, and now they have places in New York and all over Vancouver,” Hide said. “Japadog wants to show that if they can start something from such a small cart and make it so big, then anyone can dream.” U that there was some past offence with Japadog and they might’ve had problems with that,” said kathy Li, the culture head for the Japan association. “they were okay with any other vendor, but Japadog might’ve been an issue, and we weren’t aware of that, so that was essentially the misunderstanding.” according to garbe, CuPe 116 was explicit in their demand that Japadog not come to campus — but she recognizes that multiple lines of communication may have led to confusion. Due to the potential loss in maintenance fees and funds raised for the 3/11 earthquake stemming from the premature removal of Japadog from campus, CuPe 116 members agreed yesterday to donate $500 to the Japan association’s relief fund. “we’re opposed to vendors coming onto campus for normal sales and business that would take away business from our business operation,” said garbe, “[but] we have no problem with discussing and coordinating with other student groups that are bringing in people to do fundraisers, to help society and stuff like that, and we are always open to discussion with any student groups on that.” Currently, there are no other hotdog vendors on campus.

Mariam Barry contributor

We all take our time, until time at last takes us. The notion of limited time lies at the heart of the dilemma gracing the Cultch stage this month in Whose Life Is It Anyway?, which invites audiences to witness the trials facing a sculptor who becomes paraplegic after a car accident and subsequently fights for his right to die. Written by Brian Clark, the Tony award-winning play raises poignant questions about where to draw the line between medical ethics and human dignity. The show is being staged by Realwheels Theatre, a Vancouver-based company which strives to deepen the audience’s understanding of the disability experience. This is done by staging productions in which disability itself is not the focus, but rather the landscape in which universal issues are debated onstage. James Sanders, Realwheels founding artistic director, first encountered the play in its film version during his recovery from a spinal injury in 1990 which rendered him quadriplegic. “New to the world of disability, this play was a gift that inspired me to carry on,” said Sanders, who, almost 25 years since his accident, now sees the play in a new light — a shift in perspective which lead to his desire to stage the show. As a man “in midlife, married and with kids, I am now at an age close to that of Ken Harrison [the protagonist of Whose Life ], who I now see as someone fighting for his right. Not the right to die, but the right to make a choice. The play extends to that of the individual and relates to society in our need to face this subject as a topic of discussion”. Though first adapted from a screenplay in 1972 by Clark, the subject of the show is still time

ly: right-to-die legislation is once again being debated in the media. Last month, Belgium passed a bill allowing children who suffer from severe pain due to terminal illness to voluntarily receive euthanasia. With other countries set to follow suit, Clark’s play aims to provide the first words in the ensuing global debate. Sanders had initially planned to take on the role of Ken Harrison himself. However, due to health issues, Sanders eventually decided to relinquish the role and ask longtime friend and local star Bob Frazer to take on the part. Frazer is joined by a stellar cast, which includes several UBC graduates: actors Pippa Johnstone and Dawn Petten, costume designer Carmen Alatorre and musical accompaniment by cellist Eric Wilson, the current head of strings at the UBC School of Music. The show is directed by John Cooper. Though heavy in content, playwright Brian Clark has layered in numerous comedic moments, which, according to Sanders, close “the distance that exists between people and the disabled by using humor to remind us that we are all human. “Audiences can [therefore] expect to both laugh and shed a tear, as the script uses humour to put the hearts of the audience into the hands of the actors,” he said. Staged in the open set of a hospital room with the looming presence of a doctor’s office placed behind Harrison’s hospital bed, scene changes occur fluidly via the use of changing light. And it is with this fluidity that the cast of Whose Life is it Anyway? aspire to deliver a gut-wrenchingly heartbreaking and beautifully comedic performance. U Whose Life is it Anyway? plays until March 22 at the Cultch, 1895 Venables St.

COuRtesy ReaLwheeLs theatRe

Whose Life is it Anyway? features the story of a man fighting for the right to die.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

| CULTURE | 7

theatre >>

LEAPing for life Arts Centre cultivates UBC playwrights in local festival Jenica Montgomery Staff Writer

Some playwrights have to wait decades before their work is staged at a major venue — but that’s not the case for two UBC students. To celebrate the completion of another year of LEAP (Learning Early About Playwriting), the annual Arts Club-based festival will be hosting an assortment of young playwrights this weekend in Vancouver. First-year Arts student Avash Islam and creative writing graduate Chloe Packer will be presenting their works as Level 2 and Level 3 LEAP students. The LEAP program, which is divided into three levels, was founded by award-winning playwright and actor Shawn MacDonald, and allows students to explore their creative nature and grow as writers, regardless of whether the students are interested in playwriting. “For anyone that writes anything, I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to develop yourself and to develop yourself as a writer,” said Islam, “even if you don’t want to go into theatre or playwriting or something.” The community nature of LEAP and the emphasis on peer-

to-peer feedback is a way for students to develop their plays, and as writers. Packer, the only Level 3 student, works independently with the help of MacDonald and an assistant. “It can be tough for me to stay focused. And what’s wonderful about a program like LEAP is that it does give you those solid deadlines so that you don’t get off track, and that’s really, really valuable,” said Packer. “Especially for someone who’s starting out sort of at the beginning of their writing career because developing that work ethic is so important.” Islam is presenting a one-act play about the intricacies of time and nostalgia. “It’s about a guy who works in a record store, then his ex comes and visits out of the blue, and some wibbly-wobbly timeywimey stuff happens. It’s like a play about time and nostalgia and getting stuck in the past and moving on from that,” said Islam. “I mostly just draw on my life, what I’m feeling, and then I write. “I just try to express myself, try to express what I’m feeling, try to communicate, I guess, because that’s really all there is and it’s the best way I know how.”

image courtesy mark halliday/arts club

The LEAP program allows budding creative minds to spend several months workshopping a play before staging it at a major public venue.

Packer is presenting a fulllength family drama that “has some very comic elements.” “It’s about complacency and what do you do when you [have] made decisions based on what was societally expected of you — how do those decisions, like marrying someone because they’re a good catch, how do those decisions affect you in 20 years?” Theatre and writing have always been a part of Islam and

Packer’s lives, Packer having grown up surrounded by theatre and Islam having known what he wanted to do since he was six. “With this exception of, like, two months when I was six when I wanted to be a garbage man, I’ve been like pretty one track about, ‘Yeah, I’m a writer,’ and even then I think I’d just be like a garbage man-poet, like Bukowski or something — garbage man by day, token poet by night.”

Who knows — LEAP attendees may end up watching the next George Walker. U The LEAP program will be presented at the Arts Club Revue Stage, 1601 Johnston St., on March 15 and 16 at 7 p.m., and March 22 at 7:30 p.m. The awards night, in which all three the participating playwrights will receive a cash reward, is on March 23 at 7p.m.

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Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

eDitOR NATALIE SCADDEN

CyCLiNG >>

For members of the uBC cycling team, the goals are to attend as many races as possible, attract talented riders to the university and build the cycling community on campus.

PhOtO CaRteR BRuNDage/the uByssey

The resurgence of the UBC cycling team

Adrienne Hembree staff Writer

David Mackay loves cycling. From talking about cycling to riding his bike, racing, and co-organizing the UBC cycling team, Mackay enjoys every second of pursuing his passion for the sport. A second-year psychology student, Mackay wanted to bring his love of cycling to the UBC community. “I was playing with the idea ... that I really wanted to get a

cycling thing going,” Mackay said. “I wasn’t even thinking racing.” He was intrigued when the main organizer of the team, Adrienne Stedford, created a Facebook page during the summer and sparked interest in forming a team. Stedford had raced for a year at Oregon State University and had such a great experience that she decided to try to connect a UBC team with the Northwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (NCCC). The NCCC includes 25 universities from Washington,

Idaho, Montana, Oregon and now B.C. UBC is the only Canadian school in the conference. “I immediately messaged her. I was so on board,” Mackay said. UBC’s cycling team is equal parts resurgence and brand new development. Regarding past UBC cycling organizations, Mackay said there was a cycling club, but he doesn't think they ever competed. “I think it was more recreational,” he said. “There’s [also] always been a biking club, but they’re more geared toward mountain biking and trail maintenance.” Both Stedford and Mackay felt that the idea of a road cycling team would generate interest. “Just looking around [on campus], there’s a lot of people that could probably lean more towards road cycling,” said Mackay. Mackay discovered cycling several years ago in his hometown of Calgary with the Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 100-kilometre charity ride. He was soon hooked on riding, and began using his bicycle as his main form of transportation. This season is Mackay’s first competing in races. The UBC cycling team has enabled him to train and race competitively, but also to build community with fellow cyclists of all skill levels. Stedford and Mackay contacted the governing body for the NCCC to race as a member school. “I think they pulled a few strings for us to try to make it work,” said Mackay. “But of course they wanted us to come compete. It just adds to the dynamic.” The competition season consists of eight weekends of racing through March and April followed by a national championship in May. Teams qualify for spots at nationals by attending races and scoring points. The conference has a variety of cat-

egories for men and women ranging from A (elite) to D (beginner). Each weekend consists of three events: a road race, a team time trial and a criterium.

The main thing is we want to be a cycling team. Obviously we want to compete, but not so we’re exclusive. david Mackay uBc cycling team member

The NCCC and the team encourage riders of all skill levels, racing classes, and abilities. “Almost everyone starts out in D,” Mackay said. “But people have been moving up quickly.” UBC’s team has 11 racing members and many more who express interest each week. From their first weekend of competition in March, the team has put together a strong showing. “Some riders have taken [points] in their first races,” said Mackay. “Our men’s team won the team time trial at the University of Oregon Omnium. It’s getting more and more momentum,” Mackay said. Despite their present racing successes, Mackay stressed that the central aspect of the team is its open attitude and welcoming atmosphere. “The main thing is we want to be a cycling team. Cbviously we want to compete, but not so we’re exclusive.” The team represents a diverse demographic of men and women from various degree programs and years of study. Mackay emphasized the community building the team brings to UBC. “It’s so rewarding for students that have a hard time finding community at UBC,”

said Mackay. He credits the hard work, passion and camaraderie of the team to its strong start. “People have been really adamant about doing whatever the next step is to get the ball rolling,” he said. “It’s really cool to see how much motivation there is.” This season, UBC’s goals are to attend as many races as possible, increase interest in the team, and build community by supporting each other at races and making it accessible for team members to compete. Riders are encouraged to join in any capacity from casual riding to serious racing. Though the team’s future goals are to become a team that attracts talented riders to the university, their more immediate goals are to build a sustainable team that lasts when graduating cyclists leave. One factor contributing to the sustainability of the team is funding. UBC Cycling is self-funded, with support from sponsors and local bike shops that provide some equipment and racing essentials. This year's sponsors and partners include Velofix, Prima, Q Energy and Performance Coaching. “There is a business side to it,” said Mackay. The team also cuts costs by carpooling to races and doing homestays while traveling. Dave Vukets, the founder of Prima, a local food startup, is a UBC alum who saw a valuable opportunity to support the growth of cycling. “He’s a recent grad who ... wishes there had been a UBC cycling team during his time, so our story hit home with him,” said Mackay. The UBC cycling team, built on teamwork and passion, is pedaling their way towards a promising future. Mackay is constantly impressed by the dedication of the team. “We are excited to see more and more UBC students get involved in bike racing,” he said. U

THURSDAY, MARcH 13, 2014

| SPoRTS + Rec | 9

CHARiTy >>

UBC swimmer joins 5 Days for the Homeless campaign Natalie Scadden sports + rec Editor

Where did you sleep last night? For UBC varsity swimmer Brittney “Bon” Harley and nine others, the answer to that question is on the sidewalk outside Irving K. Barber Library. The group has set up a camp there for the week as part of the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign. With no money and no electronics, the aim is to raise awareness for youth living on the streets. They’re also collecting spare change and have set a fundraising goal of $15,000, to be donated to Aunt Leah’s Independent Lifeskills Society, a registered charity that provides guidance, supported housing and job training to teen moms and young people in foster care.

[My swimming teammates] just ask me how it’s going and if I need anything, which is so awesome. I’ve gotten so much support from them, like ‘Hey Britt, I’ll bring you food’, which is such a kind gesture. But at the same time I’m like ‘guys this isn’t about me.’ Brittney harley uBc swimmer and 5 days for the homeless participant

“By associating ourselves with this project, we will not only raise awareness for youth homeless-

PhOtO CaRteR BRuNDage/the uByssey

uBC swimmer Brittney “Bon” harley is one of 10 students sleeping outside irving k. Barber Library with the 5 Days for the homeless campaign.

ness in Vancouver, but we can also directly give back to these children who are transitioning out of the foster care system and are expected to be fully independent young adults,” reads the 5 Days UBC website. For Harley, who recently wrapped up her five-year swimming career with the Thunderbirds, the campaign was another challenge she’d been looking forward to. She heard about it in her third year at UBC and applied to participate. She even went through the entire interview process, but couldn’t do it because she was

T-BiRDS 5-ON-5

spending over 20 hours a week at the pool. “They were like, ‘We love your commitment to so many things, but you have to be here fully,’” Harley explains of her first time applying to participate. But now that swimming is done, she can put her energy into her other passions. “Literally the second that I knew that I was done my season, I looked up this campaign, I got involved, I contacted them, and they were just like, ‘Obviously this is something that’s important to you because you’ve tried to do this before,’” she says. “It’s awesome to be

here. I’m so happy. I haven’t stopped smiling.” Harley is thankful for having the support of her swim teammates, who think this is “classic Bon.” They’ve all stopped by to keep her company and bring her food and warm drinks. While she’s appreciative of their kind gestures — rules state that participants cannot buy food themselves and can only drink from public water fountains — she stresses that it’s not about her. “It’s youth helping youth,” she says. “If you’ve got some change, that’s all I want.”

MARGARITA SISON

BRAEDEN ALLEMANN

MADISON GUY

softball

Baseball

soccer

Not only does she have a great group of teammates watching out for her, she also made an instant connection to her fellow participants. “We actually all just met for the first time [Monday] night and the second we saw each other it was like I’d known them forever,” Harley says. In order to stay warm overnight, the group cuddled up to share body heat. “I don’t think there’s anything that can stop you from being friends after spooning all night,” she says. “It was awesome.” Harley believes that being involved in high performance sport gave her the confidence she needs to approach people in public and talk to them openly. “Swimming has taught me to love the things I love and strive for them, you know, like do everything you can, put everything into the things you enjoy,” she says. “That definitely comes out in this because you realize who you are through sport, and then you can spread that to the community.” Having an athlete involved has also brought increased attention to the campaign, something the entire group is happy about. "We actually almost hit the money amount they got last year [on Monday], and that was the start of the campaign," Harley explains. But there’s one thing that swimming couldn’t prepare Harley for: raccoons. “Raccoons are the devil. I’m so scared of them. I don’t want raccoons in my bed, that’s what I’m nervous about.” U To donate to the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign and read participant blogs, visit www.5days.ca/ ubc. Or, as Harley said, Come stop by. We like friends.

CHRIS HOWE

JAIME HILLS

Volleyball

Basketball

#13 1. Why did you choose jersey number 13?

honestly, i didn’t choose the jersey. the jersey chose me. in other words, the coaches just gave me one.

i’m a rookie. Limited options resulted in my jersey number.

i heard they might be doing a sport number targeting review and that number 13 is rumoured to receive enhanced support.

my favourite number was three as a kid, but our t-Ball jerseys were numbered according to size so i ended up a 13.

Originally because no one else ever wanted it and i liked proving the unlucky number 13 wrong. then i kept wearing it in memory of Quinn keast.

2. What’s your biggest superstition?

Right before left. Right sock then left. Right shoe then left. Right catcher’s leg guard before left. It just feels wrong otherwise.

i refuse to step on the foul line.

eating Parmesan cheese after my games, because a protein shake just doesn’t cut it.

Delayed flights are a bad omen.

i always have to make my last shot before i ever leave the gym. i would just be scared i’d be cursed if i didn’t do it.

3. What’s the most unlucky thing that’s happened to you?

hmmm it was more unfair than unlucky. i’d rather not talk about it. #saveus

wore a foul tip off the jock... and it was caught on camera.

Of all the athletes at this school, i’m dating a guy on the men’s hockey team.

a thief found our team room open and unoccupied and my bag - with my phone, wallet and laptop - was unlucky enough to be one of the three grabbed.

i fell on a treadmill one time and gave myself some serious road rash - i still have the scars. that was bad enough but it was also Christmas eve and i was in hawaii, so that made it even worse.

4. What’s your spirit animal?

well, my patronus is a horse according to a BuzzFeed quiz. and BuzzFeed doesn’t lie.

Cow. hard to explain, though people close to me know why.

sid the sloth because i look like him when i laugh. either that or a thunderbird, duh.

i’d be a pelican. i’m long and awkward, and i’m in the warm part of the ocean eating all day with no predators!

is tigger a spirit animal?

5. the new SUB still doesn’t have a name. What do you think it should be called?

margaritaville.

under Construction.

i didn’t know the old suB had a name other than just being called the suB...

Call it the sPuD: students Procrastinating under Distress.

the kevin Durant Pavilion. it might attract him to come visit.

Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

student voice. Community reach.

LAST WORDS PArting shots and snap judgments from The ubyssey editorial board

Your university has commitment problems

Rob Ford comes to AMS Council

UBC needs to start following through on their commitments. UBC says that no formal agreement was ever reached with Metro Vancouver regarding their $1-million commitment to the Annacis Wastewater Centre, but some commitment must have been expressed for this figure to have been included in the budget for four years during the planning of the centre. Sure, some of this was Metro’s fault — a deal struck in 2011 should not have been news to them in 2013. But now, UBC hopes to renegotiate the deal again, and that's just not cool. An agreement signed by VP Research John Hepburn and the CAO of Metro Vancouver committed UBC to providing $90,000 per year over six years, starting in 2011. UBC has finally decided to pay up, but according to Iain Evans, who is negotiating the deal, UBC hopes to change this, making the payments retroactive to 2013. Even if the research happening at the centre in 2011 wasn't worth $90,000, as Evans says, UBC should follow through on their word if they want to be taken seriously in their future dealings. Next time, they should just not commit to something they either can’t or won’t pay. A institution that renegotiates all its commitments won't be viewed as credible.

Harsev Oshan, who lost a close AMS presidential election to Tanner Bokor earlier this year, nobly chose to stay involved in student politics. Kind of. Oshan ran in the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) elections for the student society's AMS Council seat — but he appeared on the ballot as “Rob Ford.” It is hard to tell whether voters knew they were voting for Oshan, as he easily could have won either way. Still, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it’s nice to see joke candidates in these student elections because, as Winnie Code showed us during January's AMS elections, it makes things way more fun. Our main message on this front really has to be that Oshan should not use crack or assault other council members. It’s all fun and games until we get our own Toronto-crack-mayor on council. (Just kidding, that would be fun.) But also, frankly, Ford’s antics are now so over-the-top that the joke has run its course. We’re glad Oshan will be sitting as Oshan and not a silly pretend Ford.

CUPE 116's beef with Japadog Let's play “What Should the On-Campus Union That Wants to Stay on Students’ Good Side Do?” Here's the scenario: A popular food stand pops up on campus to serve students hotdogs for a week

illustration jethro au/the ubyssey

When news slows down at the end of the year, it’s always good to know you can get some awesome food on campus — for a while.

and raise money for a club’s charity drive. Your union doesn't operate a hotdog stand, but it did once and at that time you aggressively kept other hotdog vendors off campus. The club got your approval to have its food stand on campus beforehand, but you didn’t know it was the same hotdog vendor you had clashed with in the past back when you had your own stand. Do you: A) Do nothing. The club already got your permission, students are

loving the hotdogs and it’s not directly competing with any of your unionized operations. Plus, it’s only here for a week and it’s raising money for charity. B) Force the non-unionized vendor off campus and give the club some cash to make up for being a dick. CUPE 116, the campus service workers union that took extensive job action in 2012, decided to go with option B) and force Japadog off campus.

It was nice of the union to donate money to the charity, but for the Japanese Association, the hotdog stand was a way to raise awareness and help out students. For the reasons listed above, CUPE 116 shouldn’t have felt threatened and they should have realized it was not as if the club could have found a unionized Japanese hotdog vendor to come instead of Japadog. Everyone should just remember that next time they complain about not being paid enough. U

Where is home? Problems discussing Chinese international students JANE SHI Op-Ed

On Monday afternoon, I found myself looking at the cover of The Ubyssey : a gigantic panda with sternly crossed arms, wearing a Chinese flag pin, overlooks what appears to be ethnically Chinese students learning at UBC. Noting instantly the allegory of Chinese students studying under the control of the Chinese government, I could not help but anticipate the kind of article that will be written about “Chinese international students.” Mainstream journalism has treated issues pertaining to the “rising Asian power” and, specifically, Chinese people in Canada with xenophobia and insufficient nuance (see Maclean’s infamous “Too Asian?” article). Thus I am not surprised that “Going home: Chinese international students and democracy,” is so uncritical of the “western liberal democracy” that exists here on Turtle Island (an indigenous name for North America). Nor am I surprised that the article repeatedly frames Chinese international students as inseparable from the Chinese government’s relationship to the West. Like so many other articles written on the topic, “Going home” implies the superiority of western systems, as well as the necessity of writing about non-western nations from a western perspective. Rosenfeld spends several paragraphs explaining how “UBC very

Photo courtesy kick_start/flickr

Jane Shi argues a better question to ask is whether Tibet activism on campus will extend to other issues.

gently poked China in the eye” with the visit of Lobsang Sangay, Tibetan prime minister in exile. Then, arguing that this event “serves to highlight” the larger issue of “Chinese students travel[ling] abroad to attend university in western democracies,” he directly links Chinese international students attending school in the West to the political situation in China and in particular “causes like Tibetan autonomy,” which the Chinese government directly opposes. By asking whether these students will or will not import democracy to China, the piece rhetorically forces “Chinese international students” into the Chinese government’s geopolitical role in the world. My critique of “Going home” stems from an objection to this

rhetorical framing, because it presumes The Ubyssey 's readership would find it intuitive that western democracy can influence international students in any significant way, even if their studies and interests do not lie in politics, and it further assumes that these international students have political influence within China. Further, “Chinese international students” is used here to refer only to those of Chinese nationality, holding Chinese passports. But this framing presumes that the term “Chinese international students” necessarily excludes ethnic Chinese students from Hong Kong, Taiwan and other regions, who would instantly be alienated from this article’s discussion even if they self-identify as a “Chinese international student.”

I also challenge the article’s premise that either China, Canada or the U.S. are entities that can be personified through the popular opinions of their citizens, using imperialistically derived labels such as “Canadians,” “Americans,” or “Chinese.” The article suggests that “Canadians and Americans” might be surprised that “many of the returning students don’t really want China to change.” I am a Canadian, yet I am not surprised. Too often, “Canadian” and “American” are used in this context to refer to upper-middle class whites in those countries who find rising Asian superpowers threatening. Just as it is not useful to speak about “Chinese international students” as limited to those holding Chinese passports, speaking of Canadians and Americans without acknowledging an array of possible identities and relations to other parts of the world highlights the article’s faith in western democracy and imperialism. As an example, I was born in mainland China and have relatives who live there now who would be labelled “Chinese international students” if they come to attend school on Turtle Island. In “Going home,” the investigation into the question of democracy promotion in China leads into the fact that these students are economically privileged. While the article does articulate the realities of capitalism, it decidedly does not frame the issue of “Chinese international students” as a class issue. By observing that western degrees “boost job prospects,” but saying that despite this, subservience to the

Chinese government and political networking are required to get high-paying corporate positions in China, the piece opens up a discussion about our world’s elite classes and their relationship to national interests. But it does not frame this as the article’s central focus. What do students and faculty reading this article learn about what it means to be a Chinese international student? Personally, I learned very little. I already know that the meaning of “Chinese” cannot be reduced to citizenship of mainland China, that the system of the People’s Republic of China is repressive, and that it’s difficult to have political inclinations that do not cater to China’s national interest if you have grown up in that system. But what do students who do not have a visceral sense of that reality learn, other than that there are more reasons to alienate international students from mainland China and to judge their upbringing and motives? If the questions the article asks about these international students have to do with their nationality and not their class privilege, what does this discussion serve but to maintain the legitimacy of different forms of nationalism? If we are to have an honest discussion of Chinese international students, a more interesting question to ask would be: will access to information about the situation in Tibet, and other regions which the Chinese government represses, compel stronger activist movements around this and other human rights issue? U

Thursday, March 13, 2014 |

PICTURES + WORDS ON YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

iled a f accurate PREDICTIONS

OUR super WILL BE THE NEXT UBC PRESIDENT So this Arvind Gupta guy is the new president of UBC, but we had some candidates of our own. Although it looks like none of them will be taking the helm any time soon, they do fit the candidate profile the search committee had set out — to some extent. — Ming Wong, Managing Editor, Print Illustrations by Samantha So.

winning Grammys counts, right? The Blueprint?

mentoring Kanye West hasn’t been easy

Party whip much?

may not be the “highest” character on the show, but getting there

the music industry is very competitive, very international

SHAWN “JAY-Z” CARTER

Pros: Hip-hop veteran with an entrepreneurial spirit. Cons: Illuminati-connections.

dealt with many sketchy Democratic leadership members

numbers 83 to 88 of his 99 problems

can use some of his millions to pay off student loans S02E01

see: clothing line, record label, basketball team, etc.

JACQUELINE SHARP (HOUSE OF CARDS) Current job: Democratic party whip on the Netflix show House of Cards. Pros: “Ruthless pragmatism.” She will find a way to combat decreasing provincial funding without resorting to illegal or sketchy political trades. (Well, except that one time.)

as congresswoman she is no stranger to fundraising

S02E01

concrete jungles where dreams are made of

ON WHO

winning Emmys and People’s Choice count, right? And University of New Orleans for one semester!

Candidates must have excellent record of administrative and academic achievement, with significant contributions to research, teaching, and mentoring. Candidates must demonstrate strategic vision and broadbased executive leadership skills, including guiding and inspiring a strong senior management team and collaborating in a collegial manner with faculty, staff, and students on key academic and operational issues. Candidates should be capable of operating in a complex system with a combination of strong leadership qualities and commitment to the principles of shared governance. Candidates must be of the highest character and integrity, possess inherent capabilities to inspire colleagues and stakeholders, and be able to earn the confidence of the University and broader communities. International context: Candidates should have a clear understanding of the international context in post-secondary education as well as demonstrated experience working successfully in the highly competitive international environment in which the world’s top-ranked institutions operate. Candidates must display a readiness to embrace the imperatives of cultural diversity and its essential role in creating globally inclusive learning and research environments, and be eager to strengthen and enhance a wide range of international partnerships.

Current job: rapper

Cons: Fictional.

Core Requirements for the Role

Candidates must be prepared to engage with a diverse range of faculty, staff, students, and alumni(ae) to address the many challenges facing post-secondary institutions: financial pressures on the public system, student affordability, open access, flexible and online learning, engagement with industry, pressures of addressing job markets, and other socio-economic expectations. Imagination, analytical acumen, and superior problem-solving abilities will be of utmost importance. Knowledge and expertise in government relations, business and alumni(ae) development, and fundraising: Candidates must be able to articulate to all levels of government UBC’s significance as a key economic driver for the new economy, and to collaborate effectively with elected leaders to capitalize on the benefits accruing to the province and country through UBC’s global leadership in learning and research. Candidates must have a creative and entrepreneurial sensibility. Demonstrated success in fundraising and other development activities, both at the individual level and with corporate and private organizations, is essential. Ability to motivate, inspire, and unite: The next President will be a tireless champion of the University’s many achievements and aspirations. She or he will engage the university community in the process of developing a clear and cohesive vision of UBC’s current and future values, priorities, and objectives. Candidates must therefore have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills required to motivate, interact, and consult widely with faculty, staff, students, and alumni(ae).

Harvard, y’all?

producer of her own show

ELLEN DEGENERES Current job: Talk show host Pros: Charismatic. Sense of humour. Will increase the “just have fun” factor.

is current president of U of T

Cons: Can’t dance away problems. very inspirational selfie e.g. Hollywood?

is current president of U of T

variety of guests on her show from Bieber to Obama

is current president of U of T

MERIC GERTLER Current job: University of Toronto president Pros: We can do a wife swap-style thing since Toope is going to U of T anyway. Sept. 2011: UBC announces $1.5 billion fundraising campaign. Nov. 2011, U of T announces $2 billion campaign — probably knows how to fundraise

did we mention the Oscar selfie already?

engage via dancing, also good at talking with key players of Hollywood, should transfer to university setting RAPPING

Cons: Doesn’t wear glasses like Toope’s.

12 | GAMeS |

THURSDAY, MARcH 13, 2014

CROSSWORD

PuZZLe COuRtesy BestCROsswORDs.COm. useD with PeRmissiON.

across 1- trudge 5- thick slices 10- Ohio nine 14- green land 15- Resembling a web 16- winglike parts 17- singer sedaka 18- Collect 19- arrived 20- French Protestant 22- Followed 24- type of gun 25- small plateau 26- goblin 29- anonymous 33- Not dead yet 34- actress Braga 35- One circuit 36- strike out 37- eye-related 38- Dame ___ everage 39- Proverb ending? 40- inner self (Jung) 41- entreaties 42- toothless 44- Fast day after Ramadan 45- scottish gaelic 46- math branch 47- subordinate ruler 50- Ramp 54- hgt. 55- Dig find

57- uncle Remus title 58- Queue 59- elicit 60- Lo-cal 61- P.m. times 62- Fragrant compound 63- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto)

down 1- Phnom ___ 2- in ___ of 3- Not a dup. 4- Deceptive 5- River of song 6- yellowish citrus fruit 7- Blind as ___ 8- air rifle ammo 9- affecting the whole body 10- Pertaining to skin color 11- airline to tel aviv 12- matron 13- Bird feed 21- Novel ending 23- On the ocean 25- Craze 26- hawkins of Dogpatch 27- Beg 28- Lunar valley 29- words of denial 30- Like some statesmen 31- Capital city of yemen 32- muscle contraction

34- ill will 37- Carousing 38- Qualified 40- gillette brand 41- Discharged a debt 43- the communication system of the body 44- stiff drink 46- instant 47- actress ward 48- First arabic letter 49- Canvas shelter used on camping trips 50- Oversupply 51- greek goddess of strife 52- Devices for fishing 53- hammock holder 56- Begley and Bradley MAR. 10 ANSWERS

First person to enter The Ubyssey oﬃce and debate the use of cup sleeves on cold drinks gets 100 free copies of the paper. Great for placing your wet, cold drinks on! COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE — SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS