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HHMi/:Y.SinU.'l;M:<.K!".!i V fm Kfif.i. $hH-$HiT:J 1S1£ government outlines plans for advanced education by Dan Poon Four months after winning all but two seats in the legislature, the BC Liberal party hopes to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between education and business. The 'New Era for Advanced Education" adopted by the new government aims to develop this cooperative relationship. Economic concerns remain a high priority for the government. According to Minister of Advanced Education Shirley Bond, the government feels that a "healthy, prosperous society" requires educated workers, and that improve ments to the province's finances will positively impact university . students. "With an improved economy, not only will there be more tax revenue for public institutions and services, but it also means more jobs for our graduates," said Bond. Bond said the government \_7-mj ^■j\j\,jv?:.t:-i.hfj y?> YOU'D THINK this photo of the Evaporators would be from their superb Friday night performance at ihe Commodore Ballroom, part of Mint Records' 10th Anniversary Bash, but you'd be wrong. This is a photo from iheir equally superb performance at Yoyo A Go Go, a music festival that happened this summer in Olympia, WA. Read ail about it on page 8. duncan m. mchugh photo BC government eliminates PSYE program by Ai Lin Choo A government service providing educational and employment opportunities to BC youth is one of the programs to be cut by the provincial Liberal government One of 12 Youth Options programs, the Public Sector Youth Employment (PSYE) program provides funding to create jobs in public-sector organisations, such as hospitals, school boards and post-secondary institutions, including UBC. In legislature on August 21, Finance Minister Gary . Collins explained that he believes those funds can be better facilitated. Last year, 56 jobs at UBC were created though the program. This year, the university applied for funding towards the creation of 76 jobs and will now have to find alternative funding sources. Julie Stitt, director of UBC Career Services, said that the main challenge UBC now faces is ensuring that "we can still create valuable jobs for student workers." She added that the timing of the announcement was unfortunate as most of the deadlines for applications to other funding sources have passed. Under the PSYE program, employers could be funded up to $5000 for projects up to 30 weeks long. Employers could then top up that amount with their own funds. "The government has been talking a lot about creating opportunities for youth and improving accessibility of education but here we see that this program cut is going to remove the opportunity for people to go to school," said Summer McFayden, BC chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. McFayden added that she was also concerned about the effects that the elimination of the program may have on international students, as under the terms of their student visas, international students are only permitted on-campus employment Debating the issue in legislature, Collins said that the elimination of the PSYE program should not be ' seen as a loss of student employment, as institutions should not have hired any students yet "(The funding] is for 2002. That funding ha[s] not been issued, and so there should be nobody who has been hired who will subsequently have to be un- hired," he said. Collins went on to explain that the elimination of the program should not be viewed as a lack of commitment to advanced education by the Liberal government, but rather as a step towards ensuring job security for graduating students. "We are trying to get our economy going again so See "Program" page 2 would also be placing more emphasis on high-tech degrees. "We want to double the amount of computer science, electrical and computer engineering graduates within the next five years," she said. Bond also said that she feels businesses can assist universities now and considers the support of the private sector pivotal. "(W]e need to be inclusive to business, because there are huge benefits," she said.. To \ encourage high-tech research, the Liberals are co-sponsoring the "Leading Edge Endowment Fund," a cost-sharing partnership with businesses that will help finance medical, social, environmental and technological research. ' Funding; from the program will be earmarked for specific programs for certain students, and not left for universities to allocate. But people like Hans Schuetze, an associate professor of educational studies at UBC, are concerned about the Liberal government's plans for funding. "This is the hallmark of neo-liberal governments," he said. "[Their] basic philosophy is that the market should rule, but this should not apply to universities. "In a way, this is an erosion of university autonomy, because in the past it was the universities that decided." Under the BC Liberals, Schuetze predicts funding will increasingly be used as a policy instrument to influence what kind of programs and research are important for industry and economic growth. He expressed concern that governments "may be wrong in their assessment of what programs will , be the most important. But according to UBC Associate Vice-President of Academic Programs Neil Guppy, the Liberals are simply behaving as a government. "Long-term planning is one of the hardest things for government to do," said Guppy, adding that funding specific programs is required because of the demand for certain types of graduates in today's market. "A government is expected to provide leadership. This is what the Liberals are doing." But while government funding is definitely a concern, the six-year tuition freeze is the issue most closely followed by students. The Liberals have promised to keep the freeze in place for the current school yearand to implement the previous NDP government's five per cent tuition reduction. Last March, when Gordon Campbell was leader of the opposition, he publicly supported the five per cent tuition reduction when it was announced by the NDP. But he also added that it was important to ensure funding for education. "What I am hearing both from students and from executives at the university and college level is that we don't have the facilities we need to put the people through that want the courses," Campbell said. The government has pledged that it will properly compensate the university for revenue that it will lose by not being able to raise fees, but has not yet specified how it will do so. Neither Guppy nor Schuetze expect tuition to remain at its current level. BC currently has the second lowest tuition fees in the country, behind Quebec, which charges higher fees for out-of-province students. Guppy said that he expects tuition to rise after this year. He added that in order to counteract the declining accessibility of post-secondary education, UBC is looking to expand its bursary program and implement differential tuition, basing tuition on the actual cost of a student's program to the university. Schuetze said he also believes tuition fees will increase, supplying universities with greater revenue without having to rely on the provincial government for increased funding. In early July, the Alma Mater Society (AMS) met with Bond to discuss student input into government decisions regarding education. "She promised that one of her main goals was to make sure there was^widespread student consultation in whatever initiative they brought up," reports Kristen Harvey, AMS vice-president, external. "We brought the idea of having round-tables. She thought that was a good step forward." Currently, there are no set scheduled meetings between the AMS and the provincial government to discuss forthcoming policy initiatives. ♦ l$JwM M TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 NEWS THE ubyssey TRAVEL - TEACH ENGLISH: JOB GUARANTEED. 5 day - 40 hour (Oct 24-28) TESOL teacher cert, course (or by corresp.) FREE info pack. 1-888-270- 2941 www.canadianglobal.net WORK STUDY POSITIONS! 1. Computer Lab Administrator/Web Support-S15.34/hr 2. Office Assistant-$ 16.16/hr 3. Outreach Coordinator-$l,5.34/hr 4. Course Assistant-$16.16/hr For complete job description, please contact Rhoda Thow, ph: 822-5326, fax: 822-3787, email: rhoda@interchange.ubc.ca For more information on the Work Study Program, please refer to: www.students.ubc.ca/workstudy ENGLISH TUTOR Private Lessons UBC ESL LPI SAT TOEFL 604-222- 2164 TRANSLATOR: Japanese, computer literate,, on going project work at home good pay (604) 730-0300. START YOUR OWN FRATERNITY! Zeta Beta Tau is looking ibi men to start a new chapter. If you are interested in academic success, a chance to network and an opportunity to make friends in a non-pledging Brotherhood, e-mail: 2bt@ibtnational.0rg or call 800-431- 9674. CUSTOM ESSAY SERVICE, Professional writing assistance, by highly qualified graduatesl-888-345-8295, cus- tomessay@sprint.ca "■"mHfrillHlH THE SCIENCE AND RELIGION COURSE Programme in Canada and The Centre for Cultural Renewal present: Biology, Religion and Origins: How do we Introduce Extra-Scientific Issues in the Science Classroom? Space is Limited: for .More Information & to register online, go to: http://www.srcpcanada.org/ubc2001.htm LJJ ^mlMltrllllM SHYNESS GETS IN YOUR WAY? Free psychological treatment for severe public speaking anxiety available on UBC campus. Treament involves 12 one hour weekly sessions and assessments before, after, and three months after treatment. Treatment involves videoconferencing (client and therapist see and talk to each other via a TV screen) in order to eventually help isolated populations. Leave a message at 822-4919 for more information. CLASSIFIEDS STUDENTS! Looking for a roommate? Got something to sell? Or lust have ant announcement to make? If you are a student, you can place classifieds for FREE! For more information, or to placed classified, visit Room 245 in the SUB or call 822-1654. The buck starts here. Responsibility. Challenge. Prestige. That comes with the territory when you pursue a career with the federal Department of Finance. What you also get is the opportunity to work in an organization that values the quality of your life as much as it values success in the work place. Visit our Web site for application closing dates and apply online, www.fin.gc.ca We are committed to a skilled workforce reflective of the diverse Canadian population. Canada Government cuts youth employment funding "Program" continued from page 1 that young people will have real jobs, not just when they're going to school but also after they graduate, so they're able to work and stay in British Columbia," he said. But Erfan Kazemi, president of the Alma Mater Society said that he is sceptical about the funding cut, as he is "worried that it will be one of the many cuts that are coming." "We certainly need something more concrete from the Liberal government in terms of what their stance is on advanced education," he said. "One of the concerns I have is that cuts are going to come at the cost of post-secondaiy education. Funding that would have originally gone to the PSYE program is now to be re-directed to general government services. ♦ SJOrfGCtlOn 2 Yend of carijpusY Over the last two decades the stfc. In the August 22 Ubyssey First-Year IsstieY the2 dent society has considered-, feasmg:tfie Barn> but Ubyssey: incorrectly2 stated that the Alma Mater Y.. does hot currently own the buildMgY The Ubyssey Socieiy owns the' horse: barn located at the" south: -.,.' regrets the; error. <KY * YY Y Y * UBC with UBC BOOKSTORE % a, irvvvw. bookstore, ubc. ca SUPPLIES SALE ACCO 1" Binder RR with trigger ACCO M12 3 Hole Punch 5>SCTEDTLER Topstar Highlighter (Yellow, Pink, Blue, Green, Orange) r WINNABLE ir33"SESheet Protectors (12 pack) BOND'fait 'Glue Stick with Bonus Free 10g Glue Stick Sale Price $1.79 $5.95 $0.98 $0.99 $3.78 September 4 - 6 we're open 'til 7 PM Check our website for Extended Hours www. bookstore.ubc.ca UBC Bookstore - 6200 University Blvd., Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (604) 822-2665 THE UBYSSEY NEWS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 Summer news round-up RCMP MISCONDUCT? Police arrested 49 people protesting APEC in 1997. richard lam/ubyssey file photo APEC report released by Sarah MacNeill Morrison The inquiry into police misconduct at the 1997 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held at UBC was made public on August 6. The report by Ted Hughes, chair of the RCMP's Public Complaints Commission (PCC) inquiry into RCMP misconduct at APEC, places blame on high-ranking police officials and the federal government. In his 453-page report, Hughes concluded that protesters' rights had been violated several times. He wrote that he felt that police performance failed to meet an acceptable and expected standard of competence and "resulted in inappropriate police conduct that gave the appearance of a police crackdown on demonstrations at UBC." "In most instances where I have found police conduct to have been...inappropri- ate...the primary responsibility rests with those who held key roles in security planning," he wrote. On the last day of the conference, 1500 people demonstrated against APEC, and the RCMP controlled crowds by pepper- spraying protesters and arresting 49 people. About 40 protesters later filed complaints regarding police misconduct. The summit was attended by the leaders of 18 Pacific Rim countries, including then-Indonesian President General Suharto and Chinese President Jiang Zemin, both widely criticised for their alleged human rights abuses. According to Hughes, much of the poor planning occurred because the officers involved in the planning stages of the event's security were not involved in the policing of the event, and because the RCMP had not anticipated the high level of demonstrations at the summit: Craig Jones, a former UBC student arrested during the APEC protests, is happy that Hughes laid responsibility on the federal government and its lack of preparation, rather than targeting individual RCMP officers. "I think overall it's a tremendous victory," said Jones, now a lawyer with the BC Civil Liberties Association. "I feel that my involvement has been justified, my time on [the APEC case] has been well spent." But not everyone feels that Hughes' report has answered the questions raised during the week of the APEC summit. Alissa Westergard-Thorpe, one of the protesters that filed a complaint against the RCMP'and now a member of Democracy Street, a group of anti-globalisation activists, said that Hughes did not go far enough. "The oversimplified view [that Hughes] takes the side of the protesters is an overstatement and isn't totally accurate," she said.-"If you read [the report] carefully, it's a very mild criticism of the government. "[Hughes] has made a point that every instance of improper behaviour can be accounted for by inadaquate planning and poor procedures," said Wesetergard- Thorpe. "He's really missing the fundamental issue of not the techniques that the police used and the administrative details of how they cracked down on protesters, but why they did it, and what it means for a democratic society when that's going on." The RCMP is refraining from commenting on the details of the report, but RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli will release a full report after reviewing it, a requirement of the RCMP Act. RCMP spokesperson Constable Danielle Efford said that a response can not be expected soon due to the size and content of Hughes' report. "It's not just a light report, it's a very important report, and therefore [the commissioner] will go through it very carefully," she said. In his conclusion, Hughes recommended that university campuses not be used as venues for events where delegates "are to be sequestered and protected from visible and audible signs of dissent." ♦ COKE DEAL MADE PUBLIC by Ai tin Choo Five years after UBC entered into an exclusivity deal with Coca-Cola, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request filed by the Ubyssey has forced the previously confidential contract to be made public. On May 25, BC Information Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis ordered the release of the -details of the Cold Beverage Agreement signed by UBC, the Alma Mater Society (AMS), and Cola-Cola in 1995. He ruled that the university and beverage company had not proved that they would be financially harmed by revealing the details of the contract. "The essential reason [that Loukidelis ordered the release of the contract] was that UBC and. Coca-Cola did not provide him with the evidence to support their assertions," explained Charmaine Lowe, Porfolio Officer of the com- missionerYs office. In the United Slates, Coke's exclusivity deals arc not kept secret. According to Lowe, this information helped Loukidelis reach his verdict. Duncan McHugh, coordinating editor of the Ubyssey, said that he is very' pleased with the ruling and hopes that other Canadian universities will also be successful in making their exclusivity deals public. "I think it's an incredible precedent This was the first exclusivity deal signed with a Canadian university and for it to be unsealed is extremely symbolic. It increases the university's accountability to the students," he said. According to the contract Coke will pay UBC $8.5 million over a ten-year period ending in 2005. In exchange, the university may only sell Coke cold beverages on ean> piK, and I'BC must encourage non-university-organised functions to sell Coca-Cola products. UBC is required to purchase 33.G million cans or bottles of Coke products over the contract period. If the university fails to meet its targeted consumption, the Coke exclusivity deal will be extended for an extra two years with no additional funding for the university. And according to Coca-Cola's Western Canada spokesperson Steve Clark, UBC is not currently on schedule to meet its consumption quota. He stressed, however, that it was still too early to judge what the situation would look like in a few years. "We're kind of in the middle of the deal. We're working closely with the university and the AMS to put a plan into place to achieve the original goals of tlie agreement," he said. Although Alma Mater Society (AMS) President Erfan Kazemi said that both UBC and the AMS got a "fantastic deal" out of the agreement with Coke, failure to reach the targeted numbers of purchased Coke products could hurt AMS finances. The student society currently receives 29 per cent of the Coca- Cola's annual payment to UBC. According to Kazemi, extending the exclusivity deal by two years could limit other sources of funding to the AMS by preventing the student society from entering into other contracts. The first FOI request made to unseal the Coke deal was died by Ubyssey reporter Stanley Tromp in 1995, but was rejected by ex- commissioner David Flaherty. The case was then taken to the Supreme Court by Tromp, where Flaherty's decision was overturned cm account of an improper hearing. Another FOI request was filed by ihvn-Ubyssey coordinating editor Bruce Arthur in 1999, and commissioner Loukidelis took charge of the case. ♦ UBC overcrowded by Ai Lin Choo Students can expect difficulty getting into classes and lower government funding per student this year, as the university tries to accommodate one thousand extra students it has accepted for the fall. According to Acting Registrar David Holm, UBC has accepted about 1400 people over its 7100 quota for new first-year and transfer students. These figures are based on a report released on August 7. Holm said that UBC saw a 13 per cent increase in applications this year and that the percentage of students accepted to UBC who decided to register has also increased. "We didn't know this when we were deciding how to regulate the numbers. We had no idea that we would ever reach those numbers," he said. Because of the increase in students, there may be a shortage of classes. According to Holm, faculties have been countering the shortage by increasing class sizes and opening new sections of required courses. Evan Horie, Alma Mater Society (AMS) vice-president, academic, said that he is concerned the class shortage will undermine the quality of education that UBC offers. "It could definitely have a negative impact in terms of crowded classes," he said. "It's difficult for a lot of students who weren't given a lot of notice to have the opportunity to reconsider coming to UBC." But Neil Guppy, UBC associate vice- president of academic programs, said that the increase in numbers should not be viewed as a failure. "I think it's because we went out and offered admissions earlier and because we have a variety of new programs...that students are attracted to," he said. "When you've got a good product and people want it, you may end up being over." According to Horie, the increase in students may cause financial difficulties at UBC, as the BC government will not provide extra money to subsidise additional students. He criticised the increase in enrolment as "accelerating the crisis that's already there." The BC government gives general-purpose operating money to universities based on a targeted num- 3 ffM ? ~ * .'*' .',* <)-' ber of full-time equivalent students attending the school. Guppy said that UBC would be taking the unanticipated tuition revenue from the extra students, and using it to increase and expand class sections, but he cautioned against guessing at the total number of students UBC who will attend UBC this fall. "Every year we have a peak that happens late July, early August, when our numbers look the highest. There always is a drop between that period and early September," he said. "If we end up with 600 students more than we wanted, then, yes, there will be some pinch." Holm cited the removal of interim grades from UBC publications as a possible reason for the increase in student applications to UBC. UBC usually publishes an interim required grade, the average grade of students entering UBC, and the minimum final grade point average required for entry. This year UBC decided to remove from publications the interim grade, which, according to Holm, usually deters potential students from applying. UBC does not accept students based on the number of spaces available, but accepts all students who meet a minimum admission average- based on past statistics and external factors, such as the number of Grade 12 students in a given year. Holm said that the university will be reviewing the admissions procedure and implementing new measures to ensure that UBC does not exceed its quota in the »\«. future. * rfr ~.r- WOW, UBC IS POPULAR! Lots of these people go to UBC. Lots of them could be crowded into your classes this year, ubyssey file photo see "Summer" on page 4 for more summer news TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 NEWS THEUBYSSEY CONTENTS MAY HAVE SHIFTED WHILE MOVING have we changed? come find out—check out our new office in the SUB's basement, past the arcade, room 24. it might look dark, but come on in, we're always here! jHE ygySSEY "Summer" continued from page 3 introducing the grouse mountain sa ss oa ss * $199 "altitude with attitude unlimited skiing and riding monday to friday for the entire 2001/2002 season BONUS: Buy your sasspass online at grousemountain.com and receive a free lift ticket! (value $35). GrouseMountain come see us at first week carnival! lnereaKQLVaQCXWWr sasspass is available to posl-secondary students with current student id. Students in residences urged to receive meningitis vaccines by Azar Mehrabadi Vancouver and UBC health officials are warning of potential meningitis C spread in university residences, and recommend vaccines for students living on campus. Dr Jim Falzman, a consultant in the Disease Control Division at the Vancouver Health Centre, says that because of their close proximity to so many people, students who live in residences face a much higher risk of contracting meningococcal C meningitis, a rare, but potentially deadly, disease, than other people. In the last year, 15 people in BC have contacted meningitis, seven of them ' in Abbotsford and Mission. Although free vaccination programs were set up for youth in Abbotsford and Mission, UBC Director of Student Health Services Dr Patricia Mirwaldt said that the province's Medical Services Plan (MSP) will not pay to vaccinate UBC students, as there have been no demonstrable increases in cases of meningitis C outside of the Fraser Valley. Meningitis is a serious disease that can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities and occasionally death. The disease Meningitis is a serious disease that can lead to brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities, and occasionally death. is spread by close contact, including sharing a bed or living in the same house as an infected person, or by saliva contact through kissing, or sharing drinks, cigarettes or lipstick. In response to the recent outbreak of the disease, UBC's pre- arrival package for students entering residence this year includes a recommendation to receive the vaccination, as well as information on clinics that will provide the shot to residents in September. But Falzman and many health professionals are concerned that the cost of the vaccine, about $120, will dissuade students from receiving it. Although the Alma Mater Society/Graduate Student Society health plan provides $ 150 a year for vaccines and will reimburse those who choose to take the shots, students will have to pay up front when receiving the vaccination. Mirwaldt said she is hopeful that most students, when making the decision, will choose to pay for their health. Poiloon Tand, a graduate student living in Thunderbird is one who will. "If they have it, I will get it It's a precaution thing so $120 is alright," he said. ♦ SUB renovations provide ebatable benefits by Sarah IVIacMeili Morrison A new bagel shop and now Ubyssey Publications Society (UPS) offices, combined with renovations to Blue Chip Cookies and Pie R Squared, have meant a summer of construction in the SUB. The construction budget for the renovations on the SUB's main floor was about $400,000. However, according to Alma Mater Society (AMS) Designer Michael Kingsmill, this figure does not include the 'soft costs' of the project, which include engineers and permit fees, which usually increase the cost by about 2 S per cent. Kingsmill said the renovations went smoothly and improved the design of a number of shops. Pie R Squared gained staff amenities, such as a change room, and Blue Chip gained extra prnpamlion space. 'There''! a lot more -jpacv behind thi' counter to \\v don't haw In trip over o-ir-h <>lht>i\" said llollv Rca, an employe'- :il I11n<" Chip. 'All in all [the r<* novation-* arr-| pir-Ll\ food." But anolhf-r Blue Chip employee, who wishod In remain anonymous, disagn-ed. ^vmi', that" Lli«■ bcnefiis i0 students are minimal, and ?omc rennvations are bad." "I think it's a lolal waste of mour-v," she said. "There's no way these businesses are going to recuperate the costs of these renovations." But Yvelte Lu, AMS vice-president, finance, said that renovation money for businesses like Blue Chip is taken from businesses' profits, and not from the Capital Projects and Acquisitions Committee (CPAC) fund, to which each student contributes $15 out of the $45.50 AMS fee. ' The AMS has also spent $257,000 in basement renovations, creating a new corridor through the arcade, a SUB archive room and new offices for tho Ubyssey. Construction for the new UPS offices in SUB 2 3 and 2 4 began in June. But while the newspaper moved to their new location August 24, finishing touches- such as some lighting and wiring—hw* y»t to b" completed. Total r-cuLs cire i-stimalrd al !'. 1 "jO,i 10(1. Thr- spnrr- previously orrju- pi'Ml by t/ii1 ll'vory will be converted iriin nlTices for the AMS's l'iw resource groups, including Colour Connf'led, Pride UBC and llv Student r,nvironTU'-nl Ontrc. •WIS Council ha« approved a i-nn*lni<"linn tmdpc-l of roughly S ll'0,000 for the l'l'snurci' group space, eypf-rlcd lo be completed bv December. *> THE UBYSSEY NEWS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 5 international students upset over new UBC initiatives by Ai Lin Choo After one week of orientations, excitement among new UBC international students still lingers, but proposals for a five per cent increase in their tuition fees and mandatory basic health insurance, is making some students angry and disappointed with their new school. Although BC domestic students were rewarded with a five per cent drop in tuition last March, UBC has since proposed a five per cent increase in international undergraduate tuition fees in order to keep up with the cost of inflation. While five per cent may seem like a meagre increase, for international undergraduate students, this works out roughly to an additional $700 a year for a full course load. While domestic students pay $72.70 a credit, international students currently pay $461; and many say that even a small increase could be devastating to completing their programs at UBC. Kristin Loseth, a new student from Norway explained that because the Norwegian government only funds a partial amount of tuition, she has to top up any increase in fees herself. "For me it would make a big difference, because this year I could barely afford to go here, because the [Norwegian] government funds part of my education, and if [UBC] increased it by anything, I wouldn't be here," she said. A. Kamau, a first-year student from Kenya, agreed with Loseth and added that he feels it is unfair that international students have to pay seven times more than domestic students as not all students can afford it. "It's not like our resources are just in a pool where we can just go and get them and bring them to campus, you know. We have brothers and sisters. Our parents have to eat back home, and you know our currency is even lower, so we'll definitely head elsewhere," he said. "That's for sure, we'll go somewhere else." But Executive Coordinator for the Vice-President Byron Hender, said that while it was obvious why international students might be upset over the increase in their fees, UBC has a policy to ensure that international students pay the full cost of their education. "The provincial grant does not pay for international students, and it's not fair that domestic students should subsidise them/ he said. In 1995, UBC approved Policy 72 stating that faculties"must plan for full-cost tuition for international students. The Policy also stated that the university could increase future tuition fees in order to offset any reduction in the provincial grant. The last time international tuition fees were increased was' in 1996. But Anoop Shankar, a first-year Science student from India, said that by repeatedly raising their tuition, UBC creates the image that it is using international students to fund other parts of the university, and this will in turn dissuade international students from attending the school. "You can't just keep raising international students' rates...They treat us like we're just a big money- making machine and sa all these things you hear about in the prospectus about cultural diversity is a lie," he said. Kamau agreed with Shankar and said that with the BC government's tuition freeze, he believed that international students were being used to subsidise the loss in UBC revenue. He added that UBC stands to lose quality students, as not all students who come to Canada are wealthy. "Here there- are students from Africa, Asia, Mexico and other parts, and look here, these are not exactly members of the G8. They're among the least industrialised nations, and we're here and our parents have to work really, really hard," he explained. Kamau added that many students from these countries come to Canada because of the volatile social and political situations at home. The largest portion of the revenue from international student fees goes to faculties, who then use the money to hire more faculty members and open up more sections of classes, explained Hender. He said that while UBC does not deliberately make use of revenue from international student fees to subsidise domestic students, he would "find it hard to say that not a penny would benefit domestic students." UBC can accept international students to comprise up to fifteen per cent of the student body, and while current enrolment only makes up four per cent of undergraduate enrolment, the university has set up an International Student Initiative (ISI) to try and entice more international students to come to UBC. Hender said that the proposal to increase international students will come before UBC's Board of Governors for approval on September 23. Another initiative that has upset some international students is the proposal to implement mandatory health insurance for international students. In Canada, international students are not eligible to register in the Medical Services Plan (MSP) until three months after they arrive and Winnie Cheung, director of international student services, said that this often leads to problems and confusion among students when it comes to ensuring that they have proper medical coverage. She said that international students sometimes do not realise how expensive medical services are in Canada, and that they sometimes confuse the Alma Mater Society / Graduate Student Society extended health plan as equivalent to basic coverage. The proposed mandatory health plan would see insurance provided to students for the first three . months of their stay through a private insurance company. "At this point we still haven't come to a conclusion. We will still be meeting up with students to get their input," she said. But Inger Austrem, a new student from Norway thinks that there are already too many things to pay for and that the programs are often more confusing then helpful. Austrem also added that she is already covered by her medical insurance from home and even if she could opt out of the mandatory health plan, she would still oppose it. "Anything that I have to pay for, I think is bad because I don't have that much money. I'm a student," she said. "I think there's lots of bureaucracy in Canada. I'm already sick of all these forms I have to fill out so I think that Would prevent some people from coming to UBC." Shankar agreed with Austrem, and said that while he approved of the idea of health insurance in principle, it still should not be made mandatory. Meanwhile, Cheung said that she felt it was unfortunate that these students felt this way as she said that there was absolutely no reason why any international student service representative would want to implement a program that would result in making things complicated. "We don't want to create something that would be a barrier to people. Already as it is, some people are hesitant about carrying this out as it takes so much work," she said Cheung added that it was important to emphasise that the proposal is still in the committee stage and that no concrete decisions had been made. While the proposal to implement the above two initiatives is still under consultation, it is projected that both will be implemented next year. Committees from both sides have assured student groups that student consultation will take place. ♦ TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 CULTURE THE UBYSSEY TO A Children's Literacy Prog ram @ Be a Volunteer Tutor and Open the World of Reading to a CMld Do you have 2-3 hours a -week during the DAY to help a child learn to read? One to One Literacy Society (604) 872-7942 Allen s Curse not Ms best £ Batihouss ! for Bi/te I i Men 1/2 FRIGE FOR STUDENTS All The Time! 24 Hours, 7 Dm (WTIHWJD STUDENT UD) WOlMi ****** 881-5719 SPA FOR MEN r ■mm^SM&xmmi. Cibc University Blvd will offer fir a Limited Time SATURDAY BANKING AUGUST 25 " SEPTEMBER 29 Inclusive We will be available to service ALL your banking needs from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM OUR REGULAR HOURS ARE: Monday-Thursday 9:30AM - 4:00PM Friday 9:30AM - 5:00PM 24 Hour Banking Service - 7 Days a Weeks ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH: CIBC Telephone Banking 1-800-465-2422 (CIBC) PC Banking @ www.cibc.com Automated Banking" Machine Network BY CARLY HOLLANDER CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION now playing A sorcerer, a small time insurance investigator and a mysterious series of jewel thefts all make appearances in Woody Allen's new 1940s crime caper, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion. The movie is an hour and a half long journey back to the 1940s, when women were dames and men were fast talkers. C.W. Briggs (Allen), a low-profile gumshoe, known for his ability to sniff out major cases, is hypnotised into robbing some of his largest clients of their precious jewels. The movie is a hilarious visual spectacle of the robberies and Brigg's investigations. At the same time, Briggs has to contend with his office nemesis, Betty Ann Fitzgerald (Helen Hunt), who'd like nothing better than to restructure the agency and leave Briggs unemployed. The witty banter between the two provide much of the comedic relief in the film. They have an explosive chemistry on screen; Allen's meek and neurotic detective and Hunt's fiery, no-nonsense career woman, are not just entertaining to watch, but at times downright magical. This lighthearted crime caper is populated with stock characters from the film noir genre: the blonde bombshell (Charlize Theron), the sexy secretary (Elizabeth Berkeley) and the big boss (Dan Ackroyd). These characters, along with the costumes, sets and music effectively evoke the jazz era. Unfortunate performances by both Berkeley and Ackroyd mar the film. Berkeley started off surprisingly strong, falling into her role as the flirty, sexy secretary nicely. However, by the end, she lost her 1940s Brooklyn swank and had become the same Berkeley bimbo characteristic of her other roles. Dan Ackroyd's performance is also a disappointment. Despite the obvious melodrama that the genre requires, Ackroyd still seems to ham it up a little too much. More important is his inability to deliver a single line with any humour—surprising from someone with so much comic potential. Fortunately, the rest of the supporting cast deserves some applause. Charlize Theron, the beautiful vixen sought after by every man and David Ogden Stiers as Voltan, the sorcerer behind the theft, nailed the silly and ridiculous tone of the film, adding greatly to the atmosphere of the work. Curse of the Jade Scorpion is a neat little package of a film, easy to watch, even easier to enjoy. Unfortunately, in comparison to Woody Allen at his best Curse falls a little short. ♦ in a Ghost World BY CArmMMl DEMTOM GHOST WORLD now playing Director Terry Zwigoffs Ghost World, based on Daniel Clowes's comic book of the same name, is much more than an ode to the angst of growing up and dealing with such horrors as graduation and, heaven forbid, the future. With biting, comical characters, Ghost World cleverly comments on life and its possibilities with a definite cynical edge. The opening sequence of the film features our heroine, Enid (Thora Birch), innocently dancing to a catchy 1920s Indian video. The picture of teenage freedom. But she is hardly the average high school sweetheart. Scene two is high school graduation and it becomes clear that Enid and her best friend Rebecca (Scarlett Johanssen) are the antithesis of all that is stereotypically high school. Although they live in a suburban Californian town with all the necessary establishments (McDonalds, Starbucks, Wal-Mart), these two best friends shun any: thing mainstream and favour off beat, out-of-the-way diners. That is, of course, until Meloria, a classmate from high school, deems their diner hangout "funky." They quickly find a new one. After high school, a new life begins for both girls. After stomping on their graduation caps and giving high school the finger, the future begins with nothing to do. So Enid decides to answer a personal ad in the paper as a joke to spice up her not-so-interesting life. She ends up befriending the victim of her prank, an isolated, middle-aged record collector named Seymour (Steve Buscemi). A deep friendship develops over classic records and the unavoidable truth— that as outsiders from the rest of society, they need each other. Steve Buscemi's portrayal of the clumsy, blues-loving Seymour fits the part to say the least. His chameleon acting ability allows him to transform comic presence into a sympathetic portrayal of a broken, lonely man, Thora Birch similarly plays the disaffected Enid in a very convincing manner, complete with disbelieving glares and a constantly judging expression on her face. Playing Kevin Spacers daughter in American Beauty wns definitely a warm-up for this much more demanding role. Birch's jaded Enid is offset by Scarlett Johanssen's ethereal and equally biting Rebecca who only seems like the classic suburban girl. Her Ikea-furnished coffeehouse jobs belie her seething anger. In one particularly telling line, Rebecca admits that most people aren't so bad, but that she just wants to poison everyone. The movie's theme of alienation and rejection is offset by an optimism about the future. At one point Enid reassures the rather depressed Seymour, "[the future is] not so hopeless...Yeah well, I can't relate to humanity either, but I don't think it's totally hopeless." Clowes and Zwigoff have created something remarkable in Ghost World. Enid and Rebecca are the combination of so many desperate teenagers trying to find a way in the world without getting lost. The movie brings together hard-working, convincing actors and pairs them with an incredibly well-written script The result is a movie that will undoubtedly become an underground hit for many of the dejected teenagers who suffered through the horrors of highschool and adolescence.»> THE UBYSSEY CULTURE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 4, 2001 Do you like candy?. Of course you do! What else do you like? Do you like: -proofread ing pages? -late-night car rides? -IVSark Fraser? -gram mar? -free concerts? -ASVSS Council meetings? -basements? -jeSSy beans? -indie rock? -copper pipes? -meetings? -CUP? -hamsters? -free CDs? ■ -free dinner? -vegetarians? -SUB food? -the SUB? -cynicism? -fine-looking people? -superiority? -Dance, Dance Revolution !? If you like Ai\SY of these things, you wiiS want to come volunteer for tlie Ubyssey, putting out UBC's official student newspaper twice a week—Tuesdays and Fridays. Find us in the bottom of the SUB. (room 24, behind the arcade). Or call us, at (604) 822- 2301. The Ubyssey. You know you want to. THE UBYSSEY fun since 1918. %® P@[?U2)@£jJ[?§jp NEKO CASE looks stylish with a tambourine, doesn't she? Her band the New Pornographers were the headliners at Mint Records' 10th Anniversary Bash, this past Friday at the Commodore Ballroom. The night before, she did her country thing with her back-up band, the Boyfriends. She also performed . with Carolyn Mark as the Corn Sisters. Where does she find the time? Anyways, happy birthday Mint. TARA WESTOVER PHOTO 8 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 WHADDUP KIDDIES? When he wasn't shaving mohawks. Gene Defcon was asking the tough questions, duncan m. mchugh photo There's a town at the south end of Puget Sound in Washington State that might just be the coolest town on Earth. Normally, it-serves as the state capital, but for six days this past July, it became Punk Rock City, USA. The town is Olympia, WA, and this summer, from July 17 to 22, it hosted Yoyo A Go Go, a bi-annual independent music festival. More than 52 bands and hundreds of music fans descended upon the small town for the best in underground rock. But it makes you wonder. Why Olympia? Olympia, along with Washington, DC, was a centre of the 'riot grrl' movement in the early 1990s, and has persisted as a mecca of indie music. The local beer's label says, "It's the water." And the water, well, the rainfall, certainly does keep people indoors, making music and other art. Perhaps it's the size of Olympia. Anyone who had to scrape together rent for Vancouver knows that big city living comes with quite a price tag. Olympia, however, is a cheap place to live. Not having to buy a car to get around, or find $700 for a bachelor suite, means that Olympians can afford a Marshall stack and have the time to put music through it. The real key to Olympia's current status is its local college. Evergreen State College is an alternative liberal arts college. Opened in 1973, it has no grades and it has an alumni that includes cartoonists Matt Greening and Lynda Barry. It is also home to KAOS 89.3 fM, a community station with a fiercely independent spirit. While the term 'college radio' has become a bit of cliche, in 1975 this was hardly the case. When KAOS decided to put an emphasis on playing independent music, it was a big deal. Suddenly, bands—if not whole genres of music—that hadn't been getting play anywhere were on the radio. It was here that people like Calvin Johnson and Pat Maley got their start. Johnson went on to front the band Beat Happening, the antithesis of the hair metal bands that were a fixture in the early- to mid-1980s. Their simple, beautiful, and gritty pop music was a revelation. They sang off-key, their guitars weren't tuned, the quality of the recordings was crappy, but none of it mattered. Here was a group of musicians who, like Half Japanese and a handful of other undergound bands, were putting out original, CULTURE FEATURE THEUBYSSEY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 9 ^»*-i*rf * t V * V (Juhf f:h in. mdiUQ'li 4 Ml Pass iff "i' \)Sk THIS IS THE HOT ROCK Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein keep the kids dancing between sets, duncan m.mchugh photo " sometimes bizarre music by themselves, without the help of corporate record labels. Theirs weren't records designed to sell a minion copies, but were documents of their work as artists. This was also the philosophy for K Records, the label Johnson founded with Candace Pederson in 1982. This all culminated in the International Pop Underground Convention (IPUC) in August 1991, a watershed for independent music. Beat Happening was joined by Fugazi, Mecca Normal, Nation of Ulysses, and dozens of others. It was also a contrast to the 'grunge' explosion happening an hour up the 1-5 in Seattle. But while that would die out after a couple of years, Olympia's scene grew ever stronger. In the early 1990s, bands like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile and Heavens to Betsy appear on the scene. This leads to the start of the 'riot grrl' movement with Olympia imprints like Kill Rock Stars and Chainsaw Records leading the way. This is also about the time that Pat Maley begins releasing compilations of music recorded at his Yoyo Studio. He "squandered" some inheritance on a studio and has been recording around town since the early 1980s. It's at Yoyo that Beat Happening records its eponymous debut and that Pat records the ICPU. It takes him a while to actually put out albums. "The label began more in earnest when I figured out I could do compilations of stuff that I'd recorded," said Maley. "For me, it was like, 'Oh, I could make a demo reel and [get] , jobs doing production for people, or I could make this and then I could also sell it' So I did that and that just turned into what I ended up doing." But Maley was also interested in having another festival. "Well, I recorded the International Pop "Y Underground Convention record," he said, "and I really loved doing that and really loved the festival, and everything. So I asked Calvin if [K] were going to do one again. They said no, and I said, 'well, do you mind if we do one?" With that, Maley set up a Yoyo col lective, consisting of himself, Kento Oiwa—an intern at Yoyo—and Michelle Noel. "I thought about who I should get to help me. It seemed like Michelle Noel put on the best shows and made money at them, so I asked her if she'd want to do one with me." The festival was a smashing success. High profile acts included Beck, Built To Spill, and Yo La Tengo. Two more Yoyos would follow, with Sleater-Kinney, Elliott Smith, Modest Mouse, and the Make Up all taking turns on the stage of the Capitol Theatre. For 2001, the Yoyo collective, which now included Pat Castaldo, who runs a community e- commerce site, and Ed Varga, a recording engineer, decided on a smaller festival. "I kind of feel like this is what a festival would've looked more like in the late '80s," said Maley. "There wouldn't have been as much star- power going on. That's what's more truly independent about the music scene. And not to say anything against the starpower thing. Built To Spill and Elliott Smith and Beck, even, have all been really great to us...Elliott Smith was a total sweetheart to us. Doug Martsch is a total sweetheart too." Yoyo also has to contend with their own success. Where the IPUC and Yoyo '94 were rarities, indie music festivals have popped up all over. Just last year, Olympia hosted the first ever Ladyfest, an event duplicated in Chicago and New York this summer "[Yoyo '01]'s a little bit smaller," says Castaldo, "It's a little bit different because, since we started in '94. There have been a lot more other festivals that are annual and all over the map. Back in '94, it was like, Wow, that's a great idea, let's travel to Olympia.' And With Ladyfestlastyear, now Ladyfest Midwest is happening in Chicago. So a lot of our Chicago people [have said,] 'We're going to go to Ladyfest instead." Still, Yoyo has a tremendous amount to offer. Every one of their shows has a community group sponsor, with displays and information booths in the lobby. Yoyo also serves as a great showcase for queer acts like Tracy + the Plastics, Tami Hart, and Infinite X's. The average day at Yoyo goes like this. You wake up at noon and look for food. There are lots of decent restaurants in Olympia, so this isn't too tough. After lunch you go record shopping for an hour or so before heading over to the Capitol Theatre for the afternoon performance. This lasts for about four hours and then, dazed from having spent the afternoon in a darkened theatre listening to too loud music, you search for food, only to return to the theatre by nine for the evening performance. Then after another five hours in the dark, bombarded by music, you head to back to the hotel for bed, only to repeat these steps the next day. My bed in Olympia is located in room 18 of the Holly Motel, the cheapest place to sleep, other than in a park near the theatre. After the first night, I begin to consider the park. When I arrive, I'm told there are no beds in my room, that I'm to come back later. I opt to take a key with me and head straight for the theatre. Stepping into the Capitol Theatre is an epiphany. It's a decades-old theatre with the worn charm that comes from hosting years of indie rock and art house films. The first night of Yoyo, Calvin Johnson spins records and K artists Internal/External open. The vitality and exuberance of the crowd is immediately evident People have travelled from all over Europe, Asia, and North America to be here. And, sitting in the Capitol, looking at the list of performances over the next week, it's easy to be excited. The first night's highlights are Mirah and the Gossip. Heather Dunn [Dub Narcotic Sound System, the KG], dressed up as Bruce Springsteen, joins Mirah for a coverof the Boss's "Dancing in the Dark" that brings down the house. The Gossip keeps up the energy, with frontwoman Beth proving she's a Southern woman in more ways than one. Too tired to hang around for C Average, I head back to the Holly Motel, eager to see if there are actually beds in my room yet Unfortunately, the key I have been given doesn't work in the room that I was assigned. This doesn't matter for long, as the lock on the door doesn't lock. "Oh, Punk Rock City," I think dreamily as I fall asleep in a seedy motel with an unlocked door. The next day, as I leave the afternoon performance, I notice a strange poster: "The Friendship Trail," it advertises. So my companions and I follow the instructions to 7th and Jefferson. As we continue along the trail, we encounter a pale and skinny man running down a hill, declaring prophesies of a Utopian future. Then suddenly, punk rock erupts from a nearby tree. The song ends and we move on, continually being drawn along the trail by a handful of cleverly-staged attractions. We encounter a troubadour in front of the K offices and a sock puppet poking out of a window of a ballet school. We're then led down an alley, and once again, there is music. A garage door opens to reveal a four-piece band blasting away. We are blindfolded by Friendship Trail 'personnel' and the event finale comes as we are led, in a great train, up a hill. At the top we watch the sun set over the city. The Friendship Trail, the brainchild of Phil Elvrum [Microphones, Old Time Relijun], makes you realise you're not at your average music festival. It was uplifting, original, and didn't cost anything other than an hour and half of your time. The afternoon show on the third day doesn't interest me too much, so I decide to explore a bit I find out that Value Village is starting a 40 per cent off sale the next day and I wonder if they could have timed it any better. I also check out Lakefair, Yoyo's mainstream big brother. Lakefair is kind of what I imagined a state fair must be like. It's put on by a bunch of old, white Olympians who call themselves the Capitalarians. There are rides and lots of junk food. You can go for a Demoburger (for Democrats) or chew some Republican RBQ. I opt for neither, enjoying cotton candy instead. I think it's strange that Yoyo would be at the same time as this other, vastly different festival, but Castaldo clears this up. "We do [Yoyo] at the same time as Lakefair on purpose," he said. "Part of that is because all the cops are down there, all the drunks are down there. If we did it at any other the time, the cops have nothing to do so they'd sit here. They'd try to mess with us just because we're the big group of people. By doing it at the same time as Lakefair, one, we give people the opportunity to do something during the day, and two we're not the centre of attention in town.. .So, all those people who would poke fun of us have something else to do." That evening's performance proves to be Yoyo's most raucous: Tight Bros fans, I'm told. John Darnelle, who performs as the Mountain Goats, plays an incredible set, most of all when he sings about the "best death-metal band out of west Texas." ■ '-■ The crowd goes crazy when Vancouver's Evaporators get on stage. Nardwuar is in top form, manically bounding about and—towards the end of their set—bringing out a special guest heavy-metal legend, Thor. At this point, the crowd loses it MORE LIKE THE H/GWDOWN The Lowdown perform in a tree during the Friendship Trail, duncan m. mchugh photo Nardwuar's attempt at audience participation nearly gets him and Thor molested. My girlfriend gets boxed. But worst of all, after climbing onstage and trying to pull down his pants, some guy gets pee on my foot as he's pushed off the stage. I try to remember that I'm in Punk Rock City and that a Utile urine can't be too bad. Then I make a beeline for the bathroom sink. The next day's excitement is Calvin Johnson's acoustic set at the Farmer's Market, Olympia's version of the Granville Island Public Market. No one can find him when we get there. The audience is made up of a few Yoyo pass holders, Olympia's indie rock cognoscenti, including Lois Maffeo [Courtney Love, the Tentacles], Carrie Brownstein [Sleater-Kinney, the Spells], Jean Smith [Mecca Normal], and Tae Won Yu [Kicking Giant, the KG], but mostly it's just shoppers minding their own business. So when Johnson steps up, 45 minutes later, it's a strange atmosphere. Johnson tries to sell Yoyo A Go Go to an uninterested public. He has little success. It's bizarre to see a man who, in some ways, has put Olympia on the musical map, be so blatantly ignored by so many people. But Johnson seems unphased. That night, however, when he joins his band- mates in Dub Narcotic Sound System onstage at the Capitol, he seems much more in. his element That night, when I arrive back at the Holly Motel, I notice how moist the room feels. So moist, in fact, that there are slugs on the walls. This is not a joke. I'm also reminded that motels are obligated only to wash bedsheets, not the bed cover that I've been curling up to. I shudder and go to bed fully clothed. Only one more night, I think. The next day is the last full day of Yoyo. There's a fashion show, featuring designs by local artists and lots of good bands. But it's all too much. I'm exhausted. I go to the Capitol out of habit and a desire to sit down more than anything else. Despite my pessimism, I'm blown away by the last performer of the night Even though all the Dead Moon members look like bikers in their 50s, they are amazing. Without communicating (or even looking at each other), they are perfectly in sync, the tightest band I've ever seen. And they make going back to the Holly Motel seem not so bad. ' I ask Maffeo, who DJed in between bands that night, what she thought of this year's festival. "I think it was the best one so far," she said. "It was the most relaxed. There was all this pressure, with mostly bands from the Northwest, and that ?' 'S/ it wasn't js lo j1, _>r in -lu? Beck and Elliott Smith and all that stuff. But these are all the bands I like the best...To me, the overall quality of the music was just superb, the crowd was really nice, everybody was really cool. It was really happy." As to whether or not there'll be another Yoyo, Maley refuses to commit "A lot of what it hinges on is, is there a reason to do another one?" he said. "I guess that's the thing. Is there a demand? My reason for doing it is because I love to have the opportunity to see the bands in front of hundreds of people. Like Calvin Johnson dam sure you get to see all these bands all the time, but it's only in front of ten people. This is much ent, this is t-a(h different context. "What's most important about doing this is feeling moved, feeling touched emotionally by ^gfk l©-iJ tasim hours > GfANT-SfZf o fmmm > Music..'. fast day fmiMS & Hamssas 4 ritM" pwnmmRMm MdO$$ OfF'-or*.*; fT|VI/\r liJM ■ J j r\ sms Wednesday thurscfay friday Saturday Saturday iM^Ih#1b n9 sept. 6 sept. 7 S80i. & sept. 3 Live@Lunch Live@Lunch Swing Dance Student Band Student 12-2 pm v 12-2 pm Lesson Night Appreciation SUB South Plaza SUB South Plaza 12:30-2pm 9pm-lam Night SUB Ballroom Pit Pub 8pm-12am Laffs@Lunch CVC Fall Jam Pit Pub 12-! pm 9pm-2am Main Event Mad Skills Norm Theatre GSS Ballroom Carnival l-8pm 5-!0pm SUB Ballroom Open Air Pit UBC Improv Maclnnes Field Night 7-9pm ' featuring 6pm-1 am Scarfe 100 theatre Wide Mouth Mason Pit Pub/SUB -and Maestro Courtyard Fiesta SRC Film Soc. Movie 3-7 pm Night Student Rec. Centre 7 pm The Big Lebowski Open Air Pit . .■ -i Night 9:30 pm 7pm-lam Charlie's Angels Pit Pub/SUB Norm Theatre " Courtyard ams firstweek Welcome to UBC! Hosted by your student society, Firstweek is a series of free events designed to welcome you to campus life at UBC. With live music, BBQ's, social events and more, Firstweek 2001 (September 3-9) promises to be a tremendous start to your UBC experience. For more information visit www.ams.ubc.ca/student_life/firstweek M e e t. t h e A HH S Executives Erfan Kazemi President president@ams.ubc.ca ■f -""tit* " •', 5»- '&>., i'A \y.- Evan Horie VP Academic vpacademic@ams.ubc.ca Kristen Harvey VP External vpexternal@ams.ubc.ca Mark Fraser VP Administration vpadmin@ams.ubc.ca YvetteLu VP Finance vpfinance@ams.ubc.ca In November of 1999, UBC students voted in favour of adopting their own health and dental plan. Here's the low-down on some commonly asked questions: Am I covered? If you've paid your tuition, you're covered. $176.75 from your student fee has been allotted to providing you with these services. Coverage extends from September 1, 2001 to August 31, 2002. What do I get Lots! Prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, travel health insurance and more. For more details on benefits visit www.studentcare.net or call 1-800-877-4421. What if I don't need the Plan. Students who currently receive benefits from another plan (i.e. parent or spousal work plan) can opt out and have their money refunded. Please note: Students with an existing health plan may benefit from coordinating benefits from both plans. Visit www.studentcare.net for details. How do I opt out? Students wishing to opt out must do so between September 4-25. Opt outs can be done over the Internet to avoid line-ups at www.studentcare.net, or in person at the Health plan office in the SUB, room 61 Lower level. In order to opt out, students must provide proof of coverage by an equivalent extended health and dental plan. Students enrolled in Term 2 only (January - April, 2001) must opt out between January 2-23, 2002. Looking for assistance in paying the cost of your AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan? Students with demonstrated financial need can apply for a grant to cover all or a portion of the $176.75 fee. Applications are available online www.gss.ubc.ca/health/application.html. For more information email: health@gss.ubc.ca. Application deadline is October 15, 2001. For more information on the AMS/GSS health and dental plan visit: www.ams.ubc.ca/sefvices/healthplan or www.studentcare.net THE UBYSSEY CULTURE TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 20Q1 11 mt LYQynd the. isrs by Daniel Silverman DRIPPYTOWN COMICS #2001 Various Artists When some of Vancouver's foremost comic artists get together, you know there's going to be trouble. And you can be sure that a series of regular contributors to the now-defunct Drippytown Gazette are going to give you the kind of humour that leaves you giggling—at least most of the time. Drippytown Comics is a best-of collection of some of Vancouver and Seattle's best newspaper comic artists. The works range from the simplistic and kitschy Tika Bear to the political commentary of Owen Hummer's Spoolm ak. Drippytown is a not-so-veiled comic book version of Vancouver, presented with the kind of cynicism only a newspaper could produce. For instance, there is a message from "the mayor of Drippytown, Mayor Gumdrop, your mayor, with 30 years in office and counting." Sound familiar? There is even the Forbidden Zone, an over-polluted area that can only be likened to the more industrial YNMberti;-i;-,.•-;%■: vY . Y7■*vsf ■"'*■•". ■'■■&,.'' .'■■. HeyiKtUSE&TO" 2SS m-i KIND OEjHAKES ME. NOStttliC.,; areas of Burnaby. When you consider that the residents of Drippytown include the likes of Tony Millionaire and Smell of Steve, this sort of heavy-handed cynicism is to be expected. But it is funny nonetheless to read such strips as Ted Dave's Nihilbert, featuring a Dilbert-style character wearing a black shirt with a skull and crossbones, lamenting his existence. Downtown Eastside intellectualism at its best. Most endearing to this reviewer is Robin Konstabaris' What's wrong with this picture? which shows a surreal landscape with very little that is recognisable in the first place. What is wrong with this picture is explained underneath: "The corporate CEO is not concerned about the threat industry poses to the ecosystem...The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer...The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is popular," and so on. Maybe this is pushing comic art as a vehicle for satire, but perhaps the irrelevance is the point. There are also a few prose works thrown in for good measure, such as Al Knight's Convenience Stories illustrated by Ted Dave. "This column," writes Knight, "is dedicated to oave chronicling the adventures of this quiet fraternity, the faceless cashier, the anonymous" counterper- s o n . . . T h e unknown sol- by Ted Daw R>RWH£IU COULD STILL GOT fc SHIT. iiiwimn dier." Nowhere else will you find a story of two dogs trained to shoplift on behalf of their owners. The other written Work is somewhat disappointing. EC is for me, see?byJames Lloyd is a rambling and badly edited piece about those comic artists who defined the genre Lloyd gives us a history of Entertaining Comics, from its humble foundings to its eventual metamorphosis into MAD magazine. Comic artist William M. Gaines, or "Bill" as he is referred to, is demonised beyond recognition in such vitriolic terms that it is almost offensive to read. Its only redeeming feature is that it gives us a glimpse into the working lives of some weE known (and mostly dead) comic artists, unabashedly talking about the alcoholism and broken marriages that—seemingly—were the necessary evils of comic book artists. But it's important t< know that not everything i wine and roses for the pec pie who draw these comic: Drippytown Comic* .\ i h i social satire and j i !. d •> look, serves as a warning that even comics need to be taken seriously, however silly they may appear to be. ♦ ■i nnflirirfrnTwmipTH liffiaMJ -43 ?a & e> V „ V\ ^O L-*i- ' -* .^ [&mi mm®. £ Alto. i.;>l^'j 3 C.,-1 fc El OOl.'JO K , ' S mm SSll. Y7?::7^Pfp6^ 7 YYf*Vipri^ Y0^44O$6nsv^ A^^^j^^ml^t'^^mivL'li^i x^j^^^^^k^^1'11^^ :.travelcuts1 =3 ♦ *° "us Loop UBC SUB, Lower Level 822-6890 w-^t TRAVELCUTS NO SERVICE FEES! The student travel experts! More titan 70 Canadian offices on or near campus, **" plus over 600 affiliate offices worldwide. www.travelcuts.com OWNED AMD OPERATED BY ■= Catacfcan mil ■■■■■ ?*(J»r3ti;>n el eluJ^nts TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 CULTURE THE UBYSSEY STUDENT LOAN NOT ENOUGH? Apply for the WINTER SESSION BURSARY PROGRAM* and the WORK STUDY PROGRAM* ♦ Information and applications available at the Student Financial Assistance office or online at www.awards.ubc.ca and students.ubc.ca/workstuiiy Deadline is OCTOBER 1. 'Eligibility is based on financial need as determined by government sttidem loan criteria. 1III Roili Hood Plall ii s|7Kjr®4<ls 7<7';- '}■?'':-i' "-Y777 7~ 7^7*f"^ Y/'Y'^-Y'- -;-; ■* Coiiv^mntt mv&liwi&PwK^ Open Monday to Friday > 7:QOam f o 6:OOpm: ^YYYOn; The- I" ~" '"' —"-•*—'■ " Surplus Equipment Recycling Facility STUDENTS Free Stuff Three Ring Binders - two per Student Card Pencils - two per Student Card Diskettes - two per Student Card Lots of cheap furniture: Desks, Chairs, Tables, Filing Cabinets, Shelves Computers, Printers, Monitors, Parts, Cables SEBf Open every Wednesday from Noon 'til 5pm Task Force Building, South West of the Hospital on Health Sciences Mall bad Valentine's Da?? JEWEL at the Playwright's Theatre Center Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 BY RON NURWISAt) The relationship between a director and an actor is an extremely important one. A good actor can bring to life a director's vision. A good director will coax out a performance that even the actor didn't think was possible. In this production of Joan MacLeod's one-woman play, Jewel, equal praise should go to both director Stephen Drover and actress Sarah Rodgers. Jewel takes us into the home of Marjorie, a young widow. She is still stricken with grief three years after her husband, along with dozens of other men, drowned off the coast of Newfoundland on Valentine's Day, 1982, when the oil rig they were on sank. Part exploration of grief, part cathartic monologue, the play's emotionality could be overwhelming for some actors, but well known Vancouver actor Sarah Rodgers stands up to the role well. The work starts almost lightheartedly, with Marjorie reminiscing about Valentine's Day through the ages. She remembers her first crush, first love and eventually meeting her husband. Rodgers' delivery, a mix of wistful nostalgia and melancholy, grabs the audience almost immediately. Before we know it, we are hooked and wrapped up in her grief. Marjorie's inability to let go of her husband is devastating to watch. She offers her 'husband' a beer, talks and gossips with him, and updates him on the townspeople. We hear about her attempts to deal with grief: support groups, tlie love of her in-laws and denial. The play moves from one poignant anecdote to another, and we can see the emotion building up in Rodgers. The emotional climax of the play comes when we see Marjorie slowly accepting her grief and her husband's death. She tells him about her new boyfriend. She recalls the events of the day her husband died—how her husband sent a Valentine just hours before his death, how the police officer came toj tell her the news, how she heard about his death over the police radio. The effect on an audience that has been watching the emotions pile up for 45 minutes is an emotional sucker- punch. Credit should then also be given to director Stephen Drover, His job was undoubtedly helped by the performance of Sarah Rodgers, but the second-Jyear UBC MFA student has crafted a mature piece of theatre with this production of Jewel. Drover and Rodgers keep ithe play free of melodrama, making the emotiops and grief in the play genuine and powerful. ♦ £es SQis still clelipers LES MISERABLES at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre runs until Sept. 9 When trying to explain the immense popularity of Les Miserables, the simplest explanation would be the emotional tug of the epic story: war, love and history, all embodied in human characters struggling in turbulent times. To follow jean Valjean's progression from con man to dutiful citizen against the backdrop of a chaotic French society in the early 1800s humanises the revolts and the battles. Most epics take a few characters and use them to symbolically represent the larger contextual issues and simplify history. However, Les Miserables the musical succeeds in combining all the social and historical elements into the story of Jean Valjean. The recognisable songs, as well as the extravagant sets that create the visual spectacle, only further the audience's appreciation of the work. The cast does an excellent job of delivering the demanding musical numbers, especially Randal Keith as Jean Valjean. Whether it is the emotional battle of song between Valjean and his arch enemy Javert or the demanding range of "Bring Him Home," Keith's voice is crisp and clear, demonstrating a sensitivity to the varied tones and sounds of the musical numbers. Trent Blanton is also equally convincing as the conniving law-enforcer Javert. His make-up, with sideburns and bushy eyebrows, is a simple signifier that adds to the diabolical aura of the character. Although Blanton does a pretty good job of battling Keith on the singing plains, it is no question that Keith is the winner. Diana Kaarina, who calls Richmond home, stands out in her representation of the street-waif Eponine, belting out her big number "On My Own" so feverentiy it looked as though she might really collapse in a heap of exhaustion. However, Nancy Foster, who plays Cosette, Jean Valjean's adopted daugh- . ter and Eponine's counterpart, is not as strong musically and tends to wear a dazed expression on her face, as though she is not aware of where she is and what is happening. The crowd favourites were the comical Monsieur and Madame Thenardier who often stole the limelight from the more serious characters and themes. The bawdy and sexually charged "Master of the House", is carried to extremes with blatant gestures that had the audience in hysterics. However, the comical lightness of the song is still peppered with references to the seedines of the lower classes, revealing to us the brutal conditions they hy Lisa Denton often had to live with and the desperate actions the poor were often forced to take. The music and acting are all set against a background of intricate sets rotating on a circular stage that allows swift transitions between scenes as well as providing a sense of the passage of time, an important element due to the complexity of the story. It is easy to see the appeal of Les Mis as a musical and why it has endured as part of mainstream culture. The songs are beautiful and the entire production is a visual feast. This touring production is no exception. It maintains the qualities that make Les Miserables one of the most popular musicals in the world. ♦ THE UBYSSEY SPORTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 13 Birds gear up for new season Inexperience hurts the young team on the field by Scott Bardsiey Underdogs. That's how to describe the 2001 Thunderbirds football team. The team that won the 1997 CIAU National Championships has lost the last of its great senior players, leaving a new, young crew. Most of the top players have moved on. Quarterbaok Shawn Olson, Brad Coutts-UBC's all- time leader in receptions and reception yards—and a host of others all graduated last year. And place kicker Duncan O'Mahony, who made a record- setting 52-yard field goal early last season, has left to go play for the Calgary Stampeders. Now this year's 75-person team is left with just two fifth-year players, and about 30 new players. But the Birds aren't starting completely from scratch. The team still has two All-Canadian receivers in Dan Lazzari and Bill Chamberlain. The Thunderbirds also have the Canadian Junior Football League Offensive Player of the Year, Zack Silverman, a 23-year- old who won the Canadian Junior Championship last year with the Okanagan Sun. And those who attended last year's Shrum Bowl should remember third-year .safety Sandy Beveridge, whose performance in that game showed what UBC's defence is capable of. Coach Jay Prepchuck also thinks that UBC's new quarterback, Rob Kenney, has a lot of promise. "He's a great student of the game...a good leader," said the coach. "He's really gonna...take charge of this program." But the new quarterback's in- game experience is limited. Though he's starting his third season with the Birds, he only made 18 passes- nine complete—in the 2000 season have moved on, he can start to run the team the way he wants to without fear of stepping on people's toes," said Kenney. But if the T-Birds are going to impress people, last Saturday's season opener, a 50-13 loss in Huskies scored early in the game on three UBC turnovers. After that, the Birds couldn't recover. It reminded Kenney of "the Saskatchewan of old," three-time Vanier Cup winners in the 1990s, who beat out UBC in the Canada PRACTICE CAN'T REPLACE EXPERIENCE: Quarterback Rob Kenney throws a pass during practice two days before the Birds' Saturday game against the Saskatchewan Huskies.The Birds are sorely in need of experience. Of the team's 75 players, about 30 are new. nic fensom photo and he didn't play at all in the 1999 season. However, the departure of the team's senior players leaves the Birds fully behind Prepchuck, who is entering his third year as coach. "Now that some of the older guys that are used to the older system Saskatchewan, proved that they still need some serious game experience. Saturday, the Saskatchewan Huskies, who went 2-6 last year, were reborn. The Huskies' new quarterback, Sheldon Ball, played a consistent, error-free game. The West Finals just two years ago. The game marked Kenney's first start ever as quarterback at the university level. Kenney made a few rookie mistakes. In the first half, he threw two interceptions and was given a penalty for intentional grounding. "[The] first quarter and a half were pretty rough, just jittery when you don't have the experience," said Kenney, "but by about half time I started to settle down and get more of a rhythm and it started to pick up a bit." Defensive back Craig Briere found that while the team showed glimmers of its true potential, they did not play well for a team of their calibre. Kenney agreed. "We went out there and looked great for a while and then made mistakes...We've got to work on consistency," Kenney said. Even after the crushing loss to Saskatchewan, the Thunderbirds are optimistic. Kenney thinks back to the T-Birds' season opener in 1999. In that game, Saskatchewan defeated UBC handily, but UBC went on to win all seven of its other regular season games before losing the Canada West Final to the Huskies. UBC might not do quite that well this season. But the Birds' biggest weakness is lack of experience and veteran players, weaknesses that will subside with time. "We're not expected to be good," said Kenney. "[But that's] a great situation for us. They don't have much expectations, so we're going to go out and surprise people." ♦ Baseba At the Grand Forks International Tournament in Grand Forks, BC, 34 mem- , bers of the: UBC baseball' team were part of Team Canada. The competition included several* tearns: from the United States .and: teajns fronj the Dominican Republic, China;; YanS:€h^ese;f aipeis The compefitioli was so sSlohg tJiSitlp COTadian ;team 'didn'f SvgiiY 2 maffi itouCofthe round robin, finishing:0^3. < iint Twenty-six members; of the rowing team attended the 119th Royal Canadian ilfenley;:Regatta; from August 8-12?in;St Catherines, Ontario. The team sent '14 crews into, the finals. The UBC women finished 2nd in four' races. The seemingly- ..unstbpliable duo; of Geoff Hodgson and ;,feber%;Weitemeyer won the senior; 8 fuhder;23f 2- and the Senior 2-. The pair YwQfl; first; place; in the; men's; pairs at the YBC championships earlier in the summer,, making; them look more and more like Ythey'il be the .duo to beat now that the regular .seEtson has begun. Y Weitemeyer also took part in the 2001 ; CanadaSummerGames in London, Ontario 2 froru;August 14-17, as part of Team BC. He "placed 3rd in the single and 3rd in the quad. StoMming . UBC's swim team also sent members to the Canada Games. Brent O'Connor won gold in the 100m freestyle,. Justin Tisdall got a bronze in the 200in freestyle and a silver in the ltiOm freestyle,Y Allison Laidlow won Ybronzes; inY the; 400m \ IM, Roland Bauhart" won;.the gold in the 200m backstroke, : Michelle tahdry got a bronze in the 200m; butterfly and Angela Stanley placed first in the'lOOni freestyle with Taryn Lencoe finishing right behind her in second place. ; Lencoe went on to win a gold in the 800m freestyle. ' Women's Soccer At the Canada Raines, Team BC was strengthened by five players from the UBC women's soccer team: Keiko Reed, Jacqui Ferraby, Claire Lawrence, Amy DeWert and Heather Smith. The team made the finalsYbtit was defeated 4-1 by Ontario for a silver finish. g/orld University arnes Thunderbirds Kyle Russell (basketball), David Milne and Heather MacDonald {track} and Kaley Boyd (volleyball) competed at the World University Games in Beijing, from August 22 to September 1. The Games are the world's second largest multi-sport competition after the Olympics. None of UBC's athletes placed ■well enough to earn, a medal. ♦ : -". ^|l|p|-Y;:YY.y;YY^ ?fe 77. ^Ili^li^lY-YY'Y M':-x' '/ 77;. l||l||i7'Y:7 $77; FMMiisfeYiY 1§7'$; Jlusic leglpfogy Musical Conpsitici Musical Theatre Performance and Writing Rana and Woodwind Performance Writing The Vilar Global Fellowship brings together exceptionally talented students in the performing arts from around the world to study at NYU and work with world-class artists from prominent New York City institutions. A $40,000 a year stipend for two years of graduate education includes tuition, housing, and travel expenses. 14 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 OP/ED THE UBYSSEY THlUBYSSiY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 VOLUME 83 ISSUE 1 EDITORIAL BOARD COORDINATING EDITOR Duncan Wl. 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 PRODUCTION MANAGER Hywel Tuscano COORDINATORS VOLUNTEERS Graeme Worthy LETTERS/RESEARCH Alicia Miller 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 studenls are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff, Trfey are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP's 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 tor publication) as we!! as your year and faculty 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 75G words and are run according to space. "Freestyles" are opinion pieces written by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity oi ihe writer has been verified. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in ihe ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad. EDITORIAL OFFICE , Student Union Building, 6138 Student Union Boulevard, Vancouver, BC. V6T 1Z1 tel: (604) 822-2301 fax: (604) 822-9279 email: feedback@ubyssey.be.ca BUSINESS OFFICE Room 245, Student Union Building advertising: (604) 822-1654 business office: (604) 822-6681 fax: (604) 822-1658 advertising@ubyssey.be.ca BUSINESS MANAGER Fernie Pereira AD SALES Karen Leung AD DESIGN Shaiene Takara II was dark as Ai Lin Choo entered the rave. She couldn't see anything so HvuH Tuscano handed her a flashlight. *Watt:li imi for bears," said Run N'unvisah. 'I've heard IlieV especially like eating Duncan McHugbs and Julia Chrislpnsens." Nit: Fensom shivered and Hutched his callle prod tightly. The underground i-ive was dank and cold. Sarah Morrison w;is glad she had brought her warm hat. Laura Blue noticed water dripping in Ihe corner, and Scott Bardsiey was relieved thai at least there might he something lo drink. They could stay hep' for awhile, Graeme Wormy started a small fire with his Dan Poon flamethrower. ;md Carly Hollander and Lisa Denton roasted Alicia Millers over its coals. Callierine Denton rolled out her sleeping hag and prepared lo stay fur Ihe long haul. But ajler two weeks in the cave. Sara Young was developing night vision anil Daniel Silverman was starling logel rickets. 'Let's gel out of here!' said Tara Westover. Nick Chan led Ihe way. Squinting, they walked hack into the light. Q Canadian University Press Canada Post Sales Agreement Number 0732141 When it's all about money Each year, international students contribute millions of dollars to the Canadian economy. It comes as no surprise then that university administrators can often look at international students as cash cows. After UBC's massive 142 per cent hike in international undergraduate tuition fees in 1996,.one is baffled at the fact that the university would dare to raise it again, only five years later. It seems that we have reached a point where international students are seen purely as financial resources, despite official statements in favour of a diverse student population and accessible education. As it is, not all international students leave behind wealthy families to go pursue an expensive education in Canada. Many students come here to escape unstable social environments at home, and not all of these students have families that are that comfortable enough financially to shrug off tuition fee hikes. Already, most families struggle to make the funds necessary to provide their children with a better education. And while some internationals students are well-off, access to education should not be based solely on students' ability to afford it. UBC's Trek 2000 document places great importance on internationalising our campus. But while it is evident that UBC loves international students, and while UBC purports concrete interests in increasing international enrolment, the interest and committment UBC has to students with money is far more apparent. It's not like UBC or the government tries to hide it either. UBC's International Student Initiative ensures that the university is promoted effectively. In January 1997, Jean Chretien's Team Canada trade mission left with an agenda that included the recruitment of international students. BC currently prides itself as Canada's leader in attracting international students. Its public post-secondary institutions are currenfly collecting tuition fees valued at over $70 million from the international community. And while UBC does offer international students scholarships and bursaries, its commitment to providing financial aid has been halfhearted. Despite a policy that states that 30 per cent of every tuition increase should go towards financial aid, inl997, UBC channelled only 11 per cent of the funds it received from the increase in international student fees towards helping students. While UBC plans to increase funding to support student awards this year, this is still a far cry from helping all—or even a substantial number of—students. So even though Canadians claim that they can educate even their poorest students, and despite the pride Canada takes in opening up its doors to the less fortunate, international students, apparently, do not count. , Interesting too that while UBC fell very short -of its Trek 2000 target for 1000 First Nations students by 2000, it put incredible efforts for ward to attract international students to our campus. One can't help but wonder why it seems that international students were the priority in _this case. International fees at UBC are about six times that of domestic students and are roughly twice the fees that SFU and UVIC charge. What sets UBC apart from these schools that we can justify the much higher fees to international students? And really, after factoring in the catastrophic increase in enrollment this year, the $14,000 international students pay a year doesn't seem worth the overcrowded classrooms and ridiculous housing conditions at Totem. As one considers the- issues, it becomes more and more perplexing why international students choose UBC in the first place. International students realise this too. Not only are they becoming more and more fed up with the way universities dig at them for cash, but they also feel alienated from the rest of the student body. Admistrators have to realise that enough is enough and that there will come a point where UBC will start to lose its international students. They should not forget that the demand for international students has made this a competitive business and that international students will not hesitate to jump at the next best offer. The university has to address this issue before international students give up and move on. The fact is, international students add much more to this campus than money. ♦ LETTERS Packed like sardines Typical of UBC to accept 1400 "extra" students and then say, "We didn't know this..." ("Excess enrolment" [Aug. 15]). Typical of both the dean of Arts and the acting registrar to attempt to justify and then qualify this "minor* mistake. Are the crammed Buchanan stairways not enough? Are the long line-ups at every food counter, full evening and summer classes, and overflowing residences not enough to tell them that this school is already too full, too overcrowded, and bursting at its seams? Would any one of the 35,000 students at UBC dare say that this school isn't overcrowded? I doubt it. Not only do I feel like a sardine packed into a tin, but I have to put up with the idiocy, ignorance and consistendy poor administration at this university, too. When is enough enough? There are already over 35,000 of us here. They say they have to be fair and accept everyone over 82 per cent, but what about fairness to all the other students who are already here? How about waiting until a few thousand of us graduate before letting anyone else in? Maybe then we'd have a few inches of breathing space. And wouldn't that be a relief. -Jennifer Forhan Arts 4 Stanley prices are student- friendly Thank you for your informative article "Hoods: a student's guide to urban Vancouver" (First-Year Issue, [Aug. 22]). It rightly pointed out that the Stanley Theatre is one of South Granville's great cultural landmarks—something we want a younger generation of Vancouverites to know. However, the article missed the mark when it suggested that theatre tickets were beyond the reach of students. Community Performance Preview seats at the Stanley are $17.50, and we also, offer student discounts for single tickets as well as season subscriptions (four play packages at the Stanley start at $69,- while four play packages at our Granville Island Stage sell for as little as $65). Special events such as the midnight performance of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None on Friday, September 7, when all seats sell for $15.50, also offer students incredible value. We take great pride in making our ticket prices student-friendly, and I just wanted to set the record straight! -Susan R. E. Howard Director of Marketing and Development Arts Club Theatre Company THE UBYSSEY OPINION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 15 E-education, the stakeholders and the stakes by Michael Baumann The computer screen flashed in azure and gold. "Congratulations, " Mr/Mrs/Ms Baumann, you have just fulfilled the requirements for Doctor of Philosophy from The Online University. A graduation certificate has been e-mailed to you. For a surcharge of US$90 you can print your customised ornamental diploma. (Click on options below.)" "Do not print ornamental diploma." "Do you want to enroll in another degree program? (Click on options below.)" "No.' "This month only. The Online University offers a 15 per cent discount on selected degree programs to its graduates. Are you sure you want to forgo this opportunity? (Click on options below.)" "Yes." Electronic education, or e-education, as a means of improving the quality of learning is currently widely discussed in academic circles. Unfortunately, much of the discussion is tainted by the agendas, hidden or otherwise, of two stakeholder groups: university administration and faculty. And the silence of the students (the lambs?) does not exacdy attest to what University of British Columbia President Martha Piper recenfly called, "global citizens, people who are prepared to question the status quo and push the boundaries, of knowledge." But first, what is this thing called e-education? Interestingly enough, at this point, e- education is only ill-defined. Its meaning- depending on the utility to self interest- ranges from electronic mailing fists of students, to assignments posted on course web pages, to online discussion groups (an only marginally more sophisticated form of a chat room), to complete Interngt-based courses and degree programs. In spite of this vague concept of e-education and its market, prospects of profiteering from that market have already prompted administrations of public universities to squander autonomy and public accountability. For example, at UBC, 12 faculty members of the department of educational studies recently exposed the dealings of university executives with Thomson Learning, a want-to-be electronic education provider. And administrators at Simon Fraser University (SFU) are willing to abolish academic freedom altogether by blocking the appointment of David Noble, historian and most vocal and eloquent critic of the electronic commercialisation and "commoditisation of the educational function of the university," and SFU's "Virtual U" initiative, in particular. But are the proclamations of university faculty any less selfish than the bottom lines of administrations? Hardly so, if you read David Noble: "(T]he new technology of education, like the automation in other industries, PERSPECTIVE OPINION their control over their working fives, the product of their labour, and, ultimately, their means of livelihood." To be- sure, university teachers usually invoke concerns about educational quality and distributional justice as an argument against e-education. However, my experiences contradict these claims. First, during my 13 years at the receiving end of education, I was mostly exposed to faculty members that were lacking the slightest interest in teaching. Of the exactly 70 courses I have taken in my career, I consider ten per cent to have been taught at an academically acceptable didactic and intellectual level. Second/most of the actual work at a university is done by low-paid graduate students, technicians and untenured researchers. Distributed decision-making and fair compensation is, should we say, not exactly a matter of high priority for tenured faculty, thus giving rise to a condition which has been called "the sociopathology of science." But what is high quality education anyway? If futurist literature is any indication, the highest form of education, apart from downloading information directly into a neural plexus, will always emerge from the age-old master-apprentice relationship (a mockery of which remains in today's graduate programs). Crudely, it requires expertise on the part of the master (why else robs faculty of their knowledge and skills, would a student accept the teacher?) and attitude on part of the apprentice (why else would a teacher accept the student?). Ideally, these two nurture each other through communication and, if necessary, disputation. However, and political correctness set aside, the average university student is, by any objective standards, just that—average. (Consider this a compliment.) He or she is not an innovator, a future opinion leader or an intellectual. And the most original question he or she comes up with in the course of his or her degree program is: "Will this be on the exam?" Furthermore, to paraphrase Paul Simon, how much of all the crap you learned irt high school and university do you need in everyday life anyway? Maybe as a society we should actually embrace the idea of "digital diploma mills?" E-education reduces the amount of physical and human resources necessary to produce graduates who simply want "a job" and follow their consumer life dream. It harbours the possibility of large profits for well-respected universities. And finally, if the public could guarantee continued support of intellectual- ism, e-education frees up time for maintaining and developing the real critical thinkers and analysts in our society. (How to identify them is another issue.) It is time to bring the discussion about e- education to a level where those who get paid for it generate more light than heat. ♦' -Michael Baumann is a Science post-doctoral fellow Things to remember: eat, sleep, call your mother by Julia Christensen My mother recentiy realised her possibilities. You see, she came to Vancouver to visit me and to attend a self-discovery forum that vowed to help change her fife. After meeting some past participants of the forum, I worry that my mum might have unknowingly joined a cult. The aim is well-meaning. This particular forum is for people over the age of 17 who realise the need to recognise the possibilities in their lives. The tough part is getting someone to really spell out for you what that means. For -16 hours a day, Friday to Sunday, participants in the forum go through a workshop of self-discovery. The following Tuesday evening, participants are encouraged to bring guests to discover the forum and learn more about realising possibilities. My mother strongly encouraged me to attend this evening, along with my best friend. Curious, and also wanting to be supportive of my mum and what she had encountered over the weekend, my friend and I agreed to go- My suspicions were first piqued when we were greeted by forum volunteers who excitedly told us that we would be in the same groups. Groups? My best friend and I looked at each other with wide eyes. Say what? Panic had set in. I have to admit, I was annoyed with my mum at that point. I was told this would be an evening where I would get to see what my mother had learned over the weekend and how she had grown. Now I felt a bit like I'd been tricked, or rather that my mum had been tricked. She didn't know that's what the night would be like. And so for an hour, we sat in chairs and listened to the forum facilitator go on and on about the - forum and how it helps you realise your possibilities and how the real growth starts with registration. We were being sold a life change- change that would begin once we handed over the $100 deposit. The forum itself cost a total of about $450. Not exacly tailored to my meagre student budget. - After J§e7ntroJ|pf: t)||:a gi|pp:; were divfSld into gfSfips anfeeil to separateljgpjps where ,jig? Iflre;;;:: encouragflf to aslftliueMfSns jjhd participa|§§ in a m||ii-seii||nar,||Ve had oneYlreak whlfjs paljjpaf||gi-; pants mingled with the guests and tried to encourage them to speak about what they thought they would get out of the forum. This spaced-out past participant named Gary hovered over my friend and I. He had a blank look in his eyes and when he asked what issue we would want to deal with during the forum, my friend dropped a bomb in an effort to stump this guy. Her 'issue' appar- enfly was a little too difficult for Gary to handle, so he blinked a few times and looked a little panicky. I could practically see the blood return to his face when the group facilitator came back in the room. Don't get me wrong. There were a lot of people there who seemed to . have their heads on straight. I include my mum in this category. She's a really 'together' woman who went to ihe forum because, as with all of us, some things just aren't working out well in her life. She had a friend who had attended the forum and he r had really been able to make some positive changes in his life because of it. I don't think the forum is a waste. If I had $450 and three free days, I would probably do the forum too. And then I'd write about it What hit me as I sat in the forum for that one evening is how lost so many of us feel. How confused so many of us are in life that we are cpEpIffly sjpcElag ;feB|piiSe-1 ml||—anythig|—to Kelp uffJmake sellifeijf it aH|Jhere weref||eople atff fiding the foruBjoth myffiother will hadn't spoken B their |prents gfo||^ap:bee|p|:;1ji* old gf§dges. There were people who hadn't, in their entire fives, said, "I love you," to family members that they indeed loved. Over the course of this weekend, participant after participant in this forum came to the front of the room and shared stories of how the forum was already changing them. They reconnected with estranged family members. They said, "I love you," to fathers and mothers. They apologised and made amends. At the evening I attended with my mother, there were many people that were absolutely glowing with happiness. Indeed the forum did bring positive change into many people's lives. There were 17-year-olds there. There were 80-year-olds there. There were rich people and poor people, white people and brown people. People from all parts of society in search of answers. As people told me about their own stories and their own reasons for coming to the forum, I was struck by how so many of us leave ourselves to last and, as a result, everything else in our lives suffer. Not to say we aren't selfish, because we so often are. But we don't take care of ourselves. We ignore our needs. We ignore what our bodies, hearts and minds are trying to tell us. And we get lost And we hurt people. And we don't perform well. And |!ye u||lha||]y hurt Jpi'seives. And lilenlfe afjind foruffis like this one llllllp usJffid our v|g:back. ifliEost ollis at unHefsity struggle wflfl the slfte thing. Specially when 1b||^orH§|||rpt|:: r!§Ey Jojigh and relationships become strained, we lose sight of the things that truly matter in our lives. We ignore our family and friends, .we don't get enough sleep, we rely on caffeine and sugar to get by. We treat our bodies and our spirits so terribly in order to get a university degree. It's insanity. And when we realise we're unhappy, we so often try to remedy it with the wrong things: drugs, alcohol, sex. Even seemingly positive things like exercise can get over the top when we're using them to fill emptiness in our lives. There's a lot to deal with at university. There is so much talk about the challenges students face and how to cope. But still so many of us aren't dealing in positive ways. I used to pour myself into my school work. During midterms, papers, and final exams, I rarely returned phone calls. My life revolved around class, the gym and the library. Practically all of the librarians and custodial staff at Main library knew me by face, if not by name. I came to the library one day, wearing new glasses and one of the librarians squealed, "I love your new glasses!" My life had reached an all-time low. Diet Coke was my beverage of choice and jujubes became a food group. And then one week last fall, I tried to write five^term papers in a week and hurt my hands so badly from typing that I now have really bad arthritis. And it really sucks. There are probably a lot of reasons why that happened, but I am taking it as a wake-up call. University is important. And so is working hard. But you can't work hard if you're not taking care of yourself. So many of us lose sight of what really matters while we are here at school. And so many of us aren't happy as a result. , You don't need to attend a self- discovery workshop to learn that taking care of yourself is important. , So as we all embark on a new semester, try to remember what really matters. And look out for yourselves a bit. And for the love of God, don't wait, until you register in the forum to call your loved ones and tell them how you feel. Sheesh. ♦ * -Julia Christensen is the Ubyssey features editor 16 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2001 HOTOS THEUBYSSEY r j \ '/ ■-:- :*> *<. -1& * - Ji ;»,...* * „*- * * .* -!•*.-»! being a student is hard, getting connected isn't With TELUS you can get all your communication needs in one place, Visit telus.com/student to get a phone line, Internet access, Wireless service, and Personal Call Management Services, Sign-up online and you could win a Dell laptop computer, a cordless GE SWAP phone, a Pay & Talk Nokia phone and four months of TELUS Dial-up Internet Service. Visit us on campus September 4-6 at the Bookstore. telus.com/student TELUS* thifuturtlsffitndty3 'Mi i, (lifi OS ?.< Nrw office X ItttJio !». uwlssliw* 0. wIuiifM-r oworft'iilftes V, mortal P. CUI* Moff {*, uririftli Wducss I (K com im>i tr\]_ 4
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