April 4, 2013

APRIL 4, 2013 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE L NOT HOOTSUITE CERTIFIED SINCE 1918 33

2

p8

1

er M Low

13

all

26

10

9 3

18

4 6 31 28

7 23

d al R

ori Mem

22

st We

34

mall

11

21

d y Blv ersit Univ

8

25

15

Main

Mall

tM Eas

all

32

20

So

st we uth

Ma

rin

d my R

ive Dr

12 16

d ral R

29

no Agro

e rin

Ma

ultu

c Agri

27

UBC’S TREASURE-FILLED CAMPUS eD

rive

19 14

30 sb We

5 k roo

lvd ird B

derb

n Thu

Mall

24

h t 16t Wes

17

Ave

Toope To sTep doWn After eight years of service, President and Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope announced he will step down from his post in summer 2014 p3

boMb THReaTs Totem Park house evacuated twice over the weekend for anonymous hoax threats p5

debaTe debacle

email goof leads to AMs barring Liberal rep from participating in all-candidates debate p5

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

scHools >>

WHaT’s on THURSDAY

2

THIS WEEK, MAY WE SUGGEST...

4

BLOOD ReLATIONs

7:30 P.M. @ FREDERIC WOOD THEATRE

Make sure to buy your tickets to the last production of Theatre at UBC for the season. Sharon Pollock’s riveting historial drama will be sure to excite you. $10 for students

FRIDAY

5

#LDOC

Yup — it time we break out the most loved/hated hashtag and #yolo the day away. You have finished another (or perhaps your last) year of university. Pop that bottle of Dom, scream from the balconies of Gage, do #bdn things at Block Party. Carpe diem, you beautiful people.

KAI JACOBSON PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

VSB names new school after Musqueam elder SATURDAY

6

MARK HARRIs MeMORIAL

1–4 P.M. @ RBC THEATRE AT CHAN CENTRE

The department of theatre and film studies is organizing a memorial event for professor Mark Harris who passed away this past term. The event will feature speeches, musical performances and more.

Vancouver School Board voted to name the new elementary school being built on campus after Norma “Rose” Point, a Musqueam elder and education advocate who passed away in July.

The new, expanded elemen-

tary school is being built on Acadia Road on campus, at the site of the old University Hill secondary school.

The school will open in September 2014. The students who will attend there, who live

on campus, are currently taught in temporary facilities in Queen Elizabeth Elementary School on 16th Avenue. U — Laura Rodgers

advocacy >>

ON THE COVER

When Toope announced he was resigning the day the print issue was being produced, we had to act fast. Initially, Toope only took questions at the board of governors meeting, but we managed to finagle a halfhour video interview and a photoshoot. He’s a busy man, so there wasn’t much time to set up and shoot. We got an umbrella flash, took him outside, got him to strike something resembling a pose and went for it.

video content Make sure to check out the latest Weekly Show, airing now at ubyssey. ca/videos/.

U THE UBYSSEY ediToRial

Senior Lifestyle Writer Justin Fleming jfleming@ubyssey.ca

Coordinating Editor Jonny Wakefield coordinating@ubyssey.ca Features Editor Arno Rosenfeld Managing Editor, Print features@ubyssey.ca Jeff Aschkinasi printeditor@ubyssey.ca Video Editor David Marino Managing Editor, Web video@ubyssey.ca Andrew Bates Copy Editor webeditor@ubyssey.ca Karina Palmitesta News Editors copy@ubyssey.ca Will McDonald + Art Director Laura Rodgers Kai Jacobson news@ubyssey.ca art@ubyssey.ca Senior News Writer Graphics Assistant Ming Wong mwong@ubyssey.ca Indiana Joel ijoel@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor Anna Zoria Layout Artist culture@ubyssey.ca Collyn Chan cchan@ubyssey.ca Senior Culture Writer Rhys Edwards Videographer redwards@ubyssey.ca Lu Zhang lzhang@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor Webmaster CJ Pentland Riley Tomasek sports@ubyssey.ca webmaster@ubyssey.ca

sTaff Bryce Warnes, Josh Curran, Peter Wojnar, Anthony Poon, Veronika Bondarenko, Yara Van Kessel, Catherine Guan, Ginny Monaco, Matt Meuse, Hogan Wong, Rory Gattens, Brandon Chow, Joseph Ssettuba. Tyler McRobbie, Sarah Bigam, Stephanie Xu, Natalya Kautz, Colin Chia, Kim Pringle, Geoff Lister

APRIL 4, 2013 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE L business

conTacT

Business Manager Fernie Pereira fpereira@ubyssey.ca

editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301

Ad Sales Ben Chen bchen@ubyssey.ca Accounts Tom Tang ttang@ubyssey.ca

Business Office: SUB 23 604.822.1654 604.822.6681 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey

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.

The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles.

Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clari-

ty. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff.

It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

KAI JACOBSON PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Campaign to ban bottled H2O gets nod from UBC A group of students who wanted UBC to ban bottled water aren’t getting all they asked for, but they’re still happy.

The Tap That UBC student campaign has announced that they’ve met with UBC VP Students Louise Cowin and head of UBC housing Andrew Parr.

While the university won’t commit to ban bottled water anytime soon, UBC will take steps to

WRITE SHOOT EDIT CODE DRINK THE UBYSSEY SUB 24

push more students to choose tap water.

According to a Tap That release, UBC will be creating a committee to “determine the economic transition and phaseout plan for bottled water, and ultimately set the date by which the University will become bottled-water free.”

UBC has also pledged to create branding to help stu-

dents identify “safe” drinking water locations around campus, according to the release.

This will include a section of UBC’s official mobile app listing drinking fountain locations, and “safe water branding” to better market drinking fountains and water bottle fill stations around campus. U — Laura Rodgers

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

EDITORS WILL MCDONALD + LAURA RODGERS

3

Toope >>

UBC president to resign in 2014 Toope to step down before end of term after eight years as UBC head honcho

fUll teXt of tHe email annoUncing toope’s resignation: To: All UBC Students, Faculty and Staff

KAI JACOBSON, GEOFF LISTER AND ANDREW BATES PHOTOS/THE UBYSSEY

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Toope shortly after announcing his resignation on Wednesday; at a press conference saying UBC Athletics won’t join the NCAA in 2011 and speaking about a land purchase at UBC-Okanagan in 2010.

Ming Wong Senior News Writer

UBC President Stephen Toope has announced he will be stepping down in a year.

Appointed in 2006, Toope oversaw the university for eight years during a period when UBC expanded international partnerships, focused on alumni fundraising and withdrew from Access Copyright.

Toope made the announcement at Wednesday’s Board of Governors meeting, and also sent out an email to students, faculty and staff.

In the email, Toope said he will be taking on a role in international law and international relations, which was his academic field of study before he became UBC president. He said he gave a year’s notice to give the Board of Govern-

ors time to find a successor.

“I have been thinking about what I’d like to do in the next few years of my life and I know in my heart that what I really want to focus on is my professional and academic interest in international law and international relations,” said Toope. He said he doesn’t know exactly how he will be doing this and he doesn’t have a new job lined up yet.

He thanked the board, senior leadership, deans and colleagues for the “great sense of delight” in the work they’ve done for the past few years.

“I say this of course also with a heavy heart because it’s always difficult to imagine leaving something that is so engaging and so inspiring,” said Toope.

Toope, the 12th president of

UBC, has been serving since 2006 and will be prematurely ending his second five-year term, which started in 2011.

Toope’s announcement came as a surprise to many board members, inciting an impromptu round of thanks and admiration. “[He] will be very tough to replace. I am sad, that’s all,” said math professor and board member Nassif Ghoussoub. He said Toope was an “amazing individual,… [an] amazing leader” who positively impacted the spirit of the university.

Political science professor and board member Richard Johnston was “devastated” at Toope’s news.

He called Toope a “change agent” for the university.

“UBC has really stepped to really feel comfortable in its role as be-

ing globally influential,” said UBC Chancellor Sarah Morgan-Silvester of Toope’s leadership.

She said the board will select a new president in the coming months. “We have a special leader now and we will find a special leader in the future.”

In the time he has left as president, Toope said he will continue working toward the goals of his Place and Promise strategic plan for UBC, and toward his commitments to sustainability and international and aboriginal engagement.

“I’m going to be around for another 15 months and I’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Toope. U —With files from Laura Rodgers, Will McDonald, Geoff Lister and Andrew Bates

I will be stepping down as President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of British Columbia at the end of June 2014, after serving for eight years in what has been an inspiring and rewarding position.

Since joining the university in 2006, I have been daily reaffirmed in my sense that UBC is a unique and remarkable place, filled with dedicated and talented students, professors and staff members who work tirelessly to further human knowledge and make the world better. We are also blessed with a committed group of alumni(ae) who contribute to societies around the globe.

My choice to step down is personal and relates to my desire to work over the next few years in a role more closely connected to my academic and professional interests in international law and international relations. The university is in a remarkably strong position in Canada and globally, and I have no doubt that it will remain on a steep upward trajectory in the years to come.

I give this notice to allow the Board of Governors time to launch a search for a successor to lead a great university. Now is not the time for valedictory remarks as I will be fully occupied with the presidency for another academic year. I look forward to working with you to ensure that UBC continues to fulfill its promise to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

coMMenT >>

President kept UBC steady in tough times EDITOR S NOTEBOOK

by Jonny Wakefield

W

hen any politician steps down, we tend to grasp at narratives. First off, we wonder why the person is leaving. Is there a scandal? Are they pursuing another career? Do they want to spend time with their family?

Then we start to wonder about this amorphous thing called "legacy." What's next for the person and for the institution?

It's hard to craft such clean-cut stories for university presidents.

For one, they're not "politicians" in the traditional sense; university presidents are appointed, in UBC's case by the mostly unelected Board of Governors.

But more importantly, whatever "power" university presidents have is largely based on building consensus. At Canadian universities, boards of governors control the big-picture finances and Senates make all the academic

decisions. So it's hard to point to any one thing at UBC and say, "This happened because of Stephen Toope."

Still, a president is a leader, even if leadership at a university can sometimes seem like cat herding. To understand Toope's impact at UBC, we need to look at where the university was when Toope took over in 2006. He inherited a university that had an idea of how it wanted to be perceived — "research intensive," "world class," "sustainable" — but was still working on how to get people to take those adjectives seriously.

Martha Piper, UBC's 11th president, is remembered for bringing more research money to UBC and continuing along the path of internationalization. But she was also known for being almost totally aloof to student concerns. Most of the blame for the on-campus APEC protests in 1997 — where dozens of anti-globalization demonstrators were pepper-sprayed by police — fell in

Piper's lap. She continued along the campus development path set out by her predecessor, David Strangway, which saw a quiet, forested south campus turn into a village for the mega-rich. And perhaps most controversially, she put down a TA strike by asking the government to impose backto-work legislation. That conflict is still simmering to this day.

Presidents of universities don’t have a whole lot of actual power. So it’s hard to point to any one thing at UBC and say, ‘This happened because of Stephen Toope.’

Strangway and Piper's terms were filled with birthing pains, but at the end of the day they got most of the university to buy

into their vision — albeit kicking and screaming. Toope hasn't strayed far from the international, research and real estate development goals sketched out

by Strangway and Piper. But he has navigated a number of tricky situations during his term.

As always, presidents have to look out for the bottom line. Perhaps one of Toope's most important accomplishments was bringing UBC through the economic turmoil of 2008 without forcing cuts to academic programs. The past few years have seen UBC become more and more creative in where it finds its non-government operating funds.

In terms of big initiatives, Toope hashed out a five-year strategic plan and launched a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign. He walked a fine line in a PR battle over UBC's use of animals in research. And he oversaw a massive building boom that will leave UBC almost unrecognizable in a few years.

If we had to sum it up, Toope's

term was about keeping UBC competitive in uncertain times.

That brings us to the "what's next" question. According to Toope, what's next is some more academia. He's a professor of international law and still takes breaks to teach from time to time. And despite being president of UBC, he has always insisted, somewhat pedantically, that he be referred to as Professor Toope.

Anything beyond that turns into scuttlebutt and idle speculation. When The Ubyssey interviewed Toope earlier this year, he was in between meetings with a donor and the Canadian ambassador to China. For someone who studies international relations and has helmed an internationally focused university on the Pacific Rim, an ambassadorship seems like the ultimate goal. Or maybe he'll drift back into the world of non-profits. Who knows?

Ultimately, Toope is well-connected, reasonably wealthy, middle-aged and ambitious. Kind of like UBC. U <em>

</em>

4 | News |

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

TOOPE OVER TIME

Toope Talks >>

2006

Toope takes office as UBC president.

In 2006, UBC begins plans for an underground bus loop as part of a larger vision for the area around University Boulevard. The plan is met with considerable student opposition, but the university scraps the plan after funding from TransLink comes up short.

2009 TESSA VANDERKOP PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Stephen Toope presents at an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of UBC in 2008.

S

tephen Toope announced this morning that he will be resigning as UBC president, effective June 2014.

The Ubyssey spoke with him about why he’s leaving and the legacy he’ll be leaving behind.

Ubyssey: How long has this decision been in the making?

Stephen Toope: Well, I’ve been thinking about it for a few months. Just in terms of timing, obviously, I wasn’t going to stay here forever and I had to think a little bit about what makes sense coming next. The real conditioning factor was that I spoke to the board chair and the chancellor probably now a couple months ago, and when we actually did the counting in terms of how long it will take to get the new process running to select the successor. We realized I really needed to make this announcement at this board meeting to allow the Senate and others to participate in the process so it can be up and running by next September.

U: You said that this is merely for personal reasons. Do you want to get back to what you were doing previously?

ST: I have actually over the course of the last few years been able to keep my academic work alive. I actually published a book in 2010 and each year I’ve published articles in the area of international relations. And I’ve sort of been scrambling to find time on weekends and night to do that and I always found that I really enjoy the work, and so I want to give myself an opportunity to do more of that. I don’t know where it will be or what it will be exactly; it could very well be here at UBC, so we’ll see over the course of the next few months what happens.

Whatever I do next will be focused on international law and international relations.

U: How do you feel now compared to when you first stepped in after Martha Piper (the 11th UBC president) in your 11+ years that you’ve been here?

ST: It’s only been seven years and it will be eight by the time I’m finished. Ah well, look, I’ve had a wonderful time and I continue to have a wonderful time. This job is amazingly interesting [and] it’s intellectually stimulating. I get to meet remarkable people all around the world. I think that working with a great team of people here focused on the implementation of Place and Promise, the strategic plan, it’s given us a frame of reference to actually decide what was actually important for the university — launching the capital campaign, the fundraising campaign and the alumni engagement campaign for the university, Start an Evolution. It was a really big evolution. It was 2008, 2009, the economy was a bit scary and yet we decided that it was the right time to plan and move ahead and I’m sure we’ll complete that campaign with success and it’s going

brilliantly well.

I think the focus on sustainability that the university has had in the course of the last few years is something I care about deeply and am very proud of, and as well, the focus on trying to enhance the student experience.

So [we are] really looking for an example to create the student housing endowment fund so we can actually build new housing based on money that’s produced out of the South Campus and we’re working on that actively.

Ponderosa’s being built right now [and] more [is] on the way. We’ve really focused on the Carl Wieman science education initiative on trying to improve teaching in science, but now more broadly in the Arts faculty initiatives around student counselling [and] career counselling. There are a whole series of things that I’m proud the university is focusing on for the last few years.

U: Why end the term prematurely?

ST: Look, universities are never complete.

Whenever I leave, there will always be more to do. I have a pretty strong feeling that one should leave when you’re still making a positive contribution. I hope that’s the case still and will be for the next year. I’ve actually seen in other environments where people stay too long in these kinds of jobs, and because being president is so much about encouraging people — [and] I hope inspiring people — it’s all about bringing people along, because there’s very little tangible power in a university president. I think, you know, after a while, you exhaust your ability to do that and I’d rather leave before I’ve exhausted the ability and not afterwards.

U: Can you give a general statement about your leaving?

ST: Only that I think that UBC is one of the very small handful of universities internationally that has, over the last 25 years, transformed itself into a globally significant institution. I think that students, faculty and staff and alumni should be really proud of what the university has accomplished in that time. It involved hundreds of people, not individuals.

And I think that’s going to continue. I feel incredibly optimistic about the future of UBC and when I talk to colleagues all around the world, and I really mean this, they always say to me, “We have UBC in our sights; we think UBC is one of the institutions that’s going to continue to be [a] global player in the foreseeable future.” And so I think that the board is going to have a tough as always job finding the right person to lead, but I think this is a really exciting place and I think there’s a lot of people who’d like to be here.

U: Do you think raising UBC to a global level is one of your core achievements?

ST: Again, it’s not me alone. A lot of people worked on it. Remember that the notion of global citizenship predated my arrival here. I think, because of my interest in international affairs, it’s been an area that I’ve been really keen to focus upon. I think

that the university has indeed made strides internationally and it is more and more recognized as one of the universities that really matters. That’s an exciting thing.

The “From Here” rebranding effort, introduced in 2009, is a redraw of the university’s self-image that stresses “heroic” imagery. UBC is no longer willing to market itself as a good provincial university; this shows its eagerness to compete worldwide.

U: What do you think your legacy will be?

ST: I tried to identify already a few areas. I wouldn’t say one thing. I think universities are so complex, you actually have to move forward on a number of different fronts. But the fronts that I would emphasize are a real focus on improving student learning; sustainability as a commitment of the university made publicly and then implemented; [and] the global reach of the university in trying to create stronger and stronger partnerships with players in China, in India, in Korea, in Germany [and] in France. I think that’s been very important.

And then the last piece, for me, that I would emphasize, is really trying to focus on UBC’s role as a leader in the whole higher education sector. I’m currently serving as president of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. We are one of [a] really small number of universities that always will be at the table when there are consultations with government, both nationally and increasingly internationally, [and] invited to be among the leading universities, and I think that’s a very important role for UBC.

Toope introduces his vision for UBC, titled “Place and Promise,” at the end of 2009. It replaces the previous strategic plan for UBC, “Trek 2010,” which was introduced by Martha Piper. It recognizes UBC is growing into its goals as a globally-engaged research powerhouse, and sets new goals surrounding sustainability, intercultural understanding and international engagement.

2010

U: Any thoughts on your successor?

ST: None whatsoever, and I’ll have nothing to do with it. That will be a process that the Board of Governors with a very, very wide representative selection committee....

They’ll be working on that and I won’t even be part of those discussions.

U: On a personal level, you’ll be leaving behind the stress of taking care of an entire university.

ST: Well, yes, it’s a very hard job; I will say that. I will suspect that I will never have a harder job in my life and it’s hard because there are so many elements of the job, so many different constituencies. Obviously students, faculty [and] staff on campus all have aspirations, desires [and] needs, but then alumni also have all sorts of desires in terms of their relationships with the university.... Government relations turns out to be a major piece of work, which I was a bit surprised by when I first arrived, and then all of these international engagements.

There are so many different pieces, [so] ... it’s a really relentless job. Having said that, it is so inspiring, so intellectually stimulating.

I can’t imagine a better job.

2011

U: Any last words?

ST: Just that I think UBC is one of a very small number of universities that has an opportunity to continue to become better and better and to genuinely make the world a better place and I think we should all be proud of that ability.

—Ming Wong

2014

In May 2010, the provincial government fundamentally changes the way land use is determined at UBC. Prior to the change, all land use decisions west of Blanca were the purview of Metro Vancouver, the regional governing board.

The new legislation shifts that responsibility to a backwater provincial ministry. Toope tries to frame the decision as an academic freedom issue, but critics worriy it will simply rubber-stamp the decisions of the UBC Board of Governors.

Will they or won’t they?

UBC Athletics has been debating whether or not to join the NCAA since before Toope started here, but in 2011, they finally arrive at a “no.” Since then, Toope has booted former VP Students Brian Sullivan (who predated him) and replaced him with Louise Cowin. Cowin ousted former athletics director Bob Philip, and is now rebuilding the athletics department.

Toope will officially step down in June 2014.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

b.c. politics >>

AMS bars Clark’s replacement from Point Grey riding debate

HOGAN WONG Photo/THE UBYSSEY

Andrew Wilkinson, BC Liberal candidate for Vancouver–Quilchena.

Laura Rodgers News Editor

All the provincial candidates running in the Vancouver–Point Grey riding showed up to Tuesday’s debate at UBC — except one.

B.C. Liberal premier Christy Clark, the sitting Point Grey MLA, was invited to join in the debate, which was attended by NDP, B.C. Conservative, Green Party, Work Less Party and independent candidates. Clark wasn’t able to attend, and the Liberal candidate sent in her stead — Vancouver–Quilchena candidate Andrew Wilkinson — was barred from debating by UBC’s AMS student society, who organized the debate.

The AMS said an initial email inviting Clark, sent on March 23, was never actually sent due to a technical glitch. A second email was sent to Clark’s constituency office on March 31, but nobody checked the account over the Easter long weekend. According to AMS Vice-President External Tanner Bokor, the March 31 email requested that Clark, “or a representative,” attend the event.

The party responded a few hours before the debate started, saying Clark wouldn’t be available on such short notice, but Wilkin-

son would be sent to represent her and the Liberals. Bokor said when he heard Wilkinson would be coming in Clark’s place, he and AMS President Caroline Wong, with advice from AMS permanent staff, voted to refuse Wilkinson a seat in the debate.

“It’s disappointing for any audience that’s here to hear a political debate from the two major political parties,” said Wilkinson.

Bokor said he and the AMS made the decision because they wanted to keep it a debate about Point Grey riding issues only, limited to Point Grey candidates.

Wilkinson sat in the audience during the event.

The debate still went smoothly, moderated by UBC student Gordon Katic. The NDP’s David Eby, the B.C. Conservatives’ Duane Nickull, the Green Party’s Francoise Raunet, the Work Less Party’s Hollis Linschoten and independent William Gibbens discussed a variety of issues, including transit on Broadway, post-secondary funding and local governance at UBC. After the debate, Bokor announced that the AMS would hold another debate in roughly three weeks’ time, and he hoped Christy Clark would be able to attend.

When asked whether he would allow another Liberal representative if Clark couldn’t make the next event, Bokor said the AMS would still need to discuss the issue.

On Wednesday, the AMS issued a press release that read, “The Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver wishes to apologize for the lack of clarity around April 2nd’s Point Grey MLA Community Candidate town hall meeting and any offence this has caused.”

The three-page release described the events leading up to the Tuesday debate from the AMS’s perspective. It said the head of AMS IT confirmed that the initial email to Clark’s MLA account was in fact sent on March 23. U

| NEWS | 5

Residence >>

Two bomb threats evacuate Totem Park’s Haida House

Kaitlyn tissington photo/THE UBYSSEY

RCMP responded to two bomb threats at Totem Park over the long weekend. Both were determined to be hoaxes.

Will McDonald News Editor

Police responded to two bomb threats in the Haida House of Totem Park on March 30 and April 1.

According to Janice Robinson, UBC director of residence life and administration, both threats turned out to be hoaxes. The RCMP responded to the threats, and in both cases, the building was evacuated and RCMP entered all rooms in the house before clearing the threat, Robinson said.

RCMP said the first threat was received at 4:38 a.m. on March 30.

RCMP told all students to evacuate the building and searched it with police dogs.

Haida resident and first-year arts student Shane Garza was present for

both bomb threats.

“We got woken up by about seven or eight cop cars.... It was like a strobe light in my room. That’s how many lights there were,” said Garza.

“We start hearing banging on the floor below us, so we started getting freaked out a bit more.”

Garza said all the house’s residents had to wait in the Totem Commonsblock for two hours before they were allowed to return to their rooms. He said they weren’t told about the bomb threat until the next day.

The second bomb threat occurred at 12:27 a.m. on April 1. Garza said the building was evacuated again.

Although residents weren’t told why, Garza said he suspected it was another bomb threat.

“The first one was a lot worse because no one knew what was going on. It was really frantic,” said Garza.

Robinson said the RCMP found the second bomb threat was sent via text message through an unsecured wireless network in Haida House.

The RCMP is still trying to figure out who was responsible for the threats.

“UBC takes residents’ safety and this matter seriously, and is continuing to work with the RCMP to identify the person(s) responsible,” said Robinson.

“We know this type of incident can be unsettling. Residence staff are available to provide a listening ear and support to residents, and referral to other UBC support resources as needed.” U

6 | News |

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

Provincial election >>

NDP critic talks grants, affordability

NEWS BRIEF

Kai Jacobson photo/THE UBYSSEY

AMS ‘sting operation’ turns up counterfeit Block Party tickets Block Party sold out early, and now the AMS says they’ve seen counterfeit tickets being sold for the annual last-dayof-classes bash.

According to a news release, AMS Events “found counterfeit Block Party tickets in circulation” on Wednesday.

“AMS Security and AMS Events executed a sting operation and were able to catch students selling the counterfeit tickets to others on campus,” said the release.

The AMS is warning anyone who purchased a ticket from an unofficial source to check it at the AMS Outpost store in the SUB, as there is a chance the ticket is counterfeit.

They say they will not allow any counterfeit ticket holders into the concert. However, the AMS says the RCMP are currently investigating this matter. If buyers of counterfeit tickets fill out a form, the RCMP may be able to help them get their money back. U <em>

The RCMP were not available for comment at press time.

</em>

Kai Jacobson photo/THE UBYSSEY

Critic Michelle Mungall and the NDP have promised $100 million in new needs-based grants for university and college students, but the party is still mum on the details of its plan for post-secondary education.

Laura Rodgers News Editor

B.C. NDP advanced education critic Michelle Mungall isn’t making any new promises yet, but she’s confident she understands students’ needs.

“Students are concerned about affordability issues. The cost of tuition, the cost of living, also the cost of textbooks — it all adds up,” she said. In an interview with The Ubyssey, Mungall again plugged the NDP’s promise of $100 million in new needs-based student grants and slammed the Liberals’ plan to introduce cost-saving measures across B.C. universities.

Her party hasn’t released their full election platform yet ahead of the 2013 provincial election, but she said they’re considering adding some additional spending to higher education in the province.

The floating interest rate for B.C. student loans is prime plus 2.5 per cent, the highest provincial rate in Canada. Mungall said she learned in a conversation with previous Liberal advanced education minister Naomi Yamamoto that the government borrows money for the loans at a rate of prime minus one per cent.

“So we have a discrepancy here,”

she said. “The NDP has long been looking at the possibility of reducing interest rates in student loans, and we continue to do that. I won’t preempt our platform today, but suffice it to say that we absolutely have heard that call from students.”

The Liberals plan to cut $46 million in operating funds to colleges and universities over the next two years, but Mungall argues their justification for the cuts is unsound.

When the 2013 provincial budget was presented in February, former Liberal advanced education minister John Yap said institutions would be able to make up the $46 million through a “shared services” initiative, in which everything from purchasing to IT is centralized across the province to cut costs.

But Mungall said the Liberals were overstating the amount of money that could be saved through shared services.

“They estimate anywhere between $38 and $83 million [in savings], and they won’t really realize any of that until six years from now.… They put it into a two-year timespan so they could balance the budget. But realistically speaking, that is not doable. And fudging numbers to balance the budget is not good fiscal management.”

When the shared services plan was being developed in late 2013, many university staff unions expressed concerns that the initiative would bring job losses.

Mungall shared their concerns.

“You look at some of the opportunities for shared services, and you can see potential job losses in that,” said Mungall. “That’s something institutions will have to contend with as well.”

She said the NDP’s top capital spending priority was replacing outdated trades training equipment across the province, some of which dates back to the 1960s.

“We need to do a massive equipment upgrade province-wide, and I think that’s something we’re looking at.”

And as far as any other spending is concerned, Mungall said the party would be considering all sorts of requests, such as matching federal research funding or upping dollars for grad students. But there’s only so much they’ll be able to promise.

“It’s so easy to offer the moon when you don’t acknowledge that comes at a cost, and it takes work to do that. So we’re trying to be practical and be up front,” she said. U

U UU

One down, two to go :( Only two issues left to get your stuff published this year. God, this ad is depressing. All good things must come to an end, I guess.

Jonny Wakefield COORDINATING@UBYSSEY.CA

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

EDITOR ANNA ZORIA

7

block paRTy >>

Good for Grapes, great for us

Local indie darlings excited to rock McInnes Field at upcoming Block Party Rebekah Ho Contributor

L

oud, energetic and crowd-pumping — not usually the words that come to mind when you hear “indie folk band,” but Good for Grapes promises to get AMS Block Party dancing just as much as the DJs. From humble beginnings in Surrey, Good for Grapes has taken the Vancouver music scene by storm over the past couple years. The band has earned many titles: inventor of the “folk stomp,” winner of Supernova’s battle of the bands, performers at Live at Squamish.

The seven members are currently busy working on releasing their first full-length album by June, but lead singer Daniel McBurnie stepped out of the studio for a phone interview.

R: What are your expectations for Block Party?

<strong>

Daniel McBurnie Lead singer of Good for Grapes

<strong>

U: Are any of you guys students?

Daniel McBurnie: We were all friends in high school. After a while, we became really good friends and started playing music together. At some point, we took <strong>

</strong>

</strong>

DM: No. All of us decided to take time off to just do music, because you can’t really tour and go to school at the same time. <strong>

KAI JACOBSON FILE PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Good for Grapes will be joining K’naan, Dillon Francis, My! Gay! Husband and others in the Block Party line up.

U: How would you describe your sound? <strong>

</strong>

</strong>

DM: We’ve taken about two years to get our sound to where it is, which I guess I would <strong>

</strong>

Behind Brave New Play Rites

Annual student festival launches 27th year Cynthia Chou Contributor

</em>

<em>

</em>

Two students rehearse for their upcoming performance.

September, as students start to prepare manuscripts under the guidance of Bryan Wade, associate professor and festival advisor. In late November, the manuscripts are selected for production or staged reading. Soon after, the playwrights are paired up with directors from UBC’s theatre program, headed by associate professor Tom Scholte. Preliminary auditions for casting begin in December. From there, the real work begins.

“Each actor is typically in two plays, but a few are in three,” said Borthwick, during rehearsal for Video . “Through the whole process there were always talks about character motivation and objectives.

We want to flesh [the characters] out as three-dimensional human beings rather than lines on a page.”

Actors, directors and playwrights aren’t the only pieces of the puzzle; at the Dorothy Somerset Studio, a single stage must be built to accommodate 12 entirely different productions. Sound, light<em>

</em>

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIANA BROWN

ing and stage management become a challenge.

“We have this whole force of designers and production crew,” said Brown. “They really are the people who make it happen in the end.”

Astwood, who was also a playwright in last year’s Brave New Play Rites festival, is now on the directorial side of things. This duality of roles has given her a unique perspective.

“It’s all a collaboration,” she said.

She couldn’t be more right.

The Brave New Play Rites festival will run 12 one-act plays and six staged readings at the Dorothy Somerset Studio from April 3 to 7. U

MORE ONLINE Visit www.bravenew.ca for schedules and ticket information.

describe it as big-sound folk. It’s like folk music, but when people hear the words “folk music,” I think their mind wanders to a couple guys with banjos or something. We’re very big and heavy.

The word “folk” doesn’t really

</strong>

DM: With every show, we give it as much energy as we can and try to get everyone on that level with us. We just look forward to getting in front of people and getting them to dance with us so we don’t look like fools — just giving it all our energy and hopefully getting everyone to have a lot of fun with us. I think we’re all really excited to see what Block Party is like and we’re excited to jam with it all. U <strong>

THeaTRe >>

“We’re in a good place,” said Elizabeth Astwood, director of the upcoming play, Video , as her two actors, Jessica Borthwick and Asher Isbrucker, sit atop a wooden platform. Video is one of 12 student-run productions that will debut in this year’s Brave New Play Rites.

As the actors and director kick back, they discuss their performances in the latest run-through of the material. Every detail is being held accountable now, from the rhythms of their dialogue to Jessica’s hairstyle, which had just fallen loose, rather conveniently, during a tense moment in the rehearsal.

Though the trio is surrounded by a room of empty chairs, soon the seats will be filled with an audience. This will be one of their last rehearsals, and the devil is in the details.

April 3 kicks off the 27th year of the Brave New Play Rites theatre festival. This year’s festival will include stories about a moaning closet, an uncanny inspector and his mime sidekick and the drama of sharing living quarters with a sibling. The festival has been a longstanding collaborative effort by students and staff of the creative writing and theatre departments of UBC. The festival truly is a rite of passage for creative writing students, who see their plays grow from words on a page to a staged production in front of a live audience.

“It gives the playwrights an opportunity to take their work to the next step,” said Briana Brown, MFA creative writing student and producer of the festival. “[Theatre] is meant to be seen; it’s meant to be heard.”

The process begins as early as

</strong>

R: What are you most excited about for Block Party?

<strong>

</strong>

<strong>

</strong>

DM: None of us have ever gone to UBC, so we picture UBC as a small city, but with kids our age. I picture it being a giant party, and hopefully we can get people’s attention for 40 minutes.

With every show, we give it as much energy as we can and try to get everyone on that level with us.

Ubyssey: What is the story behind Good for Grapes? <strong>

justify it. I’d call it “folk rock” or “folk alternative.” All of our songs seem to have that big and powerful sound, and that’s part of our style.

a trip over to Victoria to visit my sister because she was going to school over there. We were busking over there and just having fun with friends. The name “Good for Grapes” was kind of like a joke of ours. There was no point where we were like, “You guys wanna be a band?” We just kind of transitioned into that.

We just started taking it more seriously as we went along.

</strong>

8 | CULTURe |

HeRe be TReas THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

MAYBe YOU’Re TAKING sUMMeR CLAsses AND LOOKING FOR sOMe ON-CAMPUs ADVeNTURe, OR MAYBe YOU’Re GRA FOR ONe LAsT ROMP AROUND UBC. eITHeR wAY, THe weATHeR’s FINe AND UBC’s HIDDeN TReAsURes ARe MYRIAD. U sOMe OF UBC’s BesT KePT seCReTs

BY LAURA PFeIsTeR

B

ordered by Pacific Spirit Park and the Pacific Ocean, UBC has a lot more in common with a treasure island than most people realize. We all know the basic tour of campus and its high-profile amenities.

Golly, there’s Koerner Library, and it’s designed to resemble a book!

There’s the Rose Garden, which you’re obliged to bring your parents to when they visit! But what about all the other special spots on campus?

How many people have walked the labyrinth outside of the Iona Building or snagged free books in a dozen different languages outside of the Buchanan Tower lounges?

Our campus is full of treasures — large and small, hidden and in plain view, tangible and abstract. This map is a celebration of the places that make UBC unique — places that your friends tell you about or that you accidentally stumble upon.

The spots here are just a sampling of all the magical and cool things available on campus. Further adventuring is always encouraged.

1. wild berries growing on tHe patH from tHe mUseUm of antHropology to cecil green park HoUse UBC has an awful lot of vegetation, and it appears that Plant Ops employs about half of UBC’s employees. There are many beautifully groomed gardens (Nitobe Garden, Rose Garden, Botantical Garden), but the wild, un-manicured patches of nature are infinitely more fun. In summer, this little path from the Museum of Anthropology to Cecil Green Park House is lined with wild berries.

Go and pick a few of these tart and tasty treats.

2. field and tUnnels beside tHe mUseUm of antHropology The Museum of Anthropology is a super-sweet treasure trove to begin with, but its surrounding scenery is magnificent in its own right. The grassy field out back and to the side of the building is a wonderful spot for a picnic. And in the late afternoon, when the sun moves low on the horizon, it’s a cushy spot to watch the sunset.

Very few people wander around there, so you can usually enjoy some solitude. Recommended on a slightly windy day when the air is particularly fresh and you can smell the ocean.

3. scUlptUres between tHe mUsic bUilding, lasserre, belkin art gallery and freddy wood tHeatre The open space around these buildings is peppered with really interesting sculptures from the 20th century. Especially notable are Gerhard Class’s Untitled (Tuning Fork) and Otto Fischer-Credo’s Asiatic Head. The portico walkway between the Music Building and Lasserre is particularly appealing on rainy days, but in general this

open square is a really pleasant place to sit outside and peoplewatch. Faint music often drifts from the Music Building and all the cement soaks up the sun, making this a great spot to bask.

4. mUsic library and visUal resoUrce centre in lasserre Sadly, UBC opted to close down the music library on the fourth floor of Lasserre, so go there while you can. The real destinations here are the listening rooms. They are fairly large; you can go in with about six people and do group work or just listen to records.

Lasserre is a twofer. On the second floor is the Visual Resource Centre, which hosts over 9,000 films. There are little stations to watch movies, but also a larger screening room with a prime sound system. Many of these films are obscure and hard to find; plus, there is a large collection of Canadian films and student-made short films.

5. top floor of woodward library This is one of the best study spots on campus if you really want a space where absolutely no one will distract you. Seriously, the place is dead silent, in a creepy but also helpful way. You have to focus on your work because there is nothing to look at. The space is decades old and looks like it, but the grime helps you to stay on track and finish that paper.

6. aHva library gallery in tHe bottom floor of koerner library We all know about the AMS Art Gallery in the SUB and the Belkin Art Gallery on Main Mall, but too few people realize that student and faculty artists also have a gallery in the basement of Koerner Library. It’s a contemporary space that showcases all the great work coming out of the fine arts departments here on campus. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday to Saturday.

7. bells in tHe clock tower Everyone has seen the clock tower behind Irving, and most associate the bells with being late to class.

But take a moment to visit the square in front of Koerner Library and face the clock tower at the top of an hour. As the bells sound and thousands of students shuffle from class to class, think of how unique this experience is. Where else in Vancouver can you go where the movement of so many people is choreographed around an audio cue?

8. Upstairs classrooms at l.s. klinck The classrooms located on the third floor of L.S. Klinck are perfect for group work or study

sessions. The doors to the building aren’t locked until very late and the classrooms are nearly always available. They come equipped with chalkboards and projectors and enough productive mojo to put you and your study friends into the right school headspace. The projectors are also great for movies.

9. eagle-watcHing at totem park This stretch of Marine Drive, located just below Totem Park, is probably the best place on campus to spot flippin’ magnificent birds of prey. Eagles love perching on the thin top branches of the trees along Marine and a sunny day is the perfect time to go eagle-watching.

10. balcony at seedlings cafÉ At 75 cents, Seedlings offers one of the cheapest cups of coffee on campus. Grab one of those puppies and go out on the balcony that wraps around the building. On sunny days you have a clear view of the water through the trees. If you avoid the lunch rush, the place is usually not too busy.

11. drinks at tHe loop cafÉ, cirs bUilding The Loop Café offers the most refreshing cold drinks on campus.

They make delicious iced tea, lemonades and Italian sodas. The food is pretty good, too, but the sweet, homemade drinks are the real draw. The building itself is new and pleasant. Even on rainy days, the large front windows allow for a lot of light, and the white noise of the atrium is soothing.

12. cHess at crane library This library is cool, quiet — and the ideal spot for a game of chess.

Bring your own set or use the one on the shelves. There are many tables near the windows, so you can look out on people sunning themselves on the lawn by Allard Hall.

13. walk from st.

JoHn’s college to tHea koerner HoUse This path is the best place to enjoy spring when the cherry blossoms bloom. Walk down Lower Mall towards Thea Koerner House, also known as the Graduate Student Building. There is less foot and vehicle traffic on this route and trees rain down fragrant blossoms if you get the seasonal timing just right.

14. modified maltese labyrintH oUtside of tHe vancoUver scHool of tHeology, iona bUilding This stone labyrinth provides an opportunity for self-reflection and meditation in the garden behind the Iona Building. It tends

to be particularly lovely on gently drizzling days, when the garden is often vacant and you can meander the path for as long as you please.

15. grand piano in totem ballroom There are several pianos on campus, but most require you to book them in advance. This piano sits in the Totem Ballroom and is typically free for use. The acoustics of the room also offer a refreshing change from all the tight music practice rooms on campus.

16. kitcHen in centre for stUdent involvement Inside the Centre for Student Involvement is a nicely stocked kitchen. There is clean cutlery, dishware, a microwave — basically everything you wish you had in the more grimy student kitchens on campus. God bless that clean microwave.

17. rocket-laUncHing and frisbee games in Ubc’s fields All of the athletic fields provide a nice empty space that is easy to repurpose to fit your hobbies.

Avoid them during the day when athletics dominate, but feel free to visit them later in the evenings or at night. The fields are usually illuminated at night, which makes them perfect for a game of night frisbee (ultimate, March to High Five Town or a simple game of catch are always fan favourites).

The open fields are also great for launching model rockets and flying kites or model planes.

18. lab in tHe geograpHy bUilding This one is a little trickier, because those studious geography students like to work late, but a nighttime visit to the upstairs lab is a pretty cool experience. The lab has light boards at every computer station; turn them on and turn off the overhead lights for an eerie latenight study atmosphere.

19. foosball in civil and mecHanical engineering bUilding clUbrooms School stress can be debilitating and it’s important to take the time to play — but during winter, the weather can keep you tucked indoors. A game or two (or three) of foosball can help cheer up even the most glum student during finals season.

20. pool table, macleod bUilding, 4tH floor The pool table on the fourth floor of Macleod offers the same stress-relieving escape as the foosball table in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Building. Go seek it out and play a game of pool between classes.

21. HorticUltUre bUilding When you are walking along Lower Mall at night, especially in the rain, the greenhouse at the Horticulture Building glows with warmth and vibrancy.

22. foggy nigHts on main mall Wait for a foggy winter night, go to the intersection of Main Mall and Agricultural Road and look south down the Mall. In the fog, all you can make out are the fuzzy edges of the lights twisted up in the bare branches of the trees that line the road. It looks like you are staring down a long stretch of the end of the world.

23. rare books and special collections on first floor of irving k. barber There is an incredible wealth of historic books and maps housed in the RBSC. Also, there is still a card catalogue system, because not all of the archived materials have been digitized. When’s the last time you used a card catalogue to access anything?

24. bike polo at tHUnderbird parkade The top floor of Thunderbird Parkade is perfectly suited for a rowdy game of bike polo or any team bike sport (bike hockey, anyone?). Just make sure you choose a time and day clear of cars; odd weekend hours work well. Mallets can be borrowed from the Bike Kitchen.

25. west parkade The West Parkade offers the best downhill biking on campus. The curves are tight and the ramps steep. Go on a weekend or at night so you won’t be disturbed by cars.

26. tower beacH Wreck Beach may get all the glory and naked people, but Tower Beach has the best graffiti canvas on campus. The WWII searchlight towers are interesting paint palimpsests and the rocky beach is usually fairly empty.

27. laser in totem field This LIDAR is set up in the field just past Totem Park. It shoots a strong green ray up into the sky and is particularly mesmerizing on cloudy nights. Go check it out and speculate what distant aliens it is signaling.

28. free books from bUcHanan tower Most departments have tons of free books to give away at the end of semester, but Buchanan Tower is the best place to scout out the greatest diversity of subjects.

Outside of the lounges on most floors, there is a box of free books.

suRe...

THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

26

ADUATING AND ARe wIsTFUL Use THIs HANDY GUIDe TO FIND

1

2 If you’ve ever wanted to score six free books in six different languages, this is the building to come to.

Marine

29. foUcaUlt’s pendUlUm

3 4

18

30. war memorial gym

32

20

30

5

19

Agronomy Rd

15

24

9 Thunderbird Blvd

33. cliffs over tower beacH

27

Southwe st Marine Drive

17 West 16th Ave

Wesbrook Mall

Main Mall

34

21

</em>

Behind Scarfe, there is a little rain garden area with a picnic table and a rocky stream complete with a rusty pump. Among the plants are several mason beehives, but don’t worry: they are pollinator bees and

Agricultural Rd

11

32. food, nUtrition and HealtH bUilding batHroom

34. bees beHind scarfe bUilding

West mall

25

Film studies courses are taught in the smaller screening room just off the Chan Centre. Look up a class schedule and slide into the back rows of the room to catch a free movie screening. It’s a good way to discover movies you would never otherwise know about.

Strike out along Marine Drive from Place Vanier and turn down the blocked-off, barely paved road.

Follow the footpath that takes you to the edge of the cliff past several small buildings. In winter, when the branches are bare and you don’t have to fight with the foliage, you can catch a fantastic sunset from your perch. Be careful, as the cliffs below are steep.

22

University Blvd

31. cHan centre screening room

<em>

7 23

29

13

12 16

Memorial Rd

6

8

14

28

East Mall

Lower Mall

There is a secret spot on the top floor of the main gym. Go behind the seats and there is a staircase that leads down to nowhere. If you want a quiet spot on campus away from the crushing mass of your fellow students, this fits the bill nicely.

Best bathroom on campus. It may not be the newest or shiniest, but it sure is the reddest. And it has just the right The Shining vibe.

31

10

33

Head back directly behind the Abdul Ladha Science Student Centre and you’ll find a Foucault pendulum tucked in a glass room.

This nifty device demonstrates the rotation of the earth and is quite mesmerizing.

Drive

| CULTURe | 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

EDITOR C.J. PENTLAND

10

softball >>

“Home” sweet home

UBC softball takes advantage of home series to gear up for playoff run

C.J. Pentland Sports + Rec Editor

Last week, for the first time in the program’s history, it was home sweet home for the UBC softball team during a week-long tournament. Well, sort of.

Last Monday through Friday saw the Thunderbirds host some of the top NAIA teams from the United States, but since their park on campus isn’t ready yet, North Delta Park acted as the team’s stomping grounds. While commuting to North Delta Park is a hassle, it is something that the team has grown accustomed to over their four years of existence; the team hasn’t played a single game on campus, and for their first 102 contests they weren’t even listed as the home team on the scorecard.

So in reality, playing 40 minutes from “home” wasn’t all that bad.

And partly thanks to the familiar turf, UBC won six out of 10 games to move to 23-18 on the season. Most importantly, with only two games left before playoffs, those wins have the T-Birds in third place among the NAIA’s independent teams and in a position to advance to the NAIA regional tournament in Victoria, Texas at the start of May. Last week had the potential to be less than rosy, though. On four of the five days, UBC dropped the opening contest of their double-header, putting them back on their heels for the second contest. But each time, the team bounced back to win game two.

“You’re not going to beat me twice in my own park and twice in the same day,” said UBC head coach Phil Thom with a laugh. He said his team looked unbeatable during the

second game on each day, which was exemplified by multi-run wins in each contest.

The ’Birds opened up against the College of Idaho, splitting four games, then swept the games on Wednesday against Concordia University from Oregon. To close out the series, UBC took two of four from Corban University, which is ranked ninth in the latest NAIA rankings. One of those runs came via a 10-2 mercy-rule victory, which handed Corban its first mercy loss of the season and ended its 13-game winning streak.

Cassandra Dypchey led the T-Bird offence on the weekend, racking up 17 hits in 31 at bats for a .548 batting average. She was hitting for power too, with four doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 11 runs batted in over the 10 games. The performance also saw her named Female Athlete of the Week for the Association of Independent Institutions.

There are seven seniors on the team, and their presence was once again a significant factor on the weekend. Alana Westerhof, who is eighth in the NAIA in RBIs, has been performing on both sides of the ball, and was at the top of her game in the final win over Corban. She held them to three hits while on the mound and also went two for three at the plate. Lindsay McElroy has been a steady presence at catcher, playing all but three innings the entire year, and fourth-year pitcher Nicole Day totaled a 2.56 earned run average over 79.1 innings pitched.

Tayla Westgard and Molly Gosnell are two other seniors anchoring the infield and producing at the plate this year.

The group of seniors is part of

the program’s first graduating class, meaning it is their last chance at advancing to nationals. Last year the team didn’t even qualify for regionals, and that fact has added extra motivation that Thom has noticed all season.

“The work ethic that they’ve put in all year, the training that they did with working on the fitness to get all stronger, it all really shows,” said Thom, who specifically pointed out Dypchey, who had eight home runs last year.

Now with only two games left in the season, but still with just under a month left until regionals, the ’Birds face the task of staying motivated and game-ready come playoffs. The team is peaking at the right time; they’ve now beat seven of the eight teams in the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference, including Corban University, which sits in first. But keeping up that intensity will be the major test come May. It’s a test that Thom believes his team can pass with flying colours.

For one, the T-Birds will be done their school year at that time, unlike their American opponents. That, combined with the T-Birds’ focused mindset, means they may have a leg up on the competition.

“The team is motivated. They have the work ethic. They know what happened last year when we didn’t qualify because we didn’t win, and 14 of the 16 kids are the same ones, so those 14 kids have really stepped up and improved to prove a point that they can play. And over the year they have deservedly done that,” said Thom.

UBC’s final two games are on April 10 against SFU in Burnaby.

First pitch for the opening game of the double-header is at 4 p.m. U

UBC won six of ten games during the week.

PHOTO courtesy Rich Lam/UBc athletics

rugby >>

UBC men’s rugby drops another Boot series to Victoria Andrew Bates Managing Editor, Web

It was a sunny day out at Wolfson Field, but the Thunderbirds needed to be a little brighter against the Vikes.

The UBC men’s rugby team lost 39-15 to UVic on a holiday Friday, with about 120 fans enjoying a day out on the sidelines. The Vikes took their 16th straight Wightman’s Boot, which is an annual two-game aggregate point series played between the two schools since 1970.

Though UBC showed promise, especially in the first half, their inability to execute in the red zone cost them on both sides of the field.

Offensively, there were a number of opportunities they weren’t able to capitalize on. A strong run in the second half ended when the carrier kicked it out of bounds with seven yards left and the game’s final run was dished off to the wing, where it fizzled. The most damaging was a passing play picked off by UVic’s Beau Parker and returned for a 90-yard score, widening the game beyond two tries for the first time.

“Against good quality, high-calibre teams like UVic, arguably one of the best teams in North America, you’ve got to execute. We get our chances [and] we have to finish them off,” said UBC captain Alex Kam. Missed tackles were a big factor in the team’s World Cup loss to Cal last weekend, and the team did

UBC showed promise against UVic on the weekend, but they ultimately couldn’t take down their island rivals.

video work to improve in that area.

Head coach Spence McTavish set a goal of an 80 per cent tackle rate, with the Cal figure sitting at about 65 per cent.

“The game was pretty even in the first half, and in the second half our tackle rate just fell right off the bandwagon,” McTavish said. UBC also missed offensive opportunities as well, as they failed to convert all three of their extra points.

“Everyone was pulling in the right direction, but we made some crucial errors, and those

crucial errors come back to haunt you.”

This was the second leg of the Wightman’s Boot, a two-game series played annually since 1970. UBC faced a 26-point deficit after losing the first leg 54-28 in September.

The match was scoreless for much of the first, until an exchange of three tries — two for UVic and one for UBC — saw the half end with the score 12-5. UVic tallied to open the half, but UBC managed to pass it down the line for Carson Whyte to mark a try. After the Vikes sank a

kai jacobson PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

penalty kick, the score stood at 22-10 before Parker’s interception. That was the first of three consecutive UVic tries, and put the game out of reach for the Thunderbirds. UBC was able to get the last points on the board courtesy of a Neil Courtenay try that ended it off at 39-15.

“Sometimes when we get behind, guys, maybe — I don’t know whether they take it too personally, but they get a little dejected and they sort of take the foot off the gas a little bit,” said McTavish, who could be heard admonishing his

players late in the second half.

There were bright spots. The game was tight in the first half.

Young players, including freshman Jordan Best, made impressive plays. Their work moving the ball in the middle of the pitch was admirable. But their decision-making and execution weren’t where they needed to be.

“We had a few flashes of brilliance, but we need to sustain that for 80 minutes,” Kam said. “You’ve got to calm down, stay patient, build phases, put the pressure on them and suck a lot of their guys in tight, and then let our speedsters on the wing score it down on the sides.”

UBC returns to play in the Okanagan Spring Brewery League One, the second division of B.C. club rugby. Both teams mentioned a competitive gulf between League One and the B.C. Premier League, where UVic plays. However, while the Thunderbirds lead the second division, there remain serious scheduling issues around promotion: two league fixtures are scheduled during exams and the playoffs are earmarked for May, when many players are working summer jobs.

“It’s like a little puzzle. We’re going to have to put the pieces together and see how we do,” said McTavish, noting that the team has opted not to advance before.

“It’ll be a challenge; we may have a decision to make.” U

THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

| sPORTs + ReC | 11

aWaRds >>

The cream of the crop at UBC

Deciding on the best Thunderbird athletes and teams every year is no easy task, but it’s a challenge that UBC Athletics attacks head on when they name the best of the best from the past athletic year. After another successful season of national championships, MVPs and school records, these annual awards were handed out at the Big Block Banquet last night. bobby gaUl memorial tropHy (gradUating male atHlete of tHe year): billy greene

may brown tropHy (gradUating female atHlete of tHe year): sHanice marcelle This past season saw Marcelle end one of the most successful careers of any UBC athlete. In addition to helping the women’s volleyball team to their sixth straight CIS championship — meaning that she won a title during every year that she played here — she was named CIS MVP for the second time and Canada West MVP. Marcelle also enters uncharted territory in that she was named Thunderbird Rookie of the Year, awarded the Marilyn Pomfret Trophy for female athlete of the year and now the May Brown Trophy.

The other nominees for the award were Jesslyn Hodge of softball and Grainne Pierse of swimming.

UBC’s standout quarterback will be leaving UBC with one more trophy to add to his collection. The 2011 Hec Creighton Award winner for CIS MVP, Greene battled injuries this past season to finish as the school’s alltime leader in pass attempts and competitions, and in second in all-time passing yards during Canada West play.

Over his five seasons in T-Bird blue and gold, Greene passed for 49 touchdowns and 9,143 yards, while also running for 14 TDs and 1,820 rushing yards. But perhaps his biggest accomplishment is helping UBC football rise up to a level that they hadn’t been at for several years.

The other nominees were Kelly Aspinall of swimming, David Otterman of baseball and Doug Plumb of basketball.

JOSH CURRAN PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

This year’s female athlete of the year goes to women’s basketball standout Kris Young. The third year led the T-Birds all season, being in the top ten in the Canada West in scoring, assists and rebounding, the only player to record such stats. She also led her team in scoring in 12 of UBC’s 22 regular season games.

For her efforts, Young was also named Canada West MVP for the first time and also named a CIS first-team All-Canadian.

The other nominees were Janine Frazao of soccer, Savannah King of swimming and Marcelle.

dU vivier team of tHe year, presented by freedom 55: women’s Hockey The UBC women’s hockey shocked the entire country this past year, going from basement dwellers to one of the nation’s best teams. A year after winning only one game, UBC won the Canada West championship for the first time in franchise history and finished fifth at CIS nationals.

Rejuvenated under new head coach Graham Thomas, UBC set recorded several first this season en route to orchestrating the greatest turnaround in CIS history. The team hosted their first ever home playoff series, won their first playoff series, won their first Canada West banner and finally won their first game at nationals, a victory that saw them finish fifth in the country. It was a dream season that will pave the way for a program that will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming seasons.

The other nominated teams were women’s field hockey, men’s soccer, women’s cross country, women’s swimming, women’s volleyball and women’s golf — teams that all won national championships over the past year.

Haughn wasted no time getting her feet wet during the women’s field hockey season, as she jumped right in and took over the league. The first-year scored seven goals in eight regular season games to tie for the conference lead in scoring, and was also named the Canada West and CIS Rookie of the Year.

At the CIS national tournament, Haughn kept up the strong play to help UBC to their 14th national championship. She was also named tournament MVP due to her stellar play on both offence and defence.

Other nominees for the award were Stephanie Schaupmeyer of hockey and Stephanie Wong of golf.

MORE AWARD WINNERS Buzz Moore Thunderbird Athletic Council (TAC) Leadership Award Evan Cheng (rowing), Robert Ragotte (nordic skiing) TAC Performance Award

PHOTO COURTESY DAVID MOLL/UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

tHUnderbird male rookie of tHe year: neil manning

GEOFF LISTER PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

KAI JACOBSON PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

awards

tHUnderbird female atHlete of tHe year: HannaH HaUgHn

PHOTO COURTESY UBC ATHLETICS

Dosanjh was dynamite for the UBC men’s soccer team this year, as his high level of play helped the squad to an undefeated and a CIS championship. The third-year used his electric speed to rack up 12 goals, nine assists and 21 points during the regular season, the highest totals in the Canada West.

Whenever Dosanjh was on the field, the opposition knew.

The impressive play also saw him named Canada West MVP and a First Team All-Canadian. He was also named the tournament MVP at CIS nationals after he scored four goals in three games.

The other nominees were cross-county runner Luc Bruchet and Aspinall.

GEOFF LISTER PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

marilyn pomfret trpopHy (female atHlete of tHe year): kris yoUng

KAI JACOBSON PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

bUs pHillips memorial trpopHy (male atHlete of tHe year): gagandeep dosanJH

Manning moved from the Vancouver Giants program to the T-Birds’ defensive corps in 2012-13, and didn’t miss a beat as he manned the blueline like a veteran. The rookie picked up two goals and 16 assists in 31 games while averaging 27 minutes of ice time a game. His performance was one of the main reasons why UBC finished with the most regular season points in over 10 years.

Thanks to his stellar performance, Manning was also named to the CIS all-rookie team at the conclusion of the season.

Other nominees for the award were Conner Kozak of golf and Isaiah Soloman of basketball.

Kelly Aspinall (men’s swimming) Kay Brearley Award (service to women s athletics) John Foster Carolyn Dobie-Smith Award (trainer) Mark Arlou Arthur W. Delamont Award (school spirit) Elizabeth Pratt, Alexandra Leask

12 | News |

THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

aRTs degRees >>

Arts to offer faculty-wide creative writing minor Sarah Bigam Staff Writer

Starting this fall, all arts students at UBC will be have the option to minor in creative writing.

Previously, most creative writing courses were restricted to major students, who are chosen from a selective application process. BFA students could take a minor in creative writing, but this was rarely done, according to undergraduate advisor Steven Galloway.

Over the next three years, 17 new 200- and 300-level creative writing courses will be created, bringing the total of widely available creative writing courses to 23.

The new courses for the minor program will not require an application process; they will be open to all BA students. After taking the introductory course Creative Writing 200, students will be able to choose genre-specific courses at the 200 and 300 levels.

Minor students will have to take 12 credits at the 200 level and 18 credits at the 300 level. UBC currently offers 200-level courses in screenplay, graphic novel, stage play and radio, writing for children and writing for new media. In fall 2013, 200-level courses will be introduced for fiction and comedy writing, as well as 300-level courses in fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting and songwriting. 300-level courses in children’s writing, stage play, new media and graphic forms, and both 200- and 300-level courses in poetry, will be added in following years.

“I would say every single course should be up and running to full enrollment within three years, the majority of it by, not this coming school year, but the year after,” said Galloway.

With this time frame in mind, Galloway said that current first- and second-year students will be able to get enough credits for a minor, although it would be more difficult for current third- or fourth-years to complete the minor requirements.

Galloway said the new courses will combine workshops with weekly one-hour online learning modules, which would include in-

formation gathered from interviews with writers. “We’re spending quite a lot of time and money doing interviews with writers, and asking them questions about craft and writing,” said Galloway. “From there you’d take writing prompts and exercises and assignments into a smaller workshop setting.”

These courses will be based on the current model used in BFA and MFA courses, but they will not be considered part of the major stream.

Because they will be open to anybody, they will likely focus more on the “nuts and bolts technique” than the major stream courses, according to Galloway.

The creative writing program only has eight full-time faculty members, though they are in the process of hiring two more. Galloway said that they are hoping to use the existing faculty to teach the new courses, but depending on enrollment numbers, additional staff will likely need to be hired.

The current creative writing major application process is not likely to change any time soon, according to Galloway. But the intention is to make creative writing available to a wider range of students.

“What we’d like is for, you know, economics majors and philosophy majors and psychology majors, or anyone, really, to be able to work creative writing into their general field of studies,” said Galloway.

“Creative writing is about storytelling and narrative and expressing yourself. And it’s very difficult to think of any field you might end up … where that wouldn’t be an asset.”

Kevin McLafferty, a first-year arts student, took Creative Writing 200 this year. “The new minor program sounds interesting and something that I would definitely consider, especially given the fact that I hate writing research papers — who doesn’t?” McLafferty said.

“The more targeted genre courses — children’s writing, et cetera — would be ones that I would consider taking for fun.… Expanding my writing scope is something that I’d like to do, and these courses would help with that.” U

TuiTion >>

AMS concerned by lack of consultation on tuition increase Ming Wong Senior News Writer

It shouldn’t be a surprise that domestic student tuition at UBC is going up two per cent again this year. But the AMS hopes the university will improve how it consults students about the cost of tuition.

AMS VP Academic Kiran Mahal said the university should get more feedback from students on the cost of new programs, like the bachelor of international economics degree.

Tuition for that degree was initially proposed at $10,000 per year for domestic students and $29,000 for international students, but the price was lowered to $7,670 and $26,939, respectively, after student groups criticized the high cost.

UBC is required by policy to consult with students before raising tuition or fees. Mahal argued that what UBC is doing could hardly be called consultation at all, because they don’t take students’ opinions into account. Tuition for domestic students can’t go up more than two per cent each year because of a provincial cap, but UBC has consistently increased tuition by the full two per cent every year.

Mahal argued that UBC “has no intention of stopping the two per cent [yearly increases] in the near future.”

She said UBC also needs to listen

to students’ opinions about where their tuition dollars are spent.

This year, Mahal thought UBC made a “major improvement” in how it consulted with students.

Under the suggestion of the AMS, UBC put out a YouTube video message and accompanying infographic that breaks down where tuition goes and explains why the increase is necessary.

UBC argued the full increase is necessary this year because of the provincial government’s cuts to UBC’s operating grants and rising costs due to inflation.

UBC VP Students Louise Cowin called this year’s consultation with students an “educative approach.”

“I hope that the information … was useful to students’ understanding of the complexity of the university budget, the percentage of the true cost of their education that domestic students pay, the sources of other funding the university receives and the cost pressures the university is under,” wrote Cowin in an email.

UBC also raised new international student tuition by three per cent this year. Both increases were passed by UBC’s Board of Governors on Wednesday. The three student Board reps — Mike Silley, Sumedha Sharma and Tim Krupa — all voted in favour of the increases.

The two per cent domestic

increase will translate into a $93.83 yearly increase for most full-time undergraduate students, with a larger dollar amount for more expensive programs like commerce, engineering and pharmaceutical science.

Aside from informing students about general tuition increase, Mahal thinks the university can improve how they consult students on the cost of new programs. She pointed out two new particularly expensive master’s degrees UBC introduced this year: the master of urban design and master of law in taxation. The master of urban design will cost $17,000 per year for domestic students and $29,500 for international students.

“Our tuition policies don’t require student consultation around the creation of new programs and so we don’t have a history of doing this,” said Farrar at the committee board meeting.

He said students lobbying for lower bachelor of international economics tuition was the first time the university ran into a student-consultation snag with tuition for a new program.

Mahal and the AMS put forward recommendations to make the consultations more robust, which have been approved by UBC’s executive committee and will be in place next year. U

THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

| News | 13

hat's up with those stairs being crushed to rubble on the north side of the SUB? Why is there another half of the SUB w you can't access? They're building a temporary loading dock.

According to AMS designer Michael Kingsmill, the AMS will be renovating the current loading dock, where bulk deliveries enter the SUB, to make the area bigger and easier for trucks to navigate.

But this will mean construction for that area all summer. The north side of the SUB, beside the Bike Kitchen, will need to become a temporary loading ramp during that time.

They've mostly finished demolishing some of the north-side stairs leading to the lower level by now, but there's more loud SUB destruction to come. The expansion of the current loading dock will require destroying its current west-side curved retaining wall.

Kingsmill said this would take place for roughly 10 days, starting on April 12.

"We're doing a little dance around the exam schedule," said Kingsmill. He said because the Student Recreation Centre next door is used for exams, the wall demolition will take place in offhours while exams aren't running.

The new, expanded loading dock should be completed by September 2013. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Laura Rodgers

CARTER BRUNDAGE PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.

UBC’s investments could use a ‘greening’

LAST WORDS

Why we’re asking UBC to divest from oil and gas

ams decision to a bar libs a maJor gaffe The entire point of a candidates’ debate is to hear voices from across the political spectrum.

The AMS completely dropped the ball on this in the debate they organized between MLA candidates for the Point Grey riding on Tuesday at the SUB. While four political parties and independent candidates were represented at the debate, the AMS decided to ban the B.C. Liberal Party’s representative from participating.

The AMS failed to offer an explanation of why they banned the representative, Andrew Wilkinson, who is running in the Vancouver-Quilchena riding and was sent in B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s stead.

They sent an email to the B.C. Liberals on Sunday, requesting that Clark or a representative attend the Tuesday debate. While Clark was unavailable, Wilkinson represents a nearby riding and could have offered the Liberal perspective on issues of importance to UBC students, including tuition and transit.

AMS President Caroline Wong and VP External Tanner Bokor made the unilateral decision to block Wilkinson because he wasn’t running in the Point Grey riding.

Wilkinson’s banning was juvenile and petty. Clark is an embattled premier in the midst of a province-wide campaign, and may legitimately have been too busy to attend a debate she was informed about one day in advance.

It’s easy to see that the AMS felt snubbed by Clark and decided to ban the man sent in her place.

INDIANA JOEL ILLUSTRATION/THE UBYSSEY

You kids and you techno music. HAGLDOC.

This is nonsense. The AMS requested Clark or a representative, and the Liberals sent an actual candidate, as opposed to an aide, to represent her at the debate.

Wong and Bokor need to answer students as to why they banned the voice of the party in power from the debate.

consider eternity wHile yoU stand on mcinnes field friday It seems that every yearly tradition these days is also a new opportunity to celebrate the most prominent part of campus life in this era: construction.

Last year, Storm the Wall’s track looped around New SUB construction. This year, after the finish line moved to accommodate the main phase of the project, construction naturally started right next to it, yet again blocking nearly a full side of the SUB.

By this point, we’re numb to the renovation of the loading dock; the fact that you have to carry a bike over three flights of stairs or through a building to get to the Bike Kitchen; the fact that there’s literally only three lines of approach to the two north entrances; the signs that tell you to go right all the way around (instead of left, straight through the building) when approaching from the buses. It’s hard to feel anything about it any more.

Friday marks the last Block Party at MacInnes Field (another construction milestone).

Look around you at the bus loop, admin building, arena, pool, new SUB, old SUB, rec centre and the ground under your feet and consider that all but three of the items will be a gravel pit sometime in the next two years.

Fuck it, I guess. The heart of campus will never be the same again. U

Bomb threats, fear & Michael Vick

ARNO ROSENFELD GRAPHIC/THE UBYSSEY

EDITOR S NOTEBOOK

by Arno Rosenfeld

Humanity’s irrational and visceral fears are on perfect display when it comes to bomb threats, such as those made in the Haida house of Totem Park last week.

At least one of these threats resulted in the building being predictably evacuated and searched by police dogs.

This makes sense on the surface. People are afraid of being blown up.

But the reality is residents face a much more realistic threat from the doors left propped open when kids step out for a smoke or strange substances in their shower water, to say nothing of the regular binge drinking or the effects of taking Adderall or other study drugs before allnight cram sessions.

14

Student Housing does essentially nothing to combat these issues save for a wink-and-nod at the start of the year, and the occasional piece of paper taped to doors asking students not to prop them open.

But once a bomb threat comes in, they clear out the entire building and send in the RCMP? If they believed the threat was credible, that would be one thing. But coming on the heels of rampant fire alarm-pulling, administrators could have easily deduced that this was nothing more than another ploy to wreak minor havoc on the residents of Totem.

They evacuated the building because the notion of a bomb exploding, and killing and maiming first-year university students in Canada is much more terrifying than long-term liver damage or theft by outsiders who sneak into student residences — both far more realistic threats faced by students in Haida and elsewhere at Totem.

Student Housing makes themselves easy targets for such “pranks,” as the obnoxious stunts might otherwise be called. Whenever a fire alarm forces an evacuation at some ungodly hour, they force all the half-awake students shuffling back into the building to

show their hands to check for the ink the alarms spray on whoever pulls them — as if the culprit would be idiotic enough to walk back into the building past the RAs after pulling an alarm.

They never caught the students who pulled the alarms, but had no problem inconveniencing all the innocent students who simply wanted to get back to bed. Likewise, they knew they would find no bomb in Haida when they had police dogs search every room in the dorm. They had no problem, however, invading the privacy of every student in the residence to cover their asses.

I am not in favor of bomb threats, nor do I want housing to crack down on drinking or leaving doors open. All I’m saying is some prudence ought to be applied by Student Housing administrators when it comes to dealing with these “big” threats.

Michael Vick, the NFL quarterback who abused dogs, once told reporters, “I just think more precaution should be taken.”

While he was talking about football, Vick is not someone whose example student housing should follow: sometimes precaution is not the most prudent move. U

decision, it is a financially responsible one. A recent report published by the Centre for Canadian KATICHISMS Policy Alternatives (CCPA) argued

by Gordon Katic that Canada has ignored “systemic risk” in the oil and gas sector, and that university endowments and Global warming is real. It has government pension funds should already altered our climate in begin a “managed retreat.” The fundamental ways, and it is only report warns of a bursting “carbon accelerating. However, I do not bubble,” estimating that at least need to tell you this. I know that 78 per cent of Canada’s proven you already know, because this reserves are “unburnable carbon school has made it their mission that cannot safely be combusted to make these facts clear to you. without leading to catastrophic If you have not been in a class climate change.” with one of our 141 faculty memAccording to the CCPA, if a bers who specialize in studying global climate deal were struck, the environment, you at least know that UBC has committed to Canada’s carbon budget would likely fall somewhere between aggressive emission reductions, two and 20 gigatons. However, and even built North America’s our oil and gas sector already has “greenest building.” You might 91 gigatons of proven, budgeted have even been to the UBC Farm, reserves. The companies that UBC met one of UBC’s “sustainainvests in — Canadian Natural bility ambassadors,” attended Resources Ltd., Cenovus, Ensign, one of the innumerable campus Encana, Talisman and Baytex panels or read the many press — combined have almost nine releases and fundraising “sucgigatons of carbon in their proven cess stories” that boast of UBC’s reserves, which would alone environmental leadership. account for nearly half of Canada’s We have greened just about carbon budget, according to the every corner of this campus, save most generous allotment. In short, for one important part: IMANT. these companies are not going to IMANT — or UBC Investbe able to sell all their carbon, and ment Management Trust Inc., a that is going to mean substantial wholly owned corporate subsidifinancial losses. ary — is not actually on campus.

The chief argument against Its nondescript offices are in divestment typically focuses on Vancouver’s downtown finanportfolio diversity, rather than cial district, where they manage returns. The argument runs someUBC’s investment portfolio. thing like this: In September, I every portfolio wrote about how Starting next week, needs to be they invested $4.4 diversified, and million in oil and UBC350 (a group I am UBC’s is no difgas corporations, a part of) will begin a To sell which primardivestment campaign. ferent. our equity in ily focus on the one of Canada’s Alberta oil sands. We are calling on UBC most significant In the months to put an immediate sectors would that followed, freeze on new fossil be irresponsible that number has fuel investments, stewardship of ballooned to and promise of full the endowment. $7.14 million.

At the same divestment within five However, a study written time, a popular years. by the financial movement for advisory firm divestment has Aperior Group found that full oil sprung up in over 250 North and gas divestment would carry American universities. Last a “statistically irrelevant risk.” week, in a day of action called UBC’s endowment is nearly $1 “Fossil Fools Day,” students billion. It is absurd to think that across Canada demanded their UBC’s $7.14 million in oil and schools to divest. If we are true gas investments would mean the environmental leaders, it is time difference between a responsible that we put ourselves at the front portfolio and an irresponsible one. of this movement and be the first Conversely, divestment could large university to divest. mean a financial windfall. When UBC President Stephen Toope Unity College in Maine divested, wrote “the magic of the endowthey saw a boon in alumni ment is that it brings benefits donations. Unity’s experience not just for this generation, but demonstrates exactly what this for all generations.” However, there is no bigger threat to future entire issue is all about: students, faculty and alumni just generations than the oil and gas want to be proud of their school, industry. Governments across but oil and gas holdings make the world have agreed that we that difficult. must limit warming to 2ºC to Starting next week, UBCC350 prevent runaway climate change, (a group I am a part of ) will but the industry’s proven and begin the divestment campaign. already-budgeted reserves would We are calling on UBC to put an produce enough carbon to raise immediate freeze on new fossil temperatures by almost 6ºC. fuel investments, and a promWhy is UBC investing all their ise of full divestment within time and energy into molding five years. I hope that you will its students into future leaders, join us. and at the same time investing UBC’s teaching, research and in companies that would ensure operations already demonstrate there is nothing left to lead? that they agree with our position: This industry’s business model is fundamentally incompatible with climate change is real, and it needs to be stopped. We are simply aska livable planet, and it is our duty ing that UBC align its endowment to stop them. with its own values. U Not only is divestment a moral

PICTURES + WORDS ON YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013 |

15

(CUP) KLARA WOLDENGA/THE MARTLET

do u like grammer??! cause da ubyssey is always lookin for volunters to help proof-awesome, right?

Karina Palmitesta | copy@ubyssey.ca

16 | GAMes |

THURsDAY, APRIL 4, 2013

across 1- Cutting remark 5- Canines 9- RR stop 12- Butter alternative 13- Blow one’s top 15- Avoid 16- Person who is liable to tell untruths 17- Ulan ___ 18- Speck 19- Hearing distance 21- Break 23- Spumoni or vanilla holder 24- Amigo 25- Nymph of Greek myth 28- Abandonment of faith 33- Select group 34- Walked 35- Plumlike fruit 36- Cruiser driver 37- Makes well 38- Altar in the sky 39- Excuse me 41- Potpourri 42- Provide food 44- Good-bye

46- Barracks 47- Slender bar 48- Miss 49- Capital of Thailand 53- Restrain 57- Away from the wind 58- What girls will be 60- Cong. meeting 61- Roseanne, once 62- Norwegian name of Norway 63- Currency unit in Western Samoa 64- Year abroad 65- Fibbed 66- Litigant

down 1- Xylem stem 2- Inter ___ 3- Back 4- Soup made with beets 5- Fish prep?

6- Take to the soapbox 7- Kind of reaction 8- Dick and Jane’s dog 9- Drive off 10- Ballerina’s skirt 11- Work without ___

14- Camera stands 15- Separates metal from ore 20- Fine-tune 22- Bell and Barker 25- Coffee choice 26- HI hi 27- Scottish musician 28- Thin as ___ 29- Game played on horseback 30- Having wings 31- More tender 32- Long 34- Narrate 37- Dancing party 40- Blending of two companies 42- Money 43- Aids 45- Large bowl-shaped pan 46- Preserved in a can 48- Vassal 49- Ali _____ & the 40 thieves 50- King of comedy 51- Roman emperor 52- Newport rival 54- Boyfriend 55- Archipelago part 56- Nicholas II was the last Russian one 59- Hosp. procedure

PUZZLE COURTESY BESTCROSSWORDS.COM. USED WITH PERMISSION.

Write for The Ubyssey and have your words be seen by thousands. | Stop by our office in the basement of the SUB (Room 24).