• Celebrating 90 years!

AMS Still no president

Elections Find out why on page 3

THE UBYSSEY U February 24, 2009 | www.ubyssey.ca

breaking jaws and drinking smoothies since 1918 | volume xc, number 39
UBC’s official student newspaper is published Tuesdays and Fridays

Record
Breakers
UBC’S ANNAMAY PIERSE
GOES FOR WORLD RECORD

Annamay Pierse in the women’s 200m bAreast finished with a time of 2:18.59, setting a new Canadian record and missing the world record by less than one second. keegan bursaw photo/the ubyssey

by Kathy Yan Li
Sports Staff
Last weekend, UBC hosted the
2008 Canadian Interuniversity
Sports (CIS) championships at
the Thunderbird Aquatic Centre.
The UBC women’s swim team
had fiercely guarded their cham-
pionship title for the last eleven
years, but sadly, a 12 straight ti-
tle was not to be, as the woman’s
team finished second to the Cal-
gary Dinos. The result was re-
versed on the men’s side, as the
managed to take first place for
the men’s team championship,
defeating the Dinos to win their
11th championship in 12 years.
Records were broken this
last weekend, many by our very
own Thunderbirds. Olympian
Annamay Pierse was one of the
many athletes that brought
glory to our school, breaking
four Canadian and CIS records,
including one that she set herself
last year. Already in her last year
of university, she looks to be a
medal threat for Canada in the
2012 Olympic Games in London.
On the first day, it was the Di-
nos who dominated the first few
events, though Callum Ng won
UBC’s first gold medal in the
men’s 50m backstroke. Pierse
did UBC proud in the very next
event, the women’s 100m breat-
stroke, coming in first and break-
ing both the Canadian record
and the CIS record standing by
over a second, with a new time
of 1:05.16. She lead the Thun-
derbirds into an all-win for that
event, with Haylee Johnson and
Martha McCabe in 2nd and 3rd
place respectively. Her younger
sister, Hanna Pierse, competed
in the 400m individual medley
and clinched the gold in that
race. In the men’s 400m indi-
vidual medley, our mens team
came in 0:0.19 seconds behind
the Canadian record, bagging the
gold for the 4 x 100m freestyle
relay. Callum Ng won the gold
in the Men’s 100m backstroke
and came in second in the 200m
Butterfly race. And in the high-
light of the competition, Pierse
broke the Canadian record in the
200m breaststroke by a whop-
ping a second and a half, with a
new record of 2:18.59—just 84
milliseconds short of the world
record.
But not all the records set over
the weekend were by T-Birds.
A worthy competitor was Erica
Morningstar from the Calgary
Dinos. After a Canadian record-
breaking start from Thursday in
the 200m freestyle, Erica also
took home golds in the 50m free-
style and with her team in the 4
x 200m freestyle relay.
However, the story of the
weekend on the women’s side
was Pierse. Having broken 4
records this weekend—taking
home three golds and two sil-
vers, Annamay was content with
her achievements. “It’s been re-
ally great. It was a great cap off
my university career,” she said,
adding, “I had some awesome
times, all best times, so I’m re-
ally happy with that.”
The highlight on the third
and last of the championships
was certainly the record break-
ing performance by the Thun-
derbird men’s team in the 4 X
100m medley relay. The crowd
went wild with the commenta-
tor spurring the crowd on, re-
peating the how amazing it was
to witness the breaking of a re-
cord that was unbroken for sev-
enteen whole years. It was not
a moment. With the victory, the
UBC men’s swim team clinched
the top place for the champion-
ships with a total score of 689,
narrowly eclipsing the 661
score of the Dinos. With only
a difference of 28 points, the
Thunderbird’s win was deemed
to be the closest win ever in CIS
swimming history.
The team celebrated and
cheered, oblivious to the remain-
ing award ceremony happening
in the background. Gingerale
and congratulatory hugs were
passed around.
Scott Dickens, the men’s
swim team captain, was ec-
static that they took back their
crown. “We’re the underdogs
coming into this meet and we
really knew we had to step up
our game. All of our swimmers
stepped up and really showed
that they really wanted this title.
For a lot of us, this is our first
title as a team. It’s a great feel-
ing to win as my last year as a
CIS swimmer. Going out on top
is just a great feeling.”U

Index
Behind the scenes Exclusive online Sports 1
look on Page 5 coverage at: Events 2
News 3
www.ubyssey.ca Culture
Perspectives
5
8

Armitage: Incest,
Sports 9
murder and Streeters
Edit
10
10

general pettiness. Get your sports fix at: Letters 10

www.ubyssey.ca
Games 11
Part 2 Comics
Sports
11
12
2 | events
E
Events
Ongoing
Action - Camera: Beijing Perfor-
mance Photography • Examines
the trajectory from the discreet
underground performance art
community centered in Beijing’s
“East Village” in the early 1990s,
to a current internationally recog-
nized practice. • January 16, 2009
10:00am - Mon, April 20, 2009
11:00am, For further information
please contact: Naomi Sawada at
naomi.sawada@ubc.ca, tel: (604)
822-3640, or fax: (604) 822-6689,
or take a look at www.belkinart-
gallery.com/_email/_main_belkin/
Action_Camera/ •
February 24
Annuals with Jessica Lea May-
field and special guests. • Tues-
day, February 24 2009. 8:00 pm.
$13 advance tickets at Ticketweb,
Zulu, Outpost. 19+ event. UBC Pit
Pub. •
February 25
Jewish and Mulsim Students
Repair the World • Bringing
together Vancouver Hillel’s Jewish
Students Association (JSA) and the
Ismaili Students Association (ISA),
working together on behalf of a
range of charities. Events include:
Little Traveller Doll sales to benefit
AIDS-affected women in South
Africa, UBC Food Bank benefit sale
of chai tea sales and collection of
non-perishable food items, Save A
Child’s Heart cookie sales to raise
money for heart surgery for De-
veloping World children, Creating
get-well cards for patients at Chil-
dren’s Hospital, Bathtub Project–
Collecting toiletries for women’s
shelters in the Vancouver area. •
Wednesday Feb 25 to Friday Feb
27, SUB all day. for more info
contact Pat Johnson, Director of
Communications, Vancouver Hillel
Foundation, at 604-224-4748 (of-
fice) or 604-340-9940 (cell). •
First Nations Student Association
Item Swap & Chili Lunch Fund-
raiser • Come and recycle your
items and join us for a longhouse-
made lunch. All proceeds go to
the First Nations Student Associa-
tion for future events. • Wednes-
day, February 25, 12pm–3:00pm,
Sty-wet-tan, First Nations House of
Learning •
Overwhelmed On-Line? Let
delicious and iGoogle get you
organized • Get yourself updated
and hear about some of the latest
web tools! You will also learn how
to set up accounts, get familiar
with basic features and rediscover
the joy of exploring the world
wide web. • Wednesday, Febru-
ary 25, 2009 1pm–3pm, Terrace
Lab (4th floor), School of Library,
Archival and Information Studies,
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre,
for more information www.tag.
ubc.ca/programs/series-detail.
php?series_id=320 •
Solving the Economic Crisis:
Does Religion Have a Role? •
New understandings of the role of
religion could assist us in makings
the adjustments that humanity
requires to make to avoid some
of the looming catastrophes of
our times. • Wednesday, February
25, 2009 5:30pm–7:00pm, Buch
A205, for more info email ubc.
abs@gmail.com •
The Do’s and Don’ts of Portfolio
Development • Providing regular
opportunities for presentations,
discussion, resource sharing,
and networking for the Portfolio
community at UBC. • Wednesday,
February 25, 2009 1:30–3:00pm,
www.tag.ubc.ca/programs/series-
detail.php?series_id=308 •
Quantum of Solace • T”There’s
something horribly efficient about
you.”What is a quantum of solace
anyway? Continuing right after
Casino Royale Bond is on his
own now. And he’s still all mixed
up about that chick.... • Wed,
February 25- Sun, March 1, 2009,
7:00pm, Norm Theatre, cost $2
membership, $4 non-member
www.ams.ubc.ca •
Valkyrie • “You can serve Ger-
many, or the Fuhrer. Not both!”
True story: Hitler narrowly avoided
assassination by a few of his
own generals. Tom Cruise brings
the thetans in this historical re-
creation. • Wed, February 25- Sun,
March 1, 2009, 9:30pm, Norm
Theatre, cost $2 membership, $4
non-member www.ams.ubc.ca •
February 26
What Makes a Good Product
Idea: A Highly Opinionated
View presented by TEC-UBC •
Geof Auchinleck has 25 years
experience in the development
of medical devices. Along the
way he has come up with some
good and many bad ideas for new
products. Drawing on his experi-
ence in the medical device field,
he will describe some of the hard
lessons he’s learned about good
product ideas and bad product
ideas and how you can tell the
difference. • February 26th, 2009
5pm–6:00pm, Hennings 202, free
pizza •
Socrates on Trial • “Steve Wexler,
Professor, UBC Faculty of Law, will
read his new colloquial translation
of “Plato’s Apology.” • Thursday,
February 26, 7:00 pm, Regent Col-
lege Chapel, 5800 Boulevard •
the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca
If you have an event, e-mail us at events@ubyssey.ca
Corona presents: Hot Hot Hot
Heat w/Bend Sinister • This is a
free show brought to you by the
nice folks at Carona. Arrive early
to get optimal location. • Thurs-
day, February 26, 2009. 8:00pm.
FREE. 19+ event. UBC Pit Pub. •
February 27
Iranian Women’s Movement for
Equality and Freedom in 1979 • A
presentation by UBC Students for
Equality and Freedom in Middle
East. Includes a 12 minute docu-
mentary film of women’s protests
for equal rights in March 1979 in
Tehran. • Friday February 27 at
5:30pm Student Union Building
Room 214. •
UBC Engineering Open House:
Explore Engineering • Head
to the moon and back with
Thunderbird Robotics student
team…Meet Rosie the Robot!
Play with silly putty and other cool
materials! Understand how your
drinking water is cleaned… Hear
from Engineers Without Borders
Students, how to become a Global
Engineer… Shake it up and learn
about earthquakes! Discover the
societal benefits of Formula One
motor racing… Win great prizes
and enjoy free snacks... Learn from
students, faculty and others how
engineers make a world of differ-
ence! • Fri Feb 27 & Sat Feb 28,
9am–3pm, 2332 Main Mall, Kaiser
Building Atrium, For more details,
visit: www.engineering.ubc.ca •
Mahjong Friday Sessions • Just
to let you guys know...the MAH-
JONG CLUB is BACK! • February
27,Please respond to ubcmah-
jong@gmail.com if you are going
to attend, because if less than 10
people come, we would host it
at our clubroom, downstairs in
the sub, next to sprouts which is
to the extreme left of the haircut
place. If more than 10 people are
attending, the session will then be
held in the MATH building behind
Korener library, room 204. •
Microfinance: Theory and
Practice • Microfinance has
recently gained prominence as an
innovative way to bring people
in developing countries out of
poverty. This lecture will examine
microfinance from both a theoreti-
cal and a practical perspective. •
Friday, February 27, 2009. 3:00
pm–5:00pm, Buch A205. Email
for more information: econesa@
interchange.ubc.ca •
Canada West Final Four • The
Men’s Basketball team will host
the Canada West Final Four and
will play the Brandon Bobcats in
the semifinal. • Feb. 27@ 7pm,
location: War Memorial Gym. •
UBC NO PANTS PARTY Because all
of life’s problems can be solved
while pantless • A UBC-wide
pantless party hosted by the infa-
mous, the one, the only, Radical
Beer Faction • Friday, February 27,
2009. 8:00 pm–12:00 am, SUB
Ballroom. 19+ event, $8 advance
tickets, $10 at the door. Email: rbf.
ubc@gmail.com •
February 28
Basketry - Adirondack-Style
• This is a classic splint woven
basket associated with the 19th
century northeast woodlands.
Today this basket is versatile for
comfortably carrying and storing
all manner of items. You will be
using flat reed splints to weave the
basket, which measures 12” wide
by 8” deep and 14” high. This
sturdy basket is sure to become
a favourite for years to come. •
Saturday February 28 and Sunday
March 1, 2009 (one class spanning
both days) from 9:30am–4:30pm.
UBC Botanical Garden Pavil-
ian - 6804 South West Marine
Drive. ADVANCED REGISTRATION
REQUIRED—TO REGISTER FOR A
COURSE PLEASE CONTACT Nadine
Diner at botg@interchange.ubc.ca
OR (604) 822-3928, $170 Garden
Member and $180 General Public
March 2
• e-mail: feedback@ubyssey.ca
Violin Masterclass with Kyoko
Takezawa • Co-presented with
the Vancouver Symphony Orches-
tra with the support of the Jemini
Foundation. • 1:30 pm–3:30pm,
UBC Recital Hall, 6361 Memorial
Road. Free.For more information
please email concerts@inter-
change.ubc.ca.www.music.ubc.
ca •
Imagine Your Arts Major Arts Ad-
vising: How to Choose the Major
that’s Right for YOU • Learn what
to consider when selecting a major
or minor, including specific Faculty
of Arts requirements to be con-
sidered.• Monday, March 2, 2009
5:00pm–6:00pm. Register here:
secure.students.ubc.ca/workshops/
careers.cfm •
March 3
The Annual TEC Young Entrepre-
neurs Dinner • This is a network-
ing and informational event where
students, entrepreneurs, investors
and top company executives share
insights and exchange thoughts
on current and existing ventures. •
Tuesday March 3, 2009, 5:30pm–
9pm, Renaissance Vancouver Hotel
Harbourside, cost $20 (includes a
full meal), Attire: Business Formal,
for more information visit www.
tecubc.com •
DO WHAT
YOU NEVER
DARED TO
DO. COME
INTO THE
UBYSSEY.
WE’RE IN
SUB 24, OR
YOU CAN
REACH US
AT:
UBYSSEY.CA
february 24, 2009
THE UBYSSEY U
February 24th, 2009
volume xc, no 39
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coordinating editor
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Trevor Melanson : culture@ubyssey.ca
sports editor
Shun Endo : sports@ubyssey.ca
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photo editor
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After an office viewing of “American Psycho” Goh Iromoto,
Joe Rayment and Trevor Melanson got into a heated busi-
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That was before they saw Adam Legget’s - eggshell, Euros-
tile font and - you won’t believe it - a watermark. Drew
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Record, custom-dyed by Isabel Ferreras and Celestian Rince,
and painstakingly cut out by Keegan Bursaw and Gavin
Fisher. Stephanie Findlay fainted. Cathy Yan Li collapsed.
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NNews
Frederick, Monegro hang in suspense over presidency
Candidates frustrated that delay in decision is jeopardizing student projects
by Samantha Jung
Senior News Writer
AMS presidential candidates
Blake Frederick and Alex Mon-
egro await the the Elections Ap-
peals Committee (EAC) deci-
sion that will decide who will
be the next AMS president.
Frederick’s appeal hearing
took place yesterday. The AMS
Electoral Code states that a
decision must be made within
48 hours of the hearing, mean-
ing a verdict should be reached
Wednesday. Many current and
incoming executives are hope-
ful that a decision will be made
in time for the AMS’s Annual
General Meeting this Friday,
which would allow the new
executive to enter their roles
without any of them having
to be appointed to an interim
position.
According to Frederick,
the delay was due to a misun-
derstanding over the appeals
process; some members of the
appeals committee thought that
all the appeals needed to be
heard at once—this is not the
case.
“It’s been taking way too long
from my perspective,” Freder-
ick said. “So I haven’t been able
UBC faculty pension plan hit by market crash
Faculty pension pay decreases 13 per cent, those close to retirement hit worst
by Rebecca Tebrake
News Writer
The UBC Faculty Pension Plan
(FPP) still holds the confidence
of many of its members, despite
ending 2008 with its largest loss
in 15 years.
“My reading of [the losses] is,
if in a year when stock markets
tumble and most funds took a
big bash, to have lost 13 per
cent is pretty good….In other
words, it tells me they don’t
have their eggs all in one bas-
ket,” said Dr Philip Resnick,
professor of political science.
“Nobody likes a minus 13 per
cent, but when most funds
have lost 25, 30 and 40 per
cent, under the circumstances,
I’d say that’s a pretty decent
performance.”
The plan closed the year at
$1.1 billion after experiencing
a 13 per cent loss in its bal-
anced fund, which represents
nearly 85 per cent of pension
funds, according to Mike Leslie,
executive director of the FPP.
“There are no
guarantees on what
you get out of the
plan at the end of
your career, so when
the market crashes
and you’re 63 that can
be a big problem.”
—Elizabeth Hodgson, president of
the UBC Faculty Association
Editors: Stephanie Findlay and Justin McElroy | E-mail: news@ubyssey.ca
to transition into the position
because there’s been no deci-
sion made on the issue yet.”
Monegro’s sentiments
echoed those of Frederick. “I
feel both frustrated and disap-
pointed,” he said. “Frustrated
because in order for both me
and Blake to move forward with
whatever we want to do for the
rest of the summer…we need to
know what the outcome of this
appeal is.”
Monegro also expressed his
disappointment with the Elec-
tions Committee (EC). “All of us
that decide to get involved with
the AMS or other volunteer-
driven organizations must be
aware of our responsibilities
and duties to the organization
that we are part of,” he said.
“This is especially true of the
EC. They have the duty of being
timely not only to Blake, to me
and to the outgoing president,
but most importantly to all stu-
dents. The EC is not letting just
us down; they are letting down
each and every student that
voted in these elections.”
As for future plans if the
hearing does not go in his fa-
vour, Monegro says he wants
to pursue other options for him
to add back to his community
Harder hit were foreign
and Canadian equities, which
had 26.48 and 30.69 per cent
drops, respectively. The plan
still achieved 2 to 3 per cent
gains in bond and short-term
investments funds.
“This last year has been a
particularly harsh year, but I
think our members understand
that when you are in a pen-
sion plan, it’s about long term
investments,” Leslie said. “If
you basically stay the course,
there will be ups and downs but
hopefully over the longer term
there will be good returns.”
According to statistics on its
website, over the long term the
FPP has shown consistent but
modest returns, with the aver-
age annual rate of return for
four of the five funds in the plan
between 3.99 and 6.94 per cent
during the past ten years. The
foreign equities fund is the only
fund that demonstrates a consis-
tent loss at -0.93 per cent.
“For a long time we were
getting a worse rate of return
than we’d be getting from the
standard indexes, now we have
been getting as good or some-
times better,” said Elizabeth
Hodgson, President of the UBC
Faculty Association. “I think
generally people feel good
about how the pension plan
is running things. The things
that are constraining them are
clearly outside of their control.”
UBC’s FPP is especially
vulnerable to the market as a
defined contribution plan. This
means faculty and the universi-
ty make set contributions to the
plan, and retirement income is
a function of the contributions
and investment returns.
Other universities have a
Disqualified presidential candidate Blake Frederick looks on at his appeals hearing. kathy yan li photo/the ubyssey
and to develop himself further
in the upcoming year. He said
that some of his plans require
him to start working now, and
he cannot do that with the elec-
tions results in limbo.
Frederick says that he is
thinking in the present and is
confident he will win his appeal.
Elizabeth Hodgeson, president of the faculty association, is satisfied with
the Faculty Pension Plan’s performance. andrew thompson photo/the ubyssey
defined benefit plan, meaning
members receive a set amount
of money regardless of market
performance. While there is
less risk to the retiree, there
can be more risk to the univer-
sity and students during mar-
ket volatility.
For example, this year Wil-
fred Laurier University’s de-
fined benefit plan lost 20 per
cent of its value. The university
was forced to put $16 million
of its operational budget into
the fund, likely meaning job
losses for faculty, and bigger
class sizes for students.
Pension losses at UBC will not
wreak this kind of havoc for the
University’s operating budget.
The fund is run autonomously
from the UBC administration
and the Faculty Association,
although both are represented.
Losses only impact faculty’s re-
tirement income. Most likely to
feel the crunch is faculty close to
retirement, according to Leslie.
“If the EAC denies my appeal, I
will number one, be shocked,
and number two, I will take it to
Student Court,” he said. “I can’t
really speculate beyond that
because I haven’t thought past
Student Court. I think it’s very,
very unlikely, I’m not planning
for that scenario.
“There are no guarantees on
what you get out of the plan at
the end of your career, so when
the market crashes and you’re
63 this can be a big problem,”
said Hodgson. “There is lots of
faculty who are uncertain about
whether they can retire now
given the fact that what they
thought they were retiring on
has dropped by 15 per cent or
more.”
According to the Faculty Asso-
ciation, 500 out of UBC’s 3000
faculty members are between
the ages of 60-70 years-old.
Hodgson believes that the
impact of these losses is com-
pounded by the nature of
compensation at UBC which
can have up to 30 salary
increments.
“Further, because our sala-
ries rise so slowly, a faculty
member who starts at $70,000
could easily take close to 30
years to double that salary to
$138,000. This means that our
February 24, 2009 | Page 3
“I’m really optimistic about
what the results of that will
be,” Frederick said, “because I
am really confident that I will
win my appeal, as I haven’t
done anything wrong, I haven’t
broken any rules, and I the evi-
dence against me is extremely
weak.” U
pensions likewise grow very
slowly,” said Hodgson.
Still, many professors aren’t
worried. Over 80 faculty mem-
bers gathered for a noon-hour
workshop last Wednesday—a
meeting characterized by rela-
tive calm.
Retired professor of psy-
chology, Dr. Tannis MacBeth
believes the fund is being
well-run.
“It is my impression that rel-
ative to the situations of other
people I know outside of UBC,
that this has done quite well in
the last year,” said MacBeth.
The flexibility of the pension
plan helped MacBeth success-
fully manage her money until
retirement and during this time
of greater volatility. She moved
some money into the less risky
short-term investment fund to
avoid losses.
Resnick has only heard mur-
murs of people reconsidering
their retirement plans over
these losses. For his part, Resn-
ick feels confident about the fu-
ture, barring the total collapse
of the economy.
“Quite honestly, if one has
been contributing as I have into
the plan, we are not going to
come out as millionaires but we
are certainly not going to come
out of it destitute without being
able to buy a loaf of bread and a
litre of milk,” said Resnick.
Resnick plans to leave the
bulk of his retirement money
in the fund once he retires in
two or three years.
For those concerned about
their retirement options, Leslie
says the best advice is to consult
a financial planner who can ad-
vise professors based on a full
picture of their net worth. U
4 | news
Agenda: Wednesday, February 26
1. Women’s Issue
2. Colours Issue
3. NASH fund raiser update
4. Kate fund raiser update
5. Set date for motivational staff meeting
6. Mary Lynn seminar. Tuesday, March 24
7. Ubyssey board election update
8. Staff restructure meeting
the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca
News Briefs
FREDERICK’S APPEALS
HEARING
Blake Frederick’s appeal hearing
took place this morning. Repre-
senting him was Geoff Costelo.
Also present were Elections Co-
ordinator Sarina Rehal and Chief
Justice Donald McIntyre.
The main issue was whether
Frederick and losing candi-
dates Tristan Markle and Ale
Coates did campaign as a slate,
which would have justified the
disqualification of Frederick as
AMS president by the elections
committee on February 6. Rehal
said that while there was a focus
on enforcing the slate rule dur-
ing the elections, she admitted
Feeling stressed?
Call pooch over
Psychologist claims dogs reduce
stress quicker than drugs
by Alec Young
News Staff
There is a growing body of evi-
dence that suggests man’s best
friend also helps mental health.
That’s according to Dr Stanley
Coren, a researcher in the UBC
department of psychology, who
has just completed a study on
dog ownership and depression.
His latest work is part of a se-
ries of studies that conclude that
individuals experience reduced
stress levels when in the pres-
ence of their pet.
When a subject suffering from
depression or stress is with their
dog, they experience immediate
physiological changes, including
slower heartbeat, muscle relax-
ation and more regular breath-
ing patterns.
What’s more extraordinary is
that the beneficial effect is ex-
tremely rapid, especially when
compared to medication. While
antidepressants can require sev-
eral weeks to become effective,
having a friendly dog nearby can
counter stress within thirty sec-
onds to a minute.
“We can show that the pres-
ence of the dog is actually more
stress reducing than having a
family member around,” Dr Co-
ren said. He believes this could
possibly be because a dog’s affec-
tion is almost unconditional. A
dog will not criticize in the same
way a family member might.
Dog ownership also has a ben-
efit for the elderly, who are more
prone to clinical depression and
require more frequent medical
attention. Elderly people with a
dog’s companionship are only
one quarter as likely to develop
clinical depression.
Antidepressants
can require several
weeks to become
effective, having a
friendly dog nearby
can counter stress
within thirty
seconds to a minute.
february 24, 2009
that she told candidates they
could go to classrooms together
to campaign, but not to plan to
go together on a regular basis.
Frederick said that he did this
within the rules, and that of the
50 classroom announcements
he did over the course of his
campaign, nine were with VP Fi-
nance candidate Ale Coates and/
or VP admin candidate Tristan
Markle.
In the end, McIntyre said that
the way that the bylaw works was
confusing, and that he would be
contacting Rehal and Costelo to
discuss this further. A decision
should be made by noon on
Wednesday.
­—Samantha Jung
Anecdotal evidence about the
health benefits of dog ownership
has existed for years. Sigmund
Freud claimed that having a chow
chow in his office helped calm
visiting children. In the 1950s,
psychologists began to note posi-
tive change in autistic children’s
behavior when they were with a
dog. Now, says Coren, “we’re find-
ing just how powerful these effects
really are. We’re actually taking
physiological measures, looking
at the chemistry of the blood, find-
ing that this is not just a placebo
effect. These are real physiological
effects and you can effectively see
the stress drain away.”
Another study conducted at
the University of Pennsylvania
found that men who had suf-
fered their first heart attack
were much more likely to be
alive years later if they owned
a dog. Researchers there con-
cluded that the stress reduc-
tion offered by the pet helped
reduce the effects of coronary
disease.
The stress-reduction benefit
is not breed specific. According
to Dr Coren, when it comes to
pet-specific therapy a docile Lab-
rador retriever is just as effective
as an energetic terrier. As long
as the animal is familiar and
friendly, it will have a positive
effect.
Unfortunately for cat lovers,
the health benefits of pet owner-
ship are most closely associated
with dogs.
“Cats tend to be more aloof,”
Dr Coren said. “They’re better
than nothing, better than [own-
ing] a bowl of fish, but [the ben-
efit] seems to be associated with
the level of interaction.”
So are Canadian doctors likely
to start prescribing dog owner-
ship as a form of therapy in the
future? Dr Coren says this is a
possibility, especially since there
is a cost-benefit ratio to be con-
sidered. “If you can eliminate
even two visits to a doctor or
psychologist over the course of a
year, that [saves] $200 or $300,”
Coren said.
Dr Coren said that the UK is
the only country where dogs, usu-
ally papillons, are “prescribed”
as companions for health rea-
sons. However, the UK National
Health Service website offers no
information on this practice. U
CCulture
Armitage tells a twisting tale
Cast and crew are putting in the final touches
In the last week of production, cast and crew put the finishing touches on the set. The week was as stressful as it was exciting. kathy yan li photos/the ubyssey
by Kate Barbaria
Culture Writer
“You know from experience that
it always comes together on
opening night, but it’s terrifying
every time anyway,” said Armit-
age director Brendan Albano
Sunday evening. It was the last
day for the cast and crew to re-
hearse their production before
moving off of their home turf at
UBC and into the Havana The-
atre Monday morning. Armitage
has been in production for over
a month and every piece of the
puzzle is being pushed into place
before the curtain rises on Tues-
day. The tension is becoming
palpable in these last hours on
campus and it is a frantic coordi-
nation of props, costumes, set
and, of course, actors.
Just a week earlier I walked
into the scene workshop in
Freddy Wood to a warning shout:
“Welding!” It may have been ten
in the morning, but Wladmirio
Woyno was already elbow deep
in mysterious bits of bent rebar
and wooden braces. Woyno, a
theatre production major, de-
signed the Armitage set and was
in the primary stages of con-
struction with Albano at his side.
The duo proceeded to weld the
scattered rebar sections into two
giant half-arches, which would
be wrapped in rough cloth the
next day. Then came a collec-
tion of wooden cubes and low
platforms that would serve as
the ever-expanding labyrinthine
rooms of Zachary Pendragon’s
tyrannical mansion in Armitage,
Ohio. After two days of steady
work, the building blocks were
on their way to completion.
Woyno brought the half-
finished pieces to the cast’s first
dress rehearsal. Suddenly, the
stage was set. The actors, sport-
ing cravats, waistcoats or high-
collared dresses jumped up and
down in excitement. But the real-
ization hit quickly that the stage
was horrifically small. There
was nowhere to fall if the fight
scene didn’t go just right. When
all twelve cast members were on
stage, there was almost no room
to breathe, let alone pace or
gesture wildly as the characters’
blocking demanded. And the
audience would only be five feet
away. Daunted or not, David Mil-
lar, playing the character James
Cornish, explained, “It’s halfway
between stage acting and film
acting when the audience is that
close up. People get it a lot easier
because they’re right there.”
After a taking a few moments
to absorb the realities of the
setting they would be working
in, the actors tackled the run
through with renewed focus.
Through the week they plowed
through the scenes, pulling out
every characterization they had
Editor: Trevor Melanson | E-mail: culture@ubyssey.ca
left to bring that last bit of life to
their alter egos.
Armitage calls for drastic
shifts in time, schizophrenically
leaping between eras to retrace
the twisting paths of each char-
acter related to Zachary Pendrag-
on. Cameron Shepperd, in the
leading role of Zach, goes from
doddering old patriarch whose
spittle I think flew onto my note-
book, to youthful casanova with
little regard for the people he
destroys, and back again. It’s not
a role for the uncommitted actor,
and it’s taken a month for him to
transform convincingly into a
depraved man “composing his
obituary.” Sheppard said, with
cynical regard to his arguably
detestable character, “There are
parts of it I can relate to and
parts that give me nightmares.
So it’s been a fun little ride....It’s
the first time I’ve ever had to do
something where I go from being
twenty years old to eighty-one
years old. I try out new things
and some work and some fail.”
The most exciting part of
rehearsals are the fight scenes.
Armitage does promise incest
and murder, after all. The
blocking, however carefully
planned, never goes quite right.
“The adrenaline really starts
to pump, and sometimes it’s
hard to keep everyone’s safety
in mind when that’s going, but
you do your best to not actu-
ally stab someone,” said Millar,
only half-joking. While they
are just using the handle of a
spoon to replace a knife, there
are still concerns about impale-
ment. Even a simple stage slap
requires discussion—the back
of the head is a preferable land-
ing place for a blow compared
to the ear, which, according to
Shepperd, “would totally screw
me over.”
Despite the stress, stage man-
ager Jenny Backberg kept control
of the cast and crew. Looking for-
ward, she said, “Tech week is al-
ways the worst. It’s the worst for
production, worst for the actors.
It’s the highest stress, but like
every production, you just do it.”
Millar agreed, saying just
before the start of Sunday’s
rehearsal, “It’s very rare that
something horrendous does go
wrong. Everyone’s collective en-
ergy to make it go well pays off.”
He added, perhaps envisioning
the hellish two days remaining
before opening, “I think it’ll be
okay.” Ready or not, the curtain
rises for Armitage at eight in the
evening on Wednesday, Febru-
ary 25. U
Armitage, by Don Nigro, runs
February 24 (preview night) to
February 28 at the Havana The-
atre on Commercial Drive. It is
produced by the UBC Players’
Club and directed by UBC student
Brendan Albano.
February 24, 2009 | Page 5
CD reviews
THE MATADORS
SWEET REVENGE
The Matadors are the best psy-
chobilly band we’ve ever heard.
Sweet Revenge is a tattered road
map to all the things that made
Christians afraid of rock ‘n’
roll. Frontman “Hooch” Perkins
creates a sonic shrine for binge
drinking, no-good women and
the whores they drive us to, and
Lucifer himself.
“The Devil Taught Me How”
relates the tale of how Hooch
sold his soul to the devil for
guitar skills. Hooch obviously
got the better end of the deal;
his excellent guitar work is a
rare variety that reinforces the
overall song crafting rather than
detracting from it. With a genu-
ine understanding of southern
rock, country, folk and blues,
the Matadors represent the only
psychobilly band to convincingly
blend Johnny Cash and the Dead
Kennedys.
Hooch dabbles in swing for
“Bush Party Handjob,” and
modern country for “If You’re
Going to Bitch, I’m Going to
Drink.” Until listening to Sweet
Revenge we never understood
why skids are dressing like El-
vis Presley and Betty Page after
a fight with Hot Topic. It makes
sense now. Pass the bourbon
this way, Hooch.
THE NO SHIT SHIRLEYS
NUTRIFY
We decided to review the album
Nutrify based entirely on the
name of the group that recorded
it, the No Shit Shirleys. The awe-
some name is the only exciting
thing these girls have going for
them.
The Shirleys lack any unify-
ing sound, meandering from
folk to world music from a spat-
tering of continents. The third
track is a misguided attempt
at rapping, titled “Let Your
Belly Hang Free.” It’s an anti-
anorexia anthem that ends up
sounding like the rap stylings
of authority figures attempting
to make uncool things (like ab-
stinence) seem cool.
Just like your high school
choir, the Shirleys have the an-
noying habit of vocal vamping to
get themselves noticed over the
rest of the crowd. Although a few
of the ladies are talented sing-
ers, they get lost in the muddle
of the rest. Standard background
music is replaced with nonsense
words akin to the adults in Pea-
nuts cartoons.
A second-wave feminist group
in a third-wave world, the Shir-
leys are what we would expect
if the Guerilla Girls hadn’t been
politically savvy, or if the Va-
gina Monologues didn’t make us
chuckle. They are struggling to
justify their stalwart support of
issues that are no longer issues.
—Trevor Record
& Kate Barbaria
6 | culture the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca
EVE Dubai: Searching for
BEC RD
CO OMIN
M
REA
LEA E TO G A J
O
DE RN HO SUB URNA
MO reality in the desert
SIG 2 L F
N W TO 4 TOD IST?
AN A
D REPOR Y!
MO T,
RE!
McDonalds in Dubai, hometown taste. michelle silongan photo/the ubyssey
by Michelle Silongan
Culture Staff
More than most places in the
world, Dubai is what you make
of it. Whether you see it as an
oasis of decadence in a turbulent
region, a land of opportunity
sullied by exploitation, or a con-
fident case study of modernity,
Dubai has more angles than its
famous “seven-star” Burj Al Arab
Hotel.
Dubai is perhaps most famous
for its shopping, a world center
for high fashion and design.
However, inside the sprawling
Mall of the Emirates are also the
more common Western chains,
ready for ironic snapshots of
McDonalds or La Senza. Extra
points if you can get a shot of a
traditionally-dressed emirati or
citizen of the United Arab Emir-
ates walking past it. The mall’s
most famous tenant is Ski Dubai,
with five ski runs covering three
football fields worth of actual
snow. The technology and inno-
vation that has gone into its cre-
ation is incredible, but in Dubai,
it’s just another thing to do.
Wafi is a chic, modestly-sized
mall that just happened to have
a glass pyramid and a look-alike
Luxor Temple. Looming beside
one entrance to Wafi are over-
sized Egyptian statues and a
marble obelisk, managing to be
both real and fake. Authenticity,
like much of what you see here,
is just a matter of perspective.
The desire to push the bound-
aries in every way makes glass
and sea, sand and concrete bend
before the will of architects and
engineers. Two of the most fa-
mous examples of this are the
Palm Jumeirah and the World
Archipelago, where towers and
mansions rest on man-made is-
lands shaped like a palm tree or
even the continents. Scaffolding
and construction crews crowd
the periphery, a testament to the
changing face of Dubai itself.
Another shopping mall beck-
oned later in the evening, gleam-
ing and impressive, but my
attention was instead focused
on a concrete truck making its
way through the traffic. It’s an
imposing contrast to the luxury
cars, and a reminder of another
version of life here: the foreign
labourers and workers behind
the scenes, working for homes
far away as they construct and
serve within others.
In Carrefour, a hypermarket
where frugality wins over ex-
travagance, shopping carts navi-
february 24, 2009
gate for space around discount
displays and workers off for the
night. Dubai is at first glimpse an
image of multicultural harmony
where the world comes together,
but the lines of nationality still
draw clear hierarchies. Your eth-
nicity can determine how others
act around you, provoking reac-
tions ranging from dismissal to
hospitality. Everyone has their
place, a clearly defined role that
is not breached.
So, what was Dubai like be-
fore the foreigners and the oil
wealth? The Dubai Museum
offers a glimpse into that past,
showing just how far the emir-
ate has gone in a few short
decades. As you take the short
walk toward the traditional
souk, or marketplace, history
seems to come to life in the
storefronts selling the same
sort of goods you would find
centuries ago. After a short and
picturesque ride on a water
taxi, you can find the gold souk
to tempt away your dirhams,
the currency of the United Arab
Emirates. In every window lies
hundreds of ways to spend your
tuition money, but fight for a
lower price and you could shave
the price of a few textbooks off
those gold earrings.
“Dune bashing” is described
as a must in Dubai, so after a 40
minute shuttle trip, I was cas-
cading through sand dunes in a
white Toyota. My driver grinned
as our car swerved wildly, our
tracks tracing down hilltop
slopes. A brief stop to watch the
setting sun, and then we were
back to carving erratic lines into
the desert.
Out of the car, a night breeze
swept over me. I dug my feet
deeper into the sand, feeling the
landscape shift against my skin.
Above the blaring Arabic dance
music the stars shone in perfect
contrast. This was real. Slowly,
the sand became asphalt and the
stars became glittering skyscrap-
ers on the horizon—every angle
converging into one.
Dubai is, in many ways, like a
dream. You lose a certain sense
of scale, overshadowed by the
grandiose, searching for real-
ity where magnificence becomes
common place. Here, you can
buy into the image of a better
you, and whatever you choose
to project around you becomes
realized. Regardless of whether
you recognize them as substance
or illusion, Dubai will leave its
impression and change your
point of view. U
february 24, 2009
Delicious Korean and Japanese delicacies. goh
Eat until you puke
Shabusen breaks all-you-can-
eat stereotypes, but service lacks
by Jordan Baimel
Culture Writer
All you can eat: four words
that every man dreams of. Yet
it conjures up connotations
of tasteless food, cheap hotel
breakfasts, and cruise ships.
Shabusen Yakiniku House, lo-
cated along Granville Street,
provides an exception to such
drudgery.
The atmosphere of the res-
taurant is welcoming and cozy.
Walls are covered in dark co-
lours, with the restaurant space
separated into a sushi bar and
table seating. Large windows on
the perimeter provide a view
of South Granville Street while
dim lighting provides a close
dining experience.
The menu is a mixture of
Japanese dishes and Korean
BBQ prepared in the traditional
way of cooking it yourself—each
table is fitted with a minia-
ture grill. Besides the Korean
dishes, the all-you-can-eat menu
($21.99 per person) has a vari-
ety of Japanese options ranging
from sushi, to sashimi to go-
mae. There are limited options
for vegetarians, however, as
most dishes are either fish or
meat-based.
Start with the miso soup and
the pork gyoza: succulent fried
dumplings of pork and mixed
vegetables. They are served with
a ginger soy sauce that’s perfect
for dipping. The pork gyoza has
a crispy and flaky outer shell
and crunchy texture.
No visit to Shabusen should
be complete without trying the
Korean BBQ beef. The meat is
thinly sliced, served raw in a
bowl of marinade, and cooked
on your table’s miniature grill.
While a fairly simple dish, the
combination of flavours from
the marinade and grill make it
extremely appetizing. The beef
is best when combined with
steamed rice, creating a perfect
the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca culture | 7
Hey UBC students!
We have two special supplements coming up, and we need coordinators for both. Co-
ordinating an issue is a great way to see what Ubyssey editors have to deal with day
to day, and it will hopefully get you interested in the job. 
The supplements are:
1. The Women’s Supplement, which is devoted to women’s issues on campus and
around the world, and
2. The Colours Supplement, which deals with race and equity issues.
If you’re interested in working on either of these, whether it’s contributing or coordi-
nating, come to SUB 24 at 12:00 on Wednesday, or e-mail coordinating@ubyssey.ca
iromoto photo/the ubyssey
blend of texture and flavour.
Chicken, pork and lamb are
served in the same way.
There is a large selection of
fish, which can be wildly in-
consistent and range from very
chewy to tasteless. However,
the tuna sashimi is fairly good
and is best cooked by first dip-
ping it in a bowl of soy sauce,
and then putting it on the grill.
This creates a perfect sear and
crispy crust. The sushi menu is
fairly conventional with a vari-
ety of rolls, tempura and cones.
Stay away from the shrimp as it
takes a long time to cook and is
tasteless.
The main downfall of Shabu-
sen is the service, which is sub-
par at best. The servers are very
slow in removing the finished
plates and often forget dishes
that you have ordered. The
menu is entirely in Japanese,
and the servers seem annoyed
when they have to explain what
everything is. In addition, it is
impossible to track them down
on a busy night.
The restaurant gets very
crowded during the dinner
hour as it is popular with large
groups; reservations are neces-
sary. On a Saturday night, the
average wait for a table without
a reservation is over two hours.
On crowded nights service is
extremely slow.
Shabusen Yakiniku House de-
fies the common misconception
of an all-you-can-eat restaurant,
but it still has its flaws. The
restaurant is great for large
groups and dinner parties. Just
be aware of long wait times and
less than stellar service. How-
ever, for a restaurant with an
all-you-can-eat price of $21.99,
dining out at Shabusen is a fun
and filling experience. U
Shabusen Yakiniku House
(2993 Granville Street, 604-737-
6888) is open seven days a week
from 11:00am-2:30pm (lunch)
and 5:00pm-10:30pm (dinner).
OOpinion
Some simple advice on getting dates
Navigating the mine field of campus dating
My name is Ronald Lee and I’m
a lifestyle coach specializing in
dating and relationships. You
may have heard me on The Beat
94.5, seen me on CTV, or read
about me in The Georgia Straight.
What I do specifically is teach
men and women how to meet
members of the opposite sex
for fabulous dating and relation-
ships. I have a pretty good track
record—many of my students are
now in relationships and some
are even married.
When The Ubyssey agreed
to run an article on university
dating, they told me that a good
place to start would be with cam-
pus dating dynamics between
men and women.
I started to reminisce about
what it was like when I was in
university (the dating environ-
ment hasn’t changed much since
then) and I thought about the tri-
als and tribulations that taught
me the hard lessons I needed to
learn about women and relation-
ships. I’ve come a long way since
then.
When I was a student in uni-
versity, I was quite the clueless
kid when it came to dating. For-
get having the answers, I didn’t
even know what the questions
were.
Amazingly, there were women
who were interested in me
throughout school, but I was still
too dumb to have done anything
about it. Case in point, I vividly
remember a conversation from
my first year with a cute blonde
friend:
So, now that you read the news, why not BE
the news? Come down to SUB 24 now, or
e-mail us at: volunteers@ubyssey.ca for
more information on how to get involved.
If you’d like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca
Her: “So, do you know about
Tim’s party this weekend?”
Me: “Tim? Oh yeah, I heard
about it.”—I was lying, I
wasn’t popular enough to
even know Tim.
Her: “So, ah, do you want to
go to the party?”
Me: “I don’t know...are you
going?”
Her: “Yeah.”
Me: “Okay, see you there.”
I remember time standing
still and watching her heart
shatter in front of my eyes. At
the time I wondered to myself,
“What is the matter with her?”
What was the matter with me
is the better question—I didn’t
pick up the hint. She wanted to
go to the party with me and all I
dedicated to was a friendly wave
if I happened to see her. She
barely got out an “OK” before she
scurried away. I wasn’t familiar
with the concept of girls asking
me out; that’s how brick-headed
I was. Two weeks after the party,
she had a new boyfriend.
Today, things are a lot differ-
ent. I won’t tell you the whole
story of how I eventually became
skilled at predicting the future
with women, but it suffices to say
that a) getting there was a long
hard road and b) you can learn
from my mistakes.
You’re here for an education,
but not everything valuable
about university comes from
books. Now is the time when you
should be learning about rela-
tionships and expanding your
February 24, 2009 | Page 8
emotional intelligence. You are
in the largest social circle you’ll
ever be in, a circle filled with
people who are all in the same
boat as you. This is a great op-
portunity to learn about dating
earlier on. The sooner you figure
this part of your life out, the less
relationship grief you put your-
self through in the future.
As I considered what to write
over the weekend, I realized that
our topic was large and broad
enough to fill an entire issue of
The Ubyssey. So let’s start with
the basics:
THE TOP THREE WAYS
GUYS CAN BE THE
CAMPUS STUD.
1. Learn to be a leader.
2. Build your social circle.
3. Learn how to become
attractive.
THE TOP THREE WAYS
GIRLS CAN BE THE
CAMPUS PRINCESS.
1. Present your best self.
2. Be open to adventure/
give guys a break.
3. Learn to understand
men. U
goh iromoto graphic/the ubyssey
Ronald Lee is a dating coach based in Vancouver, B.C. who has seen and heard everything. You can see his
work at campussocialstatus.com.
This is a trial column for what could become a regular Ubyssey feature. If you have any feedback or would
like to put a question about love or dating forward for Ronald to address, please email features@ubyssey.ca.
www.ubyssey.ca www.ubyssey.ca www.ubyssey.ca www.ubyssey.ca www.ubyssey.ca www.ubyssey.ca
SSports
Men’s Basketball bring home Pacific Division title
Will host Canada West Final Four this week and hopes to clinch CIS Championships berth
by Shun Endo
Sports Editor
Two playoff series down, two to
go. After sweeping the SFU Clan
in the Pacific Division semifi-
nals two weekends ago, the UBC
men’s basketball team claimed
the division title, sweeping the
ninth-ranked Trinity Western
Spartans this past weekend in
two games. Though some wor-
ried that it might come down
to the last game of the best-of-
three playoff, the Birds showed
the fans at War Memorial Gym
that they are a determined
team, performing exceptionally
well in the closing minutes of
both games. As Pacific Division
champions, the Thunderbirds
will host the Canada West Final
Four this week, with the top two
teams guaranteed a ticket to the
CIS championships in Ottawa.
Game 1: UBC 83, TWU 80
It was a rare scene at the War
Memorial Gym on Friday eve-
ning. The stands were packed
with supporters from both
teams, the beer garden was fully
functioning, fans were on their
feet, and most of all, the two
teams played one of the most
exciting games of the year.
Though the nationally num-
ber two ranked Thunderbirds
got off to a fast start, starting
off with a 22–13 lead, it was
evident that the usual defense
style of the Birds was not func-
tioning. Though UBC forced the
Spartans to shoot from outside,
they responded by firing three-
pointers and staying aggressive
under the board, cutting UBC’s
lead to seven at the half.
In the third quarter, the Birds
“From guarding one of the
best players in the country
to rebounding and just
being a force in the post, I
thought [Kool] did just a
tremendous job.
—Coach Kevin Hanson
Come and visit us online at:
www.ubyssey.ca
appeared to pull away from
TWU, with star guard Chris Dyck
hitting two consecutive three-
pointers late in the period. This
momentum silenced the Trinity
fans, and with a commanding
11 point lead at the end of the
frame, it seemed as if UBC was
going to finish the Spartans off
easily.
It was not to be. Trinity came
storming back, keyed by three-
pointers from guard Brian Ban-
man, and gritty play by forward
Jamie Vaughan, who lead his
team with 23 rebounds and 11
points. A few sloppy turnovers
by UBC later, when the fans
looked up on the board, the
Spartans led 76-71, having gone
a 19-3 run to start the fourth
quarter.
However, in the final two min-
utes of the game, with the Birds
down by four, the comeback
began. After a layup by Dyck,
who led the team with 28 points,
centre Bryson Kool took one for
the team as he made a diving
steal and passed it to Dyck, who
was fouled. With Duck standing
at the free-throw line ready to tie
the game with forty seconds left,
the fifth-year senior made the
first shot, but missed the second.
Fortunately for the fans, UBC
guard Alex Murphy picked up the
rebound and returned it to Dyck.
As the clock winded down to just
30 seconds remaining, Dyck at-
tempted a fadeaway while double-
teamed, only to see it fall short.
But as the ball bounced off the
rim, swingman Kyle Watson, who
had been silent most of the game,
leaped into the air and made the
lead-changing layup. A despera-
tion three-point miss later, and
UBC pulled out the three-point
victory.
“I just thought it was a heck
of a basketball game,” said head
coach Kevin Hanson. “This
group is really about the entire
team. Different guys made big
plays and different points in the
game, and Chris [Dyck] is our
leader, and he made some great
plays down the stretch.”
Game 2: UBC 80, TWU 64
Editor: Shun Endo | E-mail: sports@ubyssey.ca February 24, 2009 | Page 9
After an intense game the
night before, it was evident
early on that both teams still
had plenty in the tank for Satur-
day night’s game, which Trinity
needed to win to prolong the
series.
The Birds led early in the
quarter, but the frame ended in
a bitter note after Brent Malish
allowed a turnover to allow the
Spartans to take a 16–15 lead
after one.
Trinity had a poor shooting
effort the entire game, con-
necting on only 28.8 per cent
of their shots. They adjusted
by focusing their plays to star
forwards Jamie Vaughan and
Jacob Doerksen, who combined
for 26 points and 17 rebounds
and managed to keep close to
UBC for most of the game. With
UBC up 50–46 going into the fi-
nal quarter, it appeared that the
stage was set for another epic
finish in front of the 1,474 fans
at War Memorial Gym.
But it was not to be, as UBC
dominated the last quarter,
outscoring Trinity 19–4 in
the final quarter, as the Spar-
tans seemed unable to match
the defensive intensity and
shooting abilities of the Thun-
derbirds. Leading the charge
for the Thunderbirds were
fifth-year seniors Chris Dyck
(16 points) and Bryson Kool
(14 points), with Kool leading
the team with eight rebounds,
three blocks, and creating
difficulties for TWU post play-
ers Jamie Vaughan and Jacob
Doerksen all night.
“Bryson was just a beast and
he did a lot of things for us,”
commented Hanson. “From
guarding one of the best players
in the country to rebounding
and just being a force in the
post, I thought he did just a tre-
mendous job. Full kudos to him
coming through for us when we
needed it.”
All was not lost for the Spar-
tans though, as they received
the wild card spot into the Can-
ada West Final Four, to be held
this weekend at UBC. U Chris Dyck scores against TWU defense. keegan bursaw photo/the ubyssey
We’re also on
twitter at:
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EEditorial
Who wants to be recessionaire?
It’s easy to see the Oscars as a disappointment this year—the
winners were pretty safe choices and most wouldn’t have been
If you’d like to submit a letter, please contact feedback@ubyssey.ca

No it didn’t
don’t lie
Start

Did the election

work out?
February 24, 2009 | Page 10

Election Flow Chart

nominated at all if this were last year. Looking at it another way, No

Yes
they were a good example. These were recession Oscars, and the hahahahahahhah Wait for the
winners handled it better than any of the banks. hahahahahahah appeals committee
The three big winners—The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, to sort things out
Milk and Slumdog Millionaire—were all made by respectable direc-
tors. Benjamin Button had David Fincher, director of Seven, Fight
Club and Zodiac. Slumdog’s director is Danny Boyle, who also di- I think Wait
rected Trainspotting, Millions and, last year, a neat sci-fi pic called maybe Done?
Sunshine. Neither have perfect instincts (Danny Boyle chose not Was everyone fine they are
to run screaming from 28 Weeks Later, for example), but they’re with the decision Are they done?
done
both competent and sometimes honestly interesting.
Milk was directed by Gus Van Sant, who is an honest to good- Yes Wait
ness amateur. He won the Palme d’Or for Elephant and earlier
this year put out a mostly ignored but very good Paranoid Park. no No way
So if for no other reason, it’s worth being happy about the Os- Finally done?
cars because they’re supporting some of the good guys who may
actually surprise us next year. Yes
As important though, we should applaud their financial plan- ok yes Student court
ning. In fact, we should give them all mortgages. Gus Van Sant rules
sold out a little by making a straight, by-the-numbers biopic, with okay agree with
Well looks like
all the inherent flaws in the genre but all the political appeal that court
help the Academy forget them. Fincher packed his movie with it’s another
A-listers and an ass load of money to get that maudlin tone just clusterfuck
Don’t lie now Student council lougheed it up
right. And Danny Boyle, well Boyle couldn’t find a distributor for
his movie until it did well in the festivals. Let’s actually not give will
him a mortgage. decide to do
Regardless, all three stand to make a fortune on the backs of a re-election
their wins (Slumdog added eight million dollars to its gross last
week alone, which is all right considering it only cost $15 million by Kellan Higgins and Justin McElroy
to make). We should all take a lesson from them and do some-

Letters
thing safe and money-making in 2009—let’s get knocked up by
celebrities or collect cans. Or let’s just take our lesson from Boyle
and buy lottery tickets. U

Build us a proper path, UBC CONSIDER YOUR DEBATING

METHODS of the debate, and it makes me
sad to see genuinely intellectual
stop. I would love to see healthy
debate on this topic, because it
So we all love the glittering new buildings that UBC seems to As many of you have known, people resorting to petty name is obviously important. But the
throw up every time they have the money, the new Irving K Bar- the recent conflict in Gaza has calling to get their point across. way both sides are arguing is just
ber Learning Centre being just one example. While these fancy greatly intensified the tension People on both sides of this argu- going to continue to add to the
and formidable architectural wonders might bring our glorious between the Jewish and Arab ment are doing it. These types of already high tensions on cam-
university up to being “world class;” UBC has decided that we community on campus. This can insults will only increase the ten- pus. UBC is a highly regarded
shouldn’t have one of the basic amenities afforded to the rest of be seen from the altercation at sions on campus, and can lead community of intellectuals; let’s
the world’s universities: walkways. the Elmer lecture and from the to further violence. No amount make sure our arguments reflect
Why are we denied proper pathways? Between the bus loop and recent incident between Jewish of name calling will change the that.
the SUB, for example, we have a path and then something that and Arab students outside of a views of the people on the oppo- —Mike Shipley
looks like a path but is actually a road. So, periodically, lost or residence. I understand that this site side of the debate, but claims Arts 2
lonely cars and postal trucks will meander through the students topic is one of the most heated backed by factual evidence have
in an annoying and potentially dangerous dance-off. Students and controversial topics in the a great chance of doing just that.
looking to avoid the dance of doom can look right: a 20 foot wide world today and both sides have I urge people who feel the need If you wish to to submit a letter
mud pit. Enjoy. a lot at stake. I also understand to argue this, through whatever it must be no longer than 350
Another example of UBC dropping the ball on the walkability that healthy debate on the topic media, to back all of their facts words. Your identity will be con-
of campus is the gravel pit on the north side of the new library. is necessary and constructive, up with credible sources. Name firmed by phone or by ID from
Back before they tore down Main Library (due to some mundane especially for the young and bud- calling not only increases hatred the office. People may email us at
scientific reason like “may collapse in any type of earthquake”) the ding minds at UBC. The problem on campus, but it makes your feedback@ubyssey.ca
front area of the library was well maintained and looked pretty though, is that the debate is not argument look poor and makes
nice. Now they have planted some grass in the area, but it is still healthy, and is certainly not con- you seem ignorant.
an ugly twist of gravel and poorly maintained paths. structive. I have read through all I know this seems obvious to a
These are only a few examples of the blatant disregard for walk- of the postings at The Ubyssey lot of people, but a lot of the argu-
ers on campus. I am sure that as you have walked around campus website as well as talking to a ing is being done poorly. Tension
today going to your various classes, you’ve been pushed off a number of people on both sides is increasing, and it needs to
sidewalk to avoid a gaggle of people or hiked across a grass plain

Streeters
to cut a three-minute detour out of your commute.
Now we all know UBC isn’t quite as outrageously rich as before.
This economic downturn has dropped the endowment from one
billion dollars to a paltry $800 million. So we propose that to cut
wasteful spending on making paths from scratch, we temporarily Annamay Pierse just broke a Canadian record for swimming.
stop with pathmaking entirely. Build buildings—sans walkways— What’s one of your swimming experiences?
and let the students decide where to walk. Then once all the grass
has been torn up and the ground is compacted, UBC can easily lay
a path down for all to enjoy.
Besides, the people who buy white sneakers will know what
they’re getting into. And brown shoes match the new condos on
Wesbrook. U

Toope on...
The controversy over the UBC Farm

This all started because ten Colin Chau

Arts 2
Lisa Jensen
Music 3
Kalina Hadziev
Commerce 3
Sarah Shove
Arts 4
Kathrine Martin
Arts 3
years ago in the OCP, “I was at a “I used to go “I got so “I swam across “My mom was
the Farm was des- resort in Puerto
Vallarta and they
skinny dipping freaked out a lake in a really good
in the river in when I was Ontario...Lake swimmer but I
ignated as a future had this kind of January...it felt probably about Simcoe.” never was...so
lagoon part of she put me in all
housing reserve. So the their swimming really invigorat- five on my
the lessons...ev-
pool, and it’s like ing. You get third lesson...
premise had been at an underwater really cold, but that I got out
eryone else could
swim across the
that time that it would cave. And I got
myself stuck
then you go out and cried. And pool, but...I had
and you’re like, I never went to just jump
be a developed plan.” in there, and I ‘wow I survived back to swim from one chair
couldn’t get my- that.’” lessons.”
self out for like to another in the
—Stephen Toope, two minutes.” shallow end.”
UBC President
—Coordinated by Tara Martellaro and Goh Iromoto, with photos by Kate Barbaria
february 24, 2009 the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca games & comics | 11

Crossword
BARNABY BY BRAD LOCKE
by Kyrstin Bain
8 6
4 9 2
8 9
6 2 4
3 9 7 4
8 7 5
5 9
3 8 2
7 9

HARD #51 #4

SUSCOMIC.COM BY MICHAEL BROUND

ACROSS 10. Health food wheat

1. Weaving machine 11. A very short dress
5. East Indian vine formerly used to 12. __ __ no good
make an intoxicating drink 13. Check quality
10. Pornography in general 18. Portuguese city noted for port
14. The capital of Samoa wine
15. Promo-guy 19. Sew up
16. Tobacco tool 23. Chop finely
17. Moses’ list 25. Indigenous person of northern
20. Large type of deer Europe
21. Oils or watercolours 26. Opposite of a spender
22. T.S., of The Hollow Men 27. In awe
23. A stake used as a target in the 28. Something held to be true
game of quoits 29. The rear part of a ship
24. “Is it or __ it?” 30. Swiss currency
I-DON’T-CARE COMIC BY MARIA CIRSTEA 26. Alexander Pope’s medium 31. Armstrong of the Tour de France
29. Carangidae fish 32. Beneath
30. Common virus 34. Currently unoccupied
33. James Bond’s job title 35. Sport shoe
34. The simplest particle of matter 37. Carbamide
35. Sauce at Thanks. dinner 38. Shoddy merchandise, dreck
36. Large Canadian island 43. Certain type of horse
39. Dueler’s tool 44. Flexible
40. Not well done 45. Ichabod of The Legend of Sleepy
41. From this point on Hollow
42. To soak 46. Infuse, as with tea
43. Control a horse 47. Notice of death
44. Mineral deposit 48. Persian fairy
45. A snowman’s eyes 49. Certain Dutch cheese
46. Casino machine 51. Sew on lace
47. Don Giovanni or The Magic Flute 52. Certain yellow car
50. Top floor 53. The largest continent
52. A native of Thailand 54. “__ never work!”
55. Weekend getaway place 56. East Indian tree yielding a yellow
58. The former Persia dye
59. 1979 science fiction film with 57. Craze
Sigourney Weaver
60. The angle where a leaf joins a stem
61. Use a stopwatch LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
62. Well kept, tidy
63. Clock face

DOWN
1. Tardy
2. German subsidiary of General Mo-
tors
3. Certain barnyard noise
4. Trendy computer brand
5. Wrist bone resting on the fourth
and fifth metacarpal bones
6. Let in
7. Sultanate bordering the UAE and
Yemen
8. A mythical monster having the head
of man, the body of a lion and the tail
of a scorpion
9. A common conjunction

Go to www.ubyssey.ca for
the best campus news.
12 | sports the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca
Two arts kids find
their school spirit
Over the weekend, the Birds took
on Trinity Western, drawing some
very unlikely (but satisfied) fans
by Kate Barbaria
& Paul bucci
Sports Writers
It was a dark and stormy night.
The world was in chaos. Koern-
ers was closed. The Pit was
closed. Mahoney’s was too
damn expensive. What was
there to do for two poor Arts stu-
dents with dry throats?
Sports, it turns out.
Last weekend were the cham-
pionship games of the Pacific
Birds’ fan gets passionate during the game at the women’s playoff at SFU. andy fang photo/the peak Division Finals. Cleverly, they
hid a beer garden on the far side
of War Memorial Gym. It called
to us like sirens to sailors.
The admission price was a
steep two dollars. Hot dogs were
a horrific $3.75. And beer was
four bucks. But it was wet, and
we were dry.
We kept our exteriors calm
and reserved in an effort to
ward off the effects of group-
think. Red plastic cups in hand,
we sipped our chilled beverages
cautiously among the fraternal
rabble out to cheer on their
gladiators. Even the cheerlead-
ers failed to inspire us. Every
play deserved a caustic remark.
We’re not sure if the game
suddenly became interesting,
or we grew as people, but two
Children give their support to the Thunderbirds. aaron tam photo/the ubyssey beers later, we were being
february 24, 2009
mocked by the table staff for our
school spirit. Against all odds,
we became Thunderbirds.
In the third period, the game
was tied. We didn’t sit down for
the fourth period.
At the game, it was decided
the best entertainment for a Fri-
day night was not Film Noir and
cigarettes in a crowded base-
ment, but a sweaty, testoster-
one-filled gym with a neurotic
mascot, brightly painted fans,
and the heroes of the hour, the
UBC Thunderbirds.
Next, we decided to cover the
game. You know, like real sports
writers. Turns out, we still don’t
know anything about the game.
And without the beer, it was a
hell of a lot less exciting. But the
boys still delivered a crushing
defeat to Trinity, and watching
their fans crumble underneath
the weight of “Na na, hey hey,
Goodbye” was nearly orgasmic.
Plus we got to talk to the play-
ers afterward. Them’s good
folks. They know their game,
they love playing it, and they do
it for the fans.
So next weekend, let’s sup-
port them as they take on the
Motherfuckers from Whereever
in the thing that they’re gonna
do it in. We’ll be doing it from
the beer garden. U