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 AMS
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BYSSEY
Find out why on page 3
February 24,2009 \ www.ubyssey.ca
breaking jaws and drinking smoothies since 1918 \ volume xc, number 39
UBC's official student newspaper is published Tuesdays and Fridays
Behind the scenes!
look on Page 51
Exclusive online
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■www.ubyssey.ca
I Incest, murder and
general pettiness.
Part 2 2    EVENTS
THE UBYSSEY    WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
Events
If you have an event, e-mail us at events@ubyssey.ca
Action - Camera: Beijing Performance Photography • Examines
the trajectory from the discreet
underground performance art
community centered in Beijing's
"East Village" in the early 1990s,
to a current internationally recognized practice. • January 16, 2009
10:00am - Mon, April 20, 2009
11:00am, For further information
please contact: Naomi Sawada at
naomi.sawada@ubc.ca, tel: (604)
822-3640, or fax: (604) 822-6689,
or take a look at www.be/kinart-
gallery.com/_email/_main_belkin/
Action Camera/*
February 24
Annuals with Jessica Lea May-
field and special guests. * Tuesday, February 24 2009. 8:00 pm.
$13 advance tickets at Ticketweb,
Zulu, Outpost. 19+ event. UBC Pit
Pub. •
Jewish and Mulsim Students
Repair the World • Bringing
together Vancouver Hillel's Jewish
Students Association (JSA) and the
Ismaili Students Association (ISA),
working together on behalf of a
range of charities. Events include
Little Traveller Doll sales to benefit
AIDS-affected women in South
Africa, UBC Food Bank benefit sale
of chai tea sales and collection of
non-perishable food items, Save A
Child's Heart cookie sales to raise
money for heart surgery for Developing World children, Creating
get-well cards for patients at Children's Hospital, Bathtub Project-
Collecting toiletries for women's
shelters in the Vancouver area. •
Wednesday Feb 25 to Friday Feb
27, SUB all day. for more info
contact Pat Johnson, Director of
Communications, Vancouver Hillel
Foundation, at 604-224-4748 (office) or 604-340-9940 (cell). •
First Nations Student Association
Item Swap & Chili Lunch Fundraiser • Come and recycle your
items and join us for a longhouse-
made lunch. All proceeds go to
the First Nations Student Association for future events. • Wednesday, February 25, 12pm-3:00pm,
Sty-wet-tan, First Nations House of
Learning •
Overwhelmed On-Line? Let
delicious and iGoogle get you
organized • Get yourself updated
and hear about some of the latest
web tools! You will also learn how
to set up accounts, get familiar
with basic features and rediscover
the joy of exploring the world
wide web. • Wednesday, Febru-
ary 75. 7009 1pm-3pm. Terrace	
Lab (4th floor), School of Library,
Archival and Information Studies,
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre,
for more information www.tag.
ubc.ca/programs/series-detail.
php7series_id=320 •
Solving the Economic Crisis:
Does Religion Have a Role? *
New understandings of the role of
religion could assist us in makings
the adjustments that humanity
requires to make to avoid some
of the looming catastrophes of
our times. • Wednesday February
25, 2009 5:30pm-?':00pm, Buch
A205, for more info email ubc.
abs@gmail.com •
The Do's and Don'ts of Portfolio
Development • Providing regular
opportunities for presentations,
discussion, resource sharing,
and networking for the Portfolio
community at UBC. • Wednesday
February 25, 2009 1:30-3:00pm,
www. tag. ubc. ca/programs/series-
detail.php7series_id=308 •
Quantum of Solace • T"There's
something horribly efficient about
you. "What is a quantum of solace
anyway? Continuing right after
Casino Royale Bond is on his
own now. And he's still all mixed
up about that chick.... • Wed,
February 25- Sun, March 1, 2009,
7:00pm, Norm Theatre, cost $2
membership, $4 non-member
www. ams. ubc. ca •
Valkyrie • "You can serve Germany, or the Fuhrer. Not both!"
True story: Hitler narrowly avoided
assassination by a few of his
own generals. Tom Cruise brings
the thetans in this historical recreation. • Wed, February 25- Sun,
March 1, 2009, 9:30pm, Norm
Theatre, cost $2 membership, $4
non-member www.ams.ubc.ca •
jruarv 26
What Makes a Good Product
Idea: A Highly Opinionated
View presented by TEC-UBC •
Geof Auchinleck has 25 years
experience in the development
of medical devices. Along the
way he has come up with some
good and many bad ideas for new
products. Drawing on his experience in the medical device field,
he will describe some of the hard
lessons he's learned about good
product ideas and bad product
ideas and how you can tell the
difference. • February 26th, 2009
5pm-6:00pm, Hennings 202, free
pizza •
Socrates on Trial • "Steve Wexler,
Professor, UBC Faculty of Law, wil
read his new colloquial translation
of "Plato's Apology." • Thursday,
February 26, 7:00pm, Regent Col-
lege Chapel. 5800 Boulevard »	
Corona presents: Hot Hot Hot
Heat w/Bend Sinister • This is a
free show brought to you by the
nice folks at Carona. Arrive early
to get optimal location. • Thursday, February 26, 2009. 8:00pm.
FREE. 19+ event. UBC Pit Pub. •
February 2/
Iranian Women's Movement for
Equality and Freedom in 1979 * A
presentation by UBC Students for
Equality and Freedom in Middle
East. Includes a 12 minute documentary film of women's protests
for equal rights in March 1979 in
Tehran. • Friday February 27 at
5:30pm Student Union Building
Room 214. •
UBC Engineering Open House:
Explore Engineering * Head
to the moon and back with
Thunderbird Robotics student
team... Meet Rosie the Robot!
Play with silly putty and other cool
materials! Understand how your
drinking water is cleaned... Hear
from Engineers Without Borders
Students, how to become a Globa
Engineer... Shake it up and learn
about earthquakes! Discover the
societal benefits of Formula One
motor racing... Win great prizes
and enjoy free snacks... Learn from
students, faculty and others how
engineers make a world of difference! • Fri Feb 27 & Sat Feb 28,
9am-3pm, 2332 Main Mall, Kaiser
Building Atrium, For more details,
visit: www.engineering.ubc.ca •
Mahjong Friday Sessions * Just
to let you guys know...the MAHJONG CLUB is BACK! • February
27,Please respond to ubcmah-
jong@gmail. com if you are going
to attend, because if less than 10
people come, we would host it
at our clubroom, downstairs in
the sub, next to sprouts which is
to the extreme left of the haircut
place. If more than 10 people are
attending, the session will then be
held in the MATH building behind
Korener library, room 204. •
Microfinance: Theory and
Practice • Microfinance has
recently gained prominence as an
nnovative way to bring people
in developing countries out of
poverty. This lecture will examine
microfinance from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. •
Friday, February 27, 2009. 3:00
pm-5:00pm, Buch A205. Email
for more information: econesa@
Interchange.ubc.ca •
Canada West Final Four * The
Men's Basketball team will host
the Canada West Final Four and
will play the Brandon Bobcats in
the semifinal. • Feb. 27@ 7pm,
location: War Memorial Gym. »	
Get a Head Start!
Take a Queen's course this spring to
• lower your course load next year
• explore a new discipline or
• replace a course you dropped.
Choose from many other Queen's degree-credit
courses offered in Kingston or by distance study.
Steps to Register:
1. Obtain a letter of permission from your university.
2. Apply for admission by April 1.
3. Register for courses beginning March 16.
4. Courses start May 4.
Visit www.queensu.ca/cds/
for the list of courses.
Questions? Contact us by email
cds@queensu.ca
or by phone: 1-613-533-2470
Classifieds
We Want You!
Are you a UBC distance student
with a learning disability?
Want to be part of a research
study?
Contact PhD candidate Nancy
E. Black to receive an information package:
ruby77@interchange.ubc.ca
Free Meditation Workshop!
A series of 4 weekly classes
beginning Tuesday March 10,
7:30pm
Rm. 604 ofthe Asian Centre
1871 West Mall UBC
To Register Call #604.732.8997
UBC NO PANTS PARTY Because all
of life's problems can be solved
while pantless • A UBC-wide
pantless party hosted by the infamous, the one, the only, Radical
Beer Faction • Friday, February 27,
2009. 8:00 pm-12:00 am, SUB
Ballroom. 19+ event, $8 advance
tickets, $10 at the door. Email: rbf.
ubc@gmail.com •
February 28
Basketry - Adirondack-Style
• This is a classic splint woven
basket associated with the 19th
century northeast woodlands
Today this basket is versatile for
comfortably carrying and storing
all manner of items. You will be
using flat reed splints to weave the
basket, which measures 12" wide
by 8" deep and 14" high. This
sturdy basket is sure to become
a favourite for years to come. •
Saturday February 28 and Sunday
March 1, 2009 (one class spanning
both days) from 9:30am-4:30pm.
UBC Botanical Garden Pavil-
ian - 6804 South West Marine
Drive. ADVANCED REGISTRATION
REQUIRED—TO REGISTER FOR A
COURSE PLEASE CONTACT Nadine
Diner at botg@interchange. ubc. ca
OR (604) 822-3928, $170 Garden
Member and $ 180 General Public
March 2
Violin Masterclass with Kyoko
Takezawa • Co-presented with
the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with the support of the Jemin
Foundation. • 1:30pm-3:30pm,
UBC Recital Hall, 6361 Memorial
Road. Free.For more information
please email concerts@inter-
change. ubc. ca. www. music, ubc.
ca •
Imagine Your Arts Major Arts Advising: How to Choose the Major
that's Right for YOU • Learn what
to consider when selecting a major
or minor, including specific Faculty
of Arts requirements to be considered.* Monday, March 2, 2009
5:00pm-6:00pm. Register here:
secure, stud en ts. ubc. ca/worksh ops/
careers.cfm •
March 3
The Annual TEC Young Entrepreneurs Dinner • This is a network-
ng and informational event where
students, entrepreneurs, investors
and top company executives share
nsights and exchange thoughts
on current and existing ventures. •
Tuesday March 3, 2009, 5:30pm-
9pm, Renaissance Vancouver Hotel
Harbourside, cost $20 (includes a
full meal), Attire: Business Formal,
for more information visit www.
tecubc. com •
DO WHAT
YOU NEVER
DARED TO
DO. COME
INTO THE
UBYSSEY.
WE'RE IN
SUB 24, OR
YOU CAN
REACH US
UBYSSEY.CA
The Ubyssey
February 24"', 2009
volume xc, n"39
Editorial Board
COORDINATING EDITOR
Kellan Higgins: coordinating@uhyssey.ca
NEWS EDITORS
Stephanie Findlay & Justin McElroy :
news@uhyssey.ca
CULTURE EDITOR
Trevor Melanson : culture@uhyssey.ca
SPORTS EDITOR
Shun Endo : sports@uhyssey.ca
FEATURES & PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Joe Rayment: features@uhyssey.ca
PHOTO EDITOR
Goh Iromoto :photos@ubyssey.ca
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Paul Bucci:production@uhyssey.ca
SICK EDITOR
Celestian Rince: copy@uhysseyca
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Vacant: volunteers@uhysseyca
WEBMASTER
Adam Leggett: webmaster@uhyssey ca
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Tara Martellaro : multimedia@uhyssey.ca
Editorial Office
Room 24, Student Union Building
6138 Student Union Boulevard
Vancouver, BCV6T lZl
tel: 604-822-2301
fax: 604-822-9279
web: www.uhyssey.ca
e-mail: feedback @uhyssey.ca
Business Office
Room 23, Student Union Building
advertising: 604-822-1654
business office: 604-822-6681
fax: 604-822-1658
e-mail: advertising@uhyssey.ca
BUSINESS MANAGER : Fernie Pereira
AD TRAFFIC : Sabrina Marchand
AD DESIGN : Gerald Deo
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper ofthe University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday
and Friday 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 bythe 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 adherestoCUP's guiding principles.
Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please
include your phone number, student number and signature
(not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with
all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are
dropped off atthe editorial officeofThe Ubyssey; otherwise
verification will be done by phone. "Perspectives" are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750 words and are run
according to space. "Freestyles" are opinion pieces written
by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters
and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time
sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity of
the writer has been verified. The Ubyssey reserves the right
to edit submissionsfor length and clarity. All letters must be
received by 12 noon the day before intended publication.
Letters received after this point will be published in the
following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or
other matter deemed relevant bythe Ubyssey staff.
It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified
advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to
publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the
liability of the UPS will not be greaterthan the price pa id for
the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the
impact ofthe ad.
Contributors
After an office viewing of "American Psycho" Goh Iromoto,
Joe Rayment and Trevor Melanson got into a heated business card debate. Justin McElroy was impressed with
Iromoto's bone finish and raised typeface and Rayment's
card's tasteful thickness but Shun Endo blew them out of
the water with his card's subtle off-white colouring. Not
to be outdone, Tara Martellaro revealed her unorthodox
card, portrait instead of landscape with a bold Cambria
font. Paul Bucci and Samantha Jung were briefly dazzled.
That was before they saw Adam Legget's-eggshell, Euros-
tile font and - you won't believe it - a watermark. Drew
Thompson and Aaron Tarn gave up. No one could compete
with Legget's quality card. Or could they? Kellan Higgins
swooped in, withdrew a silver cardholder and revealed his
business card: hand printed by Rebecca Tebrake and Trevor
Record, custom-dyed by Isabel Ferreras and Celestian Rince,
and painstakingly cut out by Keegan Bursaw and Gavin
Fisher. Stephanie Findlay fainted. Cathy Yan Li collapsed.
Kyrstin Bain cried. Sarah Eden swooned. Alec Young swore
he would outdo Higgins in 3-5 business days when his cards
would be ready to pick up from the printers. Pierce Nettling
and Kate Barbaria just laughed and laughed and laughed.
V
Canadian
University
Press
Canada Post Sales
Agreement
Number 0040878022
printed on^100%
'recycledpaper News
Editors: Stephanie Findlay and Justin McElroy | E-mail: news@ubyssey.ca
February 24,20091 Page 3
Frederick, Monegro hang in suspense over presidency
Candidates frustrated that delay in decision is jeopardizing student projects
by Samantha Jung
Senior News Writer
AMS presidential candidates
Blake Frederick and Alex Monegro await the the Elections Appeals Committee (EAC) decision that will decide who will
be the next AMS president.
Frederick's appeal hearing
took place yesterday. The AMS
Electoral Code states that a
decision must be made within
48 hours of the hearing, meaning a verdict should be reached
Wednesday. Many current and
incoming executives are hopeful that a decision will be made
in time for the AMS's Annual
General Meeting this Friday,
which would allow the new
executive to enter their roles
without any of them having
to be appointed to an interim
position.
According to Frederick,
the delay was due to a misunderstanding over the appeals
process; some members of the
appeals committee thought that
all the appeals needed to be
heard at once—this is not the
case.
"It's been taking way too long
from my perspective," Frederick said. "So I haven't been able
to transition into the position
because there's been no decision made on the issue yet."
Monegro's sentiments
echoed those of Frederick. "I
feel both frustrated and disappointed," he said. "Frustrated
because in order for both me
and Blake to move forward with
whatever we want to do for the
rest of the summer...we need to
know what the outcome of this
appeal is."
Monegro also expressed his
disappointment with the Elections Committee (EC). "All of us
that decide to get involved with
the AMS or other volunteer-
driven organizations must be
aware of our responsibilities
and duties to the organization
that we are part of," he said.
"This is especially true of the
EC. They have the duty of being
timely not only to Blake, to me
and to the outgoing president,
but most importantly to all students. The EC is not letting just
us down; they are letting down
each and every student that
voted in these elections."
As for future plans if the
hearing does not go in his favour, Monegro says he wants
to pursue other options for him
to add back to his community
Disqualified presidential candidate Blake Frederick looks on at his appeals hearing, kathy yan li photo/the ubyssey
and to develop himself further
in the upcoming year. He said
that some of his plans require
him to start working now, and
he cannot do that with the elections results in limbo.
Frederick says that he is
thinking in the present and is
confident he will win his appeal.
"If the EAC denies my appeal, I
will number one, be shocked,
and number two, I will take it to
Student Court," he said. "I can't
really speculate beyond that
because I haven't thought past
Student Court. I think it's very,
very unlikely, I'm not planning
for that scenario.
"I'm really optimistic about
what the results of that will
be," Frederick said, "because I
am really confident that I will
win my appeal, as I haven't
done anything wrong, I haven't
broken any rules, and I the evidence against me is extremely
weak." Xi
UBC faculty pension plan hit by market crash
Faculty pension pay decreases 13 per cent, those close to retirement hit worst
by Rebecca Tebrake
News Writer
The UBC Faculty Pension Plan
(FPP) still holds the confidence
of many of its members, despite
ending 2008 with its largest loss
in 15 years.
"My reading of [the losses] is,
if in a year when stock markets
tumble and most funds took a
big bash, to have lost 13 per
cent is pretty good....In other
words, it tells me they don't
have their eggs all in one basket," said Dr Philip Resnick,
professor of political science.
"Nobody likes a minus 13 per
cent, but when most funds
have lost 25, 30 and 40 per
cent, under the circumstances,
I'd say that's a pretty decent
performance."
The plan closed the year at
$1.1 billion after experiencing
a 13 per cent loss in its balanced fund, which represents
nearly 85 per cent of pension
funds, according to Mike Leslie,
executive director of the FPP.
"There are no
guarantees on what
you get out ofthe
plan at the end of
your career, so when
the market crashes
and you're 63 that can
be a big problem."
—Elizabeth Hodgson, president of
the UBC Faculty Association
Harder hit were foreign
and Canadian equities, which
had 26.48 and 30.69 per cent
drops, respectively. The plan
still achieved 2 to 3 per cent
gains in bond and short-term
investments funds.
"This last year has been a
particularly harsh year, but I
think our members understand
that when you are in a pension plan, it's about long term
investments," Leslie said. "If
you basically stay the course,
there will be ups and downs but
hopefully over the longer term
there will be good returns."
According to statistics on its
website, over the long term the
FPP has shown consistent but
modest returns, with the average annual rate of return for
four of the five funds in the plan
between 3.99 and 6.94 per cent
during the past ten years. The
foreign equities fund is the only
fund that demonstrates a consistent loss at-0.93 per cent.
"For a long time we were
getting a worse rate of return
than we'd be getting from the
standard indexes, now we have
been getting as good or sometimes better," said Elizabeth
Hodgson, President of the UBC
Faculty Association. "I think
generally people feel good
about how the pension plan
is running things. The things
that are constraining them are
clearly outside of their control."
UBC's FPP is especially
vulnerable to the market as a
defined contribution plan. This
means faculty and the university make set contributions to the
plan, and retirement income is
a function of the contributions
and investment returns.
Other   universities   have   a
Elizabeth Hodgeson, president of the faculty association, is satisfied with
the Faculty Pension Plan's performance, andrew Thompson photo/the ubyssey
defined benefit plan, meaning
members receive a set amount
of money regardless of market
performance. While there is
less risk to the retiree, there
can be more risk to the university and students during market volatility.
For example, this year Wilfred Laurier University's defined benefit plan lost 20 per
cent of its value. The university
was forced to put $16 million
of its operational budget into
the fund, likely meaning job
losses for faculty, and bigger
class sizes for students.
Pension losses at UBC will not
wreak this kind of havoc for the
University's operating budget.
The fund is run autonomously
from the UBC administration
and the Faculty Association,
although both are represented.
Losses only impact faculty's retirement income. Most likely to
feel the crunch is faculty close to
retirement, according to Leslie.
"There are no guarantees on
what you get out of the plan at
the end of your career, so when
the market crashes and you're
63 this can be a big problem,"
said Hodgson. "There is lots of
faculty who are uncertain about
whether they can retire now
given the fact that what they
thought they were retiring on
has dropped by 15 per cent or
more."
According to the Faculty Association, 500 out of UBC's 3000
faculty members are between
the ages of 60-70 years-old.
Hodgson believes that the
impact of these losses is compounded by the nature of
compensation at UBC which
can have up to 30 salary
increments.
"Further, because our salaries rise so slowly, a faculty
member who starts at $70,000
could easily take close to 30
years to double that salary to
$138,000. This means that our
pensions likewise grow very
slowly," said Hodgson.
Still, many professors aren't
worried. Over 80 faculty members gathered for a noon-hour
workshop last Wednesday—a
meeting characterized by relative calm.
Retired professor of psychology, Dr. Tannis MacBeth
believes the fund is being
well-run.
"It is my impression that relative to the situations of other
people I know outside of UBC,
that this has done quite well in
the lastyear," said MacBeth.
The flexibility of the pension
plan helped MacBeth successfully manage her money until
retirement and during this time
of greater volatility. She moved
some money into the less risky
short-term investment fund to
avoid losses.
Resnick has only heard murmurs of people reconsidering
their retirement plans over
these losses. For his part, Resnick feels confident about the future, barring the total collapse
of the economy.
"Quite honestly, if one has
been contributing as I have into
the plan, we are not going to
come out as millionaires but we
are certainly not going to come
out of it destitute without being
able to buy a loaf of bread and a
litre of milk," said Resnick.
Resnick plans to leave the
bulk of his retirement money
in the fund once he retires in
two or three years.
For those concerned about
their retirement options, Leslie
says the best advice is to consult
a financial planner who can advise professors based on a full
picture of their net worth. *2I 4 | NEWS
THE UBYSSEY    WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
Agenda: Wednesday, February 26
1. Women's Issue
2. Colours Issue
3. NASH fund raiser update
4. Kate fund raiser update
5. Set date for motivational staff meeting
6. Mary Lynn seminar. Tuesday, March 24
7. Ubyssey board election update
8. Staff restructure meeting
News Briefs
FREDERICK'S APPEALS
HEARING
Blake Frederick's appeal hearing
took place this morning. Representing him was Geoff Costelo.
Also present were Elections Coordinator Sarina Rehal and Chief
Justice Donald Mclntyre.
The main issue was whether
Frederick and losing candidates Tristan Markle and Ale
Coates did campaign as a slate,
which would have justified the
disqualification of Frederick as
AMS president by the elections
committee on February 6. Rehal
said that while there was a focus
on enforcing the slate rule during the elections, she admitted
that she told candidates they
could go to classrooms together
to campaign, but not to plan to
go together on a regular basis.
Frederick said that he did this
within the rules, and that of the
50 classroom announcements
he did over the course of his
campaign, nine were with VP Finance candidate Ale Coates and/
or VP admin candidate Tristan
Markle.
In the end, Mclntyre said that
the way that the bylaw works was
confusing, and that he would be
contacting Rehal and Costelo to
discuss this further. A decision
should be made by noon on
Wednesday.
—Samantha Jung
Feeling stressed?
Call pooch over
Psychologist claims dogs reduce
stress quicker than drugs
by Alec Young
News Staff
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests man's best
friend also helps mental health.
That's according to Dr Stanley
Coren, a researcher in the UBC
department of psychology, who
has just completed a study on
dog ownership and depression.
His latest work is part of a series of studies that conclude that
individuals experience reduced
stress levels when in the presence of their pet.
When a subject suffering from
depression or stress is with their
dog, they experience immediate
physiological changes, including
slower heartbeat, muscle relaxation and more regular breathing patterns.
What's more extraordinary is
that the beneficial effect is extremely rapid, especially when
compared to medication. While
antidepressants can require several weeks to become effective,
having a friendly dog nearby can
counter stress within thirty seconds to a minute.
"We can show that the presence of the dog is actually more
stress reducing than having a
family member around," Dr Coren said. He believes this could
possibly be because a dog's affection is almost unconditional. A
dog will not criticize in the same
way a family member might.
Dog ownership also has a benefit for the elderly, who are more
prone to clinical depression and
require more frequent medical
attention. Elderly people with a
dog's companionship are only
one quarter as likely to develop
clinical depression.
Antidepressants
can require several
weeks to become
effective, having a
friendly dog nearby
can counter stress
within thirty
seconds to a minute.
Anecdotal evidence about the
health benefits of dog ownership
has existed for years. Sigmund
Freud claimed that having a chow
chow in his office helped calm
visiting children. In the 1950s,
psychologists began to note positive change in autistic children's
behavior when they were with a
dog. Now, says Coren, "we're finding just how powerful these effects
really are. We're actually taking
physiological measures, looking
at the chemistry of the blood, finding that this is not just a placebo
effect. These are real physiological
effects and you can effectively see
the stress drain away."
Another study conducted at
the University of Pennsylvania
found that men who had suffered their first heart attack
were much more likely to be
alive years later if they owned
a dog. Researchers there concluded that the stress reduction offered by the pet helped
reduce the effects of coronary
disease.
The stress-reduction benefit
is not breed specific. According
to Dr Coren, when it comes to
pet-specific therapy a docile Labrador retriever is just as effective
as an energetic terrier. As long
as the animal is familiar and
friendly, it will have a positive
effect.
Unfortunately for cat lovers,
the health benefits of pet ownership are most closely associated
with dogs.
"Cats tend to be more aloof,"
Dr Coren said. "They're better
than nothing, better than [owning] a bowl of fish, but [the benefit] seems to be associated with
the level of interaction."
So are Canadian doctors likely
to start prescribing dog ownership as a form of therapy in the
future? Dr Coren says this is a
possibility, especially since there
is a cost-benefit ratio to be considered. "If you can eliminate
even two visits to a doctor or
psychologist over the course of a
year, that [saves] $200 or $300,"
Coren said.
Dr Coren said that the UK is
the only country where dogs, usually papillons, are "prescribed"
as companions for health reasons. However, the UK National
Health Service website offers no
information on this practice. \a Culture
Editor: Trevor Melanson | E-mail: culture@ubyssey.ca
February 24,20091 Page S
CD reviews
Armitage tells a twisting tale
Cast and crew are putting in the final touches
In the last week of production, cast and crew put the finishing touches on the set. The week was as stressful as it was exciting, kathy yan li photos/the ubyssey
by Kate Barbaria
Culture Writer
"You know from experience that
it always comes together on
opening night, but it's terrifying
every time anyway," said Armitage director Brendan Albano
Sunday evening. It was the last
day for the cast and crew to rehearse their production before
moving off of their home turf at
UBC and into the Havana Theatre Monday morning. Armitage
has been in production for over
a month and every piece of the
puzzle is being pushed into place
before the curtain rises on Tuesday. The tension is becoming
palpable in these last hours on
campus and it is a frantic coordination of props, costumes, set
and, of course, actors.
Just a week earlier I walked
into the scene workshop in
Freddy Wood to a warning shout:
"Welding!" It may have been ten
in the morning, but Wladmirio
Woyno was already elbow deep
in mysterious bits of bent rebar
and wooden braces. Woyno, a
theatre production major, designed the Armitage set and was
in the primary stages of construction with Albano at his side.
The duo proceeded to weld the
scattered rebar sections into two
giant half-arches, which would
be wrapped in rough cloth the
next day. Then came a collec
tion of wooden cubes and low
platforms that would serve as
the ever-expanding labyrinthine
rooms of Zachary Pendragon's
tyrannical mansion in Armitage,
Ohio. After two days of steady
work, the building blocks were
on their way to completion.
Woyno brought the half-
finished pieces to the cast's first
dress rehearsal. Suddenly, the
stage was set. The actors, sporting cravats, waistcoats or high-
collared dresses jumped up and
down in excitement. But the realization hit quickly that the stage
was horrifically small. There
was nowhere to fall if the fight
scene didn't go just right. When
all twelve cast members were on
stage, there was almost no room
to breathe, let alone pace or
gesture wildly as the characters'
blocking demanded. And the
audience would only be five feet
away. Daunted or not, David Millar, playing the character James
Cornish, explained, "It's halfway
between stage acting and film
acting when the audience is that
close up. People get it a lot easier
because they're right there."
After a taking a few moments
to absorb the realities of the
setting they would be working
in, the actors tackled the run
through with renewed focus.
Through the week they plowed
through the scenes, pulling out
every characterization they had
left to bring that last bit of life to
their alter egos.
Armitage calls for drastic
shifts in time, schizophrenically
leaping between eras to retrace
the twisting paths of each character related to Zachary Pendrag-
on. Cameron Shepperd, in the
leading role of Zach, goes from
doddering old patriarch whose
spitde I think flew onto my notebook, to youthful casanova with
litde regard for the people he
destroys, and back again. It's not
a role for the uncommitted actor,
and it's taken a month for him to
transform convincingly into a
depraved man "composing his
obituary." Sheppard said, with
cynical regard to his arguably
detestable character, "There are
parts of it I can relate to and
parts that give me nightmares.
So it's been a fun litde ride....It's
the first time I've ever had to do
something where I go from being
twenty years old to eighty-one
years old. I try out new things
and some work and some fail."
The most exciting part of
rehearsals are the fight scenes.
Armitage does promise incest
and murder, after all. The
blocking, however carefully
planned, never goes quite right.
"The adrenaline really starts
to pump, and sometimes it's
hard to keep everyone's safety
in mind when that's going, but
you do your best to not actu
ally stab someone," said Millar,
only half-joking. While they
are just using the handle of a
spoon to replace a knife, there
are still concerns about impalement. Even a simple stage slap
requires discussion—the back
of the head is a preferable landing place for a blow compared
to the ear, which, according to
Shepperd, "would totally screw
me over."
Despite the stress, stage manager Jenny Backberg kept control
ofthe cast and crew. Looking forward, she said, "Tech week is always the worst. It's the worst for
production, worst for the actors.
It's the highest stress, but like
every production, you just do it."
Millar agreed, saying just
before the start of Sunday's
rehearsal, "It's very rare that
something horrendous does go
wrong. Everyone's collective energy to make it go well pays off."
He added, perhaps envisioning
the hellish two days remaining
before opening, "I think it'll be
okay." Ready or not, the curtain
rises for Armitage at eight in the
eveningon Wednesday, February 25.II
Armitage, by Don Nigro, runs
February 24 (preview night) to
February 28 at the Havana Theatre on Commercial Drive. It is
produced by the UBC Players'
Club and directed by UBC student
Brendan Albano.
THE MATADORS
SWEET REVENGE
The Matadors are the best psychobilly band we've ever heard.
Sweet Revenge is a tattered road
map to all the things that made
Christians afraid of rock 'n'
roll. Frontman "Hooch" Perkins
creates a sonic shrine for binge
drinking, no-good women and
the whores they drive us to, and
Lucifer himself.
"The Devil Taught Me How"
relates the tale of how Hooch
sold his soul to the devil for
guitar skills. Hooch obviously
got the better end of the deal;
his excellent guitar work is a
rare variety that reinforces the
overall song crafting rather than
detracting from it. With a genuine understanding of southern
rock, country, folk and blues,
the Matadors represent the only
psychobilly band to convincingly
blend Johnny Cash and the Dead
Kennedys.
Hooch dabbles in swing for
"Bush Party Handjob," and
modern country for "If You're
Going to Bitch, I'm Going to
Drink." Until listening to Sweet
Revenge we never understood
why skids are dressing like Elvis Presley and Betty Page after
a fight with Hot Topic. It makes
sense now. Pass the bourbon
this way, Hooch.
THE NO SHIT SHIRLEYS
NUTRIFY
We decided to review the album
Nutrify based entirely on the
name of the group that recorded
it, the No Shit Shirleys. The awesome name is the only exciting
thing these girls have going for
them.
The Shirleys lack any unifying sound, meandering from
folk to world music from a spattering of continents. The third
track is a misguided attempt
at rapping, titled "Let Your
Belly Hang Free." It's an anti-
anorexia anthem that ends up
sounding like the rap stylings
of authority figures attempting
to make uncool things (like abstinence) seem cool.
Just like your high school
choir, the Shirleys have the annoying habit of vocal vamping to
get themselves noticed over the
rest of the crowd. Although a few
of the ladies are talented singers, they get lost in the muddle
of the rest. Standard background
music is replaced with nonsense
words akin to the adults in Peanuts cartoons.
A second-wave feminist group
in a third-wave world, the Shirleys are what we would expect
if the Guerilla Girls hadn't been
politically savvy, or if the Vagina Monologues didn't make us
chuckle. They are struggling to
justify their stalwart support of
issues that are no longer issues.
—Trevor Record
& Kate Barbaria 6 I culture
THE UBYSSEY    WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
4&?
UBC
ENGINEERING ©IP!
FEBRUARY 27 - 28, 2009
9 AM - 3 PM
engineering, ubc.ca
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Dubai: Searching for
reality in the desert
McDonalds in Dubai, hometown taste, michelle silongan photo/the ubyssey
by Michelle Silongan
Culture Staff
More than most places in the
world, Dubai is what you make
of it. Whether you see it as an
oasis of decadence in a turbulent
region, a land of opportunity
sullied by exploitation, or a confident case study of modernity,
Dubai has more angles than its
famous "seven-star" Burj Al Arab
Hotel.
Dubai is perhaps most famous
for its shopping, a world center
for high fashion and design.
However, inside the sprawling
Mall of the Emirates are also the
more common Western chains,
ready for ironic snapshots of
McDonalds or La Senza. Extra
points if you can get a shot of a
traditionally-dressed emirati or
citizen of the United Arab Emirates walking past it. The mall's
most famous tenant is Ski Dubai,
with five ski runs covering three
football fields worth of actual
snow. The technology and innovation that has gone into its creation is incredible, but in Dubai,
it's just another thing to do.
Wah is a chic, modesuy-sized
mall that just happened to have
a glass pyramid and a look-alike
Luxor Temple. Looming beside
one entrance to Wah are oversized Egyptian statues and a
marble obelisk, managing to be
both real and fake. Authenticity,
like much of what you see here,
is just a matter of perspective.
The desire to push the boundaries in every way makes glass
and sea, sand and concrete bend
before the will of architects and
engineers. Two of the most famous examples of this are the
Palm Jumeirah and the World
Archipelago, where towers and
mansions rest on man-made islands shaped like a palm tree or
even the continents. Scaffolding
and construction crews crowd
the periphery, a testament to the
changing face of Dubai itself.
Another shopping mall beckoned later in the evening, gleaming and impressive, but my
attention was instead focused
on a concrete truck making its
way through the traffic. It's an
imposing contrast to the luxury
cars, and a reminder of another
version of life here: the foreign
labourers and workers behind
the scenes, working for homes
far away as they construct and
serve within others.
In Carrefour, a hypermarket
where frugality wins over extravagance, shopping carts navi
gate for space around discount
displays and workers off for the
night. Dubai is at first glimpse an
image of multicultural harmony
where the world comes together,
but the lines of nationality still
draw clear hierarchies. Your ethnicity can determine how others
act around you, provoking reactions ranging from dismissal to
hospitality. Everyone has their
place, a clearly defined role that
is not breached.
So, what was Dubai like before the foreigners and the oil
wealth? The Dubai Museum
offers a glimpse into that past,
showing just how far the emirate has gone in a few short
decades. As you take the short
walk toward the traditional
souk, or marketplace, history
seems to come to life in the
storefronts selling the same
sort of goods you would find
centuries ago. After a short and
picturesque ride on a water
taxi, you can find the gold souk
to tempt away your dirhams,
the currency of the United Arab
Emirates. In every window lies
hundreds of ways to spend your
tuition money, but fight for a
lower price and you could shave
the price of a few textbooks off
those gold earrings.
"Dune bashing" is described
as a must in Dubai, so after a 40
minute shutde trip, I was cascading through sand dunes in a
white Toyota. My driver grinned
as our car swerved wildly, our
tracks tracing down hilltop
slopes. A brief stop to watch the
setting sun, and then we were
back to carving erratic lines into
the desert.
Out of the car, a night breeze
swept over me. I dug my feet
deeper into the sand, feeling the
landscape shift against my skin.
Above the blaring Arabic dance
music the stars shone in perfect
contrast. This was real. Slowly,
the sand became asphalt and the
stars became glittering skyscrapers on the horizon—every angle
converging into one.
Dubai is, in many ways, like a
dream. You lose a certain sense
of scale, overshadowed by the
grandiose, searching for reality where magnificence becomes
common place. Here, you can
buy into the image of a better
you, and whatever you choose
to project around you becomes
realized. Regardless of whether
you recognize them as substance
or illusion, Dubai will leave its
impression and change your
point of view. \a YOUR FIRST DAY
OF CLASS
IS THE FIRST
DAY OF YOUR
CAREER.
AT BCIT, our programs are developed with employer support, providing
a unique blend of academic learning, hands-on experience and valuable
contacts. Get where you want to go.
Attend BCIT's BIG Info Session—March 4
TECHNOLOGY
CHANGES
EVERYTHING lnion
If you 'd like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca
February 24,2009 \ Page 8
Some simple advice on getting dates
Navigating the mine field of campus dating
My name is Ronald Lee and I'm
a lifestyle coach specializing in
dating and relationships. You
may have heard me on The Beat
94.5, seen me on CTV, or read
about me in The Georgia Straight.
What I do specifically is teach
men and women how to meet
members of the opposite sex
for fabulous dating and relationships. I have a pretty good track
record—many of my students are
now in relationships and some
are even married.
When The Ubyssey agreed
to run an article on university
dating, they told me that a good
place to start would be with campus dating dynamics between
men and women.
I started to reminisce about
what it was like when I was in
university (the dating environment hasn't changed much since
then) and I thought about the trials and tribulations that taught
me the hard lessons I needed to
learn about women and relationships. I've come a long way since
then.
When I was a student in university, I was quite the clueless
kid when it came to dating. Forget having the answers, I didn't
even know what the questions
were.
Amazingly, there were women
who were interested in me
throughout school, but I was still
too dumb to have done anything
about it. Case in point, I vividly
remember a conversation from
my first year with a cute blonde
friend:
Her: "So, do you know about
Tim's party this weekend?"
Me: "Tim? Oh yeah, I heard
about  it."—I   was   lying,   I
wasn't popular  enough  to
even know Tim.
Her: "So, ah, do you want to
go to the party?"
Me: "I don't know...are you
going?"
Her: "Yeah."
Me: "Okay, see you there."
I remember time standing
still and watching her heart
shatter in front of my eyes. At
the time I wondered to myself,
"What is the matter with her?"
What was the matter with me
is the better question—I didn't
pick up the hint. She wanted to
go to the party with me and all I
dedicated to was a friendly wave
if I happened to see her. She
barely got out an "OK" before she
scurried away. I wasn't familiar
with the concept of girls asking
me out; that's how brick-headed
I was. Two weeks after the party,
she had a new boyfriend.
Today, things are a lot different. I won't tell you the whole
story of how I eventually became
skilled at predicting the future
with women, but it suffices to say
that a) getting there was a long
hard road and b) you can learn
from my mistakes.
You're here for an education,
but not everything valuable
about university comes from
books. Now is the time when you
should be learning about relationships and expanding your
emotional intelligence. You are
in the largest social circle you'll
ever be in, a circle filled with
people who are all in the same
boat as you. This is a great opportunity to learn about dating
earlier on. The sooner you figure
this part of your life out, the less
relationship grief you put yourself through in the future.
As I considered what to write
over the weekend, I realized that
our topic was large and broad
enough to fill an entire issue of
The Ubyssey. So let's start with
the basics:
THE TOP THREE WAYS
GUYS CAN BE THE
CAMPUS STUD.
1. Learn to be a leader.
2. Build your social circle.
3. Learn how to become
attractive.
THE TOP THREE WAYS
GIRLS CAN BE THE
CAMPUS PRINCESS.
1. Present your best self.
2. Be open to adventure/
give guys a break.
3. Learn to understand
GOH IROMOTO GRAPHIC/THE UBYSSEY
Ronald Lee is a dating coach based in Vancouver, B.C. who has seen and heard everything. You can see his
work at campussocialstatus.com.
This is a trial column for what could become a regular Ubyssey feature. If you have any feedback or would
like to put a question about love or dating forward for Ronald to address, please email features@ubyssey.ca.
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SOCRATES ON TRIAL
STEVE WEXLER
Professor
Faculty of Law
University of British Columbia
will read his new colloquial translation of
PLATO'S APOLOGY
Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7pm
Regent College Chapel
5800 University Blvd.
Vancouver, BC
So, now that you read the news, why not
the news? Come down to SUB 24 now, or
e-mail us at: volunteers@ubyssey.ca for
more information on how to get involved.
INSURE A SUCCESSFUL CAREER
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TECHNOLOGY
CHANGES
EVERYTHING
www.uovssev.ca www.uovssev.ca www.u Soorts
Editor: Shun Endo | E-mail: sports@ubyssey.ca
February 24,20091 Page 9
Meris Basketball bring home Pacific Division title
Will host Canada West Final Four this week and hopes to clinch CIS Championships berth
by Shun Endo
Sports Editor
Two playoff series down, two to
go. After sweeping the SFU Clan
in the Pacific Division semifinals two weekends ago, the UBC
men's basketball team claimed
the division tide, sweeping the
ninth-ranked Trinity Western
Spartans this past weekend in
two games. Though some worried that it might come down
to the last game of the best-of-
three playoff, the Birds showed
the fans at War Memorial Gym
that they are a determined
team, performing exceptionally
well in the closing minutes of
both games. As Pacific Division
champions, the Thunderbirds
will host the Canada West Final
Four this week, with the top two
teams guaranteed a ticket to the
CIS championships in Ottawa.
Game 1: UBC 83, TWU 80
It was a rare scene at the War
Memorial Gym on Friday evening. The stands were packed
with supporters from both
teams, the beer garden was fully
functioning, fans were on their
feet, and most of all, the two
teams played one of the most
exciting games of the year.
Though the nationally number two ranked Thunderbirds
got off to a fast start, starting
off with a 22-13 lead, it was
evident that the usual defense
style of the Birds was not functioning. Though UBC forced the
Spartans to shoot from outside,
they responded by firing three-
pointers and staying aggressive
under the board, cutting UBC's
lead to seven at the half.
In the third quarter, the Birds
"From guarding one of the
best players in the country
to rebounding and just
being a force in the post, I
thought [Kool] did just a
tremendous job.
—Coach Kevin Hanson
appeared to pull away from
TWU, with star guard Chris Dyck
hitting two consecutive three-
pointers late in the period. This
momentum silenced the Trinity
fans, and with a commanding
11 point lead at the end of the
frame, it seemed as if UBC was
going to finish the Spartans off
easily.
It was not to be. Trinity came
storming back, keyed by three-
pointers from guard Brian Ban-
man, and gritty play by forward
Jamie Vaughan, who lead his
team with 23 rebounds and 11
points. A few sloppy turnovers
by UBC later, when the fans
looked up on the board, the
Spartans led 76-71, having gone
a 19-3 run to start the fourth
quarter.
However, in the final two minutes of the game, with the Birds
down by four, the comeback
began. After a layup by Dyck,
who led the team with 28 points,
centre Bryson Kool took one for
the team as he made a diving
steal and passed it to Dyck, who
was fouled. With Duck standing
at the free-throw line ready to tie
the game with forty seconds left,
the fifth-year senior made the
first shot, but missed the second.
Fortunately for the fans, UBC
guard Alex Murphy picked up the
rebound and returned it to Dyck.
As the clock winded down to just
30 seconds remaining, Dyck attempted a fadeaway while double-
teamed, only to see it fall short.
But as the ball bounced off the
rim, swingman Kyle Watson, who
had been silent most of the game,
leaped into the air and made the
lead-changing layup. A desperation three-point miss later, and
UBC pulled out the three-point
victory.
"I just thought it was a heck
of a basketball game," said head
coach Kevin Hanson. "This
group is really about the entire
team. Different guys made big
plays and different points in the
game, and Chris [Dyck] is our
leader, and he made some great
plays down the stretch."
Game 2: UBC 80, TWU 64
After an intense game the
night before, it was evident
early on that both teams still
had plenty in the tank for Saturday night's game, which Trinity
needed to win to prolong the
series.
The Birds led early in the
quarter, but the frame ended in
a bitter note after Brent Malish
allowed a turnover to allow the
Spartans to take a 16-15 lead
after one.
Trinity had a poor shooting
effort the entire game, connecting on only 28.8 per cent
of their shots. They adjusted
by focusing their plays to star
forwards Jamie Vaughan and
Jacob Doerksen, who combined
for 26 points and 17 rebounds
and managed to keep close to
UBC for most of the game. With
UBC up 50-46 going into the final quarter, it appeared that the
stage was set for another epic
finish in front of the 1,474 fans
at War Memorial Gym.
But it was not to be, as UBC
dominated the last quarter,
outscoring Trinity 19-4 in
the final quarter, as the Spartans seemed unable to match
the defensive intensity and
shooting abilities of the Thunderbirds. Leading the charge
for the Thunderbirds were
fifth-year seniors Chris Dyck
(16 points) and Bryson Kool
(14 points), with Kool leading
the team with eight rebounds,
three blocks, and creating
difficulties for TWU post players Jamie Vaughan and Jacob
Doerksen all night.
"Bryson was just a beast and
he did a lot of things for us,"
commented Hanson. "From
guarding one of the best players
in the country to rebounding
and just being a force in the
post, I thought he did just a tremendous job. Full kudos to him
coming through for us when we
needed it."
All was not lost for the Spartans though, as they received
the wild card spot into the Canada West Final Four, to be held
this weekend at UBC. \a
Chris Dyck scores against TWU defense, keegan bursaw photo/the ubyssey
"What is the
SECRET to
dating campus
women by
being honest
and genuine?"
Take our university dating
survey and win!
Guys, we want to know
• How much dating experience do
you have?
• Do you have a crush on a girl at
school, right now?
• What happens when you ask
campus girls out for dates?
Survey at
www.campussocialstatus.com
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one of whom is the president of the society.
Members of the Board work with the Ubyssey
business office to ensure ubyssey staff have
financial, physical and capital resources to
produce a quality newspaper. responsibilities
include monthly meetings and both ad-hoc
and  standing  committees,  if  needed.
Nominees must be members in good standing with
the Ubyssey Publications Society (who have not
opted out of paying the ubyssey fee) to be eligible
to run. for more detailed information and full
requirements, please contact isabel ferreras,
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NOMINATIONS    ARE    OPEN    UNTIL    MARCH    6 T l-l Editorial
If you'd like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca
February 24,2009 \ Page 10
Who wants to be recessionaire?
It's easy to see the Oscars as a disappointment this year—the
winners were pretty safe choices and most wouldn't have been
nominated at all if this were lastyear. Looking at it another way
they were a good example. These were recession Oscars, and the
winners handled it better than any of the banks.
The three big winners—The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,
Milk and Slumdog Millionaire—were all made by respectable directors. Benjamin Button had David Fincher, director of Seven, Fight
Club and Zodiac. Slumdog s director is Danny Boyle, who also directed Trainspotting, Millions and, lastyear, a neat sci-fi pic called
Sunshine. Neither have perfect instincts (Danny Boyle chose not
to run screaming from 28 Weeks Later, for example), but they're
both competent and sometimes honestly interesting.
Milk was directed by Gus Van Sant, who is an honest to goodness amateur. He won the Palme d'Or for Elephant and earlier
this year put out a mostly ignored but very good Paranoid Park.
So if for no other reason, it's worth being happy about the Oscars because they're supporting some of the good guys who may
actually surprise us next year.
As important though, we should applaud their financial planning. In fact, we should give them all mortgages. Gus Van Sant
sold out a little by making a straight, by-the-numbers biopic, with
all the inherent flaws in the genre but all the political appeal that
help the Academy forget them. Fincher packed his movie with
A-listers and an ass load of money to get that maudlin tone just
right. And Danny Boyle, well Boyle couldn't find a distributor for
his movie until it did well in the festivals. Let's actually not give
him a mortgage.
Regardless, all three stand to make a fortune on the backs of
their wins (Slumdog added eight million dollars to its gross last
week alone, which is all right considering it only cost $ 15 million
to make). We should all take a lesson from them and do something safe and money-making in 2009—let's get knocked up by
celebrities or collect cans. Or let's just take our lesson from Boyle
and buy lottery tickets. *2I
Build us a proper path, UBC
So we all love the glittering new buildings that UBC seems to
throw up every time they have the money, the new Irving K Barber Learning Centre being just one example. While these fancy
and formidable architectural wonders might bring our glorious
university up to being "world class;" UBC has decided that we
shouldn't have one of the basic amenities afforded to the rest of
the world's universities: walkways.
Why are we denied proper pathways? Between the bus loop and
the SUB, for example, we have a path and then something that
looks like a path but is actually a road. So, periodically, lost or
lonely cars and postal trucks will meander through the students
in an annoying and potentially dangerous dance-off. Students
looking to avoid the dance of doom can look right: a 20 foot wide
mud pit. Enjoy.
Another example of UBC dropping the ball on the walkability
of campus is the gravel pit on the north side of the new library.
Back before they tore down Main Library (due to some mundane
scientific reason like "may collapse in any type of earthquake") the
front area of the library was well maintained and looked pretty
nice. Now they have planted some grass in the area, but it is still
an ugly twist of gravel and poorly maintained paths.
These are only a few examples of the blatant disregard for walkers on campus. I am sure that as you have walked around campus
today going to your various classes, you've been pushed off a
sidewalk to avoid a gaggle of people or hiked across a grass plain
to cut a three-minute detour out of your commute.
Now we all know UBC isn't quite as outrageously rich as before.
This economic downturn has dropped the endowment from one
billion dollars to a paltry $800 million. So we propose that to cut
wasteful spending on making paths from scratch, we temporarily
stop with pathmaking entirely. Build buildings—sans walkways—
and let the students decide where to walk. Then once all the grass
has been torn up and the ground is compacted, UBC can easily lay
a path down for all to enjoy.
Besides, the people who buy white sneakers will know what
they're getting into. And brown shoes match the new condos on
Wesbrook. \i
Toope on...
The controversy over the UBC Farm
This all started because ten
years ago in the OCP,
the Farm was designated as a future
housing reserve. So the
premise had been at
that time that it would
be a developed plan."
—Stephen Toope,
UBC President
Start
/
No it didn't,
don't lie
hahahahahahhah
hahahahahahah
^
Yes'
:
Election Flow Chart
Did the election
work out?
>
No
*V
Wait for the
appeals committee
to sort things out
Was everyone fine
with the decision
I think
maybe
they are
done
Wait
V
Are they done?
\
no
\
yes
Don't lie now
)
lly done?
D
Student court
rules
Student council
will
J
 lougheed it up'
Well looks like
it's another
clusterfuck
decide to do
'a re-election
S
by Kellan Higgins and Justin McElroy
Letters
CONSIDER YOUR DEBATING
METHODS
As many of you have known,
the recent conflict in Gaza has
greatly intensified the tension
between the Jewish and Arab
community on campus. This can
be seen from the altercation at
the Elmer lecture and from the
recent incident between Jewish
and Arab students outside of a
residence. I understand that this
topic is one of the most heated
and controversial topics in the
world today and both sides have
a lot at stake. I also understand
that healthy debate on the topic
is necessary and constructive,
especially for the young and budding minds at UBC. The problem
though, is that the debate is not
healthy, and is certainly not constructive. I have read through all
of the postings at The Ubyssey
website as well as talking to a
number of people on both sides
Streeters
of the debate, and it makes me
sad to see genuinely intellectual
people resorting to petty name
calling to get their point across.
People on both sides of this argument are doing it. These types of
insults will only increase the tensions on campus, and can lead
to further violence. No amount
of name calling will change the
views of the people on the opposite side ofthe debate, but claims
backed by factual evidence have
a great chance of doing just that.
I urge people who feel the need
to argue this, through whatever
media, to back all of their facts
up with credible sources. Name
calling not only increases hatred
on campus, but it makes your
argument look poor and makes
you seem ignorant.
I know this seems obvious to a
lot of people, but a lot ofthe arguing is being done poorly. Tension
is increasing, and it needs to
stop. I would love to see healthy
debate on this topic, because it
is obviously important. But the
way both sides are arguing is just
going to continue to add to the
already high tensions on campus. UBC is a highly regarded
community of intellectuals; let's
make sure our arguments reflect
that.
—Mike Shipley
Arts 2
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the office. People may email us at
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Annamay Pierse just broke a Canadian record for swimming.
What's one of your swimming experiences?
Colin Chau
Arts 2
"I was at a
resort in Puerto
Vallarta and they
had this kind of
lagoon part of
their swimming
pool, and it's like
an underwater
cave. And I got
myself stuck
in there, and I
couldn't get myself out for like
two minutes."
Lisa Jensen
Music 3
"I used to go
skinny dipping
in the river in
January..it felt
really invigorating. You get
really cold, but
then you go out
and you're like,
'wow I survived
that.'"
Kalina Hadziev
Commerce 3
"I got so
freaked out
when I was
probably about
five on my
third lesson...
that I got out
and cried. And
I never went
back to swim
lessons."
Sarah Shove
Arts 4
Kathrine Martin
Arts 3
"My mom was
a really good
swimmer but I
never was...so
she put me in all
the lessons...everyone else could
swim across the
pool, but...I had
to just jump
from one chair
to another in the
shallow end."
-Coordinated by Tara Martellaro and Goh Iromoto, with photos by Kate Barbaria FEBRUARY 24, 2009
THE UBYSSEY    WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
GAMES & COMICS     11
BARNABY BY BRAD LOCKE
Do  N&T     wbar.    tzbs
Social   momzys...
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bv Kvrstin Bain
WW
solution, tips and computer
programs at www.sudoku.com
HARD #51
su|do|ku
© Puzzles by Pappocom
SUSC0MIC.COM BY MICHAEL BROUND
fATV-iefc-    STAP-TSD
I&UU-DIN6    SHIPS    IM
ioTTL.ES.
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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT > INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION > MANAGEMENT >
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT > AND MORE ...
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ACROSS
1. Weaving machine
5. East Indian vine formerly used to
make an intoxicating drink
10. Pornography in genera
14. The capital of Samoa
1 5. Promo-guy
16. Tobacco too
17. Moses' list
20. Large type of deer
21. Oils or watercolours
22. T.S., of The Hollow Men
23. A stake used as a target in the
game of quoits
24. "Is it or _ it?"
26. Alexander Pope's medium
29. Carangidae fish
30. Common virus
33. James Bond's job title
34. The simplest particle of matter
35. Sauce at Thanks, dinner
36. Large Canadian island
39. Dueler's tool
40. Not well done
41. From this point on
42. To soak
43. Control a horse
44. Mineral deposit
45. A snowman's eyes
46. Casino machine
47. Don Giovanni or The Magic Flute
50. Top floor
52. A native of Thailand
55. Weekend getaway place
58. The former Persia
59. 1979 science fiction film with
Sigourney Weaver
60. The angle where a leaf joins a stem
61. Use a stopwatch
62. Well kept, tidy
63. Clock face
DOWN
1. Tardy
2. German subsidiary of General Motors
3. Certain barnyard noise
4. Trendy computer brand
5. Wrist bone resting on the fourth
and fifth metacarpal bones
6. Let in
7. Sultanate bordering the UAE and
Yemen
8. A mythical monster having the head
of man, the body of a lion and the tai
of a scorpion
9. A common conjunction
10. Health food wheat
11. Avery short dress
12. no good
13. Check quality
18. Portuguese city noted for port
wine
19. Sew up
23. Chop finely
25. Indigenous person of northern
Europe
26. Opposite of a spender
27. In awe
28. Something held to be true
29. The rear part of a ship
30. Swiss currency
31. Armstrong of the Tour de France
32. Beneath
34. Currently unoccupied
35. Sport shoe
37. Carbamide
38. Shoddy merchandise, dreck
43. Certain type of horse
44. Flexible
45. Ichabod of The Legend of Sleepy
Hollow
46. Infuse, as with tea
47. Notice of death
48. Persian fairy
49. Certain Dutch cheese
51. Sew on lace
52. Certain yellow car
53. The largest continent
54. " never work!"
56. East Indian tree yielding a yellow
dye
57. Craze
LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS
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