@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, "2008-01-18"@en ; dcterms:description "Contains: UBC elections supplement."@en, ""@en ; edm:aggregatedCHO "https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/Ubysseynews/items/1.0128057/source.json"@en ; dc:format "application/pdf"@en ; skos:note """ theubysseymagazine ThUj BYSSEY January 18th, 2008 8 FRIDAY "Covering Religioi Time: 12:30-2:00 Where: Room 104, Sin Building Cost: Free M What: Former New York £ reporter discusses the ree yog lime: 12-12:30pm Where: Bargain Book Roo the UBC Bookstore Cost: Free ns What: Mats provided. I Admission first come.fir* 22 TUESO1 Socially Res Investing Works Time: 6:30pm-9:00pm o" Where: SFU Harbour G in What: Amnesty Interna "S tells how to invest in socially > responsible companies that f 19 SATURDAY The Unruly Salon Series Time: 7:30-10:30pm Where: Great Hall, Green College Cost: Free What: Performances by artists J3 and/or scholars with disabilities. 23 WEDNESDA Writing about V Time: 12-30pm-2:30pm Where: Main Lecture Room, o1 Sing Tao Building in What: UBC Creative Writing and "S UBC Journalism present a panel o .. te discussion on war. . US EVENTS AT FEEDBACK@UBYSSEY.BC.CA 20 SUNDAY Dual Eclipse: Orchestras of Two Worlds Time: 7:30-9:30pm Where: Chan Centre for the 0 Performing Arts S Cost: students $17 adults $32 p ■ 2 Balinese/Canadian fusion music 24 THURSDA Masterpiece ii Time: 7pm Where: Museum of Anthropology ^ What: Movie about a mud ! mason + talk by Dr.SusanVogel th£Ij BYSSEY The Ubyssey We want your ideas and input in your UBC paper. coven mageiGoh iromoto Letters A letter to the Wreath Underground Dear Wreath Underground, I am pleased to announce your triumph in winning my UBC Village Idiot(s) ofthe Year award. I know this is premature, seeing as the semester is not yet concluded, but trust me, something profound will have to happen to knock you off the front-running for this prestigious award. While originally planning to go to the University government for spending obscene amounts of money so BC's fine tradespeople can go and play with their truck-trucks on the boulevard, you have burst through the veil of obscurity for making sure they spent even more. Now, not only will my money be going into this travesty of a development program, it'll be put to fine use replacing pane glass windows. I fully support the use of pane glass windows as a sign of Vancouver architecture; their destruction brings a great sadness into my heart. Their shattered silica will be a constant reminder of how something so beautiful can be also so fragile. Take for instance Trek Park. It's dead too. And while I, and many a student, initially laughed at it and the people who organized it, I came to enjoy the pseudopark's mes sage. Even though people laughed at it, and that people thought it was a waste of space, it was our rights as students and Canadian citizens at work. In retrospect, it was one of the most subtle peaceful protests I've read about. All that determination from Trek's organizers, in the face of laughter, belittlement, dismissal, and worst of all ignorance, didn't quite gain my agreement, but it did get my respect. The fact that it was actually active while I was at UBC makes me proud. And its destruction, while tragic, served greatly to enhance the fact that someone thought it was causing change. Now the credibility that any counter argument to the bus loop had is gone. You, Wreath Underground, made sure of that. I'd go out and protest Trek's destruction tomorrow. That is, if I wasn't scared of being added to an RCMP watch list. Everyone who opposes the bus loop or even the university in general is now a suspect of being a part of your little game of a resistance movement. You're not the Maquis, the University is not an evil empire, and your actions have damaged the process of protest. I hope you're happy. Enthusiastically signed, -Max Keller Science 1 Classifieds services services services help wanted afternoons and evenings (3:30- GOT A BROKEN CLARINET / ADULT BALLET SYLVAN LEARNING 8:00 M-F). Also, Sat IPOD? Its battery SAXOPHONE WITH HELEN CENTRE IN afternoons and Sun wont hold a charge? LESSONS EVANS. VANCOUVER SEEKS mornings. To apply, Don't send it away. Experienced teacher Beginner to dynamic individuals email sarah@ Get it fixed by a UBC and performer Intermediate levels. with teaching/tutoring sylvanvancouver.ca or student for less. Call Classical, Jazz, World. 7th Avenue Dance experience. fax to 604-738-7328. 604-719-1814. RCM Preparation. Studio. 1555 W.7th Requirements: MAGSILA ATHLETIC BMus. (UBC), Master of Music (C.U.New at Fir, room 227. Phone Helen at 604- Bachelor degree. Teacher certification accommodation PERSONAL York). In your home. 732-5429 or email preferred. Proficiency CLASSIC, TRAINING Looking my studio or on evansgerry@yahoo.ca. in teaching reading, COMFORTABLE BED for toning and weight campus. Mike Dowler writing and/or AND BREAKFAST. loss solutions? Need 778-893-2154. math. Able to 5 minute drive from cheap and affordable develop rapport with UBC. www.HouseOn- student rates? Contact GOJU KARATE students in all grades. DunbarBandB.com. Simon Cheng at CLASSES in Kitsilano, Enthusiastic and Call Joanne Renwick, 604-224-6355. simon@magsila.com. Tues & Thurs 7:30pm positive approach. www.magsila.com. to 9:00pm. Tel. 604-230-0161 or mariomckenna.com. Exceptional learning and teaching environment. P/T hrs. Free classifieds for students: Foi • more information, vis Lt Boom 33 in the sub or call: 604-833-1654 January 18*, 2008 Vol. LXXXIX N°32 Editorial Board coordinating editor Champagne Choquer COORDINATING@UBYSSEY.BC.CA news editors brandon adams & Boris Korby NEWS@UBYSSEY.BC.CA CULTURE EDITOR PAUL BUCCI CULTURE@UBYSSEY. BC. CA SPORTS EDITOR JORDAN CHITTLEY SPORTS@UBYSSEY.BC.CA features/national editor Matthew Jewkes FEATURES@UBYSSEY. BC.CA PHOTO EDITOR OKER CHEN PHOTOS@UBYSSEY.BC.CA production manager Kellan Higgins PRODUCTION@UBYSSEY.BC.CA copy/letters/research Levi Barnett FEEDBACK@UBYSSEY.BC.CA volunteer coordinator Stephanie Findlay VOLUNTEERS@UBYSSEY.BC.CA WEBMASTER JOE RAYMENT WEBMASTER@UBYSSEY.BC.CA cally run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written bythe Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff and do not necessarily reflect iU~ ": 'The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of bia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, ' herein cannot be reproduced r , , ...ission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. ~ lemberofCanadianUniversityPress |u,Jing principles. lust be under 300 words. Please include e (notfor publication; di wen di youi ycdi diiu idcuny Willi diI MjunlissionS. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone/'Perspec- *' J' 300 words but under 750 words and eestyles"areopinion pieceswritten by ibers. Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter istimesensitive.Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity ofthe writer has been verified. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clar- ust be received by 12 noon the day before intended following issue unless then matter deemed relevant by lilsto publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occursthe liability of the UPS will not be ' i the ad.The UPS shall not be respon- ,, ...., , ^graphical errorsthat do not lessen the value orthe impact ofthe ad. EDITORIAL OFFICE Room 24, Student Union Building 6138 Student Union Boulevard Vancouver, BCV6T lZl tel: 604-822-2301 fax: 604-822-9279 web: www.ubyssey.bc.ca e-mail: feedback@ubysseybc.ca BUSINESS OFFICE Room 23, Student Union Building advertising: 604-822-1654 business office: 604-822-6681 fax: 604-822-1658 e-mail: advertising@ubysseybc.ca business manager Femie Pereira ad traffic Jesse Marchand ad design Michael Bround InnHnn ah™c'hn.ie. Kellan Hig- Bucci had not : supplied him with his fix. Meanwhile, ., _.,_..d Justin McElory were at J-school, while Jordan Chittley, Marie Burgoyne, and Matt Hayles lived it up in the Gallery. Goh Iro- EDITORIAL GRAPHIC Michael Bround Canadian Canada post Sales Agreement University Number 0o40878022 Kress January 18th, 2008 thSIj BYSSEY theubysseymagazine UBCPROFILES Green Buildings UBC's commitment to sustainability is evident in the recent crop of green buildings on campus. These include the C.K. Choi Building for the Institute of Asian Research, the Liu Centre for the Study of Global Issues and the Life Sciences Centre. CkChoi Building The C.K. Choi Building, which opened in 1996, was UBC's first environmentally sensitive building project. Its merits include recycled building materials, such as exterior bricks salvaged from old Vancouver city streets and heavy timber recovered from the Armouries. A natural ventilation system circulates 100 per cent fresh air throughout the building. Its claim to fame, however, is its use of composting toilets, which save up to 1000 L of potable water per day. C.K. Choi has won several awards, including American Istitute of Architects' Top Ten Earth Day 2000 Green Buildings. Liu Centre Located next to C.K. Choi, the Liu Centre utilises the natural environment to enhance its green credentials. It was built on the former site of the Pan-Hellenic House, which reduced the impact on the surrounding forest. The Liu Centre boasts high-volume fly ash concrete construction, which uses a waste product of coal power generation instead of cement. According to the UBC Sustainability Office's website, a reduction in cement production represents a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. Life Sciences Centre Life Sciences Centre The Life Sciences Centre (LSC) is UBC's latest green building. It was recently awarded a gold certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) The building has demonstrated a great ability to further environmental objectives, boasting a 1000-tonne reduction in greenhouse gases, a 28 per cent reduction in energy consumption, and a 50 per cent drop in water use. The LSC, like C.K. Choi, was built using many recycled materials. Low toxin-emitting paints and locally salvaged building supplies were also utilised. —BY STEPHANIE TAYLOR PHOTOS BY GOH IROMOTO AMS etECTloAjg Getting more than 10 per cent involved The AMS elections begin today, and, if you are like 90 per cent of the students at UBC, you probably won't notice, vote, or care. While the AMS is supposed to represent UBC students to the administration, other organizations, and the world at large, its mandate is inevitably undermined when year after year only 10 per cent of students take the five minutes necessary to vote. As a part of the student press, we moan about this "student apathy" year after year. We righteously call for students to vote, and applaud when the AMS tries new techniques to encourage voter turnout. Yet, a 10 per cent turnout seems to be the norm. Across the country, the numbers are all similar. For a student election to garner a turnout higher than 15 per cent requires an extraordinary issue, such as a sharp rise in tuition. Perhaps apathy is simply an inherent part of the modern commuter-school, diploma-mill institution. But, when you examine the issue, this doesn't hold up. U-Pass referendums over the past decade generated drastically higher participation rates. After all, the issues of campus development, rising tuition, and campus-wide parties—three major issues the AMS tackles—affect almost all students. We at the Ubyssey think that the issue isn't student apathy, nor is it a lack of important causes. Rather, it is the system itself, with an generally elected executive and a council elected by the undergraduate societies, that is broken. Michael Byers, professor and academic director at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, commented after last year's election that one reason for low voter turnout is that youth today feel distanced from the people in power. "Younger people are increasingly frustrated by what they see as an inability to influence the course of politics, provincially, nationally, and internationally," he said. It is representative democracy that is at fault in this case. Representative democracy is instituted in situations where those in power don't trust the masses enough for direct action, or when direct democracy is impossible due to size, distance, or scale. Today, we have neither of those excuses. The Internet eliminates distance, and computer databases make size and scale easy to handle. If the AMS is truly interested in being the representative organization ofthe UBC student population, then there is absolutely no reason that it should not move toward direct democracy. There are a number of ways we could do this. "Direct online agenda proposal" is one option. Students who wish to see a proposal passed by the AMS could write a petition, have a significant number of students sign it, and have it automatically put forward at the next AMS Council meeting. Alternatively, the council, instead of being appointed from every faculty and interest group, could be composed of any student who can gather 1000 signatures of support. Hell, UBC has a student population of 40 000: roughly that of Ancient Athens. Why not maintain the Executive and the Council, but have meetings be open in ancient Athenian style, with any UBC student welcome to participate directly in the decisionmaking process? It worked in Athens for 170 years, until Alexander violently overthrew it. Are we now less capable? We are not saying, of course, that any of these proposals are perfect, but with such a small turnout we need to do something. The AMS's investments could easily be protected by super-majority constitutional clauses, and the AMS's full- time employees are all unionized with contractual protection. Think about it: the worst that could happen is a single year's student fees being squandered. And the potential? Not only could we empower students in a way that we haven't seen in North America for decades, but the AMS itself would become a more powerful, effective force. With only 10 per cent of the student body behind it, it is easy for a large institution to dismiss the AMS. But if the AMS itself were a movement with the direct backing of the student body, it would be far harder to ignore. Consider, those of you who win the election this year, if there is any reason why we shouldn't at least try implementing direct student action now that all of the tools are readily available? vl Streeters is a twice weekly column in which students are asked a question pertinent to UBC. See their full comments online at www.ubyssey.ca Why is voter turnout usually so low and how would you increase it? "I don't actually recall any student candidate or speaker coming to my class broadcasting it, so advertising could really help increase the polling number." "The candidates haven't really reached out in too many ways besides a few coming to the beginning ofthe classes... If people really wanted to find a way they would, like I have done." "If the results of my vote were more visible on campus then I would be more interested in it. I'll vote for someone don't see their efforts changing anything on campus." "It's one ofthe largest universities in Canada. How are you going to construct an identity where people feel part of that organization. The more that feel engaged with that the more likely they are to get involved." "It makes a difference if your friends are voting and it makes a difference if you hear people And unfortunately it doesn't seem like there is enough conversation about it." -Coordinated by Jordan Chittley, Eric Szeto & Amanda Stutt theubysseymagazine The Ubyssey January 18th, 2008 theubysseymagazine The Vancouver Dodgeball League is looking for awesome- spirited, energy-pumping, fun-tastic oddballs to play with! Grab some friends and join the league! Season 5 mid Feb. to May, 08 Registration $400 Early Bird (before Jan. 26, 08) $450 from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, 08 Per team of 6 to 12 people The registration is 60% full, so register ASAP at vdldodgeball.ca. vm VANCOUVER DODGEBALL LEAGUE THfifcJBYSSEY News I Sports I Culture I Features this was done very late at night, production@ubyssey.bc.ca Need a prerequisite, extra credits? Have a scheduling conflict? Your choice Choose from over 700 distance or online courses to complement your studies at your home university. Your terms Start courses anytime of the year and study at home, or wherever you may find yourself. Take the first step Talk to your academic advisor to make sure courses will transfer, then visit our website or call to register. Finally, a university that's all about you. Canada's leader in distance and online education. www.athabascau.ca 1-800-788-9041 Athabasca University^ CANADA'S OPEN UNIVERSITY UBC and the challenge of recognizing Musqueam claims The rocky road to recognition by Amanda Stutt While the morning mist hovered above the frost, a small procession of elders came walking down the road on the Musqueam reservation. One was dressed in long black ceremonial robes with intricate beading that reached to the ground and dragged behind him. He wore an elaborately-decorated black and white headdress that looked like it was made of intertwining tree branches. His face was painted black. It was a magnificent sight—scary and beautiful. The road leads towards the Council Chambers, Where I meet Chief Ernie Campbell. He embodies all the characteristics of a venerable leader. A slightly gruff exterior is offset by the unmistakable warmth in his eyes. He doesn't answer questions until he has thought his answer through and his responses are measured and articulate. We meet in order to discuss the relationship between UBC and the Musqueam Nation. Over the past few years, a number of historic agreements regarding Point Grey land have been formed between UBC's administration, the provincial government, and the Musqueam Nation. But while UBC and the government are both moving towards agreements with the Musqueam, gaining acceptance amongst the broader public has been more difficult. Two years in the making In September of 2006, UBC and the Musqueam First Nation signed a historic "Memorandum of Affiliation," which lays out guidelines for a "process to expand and create programs that encourage Aboriginal youth to pursue post-secondary education while enhancing the relationship between the UBC and Musqueam communities." UBC President Stephen Toope says the Memorandum of Affiliation "is a significant step forward in strengthening a relationship of mutual trust and respect that we have been developing with the Musqueam people." In February 2007, Mariana Payet, President of the Indigenous Students' Association, brought forth a motion to AMS Council proposing "that the Alma Mater Society officially recognize the Musqueam people's title over this land." Meant as a gesture of respect and support of Musqueam traditional title, the motion coincided with negotiations between Musqueam and the provincial government over development rights to the UBC golf course and Endowment Lands. UBC had purchased the golf course from the province for $11 million in 2005. This agreement spurned the Musqueam Nation to assert their legal rights to the golf course. Their "traditional claim" was immediately accepted, but it would take two years of judicial hearings to validate their legal claim. The land-transfer concession permanently gave parts of Pacific Spirit Regional Park and rights to the golf course (with a stipulation that it must remain land for golf use until 2083) to the Musqueam. The decision was met with protest by environmental groups. A "save the golf-course" movement was formed, headed by Vancouver Non Partisan Association Park commissioner Marty Zlotnik. This highlights a recurring theme in land claims. First Nations peoples had their land taken unfairly and unlawfully in a savage manner. But when faced with the prospect of returning even titular claims to land, there is resistance. Knocked down by the AMS AMS President Jeff Friedrich asserted the importance of addressing the issue, given that the University had already signed the Memorandum, but the motion nevertheless met a divided council. Concerns over the legal implications of title recognition led to the motion being tabled. "[The point of the motion] was just [to] recognize that we are on Musqueam territory, AMS VP Academic Brendon Goodmurphy explained at the time. He was not, however, surprised that the motion was tabled. "I think there are a lot of misconceptions in our society around indigenous issues. I think a lot of people aren't sure when we say 'recognition' that this is indigenous land...that they're not sure what it means," he says. "There are concerns from council about what it would mean and what some of the consequences would be and instead of going to vote on it and having it turned down, we would really make sure that we were getting the wording right and also send out more information to Council." Goodmurphy said that he is comfortable with the topic, but believes "there are a lot of people that aren't on Council, and I would say in general." Goodmurphy was also concerned about relations between the UBC administration and the Musqueam Nation. "When the executive met with President Toope [we asked] how he felt about having Musqueam issues incorporated into the main campus plan," he said. "I personally wasn't very satisfied with his answer. I think there's more room to look critically at how we as a community...of higher education build relationships with the Musqueam people and First Nations people in BC...I think we can keep trying harder and a great way of doing that is by incorporating these issues into the campus plan." Goodmurphy explains that the campus plan utilises land that is currently under dispute, and "that's the nature of not having treaties." After the meeting, Freidrich began working with AMS policy ana lyst David Wells in order to revise the semantics of the language and explore the motion's legal implications. In an August 2007 Council meeting, Friedrich and Wells returned to Council with a carefully revised draft ofthe motion. Motion 19, as itwas called, was moved by Friedrich and seconded by Nathan Crompton. It outlined: "Whereas the UBC Point Grey Campus is located in the Musqueam people's traditional territory that was never ceded to the Crown; and whereas historical information provided by University information sources indicates that this land was traditionally used by the Musqueam for educational and defensive purposes; and whereas the Musqueam are currently with the province in a treaty negotiation process regarding the territory in question; and whereas recent court rulings suggest that the Musqueam have a strong prima facie case for Aboriginal Title...and the AMS support a negotiated resolution..." The motion was again received by a divided Council. Many AMS Councillors believed that Musqueam ownership of the land would lead to further private condominium development. "...If the land goes to Musqueam it will become a development area. We object to U-Town. Why should we support this?" asked Education rep. Craig Wrotniak. Sarah Naiman, VP Administration, countered, "to the majority of students, this isn't a big issue. They don't really care. To a small group, its a major issue, and it's our duty to stand behind them." AMS Council ultimately rejected the motion despite appeals from other executives and the AMS Ombudsperson. Take a stand, already! When classes resumed last September, Payet expressed her disappointment that the motion failed. "It's important to position oneself in discussions around Aboriginal rights and land claims," she says. "I think [of myself] as an ally, supporting what Aboriginal people are doing." She believes UBC should have consulted with Musqueam about campus development: "We never consulted or asked the original owners of the land what they felt was appropriate when it came to the use of it." She says is important "to have a student voice on campus around development. We recognize that this is all being played out within a colonial context, where this land doesn't belong to UBC, and it doesn't belong to the students and at the end of the day it belongs to Musqueam and there's never been a treaty, the land has never been bought, this land was basically taken from them and nothing has been given in return. On the contrary, they've been pushed onto this tiny reserve where there isn't even enough housing." Jeff Friedrich also discussed the failed motion. "We did a lot of work to reach a and I was pretty confident in the language we came up with, but some people had... whatever level of discomfort," he says. Friedrich added that Council "missed an opportunity to say something about an important on- campus issue. I was disappointed, because we put so much time in to find a compromise," he says. "There is an important issue and debate that's going on right now that maybe not everyone's aware of." Richard Vedan, senior advisor to President Toope on aboriginal affairs and director of the First Nations House of Learning said, "the moral consequences of [the] motion are not insignificant." "The executives ofthe AMS are not only our student leaders, they are our future leaders. What does that represent?" "UBC is endeavouring to make the vast resources of the University more accessible to First Nations students and communities. That accessibility means—is it a welcoming place, a safe place?" Vedan believes that many Canadians "don't know their history," and stated, "part of the reason is that Canadian school systems at the secondary and post-secondary levels are not providing students with the realities of Canada's colonial history." He worries about the consequences of "people were making decisions about which they have no information." He says people asking questions about land claims and treaty negotiations such as 'why are we doing this now' reflects a gap in historical knowledge. "Less than four tenths of one per cent of the land in BC [has been set aside for reserves], and if you look at the quality of that land—you will see it is under bridges, beside railroad tracks, and in semi-industrial areas," said Vedan, noting spatial and geographical shortcomings of crown reserve land. "It's an issue with regard to the Musqueam golf course situation... people think of land claims in the distant, the abstract, but when it's in your own backyard, ittakes on a whole new meaning...Certainly for the Musqueam people it's never been abstract." "All of greater Vancouver is their traditional territory, and there's never been [any] restitution made," he says. "People don't realize that their position of privilege isn't serendipitous. They are benefiting MUSQUEAM ADMINISTRATION from... what they may have inherited from their ancestors, and it is at the expense of what First Nations people have inherited, being dispossessed from their lands." Only atVedan's request was the Ubyssey able to obtain a copy ofthe UBC and Musqueam's Memorandum of Affiliation. UBC's public affairs department had previously been unwilling to release the document, and neither the AMS nor any other interested party had been able to directly see the document. The Memorandum states Musqueam's intent to "...build a stronger relationship with, and [have] more visible presence at UBC." It also reiterates the University's "respect for the people of the Musqueam Nation and their interest in the protection and enhancement of their culture and language... and recognition that UBC Vancouver is on the traditional and ancestral territory ofthe Musqueam people." The Memorandum, like the motion, is not legally binding. The Musqueam reserve, January 2008. With the formal Pacific Spirit Regional Park dispute settled, Musqueam chief Ernie Campbell speaks out about misconceptions and misunderstandings around First Nations land claims. He maintains that all UBC endowment lands including the golf course are on traditional Musqueam territory, and that most people recognize that. "The problem isn't with recognizing...[it is] this fear of 'giving the land to the Indians.' They're not giving us anything. We're just getting back a small portion of what was taken. "We've been monitoring and protesting the government selling off the land since 19 73...only about one per cent of our land is left. And just because you have Aboriginal title doesn't mean you're going to get anything." Campbell says Musqueam gaining rights to the golf course has a positive impact on the Musqueam community. "It doesn't mean we're going to bulldoze...and kick everybody out." "It's a major issue [that] we're getting our land back. Our top priority is housing...and not relying on government handouts. This brings economic opportunity to our community...We're becoming more self-sufficient." Campbell smiles when he talks about the golf course/Pacific Spirit Park debate. "All they're concerned about is where they can play golf. I wish that was by biggest problem. "Most of my people can't afford to golf there." Campbell believes most people aren't up to speed on First Nations issues. He remembers a city councilman he once met who didn't even know there was a Musqueam reservation in Vancouver. Campbell says most people are also unaware ofthe treaty process. The First Nations approach the table as a self-governing entity. "We meet nation to nation, government to government. There's some major issues...around taxation. I don't know of any government in the world that would pay tax to another government." "'Endowment lands' is an obsolete term," he says. "When the land was transferred to the GVRD, (now Metro Vancouver) we protested that. What they're doing is creating parks. Once you create a park, it's off the table. I think that was a strategy to get those lands off the negotiating table." In addition, private development introduces "third party interest." Once private citizens purchase homes on endowment lands, their interests are protected by the law. Any land that may be under dispute or subject to historical grievance will be automatically alienated from First Nations' land claims and Aboriginal title assertions because of third party interest. "The main problem is with development. [UBC] never consulted with Musqueam about it...[and] if you develop those lands it gets [the land] off the table. Campbell says relations with UBC 'aren't that bad.' We try to be good neighbours." Campbell is surprised that the AMS motion failed, and disappointed. "Student support would have been great. It's a harmless resolution—but it sets the tone." He says that in order to conquer misconceptions in society about Aboriginal issues we need to ensure "the true history of First Nations people be taught in schools." The reality is that most students are misinformed, and still believe Columbus 'discovered' America. Chief Campbell is a residential school survivor. He remembers the brutal tactics that were used to separate families and strip Aboriginal children of their language and culture. "If you were caught speaking your language, you had to wear a dunce cap...The only way to... get it off was to tell on someone else for speaking their language. They used the divide and conquer strategy. They still do that." Musqueam's language and culture survived colonization. Many did not. There are literally hundreds of extinct First Nations languages in Canada. Some of the languages that did survive are currently being taught in the UBC First Nations languages program. Musqueam traditions are still alive and well, and being practiced as a part of daily life. I ask Campbell about the elder I saw on the road in the black robes and headdress. He explains that there had been a ceremonial winter dance with the aim of "bringing out the spirits." "You can't take the Indian out ofthe Indian," he says. "They tried that. It didn't work." "21 theubysseymagazine ThUj BYSSEY January 15th, 2008 Th£|Jbyssey News | Sports | Culture | Features Write FOR NEWS Teach English Worldwide! Start Your Adventure Toda\\ World Class TESOL Certification in 5-days ' Over 25,000 Global TESOL Graduates are Teaching in 85 Countries Study In-Class, Online l- or by Comespondence news@ubyssey.bc.ca Job Guarantee! FREE Info Seminars: Tuesdays 816 Granville St (Inlingua) 1-888-270-2941 globaltesol.com CAMPUS & COMMUNITY PLANNING Want to learn more about new buildings at UBC? UBC Planning Open House 2008 UBC Planning Staff will be on hand with drawings and information highlighting recent projects at the University of British Columbia. Monday, January 21, 2008 1:30 pm - 7:30 pm Tuesday, January 22, 2008 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Student Union Building Concourse, 6138 Student Union Boulevard For directions to the Student Union Building, go to www.maps.ubc.ca For further information, contact Linda Moore (Associate Director, Community Relations) at 604.822.8831 or iinda.moore@ubc.ca. www.planning.ubc.ca www.universitytown.ubc.ca COURTSIDE COMMENT mm by Justin McElroy After starting the season with one loss in the first 10 games, the T-Birds have gone 3-3 in their last six. (big logo denote wins) Mens B-ball team seems rather average without Dyck; top spot in division is disappearing Holmes (who combined for 40 points and 22 rebounds) exposed the lack of options at the post position for coach Kevin Hanson. This slide has left UBC in an unenviable position. With their backs against the wall, and their confidence waning, they must win tonight against UVic on the road, or lose first place in the Pacific Division, and all that entails—namely, avoiding a white- hot SFU team in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunderbirds know this, and they know they must turn around their play quickly. But how? Call me naive, but I think most of this has to do with focus, and getting back to basics. Take free throw shooting. It's all about routine and concentration. And on a team chalk full of shooters, it should be a strength. But in the past three games, they're shooting a combined 54.7 per cent from the line, turning into a team full of white Shaquille O'Neal's. Another example would be fouls. Simply put, you get most of them by playing lazy, sloppy defense. In the past four games, the T-Birds have accumulated 115 fouls in 165 minutes, and have had a player foul out eight different times—numbers indicative of a team that is caught out of position far too often. This team needs to get some extra motivation, and fast, otherwise they'll be facing an uphill climb to reach the CIS championships in March. It was probably at some point in the third quarter of Tuesday's game, when the T-Birds threw everything they could at SFU, only to outscore the Clan by three points, that it became glaringly obvious: without Chris Dyck, this is currently an average basketball team. A small team. A team without a take-charge player. A team that relies far too much on the jump shot to win games. But of course, that's without Dyck in the lineup. With him, well, we're just going to have to wait until he gets healthy to see whether the team that won ten of its first 11 games returns in time for the playoffs, won't we? vl I noticed it during the second quarter of Tuesday night's clash between the UBC and SFU men's basketball teams. One school showed why it has been on a tear since mid-November, winning game after game, and proceeded to pull away from its competition with ease, turning the game into a rout. Unfortunately for Thunderbird fans, that team was SFU. Yes, the 88-73 spanking delivered to the Thunderbirds may have been just one game—but it was another game in the past few weeks that demonstrate why elite may not be a word to describe this team. Now, one could look at this team's recent struggles, and chalk up their middling play as of late to the absence of Chris Dyck, who has been sidelined with tendonitis in his knee. It's hard to replace 27.9 minutes and 18.4 points each night. But this team's strength is supposed to be its depth. UBC has nine or ten guys who can step up on any given night and cause havoc for the other team. However, they haven't been doing nearly enough of that this year. Their record, and their stats, show that. Against teams with a better than .500 record, UBC now stands with a 3-4 record. They haven't beaten a team ranked in the CIS top ten yet this year. And for a team that's supposed to be stocked with good shooters, they're 10th in free-throw percentage and ninth in three- point percentage in the 14-team Canada West Conference. More critically, each of their last three losses have exposed a different weakness with this group, a facet of the game in which the T-Birds were clearly outpaced. Against UVic before exams, they just didn't play the same tenacious defense that the Vikes did. With Brandon last weekend, they couldn't match the Bobcats' aggressiveness and quickness around the court. And on Tuesday, the twin tower tandem of Greg Wallis and Nolan January 15th, 2008 thSIj BYSSEY theubysseymagazine PHOTOS BY ANDREW ELGAR AND JORDAN CHITTLEY / THE UBYSSEY Above: Our accomodations for the night. Hotel Snowdrift a.k.a. the Ice Palace is cool and cheap. There is the slight side effect of suffocation when too much snow falls forcing the tarps to collapse, which prevents air exchange. LeftWriter Jordan Chittley eyes the non-surviv- able cliff before deciding to ski down the trail and Skiing, camping adventures at Mount Baker A non-winter tent, no snow tires and lots of snow leads to unexpected fun by Justin McElroy We never actually intended to sleep in the tent practically buried in snow, or wake up panting because of a lack of oxygen, but we also didn't expect to see some of the best skiing I've ever seen in the world. My friend Andrew Elgar and I packed his tiny Mazda on the morning of December 29, leaving Vancouver a bit after 7am. As a nice treat it wasn't raining, but the ominous clouds above were keeping everything dark. We had no map, little money, and even less of a plan other than to ski and see what would happen. We set out looking for fresh tracks and to explore a new mountain, but what we would find is an absolute hidden gem ofthe skiing world. The mountain is a place called Mount Baker in northern Washington. It is about the same distance from Vancouver as Whistler, but with border delays it may take just a little longer. That is pretty much where the comparisons to Whistler end. A day pass is roughly half the price and a season pass goes for roughly a third the cost. While we both have passes to Whistler, the four blackout days on the pass between Dec. 27 and 30 sparked the idea for the trip. Mount Baker has no highspeed lifts, no hotels near the hill, next to no apres scene and no glitzy, expensive stores. It is a place all about the skiing. It's a refreshing thought after skiing at Whistler where this isn't usually the case. One of the locals said the two days we skied were some of the most crowded days he's seen, and I don't remember more than 30 people in a line. After finally getting through the Huntingdon US border crossing relatively problem-free, we began following signs toward East 542 or Mount Baker. East 542 is a one-lane highway that twists and turns through a couple of small towns before rapidly gaining altitude up toward the base of Mount Baker. It was originally designed and still is a highway built just to access the skiing and other outdoor activities. As we began the ascent it began to snow and the snow was compacting on the road. There are three signs in the space of about ten miles indicating that all cars must carry chains during the winter months. We started the drive with no chains and as Elgar said after the final sign, "unfortunately there was nowhere to purchase chains between the last sign and that one so we still don't have them." While the tires spun over the ice and compact snow a few times, we finally made it to the quickly filling parking lot. After hastily getting ready, we purchased our day tickets and lined up in what is probably the shortest lift line I've seen for years. It was maybe ten people. The forecast said 9 inches or 27 cm of new snow overnight, which was enough to put a smile on our faces. Floating through the softer snow that comes with being further from the ocean sealed that smile in place. While the skiing was great, the light was fading, the snow was still dumping and we had no place to sleep. Luckily we had a couple sleeping bags and a three-season tent. So we did the only sensible thing. We went to the bar and had a few before it closed at 5:30pm. When it was just us in the bar talking to some employees vacuuming the floors we realized it may be time to leave. However, when we told people we were camping, we still thought someone would offer us a floor. No on did, so we did some donuts in the dark snow-covered parking lot and drove to a nearby parking lot that we heard allowed campers. Earlier in the day we considered hiking for a while to find a spot for our tent, but after a few drinks we decided to find a place that could be lit by the car headlights to aid in our digging and tent set-up. We found a snow bank that was about ten feet high, dusted off the soft snow on top and began digging out a half snow cave with an avalanche shovel. Good thing we were prepared. While the cold didn't seem to be a problem, it was dumping when we got in the tent and as we kicked the snow off the top, it slid down the side packing in the small gap between what we had dug out of the snow bank and our tent until it was about two feet high around the tent. The snow packed down the tarp effectively allowing no air into the tent. Elgar and I both woke up panting at 5:45am after a horrible sleep. I thought that I must be cold so I tried to slow my breathing, but I wasn't cold. However, getting out of the tent was going to be cold so I lay there panting for another hour and a half before we dug our way out from the inside. That day they reported another nine inches of new snow and we were some ofthe first few on the lifts for a great day of skiing. While I don't think I'd recommend using a three-season tent in a parking lot at the bottom of a ski hill at the end of December, it certainly is a trip I'll remember for a long time. \\a and Directed by James Fagan Tait ind Directed by Joelysa Pankanea Western Gold Theatre and Theatre at UBC present director James Fagan January 17-26 7:30pm Tait's stage adaptation of Honore de Balzac's utterly gripping TELUS Studio Theatre masterpiece OldGoriot. Original music by collaborator Joelysa Pankanea Chan Centre, UBC deftly illuminates this poignant tale in which Balzac shows the excessive parental love of a retired vermicelli merchant to be a tragedy as TlCKfitS: $25/$20/$15 devastating as King tear. This new play builds on the success of Tait and Call: 604.822.2678 Pankanea's unforgettable award winning adaptations of Crime and WWW.theatre.llbC.Ca Punishment and A Christmas Carol. PuSh THE/VTRE Ubyssey Publications Society 2008 Board of Directors Election The Ubyssey Publications Society is the organization responsible for publishing UBC's official student newspaper. The Ubyssey. It's membership consists of all UBC students who have not opted out of membership by completing an opt-out form. Members are eligible to run for, and vote in, Board Elections. The Board of Directors oversees the administrative and business aspects ofthe paper including advertising, marketing, distribution, the budget and the finances, meetings ofthe Society, and management of employees. The Board is not, however, involved in any editorial aspefefe ofthe paper. The positions open are for 5 Members at Large and 1 President. Term is February 2008 to February 2009. Directors attend approximately 20 Board Meetings through the year in addition to serving on Board Committees. No previous experience with newspapers or the UPS is required. Elections will be held in conjunction with the AMS Elections January 18th to 22nd, 2008. For more information, contact Fernie Pereira at 822-6681. LSAT MCAT GMAT GRE Preparation Seminars Complete 30-Hour Seminars Proven Test-Taking Strategies Personalized Professional Instruction Comprehensive Study Materials • Simulated Practice Exams • Free Repeat Policy Personal Tutoring Available • Thousands of Satisfied Students Oxford Seminars 1-800-779-1779 / 780-428-8700 www.oxfordseminars.com 2JJBYSSEY.CA For all that is happening on campus and cool videos theubysseymagazine ThUj BYSSEY January 18th, 2008 Who's really supporting Matthew Naylor? by Jesse Ferreras Who in the AMS is standing up for Matthew Naylor? Up until now you could be forgiven for thinking the current AMS VP External is the front-runner in the race for the student society's presidency. He has a prominent campaign replete with cartoon caricatures of himself on shirt buttons and greenpost- ers, as well as endorsements from various heads of clubs and student societies. He promises a new Student Union Building, better quality education, a "more effective council" and provincial lobbying partnerships. He touts his insider experience with the AMS as his greatest advantage over Michael Duncan, the other perceived front-runner for the presidency. In fact, all seems well and good with / want to change directions in the AMS and my desire to change directions is an effective non-endorsement of the policies that they have brought forward." Naylor until you look at how few endorsements he's getting from the upper ranks of the AMS. Rival candidate Duncan is a popular student best known for his patented pink cowboy hat and two terms as president of the Science Undergraduate Society. He also sat in regularly as a science councillor at AMS council meetings since 2005. Already Duncan has courted the endorsements of Spencer Keys and Kevin Keystone, two consecutive AMS presidents, but not one of the current executives has raised a hand in Naylor's favour. Brendon Goodmurphy, current VP Academic, yesterday extolled his support for Duncan. AMS insiders have said that VP Finance Brittany Tyson is supporting him as well. AMS President Jeff Friedrich was mum about endorsing anyone publicly - that might be more believable if Duncan hadn't already outed him as one of his supporters. It's a bad sign for any political candidate when the executive you've worked with for almost a year won't support you. When asked about it at Thursday's debate, Naylor brushed off the question as to why his colleagues haven't rallied to his side. "Among other reasons, it's because I haven't asked," he said. "I want to change directions in the AMS and my desire to change directions is an effective non-endorsement of the policies that they have brought forward." Except that he is endorsing things that his fellow executives have brought forward. "A new Student Union Building" is the top priority he touts on his campaign posters. It's not really his idea - Sarah Naiman put plans in motion last summer towards either a SUB expansion or an outright reconstruction. A new SUB might be too expensive an option—it's hubris for Naylor to promise one. I doubt Naiman would appreciate him co-opting her project. Naylor's status among his compatriots in the executive is probably summed up best by Duncan in yesterday's debate: "The endorsements I have managed to acquire span all areas of campus...I have also acquired endorsements from the current AMS Executive. That leads me to wonder about Matt's ability to work as a team." High-quality endorsements don't guarantee you the win in the AMS elections, but they're extremely helpful. And in this year's race, they make Matthew Naylor look very much like an outsider looking in.tl Nooj "Hr\\cxV S-tudk/As p<*f no mtyvW\\ly &e. i you'll ScxMt &3-M5 * mortHn oo cm oJktfrd. oaA. *reU.r -Wvree -to?pi*«&> Bank with no monthly fee by getting a Value Plus Account for Students. For details visit tdcanadatrust.com/free Canada Trust Banking can be this comfortable Teach English Overseas Intensive 60-Hour Program Classroom Management Techniques Detailed Lesson Planning Comprehensive Teaching Materials Internationally Recognized Certificate Teacher Placement Service Money Back Guarantee Included • Thousands of Satisfied Students J Oxford SEMINARS 1-800-779-1779 / 780-428-8700 www.oxfordseminars.com THiSlJBYSSEYs 'The rXaUi ^ °T^> 5 ^t^v ^0* 2 ElectionsSupplement th£Ij BYSSEY J AMSPresident 1. What three campus issues stood out to you the most this year? What, if anything, do you plan to do about them? 2. What were the three biggest failings ofthe incumbent executive? Do you plan to address these failings in the future? If so, how? 3. What were the three biggest successes ofthe incumbent executive? What are your plans to bolster or further these successes? Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes Matthew Naylor I Graduate Anthropology 1. The U-Blvd project consultation fiasco and the "transient non-expert population" label attributed to UBC undergrad students by President Toope in the historical Board of Governors meeting (not attended by any of my adversaries). The first issue is the hardest to solve: construction is underway and looming towards the SUB after the destruction of the Trek Park carried out by the administration without any warning. They arbitrarily destroyed a peaceful student protest officially endorsed by 'our own' David Suzuki. For student childcare, I hope to extend the AMS resolution to help build new childcare facilities. We will gather individual student opinions and come up with a referendum. Then we could demand from the administration a single AMS institute that will rival the investment spent at the Sauder School of Business and that will be devoted entirely to childcare, multidisciplinary research, and a learning institute that will provide jobs and research opportunities. The jam spaces collective came as I was hanging out with international 1st & 2nd year students in Vanier residence. There are plenty of students with musical abilities and no student-run space for them to share their music in a public setting in the SUB. With the help of CiTR radio, we were able to set up a cultural all-inclusive musical space every Friday during the day at the SUB conversation pit. 2. I) Utter lack of transparency in governing structures, agenda setting procedures, committees—you name it! II) Motion proposals we forwarded to the exec were always turned down with little or no explanation. III) Unwavering and courageous commitment to transparency could rectify this. 3. The only true success I experienced this year was the drafting of a housing motion brought forward by Brendon Goodmurphy. This was a document that would allow for him to lobby strongly for many student concerns with housing. Curiously enough, it was tabled at the AMS Council by Matt Naylor and his AUS associates, even with the plea for urgency by both Jeff Friedrich and Brendon Goodmurphy. My name went to the minutes as the ONLY person who spoke on behalf of approving this motion at that moment, and I even made a point of complimenting. 4th Year Arts 1. Transit is something that I have worked closely on this past year. TransLink is now not controlled by elected officials, and while there is elected oversight, we need, as a university, a representative. I will work to get the act amended to get our issues represented on the board. Student engagement is a perennial issue, but the scores from NSSE show quality of education at UBC has dropped by over 30 per cent. We need to improve AMS Connect, and make better social gathering spaces. I will be a strong advocate, because we need to make the University and the government do something about it. The demolition of Trek Park is shameful, a blatant violation of our rights. We need to tell the UNA and the RCMP that we have a right to be on this campus. 2. The AMS Exec lacked unity and cohesion last year. Each exec existed in their little silo. There were consistent breakdowns in communication, and the things that we tried to do suffered as a result. We had separate groups working on the RCMP issue. As president, I will make sure we are all informed. AMS Link was a disaster of magnificent proportions. While this type of system is needed, we need to make sure that our clubs have input into what will make students use it. Council accountability is the biggest failing. There was a consistent attitude that council did not matter, which needs to change. 3. Transit is the biggest success story for this past year. We will be going into contract negotiations this next year, and we have managed to keep the cost down, and explore new opportunities for funding the U-Pass structure through a wide ranging transit consultation. The housing report was a great first step in determining what we need to develop institutionally in order to provide students with adequate housing on campus. I want to continue lobbying on this report. The Provincial Lobbying Group is probably one ofthe biggest successes that we have had this year. I was proud when we were able to bring five schools together to an agreement on how we lobby, and created a group that will ensure us good representation for years into the future. Michael Duncan "Che" Allison 1. The campus issues which stood out for me the most were those which are emblematic of the War on Fun being waged against students. The cancellation of ACF marks a tragic end of an era of beery awesomeness. As a former ACF staffer I know there are many complicated and valid reasons for the cancellation. But the key determining factor was the Axis of Boring — the Campus Cowboys, the UBC Admin, and the UNA and the demands and restrictions they placed on ACF. My solution —resurrect ACF using the healing power of Reiki! Failing that, a new, cross-faculty student-run rock concert might also fill the giant hole ACF has left in my beer- drenched heart. The RCMP's crackdown on bzzr gardens represents more than just the fuzz cramping our style. We can't advertise the word "BZZR" anymore! The problem is in part the UNA's complaints about how we drunken students are acting like, well, drunken students around their million-dollar condos. But the real problem is that the liquor laws are draco- nian and paternalistic. We must do something before this campus becomes terrifyingly dry. Although an underground bus loop is idiotic, I think U-Blvd is a good idea—the heart of our campus needs revitalizing. The problem is a lack of consensus about what U-Blvd should look like. The AMS should stand up for what most students actually want there—a brewery. 2. The new logo launch, AMS Link, and many of their initiatives suffered from the "too little too late problem" as well as a lack of big drunken celebratory parties. They are very professional and polite but when it comes to big issues the AMS should have been more of a shit-disturber. It's a bummer when the AMS exec take themselves too seriously to show up to work drunk. 3. Despite their bearing the black- mark of sobriety I have enormous respect for the incumbents. They renovated The Pit, an achievement for beer-drinkers and meat- marketers everywhere. They brought Bedouin Soundclash out for one of the most rockin' Welcome Back BBQ's ever. And they schooled the dunces over at BoG and Campus Development when it comes to student consultation with the SUB RENEW process. 4th Year Science 1. One ofthe biggest issues these past few years has been the development around U-Blvd. I will ensure that consultation for the U-Blvd area is a priority and that we will work together with Campus and Community Planning. UBC remains one of the few universities that does not offer a free gym. UBC has absurdly high intramural fees. I will fight to reduce the fees and to ensure that staying healthy and active remains in the student budget. Student groups all over campus are having increased difficulties with the RCMP. I will ensure that our representation on a newly created committee that meets with the RCMP brings up the important issues of all our campus groups. 2. One of the biggest failures ofthe current executive team revolves around the hiring process. Many of the important positions took too long to be hired for. I believe it is essential to hire an HR staff member who can coordinate all the hiring processes and ensure that they are done effectively and on time. The current executive have had difficulties within their team. I have had a lot of experience with many different teams in many different areas of involvement and will use this experience to ensure that the next year's executive works together effectively. SA Link has been riddled with problems. I do believe that it could be a very effective tool but we need to flush out all the problems with it before we promote it to our clubs. 3. While the U-Blvd project has been inundated with poor consultation, the SUB Renew project is exactly the opposite. I am fully behind this process and will ensure that even more consultation is done. I will use unique methods to create a hype about this project and to garner as much support as possible. Another amazing success is the childcare initiative. The childcare project is a long term project that still needs support and I will offer that support. AMS businesses are used to support so many of the services and events that we run. I will ensure that we engage students, let them know how student run businesses affect them and encourage them to support businesses that support them. 3rd Year Arts 1. Democracy. The AMS is elected by students. This is a horrible way of doing things. When elected, I will abolish the existing council structure and elections altogether. This will result in less bureaucracy, more efficient government and better life for all (or else). Lack of Fun. R.I.P. ACF. Special Occasion Licenses are harder to get than ever. The UNA blows. Students are feeling bored out of their minds without anything to do. There are events being run but students don't attend because they're all emo about having nothing to do. This is stupid. There will be state-run parties that will be attendance mandatory and they will be thrown down hard. Popped Collars. They look fucking stupid. 2. They allowed for elections, let sexy get away so that JT had to bring it back, and they were in charge when the UBC Reiki Club went MIA. I'll imprison sexy in Gulag 1 (UBC Farm) so it cannot escape when we're not watching, I won't let people vote, and I'll find the Reiki people using Plant Ops, after they've been made into _ a secret police force. Seriously, they're already halfway there, ' driving around too slow to be doing anything constructive except when trying to run over random students. Cross out random students, replace it with political malcontents, and then add random students at the end and that's better than the KGB. 3. The biggest success was laying the groundwork for me to incite the Revolution™ on campus. Other than that, they bombed pretty hard. I mean, they didn't embezzle any funds AND they allowed for free elections. D'uh. elec tiotis th£Ij BYSSEY ElectionsSupplement 3 ti VP Academic 1. How do you plan to give students a greater voice at UBC? 2. If you were to choose only three issues as the focus of your tenure as VP Academic, what would they be and why? 3. Name one major failing ofthe incumbent VP Academic's policies. How would you do things differently? Which ofthe incumbent VP Academic's policies do you consider a success? How will you build upon this policy? RobMcLean AlexLougheed NateCrompton Fire HydrantPeets 4th Year Science 1. To gather a true voice of the needs of UBC students, I would dedicate myself to getting as involved as possible in all events. From varsity games, UBC REC events and bzzr gardens to fundraisers and concerts, I would endeavour to engage all demographics of students. I would reserve specific days to walk around the SUB and campus just to connect with other students. With this voice, I would lobby the UNA, development committees, and police to increase student representation and rights. Through Senate, I would hope to empower the student caucus to be on top of all current issues and to represent the needs of campus fully. Against the faculty I would work to revamp the teacher evaluation system to make it more accurate and transparent. 2. Development: increased student representation in all matters of campus development and the switching of the student role from an advisory position to one of idea conception. Through this, I would push for more Fraser Halls and no more Chaucer Halls. Evaluations: reinstituting the AMS Yardstick while working to develop an accurate, meaningful, and transparent form of teacher evaluation with results open to the student body. Student life: preserving historic campus events and traditions (and their spaces) and increasing 24-hour spaces and services on campus. 3. The AMS Yardstick was unable to launch last year due to problems with staff and financing. The idea of bringing it to actuality in a meaningful way was a great point. I would pick up where Bren- don left off and find dedicated students to work for it. 3rd Year Science 1. The disconnect between the student body and their representatives has always been a concern of mine. This is why I have been a long time supporter of AMS initiatives to fix the problem, such as the creation of a students' assembly. We cannot always rely on the administration to hold 'meaningful consultations' with us, when there is little incentive for them to do so. As such, I propose we get students on to boards and committees so we're involved with the decision creating process. I will also push that the AMS make well known its services that increase student voice, such as the Advocacy Office. I will lobby the University to get its proposed ombuds office up and running quickly, as they could serve as a huge resource in airing student grievances with UBC. 2. Most basic problems on this campus can be solved with a long-term plan on governance review. The UBC administration currently is our government, which has led this campus to become a developer's sandbox. Problems surrounding University Boulevard, the cancellation of Arts County Fair, and the sense that UBC has turned in to a degree factory can all be resolved by having a meaningful, representative government who has the people, instead of the endowment, as their first priority. UBC has been proven to be consistently poor on academics when rated against its peers through surveys like NSSE. To fix this, I will implement an academic grievances database for all students to submit their qualms with course content, course size, teaching quality, advising, and the calendar, for other students to comment and peer review, and for senators and constituencies to act upon. Lastly, I would focus on student housing at UBC. The Official Community Plan's targets for housing are naive, and don't reflect current demographics. We need more student housing, affordable student housing, more daycare spaces, and a fair process for establishing changes in housing policies like the contract and rate increases. 3. One of Brendon's best works was onhis housing report. In it, it mentions some flaws with the state of housing at UBC, and makes some recommendations for improvement. I do not believe it goes far enough to address democratic concerns in the system. It also doesn't go in to substantial length around the contract itself, which has been proven to be unfair, and unfit for young adults. 4th Year Political Science 1. Since my time at UBC, I have been fighting to change the University so that students' voices matter on campus, including as a representative on AMS council for the past year. In the spring, I co-wrote the University Boulevard petition, which led into a full-scale movement on campus —not only Trek Park but the whole reawakening of campus through a dozen or so different groups. The U-Blvd Petition has been very effective in changing the direction ofthe entire University, not only with regards to the U-Square project. Student power and the student voice is about the belief that people's voices matter in their own community. Everyone knows that the major decisions in the UBC community are made through committees and boards that are pretty strongly anti-student, like BoG and UBCPT, but this is not because we are too friendly or too unfriendly. It is because the current goals and imperatives of the University Administration, as it becomes a land developer and a commercial research institution in the 21st century, are contrary to the goals and needs of the majority of students. This means that the role of the VP Academic is to work strongly with students, faculty, and staff against the tendency in the administration towards the de-democratization of the University. 2.University Boulevard Project: "Respect the Petition!"—no more tunnel construction until consultations for the whole project, including the tunnel. Because of recent developments, especially the province's decision to bring a SkyTrain line to UBC, the bus loop has become obsolete. We need to find out what students want at U-Blvd before building the $40 million dollar tunnel. Academic Policy: I) Implementation of class-size targets—at a research university, the student-to-teacher ratio is a meaningless measure of academic quality. II) Re-establish the Yardstick project for student teaching evaluations. Childcare: finding student solutions, through the Campus for Childcare Coalition, to the childcare crisis on campus. There are currently 1300 care spaces in demand that do not exist on campus. Meanwhile, the University is spending $30 million from the childcare fund on the $40 million tunnel at U-Blvd. 3.Brendon Goodmurphy fought for students, but there are many cases in which he did less than he could have. In only one example: before his term, the AMS won a seat on the Development Permits Board. Once elected, the University easily I convinced Brendon to give up the AMS' control over the seat. This is not acceptable—the AMS should never give up its chance to participate in the community, there are too many exciting things going 1 on for that! 29 th Year Fluid Mechanics 1. I'm obvious and hard to ignore. I'm an immovable object, and I'm not afraid to step on administrators' toes. (I'm 94.6kg, so they'll feel it.) Electing me will send a very strong message (actual message to be determined), ultimately resulting in a much greater voice for students. Failing that, students could commandeer the clock tower and hook up a microphone. I'm told you can hear it from North Vancouver at full volume. Now THAT'S a greater voice for students. 2. Governance. We need some. I want us to become the Mountain Resort Municipality of Quadra. If we pile some dirt against a parkade and run a short ski lift, we qualify. Being a Mountain Resort Municipality ensures that we can prevent non-university residents from interfering with parrying, liquor licenses, noise, or academicky things like fumehoods or storage of radioactive stuff. We'd have a seat on TransLink's Council of Mayors too. Name-wise, the federal riding of Vancouver-Quadra doesn't contain a Quadra, and I think it should. The lack of governance causes our other problems. Dogs are a huge issue in this portfolio. Without a municipality, we can't pass bylaws, which means we can't ban dogs. We can't even restrict them! Dogs are pure evil, and their reign of terror on this campus must be stopped. They really piss me off. In the absence of bylaws, the only thing we can do is electrify campus fire hydrants to fight water with fire. Which I would push for as an interim measure until we get our municipality. Everyone else will tell you University Boulevard is a big issue. I suppose it is. It would probably be good if the new bus terminal were redesigned to a) work, b) be large enough, and c) anticipate the newly- announced SkyTrain line. It would also be good if UBC weren't paying for it. Again, you need an immovable object who can rule with a cast-iron fist. 3. Brendon's big project was a comprehensive housing policy, asking for more and different student housing and to have the luxury condos and student housing (run and built under different branches of UBC's administration) work together. This document and its presentation to the admin are significant successes, but there's no implementation mechanism. Student housing's expensive to build compared to the rent it generates, so innovative approaches are required. I'd build a student residence on wheels. It would offer a new perspective every morning, could escape campus security during parties, and would be cheaper if the building inspectors couldn't find it! It could sail around campus as a pirate dorm, attacking and ransacking luxury condo developments and reclaiming them as student residences. All for almost free! (Some catapults and watermelons would be needed' <^>. ^s^ 4 ElectionsSupplement ThSJu: BYSSEY VPAd ministration 1. Some have argued that the VP Administration position should be eliminated and the responsibilities divvied up among others in the AMS. Please give your reasons why the VP Administration position should (or should not) remain apart ofthe Executive. 2. What is your vision for the Student Union Building? What are your plans for SUB Renew? 3. Name one major failing ofthe incumbent VP Administration's policies. Which were a success? Yian Messoloras 3rd Year Political Science 1. Organizing clubs, AMS businesses, events, and meetings in the Student Union Building is a massive responsibility. What is considerably more time consuming and significantly more important is this coming year's SUB Renew project. The position of VP Admin has virtually never been more important than it is right now, and the elected candidate will make some of the most important and influential decisions regarding the level of construction and the future landscape of the most frequented space on UBC's campus—the Student Union Building. 2. Sustainability and efficient growth without overstretching the budget that will be decided on early this year is one of my foremost concerns. Thanks to my background in construction and my experience with project management and design garnered through complete home restorations, I possess the essential elements required to lead the SUB Renew project in the most efficient manner. There have recently been many over-expenditures on the numerous construction projects taking place all over campus. That's why it is more important than ever to have the right person with the right skills spearheading a project of this scale and importance which will ultimately affect almost every single future UBC student. 3. I applaud the previous VP Admin's work of bringing this issue to the table; however, I question her experience, knowledge, and subsequent ability to successfully and responsibly lead a project of this style and scale. I can make specific reference to tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars that were essentially wasted by Ms. Naiman on architectural consultations from many firms across North America which produced nothing but overly complex and financially unattainable designs. Given the appropriate direction, one consultation from a thoroughly researched firm should easily satisfy the demands of this and many future generations of UBC students. My experience is the driving force behind my decision to run for this position because I feel confident that I possess all the skills and knowledge necessary to manage and supervise the renovations and possible additions that will be made to the SUB. Sarah Naiman 4th Year Arts 1. I think that with the SUB renewal project this has become a non-issue. Even before SUB renewal, I also felt that there was more than enough to keep the VP Admin busy. 300 clubs and a building that is falling apart but still has to serve 45,000 students is definitely enough to keep one person busy. But I do recognize that at time there is a lot of overlap between the VP Admin and VP Finance, if a person wanted to reduce the amount of bureaucracy. 2. My vision for a new SUB is a LEED Platinum or leading edge sustainable building that students can be proud of and feel welcome in. It must have more student social, study, and club space that is flexible and usable. It should be more open and welcoming with increased natural light and a design that highlights the services, businesses, and clubs. As students, we have the ability to take chances and try something new. What I mean by that is that I hope the building is daring, be it by using alternative energy sources or having a green roof or something that hasn't been thought of yet. My plan for the project is to continue with the meaningful consultation that has been the basis for every decision and to follow the project through to referendum—the ultimate consultation. As well, I want to ensure that the University and the province are both contributing to the financials of the building so that the entire costs do not fall upon the students. 3. My greatest self-criticism for the past year was as the chair of SAC. As a result of SUB renewal and other initiatives, I wasn't able to put as much time into running SAC as previous VP Admins have chosen to do. I was fortunate to have an extremely strong vice- chair and fantastic commissioners which allowed me to focus on the rest of the portfolio. I bet that if you ask me this question again in a month from now or after I am able to step out of the position I will have many more self-criticisms but while I am so involved, it is really hard to step out and be more critical. To be perfectly honest, I am proud of what I have done this past year and feel that I can stand behind all my decisions, even the ones that were not as successful as I had hoped. "Scary" Mike "The Rabbi" Kushnir y 5 th Year Geography 1. People have argued eliminating this position? I demand to know WHO! Someone's head will roll—don't they know that I'm ENTITLED to this position? I mean, come on! All those years of being runner-up in the Mean Teen Beauty Queen pageant weren't for nothing. I know I'm a winner...! KNOW IT! 2. My one big plan for the SUB is to convert it into a giant, 24-hour discotheque playing nothing but the best hits from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. I'll make sure to hire Buzz Bishop and Tarzan Dan as resident DJs. There will be a huge roller-derby around the dance floor, Irene Cara and John Travolta will be go-go dancers and, Mike Myers (reprising his role as Steve Rubell from 54) will be the new SUB manager. 3. I have never eaten babies for breakfast, nor have I ever caused disturbances on an airplane by proclaiming the Rapture mid- flight. I have, however, made sure to travel the world, seeing what UBC's campus spirit COULD be, and will work hard to achieve this once elected to office! I SWEAR to FIGHT for your right to have fun, contrary to what the Axis of Evil (University Neighbourhood Association, RCMP, university administration) would have you do: sit at home and stay sober. We must STAND UP and make our voice heard. The authorities are steering us toward a dry campus; it's up to us to let them know that this is a university, NOT a retirement community. VPExternal 1. What qualifies you for the VP External position? What political experience have you had outside the UBC community? 2. If you were to choose only three issues as the focus of your tenure as VP External, what would they be and why? 3. Name one major failing ofthe incumbent VP External's policies. Freeman Poritz 3rd Year History 1. My experience as a journalist has led me to conclude that I will make an excellent lobbyist. I know how to ask questions and I know how to get answers. I know how to inquire and I know when to push. Lobbying is the most important part of the VP External portfolio and I plan to get what students need on the government's agenda. I hold a fellowship position with CJPAC (Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee), a multi-partisan organization which supports increased political engagement. Through CJPAC I flew to Ottawa this past November and received a crash course in federal government operation. I had the honour to meet with Conservative Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, Conservative Minister of the Environment John Baird, Liberal MP Scott Brison, and NDP MP Pat Martin. I also went door to door in support of BC-STV in May 2005. 2. a) The U-Pass. Because of its universality. It affects all UBC students and provides a reasonable, environmentally friendly, means of transportation. b) Strong UBC-CASA (Canadian Alliance of Student Associations) relations. CASA provides UBC with a credible and effective federal lobbying organization for the price of slightly more than $3/ student. Through CASA, UBC's needs will be taken seriously. c) University affordability. Because UBC needs to be kept affordable for students. I will lobby for increased student access to scholarships, grants, bursaries, and loans. 3. It appears that the current VP External mismanaged this year's VFM (Voter Funded Media) competition as chair of the external commission. I would have ensured that the competition was better organized, or I would have scrapped it. The current VP External started an initiative for work on a provincial branch of CASA to more effectively lobby the provincial government for the needs of students in British Columbia. I would like to explore how we can take this initiative further and how it will benefit UBC students. www.putafreemaninoffice.com Stefanie Ratjen 4th Year Political Science 1. I think one of the important things with the VP External position is to first have experience within the UBC community. From the AMS SEC to the SDS, I've been in involved with student issues at UBC for quite some time. I've already been standing up for student voices with the ongoing Trek Park initiative, which has played a prominent role in ensuring that student voices are listened to in the U-Blvd project. 2. Education is a right, not a privilege. Restructuring and increasing government funding for education that goes beyond individual grants and loans is one of my top priorities. Public transit should be public. The U-Pass contract is up for renewal. It needs to stay affordable and should be expanded. We need a serious inquiry into how the public to private switch affects students. This is a university. We need to ensure that student interests are prioritized at all levels of decisionmaking. I will work with other schools in British Columbia to establish a well-organized coalition to advocate for students, pushing for the necessary governance and funding changes through detailed recommendations. 3. I feel the AMS could have been more vocal about the structural changes at TransLink, before and as they were happening, and especially in relation to how they affect students. If fare increases continue, as they have under the new governing changes, we need to act now to ensure that the U-Pass stays, and remains affordable. On a more positive note, it's the provincial level that has the most influence regarding decision making structures and funding programs for post-secondary education. This is where students need a stronger voice. Outgoing VP External Matthew Naylor, has already been working with this idea, and has established relationships with some of the other post-secondary education institutions in BC. I plan on building on this idea to work with other schools in British Columbia to establish a well-organized coalition to advocate for students, pushing for the necessary governance and funding changes through detailed recommendations. thSJu BYSSEY ElectionsSupplement 5 n VPFinance l.What qualifies you fortheVP Finance position? 2. What are your fiscal plans for the AMS in 2007 & 2008? What do you plan to change about the AMS's current direction? 3. Name one major failing ofthe incumbent VP Finance's policies. Which do you consider a success? How will you build upon? "Irish Courage"Bylicki 316th Year Beerology 1. What qualifies me for this position is my deep knowledge of the mystical things that the AMS has been ignoring. "Don't steal meeee lucky charms" applies to what's happening here at UBC. Parties and bzzr gardens, the pinnacles of student engagement and fun, are being pushed off of the grounds of UBC. Groups like www.bzz- rgardens.com are fighting furiously to keep them alive, and the battle looked lost, until I came along. Not only do I want to stop the removal of the last magical thing on campus—beer—but I want to reinstate those magical things that would make life at UBC easier and a lot more fun: rainbows for money, centaurs for protection, beer for fun. 2. It disgusts me that this has not been thought of. Think about it: money, gold, and treasure can always be found at the end of the rainbow. Therefore, I'm going to purchase the sole rights to all rainbows on earth using a personal loan from Bill Gates, and utilizing my endorsement from God and Bono. Unlimited rainbows at my command means unlimited gold, means unlimited money for UBC. This means that all student fees will be abolished, and anything students want will be heard and put into action. Of course, the gold will be released into the market slowly to prevent flooding. This is where my superior financial management qualities come into play. 3. Student engagement in events on campus is ridiculously sparse when there is no alcohol at the event. Lectures, speeches, discussions, recitals, and dry events organized by your students are rarely attended, but bzzr gardens and Pit Night attract scores of people, and now even these are being pushed away. The RCMP is cold to licensing, and enforcement is unnecessarily high. People are condoning disengaged students. My solution to this is to provide beer to all events, rooms and facilities on campus: lectures, classes, events, and washrooms. In addition to this, I propose to build a unicorn pasture in front of the RCMP office so that the cops lighten up and let us be. I encourage you to vote, even though you don't get booze for it, and I will make you verrry happy. AndrewForshner rT^Hftl v1 __ rilK 5 th Year Arts < 1. I have quite extensive experience with financial accounting and budget management, from working on a minor in economics to serving as treasurer for the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity and several large debate tournaments on campus. I also embody the leadership experience necessary to be an effective AMS executive. I have been vice-president of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity as well as a long-serving member ofthe UBC Debate Society executive. Most importantly though, I have served as a dedicated member of AMS Council for the past year, sitting on five committees responsible for making the AMS work better for students, from campaigning for referenda to save the UBC Farm, to allocating over $54,000 for student initiatives. 2. The top priority of AMS businesses is in achieving a competitive edge against new business developments on campus. To achieve this, AMS businesses need to change their practices in order to appeal to more UBC students. Students are the main concern of the AMS, and as VP Finance I will endeavour to enhance the appeal of AMS businesses through more renovations (Gallery), making them more sustainable (eliminating Styrofoam) and by increasing awareness and use of student services, so that students will have more of a reason to pay extra at AMS businesses to help support our services, like Safewalk. 3. A major shortcoming in the previous year has been the failure to make AMS Link work for students, their clubs, and their constituencies. While AMS Link has greatly helped streamline the operations of FinCom and SAC, it needs to reflect more of what students want from the service. As VP Finance, I will consult with the various stakeholder groups on campus so that AMS Link can be less of a bureaucratic barrier and more of a tool of students. A major success was Brittany's efforts in making Sprouts a successful student initiative. Before her term, Sprouts was a faltering student project within the SUB and kept running up major debts, paid for by loans from the AMS. Brittany helped re-work their business model, so that since its reopening this term the cafe is busier than I have ever seen it. I believe that this success is due to Sprouts's increased appeal to students as a cafe where anyone can walk in and get amazing fresh, organic food at low prices, not to mention the cheapest coffee on campus. I want to continue on supporting and promoting Sprouts. ChrisDiplock 2nd Year Arts 1. My experience with budgeting coming into this year was as a house treasurer with the PVRA in 2006/07. However, since then I have taken the initiative to do extensive research on the AMS budget. After much discussion with Brittany Tyson and review of current and past budgets, I feel I have gained knowledge that gives me the necessary understanding to create achievable budget initiatives. With an interest in commerce, I have the ability to understand the distinct and complex operations ofthe AMS businesses. The AMS business revenue is expected to be more than $820,000 this year. This makes up a large proportion of our discretionary income and is vital for the growth of our AMS services. The Financial Commission involves a large amount of diplomacy and ability to work with others. Throughout the last two years, I have been working on Council and committees effectively and cooperatively for progress. Finally, the Sponsorship Committee is a sensitive issue, and with my background of economic and political knowledge, I aim to work toward a university in which the welfare of its students will always come before the needs and wants of our sponsors. 2. Our revenue is the main focus of my fiscal plans. We must understand that the AMS's ability to expand into students' lives and the University community directly rely on the AMS's revenue. Once we understand this, it is easy to understand my platform to increase our revenue through: I. Business revenue from investment in technical and managerial operations II. Sponsorship revenue from bringing in ethical, responsible, and diverse sponsors 3. Overall I was very impressed with current VP Finance, Brittany Tyson's, work this year. To my understanding the Business Operations Committee spent a large part of the year searching for new occupants for the Snack Attack. Although there were some good initiatives (silent shopping), I feel that there should have been more investment in the operations of our AMS businesses. Focusing on positive aspects of Brittany Tyson's term as VP Finance, one initiative that really caught my eye and that I would like to continue is a rubric which was created to review the compensation offered to AMS staff. Lastyear we spent a sum around $680,000 on running this student government and some student salaries were very arbitrary. Such a large chunk of our discretionary income should be well organized and accountable to qualifications and research. 6 ElectionsSupplement ThSJu: BYSSEY J BoardofGovernors 1. How would you represent the concerns of students regarding University development if you were to sit on the Board of Governors? 2. If you were to choose only three issues as the focus of your tenure as Board of Governors, what would they be and why? Bijan Ahmadian Cris Marincat Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes Andrew Carne Graduate Forestry 1. The Main Campus Plan is coming to a close and this year the Board will be providing direction for more detailed planning of South Campus, Totem Field, and several green spaces on campus. The UBC Farm has yet to be explicitly included in the planning exercise, nor have student consultations been adequate. In the past UBC would make a plan and the consultation would involve presenting and defending the plan. I understand the current governance issue facing the BoG and will work hard to achieve a win-win situation. As students we often need to form alliances and I already have strong community connections with the University Neighbourhood Association (UNA), the Friends of Pacific Spirit Park, and Nature Vancouver, with whom UBC students share common goals. 2. The three issues in which I could realistically make a difference are I. improving student consultations for future developments, II. setting and achieving sustainable community goals, and III. ensuring new developments are appropriate for student use. True consultation involves inclusion of students at the beginning. Consultation questions should be specific, or if they are vague then adequate explanation should be provided for clarification, and student responses should publicly tracked so future students can easily understand how 'the plan' evolved from the input of past students. I would use my voice to ensure that the mistakes made in planning the University Boulevard and the problems with the consultations of the 1997 Official Community Plan and the 2000 Campus Community Plan are not repeated. I would also apply my knowledge and experience in sustainable community planning and sustainable building construction to help set the next set of goals for campus sustainability and help UBC to achieve them. An example of this would be the current review of UBCs Integrated Stormwater Management Plan where we have the opportunity to clean up construction sites, protect the salt-water marsh along the Fraser River, and be continent leaders in urban watershed management. The south campus development is also a chance to rectify the severe on-campus daycare shortage and help ensure new market housing is appropriate for student use (whether they be new residences or market housing intended for rental to students). 1st Year Law 1. Students are a significant stakeholder in campus development. They care about affordable housing. They want buildings that use energy efficiently and are environmentally friendly. Students need affordable access to suitable space for project work, conferences, meetings, studying, socializing, and for running licensed events. Students also have their differences on the campus plan should look like. Issues such as the amount of green space, the presence of retailers and development of the endowment lands have been sources of differences for many students. Issues around the campus plan are complex and involve many stakeholders. As a recognized leader with a track record for reconciling competing demands, I am committed to ensuring that students' diverse opinions are sought and taken into account by the Board. 2. I. Empowering students: Students need a representative that can influence the Board to take into account students' input when making decisions. As a student senator, I have a successful record of making progress with the University administration. As a senator, I negotiated policies with deans and worked on implementing them with associate deans and department heads. I put a great emphasis on effective consultation. I have been known as the guy with a knack for problem solving among those who needed help resolve conflicts with the University. For example, students' complaints were the main force behind my successful lobbying for a new policy on viewing marked work, passed lastyear by UBC Senate. Starting this year, as the representative of the first year Law class, I launched my personal website and forum, to further stay accessible to students. II. Community Building: The large population of UBC makes it challenging to develop a sense of community. Smaller groups have shown to play a very effective role in engaging students and in giving them a sense of belonging while contributing to the larger community on and off campus. As a seasoned student leader, I have engaged with many of these communities. I have demonstrated a solid commitment to helping these communities get the resources and recognition that they deserve. III. Campus development: see question one or www.bijan.ca for more information. ^ "^X jUt- *>| / -A y JL. i § 5 th Year Commerce My greatest contribution to the Board will be to ensure that student voices are respected. It seems as if many decisions are made without proper consideration given to different perspectives, especially minority groups. I am running for Board to ensure that our perspective is considered in the decision making process. As current students we are the most important asset of the university. If we have a great experience, go on to get awesome jobs, and live our ideal lives, we are much more likely to support our university in much greater quantities than the potential profit from an increase in tuition or selling some property. On this note, the University space is meant for everyone and it is not meant to be cleared to ensure the maximization of profit. Some things are already finalized, but we need to put a better structure in place for future development. As students we need to have a common voice in asking all Board members to consider the results of over development of campus. To choose three issues as the focus of my tenure at Board is rather short sighted. My goal is not to change three specific things, but rather to ensure that we are heard and understood as students on much more than three issues. The best way to get that is to first seek to understand other people and then seek to be understood. With this I know I will capture the respect of the other Board members and have a voice within discussions. I intend to ask the right questions and move the discussion toward finding the best solution for everyone. Rather than compromising, manipulating, convincing, or playing these other 'political' games, I intend on being open and finding win- win solutions. I will be giving extra attention on development as mentioned above. I think it is also very important to discuss budgetary constraints that prevent us from hiring the best professors from all over the world. Great professors enhance our experience by inspiring us to learn more and find better jobs. Great professors give our university a better reputation and actually make classes enjoyable. The better jobs should than result in more money, more fun at and after work, all the merrier for UBC when it comes to support. 1. Firstly I would conduct, in orchestration with the AMS Council, an extensive and dynamic consultation period. Students will be free to write as much as they want about University development, and to voice their grievances and suggest whatever changes they might envision through an AMS blog and by paper submissions. In addition, those students involved and passionate about ensuring meaningful dynamic consultation, and who desire an opportunity to present the results of their own investigations on campus matters, will be given this opportunity at an international conference centered on the issue of campus development. Through participatory engagement, I have approached a wide variety of students and consulted them about their issues. I did not come with particular questions set up, but got to know them, each individually, listened closely to their stories, to their concerns, their hopes for the future. I am devoted to catering to first year INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, who are usually left unheard and who pay exorbitant fees. Unlike the other candidates I am 'facing', I do NOT tell people what to do, nor have I ever bossed people around. I also do not wish to simply please 'the man'. On the contrary, I am a 'server' to student voices without restrictions, and the ideas that come through me are not just the product of my experiences, but the fruits of grass-roots involvement and consultation both in academic and extra-curricular activities. 2. I. NO MORE 'development' without MEANINGFUL, DYNAMIC, AND RESPONSIBLE CONSULTATION (such as underground diesel bus loop)! II. The construction of a state- of-the-art EDUCATIONAL CHILDCARE facility that is multi-functional: it would provide a venue for pro-bono research, student jobs and volunteering, and established primarily with STUDENT PARENTS in mind! III. The establishment of INTERNATIONAL LINES OF COMMUNICATION with student associations and media around the world, to share our grievances with other university students and to also hear their opinions on the issues we are currently facing. 3rd Year Engineering 1. I plan on making myself very available to students by e-mail, phone, and by holding feedback sessions prior to board meetings. This would give students an opportunity to tell me their thoughts on current issues at Board, as well as allow me to pass on information I have learned through my interactions with the Board. I intend to carefully research each and every topic brought before Board so that I have the necessary background knowledge to support student concerns in an effective and persuasive manner. I would communicate student concerns to the Board both by speaking out at meetings and by engaging Board members in one- on-one discussions prior to the meeting. I feel that one-on-one interaction will provide a much more useful environment to bring across concerns, as Board meetings proceed quite quickly and I suspect many members already have their minds made up by the day of the meeting. 2. I don't fully agree with the premise of this question, as I feel the student representatives should not go to Board with a preset agenda. The student representatives need to be able to handle each and every issue brought before the Board, not just issues pertaining to their main focuses. I fully intend to examine every issue in detail to ensure everything is in accordance with student opinion. With that in mind, my three biggest issues are communication, campus development, and the structure of Board. I feel that communicationbetween students and Board needs to be vastly improved, and it is a difficult task with only two student representatives from UBC-Vancouver. This ties into my third point, in that I feel the composition of Board is not very representative of the University. It does not make sense to have such a large part of the Board made up of provincial appointees who do not necessarily have much of an interest in the affairs of the University. Finally, I also want to investigate in detail not only the University Boulevard and South Campus development projects, but general campus development plans for the long- term as well. elec tiotis th£Ij BYSSEY ElectionsSupplement 7 ti BoG "Fiddler Crab" Finlay 2nd Year Mining Engineering 1. Depending on your level of interest in student government, I would either represent your concerns very well (if you don't give a crap and just want to see random cherub fountains), very poorly (if you have decided on behalf of everyone who doesn't give a crap what they should give a crap about, without asking their permission), or not at all (if you think I'm ugly, which is most). 2. For my tenure in the BoG, I would concentrate on two main issues. Firstly, I would pursue my ridiculous policy goals, as outlined in my online profile, which include plagiarism being punishable by stoning and the hiring of the MythBusters. Secondly, I would dedicate my time to making student government more relevant to the students it claims to represent. I personally believe that our abysmal voter turnout is completely laughable and unacceptable. The government does have a responsibility to take action on important issues, however, it has an even greater responsibility to be relevant to those it represents, which in turn gives the government the power, right, and authority to act in students' best interests. I do not care what you, our constituents, want us to do—just that you want us to do it. I cannot claim to know what you ACTUALLY want student government to accomplish. However, I do know that so long as the same closed-minded 10 per cent continue to be the only voters, the current focus and system of our student government will never change. UBCSenate 1. What are three important issues you plan to bring before the University's Senat —Grade transparency is an issue that students seem to discuss. If elected, I would advocate for the mandatory release of a simple set of statistics, including average and standard distribution, for each exam. In addition, I would also like to see a deadline set for exam mark release. —The issue of extended library hours is especially important in light of the dramatic budget cuts that resulted in the closure of two libraries this past year. Although I would ultimately like to see the creation of a 24-hour study space that operates through the academic year, I think that the proposal to keep libraries open 24 hours during the exam period is an excellent place to start. —Senate also determines admissions policies. Recently, they declined to pass a proposal that would have made BC Grade 12 Provincial Exams optional for admission to UBC, unless required for graduation. Instead, they sent it for further review, with a new proposal to be given in December 2008. Most out-of-province, students, however, don't have to write these exams—why should BC students? If elected, I would advocate for the passing of this proposal to ensure that UBC remains competitive with other universities. Philip Edgcumbe 2nd Year Engineering Physics I am a second year Engineering Physics student, a UBC Varsity athlete, and the president of the AMS Science One Survivors club. I am eight months into my research project with the Carl Wie- man Science Education Initiative which has given me a great awareness of academic issues. I was a GALA group leader and Imagine volunteer. I am responsible for organizing tours to UBC labs for over 300 high school students in partnership with the Science dean's office. Due to my wide variety of campus experiences I am well aware of the different issues which will make me a good student Senator. If elected, I will: —Spearhead initiative to record classroom lectures and post them online. —Organize two information/ feedback sessions to increase awareness of Senate issues and hear your concerns I support policies such as: —Extending reading break to two weeks for 2010 Olympics. —Allowing incoming students an additional year to complete English requirements. Visit www.votephilip.com for my positions on: Challenging exams, teaching evaluations, 24-hour study space, library hours, undergraduate research, provincial exams, UBC Okanagan transfer credits, UBC's structural deficit, investment of endowment fund and professor mandatory retirement. Put the EDGE in Senate, vote Philip Edgcumbe. Blake Frederick 3rd Year Philosophy —Teaching evaluations. Currently, students do not have access to the results of their student evaluations on teaching. These results are critical for holding professors accountable to their quality of teaching. In my role as AMS associate vice-president, university affairs this year, I have worked to publish these results in The Yardstick. This semester, the University has agreed to standardize these evaluations and publish them. If elected to Senate, I will pressure the University to ensure that they will follow through with their commitment and I will push to have these results available on the course registration website. After 10 years, the University is finally taking the initiative and it is going to take an experienced voice on Senate to sustain the pressure. —Mandatory paid TA training. According to the 2006 NSSE (National Survey on Student Engagement), students feel that TAs contribute very little to their academic experience. As well, many TAs have commented that they lack the institutional support required to know what is expected of them. I will work to make sure that the University institutes mandatory paid TA training to benefit both TAs and students. —Exam schedule. The exam schedule needs to change. Too many students suffer exam hardship each semester. I propose that UBC publishes the exams schedule at the time of course registration so that students can anticipate scheduling conflicts before they enroll. I have already been in discussion with Justin Marples, director of classroom services, regarding this issue and I look forward to pursuing it further and soliciting student feedback. Visit www.BlakeFrederick.com to view my full platform. Thanks! ^ J Alfie Lee 2nd Year Science —Lobby the University for increasing the amount of 24-hour quiet study space. If I am elected, I will be completing a proposal and negotiating with UBC Food Services to open up the Pacific Spirit Cafe within the SUB for 24 hours. I will also continue to advocate for a section in the new Irving K. Barber Learning Centre to open up for 24 hours. I have talked to the University Librarian pro tern [for the time being]and he is positive about the idea. —Rectify the current exam hardship policy. I advocate for a policy that allows students to have the exam schedules upon registration so that one can have a greater control over his/her formal assessment. One can also plan his/her vacation at ease as they know when to book their flight ticket and saves up the travel cost to enhance his/her quality of life. This is an especially significant issue as we approach the Winter Olympic school year as the exam period will be shortened significantly and the exam hardship cases will dramatically increase. I would also propose to the Academic Policy Committee on allowing students to have a more lenient late policy for exams so that students commuting from distant places (i.e. Surrey Langley or Delta) can avoid missing their exams. —Increase funding to Academic Support Program. I would like to see the establishment of an Undergraduate Research Office to co-ordinate the various programs on campus (i.e. ROAD, MURC or Summer Research Scholarship) so that students are encouraged and granted the chance to explore and discover. Academic Support Program also includes LEAP, tu- I toring program, and other interdisciplinary courses. UBC needs to give the funding to allow the diversification of curriculum so that its TREK 2010 mission statement can be met. Genevieve "Malt Likkah" Sweigard is also running for the Senate position. 8 ElectionsSupplement ThSJu: BYSSEY UBCSenate Chemistry PhD Candidate Three of the major areas that affect the undergraduate experience include the quality of teaching, funding for students based on merit, and the learning environment. To break these areas down further three of the important issues include: I. Listing instructors on the courses webpage and creating a system to help instructors/TAs with sub-par ratings to improve their teaching. Currently, the online teaching evaluation system has been implemented and results will be available to students by April/May. Instructors need to be listed under the course selection pages so students can register in sections with outstanding instructors. We also need to implement a training/resource base for instructors/TAs to get access to if their progress does not improve. II. Merit-based scholarships. As the years have progressed, the value of scholarships has decreased (monetarily). I feel that the majority of scholarships should remain merit based (with a minimum course load) and that the value of these scholarships be increased to at least reflect tuition costs. Bringing up a review of scholarships and pushing for them to reflect student accomplishment is important. III. Learning environment/ resources. Ensuring that the library committee meets with students and keeps them informed on their decisions is going to be an important task. Additionally, we need to ensure that lab facilities and classroom facilities are in adequate condition to reflect up- to-date learning. Having served a term on Senate has given me significant experience on interacting with committees and other senators and this experience helps put together proposals to take forth to committees. In addition as graduate students normally only get one seat on senate I am running in the at-large election to give more graduates a chance of sitting on senate. ^ J Alex Lougheed 3rd Year Science UBC is lacking in creative courses and educational design. We are faced with rote memorization, endless paper churning, and passive lectures. I hope to vitalize all senators in being more liberal with their academics, so new, creative courses such as AISC 200 (the Terry course) become more common in our curriculum. As a self-proclaimed wordsmith and rules geek, I aim to work to fix the calendar. I would like it if the calendar were less rigid with requirements, so students can take courses they feel they belong in and can learn in, without having to jump through bureaucratic loops like advisors, program applications, prerequisites, credit limits and specialization requirements. Most importantly though, as both your VP Academic and senator, I hope to provide more institutional support from the AMS. Resources like research staff, planning and strategy sessions, better physical office space, are all integral to allowing all of our senators realize their true potential. Electing me is empowering the entire student Senate caucus to become a dominant force in the senate chambers. Electing me would be enabling all the student senators to accurately reflect your demands, effectively and efficiently. Thanks! AMS Blec tions 1. What are three important issues you plan to bring before the University's Senate? Rob Mclean Colin Simkus LPI for staff-I feel that if students are held accountable for a level of English proficiency to be able to learn at this institution, there is absolutely no reason that _ the teaching staff of that institu- tion cannot be held accountable ' to the same level. No forced majors for 2nd year students: I feel that university is meant to be a place of universal learning and therefore it is acceptable to study in many different fields and subjects before finally deciding on a degree. As such, to pressure students into picking their majors early is limiting their future choices in their academic career. I feel that you should be able to work toward any major without needing to declare it until your senior years at UBC. AMS Yardstick—working to institute a means for an accurate, meaningful, student-organized teacher evaluation system with published results so that all students can find out the truth about their courses and professors before taking a class. 1st Year Law The NSSE surveys have shown that student engagement and sentiment towards academics at UBC is unacceptably low. Students need to know that they will get value out of their degree and their education. I believe that we need to push for what I call the ABCs of student learning: accessibility, better quality, and consistency. In terms of accessibility, if we want to promote multi-faceted learning experiences, and well- rounded global citizens, we can't make students roll the dice on whether their GPA will suffer because of excessive downwards bell-curving or different marking systems. Instead, we need to consider expanding pass/fail courses to promote learning in other faculties, along with having more access to options and programs, in order to improve the excitement of being a UBC student. We need to push for better quality for students; for them to be connected with better resources including longer library hours, improved student space in our buildings, and more academic and instructional support for students exploring other faculties. Lastly, we need consistency; this means maintaining strong admission requirements, and it means demanding that we have strong evaluation systems in place for our professors and TAs. Ultimately, I believe that these ABCs will help move us in the right direction, and I believe that I have the experience to deliver these results. Azim Wazeer 2nd Year Commerce —I will pursue mandatory TA training & certification across UBC faculties. The effectiveness of TAs can be drastically increased as a result of standardized and mandatory training programs. I will also recommend TAs undertake one year's worth of study (so as to assimilate and understand what is required of him/her) at UBC prior to being able to teach a course (emphasis on teaching courses etc., not on marking). —I will push for the University to take the onus on academic building development as compared to these costs coming out of student pockets. The development of University academic buildings is the responsibility of UBC and must not rely on fees from student unions (the redevelopment of the Henry Angus Building is a good example). With the University handling campus development, buildings no longer need to be restricted to students in that particular faculty, resulting in the desegregation of the University community and greater choice and availability in much needed study and social space for students. —I will lobby for a re-evaluation of the criteria a student must meet in order to exempt them from the LPI. International students are required to sit for both the TOEFL examination AND the LPI resulting in a redundancy (both examinations have very similar structures). This practice takes place only at BC post-secondary institutions. Savings on administrative costs, a result of a more accurate LPI exemption policy that reduced the number of LPIs administered, could be channeled into academic quality programs that will benefit all students."""@en ; edm:hasType "Newspapers"@en ; dcterms:spatial "Vancouver (B.C.)"@en ; dcterms:identifier "LH3.B7 U4"@en, "LH3_B7_U4_2008_01_18"@en ; edm:isShownAt "10.14288/1.0128057"@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 .