February 5, 2019

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 | VOlUMe C | ISSUe XXII “GO READ THE UBYSSEY INSTEAD” SINCE 1918

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OUR CaMPUS

CUlTURe

SCIenCe

SPORTS

Finding fun in geography and art

BlOG

West Coast vibes at the Haida House

Exorcise that ghost

Rural health survey identifies pressing BC needs

Athlete of the month: Tory Micklash

THE UBYSSEY

THE AMS IS MAKING A FINAL PUSH FOR

FALL READING BREAK.

// 08

WILL IT WORK?

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FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 tuESDAY

yOUR GUIDe TO UBC eVenTS & PeOPle

events

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our CamPus

Alec Blair inspires fun at the intersection of geography and art TUeSDay, FeBRUaRy 5 international Careers and networking 6 TO 8 P.M. @ lIU InSTITUTe FOR GlOBal ISSUeS an enlightening evening to converse and network with distinguished alumni pursuing careers abroad!

FRee

THURSDay, FeBRUaRy 7 yoga rave 6:15 TO 8 P.M. @ TOTeM PaRk BallROOM Come out for the free glow-in-the-dark yoga dance party!

FRee

“[art is] a good insight into learning what people value or how people connect to the environment.”

marissa birnie Senior Staff Writer

FRIDay, FeBRUaRy 8 the latin danCe Club Presents: Clandestino 9:30 P.M. @ THe neST Come have fun during Prohibition, er... midterms. $8-10 OnlIne

on the Cover Cover by Maged

Want to see more events or see your event listed here? ubyssey.ca/events

u THE UBYSSEY

EDITORIAL

Coordinating Editor Illustrations Coordinator Business Manager douglas baird samantha mcCabe ella Chan coordinating@ubyssey.ca illustrations@ubyssey.ca business@ubyssey.ca Visuals Editor Claire lloyd visuals@ubyssey.ca News Editors alex nguyen & Zak vescera news@ubyssey.ca Culture Editor bridget Chase culture@ubyssey.ca Sports + Rec Editor lucy Fox sports@ubyssey.ca Video Producer marina mcduff video@ubyssey.ca Opinion + Blog Editor tristan wheeler opinion@ubyssey.ca Science Editor James vogl science@ubyssey.ca Photo Editor elizabeth wang photos@ubyssey.ca Features Editor moira wyton features@ubyssey.ca

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 | VOlUMe C| ISSUe XXII CONTACT

BUSINESS

STAFF Pawan Minhas, Zubair Hirji, Jack yuan, emma livingstone, Jane Procyshyn, Matt asuncion, Olivia Johnson, Candice lipski, Marissa Birnie, Rolando Hinojosa, lua Presidio, Salomon Micko Benrimoh, Chimedum Ohaegbu, Ryan neale, Hannah Feodorov, angela O’Donnell, Cat Hartt Towle, Johann Cooper, Jack lamming, kristine Ho, Clare Skillman, Zainab Fatima, Iain Coates, Charlotte alben, Riya Talitha, Chelsea Dumasal, Joshua azizi, Sammy Smart, Danni Olusanya, Shamit Rahman, Divija Madhani, Moe kirkpatrick, Daphnée lévesque, Benoit Dupras, Sonia kung, Scott young, eve O’Dea, andrew Ha, anupriya Dasgupta, aki Ota, amy Shandro, Henry anderson, Micah killjoy, Sonia Pathak, Maged, Brendan Smith, Mitchell Ballachay, negin nia, Sarah Zhao, Darby lynch, Maneevak Bajaj, Tolu amuwo, Tara Osler, Isabella Falsetti, karolina Skupien, alex Vanderput

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LEGAL The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday by The Ubyssey Publications Society.

We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization and all students are encouraged to participate. editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. all editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.

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

The Ubyssey accepts opinion articles on any topic related

to the University of British Columbia (UBC) and/or topics relevant to students attending UBC. Submissions must be written by UBC students, professors, alumni, or those in a suitable position (as determined by the opinions editor) to speak on UBC-related matters. Submissions must not contain racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, harassment or discrimination. authors and/or submissions will not be precluded from publication based solely on association with particular ideologies or subject matter that some may find objectionable. approval for publication is, however, dependent on the quality of the argument and The Ubyssey editorial board’s judgment of appropriate content.

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editorial office: SUB 2208 604.283.2023 business office: SUB 2209 604.283.2024 NEST 6133 University Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 online: ubyssey.ca twitter: @ubyssey Snapchat: theubyssey editorial board. Full opinions policy may be found at ubyssey.ca/ submit-an-opinion It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ads.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to acknowledge that this paper and the land on which we study and work is the traditional, occupied, unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Geographer and landscape painter Alec Blair is inspiring students to make connections with the world around them through art.

The Vancouver-born PhD candidate and sessional lecturer crafts oil paintings and sketches ranging from lush Vancouver forests to sprawling Kenyan rangelands.

Blair takes advantage of UBC’s enviable locale, frequenting campus wilderness hotspots like Tower Beach and Pacific Spirit Park to paint mountains, forests, sea and sky.

“There are super dramatic landscapes just nearby,” said Blair.

He often leaves UBC’s urban expanse after work for the nature wonderland that lies at the edge of its borders.

“I really like that juxtaposition of the environment that surrounds us all the time and that we take for granted,” he said.

For Blair, landscape painting is more than a hobby. It’s a passion equal to his love of geography and it impacts his approach towards teaching and research.

“I see them as very similar…

I think that art is a way to be passionate about the same things that worry me so much in examining some of the environmental crises that I have to teach about,” he said.

Blair’s research focuses on community conservation in central Africa. The interaction between humans and their natural world is a topic he incorporates into his teaching by encouraging students to engage with art.

“I absolutely love the stuff that I get to teach,” he said.

As part of a recent course, he took students to the Hatch Art Gallery to examine works

by Canadian landscape painters E.J. Hughes and Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun. The purpose was to get students thinking about the ways in which different artistic portrayals of the landscape shape our understanding of our environment, said Blair.

While teaching at a field school in Kenya, he had students keep a natural history journal to foster engagement with the natural world.

Blair believes geographers have much to gain by engaging with their environment through art, whether by viewing the art or as an artist.

“I think it’s a good insight into learning what people value or how people connect to the environment,” he said.

“It fosters some sense of connection.”

Blair credits a childhood spent outdoors and among art galleries for sparking an interest in traditional landscape painting, especially the work of famed Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris, whom he cites as a major influence.

For the past several years he has worked with Harris’ estate to catalogue his work.

As a plein air painter, Blair experiences the same close connection and emotions that are present in much of Harris’ work.

“It’s a similar feeling in the [Harris] paintings that I’ve felt in the mountains, where you feel small but sort of vulnerable.

There’s some almost overwhelming beauty but at the same time fear or reverence for these places and your role in the overall picture.”

Blair believes the lessons he’s learned in the field as a landscape artist — like the

CHOlaDHORn SInRaCHaTananT

value of observation and selfreflection or the importance of understanding how we relate to and shape our environment — are equally applicable to the study of geography as the study of art.

“I think geography can examine those connections, can examine how people value the world around them, can examine ways to inspire connection and inspire environmental concerns or concerns more broadly about how the systems we’re a part of work,” he said. “Fundamentally, you can learn a lot about what people value and what people know.”

While teaching at the field school in Kenya, Blair was surprised by the many references his students made to the 1994 film The Lion King. It’s another example of how art shapes our ideas, expectations and connections with a place, and there’s a direct relationship between what people value and whether they take action, he said.

“These are connections that shape an idea and an ideal that has real effects on people’s relationships, has a real effect on funding, has a real effect on power.”

Art and geography are inextricably linked, and Blair’s efforts to combine his passions come naturally. While his landscape painting may be more than a hobby thanks to its academic impact, it’s still fun.

Exploring UBC’s dense forest and serene beaches between classes, hiking in pursuit of aweinspiring views and getting to paint BC’s incredible natural landscape is all part of the thrill.

“The only real challenge is finding other people to do that with and convincing other people that it’s a fun thing to do.” u

news

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 tuESDAY

eDITORS ALEX NGUYEN + ZAK VESCERA

WILL IT WORK?

WORDS HENRY ANDERSON & ZAK VESCERA ILLUSTRATION MAGED

T

he AMS is launching a last-minute — and potentially final — push to implement a fall reading break.

A society survey has collected over 6,000 student responses on how to implement a fall reading break, which the AMS will soon be taking to the UBC Vancouver Senate to make a case for extending the Thanksgiving vacation into a week-long reading break.

If they succeed, it will be the culmination of years of pleas from students that a break in the fall term is crucial for their mental health.

“We’re advocating for a full week because it’s been clear that that is what students want and have been pushing for,” said AMS VP Academic and University Affairs (VPAUA) Max Holmes.

The survey pitched three potential options for implementing the break, all of which involved shortening the examination period.

The most popular option — which the society will vote to endorse or not at its February 6 Council meeting — will compress the exam period to 14 days. This means that 24 per cent of students would have more than one exam within 24 hours, compared to 8 per cent currently.

But the number of students who qualify for exam hardship — three exams within a 24-hour period — will not change in that scenario.

A LONG TIME COMING Fall reading break has been debated for so long that virtually no one remembers when it wasn’t an issue.

“Since I’ve been around, in 2014, this has always been discussed,” said Jakob Gattinger, a student senator and Board of Governors member. He was also the interim VPAUA in 2017 between the resignation of Daniel Lam and fall by-election of Holmes.

According to The Ubyssey’s archives, the first official call for a reading break was in an editorial published in 1991. As schools across Canada began implementing fall breaks in the late 2000s, it quickly morphed from a far-out fantasy to something students demanded: in Senate, in AMS campaigns and in numerous Ubyssey editorials.

But the issue has dragged on for years.

In 2015, student senators rallied and pushed for a break as a top priority: then-AMS VPAUA Jenna Omassi predicted a break would be implemented by 2017. But as Senators rotate — few remain for more than a year — the effort has invariably stopped, started and failed.

“The uptake of it has kind of varied,” said Gattinger. “What has been a constant is that people put it on their campaign platforms, including myself, and frankly I think it is something that students are certainly interested in.”

The major complication is the number of teaching days at UBC. The university has the second-lowest number of instructional days in the country, and taking more days off several accredited programs like engineering, creates debates about whether those programs should be left out of a reading break. Options posed by the current survey were designed specifically so programs wouldn’t lose accreditation.

Even when students were able to agree, they had to maneuver through the Senate, a notoriously overburdened and slow-moving body.

“The truth is, they only have so much ability to uptake a few different things at any point in time.” said Gattinger. “For that reason, in certain years this has sort of taken a back seat.”

A FINAL PUSH The AMS’s latest effort is a blitz after years of waiting. But will it be enough?

Holmes held a town hall on implementing the break in November and even promised it would be done at the AMS’s annual general meeting.

But Senate Academic Policy Committee Chair Dr. Paul Harrison, who has worked closely with Holmes on the break, has cautioned that his counterpart’s rhetoric might be too optimistic.

He and Gattinger believe a break could be possible — but they caution it’s far from a sure thing.

“Any proposals for a 2019 break would have to go through another round of consultation with faculty and staff,” explained Harrison, “but by that time we’re almost into the end of term, and the academic schedule has to be set in February.”

Holmes chalked Harrison’s concerns up to “bureaucratic excuses.”

“When you look at the academic calendar, there is nothing that stops us from amending the academic calendar in March,” said Holmes. “We shouldn’t be putting a bureaucratic argument above students’ mental health interests.”

There have also been concerns that federal plans to institute a statutory holiday in memory of survivors of the Indian Residential School System would make a fall break more difficult to implement.

Holmes explained that his proposals still provide a three-year running average of 62 teaching days, which is one more than the 61 necessary for programs like engineering to remain accredited.

“That holiday, we’ve made sure, would not affect our models,” he said.

What might be more realistic is extending the holiday break between terms — something all parties agree on.

“The flights that international students and so many people had to pay to get back on January 2 is ridiculous,” said Holmes. “This is something that faculty, staff and students have been asking for for years.”

Even if the Senate can rally to pass the break, some AMS councillors worry the survey won’t make a strong enough case.

It garnered over 6,000 responses — a testament to how popular the idea of a fall reading break is — but the questions and results weren’t vetted by a third party or a marketing firm.

“I’m going to tell you right now, that’s the first problem you’re going to have,” Gattinger said at the January 9 AMS Council. “I’d be happy to support spending a little bit of money on this to do it the right way.”

Behind the scenes, the process was just as rushed. Gattinger says the Student Senate Caucus was told there would be no fall reading break as recently as December.

The survey was released to students the day after it was shown to Council, where some councillors worried its proposals to shorten the December exam period would disproportionately affect different faculties.

Only 44 per cent of engineering students who responded to the survey, for example, were in favour of shortening the brief break before the exam period, compared to 57 per cent in the faculty of arts.

But three-quarters of those respondents voted in favour of the break, suggesting that students are willing to pay for a break no matter the cost.

At the January 9 AMS Council meeting, Holmes said it’s a chance the society has to take.

“My job is to be the political insider for students at UBC, and to understand how to apply pressure and get things done,” he said. u

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4 | News | tuEsDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2019 external review //

Philosophy department to tackle its gender imbalance

Ryan Neale

“There’s interest to some degree, but then the interest drops off.”

An external review has advised UBC’s philosophy department to address the prominent gender imbalance among its undergraduate students.

According to UBC Planning and Institutional Research, only 32 per cent of philosophy undergraduates at UBC are women versus 64 per cent in the

faculty of arts as a whole. Of the six students enrolled in UBC’s Masters of Philosophy program, only one is a woman.

These statistics match an overall gender imbalance in the discipline. In the United States, 33.7 per cent of philosophy undergraduate degrees were given to women in the 2015/16 school year, according to the National Centre for Education Statistics.

UBC philosophy department head Dr. Matthew Bedke was stumped as to why.

“I don’t think we have any good explanation yet,” he said.

“We have some ideas, but I think we need to do a little bit more research.”

Philosophy professor Dr. Christina Hendricks was also unsure, but suggested it could be due to a combination of factors. She noted research

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Joshua Azizi Staff Writer

“My commitment to the field and to my motivations therein have helped me rise above, but I can definitely see this doubt reflected in many of the students, even though they might not be conscious of it,” she said.

Laurent-Monaghan suggested that the faculty should try diversifying its syllabi to address the issue, citing examples of other universities with greater diversity in both content and enrolment.

“I’m not ever considering re-writing philosophy as to not consider the masterworks,” she said. “I’m absolutely about the canon. I just think that the canon is incomplete.”

To address this imbalance, Bedke is considering sending out letters to students who do well in lower-level philosophy courses to encourage them to pursue the major. He also suggested starting a UBC chapter of Minorities and Philosophy (MAP), an organization which examines issues of diversity and representation within the discipline.

The role of the philosophy department equity head, which is currently held by professor Dr. Alison Wylie, will also be revised to study why this imbalance exists.

“The hope there is that will increase the number of women in the upper division courses, just by encouraging everybody who is doing really well,” said Bedke. u

claiming women turn away from philosophy when they see it as a male-dominated field that requires innate talent to be successful.

Both Bedke and Hendricks also raised the possibility of implicit bias against female students that discourages them from applying. “... Professors might encourage male students more or see them as more promising than female students without even recognizing that that’s what they’re doing,” said Hendricks.

She doubts the imbalance is due to differences in interests between men and women, noting lower-level undergraduate philosophy courses have a closer gender balance.

“There’s interest to some degree, but then the interest drops off,” she said.

Fourth-year philosophy student Emily Laurent-Monaghan said female philosophy students are sometimes wary because of the field’s male-dominated history.

“Having this consciousness as an other, in a world where thinking subjects have been de facto the enterprise of a man, can definitely serve as a crisis of doubt,” Laurent-Monaghan said.

She says UBC’s department is accepting, but admits she sometimes feels this doubt herself.

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 tuESDAY | NEWS | 5 is this Peak transit? //

Vancouver City Council supports expanding SkyTrain to campus after seven-hour debate alex nguyen & Zak vescera news editors

Vancouver’s City Council has endorsed the multi-billion dollar plan to bring the Broadway subway to UBC. After seven hours of debate, Council voted 9-2 to support expanding the Broadway subway line — which is already funded to Arbutus — all the way to campus.

The vote comes a week after Translink reported that a SkyTrain expansion to UBC is the most sustainable long-term transit option, albeit the most expensive.

The 99 B-Line, which provides over 30 per cent of all transit to UBC, is the most-used bus line in North America and has 60,000 riders on an average weekday. Experts say the alreadyovercrowded bus can no longer support rising transportation needs in the corridor.

“We tried putting more B-Lines on the road ... all they started doing was interfering with each other and slowing each other down,” said Translink’s VP Infrastructure Management and Engineering Sany Zein at a July 2018 town hall.

The Translink report indicates alternatives like a modified light

rail system would only meet growth needs for between 15 and 20 years, whereas a subway could support ridership for over 50.

The Arbutus-UBC expansion is estimated to cost over $3.3 billion, in addition to the $2.8 billion already allocated for the VCC Clark-Arbutus line.

Since receiving Board of Governors approval in April 2018, UBC has been pushing hard for expanding rapid transit to campus.

Besides publicly advocating for the plan through a town hall and opinion pieces, the university has already considered sites for the SkyTrain station on campus.

At the January 30 meeting, Associate VP Campus and Community Planning Michael White reiterated UBC’s case for expanding rapid transit to campus and willingness to contribute non-academic funding to the project.

“This is a long term investment,” White said.

Joey Hansen, executive director of the Association of Administrative and Professional Staff at UBC, noted that many staff members have a long commute, and that staff generally sees lower priority in terms of campus housing.

AMS VP External Cristina Ilnitchi emphasized the benefits of the plan for students, over two-thirds of whom commute to transit every day, according to UBC’s statistics.

“It matters a lot that this project happens,” Ilnitchi said. “ … We really want an interconnected network — we want the SkyTrain coming all the way to UBC and students taking the 41-B line off of campus.”

But not everyone is enthusiastic about the plan.

In a January 29 Tyee letter, UBC urban design professor and former mayoral candidate Patrick Condon renewed his opposition to the plan because it is “super expensive,” “not green” and “will accelerate unaffordability” for Vancouverites.

Some speakers at the meeting directly referenced his arguments, while noting that the process seems rushed.

In a previous interview with The Ubyssey, Condon also said that UBC should invest in building affordable rental housing on campus for students, faculty and staff instead.

“In the process, we could make this campus a fantastic place to be,” he said.

FIle T. GeORGe MCBURney-lIn

“Today is not approving the Skytrain to UBC. It is the first step to approving it.”

White responded then and reiterated at today’s meeting that building affordable housing and expanding rapid transit to campus are not exclusive from each other.

Currently, the project is still a long way from completion.

Following this endorsement, the plan will go to the Regional Mayors’ Council in February for directions on design

development. More work will then be done throughout 2019 and 2020 for design and business case planning.

The extension is also not yet funded, and the earliest completion date is pegged at 2030.

“Today is not approving the SkyTrain to UBC. It is the first step to approving it,” said Mayor Kennedy Stewart prior to the vote. u

FEB 8 7 PM

UBC vs WINNIPEG

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL FESTIVAL gothunderbirds.ca/thunderstruck

Culture

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 tuESDAY

eDITOR BRIDGET CHASE

6

west Coast vibes //

Sound House is bringing bonfires, beer and live music to the Haida House at the Museum of Anthropology Wustner is also working with students to create the programming, helping to further ensure that the performers will attract student interest.

The first Sound House event is on February 7, and will be kicking off with a line-up of local Afro-Cuban beats artists. Kutapira will be the first to grace the stage, with their five-piece percussion ensemble that blends sounds from Zimbabwe and West Africa. The night will then turn to the brassy sounds of Camaro 67, a 10-piece funk band.

“The bands are really excited about it, and that’s what gets me really pumped because when the artists are excited about the concept, they bring a really strong energy to the crowd,” Wustner said.

This first evening has already sold out all 100 tickets, so getting

COURTeSy MUSeUM OF anTHROPOlOGy

“There’s no reason why arts and culture has to feel inaccessible.”

bridget Chase Culture editor

The Museum the Anthropology (MOA) may conjure up ideas of tall ceilings, magnificent house posts and world-renowned art installations, but Marie Wustner, MOA’s new curator of public programming, has an additional vision: of bonfires, beer and live music in the Haida House.

Sound House, a new event series curated by Wustner, is bringing musicians and performers around to

the back of the museum where the house designed by Bill Reid sits.

“We’re not just opening up the Haida House, we’re putting stage lights in there, we’re bringing in full sound. [It is] the biggest object that the museum has … and we’re utilizing it in a way that we never have before on a regular basis.”

Wustner, who has worked as a professional artist and with youth, is excited to focus on making culture more welcoming for students on campus. Her vision for Sound House is a place where

into this exclusive event may prove difficult this time around.

But Sound House already has three other dates scheduled: March 7, April 4 and May 2. And while Wustner can’t announce the future line-ups just yet, she was able to give one hint for the next event.

“March 7 is specifically designed for International Women’s Day.” At its core, the goal for Sound House is to bring people from across the university together.

“It’s an opportunity to create a community across the broader UBC campus by having a backyard house party — everybody come as you are and celebrate arts and culture. … We’re on the West Coast, who doesn’t like music around a fire hanging out with their friends?” u

students feel like they can relax and “enjoy art and culture in a way that is really natural.”

“There’s no reason why arts and culture has to feel inaccessible [for people] who want to have a more low-key experience,” she said. “...

When I was in university, I spent so much of my time studying and trying to absorb knowledge that when it was time to relax, I wasn’t trying to necessarily learn. So when we’re trying to create programming for students, we need to be able to provide both environments.”

COURTeSy MUSeUM OF anTHROPOlOGy

breaking glass //

Die Zauberflöte is full of laughs and 18th-century bops

If you’re feeling like you want to class up your weekend, grab a few tickets to an upcoming UBC Opera.

hannah Feodorov Senior Staff Writer

As I enter the golden glow of the Chan Centre, I can hear the bustle of my fellow opera-goers and the familiar whine of tuning instruments. After an energetic

overture, the theatre goes dark and the simple stage is lit. With just four white pillars and a few wooden levels, the stage’s classical versatility gives the viewer muchneeded context for the odd mix of both Egyptian mythology and Greek fantasy that surround the

COURTeSy UBC OPeRa

lovers Pamina and Tamino. Though perhaps a bit sparkly, the opera’s costuming furthers the fantasy by throwing the audience into a magical world devoid of any concrete clues as to time period.

Written and composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

and Emanuel Schikaneder, Die Zauberflöte [The Magic Flute] serves as a reflection of Enlightenment-era ideals and the humanist movement.

While I and many modern viewers in the audience chuckled at more than a few of the opera’s outdated lyrics, it’s important to remember that the witty and subtly sarcastic deliverance of these lines is due to a modern interpretation by UBC’s opera ensemble. Many lines drawing on ideas of 18th century masculinity and femininity would have been accepted and laughed at

by Mozart’s audience — for much different reasons then the audience today. Themes such as the treachery of women, their fragility and their tendency towards moral corruption are the primary tests put before Prince Tamino and the bird-catcher Papageno.

However, UBC’s opera team is able to both stay true to the original while also continuing to bring on the giggles. The caricature of Sarastro’s infinite male wisdom is a sharp, if not traditionally dull contrast to the much more interesting and volatile Queen of the Night, whose dramatic and catchy songs left me humming all the way home. Unfortunately, the Queen of the Night’s daughter Pamina is eventually inducted into the cult-like following of her kidnapper Sarastro. A sad turn of events, which undoubtedly could

have been avoided if Pamina had murdered Sarastro and joined her mother on the dark side.

The undisputed star of Die Zauberflöte has always been Papageno, the comedic relief who’s naïve search for love keeps the audience engaged and on their toes throughout his often bouncy and light songs. Papageno’s humour and well-intentioned cowardice bridges the gap between the his master and straight-man, Tamino, and the clashing forces of good and evil which threaten the triumph of true love.

As someone who doesn’t consider herself particularly ‘cultured,’ I can understand why students may choose to shy away from attending lengthy operas. I myself find opera to be far more entertaining when it makes me laugh. But opera can and should be for everyone, not just for snobs!

After all, who doesn’t enjoy a good tale about cults, romance, evil parents and bird-like humans?

If you’re feeling like you want to class up your weekend, grab a few tickets to an upcoming UBC Opera and a couple drinks during intermission — and get ready to spend your night jamming to some 18th century stunners.

You may just pick up an opera habit. And that would be a pretty posh thing to brag about! u

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 tuESDAY | culture | 7 video storytelling //

Push Stories shares moving snapshots of UBC community diversity Hilary Leung Contributor

Telling tales of existential crises, coming out and being raised in a cult, Push Stories is a video series that provides a platform for UBC students and staff to share personal experiences about almost anything. If you’re a fan of candid storytelling but lack the attention span to sit through lengthy podcasts or documentaries, Push is a series for you.

Spawned by Kite Vancouver, a student-run, nonprofit organization empowering local change, Push Stories is a subproject by a group of UBC students that aims to promote wellbeing and a sense of community on campus through storytelling. After initially starting out a little rough as a rambling podcast, the project has developed into a series featuring sweet and short videos of students and staff. In sharing tales of identity, adversity, sexuality and more, Push celebrates the diversity of life experiences that can be found at UBC. Push producer and External Director for Kite Archie Stapleton, a third year philosophy major at UBC, explained why they began the project.

“We create videos to share experiences in the community and bring people closer together, make them feel less alone.”

Strangers you pass down Main Mall, the individual who sits next to you in class, people you stand amongst in a crowded bus or the friends you’ve supposedly known since first year — each person carries their own, unique narrative and many stories go untold.

Theresa Wong, a second-year arts student and Push producer, said that everyone has “parts of their lives that they don’t usually share because they just don’t come up.”

“We think UBC is a very big campus and there’s a lot of people,” said Wong. “We think often even

though there are a lot of people, we feel quite isolated and loneliness can be a big issue. We just hope that Push will be a way of sort of tackling that.”

The series exhibits a Humans of New York-esque vibe, highlighting the diverse experiences people on campus have to share. On their Facebook page, Push is a platform for individuals to unveil experiences of a wide variety through visually-stunning videos.

It encourages viewers to simply listen, peel deep into layers to discover what truly makes individuals, individuals.

“It’s really rewarding just to be able to have conversations with people that you usually wouldn’t have,” said Wong. “You’d be really surprised. Even people you consider your friends, that you think you know pretty well.”

The producers hope to release three new videos this semester, centred around themes such as new beginnings, coincidences, fame and liberation. The project is also expected to have an affiliation with the Life Building, with an entire wall dedicated to Push Stories and an installation of rotating images and quotes from submitted stories.

However, Stapleton and Wong are currently in need of interviewees and are open to hearing any interesting stories to share and feature in upcoming videos. In an enormous campus such as UBC, the producers underline that Push is merely a platform that “allows people to say whatever it is they want to say.”

“It tries to say that people have vastly different experiences, but we’re all here — studying, working, interacting together … Never judge a book by it’s cover, I suppose.” u To submit a story or get involved with Push Stories, email pushstoriesubc@gmail.com or send a message to the Push Stories Facebook page.

hot meals and warm hearts //

The event is not only an opportunity for the Sikh community to reach others but to strengthen the bonds within.

COURTESY UBC SSA

Langar brings the UBC Sikh community together to serve free meals for all Pheobe Chong Contributor

On January 25, a line formed up the stairs to the Nest’s lower atrium, leading up to another line of people wearing head covers and serving food. Mats lined the floor where people sat and ate together. Sounds of stringed instruments and singing floated above the usual hum of activity in the campus hotspot.

The Sikh Student Association of UBC in partnership with Guru Nanak’s Free Kitchen and Basics of Sikhi Canada hosted Langar Day for the second time this school year.

“Langar” means free meals for all and the Sikh community adopted this practice 550 years ago. While one can seek Langar at any Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, the SSA decided to bring Langar to campus.

“We’ve been trying to expose the concept of Langar outside of

the temples,” said Gurjot Singh, an organizer with the Basics of Sikhi Canada, “because it’s such a beautiful concept.”

During Langar, everyone sits on the same ground, eating the same food, despite their caste or background. Both men and women serve food, all of the food served is vegetarian and anyone who would like to is allowed to take part in the meal.

“It’s about equality in so many ways,” added Punar Kaur, a second year UBC student.

“We just want to show love and selflessness and serve other people,” said Singh. “Our aim isn’t to convert people, but we are trying to spread awareness.

I’ve had this conversation so many times: People say, ‘Why are Muslims serving food?’ Hold on, we aren’t Muslims, we’re Sikh. It’s a different faith. People don’t know what a Sikh is. With events like this, when people ask those questions, we can create

awareness.”

Attendees of the event seemed to agree that the essence of Langar was nothing but kindhearted. One student who was eating said, “There’s no imposition. ... It’s nice as a grad student to get a free meal.”

The event is not only an opportunity for the Sikh community to reach others but to strengthen the bonds within.

“As a kid, it was something we took for granted because we would go to the Gurdwaras and food was always being served,” said Punar Kaur, “but over time, something I have come to love is the moment before serving the community. The feeling of everyone coming together to prepare the food in the big kitchen.”

Another attendee said, “It’s nice having the things I do at home with my parents, also at UBC. The only difference is that I am with my friends.” u

While one can seek Langar at any Gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship, the SSA decided to bring Langar to campus.

COURTESY UBC SSA

Places to Go FEATURES

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 Tuesday

Editor moira wyton

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An unexpected enlightening in California Tanya Singh Contributor

In the haste of getting motivated by some Instagram travel bloggers and the “I am so done with exams” feeling, I found myself using my miles to book a one-way ticket to San Diego. This served two purposes: to find warmth that no amount of hot chocolate could provide here in Vancouver and fulfill the longing to put my summer clothes and swimsuit to use again.

But what I expected to do in this solo journey to California turned out to be very different from how it actually went. This trip had everything: admiring an abundance of nature, finding out the cheapest way to do pretty much anything, partying with people I barely knew and self-reflection.

As my plane landed in San Diego, I let go of my thick rain jacket and inhaled the warm and serene California air. It seemed like a relief to be here and I was just waiting to see what was in store for me: whether it would be dull and boring, or zestful and adventurous. The next day, I took a long walk around Little Italy in downtown. This led me to face one of my biggest challenges of social anxiety; to have lunch at a fine dining restaurant all alone. I thought I would be awkward and bored, but no. This was the exact time I overcame the fear and just felt grateful for being in that city, adoring the views and sounds of the local Italian market and music while enjoying my delicious meal.

After that, I headed towards a dog beach and spent a nice calm evening there in an attempt to even out my tan while having dogs lick my face and feet. Watching the sun set into the ocean from the Sunset Cliffs was an experience in its own. This got some positive energy running down me. With all the ocean air and salty hair, San Diego proved to be a very relaxing spot for a nature-lover like me.

But of course, this had to change as the next destination was Los Angeles. I got a whole different vibe as I reached the Union Station in LA, waiting for a bus to my hostel. The hustling crowd, the lit-up roads and the tall buildings made it all look poles apart from my peaceful stay in San Diego. I soon reached my hostel to find many other solo travellers like myself. The next morning, I took off with two of my roommates and headed to Malibu and Beverly Hills.

Needless to say, by the end of the day we had become the three amigos.

Back at the hostel, we met other residents who were playing drinking games and heading to a club nearby.

Of course, what followed was a lot of alcohol, sitting in a stranger’s van to reach the club and getting free champagne by making small talk with a random birthday girl. While walking back to our hostel, we all did the drunk Walk of Fame (NOT shame, luckily). The lessons learnt here were the art of being freespirited, of not having a plan and going with the flow.

Later, I took a bus from LA to San Francisco. Struggling with limited data and dealing with last minute

TANYA SINGH

bookings, I tried to plan a few ‘must do’ things in SF. However, nothing went as planned because Vancouver weather missed me a little too much and it began to rain heavily. My hostel roommate and I bonded over the shared disappointment, which led us to catch a movie together. Jason Momoa was surely a great help in improving our moods.

The following day, as I hiked up the steep roads of SF while

waiting for my train to Seattle, I realized a place is more than just its tourist attractions. There are a lot more stories one can tell based on just interactions with the people they meet and the spontaneous activities they do. Of course, coming from Vancouver, I did not expect to see a whole lot of difference in the cities, cuisines, culture and architecture, but it was the people who made the experience worthwhile.

Sightseeing and viewpoints were the agenda, but I came back with a little more. Carrying my stinking backpack around had taught me to live with the bare minimum and modelled me into becoming an easygoing individual. The trip enlightened me on working with a strict budget and trained me to think on my feet. Although I did hope to also learn how to manage my hair and skin in severe humidity — I guess it’s okay to leave that for next time. U

Happily unprepared in Colombia Tara Osler Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY TARA OSLER

Is there ever a ‘right time’ to make travel plans? I’ve always wondered if there’s a specific way to go about it — I like to start researching and scheduling way, way in advance. Ideally, I’ll be too prepared for whatever location I end up in. I need months to pick up the local language, map every driving route and psych myself up over every tourist scam available.

However, in March of my Grade 12 year, my best friends sauntered up to my bike with one question on their lips: “Hey, do you want to go to Colombia?”

Colombia had existed as this vague, nebulous concept in the back of my mind for years — my friend Stephanie was the child of Colombian immigrants and she would venture south every few years, only to return with trinkets and tales of crumbling colonial strongholds and idyllic beaches.

My mental picture of Colombia

was entirely contained within Stephanie — most of what I knew, she told me.

However, most people I knew had a very different view of that country. The civil war that plagued Colombia for over half a century defined the entire nation in the eyes of most Canadians, with good reason. The threat posed by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (known more commonly on this side of the equator as the FARC) was a serious consideration for any traveller in recent history. The reactions we received from our classmates split into two categories: “Aren’t you scared of the kidnappings?” or “Are you going to do cocaine?” Neither of these were true.

From the perspective of a traveller, it’s a nation on the rise with plenty of hidden secrets to offer those of us intrepid enough to seek them out, so when the idea was proposed that we should celebrate our graduation in Colombia, I immediately said yes. I had only a

short time to plan — a few months which were not nearly enough to pick up conversational Spanish, learn the entire history of the nation and get vaccinated against the various tropical viruses I was sure were lurking in every mosquito.

And yet, I said yes. Unprepared, under-informed and completely unsure of what I was getting myself into.

Our first stop after two arduous flights was the capital city of Bogotá, a sprawling metropolis nestled within the hills of the Andean highlands. Bogotá’s rapid urban expansion has turned it into a strange melange of space age glass skyscrapers and crumbling colonial houses, all forced into a tiny valley at an elevation of 8,660 feet. Bogotá feels breathless — whether it’s the fast-paced lifestyle that’s gripped the city or the heavy pollution at a high altitude, something about the city makes you forget to breathe.

Our first day trip from Bogotá took us to one of Colombia’s best-

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 tueSDAY | FEATURES | 9

kept secrets: La Catedral de Sal. It was initially described to me as a “church made of salt” — you can imagine the mental image that provides. I expected a little chapel chipped out of an old salt mine, with kitschy religious figurines.

Once again, I was underprepared and woefully misinformed.

The cathedral itself takes up the entire mine, with cavernous halls that stretch so far into the gloom that you can’t see the end.

The walls have bas-relief crosses hewn from the salt deposits that first drew miners to the region.

Every room is lit with black lights and the runny sounds of Ave Maria played over speakers echo in and out. The expanse of the cathedral felt like a subterranean city, complete with cafés, movie theatres, confession booths and gift shops.

We moved on to the highlands of the Cordillera Centrale, which contains one of Colombia’s few UNESCO world heritage sites.

Rather than designating a specific building as a heritage site, the entirety of Colombia’s coffeegrowing landscape has been given protected status. The Cordillera Centrale is how I imagined all of Colombia — a dense, Andean jungle, dotted with coffee plantations and groves of wax palms growing taller than any of the buildings. Nowadays, the little towns dotting the mountainsides are sprouting restaurants and guiding services, gift shops and

hip coffee shops that put Kitsilano to shame. Once in a while, you’ll even see a backpacker making their way through, armed with a Lonely Planet guide as they brave this newly emerging route.

The Cordillera Centrale felt to me like another planet — the jungle was full of strange birds and creepy crawlies, the tropical climate felt suffocating, and every time we walked into town, I was a fish out of water in all my backpacked, sunburned, no-hablo-español glory. However, every person we met treated us like a dear friend, suffering through my stumbling mispronunciations.

One of Colombia’s greatest strengths is its cultural and natural diversity. Of course, it has some of the highest rates of biodiversity in the world, but I am referring to the vast range of cultural experiences contained within a country about twice the size of my home of Alberta.

From the modern, cosmopolitan atmosphere of Bogotá to the wild jungle of the Cordillera Centrale, Colombia’s range of landscapes is unbelievable.

Further north from the capital, we came to Cartagena Las Indias, a former colonial stronghold on the Caribbean coast. Driving through the city I was convinced we had made a mistake — surely this was some old-world bastion in Spain, not the northern tip of South America? Cartagena’s stone walls contain a myriad of charms: from white-washed basilicas to pastel-

pink opera houses, the city’s particular flair resembles the French Quarter of New Orleans more than it does Bogotá. With begonias and frangipani spilling from window sills overlooking narrow, cobblestoned streets, Cartagena is a step back in time.

Every morning, we were hit with a wave of heat upon leaving the hotel, and every night we ran back to escape the thundering tempests that rolled in off of the Caribbean like clockwork at sunset, carrying with them lightning flashes so frequent you could capture them with your phone camera.

When I came home from Colombia, the questions everyone asked were the same: “Was it dangerous?,” “Were you scared?,” and as always, “Did you do cocaine?”

Now, I just shake my head and laugh when they ask. I understand that it can be hard to comprehend somewhere like Colombia: most of us grew up hearing about it only as one of those scary places they reference on CNN. I was scared before I left. I was terrified. I was haunted by thoughts of dengue fever and chikungunya virus, of armed militants and bombed out cities.

Even on the plane there, I was anxious — I didn’t feel prepared or informed, or ready in any sense — but there was no turning back form the greatest adventure I have embarked on to date.

I have never been happier in my life to be so misinformed. U

OPINIONS

10

FEBRUARY, 2019 Tuesday

Editor TRISTAN WHEELER

who you gonna call? //

Ask Pawan: I ghosted someone and now I see him everywhere Pawan Minhas Advice Columnist

Dear Pawan, I ghosted a guy a few months ago, and now I feel like I see him all the time. We went out a few times, but I realized I wasn’t interested and I didn’t have the courage to tell him.

Any recommendations for how to move past this and all the awkward eye-contact? What can I do to make the situation better?

— A Very Guilty Ghosty McGhoster Ghosting and how to deal with it has been something people have been grappling with for centuries, whether your lecture crush stopped tagging you in memes or thine dearest Jean-Elizabeth doth not reply to repeated pigeonparchments. For the unknowing, “ghosting” is when you hold semi-regular contact with someone — whether you’ve been virtually chatting or been on a few dates — and then one person suddenly drops off. No contact can be initiated, no signals are returned, the line is dead.

Variations exist; being consistently being left on “read” means that you are dealing with a more corporeal spirit, but a ghost nonetheless.

People ghost for all kinds of reasons, validity varying, but if you find the sour taste of ghosting is something you regret, here’s a few tips on resurrecting a spirit.

My primary piece of advice would have been to rip the bandage off quick, where you tell the other party that you’re not interested, faceto-face. It’s clear to see that there are some caveats to that plan. First and foremost is safety when facing the reaction of the other person — they can range from normal acceptance and closure to unjustified anger and those weird dudes who punch walls.

Needless to say, ghosting the latter is certainly something to consider.

For your particular problem, though, reappearing in the other person’s DMs means you run the risk of both implying you’re not interested by ghosting in the first place, then reaffirming you’re not interested by explicitly stating so, months out from last contact. This puts you in a sticky situation.

Thanks in equal part to social media, memes and articles by The Ubyssey, ghosting is a term firmly planted in the social zeitgeist, where anyone without a Motorola Razr knows what it means. This increases the likelihood that your ghosting was picked up and received as a message of disinterest. The fact that you have seen the ghostee and it’s been a few months means that you’re just about clear of them launching any emotional tirades in real life or your Canvas inbox. This means mission accomplished in what you’ve set out to do, though the aftermath is perhaps the hardest part of going ghost.

Whether you see them in class, around your neighbourhood, at No Frills or during underwater hockey, we tend to date within the circles we swim in and that also means more contact is inevitable. This seems like the

MAGED

“People ghost for all kinds of reasons.”

bit that you’ve found the most difficulty in, though from your query I see two options presented to you, neither of which will be particularly easy. The first option is to dive deep into the ghosting and bring it into the real world.

This means total ignorance of the other person’s presence and negating all opportunities to catch the other person’s eye. This option is prone to leaving a bad taste in one’s mouth and certainly won’t do wonders for your guilty conscience, so I cannot say I recommend it.

The second, more emotionally sensitive tactic is to willingly approach an awkward conversation. If you see this person frequently enough that it weighs on you, there is a fair chance that there’s some curiosity in their head, too. This mutual question mark means that striking up an elevator conversation about anything, literally anything, can do wonders for easing a bit of that pressure. You both recognize what’s happened, you both realize that a conversation is going to be awkward, but showing a bit of humility and putting yourself out there by starting a chat means that you’re showing remorse for not being upfront in the first place.

The guilt one feels about ghosting can usually be attributed to the ghost wondering how much it would suck to be the ghostee, when it comes to unrequited feelings. I’m not saying that you should keep dating someone when you’re not into them, more that ghosting is an unfortunate way for a person to find out that a relationship isn’t working well. In situations where “no” may not be received calmly or rationally, ghosting can certainly be a viable tool, though this is not an area where I will make any generalizations. In the situation you describe, though, it seems more that the relationship lacked much affection and that’s a

valid reason to break things off, though also an instance where both parties would’ve benefitted from a bit more closure. This is where you resurrecting this ghost will be your best option, and I’m willing to risk sounding like a broken record in saying that it will be awkward. Guilt on your end, uncertainty on the other, these are things that — even if the relationship itself didn’t

mean much — can really set in on someone’s mind and change how you approach dating in general. To counteract this is to face the music with a strong chin, because even if you talk to the ghosted about the weather outside or the last week’s women’s hockey game, it can go a long way to reassure them that they didn’t do anything terrible and, in turn, can alleviate some guilt on your end. As my grade nine

health teacher Ms. Dover said: “When in doubt, talk it out.” If all else fails though, break out the Ouija board and get down to some real “ghosting” — maybe JeanElizabeth has some tips? U Uni problems? Unique answers.

Send in any questions, comments or queries you have to our anonymous form at ubyssey.ca/advice, or email advice@ubyssey.ca!

Notice of Development Permit Application - DP 19001

Public Open Houses Pacific Residences

Join us on Tuesday, February 26 to view and comment on a new student housing project to be located adjacent to the existing Gage Residences along Wesbrook Mall and Student Union Boulevard.

Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2019 Times: 11:30am - 1:00pm 4:30pm - 6:30pm Place: Concourse, UBC Life Building, 6138 Student Union Blvd.

Plans will be displayed for five student housing buildings approximately totalling 34,500m2. The project will comprise up to 970 student beds; office space for Student Housing and Hospitality Services; and associated amenity and service spaces.

Representatives from the project team and Campus + Community Planning will be available to provide information and respond to inquiries about this project.

Information and opportunities for input on improvements to Walter Gage Road between Wesbrook Mall and East Mall will also be provided.

For further information: Please direct questions to Karen Russell, Manager, Development Services karen.russell@ubc.ca 604-822-1586 This event is wheelchair accessible.

Can’t attend in person?

Online feedback on the Pacific Residences will be accepted until March 5, 2019. To learn more or to comment on this project, please visit: planning.ubc.ca/vancouver/projects-consultations

FROM THE BLOG

FEBRUARY 5, 2019 tuesday

Editor Tristan Wheeler

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libations //

guilt //

Which UBC buildings would we share a beer with if we could?

The Dingbat: Sign up for Bring Your Parents to School Day!

FILE GEOFF LISTER

The Buchanans are like the friends that aren’t really your friends.

Olivia Johnson Staff Writer

UBC is full of diverse buildings, each with a unique history. Choosing one to have a beer with is surprisingly easy though, given some are a bit spicier than others.

First, I’d have to stay clear of the Henry Angus building.

Not only does the interior reek of overconfidence and stress, it also seems to be filled with people looking for competition.

Grabbing a cold one with Sauder would probably result in me spilling some secrets only to be used against me later in life.

Also, I don’t want to be taken too seriously and discuss my finances as we splurge on a couple rounds.

Nor wear a suit. Though this may seem stereotypical, I’m pretty sure it’s accurate.

Forestry would be amazing to chat with. It probably has a collection of past adventurous stories to share and is always dressed super comfortably and practically. The beers would be accompanied by a little joint or two and we would bond over conversations about the future.

Plus, the aesthetic vibes make this building worth walking to in the first place.

The Buchanans are like the friends that aren’t really your friends, but you hang out with them anyways. They’re a cluster of buildings that can’t be separated, and inevitably would probably all go to the bathroom at the same time. That being said, I want to know why all our classes are here.

Who is Buchanan? Why is this person so revolutionary that they even have their own tower looking down on its subparts? I’d have to say I would want to get Buch a bit tipsy too and find out when renovations are happening because we don’t constantly want to be transported back to high school when we walk through those locker-lined hallways every day.

The Life Science building would be chill, too. Like a popular and extremely stoked person, this building seems great to visit and is always the hub for networking individuals. But after a beer or two, I would probably go home and cry since I didn’t get into the medical school it houses.

And finally, I’d like to grab a beer with Tallwood. I have to admit, I’m curious if it lives up to its name. Cheers. U

Tristan Wheeler Blog & Opinion Editor

This upcoming Thursday is the most stressful day of the semester: Bring Your Parents to School Day. On Thursday, bring your parents and/or legal guardian to the University of British Columbia’s gleaming, gilded campus and show them what it really means for you to be spending all their money to live your dream!

The administration has prepared an engaging itinerary for students and parents alike to enjoy. To start the day, there will be the compulsory orientation workshop for parents where we’ll be running down what it means to be at UBC, as a lot of them are unfamiliar with the complicated structure of a modern university campus. There will be a presentation on the fact that it’s okay to not understand what their child is studying and that when walking around campus you shouldn’t point at “unusual” looking people and remark on their piercings. Don’t worry though, this never sticks.

After the four-hour orientation workshop, students and their parents will be allowed to wander around campus, pointing out fun landmarks like the Ladner clock tower or a building with lots of windows.

This is great for students who like to distract their parents from the alcohol consumption that is causing their grades to fall dramatically.

Lots of students like to show off the sleek, modern Nest, coupled with reassurances that they and their friends are constantly having

After the four-hour orientation workshop, students and their parents will wander around campus.

fun together there. This is a common occurrence for the whole tour. Students feel the need to let their parents know that they have lots of friends. This is actually one of the biggest points of discussion for the day. Typically, the only friends these students have are their roommates.

After the campus tour, students will go to their classes.

We recommend the students bring their parents to their most rigorous class, but it seems that most students make the mistake of bringing their parents to their “fun” elective. These “fun” classes are never fun for parents and

usually lead them to roll their eyes for 50 whole minutes. Most parents will send a concerned text to a friend or family member reading, “Why am I paying $529.35 for them to watch a movie?”

The final event on the docket for the day is the jobs fair. All the parents and students will gather in the auditorium and just go through career prospects related to each topic of study. It will begin with engineering and make its way to classical studies, outlining hireability, qualifications and longterm income in great — almost too much — detail. If the workshop is successful, most students will

FILE ELIZABETH WANG

feel absolutely comfortable in the fact that they’re letting down their parents in every way imaginable.

If Bring Your Parent to School Day interests you or your parents, act fast! Sign-up closes this upcoming Thursday and slots are quick to fill up as parents have little better to do.

Also, keep your eyes open this spring because we will be bringing back our extremely popular “Pet a Grad Student” event. U The Dingbat is The Ubyssey’s humour column. You can submit completed pieces or pitches to Angela O’Donnell at a.odonnell@ ubyssey.ca.

out clubbin’ //

What you would actually have to give me to join your club

I need something unique and useful to persuade me that your $20 membership is worth buying.

Johann Cooper Staff Writer

Most clubs featured in Clubs Days last month have, yet again, fallen victim to primitive bribery as a means of acquiring new members for the end of the year.

It’s understandable — being one of 20 dance clubs on campus can make it hard to stand out among

the competition. That said, a hand-painted pen with your club’s logo on it and a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos® is not enough to get me to join your electro-funk Korean Braille-reading club.

I need something unique and useful to persuade me that your $20 membership is worth buying if I’m only planning on attending the first meeting.

FILE INDIANA JOEL

If you want me to join your club I’m going to need a signed guarantee that my newfound skills will have any practical use.

It’s undeniably impressive to be able to bust out an angelic falsetto or master the fancy footwork of traditional salsa, but all this is wasted if it is never seen. Breaking out in song in IKB or dancing amid the traffic of Main Mall

has continually failed to garner the High School Musical-esque reactions I was anticipating. Either your club needs to reestablish the cultural norms around spontaneous musical performances or teach me a less invasive way of conveying my newfound talents.

Should you find yourself as a recruiter for a language group, I am going to need, at minimum, the proper legal documentation that would allow me to enter and exit the country of the language’s origin. The reason for this basic request goes back to this same idea of practicality and usability. As an active member of my high school’s Spanish club, I found barging into Taco Bell and ordering in Spanish to be neither an effective means of reinforcing my new language skills nor conveying my order to a Canadian-raised, Anglophone cashier. It is through this experience that I have deemed a passport from Mexico, or at the very least Puerto Rico, as the only proper means to practicing what I learned in the club.

And last, but certainly not least, are intramural sports leagues. You may be expecting me to make some outlandish request for a personal trainer or guaranteed play time but all of that is wholly miscalculated.

Nothing needs be changed about the recruitment tactics of these clubs. I am a sucker for praise and the promise of being UBC’s next big dodgeball celebrity is always enough to get my name and email on a sheet of paper. U

SCIENCE

february 5, 2019 tuesday

Editor JAMES VOGL

12

unmet Demand //

UBC Rural Evidence Review aims to identify highest-priority health needs in rural BC communities

Many residents in rural communities have to travel to other communities for general and specialized care, but this process has its own challenges.

Alex Nguyen News Editor

As BC continues to face gaps within its rural healthcare system, UBC researchers are working to amplify rural communities’ perspectives in high-level planning processes.

Since starting a year ago, the group of researchers working on the Rural Evidence Review (RER) project has been surveying rural residents from across the province on their experiences and priorities accessing healthcare. Newspapers from communities ranging from Revelstoke to Fort Nelson have been calling for participation from their local residents.

For RER Co-Director Dr. Jude Kornelsen, it’s this grassroots approach that differentiates the project from the numerous studies that have already been done about rural healthcare.

According to Kornelsen, previous systemic reviews have seen large influence from health authorities while the team now wants to engage mainly with on-the-ground stakeholders. She added that most studies she has seen also tend to come from an urban focus, losing some nuances about rural populations — which include numerous Indigenous communities — along the way.

“Rural is not just small urban,” said Kornelsen.

As the co-director of the UBC department of family practice’s Centre for Rural Health Research, she has researched rural healthcare needs extensively.

“And you can’t really group them together. ‘If you’ve seen one rural community, you’ve seen one rural community’ is something that we often say,” she added.

Edward Staples — a lead of the BC Rural Health Network (BCRHN), which provides support for RER’s research — agreed with Kornelsen. In fact, he said this is

represented in BCHRN’s structure itself, which brings together 16 autonomous organizations working in 14 different communities.

Structural gaps But they both identified similar issues when asked about structural problems that have been plaguing rural communities in BC: shortages of practitioners and inadequate transportation.

As of January 23, RER has received around 500 survey responses, with most of them coming from communities within the Northern Health and Interior Health Authorities. While the team is just starting the first round of analysis, Kornelsen predicts that the concern is going to be “first and foremost about access to [practitioners] across the board.”

“Across the province, the supply of healthcare professionals in pretty much every area cannot meet the demand,” said Staples.

“Some communities are luckier than others because they have been working for quite a while to try to address the concerns of shortages.

But there are several communities that are in a crisis situation in terms of the service that’s available to them.”

For instance, the CBC recently reported that Peachland — a community in the Okanagan Valley with over 5,000 residents — will soon lose all four of its local physicians.

As a result, many residents have to travel to other communities for general and specialized care.

But this process has its own challenges, such as how to ensure reliable transportation. Greyhound cancelled service in western Canada last October.

“In Vancouver, you can walk into a walk-in clinic … If you don’t have a family physician in a rural community, that’s a whole different

ball game,” Kornelsen said. “… [There are] concerns about emergency transport but also concerns about non-urgent transport. For example, getting to the regional referral centre where people might have to travel two or three hours over a treacherous road … that’s almost insurmountable to do.”

But amidst discussion about the challenges, she was also quick to highlight the resilience of rural communities and physicians.

“I think that communities out of necessity have been able to come up with a really innovative solution,” she said. “… Without a doubt, the providers in rural communities tend to be the ones that are excited in working to [their] full scope of practice and they provide comprehensive care, which is fantastic.”

From review to policy Currently, the team is still collecting responses for the survey about healthcare priorities while starting to analyze the first round of its other surveys. It is also working with an expert panel comprised of individuals from health authorities, professional associations and the ministry of health to determine a few approaches that would align the review with provincial priorities.

Ultimately, Kornelsen hopes that by the end of the four-year process, the team would be able to use the project’s findings and focus on rural voices to inform policy discussion and planning. “[Rural residents] are on the front line, they know what the important things are,” she said. “ … I think that more and more people are including the vantage point of citizens and on-theground patients in the analysis of what they’re doing, and I think this is a really necessary direction to be taking.”

Staples hopes that the review will “provide BCRHN with the ammunition” to push for a concerted effort from different provincial bodies — postsecondary schools, professional associations and the provincial government — toward addressing the shortage in medical professionals.

“The communities across the province spend a large amount of time trying to develop recruitment programs, but they are rather pointless if there’s nobody available to actually recruit,” he said.

ALEX VANDERPUT

“And if you’re just robbing Peter to pay Paul in your recruitment efforts, it’s unfair to those communities that don’t have the same level of resources as others.”

And like Kornelsen, he stressed the need to centre rural voices in the process.

“There needs to be a dialogue that takes place between all of the stakeholders and especially the communities because ultimately, communities understand what the needs are,” Staples said.

“And until we do that, I think this problem with recruitment is not going to change.” U

Want to make a difference at UBC? Get involved with student government! The AMS Elections are accepting nominations until Friday, February 15 at 12pm.

Find your forms at ams.ubc.ca/elections or outside the AMS ofďŹ ce on the 3rd oor of the Nest.

sPorts+reC

FeBRUaRy 5, 2019 tuESDAY

eDITOR LUCY FOX

reCaP //

Weekend rundown: Hat tricks, snapped streaks and title repeats

Fixtures Chase Clayton notched his first career hat trick Saturday night.

James vogl Science editor

For those who wasted four hours of their Sunday watching what may have been the most boring Super Bowl in recent memory, fear not! While there was a whole lot of nothing going on in Atlanta, it was a much more eventful weekend for a host of Thunderbird teams. The weekend brought a bit of a mixed bag for UBC squads, nevertheless it was a productive weekend for the ’Birds.

from consistent performer Jadon Cohee, UBC was unable to contain Golden Bears power forward Brody Clarke, who put up a double-double and a career-high 40 points.

The Canada West number-two T-Birds have a first-round bye in the playoffs, so their first showing will be a three-game home stand in the quarterfinal round from February 14 to 16. They also moved down to third in Canada West for playoff standings and will face the secondhighest-ranked remaining seed after the games coming up this weekend.

rugby Cleans uP in abbotsFord

Clayton’s got a brand-new hat

After a series sweep at the University of Alberta two weeks ago, the T-Birds entered the weekend at the top of the Canada West tournament standings for Rugby 7s. They went 2-1 on Saturday in their opening game at the University of Fraser Valley-hosted tournament — and despite the windy and snowy conditions, they only improved upon that performance on Sunday.

They overcame early deficits in their first and third games and put up an impressive 50-0 scoreline against Fraser Valley in their second.

Although their lead has narrowed to just two points, the T-Birds remain atop the cumulative tournament standings going into the final series, which will be held at UBC on March 2 and 3.

It was an especially eventful weekend for men’s hockey forward Chase Clayton, who notched his first career hat trick Saturday night on home ice as the UBC squad faced off against the Manitoba Bisons.

Clayton’s goals, plus strikes by Tyler Sandhu, Adam Rossignol and Colton Kehler, were good for a commanding 6-2 victory over Manitoba. After a 0-2 loss to the Bisons Friday night, the ’Birds came roaring back with solid performances from both their offensive and defensive sides.

Going into their final regular season games next weekend having already clinched a playoff spot, the Thunderbirds stand at 12-12-2.

golden bears snaP men’s basketball win streak

traCk and Field rePeats PaCiFiC world CuP PerFormanCe at harry Jerome

A pair of losses to the University of Alberta this weekend added a blemish to what, having gone undefeated for 16 games, was a previously spotless 17-1 record for the Thunderbirds. Despite 25 points

Following a strong showing last weekend, UBC track and field had a dominant performance at the Harry Jerome Indoor Games at the Richmond Oval. On the women’s side, first-year Sienna Lalonde

SalOMOn MICkO BenRIMOH

won the 600-metre with a time of 1:34.3. Mikayla Tinkham took second place in the 1,500-metre with a time of 4:40.08, trailing the first-place finisher by just four onehundredths of a second.

The men’s team saw standout performances from Paul Fisher, who took second place in the 600-metre with a time of 1:24.45, and from Kenneth Schultze, whose time of 8.44 was good for second place in the 60-metre hurdles.

At the end of the day, the team’s performance was good enough for their fourthconsecutive Pacific World Cup, awarded to the best-performing university team of the meet.

women’s hoCkey sPlits otFilled series in winniPeg Still on the hunt for a playoff berth, the UBC women played a hardfought series against the University of Manitoba Bisons that saw both games extend past the end of regulation time.

Things wouldn’t go the Thunderbirds’ way on Friday night, as Bison Natasha Kostenko found the net 2:30 into the first overtime period. Undeterred, on Saturday, the ’Birds slugged it out against a strong Manitoba side, taking the lead 2-1 with a power play goal from Hannah Koroll with 9:33 to go in the third. With the clock winding down, another Bison strike by Kostenko tied the contest with just three seconds remaining. After two scoreless overtime periods, a shootout goal from UBC’s Mathea Fischer finally put the contest to bed, snapping Manitoba’s seven-game win streak.

The win puts them in third in Canada West, with one weekend left of regular season play. u

Sport

Home

Score

Away

Ice Hockey (W)

Manitoba

3-2

UBC

Basketball (W)

Alberta

84-73

UBC

Basketball (M)

Alberta

85-75

UBC

Ice Hockey (M)

UBC

0-2

Manitoba

Friday, February 1

Saturday, February 2 Ice Hockey (W)

Manitoba

2-3

UBC

Rugby 7s

UBC

27-14

Alberta

Rugby 7s

UBC

57-7

UBC Okanagan

Basketball (W)

Alberta

85-90

UBC

Field Hockey (M)

UBC

2-1

India FHC

Rugby 7s

UBC

5-26

Victoria

Basketball (M)

Alberta

87-79

UBC

Rugby (M)

UBC

32-14

Castaway Wanderers RFC

Ice Hockey (M)

UBC

6-2

Manitoba

Sunday, February 3 Rugby 7s

UBC

15-7

Calgary

Rugby 7s

Fraser Valley

0-50

UBC

Rugby 7s

UBC

15-10

Lethbridge

14

february 5, 2019 tuESDAY | Sports+rec | 15 NAMES TO NOTE //

January’s Athlete of the Month: Women’s hockey goaltender Tory Micklash

Pawan Minhas Senior Staff Writer

Breaking Canada West records.

Shutting out the country’s best.

Brushing breakaways off with ease — and she’s got two years left. A mildmannered third-year kinesiology student in class, but out comes a stellar goalie with quick hands and a quicker mind once she hits the ice.

She’s one of the hottest names in university sports right now and our athlete of the month: Tory Micklash.

The Mind of Micklash If you saw Micklash walking down Agronomy Road, it probably wouldn’t hit you that you’re seeing one of the West’s best goaltenders passing by. Standing at 5’5”, she doesn’t have the most imposing figure. But that’s what makes her record even more impressive — in a position where height is usually a major bonus, Micklash still thrives.

On the ice, her head is on a quick swivel, constantly scanning for opponents, teammates and of course, that small rubber disk hurtling towards her with malicious intent. Whether predicting where to put her blocker or simulating where the blocker would rebound a shot, her mind is running on overtime when she’s in the crease and she’s got the record to show for it. Boasting a .949 save percentage and 1.07 goals against average, Micklash is a mainstay in the upper echelons of U Sports hockey.

For the UBC starter, goaltending wasn’t even her initial start in the game.

Small Town Start Micklash’s hockey career started in her home of East St. Paul, a sleepy borough just outside Winnipeg, where she was tearing up the ice since age five.

Micklash playing in net for the Thunderbirds.

“My brother played, my dad played growing up, so it was just something that was always part of the family,” she said.

It turns out most of her hockey memories and inspirations come back to her family and their support over the years. Along with getting her comfortable on the ice, Micklash also credits her family as the ones who got her into the net in the first place. With both her father and grandfather playing in net in their own time, netminding was hardly a foreign concept to the family, but Micklash attributed one special influence on giving her that push into the posts.

“Me and my brother used to play ball hockey on the street for hours on end. I think that’s … also the reason why I got into being a

goalie, is he always wanted to be the shooter. Someone had to stop the ball.”

And there you have it: a recordbreaking shot-blocker beginning with a bit of a ball-hogging brother.

Drive When you’re a student trying to attend lectures, keep up with friends, stay healthy and cobble together something to put on a résumé, you’ll probably find some of your focus slipping, now and again. For Micklash and the T-Birds, they’re facing all that plus near-daily workouts, grueling drills and missed classes while flying to exotic lands like Edmonton, with its stunning palette of greys and greys. When speaking to the drive

COURTESY RICH LAM/ UBC ATHLETICS

that kept her going long after that backyard puck in East St. Paul, Tory gives credit to the Micklash clan in a way that has this hockey columnist looking to see who’s cutting onions.

“It just seemed like a really good way to connect with [my dad and grandpa]. And it’s ... strengthened our relationship, because obviously, it’s tough to connect with a five year old, I would imagine, as a father … so I felt like it really gave us something to connect on growing up and just bonded us.”

The Future, Near and Far With the regular season winding down and the ’Birds poised to hit the national stage, Micklash shows an easygoing attitude that reiterates

that alongside her bulletproof commitment to her team, she truly has fun when she is on the ice.

Where March spells cram sessions and fervent caffeine intake for most students, this goaltender holds a distinct glint of excitement to see the ’Birds take on the nation and see who comes up with a medal.

Micklash’s confidence is backed up by the affection she holds for the folks she has at the rink. “[The team’s] very familyoriented and we have a really strong culture and it’s very welcoming and I felt that from day one.”

Beyond March, beyond this year and beyond UBC in general, Micklash shows the same vulnerability present in just about every student who has walked these streets: uncertainty. When you’re looking at the players skating quickly and hitting hard, you might forget that you’re looking at a regular student under padding and a jersey. As a kinesiology student who loves her sport, Micklash wants to continue her life in a way that merges those two worlds. But as for how that will turn out, who’s to say? It’s an odd comfort to be found in the fact that there exists real, phenomenal talent at UBC, but when it comes to figuring out how to direct that talent and passion, everyone’s in a similar boat.

Micklash might be carving the ice up right now, but a glimpse into the future could see her as a coach, a schoolteacher or just about anything else under the sun. Undoubtedly, what matters to her right now is keeping things tight with both her families and seeing where the path goes, and it seems to be a good path to follow, regardless. One thing is for sure, though: whoever comes skating through that path afterwards for the Thunderbirds is sure to see the numerous marks that could’ve only been left by #31, Tory Micklash. U

beyond varsity //

UBC’s Margaret Pham makes senior team debut for Field Hockey Canada

Pham playing in Canada’s 4-3 loss to China.

Lucy Fox Sports Editor

Another UBC women’s field hockey player has made the senior national team cut.

The women’s national program

Courtesy Tristan Urry/ Field Hockey Canada

began their Olympic qualifying season two weekends ago with a trip to Panzhihua, China for a threeweek tour that includes six capped test matches. Usual national team suspects and UBC alumni including fifth-year goalkeeper Rowan Harris

were all in attendance, alongside several current UBC up-and-comers including Jordyn Faizcak, Sara Goodman and Thora Rae from the junior development program.

It was a particularly remarkable weekend for one other UBC player: Margaret Pham.

She earned her first senior cap over the weekend in game five in the team’s series against China.

Though the team lost 4-3, the moment is still a major milestone in the third-year’s field hockey career.

“Getting my first senior cap this tour felt so surreal as I have been dreaming of this moment since joining the senior squad in 2016,” Pham said in a statement to The Ubyssey.

“I remember my coach announcing my name the night before the game and just being in shock. I felt so proud that all my hard work had finally paid off and I felt really valued

by all my teammates who were just as ecstatic as I was. There were definitely a couple tears of happiness that night, but the next day, although I was nervous, I felt energized and ready to play ... This experience means so much to me as it validates my perseverance and hard work and represents just the beginning of an ongoing journey.”

UBC head coach Poonam Sandhu was equally as excited for one of her most prolific players.

“We are all so proud of the hard work and commitment these girls have shown this past year with the Thunderbirds, so it’s great to see them thriving on the international stage as well,” Sandhu said of those on her roster playing at the national level, in a statement to The Ubyssey.

“Margaret is a great leader for us on and off the field, and is very dedicated to her development.

Our team is beyond thrilled for Margaret who played in her first

international game this month in China. We know this is just the beginning for Margaret and her career with the national team!”

Sandhu continued about the UBC foward’s debut.

“As a coach, you are always looking for ways to help support your athletes to become the best, and we hope to continue to support Margaret and the rest of the athletes involved with the national program.”

Pham has been on the UBC roster since the 2016/17 season and has consistently been one of the team’s goal-scoring leaders.

In the 2017/18 season, Pham led the entire Canada West conference with five goals scored, a title she shared with teammate Meghan Hayden.

With two years of eligibility left at UBC, Pham joins a growing core of UBC next generation in Thunderbird field hockey which includes the likes of Rae, Goodman and Faiczakou. U

16 | GAMES | tuESDAY FeBRUaRy 5, 2019

COURTeSy BeSTCROSSWORDS.COM

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