January 9, 2014

JaNuaRy 9, 2013 | VOLume XCV| issue XXXi CONFLICT RESOLUTION SINCE 1918

Viva Cuba Forget the cigars — a new generation of artists will expose UBC to the real face of Havana.

P6

Super swole Our obligatory start-of-theyear guide to campus gyms.

Choose wisely.

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Good conduct UBC research team makes breakthrough with super-efficient electricity conductor.

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Thursday, January 9, 2014 |

YOUR GUIDE TO UBC EVENTS + PEOPLE

WHAT’S ON

this week, may we suggest...

OUR CAMPUS

2

ONE ON ONE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UBC

THURSDAY 09 SKI & BOARD WELCOME BACK 9 p.m. @ CEILIS

Feeling the pressures of school already? Dance (and likely booze) the night away with the classy S&B crew. $5 for members, $10 for non-members

FRIDAY

10

CLOUD COMPUTING ESSENTIALS 9 A.M. @ UBC ROBSON SQUARE

Are you still wondering what the newfangled “cloud” computing business is? Go take this continuing studies class and get educated. $345 for day-long session.

Alternatively, go on a Wikipedia hunt and learn about it for free!

Erica Baker (left) and Holly Dysserinck are the co-chairs of UBC’s signature student conference.

SATURDAY

11

HOCKEY: T-BIRDS vs regina

7 p.m. @ THUNDERBIRD ARENA

The women’s hockey team takes on the Regina Cougars for some good ol’-fashioned hockey. Start off your weekend by cheering for your ’Birds. Adults $10, youth, seniors and A-Card $5, UBC students $2, free for Blue Crew members

ON THE COVER

The SLC is a pretty big deal at UBC — ­ when else do you see 1300 students in one place outside of class? Trouble is, you can’t really grab a photo of the conference until day-of. So we got some quick snaps of organizers Erica Baker and Holly Dysserinck and got creative. The result is middling at best.

— Jonny Wakefield Doesn’t even go here

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Email your events listings to printeditor@ubyssey.ca.

U The Ubyssey

editorial

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

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PHOTO CARTER BRUNDAGE/THE UBYSSEY

To infinity and beyond at the Student Leadership Conference Tara Chan Contributor

One day. Two keynotes. Thirty committee members. One hundred eighty-eight volunteers.

Thirteen hundred delegates. And in the middle of it all are two co-chairs.

Meet Erica Baker and Holly Dysserinck, who first met each other during Totem residence’s Colour Wars in 2011.

Fast forward three years: they are now fifth-year arts students co-chairing this Saturday’s 12th annual Student Leadership Conference (SLC).

The SLC brings together professional and student leaders from all walks of life; the conference goal is to teach and inspire emerging leaders. This year’s theme is “Be Infinite,” which is meant to showcase the plethora of opportunities UBC students can pursue in the Lower Mainland.

“We really wanted a theme that left opportunities for students to picture what their version of infinity is and their version of long-lasting impact personally, on their community

[and] for the world,” said Baker.

An Olympic athlete, the founder of Jones Soda, musicians and activists are just some of the 100-plus speakers who will be sharing their wealth of knowledge at the conference.

Originally from Thorold, Ontario, Baker is pursuing a major in First Nations studies. Over the five years that Baker has attended the SLC, she’s worked her way up from workshop presenter to cochair. In 2012, Baker was behind the video and photos for “Faces of Today,” an SLC award that highlights student leaders. After that project, she was hooked and knew she wanted to eventually organize the event.

As for Maple Ridge’s Dysserinck, this is her fourth time attending the SLC. When she’s not organizing a conference or hitting the books to study for her French major, she loves to jog and play on rec soccer teams to stay active.

Since early last year, Baker and Dysserinck each put in upwards of 20 hours a week to organize the SLC, but they both agreed that their experiences and mem-

ories are invaluable and worth all the hard work.

“I hope people find something different or something unexpected,... something that they wouldn’t otherwise connect with if it was not for the SLC,” said Baker.

“Find that one thing that you can walk away and say, ‘This is what I took away,’” suggested Dysserinck. “You don’t need to get to be inspired by every single session you attend, but try to find your own thing to be happy with.”

Having been so involved in the UBC community over the last five years, Baker and Dysserinck are both excited yet sad to leave UBC when they graduate this May. They hope to continue on to graduate school in the near future.

“Just put your full heart into whatever you do, and if you love UBC, just give back to it and be kind to it and it will be kind to you,” said Baker.

“If you aren’t feeling great about UBC, it is because you have not found your thing yet,” said Dysserinck. “So go find it.” U

JANUARY 9, 2014 | Volume XCV| Issue XXXI

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Thursday, January 9, 2014 |

EDITORS WILL Mcdonald + Sarah Bigam

Science >>

3

Textbooks >>

U of T follows UBC, ends Access Copyright agreement Sarah Niedoba The Varsity (University of Toronto)

TORONTO (NUW) — The University of Toronto has decided to end its licence with Access Copyright.

U of T announced the decision on Dec. 11, opting to handle its copyright dealings without the company’s assistance. The licence cost U of T students a fee of $27.50 per year.

“This is a significant victory that will save students over $1.5 million annually and is the result of a campaign led by students and faculty,” said Agnes So, vice-president, university affairs of the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU).

“I am glad that the University of Toronto has listened to our concerns and ended the collection of a fee that many students saw as a cash grab.”

Photo Hogan Wong/THE UBYSSEY

UBC prof Andrea Damascelli’s research into superconductivity — the phenomenon of electricity transfer with zero resistance — might one day lead to more efficient power lines.

Cool cuprates yield superconductivity coup

UBC team makes progress on low-resistance energy transfer Austen Erhardt Staff Writer

A team of UBC researchers has made a major discovery in understanding the nature of superconductivity.

The team, led by UBC professor Andrea Damascelli and UBC Ph.D. student Riccardo Comin, consists primarily of members of UBC’s Quantum Matter Institute, but also includes collaborators from the Max Planck Institute and Canadian Light Source, as well as scientists from the U.S.A. and Japan.

Superconductivity, the phenomenon of electricity transfer with zero resistance and the alteration of magnetic fields, occurs when a conductive material is cooled to a

NEWS BRIEFS

specific “critical” temperature. For many materials, this temperature is extremely low and difficult to reach. However, some materials — such as cuprates (materials that contain copper oxides) — have a more moderate, achievable temperature, leading to them being termed “high-temperature superconductors.” Superconductivity has a range of real-world applications; today, for instance, it is used in MRI machines, but in the future, it could potentially be used to create 100 per cent efficient power lines.

The researchers set out to study the normal state of cuprates to determine whether or not there are natural characteristics that predispose these materials to becoming high-temperature super-

conductors, and if those characteristics are universal for all cuprates.

The team’s discoveries suggest that this is the case — a finding that could significantly influence the study and application of potential superconductive materials.

“The research isn’t decisive, but it’s a major step forward in the right direction. We’ll have to confirm and generalize this discovery,” said Damascelli.

The superconducting cuprates have been found to exhibit a form of charge ordering, where electrons behave differently from the normal electron structure.

The findings of the researchers suggest that these characteristics are universal to all materials in the same family, according to Damascelli.

Though the researchers have made considerable progress and their discovery is significant to developing an understanding of superconductivity, Damascelli said there is still a lot of work to be done on the topic.

Damascelli said instead of focusing on discovering what types of materials are capable of becoming superconductors, knowledge of their universal characteristics will allow researchers to shift attention to real-world applications.

“We have found in a number of materials this kind of behaviour, and that’s really suggestive that this may be the way to look for the standard of superconductivity. But even at that level, there is more work that needs to be done,” said Damascelli. U

Vancouver >>

UBC students’ prepaid parking plan passed by council

Milica Palinic Contributor

photo Carter Brundage/THE UBYSSEY

UBC acquires theology school “castle” for new econ program UBC has found a home for its new School of Economics. UBC announced Tuesday that it has purchased the Iona Building from the Vancouver School of Theology, an independent institution that operates out of the castle-like building in the north end of campus. UBC paid $28 million for the stone-faced structure, which was built in 1927.

Iona will provide UBC with new academic space as various initiatives draw more students, faculty and staff to its Vancouver campus, the university said in a release.

The new Vancouver School of Economics — a boutique economics program with above-average tuition — is slated to be the primary occupant. “This will generate great excitement for the Faculty of Arts.

The magnificent Iona building is ideally suited for the UBC Vancouver School of Economics,” said Gage Averill, the dean of arts. “It is a treasure that will provide an inspiring setting for our faculty and students.” U

Vancouver City Council has approved a proposal for drivers who plan to drink after they park.

In November 2013, two UBC students, Leighton Hay and Curtis Kuznecov, proposed that the City of Vancouver offer prepaid parking for drinking drivers as part of a Gateman economics project.

The city of Vancouver gave the opportunity for drivers who had perhaps drank a little too much to make the right choice.

Raymond Louie Vision Vancouver city councillor

Now, less than two months later, their suggestions are beginning to be implemented.

The students based the plan on a system in Seattle, Washington that has been shown to reduce drunk driving. Councillor Raymond Louie, chair of City Finance

photo Geoff Lister/THE UBYSSEY

Economics students Leighton Hay (left) and Curtis Kuznecov’s class project has made real change in the Vancouver. Their proposal to allow drivers to pre-pay at parking meters downtown was adopted by council in late 2013.

Services, said, “The expectation that it would also happen here in the city of Vancouver gave the opportunity for drivers who had perhaps drank a little too much to make the right choice.”

Louie was a key player in passing the motion. He consulted everyone from the chief of police to the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association to the mayor and CIBC. The two UBC students also discussed the matter with Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The City Council passed the

motion unanimously.

Louie hopes the decision will help downtown businesses as well. “People can come down to our cores and frequent our restaurants ... to have a good time, but to do so responsibly,” he said.

The parking system will allow users to pay by phone.

City staff have already done preliminary discussions to work out some of the logistics of the project.

The students hope the changes will be completely implemented sometime this year. U

Other universities have decided to end their licences with Access Copyright, including UBC Access Copyright sued York in April 2013; the case is being closely watched across the education sector.

In a press release, the university stated that it was unable to reach an agreement with Access Copyright at a price that was fair for the services the company provided. It cited changes in copyright regulation — including the alterations to the Copyright Act made in 2012, the Supreme Court’s expansive approach to fair dealing, changing technology and increased availability of open access material — as reasons for why the price of the licence was no longer fair.

Other universities have decided to end their licence with Access Copyright, including UBC, Queen’s University and York University.

Access Copyright sued York in April 2013; the case is being closely watched across the education sector, as it is widely seen as the first real test of two competing interpretations of recent changes to the law.

Western University was in negotiations with Access Copyright at the same time as U of T. It has also chosen not to renew its licence.

The UTSU has long advocated the end of the licence in favour of a university-run copyright department, similar to the systems currently operating in other schools in the country, such as UBC. The union repeatedly said that the $27.50 fee was unnecessary and could be better spent elsewhere.

Access Copyright released a statement expressing its discontent with the termination of the agreement. The company believes the university will now attempt to mimic its services by relying solely on fair dealing guidelines — a process that, according to the company, is untested and unlikely to work. Access Copyright holds that the interpretation of the fair dealing regulations the university uses is too broad, and not in accordance with what the Supreme Court’s ruling actually implies.

The company’s statement implied that under the university’s new model, creators and publishers whose work is used by the university would not receive the royalties they deserve. The university’s statement outlines that it intends to continue its compliance with copyright law, and make proper use of other licences and fair dealing guidelines. The faculty will continue to be educated on how to comply with copyright law.

Thursday, January 9, 2014 |

eDitOR NATALIE SCADDEN

4

FiTNeSS >>

the basement of the uBC aquatic Centre houses a weight room, sauna and steam room — all of which can be accessed for free using your uBC student card.

Kick off your resolutions at on-campus fitness centres Our guide to the BirdCoop, the Aquatic Centre gym and Gold’s Gym Reyhana Heatherington senior Lifestyle Writer

Fitness-based New Year’s resolutions are as common as raindrenched UBC students, so it’s no surprise that activity at the fitness centres around campus picks up noticeably in January. Below, students evaluate three of their calorie-burning establishments of choice.

THE AQUATIC CENTRE GYM The Aquatic Centre gym, built in 1978, is sometimes referred to as “the dungeon” for its warm temperature and underground location. This basic weight room has the benefit of surrounding amenities, including a swimming pool, sauna and steam room, and is often part of a multi-step workout for patrons.

Franck Benichou, a third-year arts and commerce student, has worked out at the BirdCoop gym in the Student Recreation Centre, as well as the Aquatic Centre basement gym. Despite the old machines, he favours the Aquatic Centre gym for its affordability and proximity to other amenities.

“There’s not a lot of people, and it’s free, and there’s showers and a steam room,” Benichou said.

Benichou added that the basement gym is usually devoid of “stereotypical bodybuilders,”

who he says contribute to a more regimented atmosphere.

“I prefer [the Aquatic Centre gym] because [it] is more chill,” he said.

THE BIRDCOOP Sanna Mo, a front desk receptionist at the Aquatic Centre and fourth-year commerce student, likes the BirdCoop because of the newer machines and availability of cardio equipment like stationary bikes and treadmills. The Aquatic Centre gym has only one treadmill, a rowing machine and several stationary bikes.

“What I don’t like about [the BirdCoop] is there’s only [a few] benches,” Mo said. “And it’s cramped.”

In 2009, the BirdCoop student membership was lowered from $148 per semester to $25 per semester, or $5 for a daily drop-in.

student who tried the gym on a free trial.

Amon Kawamoto, a fourthyear fine arts student, has been a patron at all three gyms and decided to choose the BirdCoop this semester. “[The Aquatic Centre gym] is small and not as versatile,” he said. “[Gold’s] is kind of too expensive for students. But if you’re looking for a more serious gym, it’s preferred.”

Membership costs at Gold’s Gym vary; on top of start-up fees, one option is $24 every two weeks with a two-year contract or $28 biweekly with a one-year contract.

Whether you fancy yourself a dungeon dweller or prospective bodybuilder, there’s a fitness centre for you on campus to blow off some steam and jumpstart the new year. U

THUNDeRbiRDS HOMe GAMeS THiS WeekeND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (7-3) UBC vs. Alberta (8-2) Friday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. War memorial Gym uBC vs. saskatchewan (9-1) saturday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. war memorial gym

MEN’S BASKETBALL (4-6) UBC vs. Alberta (9-1) Friday, Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. war memorial gym uBC vs. saskatchewan (9-1) saturday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. war memorial gym

WOMEN’S HOCKEY (14-3-1) uBC vs. Regina (10-6-2) Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. and saturday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m thunderbird arena

GOLD’S GYM Another option is Gold’s Gym in the University Village. One of several hundred gyms of its kind around the world, Gold’s has been at UBC since 2006. The original is located in Venice Beach, California.

While the comparably high cost deters some students, Gold’s offers new equipment and even boasts “machines for muscles I haven’t even heard of,” according to one

PhOtO CaRteR BRuNDage/the uByssey

FiLe PhOtO kai JaCOBsON/the uByssey

gold’s may be the most spacious gym on campus, but be prepared to pay more for it.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014

T-biRDS 5-ON-5

KATE GILLIS

MAX LATTIMER

TERA VAN BEILEN

Field hockey

Rowing

swimming

LUC BRUCHET track

| SPORTS | 5

NATALIE SOURISSEAU Field hockey

NatiONaL team 1. What is your New Year’s resolution for 2014?

2. Favourite place your sport has taken you?

to have dates with my foam roller at least three times a week.

my New year’s resolution is to crush it on the erg. that or ride the bike.

share a smile with someone every day.

to increase my girth.

Put down the doughnuts!

australia.

trakai, Lithuania. i’m surprised it isn’t the highlight spot of more euro trips.

australia. i always dreamed of travelling there and an added bonus was their adorable accents.

sFu in march.

Brampton, Ontario — great spot, highly recommend.

every time you were called a rookie, you had to do a weird dance.

Pre-race harlem shake.

Oranges at halftime. i mean, what is that about?

For my first year i went to western, and on the men’s rowing team the rookies each got “unique” haircuts they had to wear for a week.

3. Weirdest tradition a team you’ve been on has had?

with the Ontario field hockey team, we would eat Life cereal after every game. i have no idea how or why that tradition started.

4. Who would play you in a movie?

i would like Jennifer Lawrence to volunteer as tribute and play me in a movie.

Leonardo Dicaprio, pre-titanic.

sid the sloth, because i can nail his accent.

that awkward guy at that party.

Blue ivy Carter.

5. What activity will you take up when you retire?

Rainbow loom -— seems like all the cool kids are doing it.

i think once the rowing game ends, i’d want to get into cycling, but more likely i’ll do something a little less physical, like golf.

i love board games, so when i’m old and retired, i want to start a board game club. Lame, but so amazing!

Cowbell! we need more cowbell.

geocaching, mostly.

HOT

Our take on the latest happenings in the world of UBC sports

Tatiana Rafter PhOtO JOsh CuRRaN/the uByssey

the uBC men’s hockey team had reason to celebrate after starting 2014 off well.

the fourth-year forward added four more points to her Canada west-leading tally (24) over two games last weekend and was honoured as the Cis female athlete of the week. Oh, and she won a gold medal with team Canada at the Fisu winter universiade over winter break.

Men’s hockey though they have struggled so far this

season, the t-Birds men’s hockey team upset the NCaa Division 1 powerhouse university of North Dakota — a team with a $3 million budget and 15 NhL draft picks — with a 3-2 overtime victory at the great Northwest showcase in Burnaby. they followed it up with a 1-0 shutout of Princeton — another NCaa Division 1 team — the next night.

in non-conference action, uBC Men’s volswept Pepperdine — ranked sixth leyball in NCaa Division 1 — 3-0 on Dec. 30. however, Pepperdine bounced back to take the rematch 3-1 the following night. the t-Birds return to regular season play this weekend at uBC Okanagan. andrew mcguinness sunk seven three’s, but it wasn’t enough to start 2014 with a t-Bird victory. uBC lost 82-75 to the NCaa Division ii hawaii Pacific university sea warriors in non-conference action. mcguinness finished with 25 points.

Men’s basketball

New year’s resolutions are great and we encourage you to keep them, but it really sucks getting stuck waiting for free machines in a room of sweaty people. try heading outdoors instead!

Gym lineups

NOT

Thursday, January 9, 2014 |

EDITOR Rhys Edwards

6

art >>

Havana comes to life at Belkin Artists explore the politics and personality of contemporary Cuba Gregory Pitts Contributor

The Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery will soon open its first show of 2014.

The Spaces Between: Contemporary Art From Havana will explore contemporary Havana from artistic, cultural, sociological and anthropological perspectives, with a focus on the new economic and social reality that has characterized Cuba in recent years. But its origin is much more personal than political.

Longtime colleagues at the Belkin, artist Antonio Eligio (known as Tonel) and associate director/curator Keith Wallace, have a lasting connection to Cuba.

In 1997, they put on a similar show at the Belkin. Now, almost 17 years later, they feel circumstances have changed enough to warrant a new exhibition, which they are co-curating. <em>

</em>

The more realist nature of the exhibition is a part of its stress on art as a learning experience rather than connoisseurship.

Keith Wallace Belkin Gallery curator

“The economy has changed since the years following the collapse of the USSR, and there have been shifts in power, as well as changes in the way tourism and investment are handled,” said Wallace. All of this is reflected in the art made in Cuba today, but rather than just show a chronological update of Cuban art since the 1990s, Wallace and Tonel want their exhibition to have a more personal, human context.

The exhibition will be intimate, with a focus that “deals with how individuals function in a society

photo CERI RICHARDS/THE UBYSSEY

Working across a broad array of mediums, the artists of The Spaces Between challenge preconceptions about Cuban culture while presenting their own images of Havana.

with changing social and economic parameters, but is at the same time relevant to all of us,” said Wallace.

“There is always this idea of finding universal connections,” said Tonel. Rather than try to exoticize a culture that may be unfamiliar to Vancouverites, the Belkin is taking a grittier, more realistic and more human approach. This is in contrast to the typical Western tourist experience in Cuba, which, according to Wallace, makes Cuban society seem a lot more homogenous than it actually is.

Wallace emphasized the approachability of this exhibition.

“Many of the artists were students of those that participated in the 1997 exhibition. And the more realist nature of the exhibition is a part of its stress on art as a learning experience rather than connoisseurship.”

Additionally, two of the eight artists on display at the Belkin will conduct a series of guest lectures for the student body.

The exhibition proposes to be relevant to all audiences, from veteran connoisseurs to the less artistically inclined. U The Spaces Between: Contemporary Art from Havana opens Jan. 10 and runs until April 13. <em>

photo Ceri Richards/THE UBYSSEY

Pictured: Of Permanence and Other Necessities, a video installation by Grethell Rasúa.

</em>

Who is Tonel?

“I am from that generation that was born with the Cuban revolution,” explained Antonio Eligio, also known as Tonel.

The world-renowned curator, artist and UBC professor was born in December 1958, less than a month before Fidel Castro came into power in January 1959. “I grew up in a country that was changing rapidly,… but in a way, my generation was the most privileged from the change because we went through a new school system,” he added.

The Cuban Revolution was the first of its kind in the American continent, and even though the change created many improvements­­— particularly in matters of health and education — there was also hardship and scarcity of food and clothing. “But nothing that would make you starve or go without shoes,” said Tonel.

By the time Tonel was a teenager, he was studying in a boarding school. This had become the standard model for the educational system in Cuba. For secondary

school and high school, most schools were in the countryside.

He was attending a school for students with a higher academic average, 45 minutes away from La Havana.

“We would stay in the school during the week and do work every day in agriculture, industry, or, in my school, we also had a small factory making sports goods and radios,” he said.

Tonel explained that in Cuba a full education required students to do some manual work.

But it wasn’t child labour; it was intended as an educational experience. Tonel learned how to grow tobacco, something he recalls enjoying.

But the school system has changed considerably since the ’80s and ’90s. “The country has gone through a deep crisis in the economy that has changed everything in society,” he said.

Tonel wanted to be an artist, but he didn’t pass the admission test at the country’s art school, so he went into art history, which he

culture vulture

considered the next best thing. He continued making art on the side.

Tonel hasn’t lived in Cuba since 2000, but he has been travelling and doing residencies in many countries since the ’80s, including Germany, Italy and the U.S. “Every experience shapes the way you think about art, both as an artist and as a critic and curator.…

What the experience of travelling gave me was an exposure to art that I wasn’t seeing in Cuba,” he explained.

Tonel currently splits his time between Canada and Cuba. He goes to Cuba once or twice every year, spending a month and a half or two months there.

“When I go [to Cuba], I enter a reality that is completely different from the reality I live here.

Everything is different: the light, the way people interact, the urban landscape, the natural landscape, the language, the sounds, smells.”

Unfortunately, Tonel admits the city has changed for the worse.

The architecture of the city has been deteriorating for lack of

maintenance, but it’s a city with many layers.

“Havana is my hometown, so even though there is a distance now between the city and myself, I still feel at home when I’m there.” U —Aurora Tejeida

PHOTO COURTESY BELKIN ART GALLERY, HOWARD URSUILAK

Tonel’s signature cartoon style was featured in a 2009 Koerner library installation.

Art + architecture The work of Niranjan Garde, a master’s candidate in the School of Architecture, is curently showing at the SUB Art Gallery near the main concourse. The exhibition features carefully rendered plein-air drawings in pencil, ink and watercolour of an array of architectural sites across Western India, including temples, forts and modern-day homes. The exhibit ends on Jan. 17. awards Several UBC faculty members, alumni and honorary degree recipients were made Officers in the Order of Canada on Dec. 30.

In the Faculty of Arts, appointees include Nancy Hermiston, the director of the School of Music, and Sherill Grace, a professor in the department of English. Hermiston received the appointment for her contributions to the fields of opera and education, while Sherill Grace was recognized for her promotion of Canadian culture and identity in her work. U

Thursday, January 9, 2014 |

stuDeNt VOiCe. COmmuNity ReaCh.

7

The ins and outs of letting one rip KONRAD KOBIELEWSKI

etiquette guide <em>

Dear Konrad,

I carpool to school with three of my friends, and the other day I just really let one go in the backseat. It was raining so we couldn t open the windows and the heat sort of circulated it around so I didn t think it was obviously me, but at the same time everyone in the car knew something had gone funky. How do I diffuse this awkward situation without admitting it was me?

Sincerely, Stinky in a Saturn

LAST WORDS

A CHANGED CAMPUS? UBC welcomed us back to campus with an emailed warning reminding students not to walk alone at night. That’s a decent warning, but as the RCMP has still failed to catch the perpetrator of the 2013 assaults, one has to ask whether this is the new normal for Point Grey. Five years from now, will we still be forced to call Safewalk after the sun goes down? If they catch the assaulter after, say, a few more months, can we assume that the security on campus will be good enough to stop another monster from preying on students for a few months before the police catch him?

The answer may be that things have permanently changed at UBC, and that’s too bad. However, UBC is expected to unveil a security action plan sometime in the next several weeks, and we can only hope it will return some sense of security to campus.

PaRtiNg shOts aND sNaP JuDgemeNts FROm the uByssey eDitORiaL BOaRD

Monday. However, the conditions in the SUB weren’t really in our favour. First of all, the WiFi wasn’t working and our server was iffy, which kind of makes it hard to manage our content.

Thankfully, ubc_secure decided to cooperate, for the most part.

Another issue was that all the U-Pass machines in the SUB were out of passes on Sunday, and perhaps earlier, which undoubtedly irked students who went out of their way to pick one up before classes started.

Since the January passes aren’t available until Dec. 16 — when the majority of students are finished with exams — this means that several students left the SUB empty-handed. Yes, the Bookstore has passes, but their irregular hours are inconvenient, and you’d think that when the SUB machines are empty they would be refilled.

And speaking of refills, even the WaterFillz machine on the main floor of the SUB was out of order. So much for free water.

There was also a leaky ceiling near a first-floor washroom during the exam period.

Yes, it is winter break. But the building that is meant for students should be able to accommodate them at all times.

WE NEED MORE GYMS! SUB SHOULD BE MAINTAINED DURING HOLIDAYS Students don’t want to be on campus during the winter break.

It’s a known fact. But sometimes it’s inevitable to pop by before the winter semester starts up, and when students do come to the Student Union Building, it’s for a reason.

We at the Ubyssey came back on the Sunday before classes because we put out an issue on <em>

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While the three on-campus fitness facilities we highlighted (P4) do offer students a place to burn some calories, the reality is that there needs to be more fitness space on this campus.

The main UBC-run gym is the BirdCoop, and at 8,000 square feet, it is smaller than most other university gyms in Canada and has a tendency to get overcrowded. By comparison, The Pulse at McMaster is listed as 20,000 square feet, and UTM has a 13,000-square-foot facility with

120 cardio stations.

There are plans to add fitness facilities to the existing SUB when it gets renovated, but will that be enough to fulfill the university’s vision of a healthy, active student body? Probably not.

FRUIT FLIES SUCK, MAN When the Ubyssey returned back to their hole — ahem, office — in January, we were greeted by a swarm of fruit flies. This appears to be a problem in other parts of the SUB as well, particularly by the organics bin. We could rant about how annoying it is that they don’t die even though you keep killing them, but we won’t.

The organics bins was probably just doing its job, composting leftover seaweed and shit. Or better yet, let’s see the fruit flies as things from 2013 that have overstayed their welcome: bad habits, unhealthy obsessions, annoying people in our life we keep saying we’re going to cut out but don’t. Things you keep swatting but that just don’t die. It’s never too late to start now, and it is also never too late to use a vacuum to get rid of those pesky little things. <em>

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GOOD ON YA, GATEMAN STUDENTS While the pages of our newspaper often tell you about the amazing projects that students undertake to address large issues in society, the two students who took a Gateman econ project and actually implemented a realistic idea are awesome (P3). All too often, the Gateman projects end up being annoying or even destructive; it’s refreshing to see people come up with something more involved and community-minded than just trying to duck out of every student fee possible. U

Nobody should be called out for their bodily functions. When burping, coughing, or yawning, you should cover your mouth and say “excuse me”. Flatulence is a different story. It is best to excuse yourself beforehand and go to another room or the bathroom. Unfortunately Saturns, while named after the second largest planet, do not provide much personal space.

In this case, you did the right thing by not calling attention to it. Apologizing would make it even more awkward since nobody would know how to respond. The solution is to start a conversation or comment on something totally unrelated. This will get the whole car thinking and talking about something else. The smell will blow away almost as fast as it arrived.

IT’S HARD TO RUIN SOMEONE’S MOOD WITH A QUESTION ABOUT FOOD <em>

Dear Konrad,

Now that I m out on my own and no longer have access to mom s cooking I m always looking for recipes, especially those that don t require me to buy a pricey cookbook. I want to ask some of my Asian friends for recipes, but I can t think of a way to ask what do your people eat that doesn t sound racist in my head. Especially since some of them have lived here for three generations and I don t know if that makes it especially presumptuous.

ONE, MAYBE TWO, THEN YOU’RE THROUGH <em>

Dear Konrad,

What is a nice way to say to a guy at a bar that I appreciate the free drinks all night, but never in hell would have sex with you?

Sincerely, Thirsty Thursday

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Dating experts disagree on whether or not it is OK to accept drinks from someone you are not interested in.

When someone buys you a drink, they are either doing it because they are attracted to you or because they want to show off. Whatever the case, as long as the person isn’t a total creep and you watch the bartender make the drink, it is acceptable to take the first one. Once the guy approaches you, thank him and let him talk to you. If you’re still not interested, start dropping hints.

You can say you already have a boyfriend (warning: this might annoy him if you’ve already accepted a drink), or start talking about other guys you are attracted to like your celebrity crush. After buying you one or two drinks, he should get the message and not be too disappointed. According to a recent survey, only two per cent of men have found a relationship at a bar. U For more etiquette solutions to your awkward moments, visit www. notawkwardanymore.com or tweet @notawkanymore .

<em>

Sincerely, Hungry awkward white girl

COME TAKE SHOTS WITH US

iLLustRatiON JethRO au/the uByssey

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Since food is an important part of any culture, asking about its cuisine is just like asking about its arts or history. Those friends of yours who grew up in Asia or visit there often will probably see your question as a thoughtful attempt at getting to know their background. They will be happy to tell you about the foods they eat and how to make them.

Those whose familiarity with Asian culture are less apparent may get embarrassed or annoyed if you ask them about something they do not know about. Instead, you should take a less direct approach.

Many third generation families are proud of their heritage and maintain at least some of their ancestors’ traditions. You can ask your friends what they like to eat. If they grew up eating Asian food, their taste will likely reflect that. Should they mention something you’d like to try, ask for the recipe.

Lu Zhang video@ubyssey.ca

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8 | GAMES |

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014

48- Like Cheerios 49- method 52- Not to mention 53- satiate 57- scottish body 58- examined furtively 60- ___ sapiens 61- i’ve got ___ in kalamazoo 62- 1,000 kilograms 63- Brit’s exclamation 64- Fool 65- Like ___ not 66- king mackerel

46- Climbing device 48- Bridge bid, briefly 49- smelting waste 50- indian exercise method 51- strike breaker 52- isn’t wrong?

54- Fail to win 55- actor epps 56- spoollike toy 59- Louis XiV, e.g.

DOWN

PuZZLe COuRtesy BestCROsswORDs.COm. useD with PeRmissiON.

ACROSS 1- type of ranch 5- Darn!

9- i smell ___!

13- tolstoy heroine 14- Les ___-unis 16- Dr. Zhivago’s love 17- age unit 18- intoxicated 19- med school subj.

20- armada 22- Drink 24- he’s a catch

27- “Not guilty,” e.g.

28- Fly 29- Fellow inmate 33- Does a Daff y Duck impression 34- swiss artist Paul 35- mil. truant 36- Back muscle, briefly 37- Concerning 38- illustrative craft 39- City near Provo 41- afternoon affairs 42- hubert’s successor 44- high temperature thermostat 46- heed 47- Call for

1- it breaks daily 2- article in Le monde 3- kind of fingerprint 4- side covering on a hat 5- Night flight 6- ___ grows in Brooklyn 7- Lacking slack 8- RR stop 9- montgomery’s state 10- title bestowed upon the wife of a raja 11- kaffiyeh wearer 12- London art gallery 15- Frying pan 21- Permits 23- actor gibson 24- Beat soundly 25- Bird enclosure 26- assessor 27- hammer parts 29- wedge 30- anticipate 31- Baseball manager Joe 32- singer John 34- massage 37- try 40- each month 42- Join a poker game 43- mental 45- Call on

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aNimaL maZes COuRtesy kRaZyDaD. useD with PeRmissiON.

U

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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

UBYSSEY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Nominations close January 10, 2014 and elections run January 27–31, 2014.

Nomination forms are available at SUB 23. This is not an editorial position.

Members of The Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors are responsible for overseeing the finances and administrative operations of the newspaper. Responsibilities include attending board meetings, tending to business as it arises and overseeing personal projects. y p u bl ic ys se at b u io e For further details please email fpereira@ubyssey.ca