0B€ Arehiwn Burial
Tuition proposal: according to Sullivan
Ai Lin Choo
After a long week of consultation
meetings, forums and presentations, UBC has nearly completed its
tuition-policy proposal.
Under the current proposal,
undergraduate students will see an
increase in tuition of 65 per cent
over three years to bring fees in line
with the national average. The
increase will be approximately $480
for the first year, with similar
increases expected for the following
two years. Although tuition fees for
most students will not be differentiated according to program, students
in Commerce and Pharmacy students will face a higher increase
than those in other faculties.
According to Brian Sullivan, vice-
president, students, the proposal has been changed to
reflect many of the suggestions put forward by both
students and faculty.
"The fact that the Alma
Mater Society [AMS] and
the Graduate Student
Society [GSS] have been
engaged and informed as
they have on these points,
and have been pushing
hard on them, I think has
made a tremendous impact on helping to shape the proposal," he said.
The proposal is expected to be
finalised by Wednesday afternoon
SULLIVAN
>US DclSS 1 ell IS SLQQIXk
by Sarah MacNeill Morrison
At her last Council meeting as Alma
Mater Society (AMS) vice-president,
external, current AMS President
Kristen Harvey described negotiating a universal bus pass for UBC
students as an "albatross around
[her] neck."
Despite many hopes, students
will not face a referendum this year
on the U-Pass, a transportation plan
which would have included a
mandatory, discounted bus pass for
UBC students next fall. Last week,
Harvey announced that, once again,
the AMS has been unable to negotiate an affordable plan with UBC and
Translink, the Lower Mainland's
regional transportation authority.
Translink offered UBC, SFU and
the Vancouver Community College a
$25 per month pricetag on the pro-
RIP U-PASS: Students will not
vote on a mandatory, discounted student bus pas. emily
CHAN/UBYSSEY FILE PHOTO
posed three-zone bus pass, according to Progam Manager of Project
Planning Bill Lambert But Harvey
believes the mandatory bus pass
must be under $20 per month for
students to approve it, and she
wants Translink to increase its contribution to the project
"Right now, [Translink is] telling
us the lowest price that they can
offer, because of their shaky financial situation, [and it] is something I
think could be lower," said Harvey.
She hopes that, since the provincial government has announced it
will collect a two-cent gas tax for the
transit authority, an improvment in
Translink's finances could mean
better prices for the U-Pass.
But Lambert says that while
Translink is "actively pursuing" a U-
Pass with UBC, increased finances
from the gas tax will have no impact
on the price being offered.
"The gasoline tax isn't related to
the U-Pass at all," he said. "It gave us
some funding to stablise our funding over the next three years."
Harvey also hopes the university
will contribute more to the transportation plan. UBC has offered to
subsidise the plan by $1 million,
including granting a $5 U-Pass
rebate to students living in residence. Harvey says she is also working with Translink to find a major
sponsor to bring down the price students would pay for the U-Pass.
Translink's financial crises have
stalled plan negotiations for this
year. A four-month transit strike last
summer and a decision by the former provincial government not to
collect a $75 vehicle levy for
Translink pushed negotiations for
university bus passes further down
the transit authority's list of
priorities.
See "U-Pass" on page 4.
Ispp) <3©S
and presented at the Board of
Governors (BoG) committee meeting Thursday morning.
Sullivan said UBC has
decided that Commerce
and Pharmacy, which will
have higher fees nextyear,
are different as they are
more expensive and service-demanding than other
undergraduate programs.
He said that students in
these programs are also
different as they are being
prepared for direct entry
into the job market
The differential tuition proposal
has met with criticism, however, as
both the AMS and the GSS have
passed motions in the past opposing
differential tuition.
"In those particular programs
[departments] are especially anxious to increase the service level in
the programs," said Sullivan, noting
that both programs were also second-year entry programs'. "Since
everyone in first year would still be
paying the same amount, we
thought it was appropriate to let
those two second-year-entry programs...stand a bit more on their
own, and make some of the reinvestment for the programs."
Sullivan added that the student
societies involved seemed supportive of the differentiated increase as
long as the funds from increased
tuition would go directly back to the
programs. And Sullivan has assured
people that they will.
"Any amount beyond base, any
increase beyond the 22 per cent
[that all students will pay in the first
year of the tuition increases],...will
go back into those programs, based
upon a proposal from the deans
from consultation with students," he
said.
Graduate-research students will
face a 68 per cent increase in tuition
over the next three years—$492 in
year one—as their programs move
towards the national average at
UBC's peer institutions. Like
See "Proposal" on page 4.
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THEY WEREN'T ALL SMILING: Students expressed their concerns to UBC Vice-President Brian
Sullivan in the Student Union Building's Conversation Pit. nic fensom photo
CnnQiiltQ' Qtmipn
feedback@ubyssey.bc.ca
www.ubyssey.be ca
by Sarah MacNeill Morrison
In the last week, no man has been
yelled at as much as UBC Vice-
President, Students Brian Sullivan.
As the university administration
prepares to take a proposal to
increase tuition fees to UBC's Board
of Governors (BoG), Sullivan is talking with students about the proposed tuition increases, answering
their questions and noting their suggestions.
But not everyone believes the
consultation process is valid.
Kate Woznow, a third-year Arts
student who ran for a BoG position
this year, questioned the tuition
forum.
"I personally don't support
increasing tuition," she said, asking
Sullivan and Associate Vice-
President, Academic Programs Neil
Guppy what they would do with that
knowledge, and whether it would
affect the proposal. She said she
doubted it
"It sounds like the university has
already made its decision."
But Guppy said student input had
already changed a lot of things,
pointing to nursing tuition rates as
an example, which were reduced
when the Nursing Undergraduate
Society pointed out some errors in
UBC's figures.
Two student forums have been
held so far. Before last Thursday's
forum, members of the UBC
Committee to Reduce Tuition
encouraged students to ask questions about increases to tuition, and
during the forum, repeated opposition to increases were raised.
Monday's forum was much quieter. Most students in the SUB's
Conversation Pit just ignored the
vice-president, as he laid out numbers for their tuition increases next
year.
On Thursday, many students
said increases to tuition would put
UBC out of their price range.
"My prime concern is to be able
to come to this school," said Matt
Lovick, an AMS Arts councillor.
"What are you going to say to students like me who are not going to
be able to come back next year?"
Sullivan replied that UBC has a
policy stating that any current student, or any qualified student who is
accepted to UBC, will not be turned
away because they can't afford to
come to school.
When Sullivan faced the question
again Monday, he expanded on the
policy, saying students with student
loans could apply to financial aid
programs, and if that wasn't
enough, they could receive tuition
consultation with the university,
which, based on interviews, could
provide one-time assistance to students.
But after yesterday's forum, AMS
President Kristen Harvey questioned the logistics of this policy.
She said that while it was a good
idea, it often didn't work because
students don't know about it—the
university needed to advertise its
policy, and its bursaries, more.
She added she had seen a friend
who couldn't get a student loan in
third year go through the policy
when she found out about it in
October, and found it hard to navigate.
"She went to UBC in October, and
they told her she had to go back, go
to two different banks, and get a
denial on a line of credit, to prove
that she completely couldn't afford
See "Forum" on page 5. TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
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G8 summit coming to Alberta this summer
by Rene Biberstein
the Link
MONTREAL (CUP)-When the leaders of the world's eight most powerful nations come to Canada this
summer, they won't be getting a
warm reception.
This is the message activists are
hoping to send as they prepare to
protest the G8 summit this June in
Kananaskis, Alberta.
Representatives ffrjIS SVgr 60
activist groups in eastern Canada
and the US met last week for a
regional meeting at Ottawa's
Carleton University. The groups
decided almost unanimously that
Ottawa should be the focus of
protests in eastern Canada. In the
West, activists will converge in
Kananaskis and nearby Calgary.
"The G8 can basically be considered an executive board of capitalism,* said Jaggi Singh in an opening
speech. Singh is a former UBC student and a spokesperson for the
Montreal-based activist group
Convergence des Luttes Anti-
Capitalistes (CLAC).
CLAC delegates urged the other
groups who met at Carleton last week
to converge in Ottawa during the June
summit for two days of action "under
a banner of anti-capitalism and anti-
imperialism." They also urged that
the first day include a "diversity of tactics," while thesecond day include a
mass demonstration.
Much of the discussion at the
regional meeting focused on disagreements between CLAC's supporters and members of more moderate groups, who feared that more
violent tactics proposed for the first
day might prevent some people
from attending.
"Ottawa is not Quebec City," said
Paul Smith, a spokesperson for
Global Democracy Ottawa, the group
that hosted last fall's G20 protests
and helps mobilise non-violent
groups in the Ottawa area. If [the
mass demonstration is] on the second day, [the non-violent groups are]
not going to show."
However, the vast majority of
delegates backed CLAC's proposal.
By the end, Smith said he felt optimistic about the protest and hoped
that supporters of both Violent and
non-violent actions could work out a
plan together.
Some delegates also expressed
concern about involving organised
labour in the protest, arguing that
since September 11, unions have
largely abandoned anti-globalisation and anti-war movements.
"Direct action was thought up by
[organised] labour. Now they're
walking away from it," said Henry
Evans-Tenbrinke, a delegate and
Canadian Union of Public
Employees member from
Hamilton^ Ontario. Many activists
said they would reach out to local
unions. ♦
JL Jl jf %JL& %Jf JL %JL H»4JL XS UJLaWC^JI 1C&AAA
by Kevin Groves
BC Bureau Chief
VICTORIA (CUP)-BC students living
off-campus may face higher electricity costs in the future as the provincial government continues to consider privatisation of BC Hydro.
Last August, the province
appointed a task force to develop a
comprehensive, long-term energy
policy for BC. It invited representatives from the public and business
realms to submit proposals.
While BC Hydro rates are frozen
until March 31, 2003, company
spokesperson Elisha Odowichuk
said no government announcements have been made on the
Crown corporation's long-term
future.
Critics fear that if the provincial
government does decide to privatise
BC Hydro, the utility will be inefficient, charging consumers higher
rates with less reliability.
"Privatisation could certainly
affect students living off-campus,"
said Jerri New, president of the
Office and Professional Employees
International Union (OPEIU), which
represents BC Hydro workers. "If BC
Hydro is deregulated we're estimating ratepayer cost will go up from 30
to 100 per cent"
Sylvia Fuller, a researcher with
the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives, added that in a privatised system, BC's electricity rates
would be harmonised with rates in
Alberta and the US.
"The reality is we have very low
rates, and if BC Hydro were privatised the rates of these other jurisdictions may go down a bit, but ours
will go up an awful lot," Fuller said.
BC Hydro's electricity rates are
currently the third-lowest in North
America, and, adjusted for inflation,
real electricity rates have declined
by approximately 13 per cent in the
last decade.
David Scoones, an economist at
the University of Victoria, said he
feels that privatising some areas of
BC Hydro could be beneficial, but
doubted the feasibility of large-scale
privatisation.
"Just selling BC Hydro off to a private company and hoping that they'll
do nice things for us is a ludicrous
idea," Scoones said. "The fact is we
don't have enough hydro -dams to
create meaningful competition and
it just makes more sense to keep one
company and regulate the cost"
But Jason Clemens, director of
fiscal studies for the Fraser Institute,
said privatisation of BC Hydro would
be a positive step for the BC economy.
The many benefits include lowered provincial debt—expected to be
$43.9 billion by March 31, 2005-
reduced debt-service costs and
increased outside investment inutilities, said Clemens.
New, however, pointed to Alberta
as an example of what could go
wrong if BC Hydro were privatised.
In 1995, Alberta's Ralph Klein government began to deregulate its electricity industry. According to New,
the price of electricity rose from 5
cents to 25 cents per kilowatt hour
between June and October of 2000.
Without a $2.3 billion rebate program for households and businesses, Albertans would have seen their
residential electric bills increase by
400 per cent in this same period.
New said her union has ail
aggressive campaign planned to
address the issue of privatisation
through a website and through radio
and newspaper ads. The OPEIU also
plans to visit city council meetings
around the province.
"We're trying to make sure that
our MLAs are accountable and that
they know the damage their communities will suffer if there [are]
some increases in BC Hydro rates,"
she said. ♦ THE UBYSSEY
NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
2002 HEALTH
PLAN: SAME
PRICE, LESS
SERVICE
by Kathleen Peering
The Alma Mater Society (AMS) passed ihe
2002 AMS/Graduate Student S.>ciery lG?S)
Heal di and Dentil J'Ian :it last week's
Council meeting, and it will cobt almost
(.x;u!ly Lhe same as this j ear's plan
However, some cuts to the existing
plan had Lo be made in order to keep ihe
costs of next year's plan at its proposed
price of $160. Yvet'.e Lu, last year's vice-
president, finance, who finished her term
hist Thursday, said the AMS decided :o
reduce some coverage because costs
would rise significantly if they kept :he
current plan.
She said that out of all the quotes given
to die AMS from insurance companies,
Iho f'rii e of $245 from Sunlife Insurance
was the lowest "We had lo figure out
whether Lo go back to referendum with
this price, or modify Lhe plan to bring thu
price down."
All fee increases which evecd the
inflation rale, 'ts measured by Llio consumer price index, must be approved students in a referendum. The AMS this \ ear
could have raised the price of Lhe plan to
31 SO before guing to referendum.
But the AMS felt that it was unlikely
lh.it students woidd be waling Lo pay the
hefty increase, especially wi'-h the provincial government's recent increase to
Medical Sen ices Plan premiums.
'Keeping costs to a minimum has
always been a prinriLy, but I guess it
becomes even mure important nu.v Lhat
premiums ha\e increased ;.nd letal health
c: isls »\ ill bo going up f( >r students," Lu said.
Kristen Fu.g to mean th:.t students are going to be
relying ;>n their health pi.'iU own more."
Fourth-year UBC eluderiL Michelle
Fromi'ie-Marchii'km fee's that with the
tuition inir'-ases next year, on tt'p of
increased premiums, many students
would T)'>t be willi'ig to pay an inrrfase in
health pi m fees.
A survey was done by 'he AMS in
November iskmg students what aspo' Is of
tho current plan they fell were important.
At that Lime the provincial government
ha^l cut coverage for physiotherapy as well
as tho lost f.T e;,c o\a::is anl the AMS
w.ji'od "ci add those inLo tho plan. But to
do 'hat, ihe p'-rn's cost would have to
increase. Bawl on die survey, tho AMS
came up with die ne.v plan ".hat will be
available to students ne\l joar.
The i:i' rease in Lhe plan's cost was kept
dewn co inllali-'iii because the AMS included mure netw-urks in next gear's plan.
Additional coverage in Vision Networks
me-ius Lhat students will not be able lo
choose their own optometrist if the
optometrist is not one specifically iuv ered
indie plan.
UBC Law student Lisa W.ilsh said she
feels Lhat that's unfair for students living
'n Vancouver who already have an established optometrist.
For the plan's dental coverage, there
wiil be a 20 per cent decrease in total < overage for minor restorative work in next
vear's plan. There will also be a required
$5 per prescription deductible for prescription drugs.
" There is a certain" unfairness in that
we really have no choice. If they want lo
raise prices or cuf an} Lhirg, we're going to
ha\e to pjy," Walsh srud •>
-with files from Sarah MacNeill
Morrison
BoG gets a major shuffle
BC government appoints six new members to UBC's Board of Governors
by Duncan M. McHugh
When UBC's Board of Governors (BoG) examines a proposal on March 14 to increase
tuition fees, there will be plenty of new faces
at the table. The provincial government
recendy appointed six new members to the
Board.
But some people are critical -of the timing
and the nature of the appointments, since the
BoG will be responsible for adopting UBC's
new tuition policy next week.
"I think it's completely illegitimate,* said
Julie Devaney, a Master's student in
women's studies and a member of the UBC
Committee to Reduce Tuition. "They're all
corporate appointees who have all, in one
way or another, donated to the Liberal party,
or demonstrated their allegience to the cost-
cutting agenda and to privatising public
services."
Summer McFadyen, BC Chairperson of the
Canadian Federation of Students, questioned
the provincial government's involvement in
post-secondary institutional policies after the
government said they would grant autonomy
to universities for tuition fees, and then
replaced Board members at UBC and seven
other universities.
"So it's nbt about restoring autonomy," said
McFadyen. "It's about making sure that there
are huge tuition fee increases. This government is, I think, becoming quickly very
famous for saying one thing and then doing
another."
But Tieg Martin, one of the two student-
elected Board members disagrees. Martin—
who met the new appointees last week at a
BoG orientation—was impressed by the enthusiasm he saw in the Board members.
"They look like very competent and capable
people and they seem to be very enthusiastic
about their appointment—and taking it seriously from the questions they were asking."
For Martin, the corporate background of
the new appointees is an asset. He argues that
board members' personal ideologies come
after a responsibility to the general well-being
of the university.
"As a director, you have a legal obligation to ,
act in the best interest of the institution in
terms of its financial solvency and in terms of
the sustainability of its programs and everything else," he said. "My job is not to safeguard
students' interests.
"In the words of Chairman Larry Bell,
'Park your idealogy at the door.' Decisions
are made according to the evidence that's
presented."
The BoG—which is responsible for the
management, the administration and the
properly and financial interests of the university—has 15 members, eight of whom are
appointed by the provincial government The
new appointees replace two members who
had resigned from the BoG and four members
whose positions were rescinded by the
province.
Newly appointed are Nicole Byres, a
lawyer, formerly of BC mining company
Cominco; Martin J.G. Glynn, president and
CEO of HSBC Bank of Canada; Jay Grewal, acting president of Aimglobal Technologies, formerly of CIBC; Karen NishL an advertising
executive; John M. Reid, president and CEO of
BC Gas Inc; and Bryce Rositch, an architect
and former president of the Non-Partisan
"As a director,
you have a legal
obligation to act
in the best
interest of the
institution in
terms of its
financial
solvency and in
terms of the
sustainability of
its programs and
everything else.
My job is not to
safeguard students' interests."
—Tieg Martin
BoG student representative
Association and former head of the
Community Alliance, a lobbying group criticised for its anti-poverty stance. They join previous appointees, Linda Thorstad and BoG
Chair Larry Bell, CEO of BC Hydro.
The four former members of the Board
whose positions were rescinded, are Stephen
Howard of the Hospital Employees' Union;
Elsie McMurphy, formerly of the BC Teachers'
Federation; Guninder C. Mumick of the
Vancouver/Richmond Health Board; and Joe
Y. Wai, an architect and the founder of
Vancouver's Chinese Cultural Centre.
Also replaced were Firoz Raoul, president
and CEO of Ballard Power Systems; and Linda
C. Crompton, former CEO of Citizens' Bank.
Both Raoul and Crompton recenfly resigned
due to other commitments.
UBC's Vice-President, Students, Brian
Sullivan, said he feels that the new
appointees will not be hindered by their corporate interests.
"People are able to think beyond their
labels," he said. "I've certainly learned that,
just from watching the student representatives. People have pretty broad interests that
aren't confined to their curriculum vitae.
That's why they're on the Board."
AMS President Kristen Harvey believes
that having a new BoG may actually work in
favour of students and of the AMS's and the
GSS's tuition proposal, which calls for tuition
levels to be kept as low as possible and for the
university to reduce its inefficiencies.
Harvey thinks the AMS's push to increase
efficiency will resonate with members of the
BoG who have business backgrounds
"The challenge," she said, "is presenting a
message that is both informative to the new
members of the BoG, as well as persuasive. So,
just because they are so new to the job, I just
- hope that we can provide that balance of information that they're looking for."
Joe Y. Wai, one of the replaced Board members, also hopes that the new Board members
will respond to students' concerns.
"(The appointment] really is up to the government of the day, but I would really hope
that they would involve individuals from a
wide spectrum of interest, which makes the
deliberation on a more comprehensive basis,"
he said. "The direction they want to take is certainly their prerogative." ♦
-with files from Ai Lin Choo
AMS Strategic Plan for the future
Unanimously adopted plan provides goals, but lacks cost estimates
by Scott Bardsiey
As the 2001-2002 Alma Mater Society (AMS)
executives finished their terms last Thursday
afternoon, they left the student society with a
new long-term plan, finally passed by AMS
Council die night before.
The plan was amended and adopted unanimously—in one of only a handful of unanimous decisions reached this year—at last
Wednesday's Councd meeting. It recommends the AMS do a survey to determine who
its members are and what they want; lobby
for safety, transportation and academics; and
consult more frequentiy with students.
The plan's proposals range from the simple, such as creating an e-mail newsletter and
providing clubs with rotating display space in
the SUB Concourse, to the ambitious, such as
designing comprehensive campus transportation and safety plans.
According to 2001-2002 AMS president
Erfan Kazemi, who supervised mOst of the
plan's creation during his term, those transportation plans would give the AMS more
information to take into negotiations for a
universal student bus pass with Translink,
the Lower Mainland's transit authority.
"There's a lot of weight that students have,
and it's sometimes underestimated," said
Kazemi. "The Strategic Plan is here to make
sure that we have a unified vision and we can
bring that forward and make sure that we
lobby effectively. Otherwise, why would we
lobby at an?"
The plan also calls for far-reaching surveys
of UBC students, asking for their opinions on
what AMS services are needed and wanted,
their satisfaction with current AMS businesses, their political views and what the AMS's
priorities should be.
(The plan] is something we've needed for
a while now," student senator Chris Eaton
said. "The ideas behind it [are] all good, but
some of the implementation is going to take
some work.
But Eaton criticises the plan for its failure
to include estimated costs for the proposed
projects. Eaton said that although the lack of
cost-listings will allow each proposal to be
evaluated on its own merits, it might make it
difficult to appraise quickly the relative value
and cost of each project
Eaton also noted that the plan's timeline is
"very aggressive* and said he doubts that
everything will be accomplished on time.
One of the plan's many proposals may lead
to a name change for the Alma Mater Society.
Focus groups revealed that students, particularly first-years, find the name is confusing.
Many other Canadian universities use the
more straightforward term 'student union.'
Another recommendation is to create a
new provincial student-lobbying organisation. Although UBC is a member of a federal
lobbying group, the Canadian Alliance of
Student Associations, that group has no
provincial equivalent
"Especially this year, it's become more
and more evident that we need a unified
voice in provincial government," Kazemi
said.
Kristen Harvey, the current AMS president says her executive will try to implement
the plan 'as much as possible." She said the
new executives are happy with it and that the
document will help them continue working
where their predecessors left off. ♦ TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
NEWS
THE UBYSSEY
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Ow»eda«doi>MaloJb*fl»CMaiMfMlM asking UBC to put funding from
- .tuition increases into student services.-
'", One of the university adminis-
.tratidn's principles in drafting
tuition-policy'.'proposals,is that "a.
• portion of increased tuition-fee revenue should be directed to student
, financial skppott"' •- ■ ■
', But students are. questioning
wh^ra exactly some of that money
' will go. .■
According to the budget outlined by Brian Sullivan, UBC's vice-
president,- students, in the first
' .year of a tuition increase at least 20
i jser cent of the extra money will go
•'to student financial support
•; Bui some, of. that' 20 'p&i" cent i
' fundii^.wln'go'td'UBC's Teaching.'
and; I#ai%iing 'Enhancement Furid
: jtLEF), • .which! 'critics;' including
.*XMS President Krigten Harvey.'feei
i does' not aid'-.students' directly
•'though to be classified as financial
support .',..-.
; ; The TLEF can. be-adeemed by
; faculty for projects' that'fenhance .
' teaching and learning, benefiting a
largf? number of; students either -
directly, through the 'enhancement
' of Ciirriculuin or services,' or indi- •
- rectly, tkrottgh the training of staff-
' through new learning technologies.
' Currently,-_.5 per cent of domestic'
students* tuition goes to the fund.
'! "The problem I have with ihat
"Proposal" from page 1.
undergraduate students, graduate
students will see similar increases
in years two and three. -
Sullivan said pressure from
graduate students in research-
based programs has prompted the
administration to include in the
tuition proposal more specific
details regarding financial support.
UBC plans to compile reports on
graduate-student education and
graduate-student support over the
next year. The administration is
proposing that, in the meantime, a
one-time funding increase be given
next year, and next year only, to provide extra financial support for students in research-based graduate
programs. The proposal stipulates
. [is that] money was broadly
marked for student assistance, or
financial assistance of some sort,
- and 1 didn't feel like it fit in that category, because I felt that the TLEF
fund projects that fare] not the kind
of assistance we're looking for,'
Harvey said.
Harvey said that the increases
should fund bursaries for people
who normally wouldn't be able to
attend UBC, not project funding.
At last week's Council meeting,
then-AMS President Erfan Kazemi,
whose term ended last Thursday,
criticised the inclusion of the TLEF
in ihe category of financial aid.
"In iny mind, it doesn't really
supply student financial support,'
he said.
But Sullivan disagreed.
"I think it can be applied very
flexibly and can look to students,'
he said.
Students have been criticising
die speedy timeline of the tuition
proposal. BC's government didn't
announce an end to BC's six-year
tuition fee freeze until February 11,
and has yet to send UBC a detailed
budget letter otitlining the school's
funding for next year, but requires -
1 a budget from the university by
April •!, UBC wants to raise tuition
fees< for the fall term, so a policy
■ increasing tuition must be
approved at the next Board of
Governors (BoG) meeting on
March 14. -
-. - One option some students have
' been lobbying for is 'grandfathering' ttdtion increases, which would
: see tuition rates remain frozen for
current students who are halfway
through' their programs, and
increased for new students.
This suggestion has been proposed for some graduate programs, where student fees would
and that the increase in financial
support be at least equal to the additional tuition revenue collected
from tuition increases in the affected programs.
"I think this will go a long way to
answering some of the concerns of
Council about well, where's the
meat, what's the deal," said
Sullivan.
Over the next two to three years,
post-baccalaureate programs will
also see fees increase to the levels at
peer institutions. The increase will
be reduced for current students,
however. Sullivan estimated that, at
least for next year, students
enroEed in the programs will pay
an increase of about 33 per cent.
Under this proposal, incoming
medical students would pay $ 7160,
have faced increases of 181 per
cent over three years in an old policy proposal.
The GSS has a policy supporting
grandfathering, and the student
society is lobbying for its inclusion
at UBC.
"Grad students are here for a
long time, often longer than under-
grad students," said GSS President
Annick Gautheir, who said it wasn't
fair for graduate students hallway
through programs they have
already planned for to see substantially increased fees.
Gauthier has been lobbying for
implementation of UBC's Policy 85
this year, a policy that requires
graduate students to receive letters
outlining the terms of their agreement with the university, including
research conditions, terms of pay
and tuition levels for their entire
term.
At last week's GSS Council meeting, Sullivan said the university
was looking at discounting agreements for current students, with
new students paying full tuition
rates.
The proposals now includes
smaller increases for students currently in post-baccalaureate programs, such as law and medicine,
and a possible reduction in the
increase for current students in
certain professional graduate programs.
But at last Thursday's tuition
forum, Jake Stein, a graduate student in zoology, criticised the
rationale of grandfathering.
By keeping tuition rates
reduced for some students, the university is admitting that by increasing their tuition rates, 'some students will not be able to come to
university, he said. ♦
almost 91 per cent more than the
current fee of $3740. Current students, however, would pay just
$4974 next year. Law students also
follow a similar plan. Incoming Law
students would pay $5470, while
continuing students would pay
$4042.
Professional graduate programs,
such as die MBA program, will see
the most drastic tuition increases in
the next three years. Fees in many
of these programs will rise so that
students pay the full price of their
degrees, but students who have
already paid the fee for their entire
program, as MBA students do, will
be unaffected.
A copy of the proposal should be
available on the tuition website this
afternoon. ♦
"U-Pass" from page 1.
But while the AMS wants a better
deal for the bus pass, the Simon
Fraser Student Society (SFSS) is
holding a referendum this April,
asking students to accept a bus pass
that would be introduced at $20
next year, and would incrementally
increase to a maximum of $26 by
2006.
"The executive has approved it
unanimously. It's really up to students now," said Jonathan Silveira,
the external relations officer for the
SFSS. "Most students are pretty
excited, I think.'
Harvey says she hopes the AMS
will learn from the SFSS's referendum.
"I want this to be a learning experience for us, and to see what problems they encounter and how we can
avoid that," she said. Harvey hopes a
proposal for a referendum can be
brought to Council this fall to have a
bus pass in place by September,
2003, or possibly even January.
UBC students generally seem
supportive about having a mandatory, universal bus pass similar to
SFU's proposed plan.
Shireen Nabatian, a first-year
Arts student, said that a mandatory
bus pass could discourage students
from driving to school and help students who take the bus.
"Living in Vancouver is really
expensive, and if we could get a
cheap bus pass that would really
help," said Nabatian, who lives in
junior residence Totem Park. "I
would like to venture off campus
more often and, if I had a bus pass,
I would definitely do that"
Many students who don't take
the bus, although not enthusiastic
about paying an extra fee every
month, also saw the value of the
plan.
"Seeing as how I ride my bike, I
would feel not so good about having
to pay something to use a service
that I don't use ever," said Jeff
Burton, a second-year Agricultural
Sciences student. "I suppose that it
would be good for the university as
a whole just because more people
would be likely to ride the bus."
"I wouldn't bus. I just got a
car...but I think that it's a good
idea," said second-year Arts student
Jeremy Baer. "I don't know if [other
commuters] would be happy paying
for someone else's bus pass.
Because I used to bus, I know it
would really help." ♦
-with files from Graeme Worthy THE UBYSSEY
NEWS
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002 5
UBC department heads react to tuition increases
by Ai Lin Choo
While most UBC department heads
generally agree that tuition fees
should and must increase, some are
concerned about how the extra
money will be distributed—and students' ability to afford the changes.
"I would like to ensure that a
large enough proportion of whatever tuition increase implemented
gets distributed to the level, in the
faculties and departments, where it
can have an effect on the ability to
sustain and improve instruction for
students," said Paul Harrison, associate dean of Science.
Harrison added that while he
might not be up to date on the
tuition proposal since he was away
half of last week, an increase in
tuition is necessary. He is not convinced, however, that a rise to the
national tuition average will enable
UBC to provide the quality of education that it is aspiring to.
"Now, that's not saying that I'm
advocating a much higher
increase—I think a phased increase
is the best way to go about it given
the current financial situation—but
depending on what group is considered our peer group, we would like
to try to ensure that we're going to
be able to give the type of education
that puts us at the top of the peer
group and not at the average...That's
why it's really important that the
money be distributed in a way that
it's going to have the most effective
effect," he said.
Over the past week, UBC administrators have been busy gathering
suggestions and comments from
students and faculty regarding proposed increases to tuition fees.
Under the current proposal,
undergraduate student fees for most
programs will rise to the national
average. However, Commerce and
Pharmacy students will see larger
increases due to the extra services
their programs require.
James Brander, the Commerce
and Business Administration associate dean, faculty research, said
that while undergraduate studies
should remain accessible, he
believes that a differentiated fee for
Commerce students is fair.
Commerce students expect a
higher level of service, said
Brander, such as increased
resources for job placement and
career development, and undergraduate counselling in certain
types of co-op and internships.
Brander also added that as the cost
of commerce is higher than other
programs and as a commerce
degree is closely tied to the job market, the department has argued in
favour of differential tuition.
"Of course we're all interested in
how the extra money from the
tuition is going to be spent and one
important point that a lot of people
have made already...is that a big
chunk of the revenue increase will
go to just covering just the normal
cost of doing business...and then
some of the money, of course, will
go straight to financial student support
"In our case, we hope that we'll
get some money left over from
these things," he said, adding that
the money will go into increased
offerings for students and better
services and programs.
But many students are anxious
about graduate programs and the
differentiated fees that current
graduate students will have to face.
Brander said that he's not too
concerned over the projected
increases to the MBA program—projected at 312 per cent—as it is a
smaller and more targeted program
than the undergraduate one. He
called the MBA program an investment, with most students who join
the program already professionals
in the business field.
But Dean of Law, Joost Blom,
said that he feels that the fee
increase is necessary as long as the
funding comes back to the students.
"Nothing's been decided yet...I
think our job is to make sure that
the money that comes from those
fees comes back into the program to
the extent that law students are paying higher fees than students elsewhere on campus, it should come
back to their program."
Bloom, however, noted the
financial difficulty that increased
tuition would place on students and
noted that in some other universities, current students were protected from large tuition increases.
Under the proposal, current
graduate students in post-baccalaureate programs will face a lower
increase in their tuition than incoming students—about 33 per cent.
Meanwhile, Frieda Granot, dean
of the Faculty of Graduate Studies,
said that UBC needs to meet or
exceed levels of financial support of
comparable universities.
"I would like to see such an
increase come hand in hand with,
number one, increased financial
support for graduate students and,
two, improvement in their education," she said.
Dean of Medicine, John Cairns,
also said that the university had to
ensure that students will not be facing costs impossible to meet through
assistance, loans or some reallocation of payments in the future.
"The issue that everybody has a
bit of a^hard time dealing with is
that we're actually in a struggle to
sustain qualify. We're going to do a
number of things that will improve
things, but there also is a huge challenge to UBC to try to sustain the
current qualify. It's an enormous
risk because of the provincial policies over the last several years of
not increasing the university grant
and freezing tuition. So something
has to give," he said.
But Cairns remains hopeful that
the policy will evolve over time, and
assures students that the proposal
is far from complete.
"I don't think the entire plan has
to be worked out at the present
time, and certainly all the options
Sot assisting students aren't going
to be explored by then, and that's
going to take a lot of careful time,
energy and consultation, but we
haven't done a very good job of
working with the government to
improve the student loan situation...There are all sorts of imaginative things that can be done that we
haven't necessarily come up with
as yet." ♦
"Forum" from page 1.
it, then they gave her a bursary."
Harvey said one of the problems is the student loan program
itself, which can deny loans to students who need them, such as students whose parents make enough
money to disqualify them from
need-based assistance, but who
aren't assisting them.
She also suggested giving some
money to lobbying the BC govern
ment to increase the amount of
loans a student can receive, to
allow them to keep up with tuition
increases.
"What would be really beneficial is if the university went ahead
and lobbied the provincial government...in increasing the amount of
loans that a student can get."
On February 19, the provincial
government announced they
would increase funding to eligible
students without dependents by
up to $510 over an eight-month
study term. The new policy, which
goes into effect this August, will
not provide any additional benefits to students with dependents.
At Monday's forum, first-year
Arts student Kerrie Thornhill
asked whether the increases to
tuiton would make much of a difference, given that tuition fees
only make up about 17 per cent of
UBC's operating budget.
Sullivan admitted that increas
ing tuition would not provide UBC
with enough money to reach its
goals, but said a repeated student
solution—asking the federal and
provincial governments for more
money—wasn't realistic.
Another student asked how proposed tuition increases at UBC
compared to students at other BC
universities.
Sullivan said that he had been
told that UVic undergraduates
could be facing increases of about
. 30 per cent a year over three
years, and during the same time,
SFU students could see tuition
increases of between 90 and 100
per cent.
"My own personal belief is that
we will be at the low end," he said.
A final tuition forum will be
held tonight at 6:30pm, at Totem
Park. President Martha Piper and
several BoG members will be
in attendance to listen to
students. ♦
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ATTENTION
The Ubyssey is holding
elections for next year's
editorial positions starting March 20. The positions are as follows:
Coordinating Editor
News Editors (2)
Culture Editor
Sports Editor
Features Editor
Copy Editor
Photo Editor
Production Manager
Volunteers Coordinator
Letters/Research
-Coordinator
Position papers are due
in SUB room 24 by
March 13. If you have
any questions, please
contact Coordinating
Editor Duncan McHugh
at 604-822-2301.
THE UBYSSEY
the Underpdstate dtcn'stry Society Presents:
Thursday March 7, 2002
8:30am - 2:00p»
Grad Student Centre Ballroom
Free Food!
For more info: diemdub@chern.ubc.ca
Great Summer Jobs!
Camp Counselor Positions Available
in Western Massachusetts
SUB ROOMS 214/21& - No Appointment Necessary- Just Stop By}
Positions available for talented, energetic, and fun-loving students as
counselors at either Gimp Mah-Kee-Nac for boys or Camp Danbee for
girls. Excellent Salary, Room, Board, Travel and US Work Visa are included
along with the opportunity to work with great kids this summer.
Specialiststs needed in:
Team Sports:
Roller Hockey
Baseball
Soccer
Basketball
Lacrosse
Tennis and Golf
Gymnastics
Figure Skating
Radio Station
Rocketry
Woodworking
Arts and Crafts
Windsurfing
Canoeing
Kayaking
Water Skiing
Photography
Nature/Pioneering
Cycling
Ropes and Climbing
Sailing
Yearbook/Newspaper
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Swim Instruction
Positions Run June 18th -August 16th, 2002
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY - JUST STOP BY!
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THE UBYSSEY
lt*Wl'>!- "ft # / - >-■** )\
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Bridges Restaurant is hiring high-energy *
people for its deck this summer:
hosts - bussers - expeditors
experienced wait-staff & bartenders
bridges
Apply in person to Bridges Administration Office
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March 7,8,9 12:00 - 4:30 pm
No phone calls please
$ Judy Co/fins fan?
Teifua her genre I style and min a pair
4# tickets to her concert on fiprif ¥.
Come to Uby&s&y Rm 23, SC/A basement
w'th your an&daer.
7777 ^f.v T p
- . Secre<
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of his own
TOP SECRET
Marc Moulin
[Nettwerk]
The first song makes you fall in
love, the kind of love that poets
write about, the kind that the birds
apparentiy sing for, the kind that
all those Nora Ephron romantic
comedies strive to capture on film.
Top Secret is like an ethereal
realm where newer generations of
artists can revere past accomplishments without tainting them with
newer technology. The first track
incorporates key elements of classic jazz—an engulfing trumpet
melody, a sassy jazz singer and a
rolling drum-beat—with some funk
guitar and the basic elements of
electronic music. Marc Moulin
brings an understated house beat,
synthesised keyboards and many
sound effects to this very glossy but
still very engaging album.
Moulin makes it a point to
acknowledge the dichotomy he's
created by mixing jazz and elec
tronic music. A common theme on
the album is a muted trumpet challenging a highly synthesised keyboard. Another is that same trumpet playing a solo over heavy bass..
Moulin's approach to this fusion
of genres is intriguing; it combines
living, breathing musicians with
the bare bones of electronic music.
It's a highly controlled and meticulous process, but one that is ultimately more organic than simply
sampling jazz.
Marc Moulin and the musicians
he works with on this album seem
to have struck an intricate balance.
The skeleton of Moulin's album is
the living jazz sound; the electronic
sounds build upon it These two elements mix to create layers of
absorbing interaction.
Top Secret, from the first heavy
beat to the last trumpet solo, is a captivating soundscape—a testament to
Moulin's amazing production. This
album is a world within itself. ♦
—Lauren Emberson
in the Downtown Eastside by Alexis Roohani
GORKY'S ZYGOT.C MYNCI: Three words, sounds like Gor-kees Zi-got-ic Monkey.
They played Richard's on Richards last Sunday.There's just one question we wanted
to ask this band from Wales, what the hell is a Mynci anyway? peter kulpa photo
BE MY JUNKIE SHADOW
at the Blinding Light Cinema!!
Feb. 28
I'm standing in the lobby of The
Blinding Light Cinema!!, when a
black-clad woman appears beside
me, a small entourage in tote. "I'm
Kat," she says quiedy to the attendants. "I've brought some guests with
me, if that's okay." She motions to the
foursome huddled behind her, one of
whom pipes up: "Yeah—I'm in the
movie. And these are my friends." I
notice the speaker's sparse, red dye-
job and boney frame. Her name, as
I'm about to find out, is Angel. The
group gets the go-ahead and I follow
them into the theater.
I'm there for the premiere of Kat
Kosiancic's Be My Junkie Shadow, a.
documentary about women living in
the Downtown Eastside. Giving a
brief introduction, Kosiancic confesses to having doubts about the film.
"I'm asking them questions that
they're doing drugs to forget," she
explains. Kosiancic's eventual decision to take on the project came as a
result of heavy outside encouragement, and was made almost entirely
"against her will." In the end, the
experience proved to be unforgettably
rewarding for the director, and, as I
discover, for her audience as well.
Be My Junkie Shadow is made up
of a series of candid interviews with
seven women currently living in the
Downtown Eastside. Conducted and
filmed by Kosiancic over several
months, the interviews cover a wide
range of sensitive topics, from drug-
addiction and prostitution to personal childhood memories and mother
hood experiences.
Listening to the confessions of
these women, I am surprised at their
integrity, and at the clarity with
which each of them considers the
decisions they've made in life. I find
myself confronted by an unexpected
store of wisdom, tragic as it is. In the
face of it all, these women have managed to salvage a remarkable perspective. A few have even salvaged
their dreams. One of Kosiancic's subjects talks about her desire to return
to school: "I did go back to university
a few years ago. And it was fiin...the
highest high without any side
effects."
Despite a few poignant moments,
Be My Junkie Shadow offers an overall sobering look at the notorious
lifestyle of the Downtown Eastside.
And this, as I discover, is exactiy what
the women of Kosiancic's film want;
they want their stories to be a lesson.
"Take 'em down here for a fucking
fieldtrip,* says One woman about
high school kids, "Let 'em be a
junkie's shadow." As probably one of
the youngest people in the theatre, I
realise how littie of its intended audience the documentary is actually
reaching. The lesson of Kosiancic's
film, however, is not lost on anyone.
The film is over in half an hour,
and I join the crowded shuffle
towards the exit, as Cher's "If I Could
Turn Back Time" plays in the background. Up ahead I notice Angel talking with a friend near the door. I
manage to catch a glimmer of their
conversation as I pass. "Yeah," says
Angel just before I slip outside, "If I
Could Turn Back Time'...that's a
good song." ♦
:||||i|j|||
DISCO PIGS
at Performance Works
until Mar. 16
Nothing is to be done for the two
characters of Disco Pigs. Lost in isolation together, they cling to each
other only because they don't know
what else to cling to.
"Disco Pigs" traces the quest of
two teenagers for their promised
land, the Palace Disco. Pig and Runt,
born at almost the same time in the
same hospital, "spiritual twins of different mothers," grow up as best
friends and next-door neighbours.
Their lives revolve around each
other, angry and alienated from the
world.
The experience of watching the
show was a bit strenuous for me. I
enjoyed the set up of the theatre—
l^j^Jiw Mwpw
tables on either side of the stage with
chairs. The stage itself was a simple
collection of fake concrete highway
barriers and chain-link fencing
strung across the stage. The strain
came from trying to listen to the
actors, Kevin MacDonald and
Jennifer Mawhinney. The two characters spoke with a heavy Irish brogue,
another source of isolation and insulation, this time between the actors
and the audience. Nonetheless,
MacDonald and Mawhinney offered
genuine intensity and anger without
belittling the characters' experiences
and suffering.
"Disco Pigs* asserts itself to be in
the tradition of Trainspotting, and I
couldn't agree more. It seemed like
a lot of drugs was had by all involved
in the play. The result was a world
seen through a kaleidoscope of
'"\i —
M^»
"•"
^
■' V
colours and violence, and a play that
could only manifest itself in the context of youth.
What really made the play interesting was the extreme, pure, angry
intensity of adolescence in "Disco
Pigs". There are no regrets for Pig
and Runt, only mistakes. Sorry, awful,
disgusting, criminal, unforgivable
mistakes, but only mistakes. They
beat up random strangers at night
clubs, start bar fights, threaten bus
drivers, all in an effort to reinforce
their supposed superiority, to set
themselves apart from everyone else.
Pig and Runt want to believe they
five on the very fringe of society.
What happens, I wondered, if one of
them tasted society? If one of them
realised the loneliness of two?
The play's conclusion, it turns
out, borrows just as much from
Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for
Godot" as it does from Irvine Welsh.
In Pig and Runt, I couldn't ask for a
lonelier set of Vladimir and
Estragon. ♦
SPICS 'N' SPAN
at the Firehall Arts Centre
until Mar. 9
The latest offering from, the plainly
named Latino Theatre Group is Spies W
Span, a production that deals with the
issues of police brutality and racism
towards Latino men in the Downtown
Eastside.
Spies 'N' Span isn't a dark, gritty play.
Instead, it combines harsh realities and
profound issues with humour.
The scenes switch between run-ins
with the police and the hilarious interaction of Marcella (Lucy Pavez), Joel (Itzel
Bazerque), Monica (LuisJavier Gutierrez)
and Conchita (Herman Herdia Granda).
All members of the cast play more
than one role and give worthy performances.
Gutierrez, however, steals the show
with his portrayal of Monica—the Latino
woman trying to teach 'spixakolics' to get
over their addictions—and his portrayal
of Superspic, savior of those 'spies'
in need.
Even though half of Gutierrez's role is
performed in Spanish, nothing is lost in
the translation provided, and his characters still illicted howls of laughter from
the audience. The haunting stories of
David, Pedro and Rolo—three Latino
men—and their encounters with the
police all begin to connect Spixaholics
changes from a five-step program into a
protest group, demonstrating for Latino
pride and criticising police brutality.
This production, written and directed
by Carmen Aguirre, one of the founders
of the Latino Theatre Group, provides
insight into the minds of youing Latinos
and the problems they encounter in
Vancouver. It will have you laughing and
thinking long after you have left the
theatre. ♦
Finding the
of the land
Off the Map: Western Travels on Roads Less
Taken
by Stephen Hume
[Harbour Press]
Vancouver Sun travel columnist Stephen Hume
loves British Columbia. And if his book Off the
Map: Western Travels on Roads Less Taken is any
indication, he's probably travelled every square-
centimetre of it The book, a collection of his writings going back to 1972, aims to capture the spirit-both natural and human-of BC.
His travels take him to some the farthest reaches of the province, and introduce us to some of
the people struggling to preserve what's impor-
tant-from marine biologists searching for the
cause of declining salmon stocks, to Aboriginal
leaders trying to reclaim their lands and culture.
Hume begins at the source, literally: the Fraser
River. "The soul of British Columbia" as it has
been called is traced back to its headwaters at
Blackrock Mountain, near the Alberta-BC border.
Through interviews with biologists, geographers,
and geologists, Hume reveals the complex web of
life supported by the Fraser and its tributaries.
From there, he moves to the people who make
their living, direcuy and indirectiy, from the land
it nourishes: fishermen, scientists, artists and
even politicians. All of them have stories to tell,
and all of them contribute to the province's mass
consciousness.
Hume uses many of these tales to rant, sometimes at considerable length, about the "orgy of
insane greed" responsible for so much of the
damage done to this province. Part of the book's
purpose, he writes, is that "it sharpens and clarifies issues that are deliberately obscured by legal
pedants, political cynics, blustering bureaucrats
and, worst of all, the mealy-mouthed rhetoric of
grasping business interests."
Almost everything is blamed on the municipal,
provincial, or federal government What makes
the exercise not entirely futile is the fact that he
retells the stories of those who are doing something about it Take, for example, the Heiltsuk
Reserve in Bella-bella. Ordinarily, reserve housing
has been "cookie-cutter," symbolising to Hume the
attempted homogenisation of First Nations peoples. The Heiltsuk resist this by building their own
houses instead of accepting government 'prefabs.'
In an area where unemployment has been as high
as 65 per cent, the initiative created jobs and a
sense of individuality not normally associated with
life on a reserve.
While Hume may overromanticise the Native
population, he does have important things to say,
or at least to remind us about. The "West Coast
Holocaust" of colonisation, for instance, brought
by the European colonists in the form of smallpox. "One white trader," he writes, "collected
infected blankets from the-death camps and
resold them to other Natives." He moves on to the
other cultural suppression in this province, the
internment of the Japanese during the Second
World War.
Hume also touches on a more subtie means of
oppression: the increasing "language death" occurring in Native communities caused by a lack of traditional education among First Nations youth. To
Hume the implications of this are frightening. The
dying out of language translates into the death of a
culture and a decreased understanding of the land
itself. As he writes, "in a language, of course, lies a
whole way of seeing the world."
The book effectively captures the spirit of
British Columbia through the joy and despair, the
hopes and dreams of its inhabitants: "What integrates us is the land itself. That is the true power
of wilderness, one that defines our place and spiritual purpose in the world. It is what shapes the
being of all those strange and wondrous creatures
that have become our moral changes." ♦
-Daniel Silverman
, PHANTOM PLANET
The Guest
[Epic Records]
Keanu Reeves, Billy Bob Thornton; Leonard Nimoy,
Joey Lawrence-the fist of artists pursuing careers in
both music!, and, film (is long- and the results
,, mediocre; Phantom Planet is a band whose lineup
*. includes jlson Schwartzman, the young actor made
' famous for hisjrole in Rushmore, and infamous for
' his unfortunate involvement in this year's Slackers. -
'***' I was' excited at the chance to review Phantom
Planet's new album The Guest, mentally preparing ■
' a rant on entertainment industiy nepotism and the>-»
- tyranny of image over substance (another of the<.«
-*~ band's members is a former Gap model}. lien, I««
v listened to the songs. . .
Phantom Planet sound a little like Weezer back- -
- ing up Elvis- Costello in some, sort of- power-pop «■
supergroup^ The- hooks are palatable and not.-
syrupy in their sweetness, Deep-voiced lead singer™
Alex Greenwald has a dramatic flair for pouring out»
Y hi§ image-rich lyrics,, while his bandmates have the »■<
,Y yocal chopg to handle their three-part harmonies.-
Tlie, lead track, "California* builds from a simple
' - piano line tq, an infectious sing-along that will sure- «
» ly be filed under Jsummertime hit' by many radio
programmers.
As for Schwartzman, the young renaissance
man is at least as talented in percussion as he is in
portraying nebbish film characters. Although he's
gone on record saying that he never wants to win a
drumming contest he has an interesting penchant
for calmly dawdling over the beat rather than overtly leading the band rhythmically. Straightforward
arid effective, Schwartzman locks up tighuy with
bassist Sam Farrar, keeping Phantom Planet well
aligned. -
Given Phantom Planet's musical style and
comely appearances, as well as the associated hype,
comparisons to New York's critical darlings The
Strokes are,, inevitable. Indeed, The Guest might
evoke memories of The Strokes' 7s This It?, had The
Strokes fqcussed more on songwriting and less on .-
: deliberate underproduction; For The Guest, famed
-* producers Tchad Blake and Mitchell Froom endow -
' 2 Phantom Planet's sound with a clean and sharp
edge, wilhout polishing over the moderate grit that
the band exhibits in songs such as "All Over Again"
- and "In Our Darkest Hour."
It took little time for The Guest to flatten my
assumptions about Phantom Planet who effortlessly transcend comparison to the comical banality of
Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar. Safe but solid.
Phantom Planet breaks no new ground, but they do
put that space to better use than many of their
peers. ♦
-Michael Schwandt 8
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
CULTURE
THE UBYSSEY
Wl-STERN
WASHINGTON1
UNlVtRSllY
V. J
E veiling
Full-rime
Accelerated
Programs
ii »' *ii'!i,i I ,' r i *s 1 111 [ i i.,
I''il . IJ.'I 4. »" '- n, A \ ■ -'.'". ■ ',.'
r « ' I* »
Come to SUB Room 23
in the basement
behind the arcade)
to receive a
COMPLIMENTARY PASS
to a screening of:
The Time
Machine
at 7:00pm on Thursday,
March 7,2002
at Famous Players Capitol 6.
UBYSSIY
Giveaway
UBYSSEY PUBLICATIONS SOCIETY
Annual
General
Meeting
Wednesday, March 20, 2002
at 1:00pm
in the AMS Council Chamber
Songs for a sadist
120 SONGS FOR THE MARQUIS
DESADE
at the Vancouver East Cultural
Centre
until Mar. 16
When an opera opens with a man
dressed in nothing but white stockings and gloves, you expect the ensuing action to be shocking, provocative and perhaps even confrontational. 120 Songs for the Marquis de
Sade is none of these things.
Anyone expecting general
debauchery in this opera should
reconsider purchasing the $20 ticket Nudity abounds, to be sure, but
ultimately 120 Songs is worth seeing more for its historical survey of
de Sade's life and its combination of
a thoughtful, astute libretto with an
equally perceptive score.
The decision alone to take on a
project as ambitious as this one
deserves applause. 120 Songs sardines the Marquis de Sade's life into
three acts and still manages to be
over three hours long.
The first act presents de Sade's
years as a rake and reveals the
deviance he is famous for. The second act moves de Sade into prison,
providing context for his writing
and staunch political orientation.
Finally, the third act shows the final
years of his life.
It is clear why this opera received
the Mean Performing Arts Award, a
$60,000 production grant. The
excellent libretto and music flesh
out the story through insightful pas-
• sages and motifs.
Unfortunately, however, for all
its musical and lyrical developments, 120 Songs falls apart'when it
comes to the lead role. With a historical character as charismatic as
the Marquis de Sade, I would have
expected actor Michael Douglas
Jones to demonstrate some passion.
But Jones's portrayal of the Marquis
was disappointingly unconvincing,
even though Jones was supported by
an excellent cast.
Phoebe MacRae played de Sade's
wife, Pelagie, fantastically and Karin
Konoval delivered a flawless performance as Montreuil, Pelagie's
mother. Daniel Gundlach played
both male and female parts but his
impressive falsetto made his female
roles more memorable. Shaun
Phillips and Lawrence Cotton were
successful in a number of bit parts.
Peter Hurst, on the other hand,
looked forced on stage when playing
Sade's valet La Tour, and even fell
out of character a few times, but his
performance improved dramatically when he played a minor character
by Janet Yuen
in the third act
Though the first and third acts
are sufficientiy entertaining, the
Second act falls short. It spans the
Marquis's 14 years in prison, and
the plot is conveyed through letters
between the Marquis and his
friends and lovers. The act relies
heavily on Jones' acting of the
Marquis and, at least in this performance, it can't maintain the
opera's pace. It dulled the remainder of the play for me.
The original goal of 120 Songs
was to show an alternate understanding of the Marquis, stepping
away from portrayals of 'a sexy,
older roue who was simply censored
by an earlier more puritanical age,"
to "investigate the paradoxical threat
and necessity, when politic meets
sexuality and society attempts to legislate free thought and desire."
Jones's performance did nothing of
the sort Jones, perhaps trying to
avoid playing the stereotypical de
Sade, held back any fire he might
have had.
Despite its shortcomings, the
libretto and music might make 120
Songs the price of admission for
you. Just don't go expecting Geoffrey
Rush, and just remember to grab a
coffee at the first intermission.
You'll need it. ♦
Tun&Q from
DANCES AND MUSIC FROM THE
ROOF OF THE WORLD
at Britannia Secondary School
part of the Tibetan Cultural
Festival
Mar. 1
The main event of the week-long
Tibetan Cultural Festival appropriately promised an interesting array
of performers. Unfortunately, the
event venue—a high school auditorium—was a poor choice. Although
the sight lines were good and the
acoustics adequate, the seats were
incredibly uncomfortable. It was
like being back at school to Write
exams, a n atmospher not conducive to experiencing music that's
often used in meditation and other
spiritual practices.
San Francisco-based group
k . ibet
by Tejas Ewing
Brothers in Courage started the
evening, performing traditional
folk songs and dances. In the past,
these songs were used to spread
the principles of Buddhism across
the farmlands of Tibet. Although
the musicians' amateur status
showed on Friday night, Brothers
in Courage performed energetically and even performed a delightful
yak dance,' something similar to
the popular lion dances performed
on Chinese New Year.
The highlight of the evening followed when Nawang Khechog, a
Grammy award nominee and one
of Tibet's foremost composers and
musicians, took the stage. His presence made the event a bargain. It's
not often you can see someone who
has performed at Carnegie Hall,
and for the Dalai Lama, for only
$ 17! Using five flutes, a didgeridoo,
a Tibetan longhorn and his own
form of throat-chanting similar to
that of Buddhist monks, Khechog
gave a world-class performance.
Sadly, he left the stage too soon, and
left many wanting more.
The evening ended with
Tibetan singers Namgyal Lhamo
and Kelsang Chukie. Although
the singing was excellent, the
show began to feel drawn out.
Many even left during the
singers' performance.
All in all, however. Dances and
Music from the Roof of the World
was worth seeing and revealed a
great deal about Tibetan culture to
the non-Tibetans as well as to the
exiles in the audience. If this event
returns next year, I recommend you
go see it ♦
MYSTIC MANTRA
at the Voda Lounge
part of the Tibetan Cultural
Festival
Feb. 28
When I found out that traditional
Tibetan singers Namgyal Lhamo
and Kelsang Chukie were collaborating with DJ Jacob Cino of
Vancouver's Third Eye Tribe, I was
a little wary. Events like this one
often achieve nothing more than
the embarrassingly superficial hip-
ness that comes from fusion music.
And that was the initial impression I got. The promotional material suggested Mystic Mantra would
be enhanced by 'ambient visuals,
decor and more." Instead, the
organisers seemed content to rely
on the 'coolness' that Buddhism
has amongst Vancouver's neo-hip-
pies. A Tibetan flag taped to the
wall, some prayer flags hanging
from the ceiling and some candles
and Christmas- lights don't create
much ambiance.
The music was far stronger than
the atmosphere, and the diverse
crowd, with members- ranging
from students just learning
about Tibet to an 80-year-old
couple, was even supportive.
The event began with the DJ
mixing to the live singers for
about half an hour. Then the
DJ played a 45-minute set of
his own before the event finished off with another collaboration between the
singers and the DJ.
Even though the crowd got
what it wanted, the end-product
would have been better if more
effort had been put into the show.
The live singers often looked nervous and out of place, even missing
their cues. They probably weren't
expecting the type of crowd they
got. The DJ was even more of a disappointment. He didn't communicate well with the singers, nor did
he stretch his creative muscle.
Often, he added only a basic drumbeat to the singing. Other times,
the bass was so loud it drowned
out the singing.
That said, the perfomers and
organisers were brave to try something like this. The singers took
many mistakes in stride, and few
audience members seemed to
notice the slip-ups. The concert
was a good idea; it was just
plagued by sub-par execution.
There were some highly enjoyable
moments during the show.
Trouble was, there should have
been more of them. ♦ THE UBYSSEY
SPORTS
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
~^s:~^s^r
%
reat
V-ball women rested, ready for nationals in Laval
by Scott Bardsiey
There was concern that injuries
might spoil the women's volleyball
team's chances for a CIS tide.
Fortunately the scheduling gods gave
the team a week off before they have
to play in Laval at the CIS National
Championship from March 7 to 9.
"We still have some lingering
injuries', but we've all really been taking care of ourselves," left side Leah
Allinger said. "People will see great
performances from players on our
team that they haven't seen in the
past month because of injuries."
However, the Thunderbirds' starting line-up this weekend will not be
at full strength. Right side Kathryn
Peck has a shin fracture and is
expected to limit her playing time.
No player feels that there's any
one team standing in the T-Birds'
way, but the women expect Calgary
and Manitoba to challenge them for
the tide. The Birds upset the Bisons-
last year's national champions—in
the Canada West semi-final two
weeks ago, only to run out of gas the
next week when they faced the Dinos
in the final, losing two matches without winning a single set.
But none of those results matter
anymore. "It's a whole new tournament. Everyone's going in basically
with no losses, so it's anyone's
game," middle Kaley Boyd said.
And the T-Birds, ranked second
nationally, could strike gold this
year. "We've really come together
this year as a team," setter Amy
Schroeder said.
"I'm so excited," said Allinger,
who is in her fifth-year. "Of all the
teams I've been on, this team would
be the best team to bring home a
National Championship with...On
any given day, anyone in the countiy
can win, but on any given day when
we play well, we'll win."
Canada West final aside, the Birds
have momentum with them.
Following Boyd's return to UBC in
January from the national team, the
Birds have .gone 7-3 in regular conference play in 2002.
The T-Birds' first match will be
against the nationally tenth-ranked
Ryerson Rams at 8pm on Thursday.
Last year UBC was knocked out of
gold-medal contention by Manitoba
in the first round and finished fifth
after beating Moncton and Calgary. ♦
JL JLcL%_r_W IcfciJiJLJi UJLA %,%J Ai&dlJlOJLJldJIiM JL.IJI ^^UCJlJtrm#
by Laura Blue
This Wednesday, nine of UBC's quickest athletes are heading off to
Sherbrooke, Quebec for the CIS Track
and Field Championship. The three
women and six men who've qualified
for the meet will compete on March 8
and 9.
The men's team is ranked fourth
nationally but has qualified fewer athletes this year for the CIS Nationals
than lastyear, when the Birds placed
seventh. The women are ranked
ninth nationally.
Although UBC is sending some
top-notch athletes to Quebec tomorrow, the odds of a strong team finish
are still unclear.
"If we could maintain those [current] positions, actually, that would
be veiy good. It's not easy to be top
ten in the country, where the competition is so tough," said UBC coach
Marek Jedrzejek.
"I think there's some chances up
at the upper end to do pretty well,"
said UBC runner and CIS defending
3000m champion David Milne. "It's
just totally difficult for us to com
pete on a points level...because we
don't have the numbers that other
teams have."
Milne, in particular, is an athlete
worth watching. The senior student,
who will be racing in his last meet as
a UBC Thunderbird this weekend, has
qualified for the CIS Nationals in the
3000m and 1500m as well as with
the 4x800m relay team. He seems
confident about his individual events.
"I think I should be able to win
both of them honestly," he said.
"Especially the 3k—I think I'm set up
perfectly for it. My running's been
going really well and I think I have
a shot*
The women also have an edge in
the distance events. UBC's Heather
Macdonald and Karen Tulloch are
the CIS's first- and second-ranked
female 3000m runners. Macdonald,
who will also compete in the
1500m, has now recovered from the
illness which kept her out of the
Canada West Championship two
weekends ago.
Other medal contenders include
Chris Williams, a former junior
national team member who will run
[
)pmys
Baseball
TH: irs (li.In't ko i-voll so-, h 'ii .he
bjrdi-r hijjt weekend f:>r .he l."3C
b'isoba'l tcr.i'i. Co-vj c'li'ig .'n 'he
Lc-\is Clark Stale Ts.-um: merit,
UBC Jo:-t 10-7 '.<} Alb-risoi
Oil-'^c "'.i Friday .-iight. On
Sj!v.;"'.jy. the Birds ">nce led a 5-
3 ^ame to Lewis-Clark SLi'o, the
lun'ii-r i.p n bst year's NAIA
Notion.u rhsmpion-ikip. But L BC
turned "hi.'-ijS o they p!a\ ed luoia :n a
cDiisuhlicn final. UBC prevuied
20-15 '.villi Ben iltrr-i.i.n ^e-'Y'rg
ihe show with a '3 fjr-5 peif.'rm-
Mice, se.ting ^'h iol reeijrdb '.n.
hi'.s, doubles and r.ms. 'Ihe Birds
tlr.i^hed .bird ut "lie '.'iur:.v.':e:it
mi impioved their season
record to '5-7. ♦
three events this weekend, and
Jeremy Edwards, who won gold in
the , weight throw at this year's
Canada West Championship.
"We have a good group of people
and I hope that everybody can run
their best," said Macdonald, "and
hopefully next year there'll be a few
more people coming along for
the trip." ♦
Are you concerned about tuition increases at UBC? Find out more about
the University's tuition proposal at the following AMS/GSS forum:Tuesday,
March 5,6:30pm at Totem Park residence.
University representatives will be there to discuss the tuition proposal,
answer questions, and provide feedback. For more information, please go
to the University's tuition website at:
http://students.ubc.ca/finance/fees/tuitionpolicy.cfm or email your
concerns to: tuition@interchange.ubc.ca.
r UP^^SiiP^alif Speaker of Council
The Alma Mater Society of UBC is seeking a decisive and articulate
person to act as AMS Speaker of Council.The speaker's term of office
shall be from April 1,2002 to March 31,2003. You are well versed in
Robert's Rules of Order, and hold no other elected, appointed or staff
position within the society.
The AMS Speaker of Council shall:
• Chair bi-weekly council meetings.
• Notify council members of up-coming council meetings.
• Ensure adequate security for council chambers.
• Post accepted council minutes in public areas.
• Accept other duties outlined in code or assigned by council.
• Receive a remuneration of $3,000 for a one-year term.
If you have what it takes to excel in this position, please forward your
resume by March 19th, 2002 to:
Christopher Lythgo, VP Academic
Chair Nominating Committee
vpacademic@ams.ubc.ca
SUB 238 - 6138 SUB Blvd., Vancouver, B.C., V6T1Z1
VENTS AT
iarefi3,2S02
Join the UBC Women's Center for a day of: Women's Global Solidarity ,
March 8th International Women's Day
SUB Ballroom
11.00 -12 noon - refreshments
12:00 - 4:00 pm - speeches, poetry, and discussions that celebrate the history of
women's resistance.
You are invited to an AMS Pancake Breakfast! Are you hungry for food? We'll give you
pancakes! Are you hungry for information? Need to know what's up with tuition? We'll
give you the latest tuition information!
The new AMS Executive will be serving pancakes on Friday, March 8 from 8:00 am to
11:30 am, outside the SUB on the South Plaza.
eet the New AIMS Executive E
Kristen Harvey
. President
Christopher Lythgo
VP Academic
Mam
Spasm
Dana Chirila
VP Admin 10
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
OP/ED
THEUBYSSEY
THEUBYSSEY
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
VOLUME S3 ISSUE 41
EDITORIAL BOARD
COORDINATING EDITOR
Duncan M. McHugh
NEWS EDITORS
Ai Lin Choo
Sarah MacNeill Morrison
CULTURE EDITOR
Ron Nurwisah,
SPORTS EDITOR
Scott Bardsiey
FEATURES EDITOR
Julia Christensen
COPY EDITOR
Laura Blue
PHOTO EDITOR
Nic Fensom
PRODUCTIONMANAGER
Hywel Tuscano
COORDINATORS
VOLUNTEERS COORDINATOR
Graeme Worthy
LETTERS COORDINATOR
Alicia MilEer
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the
University of British Columbia. It is published every
Tuesday and Friday by The Ubyssey Publications Society.
We are an autonomous, democratically run student organisation, and all students are encouraged to participate.
Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff.
They are the expressed opinion of he staff, and do not
necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications
Society or the University of British Columbia.
The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University
Press (CUP) and adheres to CUFs guiding principles.
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.
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 facully with all
submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are
dropped off at the editorial office of The 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 fatter is time sensitive. Opinion
pieces wiB not be run until the identity of the writer has
been verified.
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liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid
for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight
changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the
value or the impact of the ad
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"Damn it!" exclaimed Hywel Tuscano, "Someone ate my
jumbo veggie weinersf* Mike Schwandt and Dan
Silverman confirmed that their smokies were missing
too. Ai Lin Choo and Hon Nurwisah sadly explained that
their pencils had started disappearing several days
prior. An irate Graeme Worthy boomed, "And my vibra-
tron 200 isn't where I, a-hem, left it' Lauren Emberson
quickly concluded that one sick puppy was stealing all of
the phallic objects in the world. Alicia Millar, Sarah
MacNeill Morrison were hot on the trail of the thiet
while Scott Bardsiey was still tiying to End 'phallic' in
the dictionary. Kathy Deering and Sara Young sat staring blankly at computer screens, apparency too upset to
speak. Laura Blue wouldn't speak either, which made
Nic Fensom think she was the prime suspect John
Moon, Janet Yuen and Salma Dinani speculated about
the identity of the perp' as they watched Julia
Christensen sat a long, skinny trap. Just then Alexis
Roohani, Michelle Rosa and Peter Kulpa saw two figures
run by. When everyone arrived on the scene, they found
Emily Chan pinning Duncan McHugh, who had a Est
fufl of frankfurters!
: Canadian
University
Press
Cutad. Port S4m Agro.ra.nt NumtMr 0732141
Tuition increase is too fast
The last two months have been painful. First, the
cuts to services and programs like Work Study
and Student Summer Works, programs that help
students pay for their post-secondaiy education
and limit debt Then, on February 11, came the
end of the six-year tuition freeze.
It's a double whammy. Students not only
have to contend with tuition increases but also
fewer ways to make up for the increased cost of
their education Many more may no longer be
able to afford any kind of post-secondary education altogether as tuition increases. .
But it hasn't been easy for the province's universities and colleges either. Here at UBC, the
administration, led by VP Students Brian Sullivan,
has been busy creating the university's tuition policy. While the process has been far from perfect
their efforts should still be commended.
Unlike the Up service that Minister of
Advanced Education Shirley Bond gave to student consultation—where students were consulted, then promptly ignored—UBC's administration has actually had student concerns and student recommendations in mind when drafting
its future tuition poliqy. And it shows.
Differential tuition something that the AMS
and many students opposed, won't happen next
year. Commerce and Pharmacy are notable
exceptions. Tuition for these programs will go up
more than fees in other programs, but with a
guarantee that this extra increase will go directly
into the respective programs. The price of graduate programs such as Law, Medicine and
Dentistry will rise significantly for new students,
but those already in the programs will see smaller and hopefully more manageable tuition hikes.
For the next year, the university has even promised to match tuition increases for graduate students with an equal amount of financial aid.
The tuition policy still doesn't address a
number of crucial issues. Tuition increases, in
some programs close to a 100 per cent, will
make post-secondary education unaffordable
to more middle- and low-income students.
With the lack of provincial financial aid, student debt will also increase.
But the policy is clearly a sign of UBC doing
its best under difficult circumstances. The
provincial Liberals lifted the tuition freeze less
than a month ago. It gave the university very little time to draft a coherent tuition policy. What's'
worse, Victoria hasn't confirmed the amount of
funding the university will receive next year.
UBC's tuition policy was drafted with this
unknown factor hanging over their heads.
So what can the university do now? With
provincial funding for post-secondary education frozen, UBC must find ways to stretch the
money it receives from the government and
from students.
The AMS is calling on the university to perform an efficiency review. A university as big
as UBC is bound to be wasteful ih some fashion and it's waste that UBC can't afford right
now. It's imperative that funds are actually
being used intelligently: for classrooms,
teaching tools, libraries, things that will allow
UBC to maintain its role as a leading educational institution.
More importantly, UBC must continue to consult with its students. Listening to students
before increasing tuition is a good first step. But
it's clear that the next couple of years will be
financially difficult for many of us. We hope that
the university's recent behaviour is not an isolated incident and that will continue to speak to
those affected most directly affected by UBC's
policies—the students. ♦
LETTERS
UBC fraternities: safe
for gay members
David Brindle's article in the
Ubyssey's recent Pride Issue ("I'm
so proud," Pride Issue [Feb. 15])
contained an interesting account of
his experiences with gay life at
UBC. It is clear to me that his limited campus experience has
coloured his view, particularly with
respect to the alleged terror that
UBC's fraternities and sororities
inflict on their gay members.
I am a proud fraternity member
at UBC who is also gay. I am not
terrified of being found out I do
not fear being beaten by thugs. I do
not fear being attacked in the showers. I do not fear abuse. I am not
ashamed, and I am not alone.
I joined Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity in the spring of 1998. I
joined for the same reasons that
many other young men join fraternities. I wanted an opportunity to
grow, to meet new people, to learn,
to be a part of something bigger, to
make friends and to meet chicks.
When I joined, I was not at all convinced that I was gay. Just unlucky
with girls. I did not come to terms
with my homosexuality until I had
already been in the fraternity for
over ayear.
It was the following Christmas
that I decided to come out to my
chapter. I told them all at once, at a
weekly meeting. Of course I was
nervous. Maybe even terrified. I
was not afraid of being attacked, or
beaten or abused. I was afraid of
being rejected. Fraternity brothers
share such a close, almost familial,
bond with members of their own
chapter. Being rejected by family is
certainly worthy of fear. When I
told my chapter I was gay, I was not
rejected; I was applauded. One
brother confided that he admired
my courage.
Since then, I have been president of my chapter, spent two years
as an executive member of UBC's
Inter-Fraternity Council and served
as president of the Order of Omega,
an honour society for Greek leaders. I have never in three years pretended to be straight for my own
benefit or anyone else's. In fact, my
boyfriend of nearly two years has
attended more Phi Delta Theta
functions as my date than many of
the brothers.
I am not the only gay man who
has found acceptance in UBC's fraternities; I know gay actives or
alumni from just about every
house on this campus. Some are
totally open about their sexual orientations, and some are all but in
the closet Some are leaders in
their chapters. All are valued
brothers. And none of us have anything to fear.
—Jonathan Abourbih
Applied Science 4
Former Minister of
Finance finds fault in
Liberals' tactics
The other week Premier Campbell
and his caucus members put forward a lot of reasons to justify their
savage attack on our province's
public services and public servants.
Most of those 'reasons' don't stand
up well to serious examination.
They said they "inherited' a huge
deficit Here are the facts: BC's audited books showed a budget surplus
for 1999-2000 of $40 million and a
surplus for 2000-2001 of $1,498 billion ("BC Public Accounts/ released
by Finance Minister Gary Collins on
July 30,2001).
They said that spending on government programs in BC was out of
control and out of line with other
provinces like Alberta. The facts are
otherwise. In 2000-2001, BC spent
$5842 per capita, on government
programs; Alberta spent $6513 per
capita ("Comparative Provincial
Program Spending 1989-2001/
released by die Canadian
Taxpayers Federation).
They said that they didn't know
how bad things were because the
province's books weren't trustworthy. That's not correct. "British
Columbia is a Canadian leader in
public sector financial reporting.
We found that the province's
accounting policies and practices
provide a high overall level of
financial disclosure and accountability" ("BC Fiscal Review Panel/
released by Premier Campbell on
July 23, 2001).
Finally, they said they "had no
choice." That's nonsense. Every
government has choices. Premier
Campbell chose to cut taxes by over
$2 billion and gave most of those
tax breaks to corporations and to
high-income British Columbians
who needed them the least. Now he
and his government have to cut $2
billion out of government programs and lay off thousands of public servants to pay for those tax
cuts. That's not 1he choice Premier
Campbell said he'd make in his
"New Era" document but that's the
one he's made. Nobody forced him
to; he did it all on his own.
—Paul Ramsey
Visiting professor,
political science department,
UNBC,
Former MLA and Minister of
Finance THE UBYSSEY
LETTERS
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002 11
Being transgendered
shouldn't disqualify
Nixon
In her analysis of Kimberly Nixon's
Human Rights Tribunal victoiy,
Madelene Cleland argues that volunteering is "not a human right"
("Volunteering: A privilege or a
right?" Letters [Feb. 26]). I certainly
agree with that However, freedom
from discrimination on the basis of
irrelevant personal characteristics
(such as sexual identity) is a human
right—and if it isn't, it should be.
In her letter, Cleland questions
Nixon's intentions, asking how she
could "justify taking desperately
needed money from a non-profit
group?...What is the greater good
served here?" I think the answer to
both questions would be obvious if
Kimberly Nixon had been, say, a
lesbian, banned from Vancouver
Rape Relief and Women's Shelter
on the grounds that she wasn't
'really' a woman. Nixon's goal was
not to drain Vancouver Rape
Reliefs financial resources but to
raise awareness about transpho-
bia and fight what she saw as a
case of discrimination.
Madelene Cleland seems to imply
that Vancouver Rape Relief was not
being transphohic but merely rejecting transwomen because their experiences would not qualify them to
volunteer. Perhaps she means to suggest that, in this case, sexual identity
was a relevant personal characteristic. "Gender confusion as a child and
gender-reversal surgery as an adult
does not make one knowledgeable of
the experience of women," Cleland
writes. "To grow up as a girl in a
social and family context and to have
WIN!! a trip to
shared girlhood experiences cannot
be surgically implanted." This last
statement seems to imply that "girlhood experiences" are homogeneous, that all girls grow up in a similar "social and family context" This
could not be further from the truth.
There is no monolithic "experience
of women." Kimberly Nixon's childhood experiences are undoubtedly
very different from mine but so are
most other women's.
Cleland is right when she says
that "gender-reversal surgery...does
not make one knowledgeable of the
experience of women." Only being
a woman makes one "knowledgeable of the experience of women"—
and Kimberly Nixon is a woman.
There's no such thing as gender-
reversal surgery: surgery can alter
bodies to make sex and gender
"match" (as demanded by society),
but Nixon's gender has remained
the same throughout her life. I
don't know whether her experience
qualifies her to work at Vancouver
Rape Relief, but I do believe that
being transgendered shouldn't disqualify her.
-Alana Prochuk
Arts 2
Lifeline tactics inappropriate
I find it interesting that Lifeline
refuses to admit that their large
displays, which accuse women
who have abortions of being perpetrators of genocide, constitute a
threat to women's emotional safety and security. Lifeline demands
the right to put up their displays
whenever and wherever they
choose. They are even willing to
put up displays without the permission of the university and give
students no warning whatsoever
that they will encounter the
Genocide Awareness Project (GAP)
when they walk past the SUB or
past Koerner Library. And yet their
ally and benefactor, John Hof,
wrote a letter to the Attorney
General of BC asking him to lay
charges against Students for
Choice and/or have us kicked out
of school for comments made on
our website. The threat of a lawsuit is a common tactic for suppressing the freedom of speech of
organisations like ours that have
no money to defend themselves in
court. Lifeline has attempted to
keep us from even suggesting that
students should take action
against GAP.
We certainly do not. advocate
violence ("Students for Choice website inappropriate," Letters [Mar.
1]). Our website simply lists various
tactics that students opposing GAP
here and at other universities have
used or considered. Nowhere do we
advocate harming another human
being. Lifeline should take a
minute to ponder the hypocrisy of
demanding complete freedom to
put up large displays which are
offensive and hurtful in the
extreme while threatening us with
lawsuits and injunctions, which
they have done three times in the
past two years, in order to prevent
us from speaking out against their
hateful message.
-Hannah Roman
UBC Students for Choice
Arts4
SISSUE!
Your fabulous prize will include:
2 days of production fun in the
shady Ubyssey offices (room 24 in
the SUB!)
on Wednesday March 6, 3pm-9pm &
Thursday March 7,10am-the end!
And...the finest order-in food money can buy. Free to you!
(offer only valid on Thursdays and within 1 km radius)
Dance instructors will be on hand to teach the art of love!
Stay a little or stay a lot, but be prepared to have
fun and learn about newspaper production.
Everyone Welcome!!!!!
Love Kathy & Sara,p.s. bring muffins & other yummies
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Meet Tanya Mandel, SD at the CCNM exhibit at
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The deadline for the Januaiy 2003
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If you have a university degree in any field you may be" able
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Contact: Tim Edwards,
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604.432.8898 or
fmgt@bcit.ca
Business
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www.bcit.ca
BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY -i
12
TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 2002
FEATURE
THE UBYSSEY
^^^^^^^^m^^^M&^^^^S^^^H^.
Vancouver Sun sex columnist Angele Yanor talks
about her career, her radio show and the
"wackiness" of everyday life.
by Michelle Rosa
_mL ngele Yanor was driving to a
JmM Home Hardware in Port
JL am Hardy, listening to Vicki
Gabereau on CBC Radio when she
had an epiphany. Her future was not
in sales and marketing; journalism
was her true calling. She turned her
car around and headed back home
to Vancouver where she then
launched her career. You can now
find her column 'Lucky Strike"
every Saturday morning in the
Vancouver Sun's MIX section.
Angele sits comfortably in the
difilfig room of the exclusive Jericho
Tennis Club. Behind her are enormous panoramic windows framing
the North Shore mountains against
the sunny afternoon sky. Coffee cup
in hand, blue eyes beaming, the 30-
year-old recalls her epiphanic experience.
"What am I doing? I should be in
journalism!' So I applied [to BCIT]
and I didn't get in, initially., .because
what they do is they basically send
out rejection letters for everyone
who's applied and gone through the
panel interviews and all the tests,
and then they let you in the week
before to see how serious you are.
So, I thought I was the biggest loser
in my entire class. I'm like, I'm the
only one. They let me in late entry.
And then I found out the next year,
when everyone had gotten a little
closer, that it happened to every single person in that room. I thought,
'No one talks about this, right'
That's the funny thing about human
nature," she says, laughing.
And Angele's weekly column
allows us to do just that—read about
the funny and ridiculous sides of
human nature. The column has
grown from its initial focus on the
"boozy ravings of 2 0-somethings" to
encompass more personal concerns
of family and friends. However, the
column consistently deals with "dating and relating in Vancouver's singles scene," particulary among
Angele's age group, the 25 to 35-
year-old 'unattached' working professionals complete with condo, car
"I think
people are
dying to
know what
goes on
outside. Like
especially
people in
Vancouver—
they're fairly
hermetic/'
—Angele Yanor
Vancouver Sun sex
columnist
and career. Somewhat satirical and
often controversial, the column has
covered everything from the good
(romantic love in old age), the bad
(faking an abortion) and the ugly
(the local 'puckbunny' bar scene of
hockey star groupies).
The recent success of Angele's
column has brought about a weekly
radio call-in program that discusses
similar issues to her column. Every
Friday night from 9pm to midnight
on CFUN radio 1410 AM, Angele
invites her listening audiencg tg
debate current topics surrounding
sex and relationships.
"It's like Cosmo on air. It's about
relationships, health, sex and family. Well, you know, I'm not married.
I don't have kids. I'm not going to
have a family. Health? I care about
my health, but I don't think about it
much. So what is it? Sex and relationships for three hours every
Friday night? So good thing it's only
one night a week."
Instantly friendly and entertaining, Ontario-born Angele seems,
well-suited to the role of on-air personality and weekly columnist. After
moving to the west coast as a teenager, she acted in radio dramas for the
CBC. Throughout her teen years, she
played competitive tennis, a game
she continues to enjoy and support
as a member of the Jericho Tennis
Club's Board of Directors. After high
school, she completed a BCIT degree
in systems management and spent
the next few years at various busi-
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SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL: Two of Angele Yanor's favourite topics and the raison d'etre for her
Vancouver Sun column, emily chan photo
ness-related jobs. After her Port
Hardy epiphany and subsequent
BCIT broadcast journalism degree,
she returned to the CBC for her
practicum. She went on to produce a
"survival rescue show" for the
Discovery Channel (US), a job that
allowed her to travel the world while
writing, directing and producing for
the international documentary program.
But like a true businesswoman,
Angele knows her strengths as a
radio personality and as a columnist "I'm in the entertainment section for a reason—I'm trying to
entertain. When I start talking about
stuff that's really serious, people
don't want to turn to me first thing
on Saturday morning for a laugh. I
mean, that's all it really is. It's just to
get a chuckle. It's not a deeply serious column."
But not eveiyone is laughing.
Conservative puritans aside, the
more damaging critics would be ,
those who fault the television show
Sex and the City and Helen
Fielding's novel-cum-film Bridget
Jones' Diary for propagating the
now-popular representation of the
30-year-old single working woman
as an insecure manic-depressive
whose daily diet consists of Lucky
Strike cigarettes, vermouth and
new Manolo Blanhik shoes. The
British socialite columns of the
1990s revitalised the trend of first-
person confessional narratives,
which stem from the 1950s advice
columns of Ann Landers and
Abigail 'Dear Abby' Van Buren. But
■unlike Ann Landers, these columnists provide the confessions without a counterbalancing evaluation.
And although not everyone agrees
with Landers' moral judgments, the
generic gaps of so-called 'Girl
Columns' have prompted people
like James Wolcott to criticise these
columns for their mixed moral messages. In a 1996 article for the New
Yorker, Wolcott argues, "Some of
these writers are gifted and amusing, but all cling to and fluff up an
image of themselves that seems flirty and confrontational at the same
time: flirtational. (Tell me I'm cute—
or else)."
And why not be 'flirtational?'
'When you go out with my friends,
that's what they're saying. They are
saying, 'Tell me I'm flirty or else,'
It's the reality of the situation,"
Angele explains.
The popularity of Bridget Jones-
type characters in current entertainment media stem from our own
curiousity about this type of woman,
Angele asserts.
"The single professional working
woman is a bit of an enigma to guys
and girls. It's like, where am I supposed to be at this age? What's that
girl thinking across the bar? How do
I approach her? Where is she at? Is
she one of these girls that live with a
dozen cats? Or is she one of these
girls that, you know, has five guys in
her apartment within a 12-hour
span? People are curious to
know...Women just generally are
fairly mysterious, especially at this
age, because eyeryone is all over the
place:" ■
However, Angele acknowledges
the limitations of writing first-per
son narrative, and has shifted her
column's focus from herself to her
friends. "My friends understand
that it's my job and there's not going
to be anything that's too hurtful in
there towards someone," she says.
While she has "enough friends to
get a lot of story ideas," Angele also
acknowledges the limited shelf life
of 'Girl Columns.' "I'm sure it's the
nature of the column that diminishing returns are going to kick in at
some point, and it's the nature of
the radio Qhow, SO it's just up to you
how to grow it It's up to you."
If she chooses to continue the column for a length of time, she
believes the key to a successful
future would see the column
become more observational, more
"Seinfeld-ian."
"I think people are dying to know
what goes on outside. Like especially people in Vancouver—they're fairly hermetic," she explains.
Given the current interest in
Canadian female columnists, such
as the Globe and Mail's Leah
McLaren and the National Posts
Rebecca Eckler, the future of "Lucky
Strike" truly lies in Angele's
ambidextrous hands. As she points
out, "One of the reasons I got the gig
was because I was a TV producer. I
wasn't trying to be a columnist per
se or a serious writer. I think that
the Sun, like a lot of other dailies,
have their share of people wanting
to actually write for the papers, and
if you have another career on the
side, I think for this type of column,
it's a little more appealing to them."
Angele has the potential to join
the journalistic ranks of her role
models, such as Christie Blatchford,
the long-time Toronto columnist
now writing for the National Post
And looking at the success of
social/single s/advice/'woman'
columns like that of internationally
syndicated Ann Landers, a need is
definitely being fulfilled. Is it the
need to attract female readers and
their increased spending power? Or
do we seek the 'female perspective'
to balance out the traditionally
male-dominated war reports and
investigative journalism? Is there
even a need for yin-yang journalism
now that the Vancouver Sun's
Hilary Mackenzie and CNN correspondent Christian Amanpour
report from Khandahar and CNN
news anchor Paula Zahn has carried us through the terrorist
attacks? Then again, maybe we
need something to make us laugh.
As Angele pointed out, "Lucky
Strike" is meant to be
entertainment
Back in the dining room of the
Jericho Tennis Club, lunch is being
served. Over the clink of forks
against plates, Angele considers her
future.
"I don't get attached to jobs,
lovers or money, and I think that it
keeps me grounded, because, you
know, this isn't going to last forever.
It's fun right now, but at some point,
I'm probably going to want to get
married, have kids and settle down.
I can't be talking about wackiness
my whole life, you know." ♦
—with files from Gwendolyn
Richards