COUPLE POPS IN YOUR GULLET SINCE 1918
UBC’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 4, 2012 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE X
DIPPIN’ IN Record crowds flock out to Jericho Beach to take part in UBC REC’s quintessential event P6
U
THE UBYSSEY
Campus unions
prepare for strike
ACTION! We review three more films from the Van International Film Fest P9
S P P A Y D U T S sw app ich h tw d ou Fin
Laura Rodgers News Editor
CUPE 116, the union local representing service workers on UBC campus, filed 72-hour strike notice Monday morning. The union will be able to begin job action by 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4. According to a telephone information line set up by the union local, CUPE 116 is planning job action on a
“rotating and escalating basis.” The message tells union members that only those who are contacted by the union executives will be engaging in job action, and all other members should report to work as usual. The union local represents Campus Security workers, food service employees, tradespeople, parking clerks and student housing service workers. The local has been without a collective agreement with UBC for over two
years. Negotiations between the university and the union have stalled, with the union expressing dissatisfaction with UBC’s most recent proposal for modest wage increases. The union names job security, benefit improvements and cost of living protection as areas where they are still dissatisfied with UBC’s offers.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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ZUMBA Behind the Latin-inspired cardio craze at UBC P7
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE
What’s on Tue 124
OUR CAMPUS
THIS WEEK, MAY WE SUGGEST...
RECREATION >>
2
ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC
THURSDAY
Capture the Flag: 12 p.m. @ the Student Recreation Centre
Need to blow off some steam during midterm season? Make sure to stop by the SRC for a game of drop-in capture the flag. Get physical and have fun. Tue 125
Tue 126
MUSEUM >>
FRIDAY
SPORTS >>
SATURDAY
Luminescence: The Silver of Peru @ Museum of Anthropology MOA presents a collection of indigenous jewelry with a contextual analysis of the 16th-century Spanish conquest of Peru. If that’s not your thing, perhaps go to indulge your love of shiny stuff.
12 7Tue
Luke O’Shea dives to save a goal at Thunderbird Stadium.
RELAX >>
SUNDAY
Opera tea @ the Nitobe Gardens Spend a perfectly respectable afternoon sipping tea and listening to a fine selection of opera in the Nitobe Gardens. It may be your last chance before the autumn rains close in. Tue 128
UBC men’s volleyball vs. Fudan University (China): 7 p.m. @ War Memorial Gym The Thunderbirds prepare for the regular season by taking on one of the top university teams from China. Cheer on the ’Birds in game one of this mini two-game series. Admission is $3, or free with Blue Crew membership.
SLEEP >>
MONDAY
Thanksgiving Whether you enjoy the holiday with family, friends or a box of wine and Netflix, Thanksgiving is a great time to just chill out. Seriously, you can’t be more carefree than on Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday and we will see you back on Tuesday with round-the-clock content.
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Video content Make sure to check out our Ubyssey Weekly Show, airing now at ubyssey.ca/video
U THE UBYSSEY EDITORIAL
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OCTOBER 4, 2012 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE X BUSINESS
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O’Shea saves the day
Arno Rosenfeld Staff Writer
Luke O’Shea, the UBC Thunderbirds men’s soccer goalie, was named September’s athlete of the month by the Thunderbirds Athletic Council. This honour was certainly well-deserved, but the Richmond native is taking it in stride; he has bigger things on his plate. “It’s nice,” he said of his 6-0-0 record, which is currently ranked No. 2 in Canada. “It’s nice to get it, but there’s bigger things that we’re all wanting to achieve.” O’Shea has done his part to lead his team this year, racking up three shutouts in his first five starts. However, he is quick to credit the team’s defensive players. “It’s pretty easy to get shutouts when you’ve got a defensive line like we do,” he said. O’Shea grew up playing in the Richmond Youth Soccer Association. His career as goalie began as a fluke: he subbed for his team’s injured goalie in the second half of a game, and kept playing the position ever since. The keeper has played soccer since he was five, and said it had always been his goal to come to UBC. Athletic talent runs in O’Shea’s family: his father played soccer as a kid, and his mom played semi-pro
golf before giving up the sport to attend medical school. Before coming to UBC, O’Shea joined the Coastal FC Club, won a North American championship and was named to the North American all-star team. When he was 13, he travelled to Europe, where he played in another championship tournament. After red-shirting during his first-year at UBC, he’s now in his second year of starting as goalie. Soccer takes up a fair share of his time, with practice four times a week and two games on the weekend. “It gets pretty tough during the middle of October when exams start,” O’Shea said. “Basically, you just have to balance everything and be really organized.” He hopes that his major in the Sauder School of Business will prepare him for a career in finance, perhaps as an investment banker. This season saw some changes to UBC’s defensive style that has helped make O’Shea’s job easier. “The guys stepping up have just done really well playing together,” O’Shea said. Another difference between last year and this year is the number of goals scored. “Last year, we didn’t really score too many goals,” he said. “This year, our defensive line
is just working really well together, and we’re scoring so many goals.” When it comes to this season, O’Shea talks of winning it all. “There’s always the national championship,” he said of the team’s ultimate goal. “It’s a huge thing and we all feel that we can do it this year.” Arturs Irbe, a former NHL goalie, once said, “The goalie is like the guy in the minefield. He discovers the mines and destroys them. If you make a mistake, somebody gets blown up.” Goalies protect the goal as the last line of defence, so the mental demands and level of pressure involved in the position is not to be underestimated. “You’ve got to be confident in your ability,” O’Shea said. “If they get a goal, you can’t get down on yourself.... If you’re dwelling on the goal, it’s just going to lead to worse things later on.” O’Shea knows he plays a fundamental role in the team’s performance, and said it’s part of what he loves about playing goalie. “Basically, if you don’t let anything in, you can’t lose.” And if that’s the way things continue this season, the T-Birds will be in pretty good shape. U
“IT NEVER GOT WEIRD ENOUGH FOR ME” -Hunter S. Thompson
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Stop by our office in SUB 24. You’ve been warned.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
EDITORS WILL MCDONALD + LAURA RODGERS
SECURITY >>
SUSTAINABILITY >>
Maria Harris looks for ideas for new recycling centre
kai jacobson PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
Hacker group Team Ghost Shell released over 120,000 files from major universities.
Hackers breach four servers on campus Group linked with Anonymous leaks data from 100 schools Will McDonald News Editor
For the first time, UBC may not be happy to be on the same list as Harvard and Cambridge. Four of UBC’s servers were hacked on October 1 as part of an attack by the hacker group Team Ghost Shell, which released 120,000 files from 100 universities across the world. Randy Schmidt, associate director of UBC Public Affairs, said the four UBC servers that were hacked had lower security measures, making them more vulnerable than other servers on campus. Hackers released files from servers for the Museum of Anthropology, Thunderbird Athletics and the Faculty of Arts. According to Schmidt, most of the files did not contain any sensitive information.
NEWS BRIEFS U-Pass negotiations stall At the last AMS Council Meeting, AMS President Matt Parson said the U-Pass referendum would be delayed until February 2013. The current U-Pass contract is set to expire at the end of the next term. A new contract would require approval in a student referendum. Little has been said about current negotiations, other than that the price of the U-Pass will likely increase. UBC falls to No. 30 in Times Higher Education rankings UBC has fallen from 22nd to 30 th place in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, released Wednesday. The rankings rate universities’ performance in teaching, research, international outlook and industry innovation. UBC scored highly on research and international outlook, but fell back in teaching and particularly in industry innovation (a category worth only 2.5 per cent of the total score). UBC researchers say fish are shrinking due to climate change New UBC research claims that warmer ocean waters resulting from climate change may have a negative impact on fisheries. The study projects fish shrinking in size by 14 to 24 per cent due to warmer water. The decreased size of fish may have negative consequences on fisheries, as smaller fish produce less eggs and smaller offspring. U
3
The majority of the files were usernames for UBC blogs, with the passwords redacted. However, the server within the Faculty of Arts contained usernames and logins for a linguistics course. Schmidt said all the students affected have been asked to change their passwords. “The most concerning piece for us was the server that had to do with the linguistics course, and so I understand that full or partial names of 90 students were part of that, along with usernames and passcodes to the course accounts,” said Schmidt. “All the other information seems relatively innocuous.” Schmidt said there are thousands of servers on campus and he couldn’t confirm how many were set up in the same way as the ones that were hacked.
“What I was told was that the similarity seems to be the common coding problem for those servers, so I’m not sure if they were targeted or not,” said Schmidt. “It’s a big campus, so I’m not quite sure if there would be others that are coded that way.” Schmidt said that people have tried to hack into UBC’s servers before, but the details are confidential. “Due to its size and resource intensiveness, UBC is frequently a target for attacks,” said Schmidt. “For security reasons, we do not discuss the incidents.” However, Schmidt said that UBC uses higher security measures for servers that contain more sensitive information. Schmidt said UBC IT repaired the hacked servers shortly after they were accessed.
“All four servers were secured soon after learning of the leaks. The servers that have been brought back online have been secured. One server will remain down, as it will be retired instead of being returned to service. Impact on the services provided is very low,” said Schmidt. The hacking team referred to their efforts as Project West Wind, which targeted over 100 universities. They said their goal was to draw attention to the flawed post-secondary education system. Team Ghost Shell is associated with the group Anonymous, which has hacked numerous government websites. U Representatives from the UBC IT deparment were unavailable for comment before press time.
TECH >>
New social media app connects people on campus
Jordan Mowat Contributor
A group of UBC students are trying to bridge the gap between social networking and face-to-face interaction with their new location-based iPhone app, Mingo. The app, currently in open beta, was developed by the group PeoplesApp, composed of UBC students and alumni. The developers tout it as a new, free tool to relieve the sense of isolation felt by many students on campus. “The whole point of this application is not to get people away from the public,” said Edward Yan, a student at the Sauder School of Business and the head of PeoplesApp. “As opposed to Facebook or Twitter, where you’re talking … to your friends mostly, this application allows you to interact with everyone in your vicinity.” Mingo has been available on iPhone for the past two weeks, and there are some 2,000 users on UBC campus so far. “For instance, if I was to open up Mingo in the SUB, I would see posts and broadcasts from people nearby,” said Jay Kiew, a recent UBC political science grad and PeoplesApp’s marketing consultant. Campus clubs are already using the app to advertise meetings and
Mingo is a new app that allows users to interact with people around them.
parties. Individual users have started to post messages asking for restaurant recommendations in the area or alerting nearby drivers to police road checks. The app displays a feed of posts made by users close by, and also features a list of local users and a private message function. Unlike other social networks that have added some location-based functionality as an afterthought, Mingo hopes to keep all of its functions centred around interacting with people nearby. The few UBC clubs who have started using Mingo seem to like it. William Cheung, public relations director of the UBC Chinese Students’ Association, said he was impressed with Mingo’s broadcast function, which may have helped draw a crowd to his booth during UBC Clubs Days.
Arash Narchi, the Walter Gage Toastmasters Club’s vice-president of membership, thinks that the app still has a few kinks that need to be ironed out, but liked that it was developed by students. “The fact that it was starting on campus, I thought that was exciting,” he said. According to Yan, the company plans to add Facebook and Twitter integration to Mingo over the coming weeks, and versions for Android and Blackberry will be developed soon. Yan hopes to reach out to SFU by 2013, and to Toronto by next summer. Though Mingo is still a long way from taking on the big players of social media, Yan is optimistic about the app’s future. “People here at UBC are still making cool things,” he said. “You don’t have to be at Harvard to make Facebook.” U
Stephanie Xu PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
Some items can’t be recycled in bins.
Brandon Chow Staff Writer
Recycling in the University Endowment Lands may not be so spread out in the future. Maria Harris, director of Electoral Area A, has a vision for a centralized recycling depot for residents of the University Endowment Lands (UEL). Harris said it is currently a hassle to recycle special items in the UEL. “[People] have to either drop them off to all the various places where you can recycle batteries, paint or light bulbs, or else drive them all the way to the Vancouver transfer station that’s down by the Fraser River on Kent Street,” said Harris. There is currently no centralized recycling depot for UEL residents that handles all nonblue box items. Harris remains convinced that people won’t invest the time or energy to take care of their old light bulbs properly, which is why she believes in the idea of an all-in-one recycling centre. The idea is still in an early conceptual stage, and Harris said that her doors are open to anyone who wants to get on board, including students. “I’m welcoming ideas now.... I’d love to hear from students: what can we do out here to be community leaders for the region?” she said. UBC has the facilities to recycle most items on campus. “We have a place to recycle batteries,... and light bulbs just go through waste management and building operations area,” said Orion Henderson, director of operational sustainability at UBC. “Similarly, e-waste can be collected from anywhere on campus. It’s all centralized at building operations and waste management.” However, Henderson said it can still be difficult for UEL residents to recycle certain items. “It can be a little bit challenging to take your washing machine halfway across the city to one of the existing centres,” said Henderson. Henderson added that the University Neighbourhoods Association, which represents residents of non-student housing on campus, has plans for a central recycling depot in their new community centre. U
4 | news |
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
PROVINCIAL >>
Campus unions give strike notice across B.C. Support staff and TAs at five schools across the province prepare for job action Micki Cowan CUP B.C. Bureau Chief
VANCOUVER (CUP) — Teaching assistants and support staff at five universities across B.C. issued 72-hour strike notice on Oct. 1, and can begin job action starting this Thursday. Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) at UBC, Simon Fraser University, the University of Northern B.C. and Thompson Rivers University join members at the University of Victoria, who issued a strike notice last month. The notice includes teaching assistant members at SFU and TRU, as well as support workers at UVic, UNBC and UBC. Union members are seeking wage increases, job security and inflation protection as three major issues, but unions at individual universities have additional smaller objectives as well. These 12,000 CUPE members have been without a contract since 2010, when post-secondary
institutions were given a net-zero operating mandate from the provincial government. The mandate restricted the universities from giving any wage increases. Now that universities have a new cooperative gains mandate for 2012–2013, Lois Rugg, co-chair of CUPE’s coordinated bargaining committee for universities, says the universities may have some wiggle room. This mandate allows for modest wage increases within existing budgets. “Now that the mandates have been met, it’s up to the universities to sit down with us and try to reach a fair contract,” said Rugg. “In some cases, that’s not happening.” UBC says, in their case, bargaining is more difficult because their support worker union never signed on to the previous net-zero mandate, and so UBC’s bargaining is bound by both mandates. “Our CUPE locals have not yet resolved the issue of those two years,” said UBC public affairs
director Lucie McNeill. “We’re still quite behind in terms of reaching an agreement in this. That’s a difference.” Rugg wouldn’t give a dollar amount for the wage increase the coordinated bargaining group is looking for. UVic’s workers were offered a wage increase of two per cent in August, but rejected it. “We haven’t had an increase for several years and are actually facing cuts because of inflation of two per cent every year.… We’re looking to something fair and reasonable to help protect from that,” said Rugg in response to UVic’s rejection. The strike notice legally gives the union employees the ability to strike if necessary as of Thursday at noon, but does not guarantee job action will occur. Such action can take the form of refusing to do overtime, shutting down buildings, or even campus-wide pickets if the situation escalates. McNeill says some forms of job action have such a small impact
UNBC CUPE 3799, which represents support and service workers at UNBC in Prince George, gave strike notice on Oct. 1.
UBC CUPE 116, representing support and service workers, filed strike notice Oct. 1. Teaching assistants at UBC are represented by a different union, CUPE 2278. They have an active strike mandate but have not called a strike.
UVic CUPE 915 and 971 (service and support workers) and 4163 (TAs) at UVic are currently in mediation. The CUPE unions at UVic have been negotiating their collective agreements since October 2010. CUPE 915 and 971 went on strike on Sept. 5 but resumed negotiations on Sept. 18.
JEFF ASCHKINASI & COLLYN CHAN GRAPHIC/THE UBYSSEY
that students may not even notice they are taking place. “There could be some forms students would be completely unaware of,” she said. But job action from any union on campus can have a widespread effect if a large number of students or staff choose not to cross picket lines — a decision that universities leave up to each individual working or studying there. “Anybody that’s in a union will generally not cross, out of support,” said Rugg. “At UBC, you have the teaching assistants. If there is a picket line where they are working, they wouldn’t be able to cross the picket line.” UBC’s teaching assistant union, which is not currently undertaking job action, has encouraged, but not compelled, its members to stay behind any picket lines. Transit is another area that may be affected by job action. TransLink bus drivers are part of the Canadian Auto Workers
union, but some other transit employees are CUPE members. TransLink spokesperson Derek Zabel said they are aware of the strike notice from SFU, but it doesn’t appear transit service will be affected at this time. “If it does affect transit, we will make adjustments,” said Zabel. McNeill says that for the support staff at UBC, the timing of the strike notice was unfortunate. “We had tabled a set of proposals … and while we were waiting, we were served a strike notice,” she said. “That’s unfortunate, because it represents a loss of opportunity and sitting down and crafting an agreement at the table.” But for the unions, the timing was planned to involve more CUPE locals and to grab the attention of the universities employing them. “We are stronger in numbers. We need to stand up and support each other as much as possible,” said Rugg. U
SFU Teaching assistants and support staff at SFU, CUPE 3338, served strike notice on Sept. 27. The union plans to picket two buildings on Thursday, Oct. 4.
TRU CUPE 4879, which represents support staff at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, passed a strike vote on Sept. 6. Around 600 members of the union plan to take job action on Thursday, Oct. 4. Their contract expired in March 2010 and talks are expected to resume on Oct. 18.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
| News | 5
LABOUR >>
UBC staff union to begin job action Oct. 4 CUPE union plans escalating job action from support and service workers
Continued from cover “There hasn’t been enough movement, and we have to do something to get it going,” said CUPE 116 President Colleen Garbe. Garbe said the union is advocating for job protection and pensions for 116 members who are not currently receiving those benefits. “We could be doing rotating action, we could be taking out our full membership, we could be picketing buildings, we could be shutting down Food Services, it’s a whole array of activities we could be doing,” said Garbe. She said that the union is still working out what form the job action will take on Thursday, but that there will “most likely” be rotating pickets around some UBC buildings. COPE 378, the union representing AMS security staff, has also announced that they plan to take job action. COPE 378 members will be picketing around the
SUB on Thursday, Oct. 4 starting at 8:30 a.m. COPE 378 Communications representative Jarrah Hodge said COPE 378 security workers and administrative staff, approximately 30 people, will take part in the picket. Hodge said they plan to picket the north entrance of the SUB and possibly the south entrance as well, and then head to the Goddess of Democracy statue for a rally at noon. A union memo indicates that this may be a one-day strike action. Hodge said the union is taking job action to demonstrate their need for a wage increase and show support for CUPE 116. “It’s partly that we’re dealing with our own issues and then also that we’re working together on the same day in solidarity with them,” said Hodge. According to Hodge, the union is close to reaching an agreement with the AMS.
A brief timeline of UBC’s union strife 2010
Collective agreements between CUPE 116, CUPE 2278 and UBC expire. The net-zero mandate, which prevents wage increases, makes bargaining difficult.
Feb. 15, 2012
CUPE 2278 holds a closed meeting to discuss how they want wage parity with U of T.
Sept. 19, 2011
COPE 378 workers vote to unionize, and immediately enter negotiations with the AMS.
March 2012
CUPE 116 holds a strike vote, 86% of members vote in favour.
March 5–6, 2012
COPE 378 holds a vote to strike against the AMS. 100% vote in favour.
“We’re only a dollar apart on wages.… This is just one way of driving home that point,” said Hodge. AMS President Matt Parson said that the AMS supports COPE 378’s decision to take job action in solidarity with CUPE 116. “That’s just COPE 378’s response to support … CUPE 116 and we respect that decision and they’re fully in the right to do that.” Parson said that business in the SUB should go on as usual during the job action. “[We] hope for it not to have too large of an effect for the service to our students,” said Parson. Other on-campus unions may be affected, depending on whether CUPE 116 sets up picket lines. Trish Everett, the communications chair of CUPE 2278, which represents teaching assistants at UBC, said, “There may be little to no effect to UBC TAs,” but said she hoped union members would not cross picket lines.
CUPE 116
This union represents support and service workers at UBC, including Campus Security, janitorial staff and food service workers. They haven’t made the specifics of their offers public, but they cite pensions, job security and wages as issues where they and UBC still disagree.
It’s also unlikely that the job action will affect transit service to campus. Gavin Davies, vice-president of Canadian Auto Workers Local 111, which represents transit workers, said bus service to UBC would likely stop at Blanca if CUPE 116 workers were to picket the bus loop. But he said the “chances of them picketing the bus loop are slim to none.” “No workers should cross any picket lines, but a lot of picket lines take into consideration that the students are still going to school. So they’d probably just picket whatever building it is they work in.” Other CUPE locals at Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University and the University of Northern British Columbia filed strike notice on Monday as well, joining the already striking CUPE local at the University of Victoria. U
CUPE 2278
The union that represents teaching assistants (TAs) at UBC. They want their wages to be raised to the level of TAs at SFU, and increased job security. They have been in negotiations for a new contract since August 2010.
LABOUR TERMS NET ZERO + COOPERATIVE GAINS Net zero, introduced by the province in 2010, prevented public-sector workers (e.g. those employed by UBC) from getting wage raises unless equivalent benefits were removed from their contract. Then, the province introduced the cooperative gains mandate last year. It means savings found elsewhere in the budget, usually from “efficiency cuts” that try to find unnecessary spending, can be used to raise wages.
COPE 378
AMS security workers are represented by this union. As the AMS is a private society, negotiations between the AMS and COPE are not subject to the province’s net zero or cooperative gains mandates. They are trying to attain better job security and higher wages.
April 11, 2012 March 22, 2012
CUPE 2278 holds a strike vote. 81% of members vote in favour.
To prevent CUPE 2278 from striking during exams, UBC applies to the Labour Relations Board for mediation.
April 4–5, 2012 CUPE 2278 holds workshops for strike picket captains, but has not yet issued a strike vote.
July 13, 2012
COPE 378 holds a one-day information picket outside the SUB, so their strike mandate stays valid until the fall.
June 6–8, 2012
The province stalls in approving UBC’s wage proposal for CUPE 116. The union files 72-hour strike notice June 6 in response. The proposals are swiftly approved. The union and UBC enter mediation, halting the strike.
Write Shoot Edit Code Drink COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS
Oct. 1, 2012
CUPE 116 files 72-hour strike notice, plans for rotating pickets by October 3 and “escalating” strike action thereafter. COPE 378 plans a one-day picket in support.
Sept. 27, 2012
UBC finalizes essential service levels for CUPE 116, which means some of its members need to stay at work, even if there’s job action.
LAURA RODGERS GRAPHIC/THE UBYSSEY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
EDITOR C.J. PENTLAND
6
Longboat makes a giant splash UBC REC >>
Despite windy weather, Day of the Longboat 2012 sees record turnout Nic Roggeveen Contributor
Sun shining, wind blowing, waves rolling, Gangnam Style blaring and over 3,000 people converging on the shores of Jericho Beach: this was the setting of the 26th annual Day of the Longboat this past weekend, a signature UBC event and the largest voyageur canoe race in North America. With 350 teams and approximately 10 people per team registered for the event, this was the largest edition of Longboat ever. Day of the Longboat, which actually occurs over Saturday and Sunday and is run by UBC REC, saw teams of paddlers compete through a three-kilometre course at Jericho Beach. There were men’s, women’s, co-rec and justfor-fun divisions, welcoming all levels of competition. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s crazy. The waves were huge,” said Kayla Primm, co-director of the event. Despite the difficult weather conditions that caused a number of teams to capsize, not a complaint or frown could be found. “We don’t see a sad face out there,” Primm said. “People that capsized, you think they’d be upset, but nope; they’re laughing.” Members of the Indian Students’ Association’s team reinforced this point. “We were almost the second-last team, but then we ended up last,” they said, smiling. “It was really close. It was a foot race at the end. It’s a great experience.” Each heat begins with the team members in their boat, with the exception of a runner who starts in a chair on the beach. Once the starting horn sounds, the runner sprints down the beach and enters their boat, at which point teams began to paddle through the course of buoys. Once back on shore, another team member jumps from the canoe carrying a
COURTESY Carter Brundage/UBC REC
baton and runs up the beach to hit a gong. The success of the event hinges on an incredible amount of preparation, work and volunteer hours. “We started organizing about a month and a half before the event,” said Laura Duncan, who co-directed with Primm. Duncan and Primm were supported by over 100 volunteers, and they
were at the Jericho Sailing Centre from 4:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. “All these volunteers, no one’s telling them to be here,” said Primm. “They’re volunteering, most of them, their entire weekend.” Day of the Longboat is an offshoot of what was the UBC Legacy Games, a three-day event in which people built their own
boats and then raced them. The event as students know it today has grown into the quintessential UBC experience and the largest REC event of each year. “I had no idea what a longboat was or what UBC REC was [originally], and I came and I did it and I loved it,” said Primm. “That’s why I’m here, and I’m here directing it today four years later.”
“If you’re in residence first year, it’s a way to get to know each other,” said Duncan. “We’ve had teams sign up together in their first year; they didn’t really know each other and they’re still, four years later, racing together, best friends.” “It’s a classic UBC experience,” agreed the Indian Students’ Association team. “You have to do it at least once.” U
TIM HUEBSCH
PHOTO COURTESY THUNDERBIRD ATHLETIC COUNCIL
T COURTESY CARTER BRUNDAGE/UBC REC
im Huebsch, a cross country runner, is the UBC Thunderbirds Athletic Council athlete of the week for the week ending September 30. Huebsch, a fourth-year political science major from Russell, Ontario knocked 10 seconds off his personal best time in the 8
kilometre race at the Charles Bowles Invitational in Salem, Oregon over the weekend. The T-Bird team captain finished the race with a time of 25:08, which placed him 9th overall in the field of 170 and helped lead the Thunderbirds to victory in the overall event. Next up for Hueb-
sch is the 39th annual Western Washington University Classic Invitational on Saturday, October 6 in Bellingham. Athlete of the Week is decided by the Thunderbird Athletic Council
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
| sports + rec | 7
FITNESS >>
Latin flair makes zumba “exercise in disguise”
Intense, upbeat fitness craze from Colombia is gaining popularity at UBC Zafira Rajan Senior Lifestyle Writer
Zumba has taken the fitness world by storm in the past few years, and the zumba classes offered by UBC REC are steadily rising in popularity. But why has this exercise routine become so popular, and what’s it all really about? UBC REC instructor Kirby Rae explains the roots of zumba and how the craze began: “There was a Latino man named Beto teaching a fitness class in Colombia, and one day he forgot his music,… so he then put on his own music he was carrying with him, which was all Latin music, and did his aerobic class to it, and people went nuts,” Rae said. “It started to become a weekly special class to have that Latin workout.” Now, everyone from middle-aged women to children are enjoying the result of this happy accident. “Students love it,” Rae said. “My first zumba class here was last September, and it sold out immediately. Now we have five classes a week. It’s blown up big time.” So what’s a typical class like? “It’s an intense, grind-happy sweatfest,” she said. “The entire time the participant is focused on the instructor, so they don’t realize how hard they’re working, because everything is thrown at them on the spot and they’re focused on the movements. It’s very
kai jacobson PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
Zumba is Latin-flavoured aerobic exercise that gets the hips shaking and the heart pumping.
much a party style of workout, where basically it’s exercise in disguise.” Third-year Commerce student Celine Grootes agreed. “I think people didn’t really know what it was before, and thought that it was just a dance class,” she said. “But now, they realize that it’s
an intense exercise class. It feels good and it’s fun.” Grootes admitted that a desire to spice up her fitness routine led her to zumba. “I can’t really do anything that’s not exciting; I can’t just go on the treadmill and run for hours and hours,” she said. “I need
something that’s active and fun, and I think that’s why people love zumba.” Zumba classes combine different types of music based on the preference of the instructor. “Personally, I focus on a whole spectrum of styles, from Bollywood to salsa to dancehall to
merengue, and lots of reggaeton.… It’s all over the place,” said Rae. Students have found zumba to be a great way to let go, have fun and still get a good workout. First-year Science student Joey Pastorek signed up for the REC zumba class the moment he got to UBC. “It’s definitely good cardio, and I can feel it working my arms and legs because I’m so sore after. I don’t like the feeling of being tired after running, but I do like the feeling of being tired after zumba; that’s why I enjoy it,” said Pastorek. There’s a variety of zumba “genres” to choose from, as well. “They are all similar things, but it’s across slightly different spectrums,” Rae explained. “There’s the regular adult zumba, and it’s a hardcore, dance-cardio workout. You could also do zumba for toning, which has light weights with it, so it’s less focused on the dancing and more on exercising the limbs. As for aqua zumba — well, the water alone is a workout by itself.” Many students are returning to the REC zumba classes semester after semester, so it’s clear that this craze isn’t dying out anytime soon. Rae encourages people to give it a shot if they’re on the fence about it. “Just jump right in and try it out,” she said. “You’ll either love it or hate it — but you’ll probably love it!” U
DANCE >>
UBC Latin Dance Club brings Cuban energy to campus
Justin Fleming Contributor
“One, two, three, open the windows! Five, six, seven,” the instructor shouts as he moves fluidly with his partner to an imagined rhythm. They whirl at the centre of an attentive circle of paired dancers. It’s Monday night in the SUB and things are heating up at the Latin Dance Club’s intermediate salsa lesson. Started by two Ph.D. students with a passion for Latin dance, the Latin Dance Club has been growing in size and community involvement since it became an official AMS club six years ago. “I remember at the 2009 Halloween party, only a few students were left at 10 p.m.,” recalled Tracy Dai, club president. “At last year’s party, people were still dancing into the night until they got asked to leave by security.” According to Dai, salsa is about meeting new people and making friends as much as it is about dancing. One of the main focuses of the club is to get students to the level where they can go out and dance socially. After all, salsa has its roots in Cuban and Afro-Cuban dance, which is a social dance by nature. “It’s a totally different feel than ballet dancing,” said Dai, a lifelong dancer who started salsa dancing in 2009. “[With] ballet dancing, you just immerse yourself in that specific kind of dance art, whereas salsa, you feel the energy from other people; it’s a partner and couple dance.” The club offers classes from beginner to advanced, but encourages members to go out and dance around town. Drawing from its many connections in Vancouver’s salsa community, the club offers discounts at partner studios with a
kai jacobson PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
Students of any skill level can get into a groove and learn salsa dancing from the UBC Latin Dance Club.
club membership. Guys interested in learning salsa should be forewarned: as the leading partner, men have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to learn the steps and techniques, but they must also learn how to lead their partner and constantly anticipate their next move, while still being conscious of their own style. “Girls only have to follow; [the
guys] know the techniques and we just let it go,” explained Dai. “Let the lead take you and enjoy his way of expressing the dance and at the same time combine your spirit or passion.” While the learning curve might seem a little unfairly weighted for any prospective male dancers out there, they can take heart in the fact that they won’t lack for
partners; statistically speaking, there is a 2:1 female-to-male ratio in Vancouver salsa. The Latin Dance Club added a performance class to their schedule this year, intending to assemble a team of passionate dancers that can perform at events and fundraisers. Dai’s vision for the club is simple: to be the ambassador club for salsa at UBC, and host more events to con-
nect with students and the Vancouver salsa community. And it is easier than ever for students to get involved. Anyone can show up, either with friends or alone, and there is no dress code. It’s a great way to meet new friends, improve your dance technique and shake out some stress, all while experiencing a new culture right here on campus. U
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
EDITOR ANNA ZORIA
MIDTERMS >>
Study your app off
8
LITERATURE >>
Five apps you’ll actually use for school
Former UBC prof wins award for book of poetry
Danielle Piper Contributor
It’s the end of September, and for many students, the academic enthusiasm they felt at the start of the year has dissipated. Menacing midterms and tiresome term papers are looming closer and it seems that all those handouts and homework assignments are blending into one giant mess. For those of you who are constantly on the go, we’ve compiled a list of five study apps under $5 to help you get on track.
1. Evernote (free) Student Type: Dude … Where’s my notebook? Motive: Instead of endlessly flipping through your folders while the paper you’re searching for stares you right in the face, sync the notes and documents from your computer to your phone. Then access and share all your notes with one simple click.
2. Dropbox (free) Student Type: Dazed and Confused Motive: “Why won’t my PowerPoint open? Oh no … no, no, no, no.” If you’ve ever said those words before, then you’ll love Dropbox, an app that specializes in storing big files. Save your notes, group projects, presentations, music, videos and PDF documents here. Best of all, if you mess up, you can revert back to any previous version of the file.
3. iTunes U (free)
PHOTO COURTESY OF RANDAL MACNAIR
Student Type: The Overachiever Motive: Need more university-level reading material? Or another opinion on a topic? Maybe you need a better source for that term paper of yours? Welcome to iTunes U, which provides you with access to the New York Public Library and 500,000 lectures on a variety of topics from several other universities.
4. iStudiez Pro ($0.99)
Student Type: The Young and the Organized Motive: Ever wonder what it would be like to be perfectly organized? Yeah … us neither. But apparently, this app tracks your homework, class schedule and grades. It then presents a complete portrait of all the things you have to do today, tomorrow and in the upcoming weeks.
5. Flashcards Deluxe ($3.99)
Student Type: The Professional Motive: You have less than 24 hours to memorize a semester’s worth of information. Challenge accepted. Whether it’s multiple choice options or open-ended questions, this app automatically turns off a card when you get it right. This way, you have more time to revise the stuff you don’t know. U FILM >>
VIFF reviews A WEREWOLF BOY
SIDE BY SIDE Dulguun Bayasgalan Contributor
Jane Jun Contributor
In A Werewolf Boy , an unexpected phone call interrupts the seemingly ordinary life of the elderly Sunni Kim (Li Young-lan). Sunni leaves her home in America and returns to Korea, where she meets her granddaughter, Eunju (Park Boyoung), and is driven to recall her past. Plunged into her memory, we learn that as an adolescent, Sunni moved into the countryside in order to improve her weak health. Not long after her arrival, she encountered a feral boy living around her new home. Although repelled at first, Sunni gradually becomes closer to the boy. An almost Tarzan-esque relationship ensues, lighting up the screen with hilarity, hijinks and young love in the midst of the wild boy’s path to civilization. The plot takes a dark turn, however, when the landlord Tae-sik (Yoo Yeon-seok) is driven to rage by his jealousy of Sunni’s affection for the wild boy. The film’s gripping story, solid acting and beautiful cinematography come together to create a captivating production for all ages. Though the subtitle translations for some of the expressions were quite exaggerated, this hardly depreciated the overall movie experience. Judging from the audience’s reaction, it may, in fact, have been a delightful contribution. <em>
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Take a deep breath and sigh, because films just aren’t what they used to be. With the majority of movies now being made and shown on a digital platform, the good ol’ days of rolls of film stock might be nearly over. Side by Side , written and directed by Christopher Kenneally, documents this digital revolution and what it means to the art of cinema. The documentary is hosted by a smooth-voiced Keanu Reeves and exhibits a spectacular gallery of interviews with the pros, including Hollywood heavyweights George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and James Cameron. The film is a formidable treat for filmmakers and cinephiles, but it doesn’t befuddle the everyday moviegoer with highfalutin’ tech talk, either; it’s surprisingly accessible to audiences across the board and makes for an informative night of entertainment. The film’s true concern actually revolves around pitting the vastly superior convenience and limitless possibilities of the digital format against the timeless magic of film. So, the inevitable sigh emerges, but is it a sigh of relief or regret? Side by Side will help you decide. U <em>
PHOTO COURTESY OF VIFF
Kenneally’s Side by Side takes the viewer behind the scenes of the film industry.
THE WORLD BEFORE HER Priyanka Hariharan Contributor
In The World Before Her, director Nisha Pahuja takes the audience to two extremes. An India where young girls fight traditionalism and find empowerment through the beauty industry is juxtaposed with an India which opposes this “Americanization” and commercialization. Pahuja effortlessly weaves in the fundamental themes of oppression, fundamentalism and inequality to create a documentary that confidently addresses problems prominent in contem-
porary India. Ruhi Singh, a young girl trying to escape the chains of conservatism in her small town in Rajasthan, resorts to pageantry to find her crown of empowerment. On the opposite spectrum, the film enters the Durga Vahini camp — the women’s wing of the Hindu fundamentalism movement — to follow Prachi, a girl who sells her soul to fight for Mother India. While Ruhi fights the fundamentalists who try to sabotage her attempt to become an independent woman, Prachi opposes the role of the traditional housewife. Following a thread of love, identity and ambition, both will meet at the same place: an India which hears the voices of its women. A must-see.
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Trisha Bernardo Contributor
Each year, the City of Vancouver gives out a civic book award to the author who most successfully showcases the city’s cultural diversity and history. This year, the award was given to UBC Professor Emeritus W.H. New for his most recent book of poetry, YVR . For New, being a finalist was already a great achievement; winning was an incredibly pleasant surprise. “I just thought that the other books that were up as finalists are also very Vancouver,” he said. New is well-known for his work in children’s literature and poetry. For the former prof, children’s lit allows him to have fun with writing. “Adults are very hard,” explained New. “I think it’s important for children not to be written down to. I’ve written so that children can engage with language, engage with rhythm, engage with the music of language — just take delight in a difficult word, which they will learn through context rather than using that super simple vocabulary, which can be deadly, I think, to a child’s imagination.” A true-blue Vancouverite who grew up just off Main Street, the author admits that somehow, all his books seem to allude to Vancouver. Nonetheless, New insisted that he had no hidden agenda in writing YVR ; the book does not aim to promote tourism or prove that Vancouver is one of the best cities to live in. It was written, New said, to give the public a glimpse of the Vancouver that he has come to know. “There are all these different voices that are happening in the city and I’m just trying to relate those voices, to allow those voices to speak their thoughts. I also wanted to emphasize the fact that there isn’t a single identity to the city, just a summation of the multiple villages in the city. But those multiple identities are not pigeonholes, they’re just little tiny neighbourhoods that are exclusive and can’t be barged in on or that don’t move.” Despite YVR ’s success, New does not consider the collection of poetry to be his favourite work. “The favourite book is always the next one you write,” he said. “I never quite know what’s going to happen.” U <em>
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
| Culture | 9
ON A BUDGET >>
Cut costs by ditching these ten inessential items Christopher Cheung Contributor
For some of us, learning how to cut costs means a lifetime of stashing sauce packets in the fridge, reusing tin foil and plastic sandwich bags, and making great escapes from restaurants before waiters count their tips. More money for that university education, our parents said. Now that we’ve made it here, what are some luxuries we can pass up?
already been set up specifically for that purpose.
Gym membership Do you really need to pay a fee to guilt-trip yourself into exercising? Just step outside to get your heart pumping! Grab a friend or two for motivation. Go online for tips and videos and make Tony Horton your personal trainer.
Eating on campus Let’s face it: with a drink, you’re nearing $10 a meal. Self control is key here. Slap together a sandwich or loot your fridge for a take-toschool lunch. Resist the temptation to buy a snack. Wait until the next meal or abuse Menchie’s samples if you’re in dire straits. Abstinence will be rewarded.
TOMS They may look good now, but $60 can get you a lot more than a piece of canvas that won’t survive the Vancouver rain, let alone the plains of Africa. Try a pair of boat shoes or Keds. Also, TOMS smell after a while.
Expensive drinks at clubs Why not intoxicate yourself before entry? There’s nothing classier than stumbling onto the #99 with your best buds and using the safety bars as your personal dancing poles. Save on some ridiculously priced drinks and you’ll be having too much fun to care about pleasing freeloaders, no matter how hot they are.
New books Overrated. Have you heard of the Internet? You don’t need to pay for 100-year-old novels; most of them are free online. If you’re buying textbooks, try to catch a used book deal on sites like eBay. Alternatively, band together with some friends who have taken the same courses and see if an exchange can be arranged. Several Facebook groups have
handed in by email. For those who demand hard copies, why not just do your printing on campus for cheap? And for students who like to print notes and readings, try going digital. Mother trees thank you for not murdering their children.
Printer Toner refills cost nearly as much as the printers themselves, so you’ll be looking at hundreds of dollars in unnecessary expenses. Check with your profs to see if they’ll accept work
New clothes Adventure to Main, Commercial or Broadway for thrift stores and consignment shops that offer surprising finds and crazy deals.
NEWTERRITORY
EXPLORE
SHOOT FOR THE UBYSSEY
Kai Jacobson | Art Director art@ubyssey.ca
Score the brand name you want for cheaper, and stock up on awesome ugly sweaters to survive the winter gloom.
Car One of the best inventions since the wheel, the U-Pass gives you the ability to traverse three zones across the Greater Vancouver Area. You can ride public transit over water, underground, and most importantly, past traffic. Couple that with huge savings on gas and parking, and it’s a no-brainer: you don’t need a car.
Moving out This is a controversial one. For those with a choice, the price of freedom will literally cost thousands of dollars for the school year. It’s a tough decision if you’re tight on cash. There’s nothing like absolute independence, but then again, there’s nothing like the comfort of prepared dinners and clean laundry at home, either. U
Data plan Surfing the web on your phone might be great while you’re on the go, but with Wi-Fi available all over campus and at every Starbucks and McDonald’s, do you really need to pay an extra $45 a month to be able to like someone’s Facebook status on the bus?
STEPHANIE XU/THE UBYSSEY
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY REACH.
LAST WORDS a ay theyir They sg for fa in ik tr s . wages..
re
HUMOUR >>
Okay...so mean I c doe s this midterm?an get out of my
ILLUSTRATION INDIANA JOEL/THE UBYSSEY
On crossing picket lines Though “unions” and “labour struggle” might not be the buzzwords they once were, students should take a moment to think when presented with a picket line. Picketers are looking to halt operation at the targeted building in order to exact pressure in their ongoing labour negotiations. Crossing the picket line keeps the building running normally, and counteracts the union’s negotiation power. Not all students will have a problem with this, and we’re not asking them to. But for those partisan to the labour union or just looking to get out of class, there are a few things to be aware of. Students choosing to not cross a picket line as a matter of conscience are required to inform the dean of their faculty within two days of the strike’s start or prior to any exam, whichever is first. And even if you do inform your dean, you must still make “all reasonable efforts” to enter your picketed building, and be present and ready in case the picketers move or leave. So examine your conscience, and don’t bank on the picketers as an easy way out of a midterm. Music at T-Birds games takes us to a bad place </strong>
When you go to a sporting event as a student, you usually go to get fired up and cheer for the home team. Although the performance of the players usually does this, the music played at the venue can also help fuel the fire. But at T-Bird games this year, the music has been reminding fans of their teenage years, when listening to T-Pain was considered hip. Not only is the selection unappealing to the ears, but it is downright confusing and doesn’t provide any motivation. As UBC is about to go on a powerplay in overtime, is the Two and a Half Men theme song honestly going to raise the adrenaline of the ’Birds? And when UBC calls a timeout, are you trying to mock them by playing the Jeopardy! song? Then there’s that song about “apple bottom jeans/boots with the fur,” which reminds at least one Ubyssey editor of the abject terror of middle school dances. And it’s not just the quality; the music is too damn loud. It’s bad enough that fans can’t communicate without yelling,
but coaches can’t even talk to their players without having to scream over Usher. It’s not hard to do. Just stick to classic hard rock songs from the ’80s and keep the music at a respectable noise level. And play more Ram Jam.
No news is bad news on U-Pass negotiations It’s October and the AMS still hasn’t said more about the U-Pass negotiations, other than that they’re ongoing. AMS President Matt Parson said in passing at the last AMS Council meeting that the U-Pass referendum would be in February as opposed to this month. Students at participating universities have to vote every few years on the contract to keep the U-Pass. The AMS isn’t saying anything about negotiations, other than that they are “working to get the best deal for students.” A little information about the new U-Pass contract came from Campus + Community Planning, who said the price would go up, but they couldn’t say by how much. Regardless of how negotiations are going, people assume the worst if no one will tell them anything. Given TransLink’s precarious finances, we have to assume this new deal won’t go through as easily as expected. The U-Pass expires at the end of next term, so the longer negotiations last, the worse it looks for students. We understand why negotiations aren’t done, and that the AMS and other groups heavily subsidize the pass. What they say is ultimately their prerogative. But students are the biggest stakeholders here. And the way things are going, the U-Pass contract is one case among many where student leaders try to negotiate deals with big, powerful organizations and are too terrified to say anything about the process. Students in negotiations — for instance, the Engineering Undergraduate Society trying to take control of their student space, or students trying to get concerts with booze at Thunderbird Stadium — get the rough end of the deal, and aren’t able to do anything about it. They get shut down in negotiations, and are too afraid to say anything, because it might make the university angry and make their deal even worse. Are we being bullied here?
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Advocacy group that lobbies for lower tuition perpetually marred by petty theft So the University of Regina Student Union just did a by-election to pick a new president. Their old president, Haanim Nur, cited “personal reasons” when she resigned in June, and it wasn’t until Sept. 27 when we found out that — surprise! — it was because she stole hundreds of dollars from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), who elected to tell nobody! The CFS is a federal/provincial advocacy organization that lobbies for reduced (and eventually free) tuition. And anyone who’s followed the CFS at all knows that little “slip-ups” like this are distressingly common. Nur had also been the chair of the lobbying organization’s Saskatchewan arm, and it comes out this week that she forged $700 in CFS-Sask checks. What’s most worrying is that the CFS found out about this in February and proceeded to tell nobody for almost eight months. Nur told the U of R student paper, the Carillon, that someone at the CFS told her “mistakes can happen, people move on, never do it again.” The CFS said the reason they hadn’t gone public was because they had no admission of guilt until Nur talked to the student paper. Regardless of what happened, it is terrifying that a national student lobbying organization caught a student politician stealing money and then did not immediately call the police. Student organizations tend to put a lot of trust in the people that hold the most senior positions, and the important thing is that nobody tries to walk away with all the money. The CFS has, in the last few years, informed three separate student unions on the eve of their attempts to leave the organization that they actually owe over $100,000 in improperly paid membership fees. On one occasion, they told the Concordia Student Union that they owed over $1 million, and when asked to explain, produced a signed agreement with the CSU’s past president that said the student union should be responsible. What we are saying is that things can sometimes seem sketchy and not entirely transparent at the highest levels of the CFS, and if they want to be taken seriously, they need to be swift, public and official about these claims. U
A university president responds to UBC’s new place in the rankings
T
he most recent round of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings were released after this issue of The Ubyssey went to press. Fortunately, using our inside sources, The Ubyssey was able to obtain two prepared responses to the university’s new world ranking. The first was prepared to alert senior administrators of the university’s new status as one of the top 20 universities in the world. The latter is a somewhat more forlorn message from the university president in the event that the rankings did not pan out.
Re: The university’s new top 20 status! Hi everybody! So by this point I’m sure you’ve heard the good news. The University of British Columbia is now the 18th Best University in the WORLD. I think I can now say, with due consideration of the context, it’s time C-E-L-E-celebrate! But first, some business: you’ll be contacted by our media people in the next few hours regarding some slight changes to the university brand. It’s very important that we update our email signatures right away to include this new information. We need to remember that even though it may feel like we’re in the clear, it’s overlooking little details like this that will send us back into the rabble of the top 30. We’ve been there for too long, and hell if I’m going to go back to comparing UBC to McGill, or worse: a bottom-shelf UC school (Irvine? Grooossss!). So in sum, the rankers are watching … always watching. DON’T EVER FORGET IT. (Oh, and to the webmaster, can you do one of those command+F searches to find and replace all references to “Top 40 institution” on our website? I was just fiddling around with the back end and turns out I have NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING. I’m not a professor of Internet, after all.) Where were we … oh! It’s also important to change how we think about this university. For too long, I think, we’ve felt like a provincial backwater. As we all remember, this place was established in another century to make sure we know good sciences to help us cut down the trees and make sure the farm animals didn’t die. Well, no longer! We’re officially on the world stage now, and it’s time conduct ourselves accordingly. It’s time to be LOUD. It’s time to bank our reputations on a survey of dubious merit whose metric fluctuates wildly pretty much every year. I mean, absent any sort of actual clear
SCREEN CAP COURTESY UBC
mandate from the government, this is the way to go, right? Sure, guys, we’ll get right on your whole “job creation” thing (as soon as you stop cutting our freakin’ funding)! Anyway, I’m set up in my office with a case of Cariboo. If anybody wants to come by and crush a couple, I hereby declare today’s a day to take ’er easy. ………………………………………………………… Stepan Toopé President, University of British Columbia ***THE 18TH BEST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD*** theubcpresident@ubc.ca @toopetron
Re: We’ve done better It’s times like this I wish I wasn’t an academic. Because of my almost constant study, I know nothing of sports, and right now, it feels like we need what the coaches call a “half-time pep-up.” We didn’t do particularly well in the university rankings this time around. Last year, we peaked at 22, and this year is, well ... no one needs reminding. To those of you who’ve been around the block with me a few times, you know that these things happen. Fortunately, we shouldn’t have to significantly update our branding materials, as we’ve given ourselves a comfortable range. So let’s be aloof about the rankings this year. Let’s point to some studies about how their metrics could be better. No reason to take a stand on how this is a really weird way to put value on an education or a university’s value to society. At the end of the day, we’ve been creative in the face of government cutbacks. We’ve gone in on zany real estate ventures and increased our reliance on tuition to fund university operations. We haven’t had to game the stats like some universities, who pay money to weird consultancies in order to raise their ranking. In the grand scheme of things, we know what we’re doing. In closing, since we’re talking about being in the top 40, I thought it bears mentioning that UBC’s new ranking coincides with the position of Mumford and Sons’ “I Will Wait” on the Canadian pop charts. It’s advice we could all take. If anybody needs me, I’ll be in my office with my iPod. Yours, ………………………………………………………… Stepan Toopé President, University of British Columbia theubcpresident@ubc.ca
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012 |
PICTURES + WORDS ON YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE
HACKÉDEX
What I’m Drinking Now: Midterm Edition
YOUR UBC WORD OF THE WEEK
TAG, formerly known as the AMS Art Gallery, is, well, The Art Gallery that your student government, the AMS, operates inside the Student Union Building. The name of the gallery was changed sometime in the last few months for unspecified reasons.
RITALIN Source: Um...
Longboat Recap
What Actually Happened
CoRec Req
Overenthusiastic
OH-EM-GEE! Did you do your pre-rowing stretches, guys?!
What’s a Paddle?
Hung Over/Still Drunk Playing pub golf on Friday was a great call...right? #yolo
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You were a last minute recruit.
RED BULL Source: Shoppers Drug Mart
You’ve never done anything athletic. Until now.
COFFEE
Source: Calhoun’s at 4 a.m.
SOFT DRINKS
Source: McDonald’s — crap, it’s closed.