BASKETBALL Women head into the Canada West championships Our Campus One on one with the people who make UBC >3 '' ^^^H ^3»>r ■ News» Editors: Kalyeena Makortoff & Micki Cowan 03.01.2012 | 3 LAND USE» Gage South public hearing set for move-out day of student residences Kalyeena Makortoff News Editor The second phase of consultations for Gage South is underway, but the AMS says the university's planning department is undermining student involvement in the process. The AMS has taken issue with the contents ofthe Gage South survey, as well as the date ofthe public hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for the final day of exams and the move-out day for students in residence. "Why would you schedule one of the most important events in terms ofthe last opportunity for students to go have their voice heard on the day when 95 per cent of campus won't be here?" said outgoing AMS President Jeremy McElroy. The April 26 public hearing is the culmination of a multi-year process to change the land use designations for academic lands on campus. A separate set of consultations for Gage South were created after the university community raised concerns about the potential for non-student housing to be built in the area. The hearing will be the only opportunity for the public to give feedback for the zoning ofthe "Area Under Review" before the plan is sent to the provincial government for approval. McElroy said that though he doesn't believe that Campus and Community Planning (CCP) is deliberately excluding students, the result will be the same. "They have been operating in bad faith and they're trying to sneak this one by when students clearly are not goingto be on campus to take part," McElroy said. But Lisa Colby, director of policy planning for CCP, maintained that the date is flexible and will ultimately be set by the Board of Governors at the beginning of April. She argued that the date comes after exams so that students can actually attend and written submissions can be made before people leave town. Colby went on to say that CCP wants to push forward with the process so that a new Aquatic Centre can be built as soon as possible. "At the end ofthe day, the project will go at the pace that it goes at," she said. McElroy resolved to ensure that students have a voice at the hearing. "If there's absolutely no change from the university we're goingto try and show up en masse on [April] 26 with everyone who's available on that day, to let them know that we're not happy with the process, we're not happy with what's being proposed and that we demand the area be zoned academic." 13 NEW SUB » UBC breaks ground on new SUB Will McDonald StaffWriter After five years of negotiations, consultations and planning, UBC finally broke ground for the new SUB. The groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday featured an open house with posters showingthe history of UBC's SUBs and artist renditions ofthe new SUB. Outgoing AMS VP Administration Mike Silley, outgoing AMS President Jeremy McElroy and UBC President Stephen Toope gave speeches praising everyone that worked on the project since 2007. Construction ofthe 250,000 square foot new SUB is on schedule for completion in 2014 and is on budget. The new SUB will feature a brewery, garden and rooftop childcare centre, as well as numerous new restaurants and club spaces. Silley said that Sarah Naiman, AMS VP Admin from 2007-2008, was instrumental in the project, leadingthe referendum that made the new SUB possible. "Someone in their early 20s saying, 'Let's build a $100 million building,' it takes a lot of leadership to accomplish that," said Silley. Toope said he was proud of students' efforts on the new SUB. "It's been extraordinarily impressive to see four generations of student leaders and hundreds of other students givingtheir ideas about how the SUB should look and what should be in it," he said. Accordingto Toope, an essential part ofthe new SUB was orchestrat- ingthe relationship between the AMS and the university. Bijan Ahmadian, AMS president from 2010-2011, worked to facilitate that collaboration. "When I came on, itwas really about changingthe tone and chang- ingthe process," said Ahmadian. News briefs 1KB will not stay open 24/7 Despite a petition to keep Irving K. Barber (1KB) open 24 hours a day throughout the entire school year, KB director Simon Neame said that there are currently no plans to establish an all-night study space. Keeping the centre open 24/7 for the full 32-week winter term would cost at least $100,000 on top of the existing budget. Shane Galway-one of the initiators of the petition-feels that such a space should be lobbied for. "I think some people have at some point had to do an [all-nighter] at least once." he said. "And for people living off campus, if they need to pull all-nighters, there's nowhere really for them to go." GEOFF LISTER/THE UBYSSEY UBC President Stephen Toope digs into the Knoll during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new SUB "It's not students versus the university. It's students and the university versus the issues that come up." Ekaterina Dovjenko, AMS VP Admin from 2010-2011, was responsible for organizingthe documents necessary to build the new SUB. She said that although the project faced a few roadblocks, everything has worked out. "This project is goingto be amazing for generations of students to come," she said. "I'm so glad it's come to fruition, UBC scientists unveil new economic and ecologic index The growth in world population, threat of climate change and downturn in the world economy has prompted UBC researchers to create a new "health" index of 150 countries that combines economic and ecologic factors. The top performing countries were Bolivia. Angola. Namibia. Paraguay and Argentina, while the bottom performing country was Singapore. "Piling up ecological deficits is just as concerning as piling up financial deficits-both have consequences for future generations." said Rashid Sumaila. director of the UBC Fisheries Centre. because there were many times when I didn't think it would." New SUB committee member Mike Duncan was excited to see all the work on the new SUB pay off. "I really think students are goingto be impressed when the new buildinggoes up and they're goingto have a fantastic place to share," said Duncan. The building will be LEED Platinum Plus certified, making it the greenest student union building in the world. $2M national study on bullying of LGBTQ and straight youth A newly launched UBC survey is seeking to address how effective school and community programs have been in reducing homophobic bullying of lesbian, gay. bisexual, transgender. queer and straight youth. Led by UBC professor Elizabeth Saewyc. the five-year survey is the largest investment of its kind by the Canadian Insititute of Health Research. "Schools and communities are using a lot of different strategies to try to change this, but very few of these strategies have been evaluated to see not only if they work and how well they work, but why they work." said Saewyc. "The sustainability piece ofthe SUB is phenomenal...It was always number one, by a long shot," said Duncan, who was also AMS president iwn 2008-09. John Metras, UBC's managing director of infrastructure and development, said one ofthe best parts about the new SUB will be its integration with the Knoll that will house the new Pit Pub. "The connection with the existing Knoll is goingto be quite spectacular," said Metras. tH Bacterial traces found in Vancouver prepackaged fish A UBC study has found traces of the bacteria listeria in 20 per cent of ready-to-eat fish products sold in Metro Vancouver. UBC food microbiologist Kevin Allen tested 40 fish samples including lox. smoked tuna, candied salmon and fish jerky sold from seven large chain stores and ten small retailers in Metro Vancouver. Allen said that although the listeria levels in the products met federal guidelines, the bacteria can multiply during handling and storage. "Additional handling of ready-to-eat foods in stores, such as slicing, weighing and packaging, may increase the potential for cross-contamination." said Allen. tJ ELECTIONS » Election results stand despite ineligible voters m m GEOFF LISTEWHE UBYSSEY Andrew Bates Senior Web Writer A review ofthe AMS elections has found that ineligible voters were able to cast a ballot for the UBC Board of Governors (BoG) and Senate, and may have done so in the past as well. "We have confirmed that a few non-UBC students did vote in those elections, however not enough voted to have materially affected the results," said Chris Eaton, UBC associate registrar. "Therefore, the results ofthe Board of Governors and the Senate elections stand as is." Students at UBC's affiliated theological colleges—St Mark's, Regent College and the Vancouver School of Theology—are AMS members and can vote in executive elections, but aren't UBC students and can't vote for Senate or BoG. The AMS administers those races on behalf of the university. Of 18 Regent College students who registered to vote, 12 voted. Their votes were stripped from the official count, but no one candidate lost more than four votes in this process, and BoG candidate Erik MacKinnon saw his vote total remain the same. Accordingto elections administrator Carolee Changfoot, Regent College students were allowed to vote based on past practice. "Although this has been happening in the past, itwas only brought up now that we realized that they're not allowed to," she said. Changfoot said that next year, affiliated colleges will have a separate ballot from UBC students to avoid the problem. "We are for sure making sure this is goingto be in our transition reports, of course," she said. Eaton said the next step will be to have conversations with the new AMS executive and Elections Committee. "We'll have to work with them to ensure the integrity of the electoral process." 13 41 News o3.oi.2oi2 GRADSTUDENTS» New GSS president looks ahead Conny Lin speaks on Koerner's future and TAs =H0T0 COURTESY CONNY LIN Kalyeena Makortoff News Editor UBC's Graduate Student Society (GSS) election results were ratified mid-February, and incoming GSS President Conny Lin has already started planning for the year ahead. "Last year GSS was all about surviving, with the [Koerner's] pub and financial difficulties," said Lin, who has been studying at UBC since 2001 and is currently workingtowards her PhD in neuroscience. "The whole team has done a good job saving us." But now that the student society has its bearings, she continued, there is an opportunity to move forward. Koerner's won't be reopening anytime soon, though. Back in August, the GSS said it was planning to look for proposals from third parties who might help reopen the pub, but movement has been slow. "It's a priority for us to think about what to do with it. We're in the process of constructing a request for proposals with UBC, [and] we're not excluding any other way to use the space," said Lin. As for the most recent teaching assistant (TA) union contract negotiations with UBC, Lin said the GSS has not made an official endorsement, but isn't taking the issue lightly. "We need to take TA union's issue seriously because TA union's constituents are one third ofthe total GSS constituents. However, there is no official stance ofthe GSS regarding the TA union negotiation at this point. We are observingthe negotiation closely; that's about it for now." Fellow university organizations are also on Lin's radar. The review of the AMS-GSS relationship is ongoing, and the possibility of separating from the AMS isn't being ruled out. "[The] AMS mentioned lack of involvement from the GSS [has] been one ofthe limitations regarding AMS's contribution to graduate student issues," said Lin, who has previously served as a GSS rep on AMS Council. "[We're] not excluding the possibility to separate, but [it's] an absolute last resort." Lin said the GSS will be looking to continue its membership with the Western University Alliance, as well as the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), which the AMS withdrew from earlier this year. Lin also wants to expand the GSS's non-departmental club structure, which she sees as building a cohesive community. There are currently two GSS clubs, although there are many departmental student organizations like the College for Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Student Association, which Lin co-founded. But building blocks need to be put in place as well. Lin said there is a need to battle the annual executive turnovers by establishing long term goals, with five-year and ten-year plans. "In the next few years, I see that the foundation we aim to establish during 2012-13 will allow the GSS to serve our constituents more efficiently, more comprehensively and more collaboratively." tH University of Ottawa Study Law in the National Capital - where the Supreme Court and Parliament make it. Choose from a variety of uOttawa JD, LLM or PhD programs in either English or French Special Information DROP-IN Session with Bruce Feldthusen, Dean, Faculty of Law, Common Law Section Friday, March 9,2012 froml :00 p.m-3:00 p.m UBC Student Union Building, Room 212A 6138 Student Union Boulevard All current and prospective applicants welcome! For more information: www.com mon la w.u Otta wa.ca uOttawa L'University canadienne Canada's university GOVERNANCE» Metro Van looks into polling UBC residents GEOFF LISTERmE UBYSSEY Students living in residence have had issues receiving their voting cards from Metro Van Micki Cowan News Editor It could be a while before residents of UBC and the Endowment Lands are polled on what they think about the governance situation. A Vancouver Sun article from February 24 said that Metro Vancouver is planning to poll residents of Electoral Area A on governance. But Lois Jackson, mayor of Delta and member ofthe intergovernmental committee on this issue, said that the poll was just one ofthe recommendations made. "It is an idea that's been put forward. Whether or not the Metro Vancouver Board will approve it, and second of all which department or which committee would be the lead on that, is another question," said Jackson. "It's in a fledgling mode." Jackson said the intergovernmental committee's objective is to find out how Endowment Lands residents would like to be governed. The poll is one option for determin- ingthis. The area's only current local government representative is one Metro Vancouver director, who is responsible for issues such as sewage and water usage. For UBC's land use, the province has the final say. "At this point in time they don't have a mayor and council like everybody else does...We were a little bit concerned about that," said Jackson. "We just want to make sure that we're allowingthe people ofthe area to have a democratically elected local government, as is afforded everybody else in Canada." It could be a while before the recommendation comes before the Board; Jackson confirmed that the issue will not be brought up at Friday's meeting. It will be up to the Board to decide what action to take and who will be in charge of it. But Maria Harris, the current Electoral Area A director, thinks the method of conducting a poll is backwards. "We need to take a big step back from the conclusion that a poll will be done," said Harris. "It might turn out very quickly that a poll is a great idea, but first we need to talk to some ofthe locally elected representatives, and that's what we're goingto do." Jackson said more research needs to be done considering the state of UBC as well. "There are always special arrangements when you are dealing with university cities or towns," said Jackson. "But these are the kinds of things that have to be analyzed." Should a poll be conducted, polling residences at UBC poses its own issues. "We limit the amount of exposure or inundation of either hard- copy mail that students receive or emails...and not burden students with too much of that," said Andrew Parr, managing director of UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services. The judgment is made by housing management as to what gets through. If Metro Vancouver decides to poll residences, they'll be subject We need to take a big step back from the conclusion that a poll will be done. Maria Harris Director, Electoral Area A to the same approval method. But Parr said they'd probably be in favour ofthe poll. "If it was a City of Vancouver initiative and they were soliciting that kind of information to or from all households of Greater Vancouver for example, I would think we would probably participate in that," he said. Parr said previous problems have involved students in residence not receivingvotingcards in the past. "This is one ofthe complications of residence...permanent addresses and students not getting their voting cards or not being registered in a certain polling area, hence losing out on the opportunity to vote in a civic or provincial election," said Parr. Jackson said it would be key to try and reach as many legitimate homeowners and residents as possible to get the best responses. She gave the example of Delta, where questionnaires were sent to every household as well as people listed on the voting roll call. "We're just trying to serve those that are living there the best we can," she said. 13 o3.oi.2oi21 Feature 15 Will a new biomass plant make UBC a global sustainability leader? Or will it be another green-washed 'disaster? UBC is a month away from opening a $27 million biomass power plant with Nexterra Systems Corp., a local green-tech company Two of Nexterra's American projects have ended in failure. Is UBC headed down the same path? By Brian Piatt On October 9, 2011, South Carolina's largest newspaper published a lengthy expose on an alternative energy power plant at the University of South Carolina (USC). The plant, which used biomass gasification technology, had been racked by explosions and malfunctions. In March 2011, only four years after opening, it had to be closed down completely. USC is now waiting to recoup its $20 million investment. UBC is about to open a $27 million biomass power plant in partnership with Nexterra Systems Corp., the same company that supplied the technology to the USC powerplant. Nexterra is a Vancouver-based company that has been lauded in the Canadian media as an international pioneer in alternative energy solutions—but no Canadian media outlet has reported on the USC disaster. And that's not the only problem Nexterra has had with American universities. Last June, Nexterra made headlines for signing a $16 million contract with the University of Montana (UM) for a biomass power plant. "This is our fourth university project and it represents a significant milestone as we expand into the higher educational market across North America," said Jonathan Rhone, the company's CEO at the time, in an article in The Province. By December 2011, the UM project had been scrapped bythe university. According to the local media, the project met its demise due to concerns over "financial viability, fuel supply, increased pollution and the deteriorating [public] discourse." Out ofthe four university projects mentioned by Rhone in the Province article, two have turned out to be fiascos. The other two are both in British Columbia. One of them, the UBC project, is set to come online in April. At this time, the only successful Nexterra university power plant is at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George. Nexterra also has a handful of smaller biomass power plants operating at non- university locations, including at a Kruger Products factory in New Westminster. These plants seem to have avoided the university plants' problems. For two years, UBC officials have been touting their almost-completed Nexterra UBC's new biomass plant, built with technology developed by Nexterra, is Ic Marine Drive residences. =HOTO COURTESY NE)CTERRA :ated between the Totem Park and powerplant, located between the Totem Park and Marine Drive residences, in press releases and newspaper op-eds as an example of UBC's commitment to being a global leader in green technology. In his town hall last October, President Stephen Toope praised the Nexterra project at length, calling it a complete "winner" for the university. But considering the problems with the American plants, is the UBC project as trustworthy as we've been told? Will it prove to be a success following the UNBC model, or is it a looming financial catastrophe? When the University of South Carolina officially opened its biomass power plant in December 2007, USC officials were brimming with excitement. Accordingto The State, the South Carolina newspaper that published the expose on the plant, officials called it "the cat's meow." Biomass technology takes in organic material and turns it into energy. Nexterra has focused on developing biomass gasification systems that take in wood byproduct and turn it into a synthetic gas that can be used to generate heat or electricity. In other words, Nexterra converts wood chips, tree trimmings and bark into a substitute for natural gas and other fossil fuels. The USC biomass plant was built by Johnson Controls Inc. (JO), a Fortune 500 company with a large energy services division. Accordingto The State, there was no competitive bidding process for the construction ofthe plant; it came as part a comprehensive JO bid to provide energy services to the university. JO had never built a biomass plant to the scale of what was promised to USC. "We were a young company," says Mike Scott, who replaced Rhone as Nexterra's CEO in October 2011. "At the time, Johnson Controls was only willing to have us do a very, very small part of that project." JO used Nexterra's technology to build the power plant, but according to Scott, the plant's fuel handling system, boiler, emission control equipment, turbine, water treatment system, controls and the building itself were managed by other groups. Nexterra only supplied the gasification system. "Unfortunately, that project had a number of challenges," says Scott. On June 28,2009, an explosion in the USC biomass plant blasted a metal panel 60 feet in the air. Documents obtained by The State showed that USC officials described the accident as "potentially lethal." "An irrevocable catastrophe may have occurred if a worker or visitor had been in this location," wrote Thomas Quasney, USC's associate vice-president for facilities, in an email obtained by The State. In total, The State obtained 1800 pages of documents about the USC biomass plant in its investigation, much of it through freedom of information requests. The documents showed that the plant had been shut down more than three dozen times in its four-year lifespan. In one two- year period, the plant was only operational on 98 out of 534 days. According to The State, "the [June 28] blast underscored what some USC officials privately grumbled about for years: That the plant has been a $20 million disaster, a money pit that was poorly planned and built by a company [JO] that had never constructed such a cutting-edge 'green energy' power plant before." In March 2011, the USC biomass plant was shuttered. Fortunately for the university, their contract with JO guaranteed $2 million per year in energy savings over what USC's natural gas heating system would have cost. This means that USC will eventually be able to recoup their $20 million investment in the biomass plant. "It was a bad plant, but a good contract," said USC's chief financial officer, Ed Walton, in an interview with The State. Cont'd on the next page. 61 Feature 103.01.2012 The tumultuous history of Nexterra's university power plants May 22,2009 The University of Northern BC announces Nexterra has been selected to build a $22 million biomass power plant. February 15 UBCannounc partnership \a million (later l plant will be tl December 2007 The University of South Carolina opens its biomass power plant, built at a cost of $20 million. The plant was built by Johnson Controls Inc. using Nexterra's gasification system. June 28,2009 An explosion at the USC plant blasts a metal panel 60 feet in the air. The plant has been racked by malfunctions. FROM PAGE 5: Biomass: as UBC approaches the opening of its $27 million power plant, the problems with biomass plants on American campuses casts a shadow Brent Sauder says he is not worried about what the USC revelations might mean for UBC's Nexterra plant. Sauder is the director of strategic partnerships for the UBC Sustainability Initiative. His job is to create partnerships between UBC and third parties to advance UBC's goals in sustainability and environmental technology. "The situation [in South Carolina] is that Nexterra only supplied components ofthe system and somebody else welded them all together," says Sauder. "The failures occurred in the integration part, not in the component supply." At UBC, in contrast, Nexterra is essentially responsible for the whole plant. UBC staff are being trained to eventually take it over, but unlike at USC, there is no intermediary company between Nexterra and the university. However, this also means that there is no performance contract that would refund the cost if the plant fails. Scott says that Nexterra quickly learned its lesson from what happened at USC. "When we looked at doing the next project with Johnson Controls... we insisted, and Johnson Controls agreed, that Nexterra should actually provide everything around the system. The scope of our supply increased around six-fold," says Scott. This project was at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory—the department's largest laboratory in the United States and a premier nuclear research site. "Fortunately, this has resulted in a successful project," says Scott. "We've just completed the performance tests, and as you can imagine...that project underwent an enormous amount of scrutiny after the [USC] challenges." But Nexterra still features the USC project on its website with no mention that the plant has been shut down for nearly ayear. In Nexterra's press releases, the most recent of which is dated October 12,2011, the company's description says that Nexterra "has successfully supplied commercial gasification systems for projects at the US Department of Energy, University of South Carolina, Dockside Green, Kruger Products, the University of Northern BC and Tolko Industries." Why is Nexterra using a failed power plant in its public relations without stating the project's problems? "That's a fair comment," says Scott. "But itwas a commercial success for us, we delivered the system, the plant did run...Our hope and expectation is that we will have the opportunity to go back and fix it for Johnson Controls. With the success we're having at Oak Ridge National Labs, we hope [we can go back and fix it.] "We're not hiding from any of it, and we don't mean for it to be a representation. Some would say that if we didn't have it there, that we were trying to hide from the problems. I understand the criticism, but I think you'll find ifyou talk to our customers that we've been as forthright as possible." As it turned out, the full scale of the USC plant's problems came to light just as another Nexterra project was falling under heavy criticism in Missoula, Montana. We're not hiding from any of it [the USC problemsL.I think you'll find if you talk to our customers that we've been as forthright as possible. Mike Scott Nexterra CEO When the $16 million University of Montana biomass plant was announced in June, the press coverage portrayed it as a breakthrough for Nexterra. "After installing systems at the University of BC, the University of Northern BC, and the University of South Carolina, company president Jonathan Rhone sees the Missoula campus contract as a potential stepping stone into a giant North American market," said a Province article on June 3,2011. Shortly after The State published its report on the USC disaster, Missoula's newspaper, The Missoulian, began a careful examination ofthe project. The paper's correspondent on the story was Chelsi Moi. "I think [the university's] presentation is what made it controversial," says Moi. "When they first presented the project, they made it look like a win-win, in-the-bag, great project." But when a few environmental groups started pushingthe university on some of their claims, particularly around air quality and carbon emissions, university officials had to do some backtracking. "Missoula's in a valley," says Moi, "and has had historically poor air quality. Even a couple of years ago, we were deemed an air stagnation zone, and were forced to clean up our act." One ofthe results was that most city residents were no longer allowed The interior of the UBC biomass plant. The plant will process post-consumer forest products to produce steam and electricity to have wood fireplaces—which is why a large wood-fueled power plant at the university raised ire. The high carbon emissions and particulate matter released by burning wood are some ofthe biggest problems that biomass companies have worked to solve. Nexterra claims that its plants have made huge strides in this regard. Public consultations grew contentious between Missoula residents and university officials. At one point the university was forced to apologize after its vice-president of finance and administration said that project opponents were engaged in "low-level eco-terrorism." In November, a letter signed by 45 concerned residents—including members of UM's heating plant staff—asked the university's Board of Regents to reconsider the project. "The regents made a decision based on information that was not current," said one ofthe letter-writers, John Snively, as quoted by The Missoulian. "It's clear the university doesn't want to hear from us. The people who are making the decisions at the university don't feel we have the technical expertise or have valid reasons for interceding in this, never mind that it will cost us all more money and create more pollution." But Scott notes that Nexterra obtained all the permits it needed from health authorities to build the plant. "I think there was a couple of action groups that were opposed to the project," says Scott, "and they continued to challenge the administration on the basis of emissions... but the administration had a hard time getting out the message that the system they were proposing is the cleanest biomass system that you can get. The state authorities recognized that it would be the cleanest biomass system in the state of Montana." One ofthe action groups opposed to the biomass plant was the Wildwest Institute, an organization focused on forest and wildlife issues. Its executive director, Matthew Koehler, led the charge on challeng- ingthe university's claims about the benefits ofthe project. "We had started raising questions about this for about nine months, and we were all but ignored bythe university and the press," says Koehler. "And then we found a bunch of stuff in open-record searches...and you know, it didn't require too much sleuthing. It just required critical thinking skills to pore through documents." Koehler has been a dedicated skeptic of biomass power plants for years. He says he would support small-scale biomass in some instances, but essentially objects to the idea of, as he puts it, "cutting down forests and then burning them to solve global climate change." To this, biomass proponents argue that most biomass projects only involve burning the wood industry's byproduct that would otherwise be waste. Yet Koehler was able to find problems in UM's plans for fuel supply. "UM had made this claim that they were goingto get this fuel for [a certain price], and then they put out this bid, and nobody bid," says Koehler. "And then...the university was saying the fuel dealers were goingto have to chip [wood] offsite and truck in the fuel, about three chip trucks full a day." But fuel dealers did not have the storage space to be able to guarantee a steady flow of chip supply. "So then at the last minute, the university said, 'Well, we'll just invest a quarter of a million dollars and chip on site,'" says Koehler. "Okay, so we're goingto run an industrial wood-chipper in the middle of campus?" On December 2,2011, UM suspended the biomass project indefinitely. The official reason was that natural gas prices had fallen so far that itwas no longer in the univer- [University executives] generally know jack squat about biomass. But they go to some conference and they get the presentation, and they go "oh wow, that's neat." Matthew Koehler Executive Director, Wildwest Institute sity's financial interests to install an expensive biomass powerplant. "They've said that they will revisit the project again in 2012," says Scott. "If natural gas prices don't increase, or there's not a change in the economic and green imperatives for the university, then I think it will be on hold until there's a change. It's just unfortunate that the macro energy environment turned on us. I think it would have been a fantastic project." There are many significant differences between the plant being o3.oi.2oi21 Feature 17 ,2010 ;es its biomass plant in /ith Nexterra. at a cost of $26 jpdated to $27 million). The ie first of its kind. March 22,2011 The UNBC biomass plant begins operation. October 9,2011 The State. South Carolina's largest newspaper, published a 3500-word expose on the USC plant's chronic problems. It refers to the plant as "scrap metal." December 1,2011 The University of Montana shelves its plan to build a biomass plant, saying the plant is no longer financial viable. It apologizes for its VP Finance's "eco-terrorism" remarks about the project's opponents. March 2011 The USC plant is shuttered after only 39 months. Nexterra holds out hope of fixing it with Johnson Controls. August 2,2011 A third party study shows the UNBC biomass plant's emissions are of a quality "as good as. or better than, natural gas." April 2012 UBC's biomass plant is slated to begin operation. June 3,2011 Nexterra announces it has sold a $16-mil- lion biomass gasification system to the University of Montana. installed at UBC and the failed projects at USC and UM. Perhaps the most important is that UBC is less focused on biomass as a potentially cheaper alternative to natural gas, and more on the research and development aspect ofthe facility. As with USC, the biomass project at UM had an energy services company building the plant as part of an energy supply contract to the university. At UBC, the plant will be entirely university-operated. "With biomass, here was an opportunity to try something new," said Sauder, UBC Sustainability Initative's director of strategic partnerships. "And it could contribute to the heat and power as required bythe university, and use technology grown in British Columbia." The UBC plant will include a laboratory onsite and university researchers will conduct extensive research with the technology. UBC was also greatly helped by government subsidies and grants; about 70 per cent ofthe plant's $27 million capital cost is covered by these funds. The biomass plant being built at UBC is a new generation of Nexterra's technology. "In the first generation of our systems, we took that syngas [the synthetic gas produced from the wood fuel] and burned it to produce steam," says Scott. "That gas in its untreated form isn't suitable for firing into internal combustion engines. And so what we've done...is developed a system for cleaning up the gas to make it suitable." Nexterra's system at UBC will be able to fire that synthetic gas into an engine developed by General Electric. The engine will then be capable of producing heat and electricity for the campus. "The system at UBC will be first of its kind built by us," says Scott. "There have been a number of failed attempts, mostly in Europe, to do what we're trying to do. Many of those projects in Europe have not met the commercial requirements of a combined heat and gas system. But we've done nearly 3000 hours of testing at our product development centre in Kamloops...and the UBC project will be the first commercial-scale demonstration of this technology." Two ofthe major criticisms of the UM project were air quality and fuel supply; both of those appear to be comprehensively addressed at UBC. The plant has received a Metro Vancouver air quality management permit, but Sauder says the air quality restrictions will go above and beyond the district requirements. The university will have researchers on site monitoring the emissions continuously. Sauder also authored a 78-page environmental assessment. "The strictest [air quality standards] we could find in the US is the San Joaquin Valley, and we're goingto be stricter than that," says Sauder. Scott also points to the success ofthe UNBC biomass plant, where third-party studies concluded in August 2011 that the plant's emission quality was "as good as, or better than, natural gas." The UBC plant's fuel supply will come from a Langley-based company, Cloverdale Fuel, that specializes in "wood byproducts brokering and transport." Cloverdale already supplies a Nexterra biomass plant at a Kruger Products mill in New Westminster. The City of Vancouver has signed a memorandum of under- standingto provide 5000 tonnes of municipal tree trimmings annually to the UBC fuel supply. Sauder estimates this will cover about 20 per cent ofthe fuel; the rest will come from Cloverdale's suppliers. The fuel will be prepared at Cloverdale accordingto UBC-ordered standards, and then trucked to the university in two to three truckloads per day. Jens Wieting, the forests and climate campaigner for Sierra Club BC, says that there is a lot of local supply for wood waste right now, though he cautions that this may change when pine beetle-damaged wood is used up. With biomass, here was an opportunity to try something new...and use technology grown in British Columbia Brent Sauder Director of Strategic Partnerships, UBC Sustainability Initiative "At some point there is a big risk of...not having resources in the future," says Wieting. "Because of the pine beetle and the increasing number of forest fires, and lack of reforestation, we have to expect that there will be less timber available in the near future. That's a concern for any project. A very careful study is required in terms of longterm supply." The biomass plant itself used cross-laminated timber in its construction, alow-carbon alternative for steel and concrete. "It will be the first industrial building in North America built with cross- laminated timber," says Sauder. "I'm quite proud of what we're doing," says Scott. "It's made-in- BC technology that the university is taking a leadership role on, and I'm quite happy that we're taking biomass energy to the next level. I'm confident it's going to work." November 12,2011 Missoula residents opponsed to the UM biomass plant present a letter to the university's Board of Regents asking them to reconsider the project. If UBC's biomass plant works as well as the university and Nexterra are promising, it will be a mutually beneficial project. Nexterra gets to test and develop its technology at a commercial scale, UBC researchers get first-hand experience with experimental clean energy production, and the campus will have up to six per cent of its electricity and 25 per cent of its heating steam produced by the project. But biomass skeptics find it hard to trust these claims. The slick presentations given by universities and company executives often ignore any risks ofthe project. "It's like the Simpsons episode from a few years ago, when the monorail salesman came to Springfield," says Koehler. "[University executives] generally know jack squat about biomass. But they go to some conference and they get the presentation, and they go 'Oh wow, that's neat.'" Furthermore, the media often can't be relied on for critical coverage; most articles on biomass technology are indistinguishable from company press releases. Koehler worries about the reliance the biomass industry has on the vast quantities of money governments have made available for alternative energy projects. "This biomass stuff cannot pencil out without massive subsidies," says Koehler. "But biomass proponents seem to be very much true believers in their cause, and they freak out whenever anyone wants to question the economics or the environmental impact of their project." Not all environmental groups are ofthe same mind about biomass. In Nova Scotia, the Ecology Action Network has organized protests against government plans to ramp up biomass production for the electricity grid, out of concern for depleted forest ecosystems. But in BC, there has been very little pushback against biomass. The Sierra Club, for example, takes a cautious line but generally supports biomass. "The key questions are: what type of biomass [fuel]? And where does it come from? Is it local, or does it need to be shipped in from far away?" says Wieting. "Waste is generally better than something grown specifically for the use of biomass." Wieting also encourages caution over claims of carbon neutrality with wood biomass plants, because it depends heavily on how fast the removed trees grow back. UBC officials, for now, are excited about the project's potential and eager to discuss it. In the past two years numerous op-eds have appeared in the Vancouver Sun by UBC professors and executives, extolling UBC's commitment to clean technology and highlighting the Nexterra project in particular. "This is the university as a leader," says Sauder. "People see these goals for sustainability..and they say, 'Well that's cool, but how are we goingto get there?' To have the tools to demonstrate the path forward is very important. It's a neat opportunity for UBC to show how to do these things at a city scale." The plant is slated to open in April. 13 Economics in Theory & Practice This free seminar will explore how the economic ideas of incentives, signals and markets impact areas of human behaviour in relation to both the economy and areas such as fiscal and environmental policy. Erik Kimbrough Simon Fraser University Paul Geddes Columbia College Tracy Stobbe Trinity Western University Moin Yahya University of Alberta Saturday, March 3 9:30am - 4:00pm SFU Harbour Centre Segal Centre, Room 1400 Free event! Learn more and register at www.LiberalStudies.ca 1 Institute I Liberal; Institute for I Studies Sports» B Editor-Drake Fenton 03.012012 | 8 Current Canada West MVP. Led conference in assists with 117. Also led the team in steals and minutes played. Where they're weak Their perfect record could be their downfall. It's not uncommon for an undefeated team to fall into the complacency trap. They averaged 84.2 points per game, which stands as the third- highest in conference history Why they could win They have the best defence in the Canada West. They have the size to dominate in the low post and force teams to make lower percentage shots. Where they're weak Canada West Finals They're playing Regina. Their No. 8 ranked offence may simply not be able to match Regina point for point. Why they could win —. X-factor: Nicole Wierks She wasn't the best player on offence or defence, but she made a comeback from a second ACL tear and a chronic shoulder injury this season. Her leadership and resilience will be key for a team pegged as a major underdog. Of the remaining teams, they're the most accurate from downtown. That paired with leading the Canada West in rebounding makes them dangerous. X-factor: Kris Young UBC's leading scorer and third in the Canada West. Also led UBC in assists and was fifth in the conference. No. 4 University of British Columbia ^Regular season >record:15-3 Where they're weak Their three- pointers can be game changing, but they sometimes shoot too many. They have the third worst percentage in the Canada West. X-factor: Katie Miyazaki For the third straight year she has been named the Canada West defensive player of the year. If anyone can shut down Kris Young, it's her. Where they're weak When facing a press defence, their offence struggles to get in sync and make space for their shooters. Women's basketball hoping for Canada West gold With two of Canada's best at the final four, the road won't be easy for UBC Drake Fenton Sports Editor The Canada West is renowned for its brutal competition. Year in and year out, in almost every university sport, the top contenders in Canada play in the Canada West. The UBC women's basketball team enters the Canada West final four this weekend in Saskatchewan knowing their sport is no exception. "It's survival ofthe fittest," said UBC head coach Deb Huband. Three ofthe four teams at the tournament are nationally ranked in the top four, including No. 1 Regina, who is currently undefeated. UBC is No. 4 in the country. Rounding out the competition is No. 3 Saskatchewan and No. 8 Fraser Valley. In their first match on Friday night, the Thunderbirds (15-3) will face the Saskatchewan Huskies (15-5). The 'Birds blew past the University of Alberta last weekend in the Canada West quarterfinals, with decisive 85-51 and 82-71 victories. With the stakes higher this weekend, coach Huband and her players know victories of those margins will be rare. "Saskatchewan is a tough team, they are a very well-coached team, they have a very dominant rookie post player and three fifth-year players in their starting lineup," said Huband. "They are goingto be a tough opponent for us." UBC faced the Huskies only once this season, beatingthem 76-64 at War Memorial Gym. That game, though, was two months ago, and as fifth- year T-Bird Zara Huntley admits, Saskatchewan isn't the same team. "We've watched some game tape this week and they are a lot better team since we last played them...They're executing a lot better and they're playing better defence," said Huntley. But Huntley also noted that UBC isn't the same team either, and has been growing with each passing week. "We have a lot of talent, but this team is not even so much about the talent or the skill, it's more our chemistry," she said. "The way we gel together and the way we play. We play for each other this year more than we have in the past, and it's not an individual game, it's much more of a team game." While second-year guard Kris Young has been a breakout star for the 'Birds this season, a team- first mentality has been apparent all season, with each member of their starting five having led UBC in scoring in two or more games. If UBC can make it past Saskatchewan, they will most likely have a date with Regina for the Canada West title. While neither Huband nor her players are looking past the Huskies, an opportunity to take down Canada's only undefeated team is a prospect they are undoubtedly excited by. "[Regina's] had a terrific season, so I hope we get a chance to play them," said Huband. "We would use it as a bit of a measuring stick, and we think we match up with them really well." "I think [playing Regina] would be a pretty exciting thing," added Huntley. "We played them [in the first weekend ofthe season] and we only ended up losing by eight... I felt like it was a close game the whole time. "Just knowing how good we are now, I think we are able to beat them." Winning the Canada West this weekend would guarantee UBC a spot at nationals, but losing would not be the end ofthe line for the 'Birds. Next weekend, the losers from each conference championship will compete in a regional competition to determine the three remaining spots open at the CIS final eight. This weekend won't be the be-all and end-all of UBC's season, but with the level of competition they'll be facing, it will certainly feel like it. If the 'Birds can claim the Canada West banner they will be the undisputed team to beat in Canada, and on a fast track to claim CIS gold. 13 Cnltnre» 03.012012 | 9 Editor: Ginny Monaco MAGES COURTESY OFTHE CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE WRITERS » Four UBC writers vie for non-fiction prize Will Johnson Senior Culture Writer When the shortlist for the Charles Taylor Prize, a Canadian literary non-fiction award, was announced on January 10, West Coast writers made up the majority ofthe list. And four ofthe writers are recent UBC grads—JJ Lee, Madeline Sonik, Charlotte Gill and Andrew Westoll. The $25,000 prize will be awarded on March 5. But before we find out the winner, let's take a look at the nominees. Afflictions SDepartureshy Madeline Sonik Sonik's book is an experimental collection of essays which explores her experiences growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Sonik married her journalistic style with fictional techniques to create a memoir of unique form. "The essays span my life from conception to my mid-teens, and are arranged chronologically," she said. "I wrote several essays in this collection that deal with experiences I shared with my father. In rendering specific interactions that we had, new dimensions of our past relationship made themselves known to me." Sonik said she was surprised by the results of her soul-searching. "I didn't realize until I'd written these essays how very bound I'd been to my father, or how inculcated society's notions of female inferiority at a young age [are]. "When you put a lived experience down on the page as objectively as you possibly can and then read it back, it's amazing what's suddenly shown to you." Eating Dirt by Charlotte GUI Gill felt there was avoid in contemporary literature, and sought to fill it. She had been waiting for someone to capture the cultural experience of tree-planting in writing, and when nobody did, she wrote the book herself. "I've waited for years for someone to come along and write a book about our collective experience," she said. "The day never came. As tree planters, we had this life that seemed so inexplicably oddball on the outside, and yet on the inside I knew it meant something profound, not just to me but to thousands of Canadians." Gill, who teaches creative writing at UBC, was also nominated for the Hilary West Non-Fiction Prize and the BC National Book Awards. The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A True Story of Resilience and Recoveryby Andrew Westoll Andrew Westoll is a primatologist and writer, so he was uniquely qualified to write a book about the chimpanzees of Fauna Sanctuary. After traveling through Suriname and the Upper Amazon, he was looking for new a writing gig and decided to contact the owner ofthe sanctuary, Gloria Grow. "After two phone calls, I'd been invited to move into Fauna and write the biography ofthe chimpanzee family. I think my background in primates was what convinced her I'd do a good job on the story," he said. Westoll said he learned some important lessons duringthe project. The first lesson he picked up was this: "Animals are incredibly resilient, humans included." And the second: "Chimpanzees can suffer psychological damage in almost exactly the same way humans can." The Measure of a Maw The Story of a Father, a Son andaSuitby JJ Lee The Vancouver Sun columnist has written a book about what he knows best—men's fashion. Lee's book spawned from a CBC documentary about the social history ofthe suit. His memoir tackles the same subject matter, but is also an account of his relationship with his father. In the book, Lee attempts to tailor his father's suit to fit his own body. Lee was also nominated for the Governor General's Award earlier this year, but he's trying not to let the nominations go to his head. "Literary awards have to [be taken] with the perspective ofthe ancient Greeks. Blame everything on the gods: the good and the bad. I have no control over the process and it feels awesome and scary," he said. "That is to say that no sane writer should expect these things. And I didn't. Except I hoped a little. It's human nature." 13 The prize ►>j "The Charles Taylor Prize commemorates Charles Taylor's pursuit of excellence in the field of literary non-fiction. The prize will be awarded to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception." -from the Charles Taylor website The winner of the Charles Taylor receives $25,000. Runners up each receive $2000 EVENTS» AMS announces lineup for Block Party 2012 Ginny Monaco Culture Editor Think of it as a campus Coachella. The AMS has announced the lineup for the fifth annual Block Party. The boozy celebration ofthe last day of classes will be held on April 5 and feature Mother Mother, MSTRKRFT, The Boom Booms, Hedspin, Maria in the Shower and RYAN TRAX. "The most successful Block Parties and Arts County Fairs have been where there's been some hip hop, some country, some rock, DJs, some pop. Mixing it up was something we wanted to do," said outgoing AMS President Jeremy McElroy. "It also just happened that it was local, all Canadian talent, which is also a big bonus." AMS events manager Anna Hilliar was hired in early December 2011 and spent time talking to students about what they wanted from this year's Block Party. "I was really trying to see what people are looking for and put as much in place for this year with a limited budget," she said. "We're trying to do the best we can to appeal to everybody because it sounded like, in the past, people were missing certain aspects. "A lot of people want DJs, but then a lot of people just want bands, so itwas about appealing to all those groups. People sounded like they really wanted that festival culture, that atmosphere." The AMS will be partnering with undergraduate societies to, as McElroy said, "make [Maclnnes] Field more interesting. They're each bringing stuff. It's going to be a much more lively field." There will be games, a bouncy castle and volleyball matches to keep students entertained throughout the day. "If people don't want to drink all day, they can also do other things. We want to activate the all-ages side so those few first- years who still aren't 19 can have something to do," said Hilliar. Promotions for previous Block Parties have been less than successful in the past and McElroy hopes to move past that this year. They're encouraging students to get involved as much as possible. "The idea of promotions is the difference between what we've had in the past and selling out," he said. "We're definitely playing more into the old school [Arts County Fair] promotions attitude. Way more posters are being printed this year and we're goingto make sure they all get up all over the place. We're trying to reach out. This is something we're really trying to stress—if you want to get involved, come see Anna and we're going to find opportunities for everyone." McElroy said that he wants to ensure even students with other plans on April 5 incorporate Block Party into their plans. "There's always something hap- peningthe last day of classes. It's infamous for the Greek parties and the Commerce parties and the Ski and Board parties. So we want to make sure that people have a ticket in their hand and they come to our thing afterward," he said. And the biggest incentive? "We're goingto have more booze this year. We will not run out of beer. That's a promise." 13 Opinion » B Editor- Rrian Piatt 03.01.2012 | IQ ^ GAG E SOUT H iCONSULTATlONi iUi. NDIANAJOEL/THE UBYSSEY The Last Word Parting shots and snap judgments on today's issues Shamefully low expectations on BCs education funding In last week's provincial budget, Finance Minister Kevin Falcon said he wanted "to challenge every [post-secondary] institution to cut spending by one percent." This, of course, was widely derided by anyone who thinks well-funded universities are integral to British Columbia's future. Things have gotten to the point where many have publicly wished that the government just kept post- secondary funding stable. The Liberal government has failed to have a growth strategy for our universities since they came into power in 2001, and we don't expect them to find one now. But it says something about the current state of affairs that hardly anyone is seriously expecting or asking for an infusion of public money into our institutions. We can imagine a government that believes strongly in investing more in our brightest young people. A government that wants to increase the number of world-class programs available at universities. A government that works to reduce the cost of education while increasing its quality at the same time. Unfortunately, that idea will exist only in our imaginations for some time to come. New SUB marks a rare example of long term AMS success After reading about the new SUB groundbreaking, you might be confused in the coming weeks why no construction is taking place. That's mostly because construction and prep work isn't ready to begin yet. So why are we having the groundbreaking now? Well, the outgoing executive really, really wanted to end their term with a ceremony, realities be damned. Still, in their speeches, AMS VP Administration Mike Silley and President Jeremy McElroy graciously highlighted what is, to us, one ofthe most impressive aspects ofthe new building: the collective work of various student leaders over a five-year period. Student unions have a hard time doing anything substantial because ofthe shortness of terms and conflicts of ideology. But since 2007, multiple students of all political stripes have played a role in turning a $100 million sustainable student-designed building from a dream into something approaching reality. For Jeff Friedrich, Mike Duncan, Blake Frederick, Bijan Ahmadian, Jeremy McElroy, Sarah Naiman, Tristan Markle, Crystal Hon, Ekaterina Dovjenko and Mike Silley, the construction ofthe new SUB is a giant accomplishment- something that will be shared by millions of people and be a symbol of student involvement. Their accomplishments should be celebrated; after five years, construction is close to beginning. And what a long, strange trip it's been. The danger of looking through green-coloured glasses Although UBC appears to have done its due diligence on its new biomass power plant (see our feature on it in this issue), the same can't be said for the major media outlets in the region. Nexterra Systems Corp., the company building UBC's biomass plant, has received fawning media coverage every time it has announced a new multi-million dollar construction contract or received a new government grant. These articles almost always include mention of Nexterra's project at the University of South Carolina—but no mention at all that the project was a spectacular failure. This is a reminder ofthe danger in relying on company press releases and information from sources who are invested in the success of the project. In the age of Google, there is no excuse for the media to haved missed the struggles Nexterra has had on American campuses. It is also a reminder that alternative energy solutions still need a healthy dose of skepticism. That doesn't mean we shouldn't sometimes take chances—indeed, UBC's eagerness to help pioneer "green" technology is commendable. But with the huge amount of government money available to subsidize clean-energy businesses that would otherwise be economically unsustainable, taxpayers need to constantly make sure they aren't being sold a false bill of goods. Maria Harris's dubious comments on governance Last week on this page, we expressed optimism for Metro Vancouver's plans to poll the residents of UBC and the Endowment Lands to determine their preference for local governance options. This was premised on a Vancouver Sun report. Our own reporting has now clarified that a poll is only an option Metro Van is considering; no decisions have been made yet. But Maria Harris's comments about this show a complete lack of commitment to advancing this issue. She says that polling residents at this time is uncalled for, and that Metro Vancouver should first deal with the elected representatives—that is to say, herself and the University Neighbourhoods Association directors. We understand the structure of representative democracy, but those in leadership positions also have an inherent interest in main- tainingthe status quo. If we want to determine the true wishes of residents for a govenance model, we need to ask them directly. Perhaps more importantly, out ofthe more than 20,000 residents who live on the Endowment Lands and campus, only 466 voted Harris in. The biggest reason for the paltry turnout is that few people understand what Electoral Area A even is—a direct result of our convoluted and strange governance situation. To know what residents really think, Metro Van needs to poll. 13 Consulting in bad faith Editorial When it comes to discussions about land use at UBC, the term "good faith" gets tossed around often, usually preceded bythe phrase "not negotiating in." UBC's decision to hold the mandatory public hearing that will help determine the future of Gage South—the area around the bus loop—on the same day as students move out of residence is sure to elicit similar reactions. But this decision is more than just not negotiating in good faith—it's insulting the intelligence of students. By respondingto demands for a student hearing by putting it so late in April, at best Campus and Community Planning (CCP) is proving to be tone deaf to the concerns of students. At the worst, it's a pernicious attempt by university administration to exclude students from decisions about what is built at the heart of campus. Regardless of intent, the result will be the same. It's important to remember that a separate land use process for Gage South was created to address concerns brought up at the 2010 public hearing—concerns that were raised almost exclusively by students. Holding a public hearing on the same day that students must leave their residences will ensure that their voices aren't heard on this issue. At this point, the alternatives aren't much better, mostly due to the foot-dragging by CCP in facing reality. Havingthe hearing during exams or after the move-out date wouldn't make student participation much better. But at the very least, it would allow some students who live in residence to relay any concerns directly to the committee. The date for the hearing still must be finalized by UBC's Board of Governors. The Board should stand up for students and find abetter date for this public hearingto be held. 13 A long conflict of interest ends £^\- Editor's Notebook Justin McElroy This year, I've had a pretty interestingjob. I oversee the largest student newspaper in Western Canada, working with a fantastic group of editors and volunteers to produce an award-winning product. Sometimes, I'm conducting interviews with inspiring students. Other times, I'm editing videos or sketching out front pages. And sometimes, I get to watch people write about various ways a family member of mine has screwed up in his job. For the past year, I've had this job while my cousin Jeremy has been AMS president. Now that it's over, I feel obligated to discuss it. So here it goes. Put simply, it was a weird and personal situation. As such, this will be a weird and personal column. When we knew Jeremy was deciding to run for president 16 months ago, we put in some safeguards on, well, me. I wouldn't have any role in writing, editing or planning any stories about the AMS or Jeremy. On all group discussions about editorials or the front page, I would recuse myself. If he asked us for a favour (something all student politicians do), it would be someone else who would make the call. This was a proactive measure. Student politicians, with large egos and fancy titles and plenty of money to play with, always make mistakes. We knew that when such things inevitably happened, it would be good to have clear guidelines. Let's be honest: I hoped those mistakes wouldn't happen. He's my cousin, and if he did something dumb that was worth reporting, then I would have to watch while editors I trained uncovered the truth and told the entire campus about his sins. But at the same time, I would want them to uncover and tell the story, because that's what newspapers are supposed to do, and that's what students pay me to do. I really hoped that sort of thing wouldn't happen. That would be weird. It did happen though. The day before he was elected. Our editors had information that he had broken election rules and lied about it, connected the dots and broke the story. (In response, I stepped down for the weekend to drink whiskey and watch football so they could do their thing.) The Elections Committee chose not to disqualify Jeremy though, and he won the presidency. So while we proved that any accusations of favouritism were bunk, it meant that we had an entire year of awkward fun ahead. Now, our editors didn't uncover any further evidence of skullduggery on Jeremy's part for the rest of the year, which meant I never again felt like the genie in Aladdin when Jafar demands to be made a powerful sorcerer. But still. I can say, without research but with decent certainty, that this was one ofthe more bizarre cases of a conflict of interest in Canadian journalism. I had people across the country raise an eyebrow at my situation and say "So, that must be strange, hey?" I watched editors tell me that he had tweeted something pompous, read it out to me and smirk, because really, who doesn't like to see their boss squirm? And I had plenty of writers, friends and even family members lean in and ask, "So, how's Jeremy really doing as president?" None of this weirdness crossed over into the newspaper—except now, of course—and I think we conducted ourselves well (feel free to send a letter ifyou disagree). But it's over now, and I'd be lying if I didn't say a weight is off my shoulders. As for Jeremy, he's done as president, but still has the same passion for policy and bringing people together. If he works hard and pursues public service, he'll move onwards and upwards. And should the day come when other people are reporting on the things he does, I will be quite happy. 13 Scene» Pictures and words on your university experience 03.01.2012 | 11 HUMOUR » I broke up with Fac • Itlt >k, and so can you Melodramatic Musings Will Johnson I deactivated Facebook recently. I won't spend much time proselytizing about it, because people seem to get pretty touchy and self- righteous about this topic. Let's just say I was sick of it, and I felt ready for a change. The fact is, I'd caught myself too many times creeping through photos of people I barely knew, or endlessly scrolling through the newsfeed without any discernible purpose. I finally concluded that I spent at least an hour on Facebook each day, and there were far better uses of my time than watching funny videos or commenting on people's status updates. Not to mention that I feel like Facebook appeals to all my least desirable personality traits. It brings out the vain, needy and self-congratulatory aspects of my character. I was always looking for the most flattering photo, or choosing the most self-aggrandizing accomplishments to announce to the world. Facebook has us obsessing over our self-image, creating our own brand and constantly trumpeting our personal successes. I'm not going to judge anyone who stays in a relationship with Facebook. I know how tantalizing, addictive and ultimately necessary it can be for most people. These days, it acts like a contemporary phonebook. I totally get that. But I couldn't justify the endless time-sucking. So, I Googled "how to delete Facebook" and went about dismantling my four-year relationship with my meticulously maintained social media account. Facebook seemed upset about my decision, and responded like a clingy girlfriend who doesn't understand it's over. Are you sure? it asked me. Then it showed me a series of pictures of my friends, and under each one was the same sentiment: Hilary will miss you. Todd will miss you. Theo will miss you. I thought to myself, I get why you chose Hilary and Todd. But Theo? He's this dude I traveled with in Thailand, and haven't talked to since. He's a good guy, but he lives in the UK and chances are we'll never see each other again. I'm sure 0^\ "I Googled 'how to delete Facebook' and went he's not even goingto notice. Good try, Facebook. Most of my friends and family have congratulated me on my decision, and have cheered me on. They treat me like an escaped slave. A few have even followed in my footsteps. about dismantling my four-year relationship Of course there are people who don't understand. Or are annoyed that all my pictures have disappeared. (I used to pride myself on how many people's profile pictures I provided to the world.) But I'm sure they'll live. Meanwhile, I have an extra hour NDIANAJOEUTHE UBYSSEY with my meticulously maintained account." a day to devote to a variety of activities. Maybe jogging, or reading a book. Perhaps I'll do the dishes more often. Or, if I'm not careful, I might just fall into the arms of my other mistress: Twitter. Whatever I end up doing, I feel like a free man. 13 Like you. Whether you're trying to pick up a prerequisite or fulfill a requirement, Athabasca University has more than 8oo online courses that can transfertoyourdegree at your home university. Talk with your advisor to find out if AU is an option for you. Learn more at explore.athabascau.ca. Athabasca UniversityiH Sick of the Aquatic Centre? Nap in our office. COME BY THE UBYSSEY OFFICE SUB 24, FOLLOW THE SIGNS UBC Multi-Use Skate Park Open House + Presentation On March 5th, come out and provide input on design concepts for a proposed multi-use skatepark at UBC. Try your hand at designing your own concept and enter for a chance to win some sweet skate prizes! Drop in anytime from 3:30pm to 6:30pm 604-822-8735 adam.cooper@ubc.ca transportation.ubc.ca UBC w March 5th, 2012 3:30 - 6:30pm UHill Secondary School 2896 Acadia Road Come early for food and drinks! for more information, contact Adam Cooper, Transportation Planner Campus + Community Planning University of British Columbia a place of mind UTOWN@UBC live work learn together 121 Games 103.012012 1 2 3 4 S ' 7 8 ' 1 " 11 12 13 14 * " 17 " " 2D ■ 21 22 23 24 ■ 25 ■ 2G ■ 27 2S 29 30 31 ■ 32 ■ 33 34 35 3C ■ 37 ■ 3S 33 ■ 40 ■ 41 ■ 42 ■ 43 44 45 4E ■ 47 4S 49 50 51 52 53 ■ 54 SS 1 " " SS " 60 El - - (CUP) - Puzzles provided by Across 1-Acclaim 6- well... 10- avis 14-Olds model 15- Coil 16- Not much 17- Extent 18-Art Deco designer 19- Email command 20-Ashtabula's lake 21-Office of a bishop 23- Pedantic BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission 25- Shudder 26- Ref's decision 27- Gave a hoot 29- Eagle's home 32- Descendant of Cain 33- Fish eggs 36- -a-brac 37- Christmas song 38- Voting-pattern predictor 39- Actress Merkel 40- Brief appearance 41- Small change 42- Head lock 43- Flight formation 44- Refrain 47- Cloths 51- Entertainment 54- Burn the midnight oil. studying 55-The King 56- Tabula 57- Jewelled crown worn by women 58- Worry 59- K-6 60- Computer key 61-Sardine containers 62- -deucey 63- Discharge Down 1- Having auricular protuberances 2- Mild cigar 3- Russian revolutionary leader 4- Containing divalent silver 5- Digit ofthe foot 6- Beth preceder 7- Actress Petty 8- A great deal 9- Ghostly 10- Uttered gratingly 11- First-stringers 12- Cost 13- European viper 21-That, in Tijuana 22- Hurler Hershiser 24- Tina's ex 27- Heals 28- Peek follower 29- "Aladdin" monkey 30- Directional ending 31- Narrow inlet 32- Packs tight 33- CD _ 34- Cheer for Manolete 35- Golfer Ernie 37- Roman capital of Palestine 38-Shrill 40- Essence 41- Ball belle 42- Characteristics 43- Covered vehicle 44-Skill 45- Artist Rousseau 46-Ancient 47- Frothy 48- Angry 49- Feels for 50- Stylish 52- Apply powder to oneself 53- Aha! 57- Driver's aid 1 s 3 D \ 1 - 3 D Y. 1 5 N 1 1 •a 3 1 N \, Hi 3 1 !. - 3 >i j V y V * * S ¥ * 1 a N vc w V y ?.HN 0 'fc 1 tf X w 1 3 y s 3 L ~x a V d ■ | s n y 0 H 3 ■ 3 3 aH s S 3 a -kH S 3 tM 1 'nH ° 3 w V j ■ V N n 1 1 0 iHn 0 •a V °iHD 1 y a 3 0 'iH n V a n r.H 3 1 ^J 3 V ■ a 3 ■a V 3 ^ 0 >i 1 H y 0 hj 3 ~8 l|| H s ^ N N 0 a 3 1 V d 0 3 s 1 d a H 3 1 y 3 a N 3 % 1 3 1 n ?, 1 3 D N V a a V 1 \ J 0 0 i. 0 a 3 1 V V y V \ s. T -\ \ ^ V 1 3 3 2 7 6 9 4 8 5 8 3 2 7 6 6 4 3 1 2 9 4 1 8 6 3 5 4 6 2 1 9 9 3 2 8 4 7 6 ueens Differential and Integral Calculus online this summer - • Arts and Science Online @ Queen's Biology Chemistry English Literature Film and Media History Physiology Psychology Statistics Global Development and more... www.queensu.ca/cd Alan Ableson Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Queen's