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skos:note """ £>>—-• ———
noJZAiwnvestigation of
mysterious religion. Pages 4-5
timmm:
CULTURE:
House music by Sasha.
Welsh DJ rocks Vancouver. Page 3.
EDITORIAL:
Paying for what?
We weigh in on the proposed increases
to 'non-instructional' fees. Page 6.
SPORTS:
Scrum sisters:
Inside the women's rugby team.
Page 7.
HEWS:
GAP back at UBC.
Students For Choice and GAP displays
exist harmoniously. Page 8.
f
i C-- u l'> y tt ca
* Volume 8-* Issue 12/
\\
FI.;'p. l»:t •■*..,- II7''«»?
thinks fof liis l«_55/if"//, r-;*.^ "}'.?,j tHliliili
CLASSIFIEDS
■^^SMlMil^iMI Friday, October 11, 2002
IRAQ BARENESS WEEK: TUE OCT
15: Documentary "Paying the Price:
Killing the Children of Iraq" SUB
214/216, 12-2pm. Thur Oct 17: Panel
Discussion/Speakers. SUB Theatre, 12-
2pm. Fri Oct 18: "Peace Fair" SUB-12-
2pm.
SPARTACUS BOOKS FALL SALE.
Everything 10-80% off. Oct 10-16. Philosophy,-Cultural Studies, Feminist.
Queer & Native Studies, Sociology,
Geography... 311 W. Hastings, M-F 10-
8:30, Sat 11-7, Sun 12-7. 688-6138
GUITAR FOR SALE. Epiphone special
half cut with bolt neck. Deep red; black
hardware. Sports 2 single coil pickups. 1-
yr-old in mint condition. $300 obo. Dave
632-2360 davegaertner@hotmail.com
2002 HONDA JAZZ SCOOTER 15cc,
1600km, excel. Cond. 3-mos warranty.
$2350. 604-765-4601.
1993 DODGE SHADOW FOR SALE 4
cyl. automatic, a/c, cruise cntrl, AM/FM
cassette. Excellent maintenance record.
$3500 (negotiable) Call: 604-763-4389.
JUDY RACE ROCK SHOX FRONT
MTN. BIKE fork. Barely used - only 1
season Like new. Worth over $400. Asking $150 call 604-719-8595.
FOR SALE: 1990 HONDA CRX SI.
Excellent condition. Must sell. Asking
$4900. Call 604-719-8595
MTN VIEW ON HARWOOD. 1/2 blk
to Eng. Bay. t-bdrm. Fully furnished,
Parking, Utilities. $1050/mo. Nov-Mar.
681-0461.
ra uurncuiar
SWING DANCE! EVERY SAT. at St.
James Community Hall on 10th Ave. (4
blocks West of McDonald. Beginner lesson @ 8, Student $4 only! 822-0124.
FRONTIER COLLEGE, A NONPROFIT LITERACY ORG'N, NEEDS
VOLUNTEER TUTORS to work with
kids, youth and adults on reading &
other learning tasks. Email: frontiercol-
lege02AGE FRIDAY!
■ Friday, October 11,2002 *
~m& ityfifisf; Ti^agaiiii^
__F
9
www.statnavel.ca
oriLinE >> on the PHone >> on cnrnpu/ >> on the /tre.t
See!%b ffiaf>t!MS
Oct 16-26
Mon-Sat 7:30pm
TELUS Studio Theatre
Tickets: Reg $16, St/Sr $10, Preview Oct 16 $6
Frederic. Wood Box Office
-604-822-2678
13%f www.tlieatfe.ubc.ca
■g^-V'ii' rl-^^r^'V^i.- ins^riX:*yjjtr
P#*5
HKMItS
itelg
» J9|^Lp
Cone to the Ubyssey Business Office for
[our chance to win a tand new CD kj Supergrass!
SUB Room 23 Behind the Arcade
A look at * *%*
L. Ron; Hubbard's ^
mysterious brainchild 5
by JCirsten Weld ^^
■ THE MCGILL DAILY
MONTREAL (CUP) I _-n, 4 ii.» ■::i'«-ic' mJ-
ablv, afraid
'm «'.tn '"nj o'i'.-;i--:e wf M'puIjv il's
I'h. nh p f S':i';s'..ilf ty, .mi^ I'm 'v^ii
r nt; !■> _• Hu ::>!y i-j_bt p he u.ib'hlv >ii
"iy ,■' .ji, not lo :-h.tjjo:i 1I3 m-]pj!:i
>:v'.:.„l iY.p'.P To .\\ il|y. nlo ihe
plac<> i.:i 1 :•' .>wr, po". ■■>» jmn :;>!< :v-'.<"l i:_ 1
eager p'i'."-.:.jl < oi.wrt 1 w i'j;■ ■«! 1 > p-iv ,\\h.il
these' Si K'n'.^'lpi^-i-ls n 1 oj 1 1)1) nn> '.V.i'JJ
they *■■ uw.^h ;i:i-1 :a 1 n'miiP :!v ".M'h
utop: p'l, -i iii \\,-.-..•:.>< of an alternate reality?
Wou! i 'hi'\\ ■>' 'i 1 MMii me into signing my life
awa7 Or .»..■ 11 "Jsfry simply demand tK-
entL.':1. "I" ",y •-.i,:t^re savings account ki
excl ■.* _..* fir i'i": '-Si's of spiritual fulfilm|nt?
S-.J. l.'T'iy .<• i'if-i'.gthatl am armed solfely
with .-''"t ip.\\jH'» _.!i 1 a sizeable dose of paxn-"
noia - J.: 7: '.: \\t'"'.ire starts to seem iE-COa-v
ceivi 'A !''j> in i*Th he dark and mysteiipusY',
fore- - :-f -i ji'i,) :v!'_,jp >n that has been widely-
concl ■■■.■. i p1- ( '• Tgerous cult, merely for'
the ■■ :'•;- .1 j. •'■/. d student journalism,- no-
longer .y, -v:-i ' j l.i» worth the effect Ufa®
placid I-' -•it rti.q ] >ok like a churjehi but
insti- ul! Vi i>'.''< iop't hardware store.Iiakea1
dee]) !i:'i',i '1 ;-u 1 «'i'rmon forth all n$ f|pu|-
ties of *■-?- -'l.iithought and analysis, as well £s.x
my <-.p-.: _.* Singling myself, I stride ifiibugh-
tlie j,'. i.--! •! ji-r, only to be confronted with ail ■
array o£ glussy lamphlets and two or mik&
niud-manaijredj relatively normal-ldoMiig'
people sitting, calmly at their desks. ""' ,,
PLifflNiwiTHFIRl-
AND BRIMSTONE '^
I enter, fully expecting a weird and unsettling experience* TJi« Scientologists do not
disappoint - ,. -5 -\\\\
Immediately, a. man~ approaches me,
inquiring as to my business, % play innocent,
citing an interest in Scientplogythat remains
unquenched by my casual1 web surfing. He
offers to show me an instructibnafVideo that
he hopes will answer some of my quoHti'pjis,
and I accept v - Y
He ushers me into a special viewing iubi-
cle, where I sit among stacks of videos with
names like Operation Manual for the Mind
and The Dynamic Principles of Existence. The
video I watch consists entirely of a 1966 mte^C
view with L. Ron Hubbard, the charismatic
founder of Scientology. He has 'cult leader'
written all over him: a friendly Nebraska
drawl, intent eyes, an avuncular air. I do my
best to conceal my reporter's notebook m
which I furiously scrawl notes, convinced that
I am being watched.
In the video, L. Ron—as he is affectionately
known in Scientology circles—explains that
the practice of his new religion, which to my
eye seems like a harmless mix of futuristic
techno-spiritualify and crack psychotherapy,
can improve my reaction time, alertness,
overall happiness and IQ. He discusses
Scientology therapy, or 'processing,' as well
as the training involved to become a full practitioner, or 'auditor.' It all sounds terribly
Orwellian to me, but I keep listening.
What I discern to be the basic premise of
the faith is the following: human beings, in
their unconscious or 'reactive' minds, accumulate memories of painful experiences,
which Scientology calls 'engrams.' The presence of these engrams impedes personal
development and happiness in one's later life,
iiitl >- > h.-y ih'i1 111I'i' .\\p;i.isj("l. C'r "• Jimh-.!,'
in l.-di-r lo _ '".'ii' iv?r-=, a *!ci p'ltl n'u li :v
1 !"ii--l rrua ,ip]i-,n» *sp,K:»'1 1111' 1 i.n-J Ij
p^pi'.k.viiij p.i'ipjw hij'SrtS* Ifil p.vl''m"ilo
i l.lit ji-r.t (uIjicIi' .ni"l ■■■it '>jpji')s.i;p l"—«i .it a
V-k Im k'j'g..p jt,aiir'^h ui'l'i\\r'».iA' 1 i"ir-
!r.:il pjl L U >;i "'miWif In 'In' >ii \\t r > ''n iN .1
■::. i^.w, f.'.i\\ *■».•%i'IZi' L 1?'in bii-l llio <\\ j!1.-*
..K1 mA'.ti-iI in gaudy Scientology postersof
rl.-.-u v,;i^ Logans, and happy white.feanSt
'.he S( lenlnlogy food chain, costs one million legitimacy, '^cientologv- lus io have merit, m
dollars. As a result of its shady dealings, the the sense that Hundreds <-f !ii.>usands of puo
organisation has found itself the target of pie have practised it and found, it extremely
investigations in the United States by the Food helpful and rewarding" F il:-.<'t' say&. "Of
and Drug Admi^is1^atioaf^tlj% internal course you'E find so'".!' po-.['I_ v&f^aqn't
Revenue,Servjfca-.and jEd-^dlrdf ^ure^al>^|^_^approve of it or who di^.J,* it, Imtdoes _&t
Invessaga1ron> among others^, * 7Y *^^! 'v " ^pjjoy its entire merit'' _,
4£ye£TOJjdere^wliaiScie^te^ neither expi.it :s-,nnicii-
.-t^fB.about?Sd JtJgtfJ I|*j|ot|[>^|G&ii^chvisit'\\ SefentddQ' fan, each acknowledges thft com-
^ T . fj-ifAjfS -f*V _3t-rtV?v*"T8£_r*-tt ■i-ri'TrvT'Tr. ofinii^ alJ_/\\*i_:- -prrtrvi.VrWint.*^( it cri-^oo TAn'+li /-.+Viq»- a/->/*ix**'f__rf ■*^&1-5'_
'of a
K.'nl ron'i'i'ies. fdeally, a g/oup should say
up frjiil wliat it's ill jboiit Scientology, by
contrast, «lj,.nihly proierts its most important information, ,avl is a "•'r-L-t, it's \\cry difficult to de term I'lr! lis ri-)ti\\t's'
THE FUTURE OF
FUTURISM
1- ,~ vV
1 £!■.' m m—.Main— and I taJJ, for sonx3 time,
ffi is |_ther non-threatenitigv JI^ asi%lbout
any nptential engrams I,nfiiy btj haiffiuring,
- 'and jfquickly invent a tali of a frquffled rela-
ties on to tell me f$tal I
ard-unl'.blc ind "i.n become hysterical or'
viblei'-t" n "iy i-vt-iylay actions. I am "totally-
irres}'vjn_iblo," as well as "totally insensitive
and without ki-art" OuciBV
Alain tel!s me lhat my Cbiqdition is urgent,
but that—ror.vemeiidy—S'-ionlology can help
me. As I «lart lo wonder about the legitimacy
of the lesl, Ala-.n. becomes allti^'thcr more
aggressive, demanding what I plan lo do
about the advanced stale of miteiy and initial
turpitude in which I have found mj.eif
Deciding that I have had enough, I t-\\lnc,atd
myself from the silualion, 1 a.ng budgolary
' ccmslraints and a need to think thing- qver, I
f pronnse to return later in the week and quick-
- ly waSfe out, vowing never to return Afraid of
being fofloji^ed, I take a circuitous route home.
Sclentojo^isi t^racket, a savvy
scheme d^W^^'te extract cash fr > n vw.ik-
willed and brainwasned adherents?
infegr^tetl into socie
not a cult/
r/t
"On the w]lQl^'7^7>;»~ "Everyon4,le3«ls fi_j,racket charge v\\L«;o.4-
,.-*'", v , < f -,' t: ^nT^A, comes to Scientbfegy/ €owan says. "It seenCis, ,
ScientolOg|stS|E_'^p^Q»'X, like we want ta criticise Scientology^for som0-,
s! 7*•' 'Y*-!' ->- !~" 1T ''~ 'Y thing that is c§p__fe$S_____lly American: cotp--
QyfhpWC^Yety W^L-r; * .^modifying evoytM^i tfcnk it's very intej^
sting that a- coij^oVerslal new religious
.ovement is cjitf^Oed" fok something that fe~ '
een as a credit t^ ^i^ri^an society in any' -
'>": Tnumber of othesr; \\vay9. ^girdless, I've talked '
to lots of Scientologists, wno aren't out thei;e ■
scamming people fof money,' he says.
One could easfflf mak| the case that org4»- .
ised religion has bf en. Mmmodifying, or selling, itself; __v Ctbtup.es. Why, then, has
Scientolo^ $2mh& itself tmder specific aftackY
for ,a1telbtites, shkretl not only by other relit -,
Amon^tlj.f.tfac^Jl'fgrned: that adherents , gj^n%%tals>3 ^Western society itself Y - ' <
can buy u^uitn^^^nu^e^bla^^fli^^V ,,-*-tnink_iaiui many ways, Scientologyh^s,
the supreme. ^el^otiS l^Ve|-_pf --fOp'esfa6ngV,.o$&-*«i:'-^f'to criticism Every time you use
Thetan' involves spMlji^t~Jng^rla^,^^|^^ - heWk0^as spokespeople," CowansayS# "you ;
Ron Hubbard has" 'dange^psly hyp"nop§*'-^j)pefi yourself to ridicule. What 'does Jenna?'
\\eyes, that Scientologists are frigMening'stalS^ Elfman have to say to me abcra* sgirituali^f
—Sus_A'F|3pi«#
Professor,
ps^Kiordia Universily
> 1w|, that Scientology treatments can help me
Y J|_wget over the death of a parent in just one
\\ yis^apd^aore.
Ii,v^as onlj ^ter my paranoid jaunt to the
;; Cnurc&Yof Scleniolbgy that I bothered to seek
She recites lines like the?& fbf a liyingl^ ^ut
Scientology—nonetitefess—h."-? .-'-J u< k *gold
with its celebrity^ h^-jm'fi^5 ■ ■■n\\cils. 'We
are a celebrity^frivgn {ri"U-"P.' c-ominues
Cpwan,'*aM Sden&logy has taken advantage
^t,^«iiblelr£o^a1ionr€^dii^my, expert- "ofthat*
eniCiwtWmmti^fibo^t&s^^ all _a«- u$jtiK5¥«n^pl3_ (NRgJ^;
who actually support Scientology "as"*, bona
fide religion and who see the term 'cult' as a
total misnomer.
7s^Scientology is definitely a legitimate religion/1 attests Professor Susan Palmer, an
expert on, modern, religions who teaches a
! course called 'Cults and Religious Controversy' ; 'classify It, serious moraL ethical and personal
at Concordia llniyersi^: *^ religions a ^oupY issues exist within Scientology. The lower-
_i* 1- ...t'_--jj_._^J.PL-...i4j^.i^—^_^^_^. leyd functionaries don't necessarily know
about the'upper-level abuses-.*
7 Kent- cites LY 'Ron Hubbard's own
Scientology dictionary. Modern Management
technology Defined, as evidence of
Scientology's nebulous and sinister ways. In
it, one of the given definitions of 'ethics' is the
following: "The purpose of ethics is to remove
counter-intentions from the environment
Having accomplished that, the purpose
becomes to remove other intentionedness
[sicj.from the environment' One interpretation of such newspeak is that the purpose of
Scientology is to eliminate all its opposition,
Kent proposes.
"Once you're in the Church,' Kent says, 'no
discussion, debate or criticism are permitted.
Higher-level adherents must advertise and
advance L. Ron Hubbard's teachings in all
aspects of their lives, or else they will be
silenced.' What's more, Scientology is
extremely secretive and closeted about its
sacred texts and upper religious levels, punishing and attacking those who release such
'classified' information
"There are issues about full disclosure,'
of people whh address ths iiltimata* questions
of me^wng'and Ufe/ JPaliner believes that U13
word 'cini' has been at»u.-ed and eirplcyerl
particularly iii the media, as an recuse to isolate and persecute- nascent religious movements. "On the whole. Scientologists are people who are very well-integrated into society—
they no longer have a charismatic leader, they
don't demand that their adherents drop out of
s society, they use modern medicine,' she says.
' ."They're not a cult'
Douglas Cowan, prpfessor of Religious
Studies and Sociology at the- Umversirl*"of"
Missouri/ Kansas City, agrees. "In the early
1950s, when Scientology was first getting
started, it was not a religion—it was more like
Freudian psychoanalysis with a techno twist,'
he comments. "But now it's evolved. It accords
with all the accepted definitions of a religion
and so a case can certainly be made for it in
that respect That's not a value judgement on
whether it's good or bad."
Both Palmer and Cowan point to the religious phenomenon's popularity, its resilience
in the face of adversity and its similarity to
many other accepted faiths as indicators of its
So Scientol".;v Kis ili'wr.y cat-h-'d ~.n un
u'lr ennsumen-m, -«t ult-brity Feti-hes .i!.J
uilt searching f"r m i-liT'i s-juri'u .''ly 1:1.1 'fih-
nologieal and glob-di^d .v nVL T'ti »U>-_nt; to
1hinkt»|ttheseScientoli'Ui'-:s, .\\\\ 'iiipi"hap.-.a
litife 'creative in their b.'Y, r*. -in* r.i,hcr
cfevef-Aey're obviouslj fil]':„>.i iU'hii .i:id, \\$
Cotfvaii observes, "they ma\\ *vj wiiHr« wry
hard to create that niche, but Jwy'ri* ^aL^h :i%
it nonetheless." The com!or it.-13 of high'oi-h
Fal_j an<|entrepreneur! il 'i!rw\\ as k )pjky as it
may sound, has proven mii »-W' J iv.irl«!wiiif».
"I sfe Scientology is .i !i-.uli:fvi''.i'tl,
traiisn^ional organisati'm, '>"ly tnrl "f whu h
isrelig»us," Kent says. In I nicy's ioTJi'».t, •me
of cc^orations and gl-i!'.l m:' 'MHi'j'inn,
SdeMology seems to be J'e bi/uiiv, pcifcd
religious manifestation of Ji-ar 'nilli'inl ^1
aafft.
' f "Scientology looks like one >f ill, new 1 ( h
gious movements that ivil _.l_illy .-Jivne "
Palmer says. "They've o\\r-,M™ ihe death of
their leader, as well as incredible) ppr.-ei uLinn
and bigotry.'
Jean La Riviere, Dir-rt'T of Public \\ffairs
at Montreal's Church, of S'-k-ntology 'ind a
practitioner of tile faith snip IM i, acknowledges how damaging~" the widespread criticism and' scapegoatiiig'of Scientology has
been for its believers-"It's |6rd to hear these
stoiii'.s, which continue/pushing negative
steieotvpes of our-,Beliefs." La Riviere
observes that any nev^ religion encounters difficulty and opposjtfon at its inception, as did
Christianity a^d other now-accepted faiths
when they were getting off the ground.
'When you have a new religious movement, this kind of targeting happens because
the faith is not understood,' La Riviere says.
"Right away, because they don't have any
information, people will create information
for themselves. It's unfortunate, but that's
how human nature works."
What does the future hold for Scientology?
It's hard to say. Now that society has legions of
second- and third-generation Scientologists on
its hands, it looks as though the faith is here to
stay. "If the media start reporting on
Scientology in a more positive way,' Cowan
remarks, "that might fuel its growth even
more.'
In the end, Scientologists' are harmless—
they don't have laser eyes, they won't stalk
your family, they don't have apocalyptic fantasies. They're just people who go to church,
like any other people who go to church.
Ultimately, I'm amazed at how entrenched my
misconceptions about these people were, and
I feel rather silly.
I have to say, my greatest comfort through
this whole experience has been learning that
the personality test I took at the Church has
been widely documented as being skewed—
designed to indicate that people have problems that Scientology can solve. So while I
may still need to worry about my stereotypes
and biases, I can sleep easy about my hysterical, violent outbursts. ♦
Live and Learn
Japanese!
Waseda Oregon Programs take North American and international students to
the prestigious Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan for Japanese language and comparative US-Japan Societies study:
• Waseda Oregon Transnational Program
January 15 - June 27, 2003
• Waseda Oregon Summer Japanese Program
July 9-August 19,2003
Scholarships of up to $1000 are available for the Transnational Program.
For more information, contact:
Waseda Oregon Office
Portland State University
(800) 823-7938 www.wasedaoregon.org
email: info@wasedaoregon.org
IN THEATRES
OCTOBER 18
Come to
SUB Room 23
(in the basement
behind the arcade)
to receive a
COMPLIMENTARY
PASS to an exclusive
advance campus
screening of:'
for.iH.la51
showing:
Tuesday, October 15
SUB Norm Theatre
9:30pm.
UBYSSIY
V E A W A Y
PTHE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA'
Cecil H. & Ida Green Visiting Professor
Carol Richards
Professor, Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University
Rehabilitation Research Centre, Quebec Rehabilitation Institute (CIRRIS)
Director, Quebec Provincial Rehabilitation Research Network (REPAR)
Research Networking Across Canada
Tuesday, October 15 at 7:30pm
Graham House, Green College UBC
Enhancing Rehabilitation Outcomes Tltrough Mental Practice
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00pm
GF Strong Auditorium, 4255 Laurel Street, Vancouver
Research in Cerebral Palsy: An International Perspective
Thursday, October 17 at 12:00
Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, 3644 Slocan Street,
Vancouver
Establishing an Interdisciplinary Research Centre [ICORD]
Thursday, October 17 at 3:00pm
Family & Nutritional Sciences Room 40, 2205 East Mall, UBC
Maximizing Walking Capacity After Stroke
Vancouver Institute Lecture
Saturday, October 19 at 8:15pm
Woodward IRC, Hall 2, UBC
rS^^^S®
'""! * 6
EDITORIAL
THEUBYSSEY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11,2002
VOLUME 84 ISSUE 12
. life jitif $mj. inaiaiififr
PAGE FRIDAY
Friday, October 11, 2002
EDITORIAL BOARD
ACTING
COORDINATING EDITOR
Chris Shepherd
NEWS EDITORS
Kathleen Deering
Chris Shepherd -
CULTURE EDITOR
Michael Schwandt
SPORTS EDITOR
Sarah Conchie
FEATURES/NATIONAL EDITOR
Duncan M. McHugh
COPY EDITOR
Anna King
PHOTO EDITOR
Nic Fensom
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Hywel Tuscano
COORDINATORS
VOLUNTEERS
Jesse Marchand
RESEARCH/LETTERS
Parminder Nizher
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of
British Columbia It is published every Tuesday and Friday by The
Ubyssey Publications Society.
We are an autonomous, democratically run student organisation,
and all students are encouraged to participate.
Editorials are chosen and written by the t/fiyssey 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.
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 \\s the property of The
Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and-
artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the
expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.
Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your
phone number, student number and signature (not for publication)
as well as your year and facully with all submissions. ID will be
checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of
The Ubyssey, otherwise verification will be done by phone.
"Perspectives" are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750
words and are run according to space.
"Freestyles" are opinion pieces written by Ubyssey staff members.
Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles
unless the latter is time sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run
until the identity of the 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 the 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 thai do not
lessen the value or the impact of the ad.
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Room 24, Student Union Building
6138 Student Union Boulevard
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
tel: 604-822-2301
fax: 604-822-9279
web: www.ubyssey.bc.ca
e-mail: feedback@ubyssey.bc.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.bc.ca
BUSINESS MANAGER
Fernie Pereira
AD SALES
Karen Leung
AD DESIGN
Shalene Takara
"Wooo!" said Ampin Sharma. IVdoooI" echoed Patrick Lok. Hie
party was underway. Iva Cheung and Roberto Wittmann clinked
their bottles together, the camera shilling away just as they
were about to take a sip. It ibcused on Michael Schwandt who
raised his can in the air and yelled. "Woooool" he said. Laura
Blue and Kathleen Deering grooved to the Rinky, home-grown
times, while Anna King showed off the logo tattooed on her
shoulder to Vampyra Draculea and Duncan McHugh. Billy
Cheung teared up when he heard Jesse Marchand giving her
famous patriotic rant to Parm Nizher. On the oiher side of the
house. Chris Shepherd and Sarah Conchie laughed heartily,
raising their drinks in the air. as Nic Fensom gave the normally shy Hywel Tuscano abottle. The camera cut to the kitchen just
in time to see Krista McFadden and Zerah Lurie puB a couple
more bottles out of the refridgerator. And just as the 30 seconds
was drawing to a dose, Alison Bones reminded everyone not to
drink and drive. ♦
Canadian
University
Press
Canada Port Sofas Agraamant Numbar 0732141
frn
Paying
At Wednesday's Alma Mater Society (AMS)
Council meeting, Associate Vice-President and
Registrar, Enrolment Services Brian Silzer
announced proposed increases to non-instructional fees, which are mandatory for every student and separate from tuition fees. We at the
Ubyssey feel that many of these increases are
shockingly high and, in many cases, unwarranted. These proposed increases would come into
effect April 1,2003.
One of the most significant and unreasonable changes would be an'additional charge for
students to write a deferred exam. Currently,
there is no charge. The proposed increase would
see a $30 fee applied per missed exam.
Financial arguments aside, it just seems
cruel to assign a fee to something that is quite
often not in the control of the student People
can only defer exams for certain reasons, including serious illness, family deaths and emotional
problems that prevent them taking the exam at
the alloted time. Assigning a full-time student
$30 a charge for each deferred exam means that
one could be forced to pay up to $150 for
unavoidably deferred exams—exams that have
already been paid for.
The university claims the motivation for
this new charge is cost-recovery for the exam
preparation, scheduling and grading of a separate exam. However, more often then not, the
person responsible for supervising the student
taking the deferred exam, and marking the
exam, is a teaching assistant (TA)—who, incidentally, is a salaried employee of the university. This TA, we assume, would not see any of
the $30 a student would pay for the deferred
exam. And if a professor was indeed forced to
create a new exam entirely for the student, in
order to maintain a level playing field with
other students, please refer to the previous
argument—a professor is also a salaried
employee.
So we ask, what other costs are associated
with taking a deferred exam? The professor
would still use the same amount of paper and
the same amount of ink for marking, and it
would still take the same amount of time to
mark the exam a few days or weeks later. And
although a deferred exam may cause anxiety,
frustration and inconvenience for all those
involved in the rescheduling of the exam, the
$30 will not be doled out on a percentage basis
to each person involved in the rescheduling of
the exam. This fee would be sent directly to the
university.
We would also like to draw attention to the
$100,000 from this year's tuition increase that
is allocated to Student Services for the administrative costs of exams and for childcare. Unless
the bulk of this oddly-grouped fund is used to
build an enormous daycare on campus, and we
highly doubt that this is the case, it seems that
students are going to be paying twice for their
deferred exams.
Proposed increases to other fees are just as
questionable. Silzer also announced a potential
jump in entrance application fees from $22 to
$60 for applicants within BC; re-admission fees
would see the same rise. Out-of-province applications would remain high, increasing from $ 56
to $60.
In all fairness, such fees have been frozen
since 1997, and the university is concerned
about keeping up with inflation. But, as stated in
a letter supported by the AMS, the proposed
increase is a 172 per cent rise, significantly
above the rate of inflation. (According to
Statistics Canada, the Consumer Price Index
rose only 8.1 per cent between 1997 and 2002.)
The university has argued this is justified as
the current application fee is below the national average. But why should we rise to the
national average? In the spirit of keeping our
university appealing and accessible to applicants, it only makes sense to keep fees at a reasonable level, given that most students apply to
more than one university.
This rise is also out of step with our provincial peers: Admission fees for within-province
applicants at SFU and UVic are $35 and $30,
respectively. Applying to Ontario universities is
even cheaper—it only costs $8 5 to apply to three
universities through the Ontario Universities'
Application Centre.
Silzer treated such concerns at the Council
meeting casually. He said that, if a student cannot afford the $60 application fee, it would be
an indication that the student can't afford university in the first place, and he would refer
them to the Financial Aid Office. Passing the
buck in this manner is simply nonsensical, and
completely unacceptable from an officer
responsible for facilitating enrolment Students
have access to student loans only once they
become students, not months before. Qualified
students shouldn't be discouraged before they
even attend our school.
These are not the only increases that worry
us. Obtaining transcripts will potentially cost
more (up to $6 from $4), as will having an
assigned standing reviewed (from $25 to $50).
Furthermore, supplemental exam costs—fees
paid to take exams for a course previously
failed-will rise from $25.50 to $60.
None of these proposed increases to non-
instructional fees are considered ancillary fees,
nor tuition fees, and therefore they were not limited by the provincial freeze in place from 1995
to 2001. We wonder why such fees have not
been increased incrementally, rather than in the
significant jumps proposed for next year. In any
case, the proposals will be brought to the
November meeting of the Board of Governors,
leaving a large window of time for students to
bring their concerns to the university. We
encourage you to do so. Brian Silzer's e-mail
address is brian.silzer@ubc.ca and his office
phone number is 604-822-3265. ♦ PAGE FRIDAY
Friday, October 11,2002
tfti iibfsiff fflaiaiirif
SPORTS
sis
Giving it a tri
by Sarah Conchie
SPORTS EDITOR
Most people travel to Hawaii to relax,
catch a few waves, and bring home
tacky souvenirs. Tracy Hall is flying to
the lush, tropical island of Kuna this
Sunday, but instead of checking into a
luxury beachfront hotel and ordering
a drink with a tiny umbrella in it,
she's going to swim, cycle and run a
gruelling 300. kilometres in a single
day. And instead of sending home a
cute vacation postcard, Hall will likely
tell her family to turn on the television
to see her cross the finish line at one
of the hardest athletic challenges on
the entire planet Ironman Hawaii
"It's the pinnacle of lhe sport,"
says Hall. "The best people in the
whole world will be there."
As well as being a teacher at the
English Language Institute at UBC,
Hall is a triathlete, and although she is
modest about her abilities, her stellar
second-place finish a Ironman USA
this August means that she's one of
best
It wasn't always the case. After she
graduated with a BA in literature fropi
UBC and began teaching on campus,
she started competing in casual
marathons and duathlons. After see-
UBC teacher
competes in the
big leagues
ing the healthy energy of some passing triathletes, Hall decided to up the
athletic ante.
Running came naturally.
"It's just so easy. You just put on
your shoes and away you go.
Whenever I go fast running on the
surface of the road, it's like I'm barely
touching the ground."
Swimming wasn't quite so comforting. "I was intimidated by swimming at first I had a lot of panic
attacks," she confesses. "I didn't like
having my head under water and not
being able to breathe properly." With
practice, and the gentle guidance of
her husband, triathlete Paul
Pierobon, Hall soon conquered the
water—most recently posting a time
of 1:06 in the 3.86km swim at
Ironman USA in Lake Placid.
Hall spends six days a week in
training. Three of those days are
devoted to pedalling around
Vancouver, and occasionally. Mount
EYES ON THE PRIZE: lronwoman
Baker. It's not easy. The race itself is
exhilarating, but training rides can be
tedious. "A long run is over in three-
hours. That's like a short bike." She
frowns. "You're in the saddle a long
time."
But anyone who can commit to
such a punishing schedule with the
enthusiasm that Hall does must have
a certain inner reserve. The thing
about endurance, however, is that it is
strengthened through adversity.
Hall's initial character test came at
her very first triathlon in 1998. It
could e asily have been her last
Double Shrum?
At the very same moment the
Thunderbirds football team was losing the Shrum Bowl to SFU, the
Birds hockey squad was being
pounded by the U of Alberta's leading scorer, .Steve Shrum.
With two goals and three assists,
the third-year Alberta forward
helped the Bears defeat UBC 4-3,
and 3-1 on the weekend. Let's hope
the next few weeks are Shrum free
for the Thunderbirds.
Glatt
Although his team is already slipping into the shadows of an 0-5 season, UBC's Javier Glatt is still at centre stage, and deservingly so. The
6'1, 225-pound linebacker has muscled 43 runaway opponents to the
grass this season, and has tackled
the number one spot in the CIS for
his Herculean efforts.
Cross Country
_ Far, far away in Salem, Oregon,
the UBC men's and women's cross
country teams placed 12th and 13th
respectively at the Willamette
Invitational. On the men's team,
Warren Hatch placed 33 rd out of
366 runners in the 8,000 metre trek,
and Morgan Titus was right on
Hatch's tail at 36th. The women ran
slightly faster, as Amy Higginbotham
finished 16th out of 319 contenders
in the 5,000 metre run, and her compatriot Kristin Carpenter, followed
close behind in 18th place.
Field Hockey
Coming off a 2001/2002 championship season, the women's field
hockey team has slipped into second
place in the country with a 5-2-1
record after last weekend's loss to
Victoria. The Vikes, long a thorn in
UBC's side, have been keeping the
women out of the first place spot,
thanks to a perfect 8-0 season so far.
After feasting on turkey and stuffing,
the Thunderbirds will host the final
tournament of the season on the
newly minted Wright Field October
18-20th. ♦
Tracy Hail races in Hawaii October
"I was so nervous and fearful that
I wasn't going to be able to do it. Even
before the swim began, I was crying."
Although her feelings of inadequacy
at the sight of the athletes around her
were unfounded, the task at hand was
a disconcerting reality. "It was the
worst swim I've ever had in my life I"
She exclaims. It was salty, and dirty
and there were bits of wood in the
water. And it was cold." What helped
her through was a glimpse of the
nearby mountains. "I'd look at the
mountains, and then put my head
under the water and try again. But
that swim felt like it took forever, and
it was only an 800m swim."
After emerging from the waters.
Hall decided that she would never
enter a triathlon again But instead of
giving up, she purposed to finish the
race and be done with it "I just said,
Tou know what? Who cares? I have
nothing to lose now, so I'm just going
to go out and run and bike as hard as
I can." Her attitude worked a little too
well. She won the cycling portion and
was presented with a brand-new wet-
suit
Ever since, hardship has brought
opportunity rather than failure for
Hall. Three flat tires in thel999
Ironman Canada event forced her
husband Pierobon to lose an hour and
a half, but it enabled Hall to meet him
on the course. The pair crossed the
finish line together, hand in hand.
"It's not often that you get to cross the
finish line together, especially in an
event that has consumed your life up
until that moment"
As consuming as the sport is. Hall
believes that competing together has
19th. ROBERTO WITTMANN PHOTO
enriched her personal life. "Luckily,
[Pierobon] is into the sport as well,
because if that weren't the case, I
wouldn't be as competitive or dedicated as I am."
Normally, Hall and Pierobon
would be winding down from an
intense summer season, but Hawaii
has loomed large on the horizon since
the end of August "We struggled a bit
with our motivation. Everyone else
that we've trained with is finished.
They're ready to eat turkey and we
still have to do six hour bike rides."
If competing in the sport's most
prestigious event wasn't motivation
enough. Hall still has an extra week in
Hawaii to look forward to. "We really
need a holiday," she sighs. And after
she crosses the finish line, the future
sparkles like the turquoise water
she'll soon be swimming in. "I think
about it all the time," she says. "I have
other goals I want to pursue." But
whether she continues in the sport as
a professional, or turns her energies
to other passions, like travelling-
India and Nepal are at the top of her
list—Hall is a true adventurer. "I look
forward to change. I want to see what
else I can do."
For the moment, it's one race at a
time. Winning is not important. Hall
stresses. Completion is. "I can't say the
thought hasn't crossed my mind about
where I might place," she confides.
"But I really don't care...because I just
want to absorb the whole experience."
As for conquering the usual pre-race
jitters, Hall has a simple philosophy:
"Once you've got all your gear, and
it's all set, you've pretty much got to
give yourself over to the moment" ♦
•• E-mail spats@ubySsey:bc.Ga
Get off the bus.
...and on a scooter!
Go where you'want, when you
want, for as little as
$20 per month.
Cheaper than a bus pass!
, Ride with a
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We have quality used 2002
Honda Jazz scooters for sale
from $2350. A terrific savings
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freight, & PDI).
Go Scooters
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1917 Burrard St, Vancouver
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604-646-4600
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We are giving away:
Complimentary Passes
for General Admission to The Roxy
Valid Sundays through Thursdays until 9pm.
Welcomes You jfe^
^£* ^-mmmmmm__ M
*G5 Wl.
^oacom ^'
NO COVER * NO LINE • 1 FREE DRINK
per pass per person
To receive your complimentary pass, visit the
Ubyssey business office in SUB Room 23 (basement).
Free Information Session
Tuesday, October 22
12:30 to 2:00 PM
Asian Centre Auditorium
Experience adventure, friendship and first-hand knowledge of one of the
world's most vibrant cultures with the Japan Exchange and Teaching
(JET) Programme.
The JET Programme is a one-year, exchange programme for university
graduates to work in Japan as Assistant English Teachers or
Coordinators of International Relations, beginning August 2003
Applicants must be a Canadian citizen, hold a Bachelor's Degree by
July 2003, and be under the age of 40.
Application forms and information
UBC Career Services
www.vancouver.ca.emb-japan.go.jp
Consulate General of JapanrTei: (604)684-5868. ext 223
culturalcentre@consuljpnvan.com
Application Deadline: Postmarked by November 22. 2002 1
d
: life: iifef lief f piiaitef y
PAGE FRIDAY
Friday, October 11,2002
How noisy
are your
Classes?
1 ^^ 4_# 4_# ^2> «_2? •
UBC profs research
classroom acoustics
by Zerah Lurie
NEWSWR1IER
The results from a questionnaire concerning classroom acoustics are now coming in. Conducted by
professors Susan Kennedy and Murray Hodgson
from the School of Occupational and
Environmental Hygiene, the study involved over
6000 UBC students and faculty.
Hodgson, who is a professor of mechanical
engineering, has been studying the acoustic properties of UBC classrooms since the summer of
1993. ^ ^
Hodgson said there are two important factors
that ensure UBC classrooms have good acoustics:
first, there must be as little noise as possible, and
second, there must be just the right amount of
reverberation in the room. Too much reverberation and the echo will make the classroom
acoustics worse; too little and the students sitting
in the back can't hear.
While there is no magic formula that tells which
UBC classrooms have good acoustics, Hodgson
explains some good indicators.
'The best classrooms are the ones which are
quiet, have an appropriate amount of sound-
absorbing material for their volume and tend to be
the smaller ones. But there are exceptions/ he
adds. "For example, some of the bigger classrooms
on campus like the Hebb Theatre came out surprisingly well.'
Hodgson further explains, "One reason why the
Hebb Theater is surprisingly good is because it has
a beautiful sculpted ceiling (that works as] a series
of reflectors which preferentially reflect the sound
from the front to the back.'
This shows that not all large classrooms have
bad acoustics; conversely, not all small classrooms
have good acoustics. In his findings, Hodgson
found many of the worst rooms are the ones with a
high amount of noise, most often due to the ventilation system. "There are some buildings on campus which are extremely noisy," he said.
While poor classroom acoustics might make
instructors harder to hear, there are also other concerns. "There are. all these profs teaching in these
large classrooms with poor acoustical conditions—
what happens to their voices?' Hodgson asks.
To compensate for these poor acoustics, many
teachers are forced to strain their voices to be
heard. This repeated strain can lead to many voice
problems, something Hodgson hopes to study further. -'" '
UBC has been renovating a large number of
classrooms but, as Hodgson cautions, that doesn't
necessarily mean that the classrooms will have better acoustics.
"It's an ongoing problem, that architects generally know nothing about acoustics,' he said, 'and
are not interested in acoustics and keep creating
these spaces which they consider beautiful that
have serious acoustical problems associated with
them.'
Often, architects hire acoustic consultants who
advise them on what changes are needed, but as
Tom Llewellin, the head UBC architect said, the
renovations are hindered by provincial funding
which he describes as currently 'a little tight'
"Things that are seen as more important [than
acoustics] are air and light quality,' Llewellin said.
Hodgson agrees that classroom acoustics are
often ignored. "If the [Minister of Advanced
Education] cuts the budget [for renovations] then
very often one of the first things to be cut from the
designs are the acoustic improvements.'
For further information on this research, or to
provide input on classroom acoustics, please contact Murray Hodgson at hodgson@mech.ubc.ca. ♦
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