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vT-7... v "• MANITOBA IS DEAD Long live the Caribou. Page 12 TALKING GUITARS Michael Strutt spills his guts. Page 6-7 A DINGO ATE MY BALLOT Your vote is important to us. Page 6 IP WW fflLW-& mm"" ■t www.ubyssey.bc.ca Vol.LXXXVII N°21 Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 Shou ai wo with a finger of Hennessy since 1918 Rapid HIV test breaks ground in Canada Quick diagnosis nets mixed reaction by Katherine Scarrow NEWSWRITER It now takes longer to boil a kettle of water than to test for HIV. Health Canada recently announced its approval of the INSTI™ HIV-1 Antibody Test Kit, the first rapid test kit for point-of- care in Canada. Developed by BC- based bioLytical Laboratories, the test is completed in less than 60 seconds and has a 99.6 per cent accuracy rate. In 2002, Health Canada reported 56,000 people are Hving in Canada with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1), the retrovirus that causes AIDS. According to estimates, approximately two thousand of those infected with the virus reside in Vancouver's Downtown East Side (DTES). "The HIV situation within the DTES is probably among the worst in North America in terms of the number and proportion of people infected," said Mark TyndaH, program director for epidemiology at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and a member of bioLytical's scientific advisory board. There is no shortage of testing faciHties in Vancouver and most people do eventually get tested. But whether they foUow-up with test results is often the problem, TyndaH explained. An alarming 30 per cent of aU people who test for HIV do not come back or do not wait for their results. According to Health Canada, this means that 17,000 people in Canada are infected and do not know it. The INSTI-kit would aHow people to be tested quickly and to find out their results immediately. Diving for it The UBC women's volleyball team took on theTrinity Western University Spartans last weekend. Friday night's final score was 3-0 for theT-Birds. Saturday night saw another win of 3-1 for UBC. TheT-Birds face off against SFU in Burnaby on November 25-26. yinan max wang photo "Since it's a moving target, in the sense that people can get infected at any point, HIV [testing] is the kind of thing you must do on a regular basis if you're at risk," TyndaH said. The test would allow more people to be tested more often and get their results more quickly. The INSTI-test is conducted by adding drops of blood to a series of solutions that lyses, or disrupt, the membranes of red blood ceUs. Like a pregnancy test, the solutions then mark for the presence of HIV-1 antibodies present in sample and generate a distinct blue dot at the location of the spot on the membrane if detected. Unlike a pregnancy test, however, INSTI-test is not likely to be sold over-the-counter anytime soon. Debbie Collins, spokesperson for bioLytical, sees most self-tests, including a new test developed by OraSure—which is currendy seeking Federal Drug Agency approval in the US—as problematic. They cannot provide information, See "Test"page 2. Major player leaves Coca-Cola ethics investigation by Robert P. Willis NEWSWRITER The investigation into the alleged ethical violations by a Coca-Cola bot- tHng company against labour organisations in Colombia has been dealt a serious blow with the United Students Against Sweatshops' (USAS) departure from the Independent Assessment Commission. USAS, an organisation with over 200 student chapters in the U.S. and Canada, was one of the key instigators that started meeting to investigate the alleged violations earHer this year. In a statement posted on their website earHer this month, USAS gives two reasons for leaving the committee; they say Coca-Cola "is blocking progress of the commission" and "is hiding behind the commission.* A lot of attention has been given the Coca-Cola Company over the alleged threatening of Colombian bottling plant employees who try to unionise, and the murder of one employee, Isidro Gil, a union organiser. The Independent Assessment Commission, which includes members from the Workers Rights Consortium, the Fair Labor Association, Center for International SoHdarity, as well as students and administrators of a number of North American universities, is planning on sending a team to Colombia to investigate the allegations in the near fiiture. "We're not against the investigation. We're not against these processes continuing. As students who are intricately involved in the campaign and who have put a lot of time into it over the past few years, we can't be a part of a process which Coke is taking advantage of," said Jessica Rutter, a representative for USAS. Kevin Keystone, Alma Mater Society (AMS) VP Finance and sole Canadian member on the commission, has recently returned from a commission meeting in Washington DC. He questioned USAS' departure, saying he didn't know "if USAS was as flexible [an organisation] as a process like this requires." According to Keystone, members of the commission generally accept "AS STUDENTS WHO ARE INTRICATELY INVOLVED IN THE CAMPAIGN AND WHO HAVE PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO IT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE CAN'T BE A PART OF A PROCESS WHICH COKE IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF." -'Jessica Rutter USAS representative USAS' departure, but some are disappointed. "Some commissioners are frustrated because they see it as an immature act And they see it as not in the interest of progress and carrying out the process to its reasonably determined end," said Keystone. Keystone added that other commissioners feel the departure of USAS can sway the opinions of many students towards the committee but commiserated with USAS over the INVESTIGATING: AMS VP Kevin Keystone wants answers. ROBERT WILLIS PHOTO amount of time the commission is taking to reach an agreement on how to proceed with the investigation. Despite USAS' departure, AMS President Spencer Keys is stiH confident in the commission's abiHties. "The results and the method [of the See "Coke" page 2. Anti-plagiarism software may soon be optional by Paul Evans NEWS EDITOR Students with strong reservations about Turnitin.com may be able to opt-out of submitting their papers to the web based anti-plagiarism software as early as next September. Jennifer Collins, a student sena- tor-at-large, is currendy outlining a poHcy that would allow for students with moral objections to Turnitin.com an opt-out option during the first two weeks of school. "If people are really against using Turnitin.com, we want them to be able to opt-out," said Collins. "It should be something that involves a choice." Turnitin.com's anti-plagiarism software is currently used by UBC and is mandatory for all undergraduate poHtical science courses. Every paper is electronicaUy submitted to the website and is then compared against a database comprised of tens of millions of other student papers. It is also cross-referenced along with millions of other pages ~( from journals, books, and articles from the Internet. The website subsequently develops an "originaHty report* based on this comparison and sends the information to the class professor. Any instances where the wording of the student paper matches up with another source is indicated in the report and the professor can foUow up if they choose to. UBC officials are quick to point out that Turnitin.com is only one of many tools used by the University to combat plagiarism. "As an institution, we are charged with safeguarding the integrity ofa degree," said Michelle Lamberson, director for the Office of Learning Technology. Lamberson explained that the service, which costs the University approximately USD $26,000 a year, can save professors a great deal of time. "When you have a very large number of papers...it does help faculty save time so they can actually spend more time with students," she said. She also stated that having a low originality report on a paper does not necessarily constitute guilt, as Turnitin.com is only a tool for professors to use. Proper channels with regards to plagiarism stiU have to be followed, said Lamberson. According to Professor Richard Johnston, poHtical science department head, Turmtin.com has been effective at curbing plagiarism. "Since we've implemented Turnitin, [plagiarism] has been only reckless," he pointed out. "Primarily we use it as a deterrent." While he admitted that student papers are used for the generation See "Plagiarism"page 2. *4- 2 News Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THEUBYSSEY HIV test in 60 seconds "Test" from page h professional support, or guidance to the patient who receives a "positive" result at home. "Before you get tested, you get counseling. After your results, you get counseling. Whatever your status, we're a big advocate for counseling/ stated Debbie CoHins, spokesperson for bioLytical. While the self-kit permits the test to be conducted in the privacy of one's own, it does Httie to reduce HIV-related stigma in society. PubHc misinformation about this illness is one of the reasons why Mary-Pat Detina, manager at the Downtown Community Health Clinic in Vancouver, thinks the self-test is less than ideal. "The people who come into the cHnic need to know where to go and what to do after they find out their test results," said Detina in an interview. If a self-test was introduced in Canada, she doubts that many people visiting the DTES clinic would actually buy it "They're usually so strung up on drugs and focusing on their next fix. They're not focusing on other healthcare necessarily. Some are, some aren't But or the most part, there are 50 million other things on their minds." Although TyndaH beHeves that self-tests wiU one day become available in pharmacies, he is careful to predict who wiH use them and how they wiH be used. "For now, it's probably safest to keep it within a healthcare paradigm. To have a nurse, healthcare worker, or doctor who knows about HIV to be breaking the news to people is probably stiH the best way." H TURNITIN: Senator Jennifer Collins wants students to be able to opt-out. yinan max wang photo "Plagiarism" from page 1. of profit by Turnitin.com, Johnston argued that this is offset by the positive aspects of using the service. "[Turnitin.com] deHvers benefits to students that could not be deHvered by another means," he explained, adding that a students' work is protected. Johnston indicated that he isn't hostile to the idea of an opt- out poHcy, so long as students demonstrate their legitimate objection by accepting an additional burden comparable to the one endured by the professor. This could mean something like including an annotated bibfiog- raphy, he added. "We don't want to open a door that wiU aHow the whole thing to unravel," he said. Collins, however, was reassuring in that only students with strong moral objections would actually opt-out and doubted that students would use this as an opportunity to get around the rules. "I don't think people wiH, in the first two weeks of school say, 'In two months, I'm going to plagiarise a paper," he said. U Colombian investigation will continue without support of USAS "Coke" from page 7. commission] should speak for itself, so it shouldn't matter who's involved," said Keys. The Coca-Cola Bottling Company maintains the position that they are working with and cooperating with the commission. The University, for its part, maintained the stance that it would review the findings of the commission but refrain from participating. After hearing the news of USAS' departure from the commission, UBC Director of PubHc Affairs, Scott Macrae noted, "Nothing's changed on our end on this." The final proposal of how the Independent Assessment Commission is to conduct their investigation into Coca-Cola's aUeged violations is due in the coming weeks. The original December final commission report deadline has been pushed to early March 2006.11 'Tweens Canada IVkasicWeek Concert Recital Hall November 23,12-lpm Enjoy the sweet sounds of UBC music students as they provide some sweet music in celebration of Canada Music Week. Poetry reading in Buchanan Buchanan B316 November 22,4-5pm Jan Zwicky, Canadian renowned poet and philosopher, is reading from her vast portfolio of poetry for your listening pleasure. Be sure to bring some coffee and a cat. Gala Asian Tour concert Chan Centre November 25,8-9:30pm The Chan Centre holds another wind ensemble meant to blow your minds away. Come listen to the Gala Asian Tour Concert featuring Gene Ramsbottom and the UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble. T-BSrds Men's Hockey UBC Winter Sports Centre November 25-26, 7:30pm Come check out your Thunderbirds as they face off against the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Men's and Women's Rugby Wolf son Field November 26, 11:30am and 2:30pm Watch UBC's women's rugby team face rivals SFU, then stick around as the men battle and Bayside Sharks (Maybe Zach or Slater will be there!) Stuff Swap SUB November 25 You have something you want to get rid off? Why not bring it to Stuff Swap and get something in return for that item you no longer want. Who knows? You might find something you really need like paper mache breast molds. Get some free shit yo. CLASSIFIE oiunieer uppqrtuniiies ADD SOME LAUGHTER TO YOUR LIFE. Men and women volunteer for one hour a week with boys and girls in local elementary schools. Call 604.S76.2447 ext. 246 or www.bigbrorhersvancouver.com MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE! Volunteer overseas with Youth Challenge. Internationa] on a hands-on development project for 5 — 12 weeks. Ready to go next month? Next summer? Visit www.yci.org to find out morel Mrnnrimnrannnnmainnini iscenaneous CARING UBC STUDENT LOOKING FOR HOUSING FOR DECEMBER OR SOONER- Seeking safe, warm, stable environment with other females. Must be in university area, in Kits, West Point Grey, or Dunbar (north of 45 th, west of Balsam roughly). Aesthetic environment, in the $550/rent range maximum. Much prefer main floor suite, or non- basement. Please contact Naomi Hart at. naomala@hotmail.com (with subject) or (604) 736-7621. Thanks. ADVENTURE! Teach English , Worldwide. Earn money. Get TESOL Certified in 5 days. Srudv In-Class, Online or by Correspondence. No degree or experience needed. Job guaranteed. Tb learn more, come to a rREE Info Seminar Tuesday @ 6pm, #203 1451 West Broadway. l-88§-270-294l globaltesol.com Corrections: ■■':■ ''"■' ;The Ubyssey (Nov :1)','-":; :':^y 'Myy:M\: A.:.yM:A\y\y.:';.:'i: '"Student loan bankruptcy refqilns proposed", The'Canaciran; FinanciaJAvvareneas- Group,is actually the C.aira'd;ian-;]Fihan.c.ialvW;elln.ess Grbup. ■■■■'. ■'; a\ '■The:,'UbvssoM' i\< canemic seruices ADVENTURE! Teach English Worldwide. Earn Money. Get TESOL Certified in 5 days. Study In-Class, Online or by Correspondence. No degree or experience needed. Job guaranteed. To learn more, come to a FREE Info Seminar Tuesday @6pm, #203 1451 West Broadway. 1-888-270-2941 globalresol. com DON'T GET LEFT OUT. Essay Help- Research and Writing. Highly qualified graduates to help in most subjects. Winning applications, professional editing and entrance letters from dedicated writing experts. Toll free 1-888-345-8295. cusromessav.com CLASSIFIEDS FOR STUDEHTS! f ioDlffforipiiii? Or just haye an announcement lo It you are a student vou can place blassifledifdrf Rttl xira uurncuiar ENGLISH SPEAKER SEEKING MANDARIN SPEAKER FOR LANGUAGE EXCHANGE. Write to Lince at bluedragon90@gmail.com For more information, uisit Room 23 in the SUB [basement) or call 822-1654. Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 Vol.LXXXVII N°21 Editorial Board coordinating editor Jesse Marchand coordinating@ubyssey.be. ca news editors Paul Evans 3d Eric Szeto news@ubyssey.bcca culture editor Simon Underwood cultxire@ubyssey.be. ca sports editor Megan Smyth sports@ubyssey.be. ca features/national EDITOR Bryan Zandberg features@ubyssey.bc.ca photo editor Yinan Max Wang photos@ubyssey.bc.ca production manager Michelle Mayne production@ubyssey.be. ca Coordinators volunteers Liz Green volunteers@ubyssey.be. ca research/letters Claudia Li feedback@ubyssey.bc.ca The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia, it is published every Tuesday and Friday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organisation, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Sodety 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 indude 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 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. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. 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 that 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.bcca BUSINESS OFFICE Room 23, Student Union Building advertising: 604-822-1654 business office: 604-822-6681 fax: 604-822-1658 e-mail: advertising@ub3rssey.bcca business manager Fernie Pereira ad sales Bernadette Delaquis ad design Shalene Takara Megan Smyth, Witney Mcskill, Heather Travis, Robert Willis ana Kathryn Scarrow ali met up yesterday after school to grab some rootbeer floats at the Max when in walked Eric Szeto with Kelly Kapowski! Paul Evans was so jealous... But was consoled by Carolynne Burkholder and Michelle Mayne. Back at Bayside^ Claudia Li, Yinan Max Wang, Boris Kirby, Colleen Tang and Champagne Choquer all had detention with Mr. Belding for skipping third period French. At the same time Mai Bui, Bryan Zandberg, Joel Libin hung out at the mall with Lisa shopping for shoes while Jesse Marchand and Simon Underwood helped Screech with his robot ad Chris Little and Aman Rai had football practice with AC Slater. And all the while Liz Green was making out with Zack Moris! Jealous! editorial graphic Joel Libin V Canadian University Canada Post Sales Agreement Press ' Number 0040878022 i! 1 §1 I > el'! ii I if i if- m i n»i m mui ii nff min Mm. »n ,i i mww ^WH—iili.i.n J<*/>iii/Ji.p*rv9OTfi«^i«n9i|anpan ■—»wwh,wii nmiiiwimi.iLiinE.u_" ■wwp»>trmi ijuj.mmiuiWf* THE UBYSSEY Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 News 3 I H il IJ Ii II Student creates webpage to pay for tuition by Heather Travis NEWSWRITER A UBC Okanagan student is hoping to graduate without student debt and he is doing it with the help of online advertisers. David Bakker, a fourth year history student has launched milHon- looniepage.ca as a solution to his tuition problems. He is selling advertising space on his website for one dollar per pixel—and he has one million to sell. "The internet is so cheap. If you have an idea, you can put it on the internet/ said Bakker. "If the idea flies, you are in the money, so to speak/ So far Bakker has managed to do pretty well off his entrepreneurial venture. He has sold $2,300 worth of advertising space, which basically equates to his first semester of tuition. Bakker discovered the idea from a British student that started his own website to make some extra money. Over a two month period, the student made over $600,000. That amount could cover tuition for a few years and even allow for a few nights out along the way. "People think it is like a field of dreams, 'if you build it, they will come'; but a website doesn't work like that/ said Bakker. T have put a lot of work into it. I have made it my business/ Bakker hopes that this will prove to be a lucrative business because he plans to apply to a teacher's college once he finishes his undergraduate degree. The current tuition fee for a 30-credit undergraduate program is $4,011, according to the UBC's Undergraduate Calendar. That's a lot of ads to sell. Bakker has his father to thank for his interest in website design: his father, Gerry Bakker, is an internet entrepreneur. He has a website hosting business, selling website domains for $30—a price that David Bakker was willing to pay to start up the web page. With the increasing costs of tuition and Hving expenses, many students are turning to their parents for assistance. Many students find it difficult to pay their tuition fees using only funds obtained from summer employment or part-time jobs. "I worked during the summer to pay for school/ said Queen's University graduate Leia Fraser. "I made most of it [tuition money] and my parents covered the rest/ Judging by the long lines in Brock Hall at the beginning of each semester, many students are not as lucky. Thousands of students flock to join the financial assistance lines to receive their latest instalment of government loans or need- based bursaries. For international students, the fees are even greater. "I think that international student fees are really high/ said first- year Arts student Laila Elrefai, an international student from Egypt "I want to go to grad school and I don't know if I can afford it/ In the future there may be more students taking the Bakker approach to paying student fees: starting a business to pay for tuition. "It's a pretty good value for someone's money/ he said. CI NOT IN MY 'HOOD: Dunbar residents raise concerns over proposal to put rehabilitation centre in neighbourhood, claudiali photo Rehab centre causes controversy by Erica Barrett NEWSWRITER Many local residents are alarmed by the city's proposed plan to set up a rehabilitation centre in the Dunbar area. The residents in that area are rallying together to prevent a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center from opening on the site. They are concerned that the new centre will put them at a higher risk for theft and will put their children in danger. The city purchased the site for over $3.5 million. This site consists of a 35,000 square-foot lot located at the southeast corner of Dunbar and West 16th Avenue. Currently, only small businesses are located on the site. Residents say that their concerns were heightened when they were told that the patients of the rehab facility would only be required to be sober for sixty days prior to admittance. "One of my concerns is if it's a rehab center, there's a liquor store half a block away. To me that doesn't make sense/ said Barbra Gumbel, a Dunbar resident. CBC News reported that over 300 Dunbar residents attended a meeting with civic election candidates two weeks ago. The question on everyone's mind: do the candidates support a rehab center being set up in their community? Sam SulHvan, the new mayor- elect of Vancouver stated that no decision had been made about the land. He did not want to speculate on what he beHeves to be rumors. According to the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, only one mental health treatment facifity is currently located in Kitsilano. Another facility is located in the City Hall/Marpole Area. Rob Whitlock, the city's senior social housing planner, beHeves the concerns of the residents are premature. "No decision has been made as to the nature of the social housing on the site/ he said. Whitlock noted that a rehab centre would not put the community at risk and that safety is still the city's priority. "Past experience with such projects is that these projects do not represent a danger to children or schools or families in the neighborhood/ "My experience is, and i have worked in support recovery for many years, is that there is very, very little negative consequences to the neighbourhood." -Patrick Zodetn Program. Director Orchard Recovery Centre Whitlock also pointed out that these same concerns were expressed and dealt with when the city proposed to open a treatment faciHty in the Riley Park area. Despite objections from residents, the city opened a Triage facility to treat drug addictions and alco- hoHsm at the corner of West 39th Avenue and Fraser Street last year. Patrick Zoden, program director of the Orchard Recovery Centre, agrees with Whitlock's stance. "My experience is, and I have worked in support recovery for many years, is that there is very, very Httie negative consequences to the neighbourhood/ said Zoden. "Generally, [support centers] compliment the neighbourhood. * To address resident concerns, the city issued a letter informing residents that the use for the site is still up for debate. The letter emphasised that it is a strong possibiHty that the site could still be used as seniors housing and that residents should not be concerned. However, many residents feel that the letter ignored the more prominent issue of whether residents wiU be safe from drug addicts. Whitlock states that the city is currently doing a study with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. "We're working with them to look at supportive housing needs city-wide. They are working with us in the preparation of that plan, which will be presented to council next year." W Cow tipping: urban myth or inhumane pastime? UBC researchers look into the legitimacy of cow tipping by Whitney McCaskiU NEWSWRITER UBC researchers sparked a national debate earHer this month after a study they released questioned the feasibility of cow tipping. UBC Zoology professor Margo LilHe and grad student Tracy Boechler determined that cows could not be tipped from their normal stance without the efforts of at least five people. It explained that difficulties arise because cows do not sleep on their feet—they doze. So unless the tippers caught the cow by surprise, the task would be extremely difficult. It also suggested that the only way two people would be able to tip a cow was if the cow was not able to react in time. Some UBC students were shocked by the findings. "I'm pretty disappointed", said second year Engineering student Kyle Donohoe. "Although I would never go cow tipping because I heard it can break the cow's ribs and or kill the fetus in a pregnant cow, I liked the idea that someone of minimal strength such as myself could go at night and push over cows who were sleeping standing up/ The study has been met with skepticism, however. Some argue that <cow tipping remains a perfectly feasi- - ble activity. • N.W. Hindle, a resident of Calgary, submitted a letter to the National TM PRETTY DISAPPOINTED... I LIKED THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE OF MINIMAL STRENGTH COULD GO AT NIGHT AND PUSH OVER COWS." -Kyle Donohoe Engineering 2 Post in which he presented the most persuasive counter argument to Tracy Boechler findings. The November 10 letter said, "[there are] women who could put their shoulder into a cow's" thorax just behind the foreleg and, with a leg thrust, shift the cow's center of gravity over to one side, and over she goes." In another letter to the National Post, former Calgary Stampede Mugger—an individual who holds the cow for another cowboy to milk- Brian Purely wrote, T don't need any professor from UBC to tell me cows don't tip over easy. They do/ In response to its critics, Professor LilHe submitted a letter stating she had no reason to doubt it because, "the data indicates that a cow could be tipped/ Further to Boechler's defense, her study was merely a theoretical approach examining the physics without actually experimenting on a cow. When asked why she had not ventured into the field to test her findings, LilHe said simply, "it's too messy." U —with files from Eric Szeto A National Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THE UBYSSEY yS&s-'Vi ,.. MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES! Leam to teach English As A Second Language! Add a skill to your job market potential! 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LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 2007 PURPOSE To provide university graduates an opportunity to supplement their academic training with exposure to public policy-making and the legislative process within B.C.'s parliamentary system. WHO IS ELIGIBLE Permanent B.C. residents with a Bachelor's Degree from a Canadian university or a B.C. university-college within two years of January 2007. LOCATION: Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. TERM: January 8, 2007 - June 29, 2007 DEADLINE: January 31, 2006 -4 p.m. REMUNERATION: $17,250 for 6 months HOW TO APPLY On-line at www.leg.bc.ca under Public Education & Outreach ACADEMIC ADVISOR Dr. Barbara Arneil, University of British Columbia ::y%^^ss^: Noy, 22nd @ Noprr :;In;tbeCheez^t the:Engin.eeringAJ;nd;ergradu ateSociety■-:;.: ;.ivia the SUB'Council:ChMfe>ers; ;f. ly. RevoTv re-invents niche broadcasting by Chi Nguyen THE EYE0PENER/ RYERS0N UNIVERSITY TORONTO (CUP)-Why fight over the remote with floormates in your dorm's common room when you can watch TV on your personal computer? That's what Robert Ostfield thought when he began developing the idea for RevoTv—a small, new, Toronto-based enterprise that's set to reinvent niche television. Ostfield, a third-year retail management, says he realises many students aren't able to afford a top-of-the-line computer, and television set, in addition to cable and high speed internet bills, so he figured "why not consolidate them?" Today, Canadian university students can log onto Revotv.com, complete a quick customer profile, and have access— for free—to an archive of specialty programs. Among others, Revo broadcasts programs from independent suppliers, MapleMusic, Extreme Entertainment and Greenlight Entertainment. Film and television students are also able to submit their documentaries or vignettes. Currently, Revo offers seven programs, as well as music videos and entertainment news articles. All you need is Windows Media Player and high-speed internet. "Right now we're trying to feel out our audience, to see what they want, so we can get advertisers and more shows," says Ostfield. Currently, the site is funded entirely through advertising revenue. "The shows we offer are not mainstream, but people have to give it a chance before they dis- "ALL THESE STUDENTS DO SO MUCH WORK ON THEIR [PROJECTS] BUT THEY JUST SIT ON THE SHELF." -Byron Pascoe Business Manager, Let It Out Entertainment miss the concept," Ostfield says. Revo avoids mainstream shows, such as Seinfeld or Friends, he says, because they're already extremely accessible online, and it's too expensive to buy the rights and still provide gratis service. For Harry Gwartz, third-year business management, these limitations are what make the unique service great. "(Revo) caters to students. It has independent shows that are geared towards me. Shows that I can't necessarily get on TV," says Gwartz. "And they have this thing that people can launch independent movies." Jack MacDonnell is a producer for Macston Performance Productions. Macston provides Revo with the show Tuner Transformations (think a Canadian version of MTV's Pimp my Ride). MacDonnell was impressed by Ostfield's pitch, and decided to take a chance on him. "It (was) a good fit for us and RevoTv. It is perfect for university students, and an interesting concept for internet broadcasting," MacDonnell says. In fact, Revo may be the first of it's kind in Canada, says Byron Pascoe, business manager at Let It Out Entertainment. He provides help with ideas and business strategy. "I was very excited when Robert approached me, because Canada needed something like this," says Pascoe. "The US has similar services, but I'm glad that someone in Canada has finally taken this step." Since its launch in September of this year, Revo has attracted more than 1,200 viewers, and is continuing to grow. Ostfield is currently contacting people in the UK and US for more programs for the site, and as of this week, Revo will accept any footage, ranging from movies, short films, documentaries and even funny home movies. "All these students do so much work on their [projects] but they just sit on the shelf." "As we get more of an audience, advertisers will be more interested in you, which means more cash which means we can buy more content. It's a kind of domino effect," he says, a U of T students export Canadian student government models to university in Kosovo by Colin Robert Ellis THE VARSITY / UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO TORONTO (CUP)-In Kosovo, university student government is something of a pipe dream, long opposed by the school's administration. Four students from the University of Toronto, however, are hoping to change that and help students overseas rid their university of the pervasive corruption currently affecting the quality of their education. "We're working on building a student government that will be sustainable and involve students," said Ericka Stephens, a graduate student of U of T's European Studies. "Another part of it is establishing a student society that is autonomous from the university." The Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies helped implement the project funded by the Canadian government that aims to bolster student government at Kosovo's University of Pristina. Joining Stephens to work on the project are Jordan McDonald and Sylvester Komlodsil—both graduate students—and Carolina Bartzcak, a European and Life Sciences undergraduate. The students say corruption and lack of a strong student government are contributing to the University of Pristina's growing hst of problems and creating a pressing need for an autonomous student government. "If there is corruption, [students] can't do anything about it," Bartzcak said, explaining that students there have trouble organising tasks most U of T students take for granted. "Financially, the university controls everything. [The student "professors don't get paid a lot. Some profs don't even COME TO CLASS BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING ODD JOBS." —Ericka Stephens UofT Graduate Student union] can't buy pencils without going all the way up to the Ministry of Finance in Kosovo/' Stephens said. "Professors don't get paid a lot. Some profs don't even come to class because they're working odd jobs." "The corruption factor has intensified over the last few years," said Austin. "I don't think Kosovo's [university] is better or worse than any other [Balkan] state university, but it's going to be a long time before they can offer students the type of education that's comparable to other European institutions." Recently, the group of four completed a trip to Montenegro to meet with six University of Pristina students involved in the project, to "give them ideas on how we can structure the new student society," said Stephens. "But by no means are we just going over there and saying this is how it needs to be done," Bartzcak added. "A lot of new developments have happened at the university [since our involvement]...where their student government is actually becoming more independent and getting more funding," said Stephens. "We need to come up with a budget for the new student society, new projects for them to do." In January, students from Pristina will travel to Toronto where both groups will submit a final report with recommendations on how to improve their student government. After that, Austin hopes he can sway Pristina's administration to accept some of their proposals. "My goal is to meet with the decision-makers in Kosovo and say, 'Look, these young people have done a great job. They're not asking for too much here,'" he said. "One of the challenges of making this proposal is making their student association into a real student association." II i I Mi 1? i P m m m m I I l~-! I I i I i' ft U1 if Si/ fc*. 8sv it $'■ it $%" If:- m. THE UBYSSEY Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 Sports 5 If I mi fk't I p m m I I ix i I I it 1 i' P f sit ff u1 UBC takes to the pitch by Megan Smyth SPORTS EDITOR There wasn't a horror film being shot at Wolfson field on Saturday afternoon, though it might have appeared that way with the dark outlines of people barely visible through the heavy mist In fact, there was a men's rugby game in progress and they faced a difficult challenge playing in very poor visibility. In response to the effect of the fog on the quality of the game, UBC coach Spence McTavish said: "I think it may have had a Httie bit of an effect on the game." Providing feedback for the players was tough at times because "I couldn't see from the other side of the field," said McTavish. Despite mediocre performances by both UBC and Abbotsford, the Thunderbirds were able to pull off a win. UBC managed to scrape an extra point in the last seconds of the game, resulting in a 14-13 final score. GOING FOR A TRI: The rugby team pulls the ball out of the scrum during Saturday's foggy game between UBC and Abbotsford. yinan max wang photo "The varsity team today, I think they were mentally ready to go, but sometimes I think you get a little too psyched up. They didn't play well today, there was no continuity," stated McTavish. "I think it was a poorly played game by both teams," he acknowledged. After a slow first half, the Thunderbirds picked it up in the second half. UBC's Brendan Singbiel and Eric Wilson worked together on some great passes to advance the team forward. Unfortunately Wilson's kicks weren't on the mark and he couldn't make good on the conversions. "We're having difficulty capitalising on mistakes the other team makes, and trying to continue the continuity and finish it off. That's one of the things we've struggled with all year," remarked McTavish. Near the end of the game tensions on the pitch were running high and a fight broke out between UBC's Mike Robinson and an Abbotsford team member. Surprisingly the fight didn't result in a penalty for either team. "Our decision making was a little shaky at times, and our skill level was a little shaky at times," said McTavish of the earlier part of the game. Throughout the game neither UBC or Abbotsford could keep it together during the scrum. At one point the referee just said, "You guys are making a mess of this," and made both teams line up again. "We certainly had some really good scoring opportunities, but we just didn't finish them off," McTavish commented. Despite the problems, the Thunderbirds were glad to have the win, which allows them to qualify for the BC premier league beginning after Christmas. "It's a good result for us; I think probably an appropriate result. We just did it the hard way instead of doing it the easy way. But sometimes that happens. Certainly we're happy that we won. I was just disappointed with the performance," concluded McTavish.il I i Bird Droppings Hoop it up Both UBC basketball teams headed to Brandon for an away match this past weekend. On Friday the men's Thunderbirds came away vvxiu a. close win over the Bobcats. Casey Archibald pulled off a game-high off 26 points but left Saturday's game after suffering an ankle injury in the first half. Top scorer Pasha Bains was also not able to play in the second game of the weekend due to a hernia. Even without Archibald and Bains the T-Birds stepped up to the challenge and won 69-67. UBC takes on the UVic Vikes in Victoria this weekend. The UBC women's team pulled off a huge win against the Bobcats on Friday, with a final score of 80-38. The Thunderbirds benefited from the return of Erica McGuinness, who scored 21 points during Friday's game. The T-Birds continued with another win on Saturday, beating Brandon by a final score of 74-40. Service Friday and Saturday night the UBC men's volleyball team took on Trinity Western University (TWU) at War Memorial Gym. The TWU Spartans, the top team in the league, beat the Thunderbirds 3-0 on Friday night T- Bird Andrew Bonner contributed with ten kills. During Saturday's game the Thunderbirds became the first team this season to win a set against the Spartans. Even with this boost of confidence, UBC was not able to pull off a win and lost to the Spartans 3-1. UBC plays at home against Thompson Rivers on Dec 3-4. Run T-Birds, run The UBC cross-country team went to Louisville Kentucky to compete in the NAIA National Championships. Meaghan McCollum ran a personal best time of 17:42.25 in the women's 5km race. Her time earned her a 6th place finish. Overall the UBC women's team placed third in team standings. Local rival SFU grabbed the women's team title. For the UBC men, Shane Carlos had the top finish. He placed 25th with a personal best of 23:49.10 in the men's 8km race. The T-Bird men's team placed 19th overall. II is, The New Orchestra Workshop Society presents: The NOW Orchestra, under the direction of Coat Cooke WITH SPECIAL GUEST OLIVER LAKE The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, 1895 Venables St. Saturday, November 26,2005 - 8:00 pm. Tickets • $20/15 Students and members • Highlife Records, 1317 Commercial Drive • Ticketmaster, 604-280-3311, www.ticketmaster.ca • at the door Information: 604.254.5016 or 604.251.1363 www.noworchestra.com Serenity Natural Foods DELI | CAFE I CATERING l<Amazingly good and good for you too." -Gi\Oiu:iA SrRAfOUT . Q-iilhtis (o ya'lcr , v<>iii:-next v/>ccial. ■ "■ LXCiif'.. f '•■.:'■ Quick & healthy gourmet meals Eat in or take out Mainly organic ♦ Gluten-free Wheat-free <f Lactose-free <r Low sugar 3347 West 4th Ave I (604) 739-9777 www.serenitvnah.iralfoods.com liitematidrial Marketing <2 (0 3 n Take your degree to a whole new level of success. In just two semesters, learn the marketing concepts and skills that drive successful and global business. Call 416-675-6622, ext. 3207 or email peter.madott@hwnber.ca forfurtherinformation. Apply for all Business School programs at the OCAS website - www.ontariocolleges.ca Seating is Limited! <D' HUMBER The Business School www.business.humber.ca ;VP "^^;%ife(-«^vl»^itf.V^,Vl»/^;'-f^VVi:*:;-"li!f:^' I JJ.l ll.aHU.LL. fi Feature Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THE UBYSSEY Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 Feature 7 The Sororities of UBC Would Like to Recognise Our Outstanding Women fn The Following Honour Societies Dean's List Janice Duong Polina Konslantinova Stefanie Kosseim Casey MacDonald Kelsey Pelton Jordana Schacter Nicole Tap Golden Key Society Marissa Adams Lia Brusclietta Pylin Chuapetcharasopon Kathryn Cooke Emily Dewar Diana Diao Crystal Dow Janice Duon» Magda Dybaiski Gina Eom Rachel Friederichsen Rebecca Gates Natalie Hillary Polina Konstantinova Stefanie Kosseim Casey MacDonald Kelsey Pelton Meghan Roberts Sarah Russell Sarah Cady Sartorious Katy Short Vicky Ssozzi Bianca Wallace Amanda Wheat Maria Zeldis Would Like to C Ashley Bayles Jennifer Berry Lia Briischetta Cody Burden. Catherine Cairns Desiree Chan Janice Crowe Emily Dewar Janice Duong Sarah Fairbum Jesse Ferreras Meghan Giliey Order of Omega ongratui.atk our fai Jessica Hall John Holt Sean Kearney Polina Konslantinova Stefanie Kosseim Shavvna Lane Andrea Libman Marion Mackay-Dunn Thomas Masterson Adam McBride Heather McKenzie a. 2005 Inductees Molly Moriarty Dave O'Mahouey Jose Poveda Brian Quintinton Jordana Schachter Frances Simpson Jessica Stoller Michael Suen Nick Thompson Shafiq Vallani Justin Visser David Yuen CaleS, Squeaks and SprilCe-tOpS Guitarist Michael Strutt talks with The Ubyssey mTm. ma *-^ ?m Sr^ =w ■■■^■■^■HHBI^^^HH^I ik.h f \\*?t*?. M Windows % on the World 2005 An Art Bazaar featuring extraordinary gifts from around the world November ! 5 to December 24 at the Museum of Anthropology 6393 NW Marine Drive Vancouver, BC.V6T IZ2 www.moa.ubc.ca 604.822.5087 MUSEUM of Anthropology af.Jhft University of Bmtsh Columbia IliV lwyl^^l:iWi xx ■ -ft ■ :Wxjm&y. ■%.■.'' ■ $>J...,.:S8g8Ks W%$&. ?-?^SSH*S**?5 ■§$%%8$S$8&.. WM$8^& liil^P^ff Sdtiltess •ii>-y^f;-:AfVP-c-:jn':.'-Bu^h fkbws^yif:-!:^.^::^^-:-----:-;: . a • H i■ i i 11N «.• s f.' <'l i .'I i' >' <*> < ■• -i 11 >i t i'on.W it I i '■■ I -j iVm Ire a.t: .U I :>.<. '■Noy£'iti1)er.'24^ ••!:fW)f;l nf'.YYiHHl -I.J'u•«■.!tTi*. fl'it-R -,:f -yil!.lj>-tJ-< .'■■":'-: '■' ;' ' ':."> :' ':ihiAx-ii<j\'x'/>■■>«•< ''Tirfl-'ifiii //.• N:>f/ir<..'ca-'.'/v.«>/)(/ /;.cs-//'»t.*f/<■ xiIIa 'i'h;'i! l-rh:-'i'y' v<^i/n>!. n.!.n\xi\i>\ ii ■ t (>'i:M"; H Hi (Tl.ti>;.'('i.« '■ 'J-^l.'i.'M l.ililil 1.1 ■f ot I li'koi.vlind soli if iill 1 fvcatit 604;822v2678 atVi* fit I. Ii(.;fni:i\.()fi ((.'■(.■ #$^ lassical guitarist Michael Strutt is described by The Montreal Gazette as a musician who ~play[s] with a fine agility and an abundance of colour and elan" and by The Vancouver Sun as "a player who embodies both technical dexterity and emotional insight." In addition to being a prizewinner in the Concurso Internacional de Guitarra in Spain (1976), and performing on many Master Classes, he has also played throughout Canada, in England, Spain, the United States, and Poland. In an interview with the Ubyssey on October 17, 2005, Michael Strutt discusses issues ranging from "piano-centrism," to the myth of the guitar's popularity in Spain, to his feelings on guitarists Juhan Bream, David Russell, Andres Segovia, and John WUMams. The Ubyssey: You started playing piano to begin with and then switched to the guitar and lute, what made you switch? Strutt: Well most kids are sent for piano lessons, and it doesn't matter if you really want to play it or not (especially when I was a kid in 1955) because there was very Httie classical guitar. Even today, in liberal musical Ilfess education, there's an emphasis on piano. For example, if you're majoring in guitar, you're required to play piano, which is something that bothers me and I call it 'piano-centrism.' But one of the more recent programs developed in North America is the Julliard 15 School, and that's the only one, as far as I know, where guitarists don't have to take piano. I mean, it's very useful for other musicians, for example if you teach the flute or violin, you have to know piano because the accompaniment is [piano]. It took me a long time [as a guitarist] to stop thinking about chord structures in terms of piano, things like the shape of the hand. I read that you were a student of Julian Bream. What was it like having him as a teacher? I Julian Bream was not a very good teacher because he wasn't very patient and didn't like teaching very much. He would admit to it. People like Andres Segovia gave Master Classes every year, and Juhan Bream had the same idea, but the truth was that he didn't like teaching very much. But it was fantastic to be near him; he's a very good player. Bream was unusual because he had a very eccentric playing method. Nobody plays like him. Andres Segovia on the other hand, created a whole generation of people who he played with, to play like him. People who buy Bream's guitar books would change his fingering, because it was so eccentric. It worked for him 3!S interview by Andrew Cheng | photos by Yinan Max Wang perfectly, but it's not something somebody could copy. It's just something about him. If you look at his right hand, he played the way most guitar books would tell you how not to play [laughs]. So as a teacher he didn't really work for me. He was different you know, he was unique. Oh yeah, I mean I like him, but he's also a difficult person and a bit of a loner. He likes traveling [for concerts], and traveling on his own [laughs]. In one ofhis books, A Life on the Road, he said that he was glad to have come to Ihe music scene in the 1950s because it gave him the time to develop as a musician, because there wasn't this pressure back then to achieve immediate success. What do you think about this? Well, Juhan Bream actually achieved success at a very young age. He was very successful at 14. By the time he was 18, he was already on his way to being a concert master. In his case it was possible because he was so brilliant, and at that time in England, he was so good, there was no competition. John Williams came a bit later... Right. It's a very different world that we hve in now; the guitar's become more like the piano. There are so many people who play it today. I could remember [back when there were fewer guitarists]: when I'd meet another guitarist we would circle around each other like two gunslingers! [laughs] But it's better now, because you get a broader spectrum. There's a lot more competition out there nowadays. I read an article the other day that said that only two per cent of music graduates make it in symphony orchestras, and that used to be a pretty good steady job. Shifting back to classical guitar, Manuel Barrueco said in July's issue of The Gramophone that 'to build a career as a guitarist in the classical music world is not without its hurdles." And the interesting thing is that in that magazine, only two pages were devoted to guitar. There's less interest in the guitar now than there was ten years ago. The guitar's always been an instrument of fashion; it just kind of comes and goes. I moved to Vancouver in 1969 and there was a Vancouver Classical Guitar Society, and I went there and performed there as well. When I went, I remember the room was packed with about 100 people, and it was easy to know everyone. Not only did the group meet every month, but also there were those who met every weekend at someone's house! That was the kind of enthusiasm that existed. Even in the 70s and 80s, a lot of top classical guitars came to Vancouver to perform. Many guitar students are disappointed that they don't get to meet many top guitarists nowadays. I mean, back then in 1980 it was easier to promote yourself. Renting venues was relatively cheap—I could rent the East Vancouver Cultural Center, put up a few posters, take advantage of the free ad space in the newspaper, [laughs] have enough people who would show up to cover the expenses, and even make a hundred bucks. Now it's virtually impossible because rent is like $1500 and only 30 people would show up. [The decline in interest] has been going on everywhere in the world What about in Spain? The guitar's never been popular in Spain, that's a bit ofa myth. Well, the flamenco players are in a different category, but for classical guitar, you could travel all through Spain and not see a guitar. There are far more people playing guitar in Canada than in Spain. The interesting thing is that we call the classical guitar the Spanish guitar, so it's got that connotation, but there are a lot of people who identify the guitar with Italy. Historically, far more people played guitar in Italy. Even look at the guitarists today, not many are from Spain, Pepe Romero yes, but it's hard to name too many others. What about David Russell? Well he's more Scottish, he doesn't speak for Spain. Segovia on the other hand did. But going back to talking about the Spanish influence, or lack of influence, there had been a lot of Spanish/Latin American composers who wrote for the guitar, Tarrega, Barrios, Villa-Lobos, etc. They wrote beautiful music, and people liked it, but many then Just categorised the guitar as a 'traditional' instrument that could only play Spanish favourites. Many people don't know that it's capable of playing Bach or Giuliani Well people who think that the guitar can't play Bach are displaying ignorance because Bach wrote pieces for the lute. The thing is, the guitar has always struggled with prejudice because it's been associated with popular music. Also, even back in about 1550, people were already making snags about the guitar because it was associated with poverty. Poor people played the guitar. To some extent that's true with the violin; there were gypsy violinists, but not to the same extent as with the guitar. And the thing with guitar is that it's an instrument that is relatively cheap and easy to make. Poor people made their own guitars. For example, the guitar is huge in South Africa, because poor people make their own guitars. So the thing is, it's always been associated with poverty, and this contributes to it being an instrument of the periphery. Switching topics a bit, what are your thoughts on squeaks? Squeaks should not be there. The prevailing view is that squeaks should not be there. But there was a lot of that in the past. However, people today try to play as clean as possible. Speaking squeaks, canyou tell us what strings you use? Well it depends on which guitar. I have both spruce-top and cedar-top guitars, and I use Suarez and D'Addario. Can you explain a Utile bit about die differences between cedar-top and spruce-top guitars? Cedar-tops traditionally have a darker sound, and it's good for romantio music, whereas the spruce has a brighter sound, and it's good for baroque. The thing with the guitar is it's always been a relatively quiet instrument, which makes it difficult to play with other people [who play other instruments]. When I play with them, I always end up trying to play as loud as I can. It's a struggle. Yeah it is, and the one thing that's happening more and more in the last ten years is the increase in using amplification, especially with John Williams using it. It's disappointing to me because for me, music is the exploration of certain qualities of sound, and that should come from the instrument. The sound is different when coming out of an amplifier. What's interesting is that John Williams said that it was ironic that luthiers are always trying to find ways to make guitars louder, because now that amplification is available, it allows you as a musician to just concentrate on making beautiful music as opposed to have to struggle with volume. Without it, you're forced to have to play as loud as possible. I'd have to disagree with him on that, not that I want to take on John Williams [laughs]. Nothing would ever convince me that amplification is better. What is sound"? Sound is a vibration in the air. When it comes from the instrument, with the wood and the air vibrating a certain way, it's different than when it's coming out ofa speaker. It's just not the same sound. I've experimented with amplification in concert but I've always walked away feeling like I was just playing notes [instead of making music]. Look at Segovia, he never used amplification. Well that's the interesting thing, because John Williams said that yes, it was true that when Segovia was onstage, there was that charisma and presence coming from him, but the thing was, you couldn't hear what he was playing especially when he was with the orchestra, and the music becomes kind of a bore. Well he didn't exactly say it in those words... No no, not in those words. But yeah I know what you're saying. John Williams has been very critical of Segovia of late, and many of the things he says is quite right. But I always remind my students that John Williams' career was launched by Segovia, but he tends to forget that. John Williams, however, was certainly right on some things, and that Segovia was a very harsh person and put down everybody. Everybody. No matter what your sound was. Itwas a matter of playing like him. His students could only play like him, play the same kind of guitar, and play the songs he approved of. So that was bad. [laughs] And an interesting thing was that he didn't want to be seen playing with anyone. He played solo, and with orchestras, but he didn't accompany anyone. The ironic thing is that he marginalised himself and the guitar even more. Segovia did promote the guitar, and with him people were interested in the instrument. But because he didn't accompany anyone, it kind of contributed to making the guitar, in the classical world, an instrument of the periphery. One last question, a UBC music graduate said that there was a problem with music institutions today, like the one at UBC, because they encouraged people to write strange, unmelodic, so-called avant-garde music, as opposed to more traditional classical music that everyone could enjoy. The graduate also said that this trend of writing unmelodic music had to do with many composers' self-arrogance, that they could write something that only they could appreciate, because they could analyse the piece, and look down on the average listener who couldn't What do you think about this? Well I know what this person is saying, but I think he's looking at music as one thing, and music isn't. Music is many things. Take writing for example, there's the Bible, the Qur'an, Confucian, other religious/philosophical texts, science-fiction, fiction, pornography etc. Music is like that; it's many things; for example, some music sounds like it's from the Bible, and some sounds like it's from something else. So music isn't one thing, it's not like there's music on the one hand, and new non-tonal music on the other. As regards to institutions encouraging this new trend, well, sure it encourages people to write music that hasn't been done before, to push the boundaries. And not all people are comfortable with doing that. But that's what it does. There have been compositions that experiment with using sound effects for the guitar. Well it sounds different, and looking back, a lot of it sounds like crap. But there are some that are different and makes you think, "oh yeah this is different, and it sounds quite nice." So I guess it depends on how you look at it, but I think that music institutions try to encourage people to explore new possibilities. 11 —For anyone interested in classical guitar, check out the recently created The Vancouver Classical Guitar Society httptfmembers.shaw.ca/vancouverguitar Calling all features writers! If yer hankerin' for something to do over the holidays, just send a trusty little e-mail to features@ubyssey.bc.ca and presto! a legit way to avoid yer parents during the break; ■';■■■<. Staff Meeti ng We d n es d ay a t nob h ■■!':. Intros 2. Gift exchange 3. The honourable Duncan M. McHugh presents CiTR with Steve Zissou & Podcastihg 4. Other business '■'".'■ the Ubyssey newsies & radio kids unite! since 1918 (Nity&ft Set your shopping done earkji Nov. 21-25 and New. 28-Dec X 2005 9am-$pm A<j <:v«Y5? iues&ht i<fV0n fy ?iv: uwkvt uxw? An easier way to Research,.. Hundreds of informative video stories and tons of info about local urban issues, public policy, much more.*, Agriculture Architecture Arts Community Education Environment Health Homes/homeless Geography Governance Health Humanities Local History Multiculturalism Parks/ recreation Policy Police Safety Sustainability Transportation Water •) Wvvwv evrd .bfC'.ffi'a^TV GOSOUTH! @f Dominican Republic Hf Cuba Hf Costa Rica Hf Mexico and more great all inclusives for students! w*******'**'*»»xx*x*x3t«*e<* Holiday Flights Still Available QWP 2006 SWAP Brochures v&3 i?Tw Now In! Book Today! Travel CUTS is owned and operated by the Canadian Federation of Students. * » SUB Lower Level 604-822-6890 l^SS^FLy-GUTS .TRAVEL CUTS See the world your way ;www.tra^etcuts,cbm a Culture Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THE UBYSSEY What straight women want NIRVANA Sliver: The Best Of The Box WIN NIRVANA'S new CD 'Sliver' featuring favourites from the'With The Lights Out' boxset plus 3 previously unreleased tracks. A COMMON MAN'S GUIDE TO LOVING WOMEN Firehall Arts Centre until December 3 After a recent experience that left me scarred and hostile toward any future blind-dates with Hve theatre— I shall not name names—I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down at the Firehall Arts Centre to watch A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women, which siars Awaovieyi Agie, Kwesi Ameyaw, Peterjohn Prinsloo and Hayden Thomas. The witty and charming script is the work of Canadian Andrew Moodie, and is directed here by Denis Simpson (think "Cafe M" on Channel M). The play is set in posh Yaletown and surrounds a day in the life of four well-to-do black men. Although crises unfold as a wedding is called off and a rape charge sits pending, hilarity transpires as we witness genuine camaraderie between the four men. Set against Derek Butt's amazing set, the friendly banter largely discusses the subject, with interludes of video games and sports interspersed throughout. For the straight women out there, A Common Man's Guide will provide insight into how men act when they aren't vying for female attention and affection. For the guys, this play will hit close to home as the all male cast resembles—at least in my opinion—what guys do and say. One scene in particular, where two of the men give a more conservative character some tips on how to approach women at nightclubs will strike a chord with any man who has ever given or recieved this sort of nebulous advice. Needless to say, the acting and dialogue in this scene attracted hysterical laughter. A Common Man's Guide to Loving Women provides excellent entertainment value with its combination of good music, a great script and flawless acting. If catching the latest Harry Potter movie isn't your idea of a good time and a sitcom-esque play seems intriguing, I highly recommend heading to the Firehall Arts Centre to spend an evening with this show. II WWFD: How to be a gangsta in Fiddy seconds or less > >:&&■■ . rxmvzgs?™ 2-'- 568 Dunsmuir SC. 1191 Davie SC. (604)806-4040 (604)685-4066 109-1965 West 4dh Ave.. (604) 739-6001 TRAVEL www.statravel. ca ■* STUDENT TRAVEL 8c BEYOND GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN' now playing by Paul Evans CULTURE STAFF The situation: you're surrounded outside your house by a group of six young punks that are hustling you for weed that you just plain don't have. It's in a jam like this that you might ask yourself—what would Fiddy do? Believe it or not, this was precisely one of the questions asked of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in a conference call interview. The man has a book, movie, video game and music all devoted to explaining the thug lifestyle; so he seems like the appropriate person to field the question. What does Jackson recommend? "You're outnumbered. The intel ligent thing to do is just be like, 'I ain't got none'." Although Jackson advocates caution when faced with tough odds, the rapper/actor is adamant about standing up for oneself. "There is nothing else for you to do but stand up to [punks]. If not, then you just become a victim. Then you can't even complain." Take it from the man himself folks. II '$ 1 ■8 I* il ;I 1 1 ?'$ ;08 v k M MP 3s i : * J y 1 i?;' fit 1 1 1 t-5 1 i ?» 1 ft The jorg&olif citybike is for ail shades of green... for individuals that realize they aren't powerless to change the status quo. I ost creative answer efow and our favourite / tay tyned for the announcement of the 3 winners to enter: Complete entry form at the bottom of the page and slide into slots of the ufeature citybike display" located at the UBC Bookstore from Mon. to Fri., Nov.14 - Nov. 18, Alternatively, drop in the box provided at The Ubyssey Office, Room 23, Student Union Building (downstairs). prize: A 1-speed jorg&olif citybike will be awarded to the winner of each contest. few «&%? The new green is black. CM How do you think you will change the perception of cycling in the city when you ride your jorg&olif citybike? NAME PHONE EMAIL HEIGHT {FOR BIKE FRAME SIZING) Winners to be announced and contacted at the end of the 3 week contest. No cash value for prize. ^S» ' 4.-——"v^. H5- liainrninrii ^"^jitt If iv- ■'■■■■•■ y'.-l-^'x jorgSrolif 493 West 6th Ave. Vancouver, BC V5Y il_3 City bikes and fashion accessories for modern city living. 604.877-1850 mfo@ j orgando Lif.com www.j organdolif.com fHllJBYSSEf CONTEST RULES Open to all students of UBC. The winners will be selected and contacted at the end of the 3 week contest. Entry forms from previous competitions will not be valid. The retail value of the 1-speed citybike ($725) can be put towards a 7-speed citybike ($1,175). Not to be used with any other promotions. UBC BOOKSTORE tmsmsssmsm faprsvlig ysir traispertstiti CHOICES wwwrrr«k.ub<;,c M 10 Opimon/Editorial Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THE UBYSSEY % r'J.. — 4.-- Get your vote on? Over the weekend, 32 per cent of eligible voters made their way to the polls to check off that giant two- sided ballot during the Vancouver Municipal elections. Itwas a 16 per cent drop in voter turn out from the 2002 contest that saw Lany Campbell and his fractious COPE coalition take control at City Hall. With the use of cross-multiplication and the help of a trusty pocket calculator, the Ubyssey staff determined that this figure indicates that less than a third of the electorate set out to follow the arrows to the 'voting place.* But voter apathy among Canadian citizens is nothing new. In the last federal election, voter turnout was scant 60.9 per cent, a figure that ranks below the average for a western democracy. In a representative democracy, it is vital that the government have a legitimate mandate. When you consider that Paul Martin's Liberals garnered 36.1 per cent of the popular vote and factor in the turnout, a whopping 22 per cent of Canadians voted for them—democracy, shaz- aml—it is easy to argue that voter apathy is a problem facing Canadian democracy. However, finding a solution to the problem is easier said than done. Some suggest following the Australian route of compulsory voting: when voter turnout dipped below 60 per cent in 1924, the Aussie Parliament passed a law that required citizens to vote in federal elections. Polls demonstrate that between 70 to 80 percent of Aussie voters support mandatory voting. But do our Commonwealth counterparts have it right? Australian voters are not required to cast a ballot, they need only show up at the election office and be issued a ballot—at which time they can vote for Crocodile Dundee, eat their ballot or pick a candidate. Thus, spoiled ballots are popular with citizens who feel that mandatory voting infringes on their right not to vote, and can in fact be used as a much more effective tool to determine whether the ballot is indecipherable or whether a more concerted effort is being made. There is no reason to believe that someone who is obligated to vote by law will be better informed than a dude who goes to the polls thinking they are informed. High voter turnout does not necessarily mean that the electorate is any more informed about politics. There is also the potential for voters to cast their ballot based on party denominations, similar to the way many people who live in voluntary voting systems already do. But then again, it's not as if we Canadians have any sort of litmus test to determine whether a voter is qualified or not to vote, apart from age and the rigamarole involved in attaining citizenship—and nor should we. Furthermore, younger generations who are brought up in a society with mandatory voting from the time of their birth, may in fact be more prone to learning about candidates before voting in an election. Others, such as Finland, who have a 78 per cent turnout, have that democratic zeal embedded deep into the fabric of their societies and do not require these policies. This area of the world is notorious for engaged electorates. Iceland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany are among the highest in voter turnouts over the past 40 years. Is it possible that the election issues in these European nations are just that much more valid to the citizens, thus resulting in high numbers of people coming to the polls? It seems however, that the problem is not the number of people voting, but the number of people who care about voting. When the AMS had the U-Pass referendum, 53 per cent of students cast a ballot Compare that to the ten or 15 per cent that is normally garnered for AMS elections, 53 per cent is a lot. This seems to show that people are not lazy, they just feel more inclined to vote on something that affects them directly. On a daily basis, UBC students are more affected by discounted bus passes than the decisions made by the federal party leader. Perhaps the Australian model might be a good model for Canadians, or perhaps not. Regardless, there must be a way to get people interested in politics again. After all, it's not democracy if the upper echelon is making all the decisions. Isn't that what the suffragettes were fighting for? Social and civil rights movements fought long and hard in order to galvanise a peoples' right to vote—idleness is the root of all evil, right? II Perspective Opinion / Ask Coach Steph Get a white ribbon: violence against women affects us all by Tyler Biyant This Thursday, November 24, students, faculty and staff of UBC are invited to make a contribution towards ending violence against women. The 6th annual White Ribbon pancake breakfast has raised $ 10,000 dollars towards the survivors of sexualised violence, the dominant majority of them women. The White Ribbon campaign calls itself "men working to end men's violence against women * The event is organised and run by the Allies @ UBC. Why does Allies hold this event? Violence against women and the fear of violence not only affects women but it affects men too. Violence is the extreme physical manifestation of power and domination. The overwhelnaing perpetrators of violence towards women are men. When one gender has unequal power, we are denied the necessary equality to significantly connect and understand each other in a relationship. My relationships with other men suffer from this situation as well. In this sexist framework, men are in competition with each other for feminine attention. I cannot truly connect with other men because of this. I am left unable to cry, to hug or meaningfully talk about sex with other men for fear of being perceived as 'feminine' or weak. We need to understand the impact of physical and sexual violence has on victims. We also need to understand the pervasive fear of violence. My sister refuses to walk to the grocery store at night whereas I would be completely oblivious to the potential danger in this situation. This enumerates a saddening story about the differences in privilege between the two sexes. It disempowers women and can make my relationships less meaningful. Statistics show that the one person that is likely to subject a woman to violence is her male partner. This should shock and sadden all men as there is a clear barrier of potential violence impeding the trust and love that we all look for in a relationship. But ending violence against women isn't just about ending physical violence; unless we end the detrimental way we view women, whether we're aware of it or not, the violence will persist We need to stop looking at women as objects of desire but as people. We need to critically examine ways in which we oppress women, be it through our language (bitches, chicks, babes, honeys etc.) or our actions (being aloof, interrupting, belittling women, being touchy etc.) We need to step back and think about why women earn 25 per cent less than men. Only after reconciling the way that we contribute to this sexist paradigm can we make any progress. The silver lining on this story is that the violence can end. We do not need a university education in sociology and a complex analysis of patriarchy to change society. As Tolstoy once said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." We have our power to do all we can to end the oppression of women. Sincerely incorporating women into our Hves by listening and learning from them is the first step. The next step is making the personal choice to end sexism through our thoughts, our language and our actions. It is not just about the Hber- ation of women from sexism but the liberation of men from it as well. Only then can we really hve without violence. — Tyler Bryant is a 4th year political science student Ask Coach Steph is a bi-weekly advice column appearing in the Ubyssey. If you have a question pertaining to life management, career preparation, self actualisation or just need general advice email steph@visionswithoutborders.ca. Stephanie Tait is a Personal and Professional Leadership Coach who works with young professionals helping them create the lives and careers they truly desire. Dear Coach Steph I don't know where all my money has gone. At the start of the year, I thought I had enough to last me through to the end. Now I doubt 111 have enough to last me through Christmas. I don't have time to take on more shifts at work, but I can't see another way of supporting myself. Please help. —Curtis Dear Curtis, Depending on how close you are to broke, you may not need to earn more money to make ends meet You may simply need to improve your money management skills. Most people who have money have it because they pay careful attention to their spending habits.. They know how much money they have, track it, and are cautious about where they spend it We're not talk ing about making milHons here. We're talking about Hving well within your means by making better use out of what you already have. Wise spending habits start with knowing the details about your financial position. Do you know how much money you started the year off with? currently have? or how you've spent it since the start of the year? This may take some time to figure out But it could save you the time you may otherwise spend on unnecessary shifts because you didn't take the time for it Your choice. If you choose to find the answers, you'U have a much better idea how to cut your expenses. I'm not suggesting you completely axe your expenses. It's the Httie things thatreally add up/ not the big ones. It's the extra snacks on the way to class, drinks every Friday, over-priced groceries, and other things you can cut down on that will save you big bucks. Once you are more aware of your expenses, look at how much was on unnecessary items or those you could have bought cheaper. (Just for fun, calculate how long it would take you to earn that amount at your regular wage. I'll bet you could save yourself at least a few days workl) When you know how much you have and where you can cut corners, create a monthly or weekly budget for yourself. Cut yourself off when you've hit your limit After all this, if you still think you need another job, put these money management skills into practice anyways. It will be like cutting back on shifts, only you'll still get paid. You don't necessarily have to make more money to have more. You may simply need to make more with what you already have. II Streeters Did you vote in the civic elections? "Yes. Sense of duty I guess." —Brett Matthews Law 3 "Yes. I thought it was really fun. I got a Httie booklet and this awesome pen." —Steve Rogers Law 3 "No. Honestly, I didn't know where to vote. And I didn't know the two guys running for mayor in Langley." —Theresa Morrison Human Kinetics 4 SI « 1 1 if 1 'No. I can't. I'm a US citizen." —Nina Grude Human Kinetics 4 1 I I? 'No. I can't vote yet I would like to." —Stephanie Clark Political Science/Geography —Streeters coordinated by Carolynne Burkholder 3 -?~'c r—f-'f- THE UBYSSEY Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 Culture] 1 Trash and treasures Bring stuff to swap outside the SUB this Friday STUFF SWAP SUB doors November 25 by Mai Bui CULTURE STAFF At one end of the table, an elegant black shrug is advertised to a prospective taker. At the other end, a taker proudly admires his newly acquired Marge Simpson sHppers. "Free stuff! Free! Free! FREE!" we holler at passers-by. Welcome to the Student Environment Centre (SEC) Stuff Swap. While vendors hawked goods inside the SUB last Friday afternoon, I joined the SEC at their Stuff Swap table outside the SUB. Sure, it was a lot colder on this side of the automatic doors. But no vendor's merchandise rivaled the array of pre-loved items being swapped outside. Between the wide assortment of books, shoes, and clothing, were the odd keyboard, bowl, and pair of skis, to mention a few. I was even told that someone once contributed a "paper mache breasts-mold." You just can't beat that kind of selection. Or price, for that matter. "So you guys are, like, just giving this stuff away?" someone asked me, squinting in confusion. There's no catch, I assured the skeptic. It's simple: you bring in stuff, and you swap it for other people's stuff. If you don't have stuff to contribute this time, you take stuff and contribute next time. Simple, bin not without significance. I chatted with Jordan Best, co-social and volunteer coordinator for the SEC and the catalyst for the monthly Stuff Swaps at UBC, about the sweeping ramifications of swapping versus shopping. "The Stuff Swap is a way for people to still get things they need in order to exist as students, in a way that's responsible and doesn't consume resources," explained Best, who coordinated the first Swap lastyear. "Within the greater environmental movement, there's a focus on making people feel negative, telling people they can't do this or that The Stuff Swap originated out ofa desire to provide a positive alternative to consumption.* "The level of personal consumption in North America," affirmed Best, "is pretty much at the base of every environmental problem you can possibly dream of. If everyone in the world consumed to the extent that we do in Canada, it would take four worlds to support that level of consumption!" Ouch. An avid shopper and sales rep myself, it was a tough statistic to swallow. Just in case he was exaggerating, I googled it. Yep, there seems to be a consensus. The Genuine Progress Index for Atlantic Canada (www.gpiatlantic.org) for example reports: "If everyone in the world consumed at PEI/Canadian levels, we'd need 4.7 planets Earth to provide the necessary resources + waste assimilation capacity." To think that all this consumerism started with bartering—or swapping, if you will; basic satisfaction of needs and wants. Thanks to initiatives like the Stuff Swap, databases like Freecycle, and your friendly neighbourhood Salvation Army, increasing the size of your shoe collection needn't increase the size of your ecological footprint. And isn't it great for the environmental movement that vintage happens to be 'in'? "If [advertising! executives want to make vin- FREE TO A GOOD HOME: (Everything except the people.) photo courtesy of mai bui tage cool, then all the better, because it has a positive effect [on the environment]" said Best. "But the one problem I see with trends," he continued, "is that they come and go. If people are not buying used clothing for reasons that I [consider] important..then when it's not fashionable anymore they're not going to do it" It's the same thing with financial constraints, said Best. They come and go. It's no surprise that environmental initiatives like the Stuff Swap are more popular on-campus than off-campus. "Students are more willing to take a free T- shirt because they don't have the money to go out and buy a new wardrobe every year. We [students] tend to have smaller ecological footprints than other members of society, and the biggest reason is that we don't have money," explained Best. Just as trends change, financial situations also change. What happens when your starving-student status ends? Hallelujah, moolah! Responsible consumption, what? Best hopes not. You see, the Stuff Swap is not simply about getting free stuff because you're poor or about following trends; it's about internalizing sustainable consumption. "We don't think about the ramifications of things we buy. When we buy a T-shirt, no one thinks about what had to happen to get the T- shirt there and what will happen after the T- shirt [is thrown away]." The main objective of the Stuff Swap, said Best, "is to engage students, who wouldn't otherwise be interested, in these issues, so that when they do have the money to buy a new wardrobe every year they'U £hink twice about it." So the next time the need for stuff arises, think about it You might have enough money to buy those vintage jeans. Question is, are you money enough to swap for them? See you at the next Stuff Swap on November 25. II »»i <»-jiT ...v*.i.« ic>v ,*■•**,,. »*£*>- ^tfSdsSaSi 6th Annual White Ribbon Pancake Breakfast Thursday November 24th at 7:30 and ending at 11:00. SUB Partyroom (3rd floor of the SUB). Minimum $2 donation. The White Ribbon Campaign is a national campaign of concerned men who are working to end men's violence against women. The breakfast raises money for the survivors of sexual assault and violence. The UBC President's Office matches ail funds raised on the day of the event. The menu consists of pancakes, oranges, coffee and juice. Be sure to bring your own plate and mug to be entered in a draw. For more information please contact us at: allies@interchange.ubc.ca Stressed out? Finals Looming? Final Term Grades freaking you out? You are NOT alone! Most students feel anxious about receiving their grades, despite how long they've been students. In most cases, your grades adequately reflect the amount of time & effort that you devoted to a particular course or subject, & are a fair representation of your academic ability. However, it can & does occur, that you receive a grade that does NOT reflect your ability, or perhaps the grading scheme implemented by your instructor was not the grading scheme indicated on your syllabus. If you feel you have been graded infairfy or improperly by your instructor the Advocacy office may be able to assist you. The AMS Advocacy office assists and advocates for students in preparing and attending forma! meetings, hearings and appeals against the University. If you think you need our assistance, please feel free to contact us. 249G-6138 SUB Boulevard I Phone: 604 822 9855/ www.ams.ubc.ca/advocacy Alma Mater Society Student Court - Notice of Hearing Take note that the Student Court is convening to hear the following matter: Be it resolved that Council request Student Court to render a written opinion upon the portions of the Bylaws defining membership in the Alma Mater Society, focusing in particular on whether co-op students, students in the Commerce dipfoma programs, and students in similar categories are members of the AMS and entitled to receive AMS membership benefits and services such as the U-Pass and the AMS / GSS Health and Dental Plan in return for paying AMS fees. The hearing is to be held at Student Union Building on the 25th day of November, 2005 (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) in Room 266J. Persons desiring to give evidence or submissions on this matter are directed to give notice to the clerk of the Court before commencement of the hearing. Troy Estensen, Clerk of the Court troy@inferchange.ubc.ca WMMMjM AMS Resource Groups seek new Coordinator The AMS Resource Groups are six student activist organizations which address issues of oppression, social justice, and environmental sustainability that persist throughout the world, in our community, and on campus. The coordinator provides resources to the student public, answers inquiries and maintains regular office hours; staffs the library and Common Space; fosters inter-group collaboration; assists with campaigns and projects; liaises with AMS, campus and community groups; and assists with operations, budgeting and conflict resolution. Desired qualities are: a background in activism and organizing, anti-oppression and social justice advocacy; experience with non-hierarchical, consensus-based structures; knowledge of Linux and library filing systems; experience with campus and community organizations; a commitment to volunteerism; and aptitude for both self- directed and collaborative work. Applicants must be UBC students, and should submit a cover letter and resume to the AMS VP Administration, through Val Levens in SUB Room 238, in the exec offices. Applications are due Nov. 30,2005. matmmtojtm mmm mftjHiu O- MUI ] 2 Culture Tuesday, 22 November, 2005 THEUBYSSEY How an acid hit transformed Manitoba into Caribou: CARIBOU Richard's on Richards November 24 by Chris Little CULTUREWRITER In 2005, Manitoba became Caribou. The change wasn't reported on the front page of every major newspaper in the country, and it probably wasn't even discussed on the evening news. Still, reports of the transformation sent Shockwaves through the community, and the impact of the decision has been enormous. The fabric of Canadian culture has been forever altered by the ridiculous actions of a pathetic, long-forgotten scrooge. EarHer this year, Handsome Dick Manitoba, a former member of mid-1970's N.Y.C. proto- punk band The Dictators, filed a lawsuit accusing well-respected indie musician Dan Snaith of trademark infringement for touring and recording under the name Manitoba. Apparently miffed by the critical and commercial success of another artist using the name of the same province, the action persisted despite the fact that Dick's real name is Richard Blum and he never actually released an album using the alias. In a not-too-surprising development, the smarter and less-malicious of the two Manitobas decided that it wasn't worth the money to fight the case in court, and thus. Caribou was born. For an artist on the brink of international recognition, such a disruption could easily have resulted in a one-way ticket to obscurity. Instead, for the Ontario-born and raised Snaith the episode was simply an exercise in frustration. "The thing I felt angriest and worst about was this guy misappropriating the name of a province,* says Snaith. "It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't had that kind of resonance and if I didn't feel like it was a slight to all Canadians." His solution was to maintain the patriotic association in the new name, but have some fun in the process of deciding what it should be. "We were touring across Canada doing jazz festivals, and we just parked by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere in the Prairies and took some acid and waited for inspiration. Inspiration revealed that the new name should be Caribou." Now touring is support of his latest album The Milk of Human Kindness, Snaith's approach to making music hasn't changed much since his 2001 debut as Manitoba with Start Breaking My Heart. Although the styHs- tic differences between the two full-lengths could not be more pronounced, both were created using his trademark method of "throwing things together as you go along and seeing what happens." Snaith said he isn't very good at planning his recording sessions. "I don't know whether I'd really like making music if I had to sit down and write songs and it was a carefully planned process. It's just experimentation and messing around and seeing what happens that makes it exciting for me." Seemingly at odds with his background in mathematics (he successfully defended his PhD thesis this summer at the University of London's Imperial College), Snaith insists that his preference for writing in this manner is actually consistent with his educational experience. "I love to teach myself things and learn how to do things myself. It was the same with mathematics and mathematical research; it's very much self-motivated and you're just playing around with ideas and seeing where they lead you rather than being very calculated the way other sciences are." Furthermore, Snaith is enthusiastic about returning to the studio in England to begin work on his next project Tm definitely going to be recording as soon as I get home. It's the same as always... I never really have a plan, but I'm already eager to get back I have lots of things to try out and lots of records to sample," he said. "We've been on tour for most of this year, and the record was finished at the beginning of last October, so it's been a while." What the follow-up to The Milk of Human Kindness will sound like is anyone's guess. A more streamlined and dynamic album than 2003's vibrant, psychedelic Up In Flames, the latest Caribou record is an obvious step forward: the arrangements are clearer and bet- ter-controUed, even though this may not have been Snaith's intention. "I think it just kind of came about. I didn't want to do the same thing again, but there was still an element of the Up In Flames sound that I wanted to work on," he said. "It seemed like Up In Flames was kind of as miasmic and kaleidoscopic and messy as it could get, and so it made sense if I wanted to do something different to focus on the individual parts and give each instrument its own space." The result is a percussion-heavy, spi- raling opus that reflects to a large extent what its author was Hstening to at the time of its creation, specificaUy old techno, hip hop and early 1970's Krautrock. Thankfully, those influences manifest themselves in Caribou's energetic Hve show, which in addition to Snaith features Peter Mitten on drums and Ryan Smith on guitar. For their next Vancouver appearance, this Thursday the 24th at Richard's on Richards, the stage set-up will again consist of two drum kits, keyboards, gui tars, a glockenspiel, and mesmerizing visual effects suppHed by the Dehcious 9 collective. This time however, the trio wiU be opening for Welsh genre-benders Super Furry Animals instead of headlining the venue as they did earHer this year. "It is different, but it's good because we get to play to people who probably wouldn't have come out to our show otherwise. It's always great to play for a fresh audience, and people seem to be into it so far," Snaith said. "We've both got a big visual component and lots of different influences, and I've always thought that it would make a good show having us both play together." The supporting role wiH necessarily impact the length of the set, but there are at least three good reasons to attend this week's concert even if you caught Caribou's last gig in Vancouver. The first two are that the touring threesome have, in the words of Snaith, "developed the show over the year and changed it around a bit", and that advance copies of the new Marino DVD will be available prior to its official release later this month. Packaged in bound-book form, the collection contains videos produced by Dehcious 9 for nearly every song on Up In Flames and The Milk of Human Kindness, as weU as a bonus EP with four tracks from the recording sessions for the latest album. The third reason is that a special tour-only CD with six different outtakes from The Milk of Human Kindness sessions and a 36-minute DJ mix that veers from avant-garde jazz to defightful pop nuggets (and eveiything in between) wiH also be for sale. Plus, it may be your last chance to see Caribou Hve: the future of the name is anyone's guess. II Now it's more convenient than ever to get all your everyday needs, with the opening of our exciting new location on University Boulevard. Check it out - cosmetics, munchies, cold remedies, stationery, everything you need to keep you going semester after semester. Wesbrook Mall & University Boulevard in the new Dentistry Building 5950 University Boulevard 604-228-1533 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week
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