February 7, 2013

P6

P5 PUFFeD wHeAT SINCE 1918

UBC’S OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPEr | FEBrUArY 7, 2013 | VOLUME XCIV| ISSUE XXXVIV

BAGS!

Arts Undergraduate Society to seek new student fee to pay for a proposed student building P4

A NEW BUILDING FOR ARTS?

P8

RADICAL

READS Non-academic book collection at the UBC Library flies off the shelves P6

U

THE UBYSSEY

The

boys Are

bAck*

ubc kAPPA sigMA chAPTer geTs A seconD chAnce AFTer losing chArTer oVer keg CONQUERING PArTy P3

THE COLON P4

*with almost 80 fewer members, additional community service and a ban on booze...

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

What’s on 12 7Tue

OUR CAMPUS

This week, may we suggest...

MUSIC >>

2

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

THURSDAY

Open Mic: 9 p.m. @ the Gallery

You’ve made it past hump day, but are you still looking for a little pick-meup? Look no further than Open Mic. If you have been practicing your Ellie Goulding cover for weeks and looking for a better audience than your shower tiles, drink some cheap beers, gather your friends and belt it out.

Tue 128

Tue 129

PARTY >>

FRIDAY

HOCKEY >>

SATURDAY

Anthropolooza: 5–9 p.m. @ Buchanan MASS The Anthropology Students Association is having a sweet costume party in MASS. Pizza and drinks will be sold, live music provided, and prizes awarded for best costume.

HOGAN WONG photo/the ubyssey

Tue 1210

Sara Eftekhar started her activist career in elementary school and never looked back.

RECYCLE >>

SUNDAY

Swap-O-Rama-Rama: 12–5 p.m. @ The Legion on the Drive There’s a clothing swap at the Legion, so bring a bag of clothing and trade out that sweater you wore every day last term (it was so last week, anyway).

Tue 1211

Canucks vs. Flames It may have taken a whole academic term to get our local sporting team back in action, but it is now time to support your Vancouver Canucks. Plus, let’s be real, who wants Calgary to win? If you’re lucky enough to have tickets, don’t brag too much. If you’re not, hit up a local watering hole—we enjoy Dentry’s and Gargoyles, if you live near/on campus.

HOLIDAYS >>

MONDAY

Family Day Yup, that’s right. You were so stoked when the province announced last year that B.C. would join in on the Family Day fun and now it’s actually happening. So, like, hang out with the fam? Or if you aren’t into that idea, just hang out with your school family. Also, we will probably be around the SUB if you need a surrogate family.

Got an event you’d like to see on this page? Send your event and your best pitch to printeditor@ubyssey.ca.

Video content Make sure to check out our latest weekly show, airing now at ubyssey. ca/videos/.

U The Ubyssey

editorial

FEBRUARY 7, 2013 | Volume XCIV| Issue XXXVIV

Senior Lifestyle Writer STAFF Justin Fleming Bryce Warnes, Josh Curran, jfleming@ubyssey.ca Peter Wojnar, Anthony

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

Poon, Veronika Bondarenko, Yara Van Kessel, Lu Zhang, Catherine Guan, Ginny Monaco, Arno Rosenfeld, Matt Meuse, Hogan Wong, Rory Gattens, Brandon Chow, Joseph Ssettuba. Tyler McRobbie, Sarah Bigam, Stephanie Xu, Natalya Kautz, Colin Chia, Kim Pringle

BUSINESS

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Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301

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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 art-

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Activism forged through adversity Arno Rosenfeld Features Editor

Sara Eftekhar’s record as a volunteer and an activist speaks for itself. She has volunteered in nine countries, from Brazil to Tanzania; advocated for global health causes in Ottawa; worked with the disenfranchised population in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside; and is currently the B.C. youth ambassador for the Canadian Council for Refugees and the president of the Civic Association of Canadian Iranians youth group.

But one must look below the surface of this impressive resume to see how truly impressive Eftekhar’s work is. Now a fourth-year nursing student at UBC, Eftekhar immigrated from Iran to Richmond, B.C. with her parents and brother when she was eight years old.

Eftekhar didn’t speak English and struggled through elementary school.

“I was the only Middle Eastern person in the whole school,” she said. “I was bullied and I cried every single day.”

But this difficulty with fitting in spurred her early volunteering efforts.

“I didn’t have any friends,… but there was a janitor who worked in the school and he didn’t speak any English either, so at lunch time I would help him out and pick up garbage around school,” she said.

Soon Eftekhar was pushing her elementary school’s student council to raise money for

more garbage cans to be placed around the school — and earning plaudits from her teachers for her efforts.

It was through such activism that Eftekhar formed an identity in her new country. By the time she got to high school, she was heavily involved in the community.

“My teachers and my peers were like, ‘Wow, you volunteer a lot; you’re certainly a leader,’” Eftekhar recalled. “It just made me have an identity.

I didn’t have to think about if I was Iranian or Canadian or that I didn’t have any friends.”

Now Eftekhar is working to assist refugees who need help adjusting to life to Vancouver.

Refugee mothers will tell her that their kids are being mocked for the ethnic food they bring for lunch, Eftekhar said, but the women don’t know how to make sandwiches — asking questions like, “What do you use cheese for?”

Health is also a concern; Eftekhar said parents often buy their kids chips and chocolate without realizing the consequences.

“They ask, ‘Why would the grocery store sell something that’s not healthy?’” she said.

Given her own experiences, Eftekhar is easily able to connect with the refugees she works with. Often these refugees — many of whom come from Myanmar and Somalia — are unaware of the services available to them due to a distrust of the government.

“As a student nurse, helping

them establish that trust — I think that’s been really important,” she said.

In addition to volunteering with immigrants and refugees at the UBC Learning Exchange in the Downtown Eastside, Eftekhar works with many of them through nursing.

After graduation in April, Eftekhar is hoping to work at B.C. Women’s Hospital. She also hopes to continue her work abroad, perhaps with an organization like Doctors Without Borders.

Eftekhar, who said part of the reason her parents moved the family from Iran was a lack of academic opportunities for women, specialized in maternal health. She hopes to apply that part of her education to work in foreign countries.

“Women’s issues are really important to me,” she said.

“How can we even let women grow in society when they’re dying in childbirth?”

She is also hoping to get a master’s degree in public health so that she can help develop public policy to alleviate the social inequality she has come across working at hospitals.

Eftekhar said she’s heard stories of patients who can’t be discharged because they have no housing or who are put on long waitlists for detox centres.

“I think my patients’ stories reflect the deeper story of how we treat the most vulnerable elements in our society,” she said. U

Follow us on Twitter! @ubyssey

EDITORS WILL Mcdonald + laura rodgers

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

3

Greek Life >>

1

Kappa Sigma back on campus after appeal to national office Will McDonald News Editor

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UBC’s Kappa Sigma chapter is back in action, but they’ve kicked out almost three quarters of their members.

On Feb. 2, the local branch of the international fraternity was successful in overturning a decision that had them shut down for code of conduct violations since Oct. 8. As part of the appeal, remaining members and alumni presented a plan to the national office to get their chapter in line. That plan included cutting the membership of the fraternity down from almost 100 members to 20.

UBC chapter president Eddie Spitz said two or three alumni of the UBC chapter conducted personal interviews to choose who kept their membership. He said fewer than 10 of the almost 80 now-ousted members chose to go of their own accord, and the rest were kicked out involuntarily. Ex-members are not eligible to join a different fraternity.

“We decided on who would be able to contribute more to the chapter and that’s who we decided to choose,” said Spitz.

Mic Wilson, executive director of the international Kappa Sigma organization, confirmed that the chapter was left with just over 20 active members, but wouldn’t discuss who was kicked out – or why.

The chapter chose who would keep their membership before launching their appeal to Kappa Sigma international in North Carolina last weekend. The appeal included a pledge for the chapter to stay alcohol-free for a year. Each member of the chapter will also complete at least 10 hours of community service.

Spitz said the alumni choose who would stay in the fraternity, but the international has the final say. He said he wouldn’t be able to confirm who remains in the chapter until the end of this week. But he said he was confident the right people would stay on with the fraternity.

Spitz said there are currently around 25 people staying in the fraternity’s chapter house, including five uninitiated pledges. None of those currently living in the house are former members. The house has at least 35 beds.

Spitz said he doesn’t think anyone currently living in the house lost their membership in the chapter fraternity. However, he said, as far as he knows, some of the residents could still potentially be kicked out of the frat.

Fraternity membership is not required to live in Kappa Sigma’s Wesbrook Mall house, which is leased and managed by the fraternity’s local alumni organization, although members-only activities will now resume in some of its rooms.

“That’s another detail we’re going to have to figure out.

Our landlord’s dealing with that issue,” said Spitz. “Within a week I’ll be able to know the actual effects of this.”

Wilson said the chapter committed a number of conduct violations over the past year; however, he wouldn’t provide details. He said the final straw that caused them to revoke the charter occurred when the chapter hosted a

Kappa Sigma hosts a kegger in early September 2012, while already under sanctions for alcohol infractions. (1)

4

Between Oct. and Feb., chapter alumni conduct interviews with members of UBC chapter. They decide to kick out at least three quarters of the almost 100 members.

The chapter’s appeal is successful and they are reinstated, but with only around 20 members left. (4)

Ilustrations Kim Pringle/The Ubyssey

Kappa Sigma will hold another rush this spring with the hopes of recruiting 30 more members.

party with a keg of beer at their campus fraternity house.

He said the fraternity rules prohibit any use of bulk alcohol containers, like kegs.

“Really, the problems with the chapter have really just occurred in the last year. They were way off of what they had traditionally shown us as a chapter,” said Wilson.

Spitz confirmed that the chapter, which has existed at UBC since 1941, was shut down after hosting a keg party near the end of last September. He said the national office found out about the keg through posts on Twitter. Spitz admitted the chapter had other alcohol-related infractions, but wouldn’t provide details.

Wilson said there are no penalties for the few who remain members of the fraternity, but those members will have to adhere to strict rules to put them in line with other chapters of Kappa Sigma. The requirements include everything from doing community service to meeting certain academic standards.

“These men are learning the values of the fraternity all over again. They lost their way when they had the violations. We’re saying, hey, return to where you once were,” said Wilson.

The chapter was unable to host events like pledge initiation or its annual semi-formal since it shut down last October.

“We cancelled all events.… We didn’t lose any money.

But we didn’t end up having events that we were planning on doing,” said Spitz.

UBC Kappa Sigma is well-known for hosting big parties like its Halloween-themed house party, Bora-Bora and Boatracer, an event that includes a drinking competition with other fraternities and sororities.

Flickr photos show Kappa Sigma brothers playing beer league football in the snow in 2010. Other Flickr photos show students wearing shirts that say “UBC Drinking” on the front and sport the chapter’s letters on the back.

A tweet from Kappa Sigma’s account in September 2010 commemorates “Liverbreaker,” a “disorientation” held at the same time as UBC’s Imagine Day orientation. All of these will go by the wayside during the chapter’s year of sobriety.

Kappa Sigma’s multiple UBC REC teams will also take a hit. Spitz estimated that each one of the chapter’s multiple REC teams will lose around three to four players.

Kappa Sigma has a reputation for recruiting a large number of pledges, some say to the detriment of the chapter. Spitz said the chapter will hold a new rush in the next few weeks to fill in its missing ranks. He hopes to gain around 30 new members, bringing the total membership up to 50.

Wilson said he is confident that the chapter will be able to restore its reputation.

“It’s not something that’s going to happen overnight,… but I think in the next maybe eight months to a year, you’re going to see that this chapter has accomplished everything that they need to accomplish.” U

The national office finds out about the kegger and shuts down the fraternity on Oct. 8. (2) On Feb 1, chapter execs and alumni travel to North Carolina to appeal the decision that revoked their charter. (3)

The chapter will be alcohol-free for a year. Remaining members will each have to complete 10 hours of community service.

4 | News |

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

BUILDINGS >>

HOGAN WONG PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Arts Undergrad Society president Harsev Oshan shows off a mock-up of where the proposed arts student space may be built.

A student space of Arts’ own?

Laura Rodgers News Editor

The Faculty of Science has one. The Faculty of Engineering has one. And now the Faculty of Arts wants one too — that is, if students are willing to pay for it.

The Science Undergrad Society has had their own stand-alone student space for years, and the Engineering Undergrad Society has just gained approval to build a new, shiny student centre to replace their ramshackle “Cheeze Factory.” Not to be outdone, the Arts Undergrad Society (AUS) is hoping to get their own freestanding building too. But they’ll have to more than double their AUS student fee to do it, and students will have to approve forking out the extra cash.

AUS President Harsev Oshan thinks the current arts student centre, a one-level glassed-in area in the Buchanan complex known as the Meekinson Arts Student Space,

NEWS BRIEF UBC student missing in Los Angeles; police suspect foul play Los Angeles police are searching for 21-year-old Elisa Lam, a UBC Vancouver student whose disappearance is suspicious and may suggest foul play, police said.

Lam was last seen in Los Angeles’ Cecil Hotel on Jan. 31.

Lam had been travelling alone, arriving first in San Diego on Jan. 23, then in L.A. on Jan. 26. Police believe her final destination is Santa Cruz.

“She was in contact with her family up to her disappearance,” said Robert French, spokesperson for the LAPD. “That part of downtown Los Angeles is not good,” French added.

“There is crime, there is squalor there, among many things.”

Police say it is known that she uses public transportation, such as Amtrak, busses and trains.

A Facebook profile that appears to be Lam’s says she attended University Hill Secondary School on UBC campus before university.

A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to Lam says she is expected to graduate in 2016, and a profile on the research-sharing website academia.edu that looks like Lam’s says she is interested in psychology research.

doesn’t meet the needs of the more than 12,000 students in the faculty.

He and the AUS council want to build a multi-storey structure close to Buchanan, with study areas, rooms for social events, club rooms and facilities for commuter students. Oshan said it will cost over $5 million to build the project, according to an estimate from AMS architect Michael Kingsmill.

Next week, arts students will vote on whether to start paying the AUS a student fee to fund the building. The fee would be $15 per student per year for the first five years, and then increase to $25 per student after that. This would be on top of the current AUS fee, which is $13.

The timeline for the project hasn’t been set in stone yet, but Oshan said he hopes the building will be ready within five years, so students paying the higher $25 fee will get to use the space.

The AUS hasn’t yet confirmed an architect or a firm budget for

the project. But they’re expecting to raise roughly half of the project’s budget through student fees, and the rest through alumni donations.

Oshan said Campus and Community Planning has given the AUS two options for the location of the potential student centre: one beside Brock Hall, where a temporary building for the former department of women’s and gender studies once stood, and another between Buchanan Tower and Buchanan E block. In either place, Oshan said, the centre would be limited to under 10,000 square feet by UBC Campus and Community Planning’s edicts on faculty student spaces.

Oshan said he hopes to provide club space for all of the 18 departmental clubs in the new building. Currently only a few, like the International Relations Student Association, have rooms in the SUB, though some have been offered space in the new SUB as well. Oshan also wants to

get a UBC Food Services café in the building.

The project only has preliminary approval from UBC as of yet, but Oshan hopes students will vote in favour of the fee. “Should the referendum pass, that would add a lot of weight behind our negotiations, saying students actually want this and are willing to pay for it,” Oshan said.

The Engineering Undergraduate Society just finished up their negotiations with the university on building their student centre — a protracted process that started in 2006. The engineers first mounted a referendum to collect a student fee to fund their building in 2006, but that vote failed, and it took a second referendum in 2008 before students agreed to the fee.

A sticking point in the engineers’ negotiations was who would have control over what events happened in the building. UBC wanted the dean of the faculty to have the final say, while the engineers wanted power to rest with a committee of students, alumni and faculty, since student fees and alumni donations would finance the structure.

The Engineering Undergraduate Society and UBC reached a compromise in December 2012: the dean does have to approve events, but students have the ability to appeal. Society president Ian Campbell said he anticipates that the AUS will get a similar agreement for the arts student space, and Oshan agreed this is the most likely situation.

But as far as getting students to approve the fee for the new building, Campbell is skeptical about the AUS’s effort to promote the referendum. “They’re not doing enough to convince their students that it’s worth it,” said Campbell. “They’re rushing into it a little bit.”

An AUS promotional video in favour of approving the fee criticizes the current Meekison Arts Student Space, but doesn’t say much as far as what the new centre will offer students.

Voting in the student space fee referendum will take place from Feb. 11 to 15. U

OUTWEEK >>

Promoting LGBTQ awareness within Metro Van’s ethnic communities Colin Chia Staff Writer

In a place as multicultural as Vancouver, many people don’t comfortably fit into just one group.

People who are both members of ethnic minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer (LGBTQ) can feel as if they need to choose between their ethnic and sexual identities. But the local Our City of Colours organization wants to raise awareness on how these identities can be reconciled in a positive way.

A non-profit group started in 2011, Our City of Colours now has over 100 members and aims to promote the visibility of LGBTQ people who may face intolerance from their ethnic communities, said board member Carven Li. The organization held an anti-discrimination workshop on campus this past Monday as part of UBC’s Outweek programming, a series of events celebrating LGBTQ people.

Li, who is the only UBC student on the board, said he hopes Outweek will help the organization establish a larger presence on campus.

Li hopes to attract more members to the annual general meeting for Our

PHOTO COURTESY CARVEN LI

Our City of Colours, an LGBTQ advocacy group, at last year’s Vancouver Pride Parade.

City of Colours on March 6.

The organization’s most prominent campaign is a series of multilingual posters depicting LGBTQ people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. They show real Vancouverites and list cultural and family activities they enjoy alongside matter-of-fact descriptions of their LGBTQ identities.

Posters have been put up throughout the Lower Mainland.

At UBC, the posters can be seen at Brock Hall and in the Sexual Assault Support Centre, among other places.

According to Li, ethnic minorities seeking LGBTQ resources may face language barriers or resources that are not culturally appropriate.

At the same time, resources to deal with LGBTQ issues may be nonexistent within an ethnic community.

“Being an ethnic minority, they

may be double- or triple-marginalized,” said Li. Li said the group has various plans for future outreach at UBC. “I think students, being at UBC — such an international place — can benefit from not just seeing our posters at Brock Hall but actually participating in discussion groups in the future,” said Li. Darren Ho, an SFU student who was a co-founder of Our City of Colours, said he started the group because he felt there was a lack of resources for ethnic minorities dealing with LGBTQ issues.

The organization has focused on Metro Vancouver so far, but there has also been interest in expanding the poster campaign into Winnipeg and Toronto.

“I feel like we’ve accomplished a lot in the short time we’ve existed,” said Ho. U

health >>

Just passing through: A journey inside a giant inflatable colon

Hogan wong photo/THE UBYSSEY

Yup, that’s what it looks like... a sphincter.

Brandon Chow Staff Writer

A giant, interactive colon made a dramatic one-day stop at the UBC Life Sciences Centre on Feb. 5, complete with protruding ulcers, blue LED lights and informational television screens.

The 40-foot-long, eight-foothigh display replica of the human colon certainly stood out in the middle of the Life Sciences foyer.

In case the last biology course you took was in Grade 10, the colon is the final pit stop between yesterday’s leftover pizza and a white porcelain bowl.

Volunteer coordinator for the exhibit, Frank Pitman, who also works with patients at the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, said colorectal cancer doesn’t get much public attention, so the giant exhibit brings a “wow-ness factor” to get people interested.

Entering the dark red tunnel at the entrance to the exhibit felt a little like one of those sappy love boat tours at Disneyland, but inside, the exhibition did a good job of showing the severity of colorectal cancer. There were graphic displays of various colon-related afflictions, complete with intimidating labels such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The exhibit also featured videos narrated by the Colorectal Cancer Association’s own Dr. Preventio, a puppet who guides visitors through the colon and explains the symptoms, treatment and prevention of various colorectal conditions.

UBC science student Jessica Lim described the exhibit as “light-hearted, but very informative about a very serious disease.”

Pitman said that colorectal cancer is treatable if detected early enough, so spreading awareness through this exhibit is particularly important. He added that the UBC venue contributed to the success of the exhibit.

“This is one of the greatest facilities we’ve had it at; we usually get a much smaller room, and the reception here has been fantastic,” said Pitman.

Linda Roseborough, health, safety and wellness advisor with Risk Management at UBC, also deemed the exhibit a success; it brought in a diverse crowd ranging from preschoolers to adults.

Roseborough said that this is one of only two colon exhibits in Canada. The giant colon moved on to a new destination on Feb. 6. U

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

EDITOR C.J. PENTLAND

5

curling >>

Hurrying hard to the button

UBC students are hoping curling can gain momentum on the West Coast Justin Fleming Senior Lifestyle Writer

Like it or not, it’s easy to get caught up with hockey fever at this time of year. But there’s another iconic sport that can sweep you off your feet, although it hasn’t hit the mainstream here on the West Coast. Say hello to hockey’s cheaper, less violent and equally drunk stepbrother: curling.

The game of curling is similar to shuffleboard or bocce. The objective is to land a 44-pound granite stone (the “rock”) on or close to the “button”: the bull’s eye located at opposite ends of a lane of ice.

Strategy is incorporated when teams defend their good throws by setting up blocks against the opposing team or trying to knock stones out of play.

A team consists of four players who alternate sliding the rock down the ice. The “lead” will throw first, while the “second” and “third,” armed with brooms, hover over the rock as it slides down the ice, occasionally sweeping in front of it. Friction created by the vigorous back and forth of the broom melts and smooths the ice, creating a film of water that allows the stone to slide more swiftly. This also helps prevent the stone from curving one way or another; the faster a stone is travelling, the less it will curve.

Meanwhile, the “skip” sets up shop at the far end of the ice to call the shots and direct the sweepers.

After two shots, the players rotate positions and the second will then take two shots and the third a pair.

The skip typically finishes up with the final two shots. Once eight

Curling is one of Canada’s most popular sports, but it hasn’t really caught on in British Columbia.

shots have been thrown, one “end” is completed. There are 10 ends in a game. The team with the highest score after 10 ends wins.

Curling has been flying under the radar at UBC, as there is no formal curling club on campus.

However, groups are attempting to promote the sport. UBC REC and the botany department host

annual tournaments: the On the Button Bonspiel and the Botany Curling Bonspiel.

Mel Kuzyk, a third-year forestry student, and her team, the Peelers, won this year’s Botany Bonspiel and placed second in the On the Button Bonspiel. Kuzyk grew up in Saskatchewan, where curling is a big part of the culture; chil-

photo courtesy Justin Fleming/the ubyssey

dren are introduced to curling in elementary school gym class and there are many extracurricular curling programs.

“My dad definitely got me into it; I would watch him curl when I was younger. I remember going out onto to the ice after and [trying to] throw the huge pieces of granite,” said Kuzyk with a

laugh. “In Saskatchewan, it wasn’t weird if you were into curling at a young age. Every high school had a curling team.”

Kuzyk said she would love to see curling gain a larger presence on campus and around Vancouver, especially with young people, but she sees its relative absence from local culture as a hurdle.

However, for UBC students looking to toss some rocks and push a broom, there are more than a few options in the Vancouver area. The Vancouver Curling Club, located in the Hillcrest Centre next to Queen Elizabeth Park, has a rich history dating back to 1912.

There is also the Marpole Curling Club in South Vancouver, the Richmond Curling Club, a few curling programs in North Van and the Pacific Rim Curling league, which is B.C.’s premier league for LGBTQ and straight people alike.

One of the major defining elements of curling is the emphasis on sportsmanship. Players traditionally begin a match by shaking hands and wishing one another good luck. Players are also expected to own up to any fouls they commit, even in high-level curling. Custom dictates that the first round of beers is always bought by the winning team after the game.

Oftentimes this spirit of fun can be drowned out by the spirit of competition, but Kuzyk said that curling has an inherently friendly atmosphere and is perfect for anyone, beginner or otherwise.

“You spend so much time with the other team on the ice, you’re out there cracking jokes — it’s more relaxed.” U

coinage >>

Saying goodbye to the penny in style C.J. Pentland Sports + Rec Editor

Our good friend the penny has finally left us, and now there’s not much use for the little steel and copper coin that bogged down wallets. But before tossing your pennies aside or chucking them in fountains in hopes of magical wishes coming true, why not have a little fun? Here are some of the best games to play with coins.

Football What you need: One coin, a table (longer than two feet, but short enough for you to reach easily to the other side). </strong>

<strong>

How to play: 1. Start with a coin touching the edge of the table. Push the coin three times; by the time you’ve pushed it thrice, you want the coin to be hanging off the edge of the other side of the table.

2. If it is hanging, flick the coin up in the air and catch it.

If successful, you have scored a touchdown.

3. This next action is for the extra point. First, spin the coin.

Then, before it falls flat, grab the coin between your thumbs. Next, your opponent holds up “field goal uprights” with their hands; attempt to toss the coin through the uprights. If successful, you get <strong>

</strong>

the extra point.

4. Take turns. Play until you reach a certain score.

Hockey What you need: Three coins, a table with a smooth surface. <strong>

</strong>

How to play: 1. Start with the coins in front of you in the Mickey Mouse formation (two coins on top and one centred below). Push the bottom coin with enough force that the two top ones slide outwards onto the table.

2. If hit properly, the bottom coin will be pushed forward and the other two will be pushed off to either side. There will be a gap <strong>

</strong>

between two of the coins; hit the third coin through that space and toward the goal on the other side of the table (the goal is created by your opponent: they make the “rock on” sign with their hand and place their index and pinkie finger on the table).

3. This process is repeated until a coin is fired into the goal, hits one of the other coins or cannot pass through a gap. When one of those things happen, your turn is over. Play until you reach a certain score.

for a loonie), a table. <strong>

How to play: 1. Spin the coin. The next player must touch the coin to keep it spinning. This continues until someone causes the coin to fall flat.

2. If you cause the coin to fall, place your knuckles on the table.

Another player fires the coin as hard as they can at your knuckles. </strong>

Pinching pennies What you need: Lots of coins, a wall. <strong>

Bloody knuckles </strong>

</strong>

How to play: 1. Stand a specific distance (at least five feet) away from the wall.

2. Each player tosses a coin to the wall. The goal is to get the coin as close to the wall as possible. If you toss your coin closest to the wall, you collect all the coins from that round. <strong>

What you need: A coin (a quarter is best, but braver souls might opt <strong>

cup partially with your beverage of choice.

2. Take turns trying to bounce your coin into the cup of the person on your left. If you get it in, the person must drink the contents of their cup as quickly as possible. (Don’t swallow the coin.)

3. If you successfully bounce the coin into the cup three times in a row, you can make a rule (no saying a certain word, no laughing, etc.) If a player breaks that rule, they must take a drink. U

</strong>

Quarters What you need: One coin per player, a cup or shot glass, something to drink, a table. <strong>

Visual example for how to play ‘hockey.’

kai jacobson photo/the ubyssey

</strong>

How to play: 1. Sit around a table and place your cup in front of you. Fill the

kai jacobson photo/the ubyssey

Visual example for how to play ‘football.’

6 | feature |

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Analogue books in th 21st century library In the age of technology, librarians push ‘great reads’ the old-fashioned way

jon chiang photos/the ubyssey

he

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013

| feature | 7

Behind the stacks:

Jo Ann Ramirez finds her passion as a librarian

J

o Ann Ramirez did not always want to be a librarian: growing up in Texas, she dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. She did a stint as a high school biology teacher, but found it wasn’t for her. Now, as UBC’s head associate university librarian, collections management, she said she’s applying the same passion she found for archaeology to her work at the library.

“Like archaeology, it’s the scavenger hunt approach. If you like knowledge, and if you like puzzles,

then this is the job for you,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez embodJo Ann Ramirez, head associate university librarian, collections management, used to teach high school ies the new role of biology.

UBC librarians in But even with all the innovapersonally, I’m not quite comfortthe digital age; she's far from the stereotypical high-strung librarian tion taking place at UBC libraries, able with it. shushing visitors.

Ramirez still has a soft spot for the “Can’t curl up in a tub with [a tab“People usually think of the 1940s staple of the traditional library: let],” she added with a laugh. U librarian sitting down in her desk, printed books. but we’re very dynamic,” Ramirez “It’s kind of nice to just have your —by Arno Rosenfeld, with files said. “We’re building exhibits, we’re hands on a book,” Ramirez said. from Elba Gomez Navas trying to inspire scholarship.”

“I’ve tried to read on tablets, and

Student demand spurs launch of leisure reading collection Elba Gomez Navas Contributor

L

ibrarians of 2013 are leagues away from the high-bunned, uptight librarian of popular imagination; it’s no longer enough to simply cart around books and answer patrons’ questions. But this doesn’t mean that the only innovations can be found in digital archives, Twitter accounts and search engines. UBC Library is shaking things up in the more traditional realm of physical books, too.

Since September 2011, UBC librarians have run a pilot project to highlight new books for leisure reading. The Great Reads Collection — a selection of popular contemporary books labelled with a green “Great Reads” tag on the spine — is intended to revamp the traditional concept of a university library. Students can find Great Reads books in Koerner Library, the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and Woodward Library.

“We wanted to see if a leisure reading collection would be appealing at UBC libraries,” said Jo Ann Ramirez, UBC’s head associate university librarian, collections management. So far, she said, the project has been extremely popular.

The idea behind Great Reads came from a student, Shannon Simpson, who conducted a survey on UBC students’ reading habits.

Simpson, a former graduate student doing co-op work in the library, decided to look into students’ reading habits after taking classes at the School of Library and Information Science.

Simpson

conducted a survey in fall 2010 after Ramirez asked her to assist in creating a leisure reading collection.

The survey results flew in the face of popular perceptions of young people’s reading habits. For instance, they showed that nearly 50 per cent of undergraduates dedicate three hours per week to leisure reading. Further, 97 per cent of respondents preferred reading print books; only 39 per cent expressed an interest in e-readers.

“People actually wanted the physical book,” said Susan Paterson, government publications librarian at UBC. Despite frequent warnings of the demise of the printed book, UBC readers seem to prefer to do their leisure reading the old-fashioned way.

Simpson, now a strategic manager at a public library in New Zealand, said in a statement: “I see the Great Reads Collection ... as a way to engage with our greater campus community and encourage them to see what the library has to offer.”

forays into tech fizzle With these survey results in mind, it seems unsurprising that Great Reads has flourished in the real world, but met with lukewarm success online.

Ramirez reported high pickup numbers for the Great Reads books relative to the other books at Koerner Library. “Great Reads is almost out of its pilot-project status, and it has proven to be a collection students are very keen on adopting,” she said.

But the project website is rarely visited, and comments or feedback are scarce, according to Paterson.

“We’re trying to leverage ourselves in terms of technology, to be more ‘out there’ and be able to perceive students’ needs,” said Ramirez. “So we’re trying to serve both: the physical presence and the digital.”

Ramirez said that UBC Library would like to incorporate e-readers in the Great Reads project,

but they currently lack funding.

“Other libraries with similar leisure reading projects, such as Duke University, have actually included Barnes & Noble’s Nooks in their collection, ” she said, referencing a popular e-reader brand.

The road to utilizing more technology has been bumpy for UBC Library as a whole, too. The library maintains a Twitter account and Facebook page, but their reach has been underwhelming.

The Facebook page has 463 “likes” on a campus of nearly 50,000 students; the Twitter account has done slightly better, with the number of followers nearing 3,000.

“It has shown that students don’t really want that type of stuff interfering with their personal lives. It’s a careful balance, ” said Paterson.

“There’s some stuff that’s going digital, and that’s the best way to consume that, and we know it’s convenient. But there’s other ways we want to continue to develop the traditional library,” Ramirez explained.

the power of the page Shifting attitudes towards technology and digitization are springing up at UBC Library; recent moves to consolidate book storage and publish scholarly journal articles online are just a few examples. But the Great Reads collection serves as a reminder that physical books — not to mention librarians and their curatorial powers — are still very much at the heart of the libraries at UBC. The largest of the three Great Reads collections — the one at Koerner Library — features a great variety of books handpicked by librarians. These range from raunchy pop sensations such as Fifty Shades of Grey to more refined classics with recent movie adaptations like Anna Karenina.

Julie Mitchell, managing librarian at Chapman Learning Commons, said she tries to pick books that are highly ranked in newspaper bestseller lists, like those found in the New York

Julie Mitchell, managing librarian at Chapman Learning Commons

Times and the Globe and Mail. But, Paterson added, they also pick books that are edgy or topical in some way.

Staying relevant extends to the librarians’ own reading habits: Mitchell, for example, confessed that she has read Fifty Shades of Grey.

“I considered it an occupational obligation to know what all of the hype was about,” Mitchell joked.

Paterson said that Great Reads is just one way librarians are redefining their roles within libraries as they become more social and interactive places.

“If we stagnated in the past, we wouldn’t be here now,” Paterson said. “So we’re very conscious that we have to be innovative and one step ahead.”

Initiatives like Great Reads pave the way for a more comprehensive vision of what an academic library can be, Paterson said.

But for now, she added, she’s glad students are finding their way into the building.

“We’re just appreciative that they’re coming into the library, which is important — very important.” U

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

EDITOr ANNA ZORIA

8

SHOULDERS >>

Get it in the bag

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Five satchels for a student budget Maitrayee Dhaka Contributor

Looking for a new bag? It can be daunting to choose a bag that aligns with your budget and your fashion sense. Add the fact that it needs to fit piles of books — plus the laptop you use to stay awake through class — and your choices start to narrow.

The five backpacks below not only suit different budgets, shoulder strengths and volume requirements; they also won’t make you look like you just got back from a spontaneous hike.

1. HerScHel little aMerica The price is a little steep at $89, but if volume is what you’re going for, this is your bag. This backpack will hold your laptop (up to 17”) and most of your textbooks.

Reviews claim that it lasts a while “if you take care of it,” so don’t take it on a hiking trip or long walks in the rain.

2. tHe nortH Face borealiS It may be yet another North Face on campus, but this baby will last a long time and be kind to your shoulders and your back, as it has extra padding on the injection-moulded shoulder straps. It will also hold pretty much everything you might need, including a 15” laptop.

Take your pick from 12 colours, and you’re bound to complement someone’s North Face jacket on campus. Bikers will appreciate this backpack’s reflective loops and lifetime warranty, and while the added safety whistle may not be useful during

peak hours at Main Mall, it’s still a nifty feature.

3. JanSPort rigHt PacK A colourful Jansport backpack might make the grey Vancouver days a little more tolerable, but the suede leather bottom may not be the best if you’re more of the rugged, I-will-put-my-backpack-anywhere type. A bonus is that at $55, it’s one of the more wallet-friendly options on the market.

4.

4. daKine detail 27l Want a cool-looking bag but can’t afford the price tag of a Herschel? The Dakine will put you back only $65, and it follows the Jansport in style, with a noticeable organizer front pocket.

At 27 litres, it promises to hold most laptops and books. This backpack comes in four colour combinations; the black and charcoal option seems to be the most versatile, unless you like the multicoloured effect of the “Palapa.”

5.

3.

5. cHroMe orloV This made-in-California rolltop backpack will definitely make you stand out on campus. It will comfortably hold pretty much anything you can imagine carrying on a regular school day, and its waterproof outer shell and lining will last during the worst of Vancouver’s rain.

At $150, this is not going to be in everyone’s budget, but it comes with a lifetime warranty, a choice of five colours and promises of much happier shoulders. U

BEING SOCIAL >>

On Friday, Vancouverites say hi

Riana Ang-Canning Contributor

Every morning, a man in his 20s gets on my bus carrying a Diet Coke. I smile to myself as he discreetly takes a sip, pushing the boundaries of acceptable breakfast drinks when he thinks no one is watching. Some days I want to lean over and ask him how the Diet Coke thing started, or maybe just say hi.

And on Feb. 8, I can.

Say Hi Vancouver is hitting our city this Friday, courtesy of Vancouver import Shelley Koorbatoff. Her goal with Say Hi Vancouver is to break down the invisible barrier between strangers and help us connect with the people we see every day.

It’s simple. All you have to do is wear a name tag and say hi.

Carson Loveday, a management master’s student at UBC, got involved with Say Hi Vancouver because he agreed with their goal to see things change in Vancouver. Loveday wants to bring Say Hi Vancouver to campus and create the same sense of community with UBC students as Koorbatoff is pushing in the city.

The Say Hi initiative is aimed at bringing out the kinder, friendlier side of Vancouverites.

“Vancouver is a great place to live,” Loveday said, “but it needs a change. It needs this push for community.”

Loveday envisions Say Hi spreading across Canada and

becoming an annual event. This goal seems in reach, considering all the positive media attention Say Hi Vancouver has been garnering: it’s been featured on CTV News , Breakfast Television and <em>

</em>

<em>

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GrAPHIC COUrTESY OF SHELLEY KOOrBATOFF

CBC, to name a few.

If you’re on the fence about reaching out this Friday, Loveday encourages you to connect with fellow soon-to-not-be-strangers on Say Hi Vancouver’s Twitter

or Facebook. Still not sure? At least you won’t be alone. “I’ll be wearing a giant nametag!”

Loveday promised.

So on Friday, print your Say Hi Vancouver name tag (or better yet, Loveday suggested, get creative and make your own), fill in your name, attach it to your shirt and bravely walk out into the city, ready to say hello.

Be courageous and reach out to someone. Then share photos of new friends, embarrassing stories or genuine connections on the Internet.

But what about after Feb. 8?

A few friendly hellos and then back to ignoring everyone again?

Loveday hopes not. His plan is to use the social media accounts to create a network of familiar people who are making a friendlier Vancouver.

This way, everyone stays involved and the spirit of Say Hi Vancouver doesn’t get lost during the 364 days without name tags.

Before we wrapped up our chat, Loveday put me on the spot and asked if I’d be wearing a name tag. I told him I would. After all, what’s the harm in saying hello? U

THURSDAY, FeBRUARY 7, 2013

MAGAZINES >>

Discorder mag celebrates 30 years

Reyhana heatherington Contributor

Three decades after its humble start, UBC-based magazine Discorder is still going strong in its celebration of local music. Feb. 5 marked the 30th anniversary of the publication’s first issue. From its beginnings as a newsprint radio program guide to its current glossy incarnation, the CiTR Radio magazine has seen many changes.

Discorder has been responsible for starting the careers of many notable Vancouverites: Nardwuar the Human Serviette, for instance, has interviewed everyone from Lil’ Wayne to Jean Chretien. The eccentric celebrity interviewer, who is known for his elaborately researched interviews, said in an email that he owes his career to Discorder .

“I first read Discorder before I heard CiTR, and it continues to teach me so much about music every month. In fact, if it wasn’t for Discorder telling me about CiTR, I wouldn’t be here talking to you today,” he wrote.

The magazine is a labour of love, operating at a loss every month. It’s set apart by its innovative content and contributors, like Lisa Marr, who wrote and edited for Discorder in its early years while honing her skills as a musician in the band cub. Marr said in an email that the magazine served as a jumping-off point for Vancouver artists in the ’80s and ’90s.

“The great thing about Discorder was its freewheelin’ spirit, where all kinds of people were writing passionately about all kinds of music. I <em>-

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JADE SU PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY

Discorder rings in their anniversary in style.

loved the camaraderie of the long, late nights during production week and inviting people to get involved as writers, photographers, fans and musicians.… Life took us in new directions, but CiTR and Discorder is really where it all started.”

Laurel Borrowman, the current editor-in-chief, agreed that Discorder still functions as a training ground for bands.

“The magazine is fulfilling its purpose when we publish a certain band on the cover; we do a feature on a band, and then a month later or something like that, they’re being covered in the Straight .”

Borrowman leans towards a more minimalist style than the zany covers of years gone by, but that didn’t stop her from reproducing the February 1983 cover for this month’s issue.

“I feel really, really honoured and <em>

</em>

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really quite humbled to be a part of something that’s been around so long, that’s got such gravity and does such great things for music in Vancouver,” she said.

Moving forward, Borrowman hopes to improve the tangible quality of the magazine in an era where print publications are often overshadowed by online content.

“I’d love to make it into something that people want to keep and want to hold onto and really want to pick up. More of an artifact, as opposed to something that you read and get rid of.”

Discorder plans to host monthly launch parties for the magazine, along with a birthday bash at the Biltmore Cabaret in May. Music fans can find the publication on UBC campus, as well as in record stores and coffee shops around Vancouver. U <em>

| CULTURe | 9

MUSIC >>

A Tribe Called Red mixes beats and politics

Nolan Matthews The Silhouette

HAMILTON (CUP) — Politics and music go way back.

In the 1980s, Public Enemy challenged the assumption that music should be a form of entertainment and, as writer Mark Fisher points out, instead saw music as a way to define a new revolutionary history. Even earlier, legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie gave a voice to the Great Depression as he travelled across America carrying a guitar that famously displayed the words “This Machine Kills Fascists.”

Though music’s grand promise of leading revolutions has faded, it seems that now more than ever we need artists to shake up our assumptions about the world.

That’s what the music of A Tribe Called Red is all about — subversion.

But also dancing.

Based in Ottawa, A Tribe Called Red is a Canadian group that combines traditional powwow and electronic dance music.

“It started as a party called electric pow-wow,” said DJ NDN, one of group’s three members.

“We played for the crowd, which was First Nations students, and people went crazy for one track that sampled pow-wow music, so we thought we should try more of it.”

People in clubs were so ecstatic that they cheered after the songs.

Their first show to a mostly non-aboriginal Canadian crowd in Montreal even had people chanting the group’s name before they went onstage.

It seems like A Tribe Called Red has become really popular really quickly, but the members of the group have actually been at it for a long time.

“I used to be in punk bands,” said DJ NDN. “I played drums with Canadian punk rock legends the Ripcordz and we got to open for the Misfits.”

“I was probably in 12 bands growing up and just killed the high school battle of the bands scene,” said DJ Shub.

“You gotta remember that he’s way older,” added NDN, “so he was the DJ in the metal bands when the Limp Bizkit thing was really hot.”

Shub’s rap-rock (remember that?) abomination was called Flush Bucket. “It was the best battle of the bands ever,” said Shub.

“I found out really early on that I wasn’t going to play an instrument,” said DJ Bear Witness. “I got pushed into DJ-ing by my friends.”

A Tribe Called Red didn’t start out with any sort of political aspirations but quickly found that it was pretty much impossible to not be involved in politics. The group recently released a song called “The Road” in support of the Idle No More movement, and their music and live show often features clips of hilariously racist representations of indigenous people.

“A really good example is a video made by Bear of Super Cat, a Jamaican dude, singing about Indians from all directions, and a clip from a 1960s British variety show,’” said NDN. “You had these British white people dressed as what they thought Indians were supposed to be and a Jamaican singing about Indians. Everyone’s showing you what they think Indians are but nothing’s native

about it — until we took it and decolonized it.”

The story of indigenous Canadians is so often told by people who are anything but. The “indigenizing,” as NDN calls it, of aboriginal representations is about trying to make our understanding not limited to what we already know.

“We see it as a very good way to subversively pass these messages on,” said NDN. “It’s better than if we sat down and said ‘This is racist,’ because it gives people a chance think about it on their own.”

COUrTESY OF A TrIBE CALLED rED

A Tribe Called red have been on the rise since 2008.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

STUDENT VOICE. COMMUNITY rEACH.

LAST WORDS

Wear a #$%#& condom, okay?

SEXY TEACHER

by Elizabeth Hames

ILLUSTrATION INDIANA JOEL/THE UBYSSEY

The AUS buys a used car.

tHe artS undergraduate Society WantS a neW building. do tHey deSerVe your Money?

The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) will ask students next week whether they want to fork over double what they currently pay in student fees to construct a multi-storey, multimillion-dollar student building.

But does this project deserve the extra money?

The focus of the society since AUS President Harsev Oshan’s election in February 2012 has been the creation of a new Faculty of Arts student building.

The engineers just got a deal with the university to replace the Cheeze, and the AUS is unsatisfied with the current Meekison Arts Student Space. If you count only Meekison, then arts students have less student space than any faculty.

But at this point, the AUS’s plans are vague and seem to have been cobbled together too fast.

Let’s compare how the AMS and AUS have gone about planning a new building.

When the AMS first started talking about a new SUB, they contracted a consulting firm that ran two surveys, kiosks and a design conference on how the old SUB might be used. The SUB renewal campaign surveyed 4,000 students — 12 per cent of UBC’s student population — before a student fee was taken to referendum.

What has the AUS done? Its survey on the new building got only 289 responses — two per cent of the current arts student population.

The new SUB fee contained a provision that the AMS would not begin collecting money from students until they made an agreement with the university on additional funding, which they did almost immediately.

The AUS, on the other hand, does not seem close to having any such understanding with the university.

These things need to be put together with an eye for the long game. Arts students would need to pay for 11 years to meet

the funding obligation the AUS thinks they need — and that could change at any time.

And let’s not forget what’s happening between now and then: the demands of arts students will change dramatically when the new SUB opens in 2014. In 2016, in addition to AMS fees and AUS fees, the existing SUB renewal fee will be $100 per student. Does the AUS deserve $15–25 per student for a future building so soon after the new SUB is done?

Not on the evidence they’ve produced so far.

KaPPa SigMa HaS been gutted oVer ... a Keg oF beer?

Kappa Sigma has released the reason they temporarily shut down their chapter, kicked out most of their members and all but stopped talking to anyone outside the frat. That reason: somebody tweeted about a keg party in their frat house.

We all but knew this for a while, but were only able to confirm it this week. Which begs the question: Why the hell did it take them so long?

When a fraternity gets its charter yanked for “code of conduct violations” and then summarily refuses to comment on why, they invite some awful, lurid speculation. Was it hazing (like at the University of Alberta in 2010)? Was it sexual assault (like at the UBC Beta chapter in 2007)? Was it life-threatening alcohol abuse?

We now know it was none of those things that put the damper on Kappa Sigma for months and gutted their membership.

It was a social media post about a keg of beer. If a fraternity implodes because somebody had a keg party, that’s adorable. Quaint. Prudish, even.

If Kappa Sigma —the international fraternity, not just the UBC chapter — wants to safeguard its reputation as an upstanding group for classy guys, then nothing could serve them better than letting people know they put an entire chapter on notice for breaking out the ol’ common-source liquor.

Seriously.

We’re now fairly certain

that their international headquarters are run by guys in letterman cardigans and crew cuts, mostly named Chet. Guys whose idea of a fun Friday night is driving out to the soda shoppe with their steadies.

We know that secrecy is an important part of what makes Greek-letter organization members feel special. But here, it backfired like crazy.

librarieS need to aVoid Magical tHinKing Does technology really change who we are?

Sure, a lot of people have become dependent on their smartphones as portable network technologies begin to replace basic things like memory and sense of direction. But will new technology instill in us something that wasn’t already there?

Just a few years ago, publishers were declaring e-readers and tablets the saviours of their industry. Micro-payments for books, magazines and newspapers would revitalize casual reading and stem the tide of fragmenting attention. A few years later, such optimism looks foolish. Why did people think a new Apple product was going to change the way people related to the printed word? Because, well, iPads were the new shiny thing at the time. Print is dead and digital is the future, right?

It’s a little more complicated.

A recent study by a UBC grad student found over 97 per cent of respondents preferred reading print books to e-readers. We were surprised by this statistic.

People want e-readers, right?

But according to this study, less than 40 per cent of those surveyed were even interested in e-readers.

While this survey is certainly limited in scope (it was conducted only at UBC), the results should serve as a cautionary tale for libraries. If people aren’t reading, it’s not because they don’t have a shiny device that allows them to carry around the whole Western canon in their handbag. Libraries must avoid this kind of magical thinking as they move forward.

U

10

In the moments between foreplay and intercourse, we make a choice.

Either we risk a future of unwanted pregnancy, chlamydia-ridden genitals and potentially cancer-causing infections — or we use a condom.

Despite the gravity of the consequences, about a third of single (that is, neither living with a sexual partner nor married) young adults between the ages of 20 and 24 opt for the former, according to the latest statistical data.

For a long time, the standard defence for this baffling decision was that condoms just don’t feel as good. But a recent study put out by the Journal of Sexual Medicine has ruled that excuse moot.

The study’s authors asked more than 5,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 59 to rate their level of sexual pleasure during both intercourse with a condom and without. Their reports were consistent across the board: sex feels really good, even when there is latex involved.

So if discomfort isn’t preventing 20-somethings from using a condom, what is?

“Pleasure is one but not the only factor that influences whether condoms are used during sex,” said Dr. Mark Gilbert in an email. Gilbert is a physician with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and a professor in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health.

“There are many other and probably more influential factors.”

One of those factors is, undoubtedly, a severe under-appreciation of risk.

A 2011 study put out by the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada found that young people are generally aware of the risks of unprotected sex, but they tend to believe their personal situations exempt them from or reduce that risk.

For example, many youths switch from condoms to birth control pills as they age, according to the study. Approximately 73 per cent of 15- and 16-year-olds used a condom, compared to 62.5 per cent of youths over the age of 17. Meanwhile, 46.5 of those in the 17+ age group use the pill compared to 41 per cent of 15- and 16-year-olds.

The study’s authors suggest that older youths forgo condoms more often because they are more likely to be in committed relationships. If both partners are monogamous and neither have shown signs of a sexually transmitted infection, they reason that neither of them has a sexually transmitted infection and thus barrier protection isn’t necessary. However, this isn’t necessarily true. Rates of STIs, such as chlamydia, are higher among 20- to 25-year-olds than the 15- to 19-year-old age bracket.

Moreover, many people infected with an STI can be asymptomatic. So when couples choose to forgo condoms because they’re in a monogamous relationship, they may be putting themselves at a higher risk of STI infection, the study concludes.

However, close relationships aren’t the only excuse for unprotected sex. A 2009 article put out by the International Academy of Sex Research found that many young adults believe praying or good luck protects them from the negative consequences of unprotected sex.

Other participants reportedly dismissed the severity of potential negative consequences of unprotected sex, suggesting it would be easy to resolve any problems by getting an abortion or treating an STI with pharmaceuticals.

So the next time you’re faced with this choice, remember: sex with a condom feels really good — and you have the research to prove it. U

Pride events part of a worldwide struggle PERSPECTIVES

by Michael Oeckel

Every year Pride UBC — and pride groups throughout Canada and around the world — host events like Outweek to express support for our community. They are always spectacular, colourful and inspirational events that bring together communities for the celebration of differences and equality. But why do we need events like these? In Canada, with the legality of same-sex marriage, does pride become obsolete?

Absolutely not. Gay rights and equality are not just a Canadian concern. Queer communities exist everywhere, and friends, family and loved ones face the fear of discrimination, abuse and even death because of who they fall in love with. Even though countries like Canada have made progress, the battle rages on across the globe.

So what is the connection between celebrations at UBC and the struggles of queer people in Japan, Uruguay or Argentina? The answer is acceptance.

Queer pride celebrations in Canada inspire communities to grow stronger and for entire campuses, cities, provinces and countries to make progress on equality. These actions do not go unnoticed. Growing queer communities around the world watch, admire and some-

times emulate the pride parades, organizations and policies we employ here. The changes, acceptance and actions we promote here often have repercussions we can hardly imagine.

Many in Japan, for example, equate President Obama’s support for same-sex marriage as the reason behind Tokyo Disneyland’s decision to allow same-sex wedding ceremonies on its grounds.

The growing national support in the United States for samesex marriage, which inspired Obama’s public “outing,” is no doubt boosted by the growing pride organizations that, in turn, are fuelled by local pride groups, parades and celebrations. Events like Outweek matter.

Every year Pride UBC hosts Outweek and Queer U, and every year some students ask why. “They already have marriage — why flaunt events like this?” But the implications of queerphobia do not stop at national borders. So when you watch us march this Monday, or join a workshop, or stop by our bash, or expand your horizons at our conference on Saturday, know that we are not just celebrating our own pride, but also fighting for the dignity of our brothers and sisters around the world.

—Michael Oeckel is the Graduate Representative for PRIDE UBC.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |

11

MODERN GAMES

PICTUrES + WOrDS ON YOUr UNIVErSITY EXPErIENCE

THIS IS MEH

WE DON’T HATE IT, IT’S JUST MEH

1. ubc compliments, ubc Drunkliments, ubc complaints, ubc overheard, ubc confessions.

2. Pi r squared Milkshakes 3. Aus/eus/cus/lFs/kus/sus elections 4. 1,000 Acts of Totem 5. Family Day* *Entry from #UBCmeh. Tweet us your meh moments on campus.

HACKÉDEX

YOUR UBC WORD OF THE WEEK

AUS The Arts Undergraduate Society is the undergrad constituency representing arts students. The largest student constituency in the AMS, the AUS provides services such as lockers, acts as governing body to dozens of department clubs and hosts annual series such as Arts Last Lecture. The AUS elections begin on Friday and arts students will vote on a new executive, as well as referendum items and a fee to help build a proposed Arts Student Centre. Voting takes place online at the AMS elections site.

12 | GAMeS |

THURSDAY, FeBRUARY 7, 2013

acroSS 1- Appear 5- Mil. school 9- Japanese beer brand 14- Dr. Zhivago’s love 15- Yarn 16- Actor Burton 17- Pack ___ (quit) 18- Predictive sign 19- The end of ___ 20- Apparatus 22- Muslim opponent of the Crusaders 24- Sam, e.g.

26- Except 27- Hans Christian Andersen’s birthplace 30- Assisting the memory 35- Menu 36- Busy as ___ 37- Bank takeback 38- Explosive stuff 39- Lease holders 42- Pallid 43- Served perfectly 45- Traditional knowledge 46- Give it ___!

48- Craving 50- riding PUZZLE COUrTESY BESTCrOSSWOrDS.COM. USED WITH PErMISSION.

SUDOKU/MAZE COUrTESY KrAZYDAD. USED WITH PErMISSION.

51- Harden 52- Fertile area in a desert 54- Grapple 58- Open-minded 62- refute by evidence 63- According to the Bible, he was the first man 65- Ethereal: Prefix 66- Let up 67- Western pact 68- Cheerio!

69- Outmoded 70- Hgt. 71- K-6

doWn 1- Meager 2- I could ___ horse!

3- Slang expert Partridge 4- Organized search for a criminal 5- Immediately 6- Humped ruminant 7- Beer 8- Bears’ lairs 9- Old call to arms 10- Elected legislator 11- Opposite of sans 12- Fabled loser

13- Oil-rich Islamic theocracy neighbouring Iraq 21- Atlas feature 23- red as ___ 25- restriction on commerce 27- Santa’s reindeer, e.g.

28- Move rhythmically 29- Some Art Deco works 31- Hawaiian goose 32- More recent 33- Bridge declaration 34- Fable 36- Soon 40- A-list 41- Indian term of respect 44- Quarrel 47- A type of spoonbill 49- Leased 50- I, Robot author 53- Having wings 54- Alum 55- Country singer McEntire 56- Blind as ___ 57- Narrow path for walkers, cars or ships 59- Actual 60- Commedia dell’___ 61- Neeson of “rob roy” 64- Lentil and spice dish