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skos:note """ BYSSEY
November 4,2008 \\ www.ubyssey.ca
missing the summer in the city since 1918 \\ volume xc, number 19
UBC's official student newspaper is published Tuesdays and Fridays
Comics
Events
WU fumbles
against UBC
UBC Men's Basketball wins
home opener against Trinity
Western University
PAGE 8 THE UBYSSEY WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
NOVEMBER 4, 2Q08
Events
If you have an event, e-mail us at events@ubyssey.ca
ThhUbyssey
Billy Bishop Goes to War * Billy
Bishop Goes to War asks a new
generation of theatre audiences to
follow Canadian WW I fighter pilot
Billy Bishop down in the trenches,
up to the skies and inside the
human spirit as he attempts to
reconcile the ecstasy of flying
with the horrors of war. • Nov. 3
- 1 1 @ 7:30pm, Chan Centre for
the Perfoming Arts, Regular: $20,
Seniors: $14, Students: $10, Monday: Theatre at UBC Alumni $5,
Boxoffice: 604.822.2678 •
The Bible for Beginners • The
Bible for Beginners is an informal,
no pressure examination of one
of the most famous books in the
world. Meet over lunch (Mondays
12-1 pm in SUB @ tables near
Starbucks) or coffee (Wednesdays
2-3pm @ Ike's Cafe in the Irving K.
Barber Center) to learn about this
strange book. • revnathanwright@
mac.com •
Vancouver Poetry Slam • Poetry
slam competition with guest performers • Every Mon, 8pm, Cafe
Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial).
Admission $5/3, info 604-215-
9230 www.vancouverpoetryhouse.
com •
Stanley Park Halloween Ghost
Train • Mortal Coil Performance
Society presents a pirate-themed
adventure featuring actors, dancers, performers, puppeteers,
swordfighters, hat-making, paint-
ing, storytelling, and the Haunted
Children's Farmyard. • Oct. 10-
Nov 21, Stanley Park Miniature
Railway (Stanley Park). Tix $9/5.50
(plus service charges and fees) at
www.ticketmaster.com. More info
at www.vancouverparks.ca/*
CiTR SHiNDiG • UBC's own CiTR
Radio's battle of the bands. Hosted
every Tuesday at the Railway Club
• Ongoing every Tuesday until
December 9, Railway Club (579
Dunsmuir). More info at 604-681-
1625*
Free Movies! Cinema Politica @
UBC • Cinema Politica at UBC is
a free weekly series showcasing
movies that harness the power of
film to engage issues relating to
the environment, globalization,
gender and sexuality, indigenous
rights, global health, and student
power. • Every Tuesday, 7pm,
Norm Theatre, SUB More info at
www.cinemapolitica.org/ubc •
November 4
UBC Annual General Meeting *
The University of British Columbia
publishes its Annual Report to
coincide with the Annual Genera
Meeting (AGM) held each fall.
Together they are a synopsis of
the previous year's activities and
milestones and represent a public
commitment to be accountable
to the communities we serve—as
outlined in the university's strategic
plan, Trek 2010. There will be a
free tour of the new arena immediately following the AGM. • Nov.
4, 2008 @ 12-lpm, UBC Thunderbird Arena - 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games venue,
2555 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver.
More information at public.af-
fairs@ubc.ca or 604.822.4636. •
US Election Night Party • Join us
in the Bookstore lobby for all the
US Election Night action: Cast your
ballot (regardless of nationality)
in our North of the Border Poll.
Come and watch the returns come
in on our screens. Play Red State,
Blue State Bingo. Try your hand at
US Presidential Trivia. Free pizza,
beverage and apple pie! • Tuesday,
Nov. 4, 2008 @ 5pm - 8pm, 6200
University Blvd., Vancouver. More
Information at www.bookstore.
ubc.ca. •
Indigenous Film Series * Indigenous film makers explore
Indigenous voices through film
This is a historical and contemporary look at the impacts of the
Canada/United States border on
ndigenous nations for whom
the border has severed ancient
ties to families, ceremonies, and
homelands. The political relevance
of the border has never been
greater as this video highlights
how heightened tensions over
border security in a post 9/11
world impacts the everyday lives
of Indigenous peoples. - Q&A with
the filmmaker to follow screening
• Nov. 4 @ 12:30 - 1:30pm, First
Nations House of Learning, 1985
West Mall, Seminar Room •
November 5
Wednesday Noon Hours: Raphael
Wallfisch cello • English cellist
Raphael Wallfisch perfoms a solo
recital for unaccompanied cello
J.S. Bach Suite No.1 in G Major,
Block Suite No. 1 for solo cello and
more • Wed, Nov. 5, 2008 12pm
- 1pm UBC Point Grey Campus. $4
at the door (cash only) concerts©
interchange.ubc.ca for more information •
How Do I Go Global? • Imagine
waking up for class in Chile,
Australia or Denmark. Imagine
going on a volunteer placement
to Africa or a co-op placement in
Singapore. This is your introduction to Go Global opportunities.
Find out how it works and how
you can participate. You will also
get a glimpse of the experience
from a student presentation. • Nov
5 @ I-2pm, Ike Barber Learning
Center 182 •
UBC Film Society presents Flight
of the Red Balloon • A little boy
and his baby-sitter inhabit the
same imaginary world: through
their adventures they are followed by a strange red balloon •
Wed Nov. 5-9 @ 7:00pm, Norm
Theatre, $2 members, $4 non
members •
UBC Film Society presents
Sukiyaki Western Django * A
revolver-wielding stranger crosses
paths with two warring clans who
are both on the hunt for a hidden treasure in a remote western
town • Nov. 5-9 @ 9:30pm, Norm
Theatre, $2 members, $4 non
members •
The 5th annual Downtown East-
side Heart of the City Festival •
Over 400 artists at over 80 events
at 25 locations: music, theatre,
media arts, dance, poetry, forums,
workshops, visual arts, history
walks • Nov. 5 - 29, various locations and times www.heartofthec-
ityfestival.com. •
November 6
The Merchant of Venice • Another
one of the classics, Shakespeare's
masterpiece staged by Canadian
theatre veteran Antony Holland
• Nov 6-30, Studio 58 (Langara
College, 100 W 49th). Info 604-
323-5652. •
November'
UBC Guitar Ensemble * Nov 7,
2008 12pm - 1pm. FREE. Music
Building, Recital Hall • concerts©
interchange.ubc.ca for more information •
Big Lebowski Beverage Garden •
Show up early! This event sells out
every year! Or become a member
and skip the long non-member
ine! Norm Theatre. The SUB. • Tix
$3 members, $6 non-members
(members can't bring non-members). 7-11pm •
Cuban Cultural Night • Vancouver
Communities in Solidarity with
Cuba (VCSC) "The Strength and
Spirit of Cuban Women" Monthly
Cuba Cultural-Film Night featuring
the Cuban Film "Lucia" • Nov. 7at
7:00pm, Mt Pleasant Neighbourhood House (800 E Broadway - 1
block East of Fraser St) More info @
www.vancubasolidarity.com •
Organic Drinks • Interested in Environmental and Sustainability issues
See it in Action! Come to Mediterra
this Friday November 7 . One of
the most popular events will be
the tasting of fresh, organic drinks.
Learn about the compostable and
biodegradable food packaging. As
well as healthier Mediterranean
food option now available on Campus to Students, Faculty, and Staff.
• Free event 11:30am - 1:30pm
SUB Lower Level. •
November 8
Men's Hockey vs. Saskatchewan
Huskies • WINNING IS MORE FUN
WITH YOU THERE!!! Don't forget
to get your season's pass—get
you into every home game for
every sport. For more information,
ncluding previews, recaps, and a
complete season schedule, head to
gothunderbirds.ca $50 adult/$20
youth/$10 student (Blue Crew) •
Nov. 8 @ 7:30 - 10pm, Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre, Tickets:
$ 10 adult/$4 youth & senior/$2
UBC student. •
November 11
UBC Community Remembrance
Day Ceremony • This event will
be an opportunity to honour and
remember all those who served
in times of war, military conflict
and peace. This year, we wil
commemorate two significant anniversaries, the 90th anniversary of
the end of the First World War and
the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The ceremony will include music
provided by the UBC School of
Music, short readings and remarks
UBC Vice-President, External,
Legal and Community Relations,
Stephen Owen; AMS President,
Michael Duncan; and Dr John
Blatherwick, former Chief Medical
Health Officer for the Vancouver
Coastal Health Authority, Honorary
Colonel with the Canadian Forces
Reserves will be among this year's
speakers. • Nov. 11 @ 10:45AM
- 11:35 AM, War Memorial Gym.
For more information, visit: www.
ceremonies, ubc. ca/ceremonies/me-
morial/remembrance.html •
November 12
Wednesday Noon Hours:
Heather Schmidt, piano * Heather
Schmidt, piano. Lunch with Heather, Fanny and Clara Schmidt, Mendelssohn and Schumann: A recita
of music by women composers. •
Wed, Nov 12, 2008 12pm - 1pm
UBC Point Grey Campus. $4 at the
door (cash only) •
November 17
UBC World AIDS Week* Description: World AIDS Awareness.
Selling of Red Ribbons and Little
Travellers to help fundraise and
promote AIDS awareness. • Nov.
17-21, SUB ubcredcross@gmail.
com •
ass
ified
If you want to place a classified, e-mail us at advertising@ubyssey.ca
Student Events
Your adhere!
Your ad here!
Your adhere!
G-Klubbing at the Cellar on
November 14 at 9pm
$5/ticket until November 7!
VIP entry and a FREE drink
before 10pm.
For tickets, email
fundraising@ubcgoldenkey.org -
they won't be sold at the door!
November 4'", 2008
volume xc, n"19
Editorial Board
COORDINATING EDITOR
Kellan Higgins : coordinating@ubyssey.ca
NEWS EDITORS
Stephanie Findlay & Justin McElroy :
news@ubyssey.ca
CULTURE EDITOR
Trevor Melanson : culture@ubyssey.ca
SPORTS EDITOR
Shun Endo sports@ubysseyca
FEATURES & PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Joe Rayment: features@ubyssey.ca
PHOTO EDITOR
Goh Iromoto :photos@ubyssey.ca
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Paul Bucci: production@ubyssey.ca
COPY EDITOR
Celestian Rince : copy@ubyssey ca
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Ricardo Bortolon : volunteers@ubysseyca
WEBMASTER
Adam Leggett: webmaster@ubyssey ca
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Dan Haves: 7nulti7nedia@ubyssey.ca
Editorial Office
Room 24, Student Union Building
6138 Student Union Boulevard
Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z1
tel: 604-822-2301
fax: 604-822-9279
web: www.ubyssey.ca
e-mail: feedback @ubyssey.ca
Business Office
Room 23, Student Union Building
advertising: 604-822-1654
business office: 604-822-6681
fax: 604-822-1658
e-mail: advertising@ubyssey.ca
BUSINESS MANAGER : Fernie Pereira
AD TRAFFIC : Sabrina Marchand
AD DESIGN : Gerald Deo
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper ofthe University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday
and Friday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an
autonomous, democratically run student organization,and
all students are encouraged to participate.
Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff.
They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not
necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications
Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial
content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The
Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced
without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey
Publications Society.
The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP's guiding principles.
Letters to the editor must be under 300 words.Please
include your phone number.student number and signature
(not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with
all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are
dropped off at the editorial office ofThe Ubyssey; otherwise
verification will be done by phone."Perspectives"are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750 words and are run
according to space."Freestyles" are opinion pieces written
by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters
and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time
sensitive.Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity of
the writer has been verified.The Ubyssey reserves the right
to editsubmissionsfor length and clarity.All letters must be
received by 12 noon the day before intended publication.
Letters received after this point will be published in the
following issue unless there is an urgenttime restriction or
other matter deemed relevant bythe Ubyssey staff
It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified
advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to
publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the
liability ofthe UPS will not begreaterthanthe price pa id for
the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes
or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the
impact ofthe ad.
Contributors
The hot midday sun beat down on Kellan Higgins, Paul Bucci
and Joe Rayment as they struggled to excavate artefacts of
the lost tribe of Goh Iromoto from the Celestian Rince dig site.
Justin McElroy and Kasha Chang had contracted mysterious
plagues and were tended to nearby by Stephanie Findlay and
Dan Haves. Suddenly Gavin Fisher, Kathy Yan Li and Kyrstin Bain
arrived,panting,to announcethat Ricardo Bortolon,Maria Cirst-
ea, Helaine Boyd and Alexis Stroymenoff had been kidnapped
by cannibals and faced a Tara Martellaro-style demise. Trevor
Melanson immediately called for a search party consisting of Kie
Shiroma, Jon Horn, Keegan Bursaw and Trevor Record, but they
encountered only bloody skeletons and the remains of a cooking fire. Gerald Deo snapped a photo of a disembodied ribcage
"for posterity" and was chastised by Michelle Silongan. News
later broke that Rebecca Debrake, Ian Turner, Maayan Kreitzman
and Amanda Bedard had also disappeared while backpacking
through this area. Local policewomen Emma Myers and Rachel
Lipson invenstigated the case, and the incident was subject to
an inquiry by the Aaron Tarn association.The results of both were
inconclusive.
V Canada Post Sales
Agreement
Number 0040878022
Canadian printed onH'00%
University recycledipaper
Press \\ljpP NOVEMBER 4, 200 8
THE UBYSSEY WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
Campbell defends education cuts
Premier visits UBC, sharpens attacks against the NDP
by Justin McElroy
News Editor
With his party making the transition toward the 2009 election,
British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell came to campus
late last month to talk about
some UBC-centric issues.
First, Campbell made a stop
at the UBC School ofjournalism,
where he spoke to graduate students about the opportunities
and challenges BC faces as the
gateway to the Pacific in a globalized economy—specifically
in light of the recent economic
downturn.
"Just three or four weeks ago,
our economists said we would be
buffered by this. I think everyone
understands we're not going to
be buffered," he said, adding that
"as long we remain a commodity-based economy, we're going
to be subject to the battering we
face."
In response to a more local issue for students—affordable housing—Campbell offered up his own
suggestions for what municipal
governments could do.
"Young people today say it's
hard...to afford a house. All the
city would have to do is say they
will allow for 33 foot lot subdivisions and they would probably
drive down the cost of housing
in Vancouver by about $200,000
a unit. That's pretty significant
savings, I think."
Next up for the premier was
an interview with The Ubyssey.
Over coffee at Sage Bistro, Camp
bell discussed his party's legacy
since taking office in 2001. In the
process, he offered up a possible
preview of the political rhetoric
he'll be using in the months
leading up to the May 12, 2009
provincial election.
"We've got a renewed sense
of confidence and that spirit that
I was used to in BC when I was
growing up has returned to BC,"
he said. Campbell contrasted
the economic record of his government with that of the NDP
from 1991-2001, as he said "the
real challenge is we face in the
months ahead is are we going to
move in the 21st century, or are
we going to back to the 1990s?"
Campbell also hammered
NDP leader Carole James for her
opposition to the carbon tax, a
key policy plank for the Liberal
government's efforts to fight climate change. "In BC, we're taking on the challenge of climate
change as opposed to simply
talking about it, and [young
people] realize that's a big part
of their future."
Turning to issues on campus,
Campbell defended the abrupt
funding change to BC universities made last spring, which left
UBC with $13.3 million less in
funding for this year than they
were originally anticipating.
Nonetheless, Campbell argued that the overall increase
in post-secondary education
funding was more important. "I
think when you're adding tens
of millions dollars to a budget,
you're not reducing it," he said,
Premier Campbell discusses his party's economic record at UBC. aaron tam photo/the ubyssey
pointing out the new universities
created outside the Lower Mainland during his time in office as
positive measures for students.
When pressed to cite specific
government initiatives that had
benefited UBC in the past seven
years, Campbell said that his government had "been a big partner
with UBC in the international
projects they've undertaken, in
the research initiatives they've
undertaken." The premier also
noted the $550 million invested
in capital projects since 2001,
citing the Irving K. Barber
Library and the Life Sciences
Building as examples of government contribution.
On issues of governance and
development at UBC, Campbell
declined to take a stand, believing them best left up to those
living on campus. "I always say
in terms of governance issues
that they have to come from the
ground-up, not the top down."
At the same time, he seemed
to admit that the governance situation UBC faced was less than
ideal: "To be candid about it, no
one would start and look at the
Lower Mainland and say what
we want is 18 municipalities. It's
what we have though."
Campbell, who lives an apartment complex in the south of
campus, also revealed the place
he enjoys most at UBC—"the
bookstore, by far,"—but said
that his favourite thing to do is
to "walk around here, the atmosphere is different. For me, it's
palpable.
"To walk along the malls, the
green space, it's not that I have
to do anything there, it's just being." %
Electoral A candidates talk for the first time
The race for the only electable position on campus heats up
by Rebecca teBrake
News Writer
The race heated up in Electoral
Area A last week, as the five candidates for Director duked it out
at a debate in the Old Barn Community Centre.
The University Neighbourhoods Association (UNA), which
hosted the debate, asked candidates to discuss their positions
on governance, transit and the
futures of Pacific Spirit Regional
Park and the UBC Farm. Itwas the
first time candidates met to debate
the issues publicly.
This year's race gives voters a
choice of five candidates:
• Maria Harris, an economist
and member ofthe ratepayer's
Association;
• Charles Menzies, a UBC
professor of anthropology
and member of the University
Neighbourhoods Association;
• Matthew Naylor, a fourth-
year political science student
and resident of UBC;
• Fred Pritchard, former associate vice-president of Campus and Community Planning
at UBC and resident of University Town;
• Ben West, a Vancouver
resident and a Healthy Communities campaigner for the
Western Canada Wilderness
Committee;
During the debate the candidates differed more in degree than
Five candidates for Electoral Area A debate, rebecca tebrake photo/the ubyssey
substance on many ofthe issues.
All the candidates expressed
their support for the UBC Farm,
an issue that is a rallying point
for many UBC students. Menzies
echoed the "24 or more" slogan of
the student-led campaign to save
the entirely ofthe farm's 24 hectares. Harris and Naylor went one
step further to support rezoning
the farm to protect it from housing development and incorporate
it into planning at the Metro Vancouver level.
The candidates diverged on
the issue of land alienation in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, where
land was recently ceded to the
Musqueam First Nation through a
land claims process.
"I found it abhorrent that the
province would come along, chop
out part of the park," Pritchard
said. "One morning it brought in
legislation to rezone the land and
bythe end ofthe day there was 20
acres rezoned that would allow
for a million square feet of development without one word from
residents."
Pritchard said he would work
to ensure the voice of the community was heard. Similarly, Harris
supported the preservation of the
park in its entirety.
Menzies, who described himself as "indigenous and immigrant," underscored the realities
of Canadian law.
"I think that we need to begin
with the recognition and affirmation that we do in fact stand on
unrecognized and unceded territory," said Menzies. "It's Canadian
jurisprudence that says that in BC
in the absence of a treaty, aboriginal rights and title have not been
extinguished."
Naylor also expressed his respect for the treaty process.
All the candidates demanded
the need to improve transit services to UBC through a rapid light
transit system, differing only on
the components ofthe system.
Pritchard supports the extension of the SkyTrain to UBC, while
West wants to see more immediate action.
"The thing to do is to double
the number of buses on the road
and make designated bus lanes,"
he said.
Naylor and Harris focused on
the need for representation on
the Mayor's Council of Regional
Transportation to ensure the
transportation needs of UBC are
considered.
Governance in Electoral Area
A underlay the entire debate. All of
the candidates are against amalgamation with the City of Vancouver
and affirmed they would not alter
the status quo without extensive
community consultation. Their
ideas on the urgency of consultation and change diverged.
Naylor is the only candidate
pursuing a consultation process
as part of his platform, running
on the promise of an 18-month
consultation process with all the
groups in Electoral Area A.
"The governance we choose is
going to determine the shape and
character of our community for
the next century so we have to get
it right," Naylor said.
Pritchard spoke vaguely of
the need for an "enhanced status
quo," while Menzies and West
expressed their support for more
democratic governance.
"We live in a situation in a real
democratic deficiency. We clearly,
clearly need to have real representative democracy," Menzies said.
West agreed, saying "The status quo is unacceptable. It breaks
my heart when I knock on people's
doors and they tell me they can't
vote. I have to explain to them
that they get to elect someone to
the GVRD board. I will be a strong
advocate for at least having some
sort of public process and work
out what is the most appropriate
solution."
At the end of the debate, West
differentiated himself from the
other candidates by addressing
his political arrangement with
COPE and Vision Vancouver, who
will not run candidates against
him in Electoral Area A.
"I am running as part of a
collaborative agreement between
political parties. I see politics, in
truth, as a team sport and you
need to have allegiance and allies
and people working with you to
accomplish things. I come to the
table with a certain amount of
relationship in the city of Vancouver," West said.
All the other candidates are
unaffiliated with the parties competing in Vancouver's municipal
election. \\a 4 | NEWS
THE UBYSSEY WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
NOVEMBER 4, 2Q08
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PRESENTS:
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October 30 to November 11 Poppy Fund Benefit November 11th!
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presents a BC150 Year Celebration Concert
featuring
DEE DANIELS |
and the
White Rock Children's Choir
Sunday, November 9th, 2008 at 2:00pm
The Chan Centre for Performing Arts, UBC
Tickets: $28.00 Seniors/Students: $25.00
Available from: the Chan Ticket Office 604 822-2697
Ticketmaster Charge-by-phone 604 280-3311 *
and on the web: www.ticketmaster.ca * * charges aPPiy
or the Orpheus Choir Hotline 604 515-5686
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a OUyears
Dean Simon Peacock spoke to a small crowd to address student concerns, john horn photo/the ubyssey
Science dean fields complaints
Praises "underestimated" undergraduates
by Ian Turner
News Staff
After two years on the job, dean
of science Simon Peacock recently
held his first town hall meeting
with undergraduates. While the
dean was interested in promoting
his vision for the department, he
often disagreed with the complaints of students.
Peacock spoke about science's
increasing relevance in our world
today. 'Just about every newspaper topic has a strong science connection," he said.
One of Peacock's goals is to
work with other deans to create
more multidisciplinary courses.
Peacock cited the fact that the
majority ofthe world's problems
are intertwined as a reason for
his interest in bridging the gap
between different faculties. One
example he gave was the subject of global warming, where
he believed the economics
and politics of climate change
could be incorporated with the
science behind it to allow for a
more well-rounded perspective
for students.
However, students were more
interested in voicing their own
complaints about the department. A common complaint was
that feedback from online course
evaluations had little impact.
The dean rejected this charge.
"Instructors want to help you to
learn. Let the instructors know
your thoughts and questions.
Break down the barriers quickly,"
he said.
Another common student
question was focused on concerns
that classes were spread across
the campus—not centred within
a small radius. The dean sympathized with the students, but could
only say "this is a challenging time
for UBC because of the number of
buildings undergoing renewal."
Another complaint was insufficient career guidance and resources to science's various individual streams. Paul G. Harrison,
science's associate dean, stated
rather bluntly that students "have
got to be proactive. We send out
the emails. It's there if you want
to use it."
At one point, Peacock praised
UBC students, noting that Nobel
Prize-winning Carl Wieman issued a report that found science's
incoming undergraduate classes
are on par with those of America's
elite, such as Berkeley.
"If you ask me what my biggest
surprise was after arriving at UBC:
the undergrads blow me away. UBC
is continually underestimated."
The dean closed the meeting
with two brief thoughts: "Keep
learning and help others."
Science student senator Geoff
Costeloe was pleased with the
turnout, approximately 30 people.
He noted that while the next town
hall is planned for next term the
"dialogue is always open."
AMS VP Academic Alex
Lougheed echoed those thoughts
said, "We're establishing a culture
to get a higher turnout comparable
to the Faculty of Arts." "SI
Halloweeners help the hungry
Over 400 students proved last Friday, you're never too old to go trick-or-treating. However, these volunteers for the AMS Foodbank and Meal Exchange Vancouver didn't collect candy for themselves—instead,
they asked for canned goods to donate to the AMS and Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The result? 7000
cans, boxes and packages of food, or 8750 pounds worth. Since it's never too early to start planning for
next year, think about spending a few hours next Halloween for an important cause. As Alia Dharamsi,
President of Meal Exchange, and Sijia Lun, AMS Foodbank Coordinator, describe it, "scare up some food
and take a bite out of hunger."
—Michelle Silongan
UBYSSEY FILE PHOTO W
m^AL NOVEMBER 4, 200 8
THE UBYSSEY WWW.UBYSSEY.CA
CULTURE I 7
Triage: James Orbinski's fight against complacency
Film director talks about his experiences in Somalia and Rwanda
BY KlE SHIROMA
Culture Writer
There's a jolt and an overwhelming sickness that grasps and catapults you as you watch Triage,
a documentary featuring former
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
president and Dignitas co-founder James Orbinski.
Prior to watching the film,
I didn't think that I would be
so affected, having seen a lot of
footage on Rwanda. However, as
Orbinski says in the film, "It's
the smell, it's the feeling that
grips you," and his reality came
alive for me even though I wasn't
there to personally experience
the horrors of the violence in
Somalia and Rwanda.
Orbinski and his fellow MSF
doctors had to treat wounds
according to urgency. For example, he had to resort to splitting patients into three groups:
the first group was patients
who had to be looked at within
24 hours, the second was patients who had to be examined
immediately and the third was
patients who had virtually no
chance of surviving. Orbinski
notes that it became a "technical decision" rather than a
"moral decision."
Triage pulls you out of apathy, and asks you what you're
doing to help. It makes a connection between the people in war-
torn nations and people in the
developed world by showing the
different individuals Orbinski
was touched by. The pain that
the people underwent was striking. It made me think that this is
the sort of footage that should be
shown on the news.
At one point, Orbinski speaks
to former colleague Lesto in
Somalia. Lesto, while pained
In a hospital located in Somalia, Dr James Orbinski (right) and Dr Tamir (centre) examine a patient with a gunshot wound, courtesy of white pine pictures
by what his country has gone
through, states that he loves
his country no matter what has
happened there. There is also
another scene when Orbinski
thinks back to an incident where
a gang came to steal mattresses
from the camp that the MSF staff
were living at. They ended up
holding Lesto at gunpoint, asking
for a ransom of $500 US, which
Orbinski quickly paid.
Orbinski was present at the
film and he provided some interesting insights into humanitari-
anism, politics, and how media
can play a role in engaging the
greater populace. I also spoke to
Orbinski after the film, and my
friend Fiona asked, "What can
you do to make people care?"
He responded, "You can guide a
horse to water." The idiom goes
that you can't force a horse to
drink, but Orbinski believes that
some horses might drink if there
is enough guidance.
Orbinski will be speaking at
the Chan Centre on November
7. Tickets are free for students
and faculty. Triage will be widely
released on November 14. \\a
They ended up holding
Lesto at gunpoint, asking
for a ransom of $500, which
Orbinski quickly paid.
Big Brother is watching you.
Identity theft. Cyberstalking. Spy satellites. Surveillance cameras.
These are among the most critical issues facing 21st century life.
For Emily Smith, an M.A. graduate of Sociology and Research
Associate on Queen's New Transparency Project, the answers are
sometimes found on an inspiring waterfront walk.
Emily chose Queen's for her graduate work because of the close
interaction between faculty and students, and the high level of
academic discourse that comes from it. "Your eyes get opened
to a lot of new perspectives", she says.
Looking for a place to put yourself and your ideas to the test?
Come to Queen's.
To learn more about Queen's Graduate Studies,
or to apply, visit www.queensu.ca/sgs
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OXFORD SEMINARS
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If you 'd like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca
November 4,2008 | Page 9
The Education Insider
Councillors dropped the ball on CASA
by Maayan Kreitzman
Columnist
It's generally assumed that it's
important for a university to
be part of a lobbying group. In
Canada, we have two choices;
the federal-lobbying focused
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), and the more
activisty, left-wing stepsister
known as the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS). Given that
the AMS is a founding member
of CASA, I was surprised to hear
that at last Wednesday's council
meeting, at the behest of Stefanie Ratjen and Matthew Naylor
(the current and former VP externals, respectively), AMS council
decided to downgrade its membership in the organization to
'associate member.' This means
they can no longer vote, and will
pay about half as much money to
the organization. Well, here's my
opinionated take on it.
AMS council has allowed
itself to be convinced without
due diligence by a few members
of the executive. As somebody
who has tried on a few occasions
to get stuff passed through AMS
council, and been frustrated by
its reluctance to change relatively insignificant technical procedures, I'm quite shocked that
such a typically cautious group
would so enthusiastically change
the AMS's long-standing position
on CASA due to a laundry list of
mostly minor and partially irrelevant complaints.
Let's talk about them shall
we? In August, the AMS wrote a
letter to CASA outlining a number of valid but minor issues
such as the tone of discussions,
the language used and the social
activities offered at a recent
conference. These were all fully
and reasonably addressed in
the response letter from CASA
(which I invite you to read on
www.ubcinsiders.blogspot.com).
More substantive issues like a
difference in priorities—the AMS
wants to focus on tuition, for instance—and too much influence
of staffers on policy decisions,
are things that should be addressed within the organization
at some length before threatening withdrawal.
Other complaints, like the
fact that CASA no longer funds
awareness campaigns during
federal elections, the lack of
capacity for provincial lobbying
and the supposed eastern focus
ofthe organization are just silly.
CASA is a federal organization
and was never ever intended for
provincial lobbying. And while
most CASA schools are actually in the east, last year's AMS
President, Jeff Friedrich, was
the CASA chairperson—literally the guy setting the agenda.
So suggesting that the AMS is
systematically ignored doesn't
hold up. The AMS's letter to
CASA correctly points out that
for the 45 grand we pay them
each year we could hire our
own federal researcher/lobbyist. But the whole point of being part of a larger association
is the increased influence and
resources that students have
collectively.
Ratjen, as a left-wing radical
who thinks that "education is a
right, not a privilege," is obviously not politically aligned with
CASA. Fine. That doesn't mean
that AMS councillors should ignore the AMS's long history with
the organization and immediately buy into a mostly frivolous
list of grievances. If the AMS
decides, in a wide-ranging discussion with members that our
investment in CASA is not worth
the value, then by all means, it
should reconsider membership.
I have yet to see a convincing example to demonstrate this. The
claim that this move will "send a
strong signal" and that the AMS
still has "all its options open" are
just spin on what is a basically a
bullying tactic. Instead of openly
pursuing the substantive issues,
the AMS is throwing its weight
around.
CASA is obviously different
things to different people. Some
people see it as a good chance
to network with other student
associations and not much else.
Others (including me) think that
the access CASA provides to federal politicians, their research,
policy papers, and permanent
presence in Ottawa is decent
value for the comparatively
modest investment we make in
it. By comparison, CFS fees are
significantly higher, and they're
regularly spurned by politicians
in the ruling parties due to their
more aggressive tactics.
More disturbing than the
actual decision is the process
preceeding it, which was very
short and a little spotty. To me
this evokes doubts as to the motives of those leading the charge.
It's no secret that there wasn't
much love lost between Naylor
and most of the leaders in CASA
during his time as VP external.
The "consultation" with former
executives that was apparently
conducted did not extend to
numerous past student leaders
who viewed the relationship
with CASA more positively. Also,
the fact that nobody from CASA
was invited to speak to council
about Wednesday's motion (they
were only informed of it on the
day it was happening by The
Ubyssey who emailed them for a
comment) is unfair. Since there
was nobody at council to speak
against the motion, it seems like
rookie councillors were somehow convinced that the frivolous
issues raised since August are
"longstanding." The working
group that was convened to discuss the issue was only attended
by ten people, four of which
were AMS executives or staff,
and there was no disagreement
recorded in the minutes. Huh?
Problem is, only about those
ten people, and maybe another
20 know CASA from a hole in
the wall. It's pretty hard not to
be manipulated by executive
agendas when nobody else has
an opinion. \\a
Maayan Kreitzman blogs at
www.ubcinsiders.blogspot.com.
am.S Insider weekly
student society
a weekly look at what's new at your student society
11.04.08
MUNICIPAL
ELECTIONS -
NOVEMBER 15™ EI
Vote in the Vancouver-city and Electoral A Elections
III III
III III
With rental housing costs sky rocketing, inadequate transit services, and a
childcare waitlist at UBC of 1,400 for only 500 spots, your vote will make a
difference in the upcoming elections.
MEET N GREET
VANCOUVER CANDIDATES
Meet Your Vancouver City Councillor Candidates!
This is a chance to you to get to know your candidates for the Municipal Election
and ask them your hard hitting questions on issues that are important to you.
Time: 10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Date:Thursday, November 6th and Friday, November 7,h
Location: SUB Concourse
Electoral A Rep Debate
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Date: Wednesday, November 12th
Location: Acadia Commons Block
Electoral A Candidates will debate on issues such as the UBC Farm, campus land
use and development, governance at UBC and transit service levels.
The Electoral A Rep acts as the UBC-area advocate
within the GVRD local government.
Live off campus?
You can vote for councillors, school board
and parks board representatives.
(Note: Elections are taking place in every city
in the Greater Vancouver Regional District)
Live on campus?
You can vote for Vancouver School
Board representative and a GVRD
Electoral A representative.
ubcfarm
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
All-Candidates Meeting for Electoral Area A
brought to you by Friends of the UBC Farm
and the AMS VP External Office
On Thursday, November 6th an all-candidates meeting will
be held in the Conversation Pit (first floor, between the
Art Gallery and Bernoulli's Bagels) of the Student Union Building (SUB).
6:30 - 7:00 p.m.: Food & refreshments, and meet the candidates
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: All-candidates forum
The forum will provide an opportunity for the UBC residents and students as well as the
greater community to learn about the positions ofthe candidates with regards to UBC's
Campus Plan, specifically the development of south campus as it related to the future
ofthe UBC Farm.
Candidates for Metro Vancouver's Electoral Area A:
Maria Harris, Charles Menzies, Matthew Naylor, Fred Pritchard, Ben West
IM7sub
PROJECT
The end of top-down planning.
It's time for
bottom-up planning.
For more information, please visit www.amsubc.ca
Now is your big chance to help design the NEW Student Union Building. Please
participate to ensure that student needs are accurately accounted for, that student
money is well spent, and that you leave a lasting impression on your university
Please attend one or more of the following Thematic Sessions.
The information collected in these sessions will be used to generate
the design ofthe SUB. These sessions are organized by the AMS Student Society
and are facilitated by students.
To attend a session or several sessions relevant to your experience at UBC
or to volunteer at a session, RSVP to subrenewal@ams.ubc.ca
Zero Footprint SUB: Sustainability & Food Security
Tues., Nov. 4:12:30 - 2:00 p.m., SUB Council Chambers (Room 206)
Public Space, Inside and Outside the New SUB
Wed., Nov. 5:12:30 - 2:00 p.m., SUB Council Chambers (Room 206)
Reconsidering the "Underground Bus Loop"
Thurs., Nov. 6:12:30 - 2:00 p.m., SUB Room 212a
What Is to Be Done with the "Old SUB"?
Fri., Nov. 7:12:30 - 2:00 p.m., SUB Council Chambers (Room 206) Editorial
If you'd like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca
November 4,2008 | Page 10
Our view
Governing our Farm
Governance and the UBC Farm. They're two big issues getting
plenty of attention in the local media (i.e. this paper) recently. As
they should be—the cloudy way UBC is run as a pseudo-city deserves
special attention during a municipal election, and the fate of the
farm is at the front of more than a few students' minds these days.
Which makes it somewhat serendipitous that the two issues collided
last Friday, when the Metro Vancouver board voted unanimously
that the UBC Farm should remain in its present 24-hectare size and
location.
Now, the Metro Vancouver board is the only form of municipal
government that serves the campus. Only one of its 36 members
are directly elected by people living at UBC (Electoral Area A—yay
democracy!). The board is responsible for overseeing the general
growth and development ofthe Lower Mainland, delivery of essential services and other overarching municipal issues. Which means
that whenever they have to delve into UBC development issues,
such as in 2005 with cutting back the size ofthe Marine Drive Towers, it's more than a little bit silly. Councillors from Port Moody and
Surrey shouldn't be forced to take stands about what goes on west
of Blanca.
Nonetheless, the Metro Vancouver board, in all their wisdom,
have voiced their opinion on the farm. The Vancouver Sun and the
Georgia Straight have reported on this news as being significant for
its future. Colour us skeptical on that one for a number of reasons.
First, UBC is granted jurisdiction for development through the Official Community Plan (OCP), which is in itself a Metro Vancouver
bylaw. If UBC ever did decide to develop any of the 24 hectares,
they would need to get the OCP amended—and that's when Metro
Vancouver would have real power. As of now, it's a purely symbolic
measure.
Let's face facts. Unfortunately, the reality is that the decision lies
not in the hands of 15,000 ardent supporters—or city council—but
in those of the UBC powers that be. How did they respond to the
council's unanimous vote? Murray Isman, dean of the Faculty of
Land and Food Systems, said that the vote will be taken into consideration, but at the end of the day the decision will be based on
academic and financial grounds. Emphasis, perhaps, should be
placed on the latter.
It's election time, and these are self-interested councillors. Votes
on UBC issues have no bearing in their own municipalities. Why
vote against a resolution for preserving green space for a university
you don't represent? Everyone and their hamster knows we're in
a "global food crisis" and it's an extremely unpopular decision to
pave over the farm with housing. It's not a polemical situation for
the average Vancouverite. Mel Lehan, a supporter of the farm, was
quoted in the Georgia Straight as saying he's never had a petition
that was so easy to get signed. Really? Big surprise. Furthermore,
next month, we're going to have a new Metro Vancouver board, with
a new view on how much to wade into UBC affairs.
That board, and the UBC administration, is going to have to deal
with a new economic reality. In the same weekend that city council rallied behind the protection of the farm, The Globe and Mail
reported that Canadian universities are hemorrhaging millions of
dollars and are struggling to balance the books. This doesn't bode
well for the farm. When universities have to start seeing every decision through a green lens (no, the other green), it's projects like a
nice 24-hectare agricultural reserve that are the first to go.
We as a student body often complain about the high cost of
tuition. Yet, we also have situations like the UBC Farm where we
demand that the university makes a decision not based purely on
dollars and cents. It can't go both ways.
Hypothetically, would we be willing to put our dollars on the line
and pay a little bit extra to save the farm? Instead of hoping for the
city to bail us out, would we bail ourselves out by paying a nominal
"farm fee?" It would be interesting to see how easy it would be to get
15,000 to sign a petition with that minor qualifier.
And maybe that's the way it has to be.
So while the intersection of the farm and governance last week
didn't really shed new light on the former, it assuredly did on the
latter. UBC has its own unique boundaries, its own priorities, and,
by any sane definition, is a city. Somehow, we end up being governed by a multi-headed albatross consisting of the Board of Governors, Campus and Community Planning, Properties Trust, the
UEL, the UNA and Metro Vancouver, with virtually no municipal
representation afforded to those living on campus. There has to be a
simpler solution. The good news? The more times Metro Vancouver
is forced to turn their eye to our campus, the more evident that will
become. \\a
Goto
ubyssey.ca
for more.
SAVE THL FAW1
1/1/ )/ T«e
vjmsr?
by Paul Bucci
Letters
To The Ubyssey:
Your October 21 editorial extolled the virtues of legalization
and offered readers a list of the
diverse group of activities that
The Ubyssey has supported legalizing (I noticed that the legalization of handguns was conspicuously absent from that list, but I
digress).
Your editorial condemned
those fascists who would prohibit the sale of raw milk, claiming
that it is "poor handling" (dirty
hands ofthe benighted handlers,
one wonders?) of that precious
raw milk that causes troubles.
Alas, if it were only so simple.
Dr Murray McQuigge, the
medical officer of health for
the Grey Bruce Health Unit [the
local health agency] at the time
of the Walkerton tainted water
tragedy, points out that in the
late 19th century, some ten per
cent of cases of childhood tuberculosis came about as the
Streeters
result of unpasteurized milk. In
our day, a Peterborough baby,
who had not consumed raw
milk, died of salmonella-caused
meningitis in 1981 when she
came into contact in a nursery
with another baby whose mother
had consumed raw milk. Both
the mother and the other baby
tested positive for the bacterium
but neither showed symptoms.
(The reference is Dr Murray
McQuigge, "Allowing Raw Milk's
Sale Amounts To Manslaughter,"
Globe and Mail, July 12, 2006.)
Be careful what you wish
for...
—David Buchanan
UBC 2005, Master of Library and
Information Studies
Call for Letters
Interested in responding to
something we've said? Want
to get your ideas in the paper? Write us a letter.
If you wish to to submit a letter it must be no longer than
350 words. Your identity will
be confirmed by phone or
by ID from the office. People
may email us at feedback©
ubyssey.ca.
How will you feel if McCain pulls out an upset victory?
Wayne Kreger
Asian Studies Grad
"I kinda lean
towards Obama,
so I would be
upset in that
sense, but it
would be exciting I guess. I'd
be suspicious of
what had happened."
Jordan Pousett Ratcha Kengradomying
Engineering 1 Science 1
"It's a bit of a
tough question...
I'd be pretty
indifferent, either
way. don't really see myself
as too involved
with American
politics, but,
obviously what
happens there is
going to effect
Canada."
"I would kinda
be disappointed,
that the Americans chose the
wrong guy...
He's old. He's
really, really
old, and I like
Obama's policies
better."
Renato Nicholas
Arts 2
"I'd be disappointed, I am
pro-Obama. I
don't think it's
going to happen
though, I've
been keeping
up with the
polls on CNN
and I don't see
it happening at
all."
Fiona Watson
Arts 1
"I think it would
be a little disappointing, just
because there's
been so much
hype about it....
and if he didn't
win, just all that
for nothing, [it's]
sort of like lost
progress."
-Coordinated by Tara Martellaro & Nessa Aref, with photos by Kathy Yan Li Queen's
——• UNIVERSITY """@en ;
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dcterms:publisher "Vancouver : The Ubyssey Publications Society"@en ;
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