@prefix edm: .
@prefix dcterms: .
@prefix dc: .
@prefix skos: .
edm:dataProvider "CONTENTdm"@en ;
dcterms:isReferencedBy "http://resolve.library.ubc.ca/cgi-bin/catsearch?bid=1211252"@en ;
dcterms:isPartOf "University Publications"@en ;
dcterms:issued "2015-08-28"@en, "2010-01-04"@en ;
edm:aggregatedCHO "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/Ubysseynews/items/1.0127632/source.json"@en ;
dc:format "application/pdf"@en ;
skos:note """ space...science! SINCE 1918
the SEX issue,
polyamory.
sex toys,
seduction tips.
SEE P A G E 3
Should Sam, our news
editor, take the position of
a media representative at
the Paralympic Torch relay?
GO ONLINE TO VOTE
AND COMMENT!
ubyssey.ca
McDonald's urges calm in wake of stabbing
SAMANTHA JUNG
news@ubyssey.ca
On December 19, a UBC student was
stabbed at the McDonald's on University Boulevard, but it seems to be
an isolated incident.
According to CBC, the university RCMP detachment was called
at about 5:15am to the University
Village and found a man suffering
from an apparent stab wound. He
was treated at Vancouver General
Hospital, and was released before
Christmas.
The McDonald's on campus is
open until 3 am and attracts post-
party goers looking for a late-night
snack. Constable Meghan Driscoll
from the university's RCMP detachment said that it is common to get
complaints from the area, but they
are not usually serious.
"It is one of the only places open
late, and people tend to congregate
there after hours," said Driscoll in
an e-mail interview. "Mostly calls
are noise and disturbance related,
and occasionally police attend for
reports of people fighting."
A current employee at the campus McDonald's, who would not
speak on the record, agreed. "The
crowd you get between midnight
and 3 am is university students who
have been out drinking and whatever, so we expect it."
"I think it was an isolated incident and that students shouldn't
really be too worried or not want
to come by," he continued. "I guess
the close proximity [of the incident]'
to McDonald's might make people.
scared, but I don't think it's something people should be worried
about."
Ameeruddin Zain, a former McY
Donald's employee who currently
works at Mahony & Sons on campus, said that protocol for dealing
with intoxicated customers is that
employees are asked to treat them
like normal customers and with
extra patience and are not advised
to encourage aggression.
Zain described one incident
while he was employed at the
fast-food chain. "One guy stepped
inside the food preparation area
and tried to make himself an ice
cream cone," Zain explained. "The
manager on duty...came out and
tried to verbally reason with him.
However, the intruder put his hand
on [the manager]—at which time
[the manager] retaliated back."
"I intervened in the matter in the
capacity of a senior crew member
and distanced both of them. The
matter cooled down quickly, as the
restaurant was busy at that time."
However, Zain said that he
mostly worked night shifts and was
not concerned about his safety, and
that most intoxicated patrons just
bought food and made conversation with him.
"The UBC McDonald's is one of
the safest in the Lower Mainland, and
I always had a good time there as far
as safety was concerned," he said, tl.
—withfiles from Ashley Whillans:
UVic to send
letter to AMS j
in support of
UN Complaint
The University of Victoria Students Society (UVSS) voted in
early December to send a letter to
the UBC AMS in support ofthe UN
Complaint.
Edward Pullman, UVSS director of finance, put forward the
motion to the UVSS Council. The
intention ofthe letter is to express
support for the UN complaint, to
express the UVSS' desire to see
the complaint resubmitted, and
to urge the AMS Council to "adopt
policy supporting the progressive
reduction of tuition fees."
"The complaint is a valuable
summary of the regressive policies the current government has
enacted that have limited access
to post-secondary education. The
UVSS is committed to universal
access to post-secondary education, and we see this complaint
as supporting that goal," Pullman
told The Ubyssey in an e-mail.
"Given that Canada is a
signatory to the Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights, it seems perfectly logical
to recognize and publicize failures to uphold articles within this
covenant."
AMS President Blake Frederick said that the AMS has not yet
received the letter, but is aware of
the UVSS' intentions, vl
Fraternities rent out their
homes for the Olympics «■
■ • •
*
* •■■-,.—>-%„.-_ [
A National Post story last week had the provocative
headline "Frathouses evict students to cash in on
Vancouver Olympics," which alleged that "more
than 200 students at the University of British Columbia are being forced out of their rooms by their
own fraternities."
While a number of fraternities are renting
but their rooms during the month of February,
fraternities are claiming the story is misleading,
and that members knew when signing their residence contract that they would have to leave in
February.
"We knew well in advance that this was going
to happen, so we've been doing everything we
can to make sure there are no issues," said Adam
Martinson, house manager of Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE). He added that DKE members were
consulted about the proposal as far back as last
spring, and that all residents will see their rent
lowered for January, March and April, in addition
to not paying for February.
Another fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi (ADP), will
be giving each of their displaced residents an
additional $500 in exchange for leaving for the
month of February. Each fraternity will be deciding independently where the money from the
subletting will go—some have indicated they will
put the money towards scholarships, while others
are using it for building maintenance, tl
—Justin McElroy
M O N D A y ^\\ £t
2010.01.04
WEATHER
05 RAINY
06 CLOUDY
07 CLOUDY
P
8:07
SUNRISE
4:29
SUNSET
UBC BY NUMBERS
98 DAYS TIL END OF TERM
2 DAYS TIL PIT NIGHT
39 DAYS TIL THE OLYMPICS
94 INCH SNOW BASE AT WHISTLER
5 TURKEY DINNERS IN TWO WEEKS
NEWS BRIEFS
UBC TO TEST REVOLUTIONARY METHOD OF TREATING
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Early in December, UBC announced that they would be testing
a groundbreaking method of
treating and diagnosing multiple
sclerosis (MS), according to The
Globe and Mail.
The study will test the theory
that MS is a vascular disease, and
therefore able to be treated with
surgery. This evaluates the findings
of Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni,
whose studies indicated that MS
could be caused by blockages in
veins, leading to a buildup of iron in
the brain.
The proposed trial—which would
be completed in collaboration with
the University of Saskatchewan—is
an answer to an appeal from the MS
Society of Canada, who asked scientists to test Zamboni's theories.
UBC is still awaiting funding and
approval from an ethics committee
before beginning the trials, which
is proposed to involve a hundred
patients. The study is projected to
cost almost $ 1 million.
UBC FARM A TOP
SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION
The UBC Farm has been listed as
Tides Canada's "most innovative
and forward-thinking organizations for 2009."
Tides Canada is an organization
that provides financial and management services for what they call
"change makers." Their website
says that they chose the UBC Farm
for their "leadership in research
and learning about sustainable
agriculture, climate change, food
security and community health";
their interactive programs that
educate students and adults; and for
their "urban aboriginal programming which supports over 700
participants," teaching them to live
sustainably.
Also included in the top ten are
the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition and the Living Oceans Society.
UBC ENTERS PARTNERSHIP
WITH XEROX
UBC has partnered with Xerox
Global Services in a move that the
university says will reduce the
university's energy consumption
and carbon footprint.
The six-year partnership with the
global print management service
will save the university approximately $8 million.
"Initial benefits include consistent, affordable and reliable campus-wide printing and document
production capabilities," said UBC
VP Finance Pierre Ouillet. "The objective will be to deliver cost savings
and productivity improvements
directly to the faculties jdepartments
and students at UBC." vl 2/UBYSSEY.CA/EVENTS/2010.01.04
JANUARY 04, 2010
VOLUME XCI, N°XXK
EDITORIAL
COORDINATING EDITOR
Paul Bucci: coordinating@ubyssey.ca
NEWS EDITOR
Samantha Jung: news@ubyssey.ca
CULTURE EDITOR
Kate Barbaria : culture@ubysseyca
SPORTS EDITOR
Justin McElroy : sports@ubyssey.ca
INTERIM IDEAS EDITOR
Trevor Record: ideas@ubyssey.ca
PHOTO EDITOR
GeraldDeo :photos@ubysseyca
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Vacant: production @ubyssey. ca
COPY EDITOR
Katarina Grgic: copy@ubyssey.ca
MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Tara Martellaro : 7nulti7nedia@ubyssey.ca
Room 24, Student Union Building
6138 Student Union Boulevard
Vancouver, BCV6T lZl
tel: 604.822.2301
fax: 604.822.9279
web: www.ubyssey.ca
e-mail: feedback @ubyssey. ca
BUSINESS
Room 23, Student Union Building
advertising: 604.822.1654
business office: 604.822.6681
fax: 604.822.1658
e-mail: advertising@ubyssey. ca
BUSINESS MANAGER : Fernie Pereira
AD TRAFFIC : Sabrina Marchand
AD DESIGN : Chibwe Mweene
LEGAL
The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the
University of British Columbia. It is published every
Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications
Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run
student organization, and all students are encouraged
to participate.
Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey
staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff,
and do not necessarily reflect the views of The
Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of
British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The
Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications
Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork
contained herein cannot be reproduced without the
expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.
The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian
University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP's guiding
principles.
Letters to the editor must be under 300 words
Please include your phone number, student number
and signature (not for publication) as well as your
year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be
checked when submissions are dropped off at the
editorial office 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. All letters must be
received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published
in the following issue unless there is an urgent time
restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the
Ubyssey staff.
It is agreed by all persons placing display or
classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications
Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an
error in the ad occurs the liability 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
CONTRIBUTORS
After a long rest Paul Bucci awoke to the sound ol
Samantha Jung and Kate Barbaria singing karaoke
Trevor Record was clapping and stomping his foot
to the beat of the bass. Justin McElroy beat the
table like it was a set of drums, taking pictures was
Brendan Albano and directing was Gerald Deo. they
were making a video to be posted on the net. Kyrstin
Bain could hear the pounding on the ceiling above
and she thought; they would come through the floor
boards. Katarina Grgic say"s to Tara Martellaro," what
the fuck is going on up there?" and with a fierce look
of determination they proceeded up-stairs to break
up the impromptu party, at that same moment Kirsty
Cameron, Sophie Raider, Geoff Lister, Keegan Bursaw
and Leif Larsen were walking in the doorway carrying
boxes of refreshments. Kathy Yan Li had invited them
to come over to help with the video, the alcohol
would be used for props only as it was so early in
the day. however, when Charlize gordon saw all the
booze that was being brought in she decided she
would have some to cure her hang over, suddenly David Zajdlik screamed " the cops" and Ashley Whillans
went running for the back door as the police came
through the front door.
V Canada Post Sales
Agreement
Number 0040878022
Canadian printed on^100s%
University 'reeycledpaper
Press \\_AQ
EVENTS
ONGOING EVENTS
UBYSSEY PRODUCTION* Come help us
create this baby! Learn about layout
and editing. Expect to be fed. • Every
Sunday and Wednesday, 2pm.
KOERNER'S NIGHT* Join us for open
mic night every Monday. Listen
to the different flavours of music,
all while enjoying a nice cold beer
or a competitive game of pool. •
Every Monday, 8:30pm onwards.
Koerner's Pub.
MONDAY NIGHT COMMUNITY MUSIC &
MEAL* Like to play fun music? Just
want to listen? Looking for a sense of
community? This is for all members
of the UBC community who want to
have a good meal and great conversation. All meals are home-cooked and
are vegetarian-friendly • Every Monday, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Chapel of the
Epiphany (6030 Chancellor Blvd), more
info ievnathanvviigh1@mac.com.
DRIPPYTOWN: VANCOUVER'S COMIC
ARTISTS ON DISPLAY* Want a different take on Vancity? The collection
features contributions from six local
comic artists whose work provides
a look at life in Vancouver. • Continues until Jan 31, Rare Books and
Special Collections in IKE, more info
puddingsock. livejoumal. com.
AMS ELECTIONS NOMINATIONS NOW
OPEN! • Elections for AMS Executive positions, International Student
Representative, Student Legal Fund
Society Board of Directors, Senate and Board of Governors of the
university. • Until Jan 8,3pm, download nomination forms at ams.ubc.
ca/elections or pick up in SUB 238A.
ROMEO & JULIET • This production
of the Shakespearean classic will
feature live music with a cast of 21
UBC Theatre BFA Acting students.
Expect a brave and twisted approach to Shakespeare's iconic story
7
1
5
3
8
3
5
7
9
6
2
3
6
7
8
5
8
2
1
4
5
1
6
4
2
ot
in
E
o
3
£■
o
u
T3
C
£
i_
CTl
o
HARD
SUSC0MIC.COM BY MICHAEL BROUND
#100
of lovers in a dangerous time. • Jan
20-30, 7:30pm, Telus Studio. Ticktts
at$15/$20/$25.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6
FREE HOT CHOCOLATE COURTSEY OF
CAREER SERVICES! • Come and enjoy
a delicious hot chocolate and learn
about the many awesome opprtuni-
ties and programs provided by Career
Services. Learn more about Careers
Online's brand new job posting site!
• Wednesday and Thursday, Jan 6-7,
I1am-3pm, Block Hall.
FRIDAY, JAN. 8
THE MALAYSIA SINGAPORE NIGHT
(MSN) 2010 KRISPY KREME FUNDRAISER • Buy some delicious doughnuts and help raise funds for their
annual event. • 8:30am-4:30pm,
SUB North Plaza 1.
SUNDAY, JAN. 10
A BRIEF HISTORY OF POPULAR REVOLUTIONARY ART* A look at artwork and
artists directly related to revolutionary
ideals, with discussions on how art
and revolution work in context to
each other. Learn also on the physical
"how-tos" of making resistance art
• lOam-lpm, Purple Thistle Centre
(260-975 Vernon St.), Free
MONDAY, JAN. 11
REC CENTRE SHOPPING WEEK* Have a
class at the REC centre you want to
try out? Want to see if you can endure an entire class of pilates? This
is the week to do it! All instructional
classes at the REC centre are free
this week! So just pop by the REC
centre and start enriching your lives!
• Jan 11-17, REC centre. For more
details, go to www.rec.ubc.ca.
THURSDAY, JAN. 14
BRANCHING OUT • The Foresty
SoMSTlMtS T <£,o To
THE SOO WAK£0.
A personal journey of sensual discovery.
THE ULTMMTIHI6HT OF PASSION
LSAT MCAT
GMAT GRE
Preparation Seminars
• Complete 30-Hour Seminars
• Convenient Weekend Schedule
• Proven Test-Taking Strategies
• Experienced Course Instructors
• Comprehensive Study Materials
• Simulated Practice Exams
• Limited Class Size
• Free Repeat Policy
• Personal Tutoring Available
• Thousands of Satisfied Students
OXFORD SEMINARS
604-683-3430
1-800-269-6719
www.oxfordseminars.ca
STARVING? COME
COPY EDIT AND GET
FED. SUB 24, EVERY
SUNDAYAND
WEDNESDAY.
Undergraduate Society (FUS)
and the Students for Forestry
Awareness (SFA) are hosting a
symposium to provide insight into
the implications of current forestry
issues and perspective regarding how students can apply their
education to adapt to and initiate
changes in the sector. Listen on
to the panel discussion and get
an opportunity to voice your opinions. • 6pm-9pm, Lecture Theatre
1005, Forest Sciences Centre.
ARTSANDMASSVIOLENCE:NEWFORMS
OF ENGAGEMENT* The Liu Institute's
Transitional Justice Network presents this dialogue about artistic
research and practices relating to
situations of mass atrocity, social
reconstruction and social change. •
Panel discussion at 4pm, reception
at 5:30pm, Liu Institute for Global
Issues (6476 NW Marine Drive).
Free registiation online at fluid-
surveys.com/surveys/liuinstitute/
register-tjn-arts-event/
CONTINUING STUDIES WRITING CENTRE
USED BOOK SAL£ • The Writing Centre
will be holding its gigantic annual book-
sale. There will be a wide variety of
used books on a wide variety of subjects, from cookery books to classics
of fiction, and lots more. All proceeds
go to awards and scholarships in the
UBC Writing Centre. • Jan 14-15,
10am-4pm, UBC Writing Centre. All
books are 50 cents each.
FRIDAY, JAN. 15
A CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL IGNATIEFF® UBC* Liberal leader Michael
Ignatieff is starting the New Year
with a cross-Canada campus tour
to meet young Canadians in the
lead-up to Canada at 150: Rising
to the Challenge—a non-partisan
conference being held in Montreal in
March 2010. • 3pm-4:30pm, Norm
Theatre.
TUESDAY, JAN. 19
AAI CONFERENCE: AFRICAN ART AND
POETRY: OPEN MIC PERFORMANCES •
Africa has been the source of artistic
inspiration for many, the geopraphi-
cal nature of Africa is an astounding
piece of art in its own right. Join us
in celebrating the artistic nature of
Mama Africa through art from the
motherland. This is a collaborative
event with the Nyala restaurant
and Caribbean African Association.
• 6pm-12am, Koerner's Pub. Entrance by donation, suggested $5.
THURSDAY, JAN. 21
HKIN SEMINAR SERIES: OLYMPIC
GAMES INPACT RESEARCH—HISTORICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS • This
seminar will be given by Dr Rob
VanWynsberghe, who will be
examining the theorectical and
methodogical underpinnings of
the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Olympic Games Impact research program (OGI). • Jan
21, 12:30pm-2pm, War Memorial
Gymnasium Room 100.
SUNDAY, JAN. 24
AMS ELECTION PRESENTS: HACKFEST
BZZR GARDEN!* Meet the candidates
running to be in your student government, one day prior to the opening
of the polls! Mingle with your opponents and campaign to students
who never go out to debates! Also
available: samosas and $2 beers! •
Jan 24, 7pm-11pm, SUB Partyroom.
SATURDAY, JAN. 30
EXHIBITION INDIA 2010* Presented by
the UBC Bhangra Club, this is one
show that combines the sounds,
sights, and vibrancy of India in an
entertainment-filled night of entertainment. All ticket proceeds go to
BC Children's Hospital. • Jan 30,
6pm-9pm, Bell Centre for the Performing Arts (6250 - 144th St.). $15
For tickets call Harman (778-865-
3216) orPuneet (778-24-4235). i^SSEY.CA/SEX/3
now, a word from our coordinator
Something to \\{eep
you warm these cold
winter months
SUPPLEMENT
COORDINATOR SOPHIE RAIDER»sraider@ubyssey.ca
Sex is play, and as
university students we should be
playing hard. This is the time in our
lives when we are expected to
experiment in and out of the dorms.
If you're interested, why not take
full advantage and fool around with
your roommates, classmates or be
your own mate? The Ubyssey strips
down sexual stereotypes and offers you some tips on how to strip
down that babe from the library
you fantasized about while you
were buried in exams. Join us in
welcoming 2010 with pants down
and skirts up. Cheers.
BRENDAN ALBANO PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
How to become a chick magnet
Advice for attracting women with local expert Stefan Pylarinos
ASHLEY WHILLANS
awhillans@ubyssey.ca
Every romantic encounter begins with meeting that special
somebody. But for many men and
women, meeting a potential partner
can be the hardest part of the dating
process. Shyness, fear of rejection
and low self-esteem often prevent
people from making the first move.
Even worse, these fears can keep
men and women stuck in relationship purgatory otherwise known as
the friend-zone.
Stefan Pylarinos, a successful
businessman, relationship guru
and author of the e-book Creating Success with Women: Secrets
to Becoming Natural at Attracting
Women, wasn't always confident,
especially when it came to girls. A
self-professed loner, he spent the
majority of his high school years
playing video games on the internet
or watching movies at home and
definitely never had a girlfriend.
"I was really shy when I was in
high school. I was really introverted, the quiet guy in class and I went
through a lot of different challenges
socially" said Pylarinos.
Finally Pylarinos had had
enough. Fed up with being too
scared to approach women and
frustrated at being seen as "the
friend," he came up with a plan.
Making it his mission to talk to
as many women as possible, Pylarinos began to work on improving
his communication skills with the
seemingly elusive opposite sex.
"I started approaching women
to improve this area of my life," he
explained. "At first, when I was 18,
I used to go out, but I was too young
to go to clubs, so I'd actually go out
on Granville Street and approach
women randomly on the street,"
recalled Pylarinos, with a laugh.
"Later on when I went to a bar
or a club I wasn't really there to
drink or party. I was there to push
my comfort zone and learn how to
interact with people. I'd go out and
set goals for myself. I'd focus on different aspects of communicating,"
he said.
Since he began attempting to
master the art of communication
with women, Pylarinos has tried
just about everything, including
memorizing pick-up lines from the
internet and practicing them on
unsuspecting strangers.
While he has admittedly met a
lot of beautiful women during this
time, Pylarinos' social experiment
hasn't always been easy. Sometimes progress was slow, tedious
and painful and he himself admits
to probably being "the most rejected man in the world." However,
five years and thousands of women
later, it appears Pylarinos' hard
work has paid off.
Today he has not only mastered
the art of talking to any woman,
anywhere, in any situation, he has
also discovered his life's purpose:
to help other men overcome their
relationship anxieties.
Beginning as a blog created to
record his progress, Pylarinos' business, Lifestyle Transformations,
now helps men all over the world
to stop being creepy or cowardly
and learn how to relate to and date
beautiful women.
"At first people asked me to take
them out," recalled Pylarinos. "They
had been following my online
journal, asking me questions and
wanted to start learning how to do
what I was doing. Before long I had
my first client and Lifestyle Transformations was formed."
Lifestyle Transformations
now hosts three day bootcamps
to help men improve their communication skills and learn the
dos and don'ts of approaching
women. Over the course of three
days participants learn different
techniques and approach over
a hundred different women in
clubs, stores and coffeeshops to
test their developing skills.
And the secret behind his teaching? Regardless of what one might
think, meeting women is not
about money or even appearance,
Pylarinos explained. It is about
confidence.
"It has nothing to do with appearance, money, fame, status or
any of that stuff," said Pylarinos.
"I've coached guys who are 18
to 50 or 60-years-old. When you
get a guy calm and comfortable
with himself and he learns how
to communicate on that kind of
level when he approaches a girl,
you can actually see the attraction
happen. Women become more
attracted as men become more
confident."
While lack of confidence is a
huge detriment to meeting women,
Pylarinos also pointed out that
there are many things men (and
women) do wrong when trying to
meet a potential romantic partner.
One of the most common mistakes men make is failing to let
their intent be known, emphasized
Pylarinos. For example, getting
stuck as the friend to the person
you really like is often the result of
failing to state your intentions, he
explained.
"Having that [romantic] intent
right from the start, and letting it be
known, prevents being labeled as
the friend. Being honest and open
about your feelings and not being
apologetic about anything are ways
a man can attract a woman. I think
that a real man should let his intent
be known and not hide it or apologize for it or suppress it," he said.
Another mistake men make is
taking value from women. Taking value involves approaching a
woman with the intention of getting
something from her, as opposed
to adding something to her life. Instead of being go-getters, Pylarinos
encourages his clients to become
"go-givers" and focus on how to
improve the lives of others.
"When you add value to people,
people want to be around you, they
want to hang out with you and be
withyou/'hesaid.
Most importantly according to
Pylarinos, every man must realize
that talking to and meeting women
is a skill, and like any other it must
be practiced and learned. Self-belief
and self-confidence goes a long way
in meeting women and building
communication skills.
"Getting rid of past disappointments and feelings of rejection and
[instead] believing that people want
to talk to you can change your entire
world," he said.
Whether you're the nice guy,
the guy who is always the friend,
the shy guy or the guy who just
can't find the right person, Pylarinos is a firm believer that by
practicing, trusting and risking
rejection it is possible for anyone
to find a partner or a hot date and
talk to anyone, anywhere, at any
time.'(J
HE UBYSSEY
Stefan Pylarinos provides some
advice for people whose new
year's resolutions include finally
talking to that person they've been
crushing on.
TOP THREE DON'TS
DON'T TAKE VALUE "Don't approach
people with a hidden agenda or focus on what you are going to get in
return," explained Pylarinos. "Thinking about how you are going to get
their number, get them to go on a
date with you or get in their pants is
selfish and often impedes the courtship process."
DON'T HIDE YOUR INTENT "Don't hide
your feelings, or let your fear or anxiety take you over. Man up and communicate your interest in that person
you want to meet or are interested
in."
DON'TBEACREEP Some compliments
can be received as weird or creepy,
he explained. "Avoiding the creep
factor is about making the person
feel comfortable. If I just came up
to someone and said 'you are really
cute' or 'hey baby, what's up?', they
might think 'oh, okay, that's weird,'
and probably wouldn't talk to me
again."
TOP THREE DOS
DO ADD VALUE Think about how you
can improve her day by talking to
her. "Change your mentality from
being a go-getter to a go-giver
What woman doesn't want a guy to
make her smile or make her feel better about herself?" asked Pylarinos.
"When you see someone you
want to meet, think about how
you can add value to their life.
Think about how you can make her
smile, or make her feel better about
herself."
DO STATE YOUR INTENT Let her know
you are interested right away. Don't
hide your feelings.
DO USE A SOFTENER "Always make a
person feel comfortable if you are
going to approach them especially
if you are approaching them in a
random place, like a coffee shop,"
he said.
"Use a softener. If I come up to
you and you are sitting in a coffee
shop I might say something like 'this
is weird' or 'people don't usually do
this in a coffee shop,' because making a statement like this honours the
reality of the situation and instantly
puts you both at ease. You want
to do everything in your power to
make her feel comfortable."
THE OBVIOUS Be authentic. "Do not
rely on key phrases or lines, instead
be confident in who you are and let
your personality shine through," said
Pylarinos.
"If you can just be real and true
and honest, women appreciate that
a lot more than anything else."
THE NOT-SO-OBVIOUS Be focused on
being more rather than doing more.
"Most guys are focused on doing," explained Pylarinos, "and they
are concerned with thoughts such
as what can I do to make this girl like
me and what should I say?"
"Instead of focusing on what
more I could do, I focus on how
could be a better person. How can
be more social or more charismatic,
how can I have better communication skills? How can I become a better man or a more attractive guy?" 4/UBYSSEY.CA/SEX/2 010.01.0 4
Navigating the highway
of sensual indulgence
MISHA GWAMPSTON
Contributor
Let's talk about sex for a minute. Specifically sex with toys. I would like to
dispel the nasty repressive stigmas
surrounding electrically-assisted
sex play so that everyone can be
guilt-free in their future moans.
A 2004 study conducted by the
Berman Center for sexual therapy
revealed that 44 per cent of women
ages 18-60 have used some sort
of sexual device in their lifetime.
To top that, 20 per cent of women
use a sex toy at least once weekly.
The Berman study also found that
"women who use sexual devices
reported experiencing higher levels
of sexual satisfaction and function,"
so stop blushing, sit down and relax, it's time to get hips pumping,
that blood circulating and those
noggin wheels turning.
Firstly, let us remember that
no matter what we've been told,
pleasure is good for us. Sex toys can
heighten that pleasure, potentially
further than you thought possible.
Vibrators are a well-loved
standard. When purchasing your
first vibrator, the vast array of
colours, power boosters, textures
and technology might be intimidating. Fear not, simplicity in
vibration exists! It takes the form
of the FUZUOKU 9000. This little
digit widget fits nicely onto the
index finger (or whichever one
generally brings you pleasure)
and is extremely discreet. It is for
external use only and is not waterproof—a bathtub self-love session
will have to wait. Accompanying
it are three texture options for
ultimate clitoral arousal. I see this
as the perfect intro vibe because
it is small, a great shape and versatile. The sole drawback is that
it has only one speed—I highly
recommend going down to the
nearest sex-positive toy shop and
manually testing which intensity
is right for you (manually, as in
with your hands).
My personal favourite is the
Pleasure Commander. A bullet vibrator, it boasts ten speed settings
that will surely take you on a tour de
pleasure. The only downside to this
luxury toy is that the attachment
can have internal short outs and is
around $ 15 to replace. Luckily, The
Art of Loving (UBC students receive
15 per cent off) always has a few on
hand to sell to frantic mid-climactic
masturbators under the pleasure
command. Another great aspect of
bullet vibrators is their versatility.
Attachments in the form of cock
rings provide a no-hands alternative if heterosex is your thing.
Some other erotic options are
supplied by the company Fun Factory. Offering an almost limitless array of girths and speed preferences,
these dildos can be used clitorally,
vaginally and those with wide,
flared bases are perfect for anal
stimulation as well. Further, all Fun
Factory products are made with
silicone, which makes them safe for
those with allergies. As with most
toys, these should only be used with
a water-based lube.
Lastly, there is a particularly
provocative 'strapless strap-on'
called the Feeldoe. The beauty
of this toy is that it has two ends
of insertion, one enters the vagina of the woman wearing the
'strap-on' (so she can also receive
sexual gratification) and the other
end acts as the usual strap-on. It
comes in three sizes and presents
an awesome alternative to the harness, tu
This story is heavily abridged To
access the full version ofthe article,
go to ubyssey.ca
Confronting bisexuality
Where does a bisexual identity fit?
JOANNA CHIU
jchiu@ubyssey.ca
I first considered that I might be bisexual in high school. By the time I
entered university I felt comfortable
enough to "come out" to the friends
I had just met in Vanier residence.
My first-year drunken gjrl-on-girl
make-outs bothered me because
they seemed to conform to the stereotype of bisexuals as hypersexual,
pleasure-seeking hedonists.
I am now in my fourth year at
UBC, and I live off-campus with my
boyfriend. Although we are both
open to having a threesome, we
are in a committed monogamous
relationship.
I still identify as queer, but I am
wary that the queer community
might not accept me because of my
perceived "heterosexual privilege."
Bisexuals are often invisible minorities. There are a lot of misconceptions about bisexuality in mainstream culture, and academics
debate the existence of bisexuality.
Amanda Reaume and Kaiflin
Blanchard of Antigone Magazine
contest the stereotype that bisexuals are "promiscuous or unable to
make up their minds." Instead they
believe that "these stereotypes are
absurd because bisexuals are individuals so generalizations are unfounded, and are absurd attempts
to relegate sexuality to the binary
poles of straight or queer. These
stereotypes only work to reinforce
dominant ideas of how one 'ought'
to perform one's sexual identity."
Dr Michael Goodyear, who
teaches Feminist Health Ethics
at Dalhousie University, concurs
that there is no single definition of
bisexuality. According to Dr Goodyear, "You will find that people who
choose to identify as bisexual are a
You will find that
people who choose to
identify as bisexual
are a very diverse
group, for whom the
meaning ofthe term
is intensely personal.
DR MICHAEL GOODYEAR
PROFESSOR OF FEMINIST HEALTH ETHICS
AT DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY
very diverse group, for whom the
meaning of the term is intensely
personal."
The diversity of bisexual identities sparks debate about whether
we should continue to use sexual
orientation categories such as "heterosexual," "homosexual" and "bisexual." I still use the term "bisexual"
because I think that categories can
be useful for building communities,
understanding personal identities
and challenging heteronormativity.
But many thanks to the influence of
gender theorists such as Judith Butler
(who argued in Gender Trouble that
all gender and sexual categories are
social constructions), believe that
sexuality exists on a spectrum. Some
people choose to adopt the term "pan-
sexual" instead of "bisexual" to reflect
the wide range of sexual identities.
Although queer activists have
made great efforts to make all individuals feel welcome, exclusionary
practices continue in some queer
communities. Heterosexuality and
homosexuality are understood as
opposite designations in a binary
structure of sexuality, but bisexuality
remains enshrouded in mystery and
eroticism.
Saara Bhanji, who recently
completed her Master's of Gender
Studies at the London School of Economics and is co-chair of AWARE
Canada, has noted the marginaliza-
tion of bisexuals from both queer
and mainstream societies.
"It seems as though bisexuality
continues to occupy a very precarious and fragile position within both
queer and mainstream communities because, as a bisexual individual once described to me, 'It's a
struggle. You're treated as though
you're not straight enough to be
straight and not gay enough to be
gay'"
University campuses can offer
academic courses and student
organizations that provide safe
and stimulating places to learn
about the complexities of sexuality. One example is the Vagina
Monologue's "Pussy Posse" at
UBC, which offers weekly workshops and discussions on sexuality. UBC also boasts the unique
Critical Studies in Sexuality (CSIS)
program. According to the chair
of CSIS, Dr Janice Stewart, CSIS
courses can help students "to
develop a vocabulary for addressing the varieties and complexities of identity and community
formation."
Despite my comfort with calling
myself bisexual, I do not want my
parents to ever find out that I have
been with women. I can imagine
that it is tougher for bisexual men,
who often face greater stigma when
coming out as queer. I am still quite
isolated; I do not know any openly
bisexual people. I hope that more
communities will make better efforts to recognize and understand
bisexuality, so that more bisexuals
will feel safer asserting their sexual
identities, tl
ams
student society
ams.ubc.ca
Thinking about calling a referendum?
Any students wishing to call a referendum in
conjunction with AMS Elections 2010 must have
completed and delivered two (2) petitions
to the named persons below by
10:00a.m. Tuesday, January 5th, 2010.
PETITION 1
A petition signed by five percent (5%) ofthe active
members or one thousand (1000) active members,
whichever is the lesser number and includes the text ofthe
referendum delivered to the Vice-President Academic
Johannes Rebane (SUB 238K) before
70:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 5th, 2010.
PETITION 2
A petition for funding delivered to the Elections
Administrator Isabel Ferreras (SUB 249K) before 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010.
Which must include the following:
1. The signatures and student numbers of at least one
hundred and fifty (150) active members.
2. A list ofthe members of the Yes and No Committee
identifying them as members of that committee.
3. A budget outlining any proposed expenditures.
For further details please contact the Elections Committee
or visit the AMS Elections Website at
www.ams.ubc.ca/elections
REGENT DENTAL CENTRE
Friendly Kitsilano office that serves your comprehensive dental needs!
Dr. Ho
Dr. I_am
2IS2 West Broadway,
Vancouver, BC.VBK2C8
Tel: BD4.733.343I Fax: BD4.733.3432
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT OUR SEX ISSUE?
E-MAIL FEEDBACK®UBYSSEY.CA 2010.01.04/UBYSSEY.CA/SEX/5
My first pap
smear that wasn't
Polyamorists do it better—and more often
KATHY YAN LI
kyanli@ubyssey.ca
I have never understood the concept
of personals, or online booty calls.
How does it work? How do you know
she's really a 21-year-old Russian who
is "hot horny and wet for you"? As
a woman with some degree of self
respect I often find these ads more
offensive than attractive. (Okay that's
a lie. I often find them hilarious.)
I have never had sex, so I don't
see why people would resort to the
great dark world of the internet. I
came close to it a couple of times,
but never actually did it. Yes, I've
wondered what it would be like—
whether it would be passionate and
romantic, as seen on television, or
whether it would be something like
what I hear from my neighbours,
loud but short.
I have never had sex,
so I don't see why
people would resort
to the great dark
world ofthe internet.
A few weeks ago, I scheduled myself for my very first pap smear test.
Now, for those of you who aren't at
that stage of your life yet, or don't
have a vagina, what they do in a pap
smear test is they swab the inside
of your cervix with a cotton swab
and test it for any funky stuff growing, like Gonorrhea. I didn't think I
would be too comfortable with that.
A girlfriend reassured me, "It's only
as awkward as you let it be." Right.
So I steeled myself, and took a
shower before seeing the doctor
(didn't want anything to smell funky
down there). I debated whether to
wear a skirt (for easy access) or jeans
(for my own comfort). Finally, after
much prep work, I went to the hospital, only to be told that I didn't need a
pap smear. There was nothing to be
tested since nothing had been going
on down there.
To be honest I was slightly miffed.
I had been told by an excited coworker that this was my initiation
into womanhood, 'You're becoming
a woman!" So after all those months
of period cramps and awkward bra
shopping with the mother, this was
going to seal the deal of my coming
of age. Not a girl, but a woman, with
rights and all that stuff.
I guess it all comes down to this:
Does having sex make you more of
a woman than the next one? As a
20-year-old virgin, I say no. I've got
curves, a cute face and I even sound
like one when I holler. Practicing
abstinence is a personal choice; I'm
just waiting for the right guy. Yeah,
it would be nice to have someone
to snuggle with, but that's why I
bought that extra pillow from IKEA
I'm no good at flirting, and I get
awkward with attention. The concept
of personals never got through to
me. What do you say to a complete
stranger? Doesn't it get awkward?
What if they smell funny? What if they
want to hold hands and you don't?
But I guess this is a good place to start
So I'll give it a try.
"Naive, slightly chubby Asian girl
with big boobs looking for someone to
love, to reenact movie love and to live
happily ever after. Must like lions." tl
KIRSTY J.M.CAMERON
Contributor
"I don't really believe in monogamy."
I immediately confessed this at the
beginning of my latest relationship.
It's best to get things like this out of
the way before they start causing
problems, like the problems that
may arise when I sleep with other
people.
My insistence on non-monogamy polyamory, or what's commonly known as an open relationship, came after years of trying and
failing, with a number of different
partners, to be monogamous. I
would start to feel either trapped
or resentful of the limitations imposed on me and my sexuality by
the person I loved. Sometimes I'd
cheat. I may or may not have told
them about it, but regardless I'd feel
enormously guilty over something
as potentially innocent as a kiss
between friends. As I now refuse
to live in a perpetually repressed or
guilty state, the question becomes:
where to go from here?
The concept that
there is only one
person for me and
that I should want
to love and have
sex with just him/
her seems more
and more insidious
as I get older.
I've always been reluctant to
subscribe to the idea of the fairy
tale Prince/Princess Charming. The
concept that there is only one person for me and that I should want
to love and have sex with just him/
her seems more and more insidious as I get older. The conventional
assumptions that love and monogamous sex are somehow tied
together means that breaking this
tie is tantamount to committing an
unethical, offensive, disturbing and
biologically implicated sin. The idea
that polyamory is sinful offends me,
because at my core, when I'm truly
listening to myself and my desires,
it feels untrue. As Dossie Easton
and Catherine A. Liszt write in their
fabulous book The Ethical Slut, "a
ring around the finger does not
cause a nerve block to the genitals."
Does this mean I've made a clean
cut between love and sex? Hell no.
I just choose to love a number of
different people in a number of
different ways, and I'm open to
expanding this group, if and when
I'm inclined to. Currently I do have
a primary relationship, someone I
can be honest with, someone with
whom I can discuss any intimate
exchanges I have with other individuals. By allowing myself to be
open and honest about my desire
and pursuit of other people I get
to strengthen our relationship by
practicing honesty, talking more,
not feeling like I have to hide my
desires or affairs. The feelings of
freedom and trust, along with the
acknowledgement that neither of
us owns the other, (possessiveness,
jealousy's conjoined twin diffused)
have done nothing but convince me
I'm in the most mature relationship
of my life lived thus far.
A great benefit of this is that
my primary relationship no longer has to be defined by sex, I
am where I am because I enjoy
more than just our physical relationship. You can have great sex
with assholes, and if you want to,
go ahead. But knowing that you
don't have to meet their parents
or hang out with their friends just
because society prescribes sexual
monogamy is a great relief. Staying in an otherwise unhappy relationship just because of the great
sex is a bad idea, but one people
subscribe to if they believe good
sex is an indicator of true love.
What if someone you really
love to be with doesn't share your
sexual kink? Or doesn't identify
as the gender you find yourself
more sexually attracted to? If you
choose to open your relationship
up sexually, these issues are no
longer deal breakers. Making sex
part of the constellation of things
that come together to create a
healthy and fulfilling relationship
instead of the nexus means you
don't have to weigh sexual compatibility more heavily than other
areas of attraction. And as much
fun as sex is, it's not everything.
I refuse to stifle
myself sexually for
a partner.
For me, it's still early. I have no
ideas as to what the implications
of choosing to have open relationships will be for the rest of my
life. Will this be a phase? If I ever
do choose to marry, will I have an
open marriage? Jealousy is sure to
rear its ugly head at some point,
what then? Will the number of
people who think similarly in my
age and social bracket diminish
as I mature? Who is to say? But, as
I began, I cannot end. I refuse to
stifle myself sexually for a partner
again. No matter how nicely they
ask or how much I love them,
I know that one partner is not
enough to last me the rest of my
life. And after all, if you believe, as
Easton and Liszt write, that "sex
is nice and pleasure is good for
you," sharing this pleasure with
only one person seems a little bit
selfish, no? tl
ams Insider weekly
student society
a weekly look at what's new at your student society
01.04.10
Stuff White People Like
Christian
Lander
JAN. 25th, NORM THEATRE
0©ppiGE0|sj
i* «■-*#*«.
CD RELEASE JAN. 16th
BILTMORE
iqgoI
8§8K&>»
/OsAMS
<> Election
AMS Elections
Nominations now open!
Pick up nomination forms for AMS Executive,
International Student Representative, Board
of Governors, Senate, and Student Legal Fund
Society Board in SUB 238A
Nominations close at
3:00 p.m., January 8th!
HIRING
POLL CLERKS
AND COURIERS
for January 26th-29th
$15.00 to $20.00/hr
see www.ams.ubc.ca/elections to apply
>**
Safe)
Walk/
604-822-5355
Travelling late at night?
Afraid of going alone?
Call Safewalk, a free service where a
co-ed team will take you anywhere you
need to go on campus.
Don't walk alone!
SASC
Sexual Assault Support Centre
NEED TO PRINT A BANNER
FORYOUR NEXT EVENT?
NEW AT
COPYRIGHT!
LARGE FORMAT
PRINTING
SUB Lower Level
RIGHT
•
VOLUNTEERS
The Sexual Assault Support Centre is looking
for volunteers. Our next orientation is on
January 29,30, and 31.
Please contact us if you would like to attend:
sasc@ams.ubc.ca, 604.827.5180
100 free tickets/week
for any UBC Athletic
Event at the Outpost m
STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE AMS
Facebook: N^- Twitter:
UBC Alma Mater Society -& AMSExecutive 6/UBYSSEY.CA/IDEAS/2 010.01.0 4
ARE NEW YEAR'S
RESOLUTIONS EFFECTIVE?
According to proactivechange.com, those who make a resolution in order
to address a problem are ten times more likely to attain a goal than those
that are interested in addressing a problem but do not make a resolution.
At the same time, by the second week only 75 per cent of resolutions are
still being maintained. This number will drop to 46 per cent by six months.
GERALD DEO PHOTO/THE UBYSSEY
1 resoCve to
use a condom
next time.
PAUL BUCCI GRAPHIC/THE UBYSSEY
EDITORIAL
THE UBYSSEY'S RESOLUTIONS
The Ubyssey, like many out-of-shape smokers, uses the coming of the new
year as motivation for improving itself. So we've compiled a list of new year's
resolutions for 2010 which we will forget faster than a promise to phone our
parents and tell them about our holidays.
The Ubyssey resolves to stop taking quotes from AMS student Senator
Geoff Costeloe for every single news story. Even if he undeniably is a chiseled
bronze adonis. The Ubyssey also resolves to finally get rid of all those Liberals, Conservatives and left-wing nutjobs that have been consistently skewing
our stories and editorials with an obvious left/right/communist bias.
The Ubyssey resolves that next school year, when changes occur at the
paper after a new staff is voted in, they will not write self-congratulatory editorials about said changes. That is a privilege reserved for this year's editorial
board, and we resent the next year's board preemptively for thinking that
they can improve upon our unique and fantastic vision. We also resolve to
keep track of where all of our pens are.
Finally, The Ubyssey resolves to stop making jokes about filing human
rights complaints to the UN. It's like Pagliacci now; yeah, it's silly, but it's
mostly just tragic.
We also would like to make resolutions on behalf of Blake Frederick. He
should resolve to stop acting confused, hurt and vaguely stubborn every time
he gets in trouble with Council for an ill-conceived memo or media stunt.
Instead, Frederick should respond by laughing maniacally and declaring
that Council will "never stop [him]." Frederick should, additionally, resolve
to grow an evil goatee and shave his head.
As his credibility couldn't possibly be lower, even amongst some of his
former supporters (like The Ubyssey), we think that these resolutions can't
hurt his standing, and might even increase his popularity amongst UBC's
mustachio-twirling villains and mad scientists. It's a stretch, to be sure. Then
again, aren't most resolutions?
KICKING IN THE '10S
Welcome one and all to the new decade. The "tens," or the "teens"? No wait, that
doesn't sound right. Maybe the "twentyteens"? Let's just stick with "the new
decade" for now. Anyways, it's a new year, and there are new changes to your
favourite campus paper.
To quote The Friendly Giant, look up. Look waaaaay up. Our top bar has
changed in design, and that's just one of a number of small changes we've
made to make sure the paper stays, as the kids say, "fresh." We've also got
some pretty cool words, sentences and stories coming up in the next few
months.
AMS elections are approaching far too quickly; even though it's the sex
issue, we'll skip the obvious joke. Our team will have the candidates, issues
and referendum questions fully covered. We've noticed that a good many
of you want to make sure our next group of executives don't compare one
another to war criminals or make the AMS a punchline, so now is the time to
get informed. Preferably by reading us.
After that, there's this small international sporting festival that you may
have heard about. School might be out during the Olympics, but we won't
be: our normal publishing schedule will continue through the 2010 Games,
giving a student and UBC angle to every conceivable Olympic happening
(including where to find condoms in the International Village).
Otherwise, we're still the same paper you know and love. We've got you
covered with what's happening on campus, profiles of the professors everyone loves (or at least should), the ever-popular Sudoku, Too Sexy and more.
You really should read it. And if you don't, we'll be forced to file a human
rights complaint to...
Oh, damn it.
HUMOUR Tesla vs. Edison: unplugged
BY LEIF LARSEN
The Manitoban (University of
Manitoba)
WINNIPEG (CUP)-Before John
Stewart and Bill O'Reilly ever uttered words of contempt toward
one another, and even before Jay
Leno and David Letterman had
their public feud over the Tonight
Show, there was a celebrity battle
to which all others would have to
be compared.
No, it was not between Anders
Celsius and Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit. It was between Thomas Edison, arguably America's greatest
inventor (although he only sort of
invented the light bulb), and Nikola
Tesla, the greatest human being
ever squeezed down a birth canal.
In the decades since their suspiciously un-gruesome deaths, historians and scientists have argued
the merits of each man against the
other; however, being scientists
and historians, these analyses have
relied too much on fact and not
enough on gut instinct and trivia.
After a Stephen Colbert-like moment of inspiration, I decided to
settle this argument once and for
all. Not by relying on historical facts
and documents (which are often
doctored by the JHuminati), but
by analyzing the quantifiable awe-
someness of each man. From this
analysis I will fairly and honestly
decide a victor in this contest.
CATEGORY 1: BIRTH
Nikola Tesla was born in Croatia at
exactly midnight between June 9
and June 10, 1856, thereby giving
him two birthdays, and twice as
many presents.
Thomas Edison was born in
Ohio.
Everyone knows that, objectively,
Ohio is a dull and boring place.
Winner: With twice as many
birthdays and foreign mystique,
Tesla triumphs over Edison in this
first contest.
CATEGORY 2: QUIRKINESS
Tesla was a man plagued by obsession, and while this served him well
as an inventor, it also made him an
entertaining public spectacle. Each
and every night Tesla ate dinner at
the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where he
lived for many of his early years in
America.
After fastidiously cleaning his
cutlery with the pile of 18 clean napkins placed on his table, he would
calculate the volume of each dish
placed on his table before eating
anything.
He also had regular, non-drug-
induced hallucinations about his
childhood and dead people.
Thomas Edison ignored ideas
that contradicted his own, regardless of merit, and waged merciless
PR campaigns against those who
promoted those alternate points of
view.
Winner: Since Tesla's behaviour
can be defined as genuinely quirky,
while Edison's is just kind of dick-
ish, this category is awarded to
Tesla, although Edison should do
well in the next contest.
CATEGORY 3: THE JERK
FACTOR
Upon coming to America, Tesla
owned five things: four pennies,
and a letter of introduction singing
his praises, addressed to one Thomas Edison. After meeting and hiring
Tesla, Edison quickly put the young
engineer to work, designing and
carrying out a series of upgrades
to make Edison's direct current
(DC) generators more reliable. The
reward Edison promised Tesla for
completing this massive task was
$50,000 (or 53 months' wages at
Tesla's rate of pay). After completing
the task, Tesla approached Edison
and asked for his reward. "Tesla,"
Edison remarked, "you don't understand our American humour."
Tesla's foray into jerkdom is also
a tale of broken promises. In 1899,
Tesla moved from New York to a laboratory he built in Colorado Springs,
which included a massive lightning
generator. One of the applications
Tesla promised would be developed
through his efforts in Colorado
Springs was a "Death-Ray" capable of
"stopping men and machines." Tesla
never delivered, and the world is still
waiting for its Death-Ray.
Winner: While Edison pissed off
a lot of people (mainly Telsa), Tesla
pissed off quite nearly the entire
Earth, and left us wide open to alien
attack. Thanks a lot Tesla, you win
another one.
CATEGORY 4: TREATMENT
OF ANIMALS
Upon Tesla's departure from
Edison's employ, he partnered with
one of Edison's main rivals, George
Westinghouse, in an effort to supply
alternating current (AC) electricity
to Edison's disgruntled customers.
AC could be generated at much
higher voltage than DC and could
therefore be transmitted along
wires hundreds of miles long without seeing a significant loss of voltage. The only drawback was that in
its high voltage state, AC electricity
was dangerous, a fact that Edison
jumped on almost immediately.
Aside from public notices warning of the dangers of AC power,
Edison began a nation-wide campaign of thoroughly electrocuting
everything in sight, from full-grown
elephants to inmates of a local
prison (inadvertently inventing the
electric chair).
Tesla fed pigeons in the park,
and rarely electrocuted anything
other than himself and his lab
assistants.
Winner: Depending on where
you sit on the treatment of animals
issue, this one could go either way.
I'll assume that you indeed have a
soul, and give this one to Tesla.
CATEGORY 5:
WOMANIZING
Following his first wife's death in
1884, Edison, after bacheloring
around for a couple of years, angered the international community
by marrying Mina Miller who was
20 at the time, a full 19 years Edison's junior.
Tesla was celibate his entire life,
claiming that pursuing women
would distract him from his work.
Winner: Women versus no women is an easy contest; chalk one up
to Thomas Edison. And you thought
I was biased.
THE VICTOR
At four-to-one, the outcome is heavily weighted in Tesla's favour. As it
should be; the man was a genius.
If you want more proof, consider
the fact that when Tesla died, the
FBI raided his personal document
library, pilfering untold numbers of
inventions.
What did Edison leave us with?
The incandescent light bulb? The
record player? Move over Grandpa;
the compact fluorescent lightbulb
and MP3s are here to stay, and
Death-Rays are forever. tl
LETTERS
RE: DEC 3, 2009 UBYSSEY
ARTICLES ASBESTOS
EXPOSED AT ACADIA
KEPT QUIET AND UBC:
ASBESTOS ON CAMPUS
NOT HARMFUL.
The UBC Asbestos Management
Program would like to correct the
inaccuracies contained in the recent
articles in The Ubyssey, [Asbestos exposed at Acadia kept quiet and UBC:
Asbestos on campus not harmful].
All asbestos at UBC is enclosed,
encapsulated or removed as per
section 6.71 ofthe BC Occupational
Health and Safety Regulation and
Safe Work Practices for Handling
Asbestos.
Occupants of UBC buildings
(referred to as the general public
in the articles by The Ubyssey) are
made aware of the location of asbestos in their buildings through a
number of methods.
1. ASBESTOS
INFORMATION SYSTEM.
hse.ubc.ca/safety/asbestosmanage-
ment/labelsandidentification.html.
Labels placed on the ends of asbestos-containing building doors indicate the location of known asbestos
materials.
2. PUBLIC BULLETINS.
hse.ubc.ca/safety/asbestosmanage-
ment/asbestosalertbulletin.html
The Asbestos Management Program publishes the locations of all
known asbestos at UBC through
public bulletins on the HSE
website.
3. FACILITIES MANAGERS.
If asbestos is disturbed in a UBC
building, the asbestos program coordinator, Guy Champagne, is notified, occupants are told to leave the
area, the access area is sealed, and
the facilities manager notifies the
occupants ofthe building.
It is incorrect to suggest that building occupants are typically not made
aware of [asbestos] information.
For full details on the Asbestos
Management Program at UBC visit
foe. ubc.ca/safety/asbestosmanage-
menthtml.
—David Zajdlik, director,
Department of Health, Safety and
Environment 2010.01.04/UBYSSEY.CA/CULTURE/7
CULTURE
EDITOR KATE BARBARIA»culture@ubyssey.ca
FREEZING YOUR
TESTICLES OFF
EUNICE HM
Contributor
Nothing says "happy new year" like a dip with
a polar bear or two. On January 1, onlookers
wrapped in winter garb stood by to witness
1200 Vancouverites plunge into English Bay.
Without the usual traits of a polar bear
(such as four inches of blubber, hide,
and fur), the human participants choose
instead to shield themselves with elaborate costumes (and alcohol, although this
lowers your body temperature and increases risk of hypothermia). One group
donned blonde wigs and shirts reading
"I slept with Tiger" alongside a lonely
looking man clad in golf gear. Another
group of grown men wore diapers, bibs
and bonnets.
GEOFF LISTER PH0T0/TH E UBYSSEY
New year's resolutions
Whether you want to be naughty or nice
GERALD DEO PHOTO ILLUSTRATION/THE UBYSSEY
KATE BARBARIA
culture@ubyssey.ca
New year's resolutions have a robust history of never working out.
People make promises to themselves that are impossible to keep:
to stop binge drinking, to no longer
drunk text every person in your
friend's phone, to go to class at least
three times per term, to call Mom.
Changing habits to improve our
lives is a nigh-impossible feat, but if
you happen to be one of the brave
few who set out on this treacherous
journey to self-improvement, here
are a few places to start.
FOR THE NICE
For those major resolutions that will
put you on the path to righteousness
GYM CLOSEST TO CAMPUS
The BirdCoop. If you don't know
where the BirdCoop is yet, I'm
tempted to cast some shame waves
your way. However, since you've
dedicated yourself to increased
hotness, who am I to complain?
Located between the SUB and
the bus loop, the Coop's facilities
include a spin machine room
and rock climbing cave. Student
membership rings in at a glorious
$25 per term. The lowered fees are
courtesy of former AMS Pres Mike
Duncan's relentless pursuit of a hot
and sweaty student body.
THE BEST NEW YEAR'S
DEAL
Gyms generally drop their membership rates in January to lure in the
doughy 20-somethings looking
for an escape from their couch-
cushioned Joss Whedon spiral of
misery. In Vancouver, Gold's Gym
has a $9.99 per week special, while
Fitness Club has a $19.99 per month
membership, with a two-week free
pass thrown in to get you hooked.
It's not like the anorexic stars of Glee
are going to make you feel better
about your growing love handles,
so if you can make it through the
January crunch, then you should be
home free. Not literally, of course.
Membership rates go up after the
low-hanging fruit (that's you) has
been harvested in the early weeks of
the new year.
SMOKING
The advice given seems to run on
the fuel of something about gum,
baggies of carrot sticks and support
from your friends. Who says you
need cigarettes when you're drinking, or stressed, or walking from the
bus stop to your house, or having a
cup of coffee, or driving down the
highway with the wind in your hair
and Bruce Springsteen turned way
up? You can function without them.
Carrots cost 79 cents per pound. In
the first week, you'll probably consume ten pounds of carrots in your
quest to quell the oral fixation you've
developed. Nicorette costs $16.99. A
pack of Marlboro Reds costs $10.70.
Good luck.
EATING RIGHT
This resolution is built on the triad
of home-packed lunches, snackies
and fresh veggies. There are produce stands at the Village, Sasa-
mat, Macdonald and Cambie along
the Broadway corridor, so you can
pick up your bags of snap peas,
mini mandarins and kombucha
on your way to Human Geography.
Sprouts also has a generous array
of local munchies, but it should be
noted that just because the brownies come from the health-nut
hole in the wall, it doesn't make
them fat or sugar-free. A quarter
pounder with cheese costs about
$3 at McDonald's, while you can
get a quarter pound of almonds for
32 cents and a brick of extra firm
tofu for $3.49. You can make up for
the increase in your grocery bill
by selling all those abused-animal
leather goods you collected in your
former life as a callous, carnivorous beast.
FOR THE NAUGHTY
Not all of us want to mend our
ways—and some of us just want
to know how to make our bad-boy
images badder.
CHEAPEST BOOZE
BC LIQUOR: Six-pack of Bowen Island
Traditional Lager for $7.55
DARBY'S: (4,h and Macdonald): Six-
pack of Bowen Island Lager for
$9.95
LIBERTY WINE MERCHANTS: (10h and
Tolmiej: Six-pack of Russel Pale Ale
for $14.49
CONTRACEPTIVES
You can pick up condoms almost
anywhere, so there's no excuse
not to know the nearest location.
From UBC to Alma, you can find
love gloves for your little buddy in
the SUB bathrooms, at Shoppers,
Lucky Mart, Save-On-Foods, Safeway, Shell Gas, 7-11 and in your
roommate's sock drawer, vl
Teach English
Abroad
TESOL/TESL Teacher Training
Certification Courses
• Intensive 60-Houi Program
• Classroom Management Techniques
• Detailed Lesson Planning
• ESL Skills Development
• Comprehensive Teaching Materials
• Interactive Teaching Practicum
• Internationally Recognized Certificate
■ Teacher Placement Service
• Money-Back Guarantee Included
• Thousands of Satisfied Students
OXFORD SEMINARS
604-683-3430/1-800-269-6719
www.oxfordseminars.ca
INTRODUCING THE UBYSSEY'S
SEMINAR SERIES
In an effort to increase our institutional knowledge, and
train new legions of student journalists, The Ubyssey
is starting a weekly seminar series. Have you always
wanted to write for us, but didn't know how? Now
you can learn! Don't care about us, but want to learn
the ropes anyway? Excellent! We'll teach you, too!
Basically if you have an interest in any of the topics,
drop in. No registration required. We're in SUB 24. Call
604.822.2301, or e-mail feedback@ubyssey.ca with any
questions.
WEEK ONE 3:00 What is a news article?
Friday, Jan 8 4:00 What is news design?
BRENDAN ALBANO PHOTOS/THE UBYSSEY
PROJECT365
Social interaction in the age
of digital reproduction
BRENDAN ALBANO
balbano@ubyssey.ca
Is it still aparty if no one puts the pictures on Facebook? If you're in the
unobserved-tree-makes-no-noise
camp and have a penchant for photography, the new year is a perfect
time to turn your obsessive photo-
taking into a "project." Although perhaps not as cool as calling it a "work,"
it still sounds more purposeful than
"I just like taking photos of everything all the time." Instead, you can
slickly respond, "I'm working on my
Project 365" when challenged about
how your obsessive documentation
of everything you do is, you know,
kind of annoying.
HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED
The creation of Project 365 is generally credited to Taylor McKnight.
Beginningjanuary 1,2004, he took
a photo every day and posted them
online. The internet took notice.
As of January 3, 2010, the Project
365 group onflickr.com has 14,448
members and contains 643,903
photos.
I began Project 365 on May 23,
2009, and managed to keep it up
for 98 days before falling off the
wagon. My goal was to improve
my photography, and although
I only made it less than a third
of the way through, my ability
to find (or create) the photo in a
situation improved dramatically.
I also enjoyed the rhythm of doing
something every day, and the way
the photos ended up functionally
like a journal. Most of all, I loved
the feeling of having accomplished
something, created something every single day.
INTRIGUED YET
INTIMIDATED?
Here are a few tips to make things
easier:
1. It's okay to cheat...sometimes. If
you totally space out and forget to
take a photo, taking two the next
day is fine. If you're just feeling
lazy and tell yourself you'll take
two tomorrow, be aware that you're
about to tumble down a slippery
silver-emulsion (or digital) slope.
This attitude, combined with being
extraordinarily busy, was what sank
my attempt at Project 365.
2. Don't glue your camera to your
eye. It's one photo a day, not 50, so
find your photo, then put the camera
away. Don't forget to actually experience whatever it is you are doing in
addition to photographing it.
3. Are you just straight up too busy?
Change the rules. Make it a Project
52 and take one really good photo
each week. Other options may not
have super-slick names, but if Project Four-Photos-Every-Seven-Days is
what you can groove to, who's to say
you're doing it wrong? Well, obnoxious people on the internet, but you
can always make yourself feel better
by scoffing at them for filling their
Flickrs with macro shots of bugs,
flowers and raindrops, vl 8/UBYSSEY.CA/SPORTS/2010.01.04
BIRDS FLY TO TROPICAL
PARADISES FOR THE HOLIDAY
How did you spend your winter
break? If you're a UBC basketball player, you lucked out, as
the women's team travelled
to Cuba while the men's team
travelled to Hawaii for exhibition games and some team
bonding.
"It is such a great trip and it
certainly doesn't hurt to see the
sun again. This is a wonderful
team bonding experience and
is a big key for us heading into
the second half of the season,"
said men's head coach Kevin
Hanson before the trip.
Sports on campus: A weekly watching guide this term
JUSTIN MCELROY
sports@ubyssey.ca
Full of good cheer and residue egg-
nog, you're back at school far too
early in January and will leave far
too late in Apr—wait, exams end in
May this year? Well then.
But now that multiple meals
of turkey have left you with added
girth around the waist, you may be
motivated to take part in physical
exercise. Or at least watch others
take part in physical exercise.
That being said, here's a cheat
sheat on what to watch each week
this term.
JAN. 8-9: MEN'S HOCKEY
VS. REGINA
Currently at 5-10-1 on the season,
UBC sits second to last in the Canada West conference and will need
a great second half to eke into the
playoffs. Fortunately, they start the
year off against the worst team in
the conference, the Regina Rams.
The Thunderbirds only have two
series at home this semester, so
watch them while you can.
JAN. 17: CANUCKS SUPER-
SKILLS COMPETITION.
If you want to watch Roberto
Luongo and the Sedins in action
without breaking the bank this
year, the SuperSkills competition
may be your best bet. Tickets are
only $15 in the lower bowl and
$10 in the upper bowl—and with
funds going to the Canucks for
Kids Fund, there are much worse
places to spend your money.
FROMTHE LEFT Sledge hockey, Storm the Wall, and the Torch JON HORN & KELLAN HIGGINS FILE PHOTOS, COPYRIGHTVANOC
JAN. 22-23: WOMEN'S
VOLLEYBALL VS. CALGARY
With a perfect 9-0 record, the Thunderbirds are the no. 1 team in the
country as they march towards
their third straight CIS Championship. If they win their next four
games on the road, UBC will have
gone an entire year without losing a
regular or postseason game.
JAN. 29-30: WOMEN'S
HOCKEY VS. MANITOBA
It's the last home series of the year
for the Women's team, which has
been on a roll of late with five consecutive victories, to move into playoff contention. They'll have their
work cut out for them this weekend,
as the Manitoba Bisons are ranked
number four in the country.
FEB. 5-6: MEN'S & WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL VS. VICTORIA
The annual series against our island
rivals always produces a great atmosphere in War Memorial Gym, as
UBC typically gets one of its largest
crowds of the year to see the T-Birds
take on the Vikes. The women's
team currently sits second in the
Pacific Division at 5-3, while the
men sit first in the division and the
nation with a perfect 7-0 record.
FEB. 11: TORCH RELAY @ UBC
One day before the opening ceremonies, the Torch will hit the streets of
UBC, assuming you can call them
streets. Find a good spot to watch
the action unfold, see people with a
tenuous connection to UBC hold the
famed flame, and then take your
two week reading break to either
enjoy the madness, or fly halfway
around the world to avoid it.
MAR. 5-7: MEN'S BASKETBALL DIVISION FINAL
Assuming that the men continue to
win, they'll be hosting the Pacific
Division finals this weekend at War
Memorial in a best-of-three series.
In last year's final, over 2500 people
jammed into War Memorial Gym
to watch the T-Birds beat the Trinity
Western Spartans in two consecutive games. Enjoy the beer garden,
and enjoy the game.
MAR. 13: PARALYMPIC
HOCKEY, CANADA VS. ITALY
Pros: It's the Paralympics, and it's
right on campus. It's Team Canada
in hockey. Okay, sledge hockey
but still, it's probably will be the
only way you can watch Canada in
hockey without getting out another student loan. Cheering against
Italians in sports they have no
chance in is always fun. Cons: It's
10am on a Saturday morning.
MAR. 19-21: MEN'S BASKETBALL, CIS CHAMPIONSHIP
After heartbreaks seemingly every
year this decade, UBC will be looking to win its first national title in
Men's basketball since 1972 at the
CIS Championships in Ottawa. The
best news? You can watch it all from
the comfort of your couch, as TSN
will be covering all ofthe games.
MAR. 29-APRIL2:
STORM THE WALL
Get off yer arse and take part in
one of the few mass-campus culture building exercises we have at
UBC. Failing that, enjoy the rapidly
warming weather on the Knoll at
lunchtime and cheer on random
teams as they attempt to traverse
That Giant White Thing Surrounded By Wood Chips.
APRIL. 9-11: BASEBALL VS.
CONCORDIA COLLEGE
Term paper season got you down?
Spend a lazy afternoon watching
the boys play baseball against NAIA
competition. Kick back and watch
the hours go by..unless it's raining
outside, in which case, it's probably
best to go back to that paper. You
know it won't write itself. XI
Connect With Your
AMS/GSS HEALTH &
DENTAL PLAN
amS GRADUATE
"-*--■■-*■ *y STUDENT SOCIETY
UBC• VANCOUVER
Your Benefits for 2009-2010
Health
prescription drugs, psychologist,
chiropractor, physiotherapist, ambulance,
vaccinations, and more...
Vision
eye exam, eyeglasses or contact lenses,
laser eye surgery
Dental
cleanings, checkups, fillings, root canals,
gum treatments, extractions, and more...
Travel
travel health coverage for 120 days per trip
and up to $5,000,000, trip cancellation,
trip interruption
Networks Enhance Your Benefits and Save You Money
Get even more coverage by visiting members ofthe Dental, Vision, Chiropractic,
Physiotherapy, and Massage Therapy Networks.
Find a health practitioner at www.ihaveaplan.ca.
Change-of-Coverage Period
Additional enrolments and opt outs for new Term 2 students must be completed
between Jan. 4 - 25, 2010. Visit www.ihaveaplan.ca for more information.
Health & Dental Plan Office, Room 61 - SUB Lower Level
The Member Services Centre is also there to assist you
from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays.
Toll-free: 1 877 795-4421
soon
ihaveaplan.ca
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF
PUBLIC POLICY
wy Social Policy: Move to Change
EVELYN PETERS, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Identity and
Diversity: The Aboriginal Experience
Evelyn Peters is an internationally-renowned scholar who investigates the
identities of First Nations and Metis people in urban environments. While
nearly half of these populations live in cities, little is known about them,
leaving policy makers reliant on stereotypes or on theoretical conclusions.
Peters believes her research findings will assist governments on matters of
policy, and contribute to a better understanding of Aboriginal Peoples among
non-aboriginal residents.
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. APPLY NOW. The Johnson Shoyama Graduate
School offers two thesis-based research degrees at the University of
Saskatchewan campus - a master's and a doctorate in public
policy - centred around contemporary topics of public policy.
Study alongside scholars such as Evelyn Peters to learn the
tools you'll require to contribute to new knowledge in the
areas of science, technology and innovation, health and social
policy, trade and transnational regulation, and governance and
leadership.
For more information, please visit:
www. schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca
University
ofRegina
I University of
' Saskatchewan"""@en ;
edm:hasType "Newspapers"@en ;
dcterms:spatial "Vancouver (B.C.)"@en ;
dcterms:identifier "LH3.B7 U4"@en, "LH3_B7_U4_2010_01_04"@en ;
edm:isShownAt "10.14288/1.0127632"@en ;
dcterms:language "English"@en ;
edm:provider "Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library"@en ;
dcterms:publisher "Vancouver : The Ubyssey Publications Society"@en ;
dcterms:rights "Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use these images must be obtained from The Ubyssey: http://ubyssey.ca/"@en ;
dcterms:source "Original Format: University of British Columbia. Archives"@en ;
dcterms:subject "University of British Columbia"@en ;
dcterms:title "The Ubyssey"@en ;
dcterms:type "Text"@en ;
dcterms:description ""@en .