• bedridden since 1918

rTHE UBYSSEY MAGAZINE Friday, November 19, 1999 volume 81 issue 18

HOMEGROWIGH TECForget the brain drain—a local

high-tech company has BC lookingeverywhere from the Amazon to the stars

by Eric Jandciu

On the wall at MacDonald Dettwilerand Associates (MDA) headquartershangs a photo taken when the com-

pany was founded in 1969 . It shows 30happy employees, a long time ago . Today,the company is nearly 1500 peoplestrong—and it's still growing . So far, thisseems like nothing unusual . The intriguingpart is that this is one of Canada's leadinghigh-technology company headquarters andit's in a suburb of—gasp!—Vancouver.

It seems that the high-tech industry isfinally making it's mark on the economy ofBritish Columbia . It has surpassed the once-dominant natural resource-based indus-tries, and now has the highest growth ratein the Province . What does this mean forstudents? It means jobs . Good jobs . Notsouth of the border, and not in traditionallyindustrial Ontario.

On the UBC campus, at the various co-opoffices, the high-tech industry's growth isclearly evident . "Every year we get ten to 15new startups for students," says KellyMeechan, who worked as the director of co-op for Applied Science at UBC before goingto work in the industry. She said 850 stu-dents had co-op placements in applied sci-ence last year, significantly higher than the400 students placed in 1995-96.

Meechan emphasises that the industryis growing rapidly and holds huge potentialfor the future . "Is it as big as Ottawa orSilicon Valley? No . Could it be? Probably ."Many factors are making this growth possi-ble, according to Meechan, such as theproximity of three universities, large existingcompanies, a fairly large commerce centreand the fact that generally, people like

Vancouver.One of the largest, most cutting-edge

companies is MacDonald Dettwiler, which,according to Michael Harding, their directorof public affairs, "strives to help peoplemanage their activities on the planet." Whatthis translates to is a large-scale amalga-mation of aerospace, satellite, and informa-tion technology . In other words, it's compli-

cated .

tion to his card ("Creative guy?") byinforming me that employees of MDAare allowed—within reason—to

choose the title for their own busi-ness cards . Cute . His current officialtitle is Corporate CommunicationsOfficer, but he started out at MDA 13years ago in the art department,where he worked at "making the com-pany look good ."

While he was learning newaspects of the company, Mogensenrecalls, John MacDonald himself—one of the company's founders—stayed late into the evening training

him in various projects until every-thing was crystal clear. Continuing

education throughout a career isstandard procedure at MDA, and pro-vides internal training at what theyjokingly call "MDA U ."

"MDA holds frequent coursestaught by its senior engineers, "explains Albert Shen, a UBC studentwho completed a co-op term with

MacDonald Dettweiler.As well, a "Techwatch" program

allows MDA employees to stay up to

date on new technology by invitingother high-tech companies to presenttheir products . -

Mogensen explains thatMacDonald and Vern Dettwiler, bothfaculty at UBC once, had noticed thatgraduating students were either mov-ing to eastern Canada or to the US foremployment . They founded MDA togive people the opportunity to worklocally in their field of training.

en MDA was incorporated

at

the

beginning

ofVancouver's evolution to

high-tech, the only other option forthis type of job was with BC Tel . Thelast five years have seen the biggestshift, with hundreds of possibilitiesfor high-tech employment now in exis-

tence in BC.MDA started out in the burgeoning

field of "remote sensing," whichinvolves the use of satellites andother sensors to acquire informationabout activity on the planet—weather

satellite imaging, for example.However, while still heavily

involved in remote sensing, the com-pany's scope has bloomed signifi-cantly over the past 30 years . "At any

one point in time we have about 70projects happening at MDA," explainscompany recruiter Jeannette Bowers.

Projects range from gatheringinformation on where potential oildeposits may be seeping from theocean floor all the way to space trav-el . Right now, MDA is playing a criticalrole in the construction of theInternational Space Station (ISS).

Unlike the ISS, MDA headquartersare located in a typical-looking indus-trial park in suburban Richmond,where all of the buildings look like thesame concrete boxes with windows.The complex itself is laid out a little

like the game of Battleship—Mogensen explains that letters and

numbers designate which wing andwhich hallway employees work in,supposedly making it easy to find

people . Supposedly . ..Fortunately, I am not left to figure

this out on my own—it would have

continued on page 5

'thin one minute of my arrival atMDA, the receptionist has createda personal name tag for me.

Beneath my name are the words : "EscortRequired ." After a brief wait on the comfort-able couches surrounding the bright andspacious (albeit sterile) lobby, my "escort,"Eric Mogensen—whose business card listshis job as "Creative Guy"—arrives frombehind an electronically secured door.

Mogensen responds to my quizzical reac-

rember 19, 1999 • page friday—the ubyssey magazine

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ete rswe asked you:

There is a GVRD elec-t ion on SaturdayNovember 20—a studentis running . Are yougoing to vote? Y by or

not?

Going to vote for. . .I guess basically,the Tenancy Act. I know this oneguy, he was saying he should basi-cally get us covered, like we're notcovered under the regular provincialTenancy Act .

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A UBC student andtwo other candi-dates contest aGVRD election onSaturday for direc-tor of Electoral AreaA. If you live oncampus, you canvote. Here's whyou should

—Chris HoflanScience 4

Actually I heard about this . . . uhno, I dunno I don't have a

particular reason

—Ben GoodyearEngineering 3/4

I'll be studying for exams. I don'tknow about the election and I preferto vote in things that I 'm wellinformed about . I don't want to picka random name just for the fun of it,I don't know anybody's platform—1guess it's not well presented, welive in Gage . . .lt's a bubble.

—Dana HookerScience 4 (left)

Elizabeth KenwardScience 4 (right)

Probably not. I don't think therewas enough information given

because they just gave it out today.

—Davy ChangScience 3

Housing says thatyou should "cleanyour bathroom"As I awake one morning, thenewest residence assessmentform that has been slipped underthe door "pleasantly" surprisesme . It says that, because my room-mates and I haven't cleaned thequad bathroom, we're about to becharged $30 . While glancing fur-ther along the form, I can't help butthink how glad I am that my mothernever had access to one of theseforms when I lived at home.Ludicrous is about the only word Ican think of to express the sheeridiocy behind such a waste of bothmanpower and paper . Yet UBCHousing believes it is in my bestinterest to be kept updated on myprogress here in residence . Well, Isay no more! Pick up those plac-ards and fight, people!

No really, in truth, it is fairlyannoying to have to worry aboutwhat UBC Housing thinks of my liv-

ing habits, as well as having to bat-tle my latest lab report . The way Isee it, we as students here shouldhave the same rights as any otherrenters in the Lower Mainland . Wepay rent ; therefore, we should besubject to the same benefits andconsequences as those under theRTA . I certainly know that I'd prefermore than a 5-day eviction notice ifI were about to be kicked out . Andthings like drinking games being anoffense under the Housing act,thank you mom, but I'd prefer toborrow principles from PierreTrudeau, and say that the universi-ty should have no business in therooms of the rent-paying student,unless requested of course.

So what scares UBC Housingfrom accepting the ResidentialTenancy Act? I don't know, butmaybe I should write them amemo, and charge them 30 bucksfor breaking and entering.

Michael BerdanScience 3

Advisor defendsHousing standardsRE: "AMS joins fight for resrights" and "She's leaving home,after living alone" (The UbysseyNov. 16)

As a residence advisor and anemployee of UBC Housing, I wouldlike to comment on the issue ofrights of students living in UBCResidences . First, I would like topoint out that our current pointssystem is far from arbitrary. Thesystem has been developed (andyes, changed) over the years as aresult of trial and experience, andis designed to provide a safe andsecure living and learning environ-ment where residents can achievepersonal growth and academic suc-cess, as outlined by our missionstatement . Each standard is, thus,in place for specific reasons ; forinstance, the standard prohibiting

continued on page 11

ember 19, 1999 • page friday—the ubyssey magazine

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PEER GYNTat the BC Tel Studio Theatre

until Nov. 27

Any way you go about it,poem, Peer Gynt, to the st ;:

under the direction of Joat UBC rose to the chain the English and the.piece—and the rest ofing something quite out.

Even for the uninitialation is easily cohespersed with jokes

pop culture. Asintimate ve

Durbach'ty to i ngedirectly tocerns sconclusi•play (alt

._$

terated

a man who dreams selfishly. Andwhen lies and dreaming aren't good enough for him,

the play tells us, he acts them out, without regard to those around him . A voice tells him to "take the road of leastresistance . Round about and deviate . Detour and procrastinate, always circumambulate ."

Gynt shuns responsibility for anything he has done, and eventually his situation reaches a sort of crisis point,when he is seduced into the company of trolls . The costumes of these trolls are the most impressive of theproduction and they're rendered even more effective by the animal movements, snorts and grunts of the players.As for Gynt, his personality is frustrating.

Gynt leaps from one pleasure to another, unwilling to pay any emotional retribution costs or compensation . Helives for himself, in the hopelessly romantic moments that he dreams into reality.

At one point his desired bride interrupts his daydreams about her, and he tells her to stand away . "Don't touchme," he says . "Just let me look ." Pathetic idle creature that he is, Gynt somehow endears himself to us . His ener-gy is the force of attraction.

If there is one understated element of this dramatic extravaganza, it is not the music . The percussionist or thekeyboardist were out of sight, but Steven Knezevich and his soulful accordion emerged onto the mezzanine fordazzling moments . The understatement emerged in the sparse set design . Simple, yet effective, and above all,easily adaptable to the hectic pace of Gynt's life, Ella Constantinescu's set is very effective.

All the elements of this production hold together to provide a good night out. Go and find out about your "self"at the BC Tel Theatre . And when you leave, ask yourself about choices and selfishness and motivation . Ask your-self the questions Peer Gynt never asked. Or else there's always the Button Moulder to melt you down . +

BELLING THby Mordecai RI[Vintage Canad

There is somethinthe pompous and finAnd there is satisRichler's new booklection of magazine artdiverse publications' asReview of Books and Playboy. The book is viciouslyfunny and a good reminder that people needn't betaken too seriously.

The collection is divided into four parts : literature,vacations, sports and politics . Richler has managed towrite about an impressive variety of subjects rangingfrom the decidedly unrefined to the highly intellectual.For instance, in the section on sports, Richler compos-es some classic odes to the careers of Wayne Gretzkyand Gordie Howe and then turns his pen to a biographyof Garry Kasparov, .the reigning world chess champion.

The strongest dart . of the collection is a series ofarticles on Canadian politics . The first of these is a

klir+y, kittytongue-in-cheek description of the 1989 NDP leadershipconvention . Richler is unable to resist lambasting thepretensions of a party that is unlikely to ever win a fed-eral election, but tempers his cynicism by admitting thatthe NDP is "a party, with some claim to nobility, thathas served long and thanklessly as our nation's con-science ."

Another of the articles is on the 1995 Quebec refer-endum, which balances a scathing denouncement ofthe Parti Quebecois with a compelling description ofQuebec's positive place in Canada . It is a welcomereminder that there is a better argument against sepa-ration than threatening Quebec with their share of thedebt . This article, as well as everything else in Bellingthe Cat, has the unique perspective of Richler's experi-ences ; as an Anglophone, a Jew and a Montrealer.

Belling the Cat is proof positive that a person canwrite a deeply entertaining book, even if they do workfor the National Post. Richler's writing is refreshinglyundiluted by any concern over political correctness orlibelous consequences ; he even complains that he hasonly once been sued . Such honesty ensures that theonly people not grinning at the end of this book will bethose who were foolish enough to be on the wrong sideof Mordecai Richler's literary sniper scope.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

GREEN COLLEGE

DISTINGUISHED GREENVISITING PROFESSOR

MIEKE BAL, Chair, Theory of LiteratureAmsterdam School for Cultural StudiesUniversity of Amsterdam

On Framing (Objects) Museum of Anthropology2:30 pm Tuesday, November 23 - Theatre Gallery

On Metaphor (in and out of Language)12:30 pm Wednesday, November 24 - Buchanan A100

On Meaning-Making (in Time) at Green College12:30 pm Thursday, November 25 in the Coach House

Pet formating Art: Images as Cultural Interventions8:15 pm Sat. Nov 27 - Vancouver InstituteHall 2, Woodward Instructional Resources Centre

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Bistro Pubat the D:x, id Lam Research Centre

ely satisfying about seeingid being put in their place.

in spades in Mordecaithe Cat. The book is a col-

s written by Richler for suchMaclean's, the New York

by Thomas Lindner

and Eric Schneidereached his day ofself from beingMoulder (played bysouth or north ofof Purgatory?), P-phases of his life,to prove his worthall to little avail.

You see, Gynt i .

adapting Henrik Ibsen's dramatice is an ambitious project . Still,

Wright, the theatre departmentlenge . Errol Durbach—a professortre departments who adapted thehe crew have succeeded in creat-tanding.ed Ibsen reader, Durbach's trans-

ent, and even quite funny, inter-about contemporary politics andwell, the BC Tel Theatre is a veryue, and Wright's direction andverse put the audience's proximi-ious use . The characters speakthe audience, addressing con-

ch as the play's length and itsns . It's a helpful tactic, since theough cut from the original unadul-

even hours) is a little long, andsome scenes should have beenleft behind.

The play tells the tale of theerrant Peer Gynt, played inspiring-y by Craig Lapthorne (the younger)(the older) . Gynt is a soul who hasreckoning. As he tries to save him-melted down by the Buttonurbach), who resides somewhereeaven and Hell (but east or wester Gynt reviews all the differentn search of his true self. He wants

an individual, but his efforts are

page friday—the ubyssey magazine•friday, novemb

I CAN SEE MY HOUSE WITH THIS THING : Satellite imaging that uses new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) tech-nology is used for everything from guiding ships through ice pack to assessing soil conditions. Notice how brightly theships and the bridge show up in the image . Read the article and find out why.

continued from page 1

been an infraction of the "escort required"rule . Mogensen takes me through the MDAgrid to meet an energetic Richard Minns, asystems engineer for MDA's space station pro-ject who graduated from UBC as an electricalengineer. .!'MDA went from being a subcon-tractor just developing the software to controlthe arm to now becoming the prime contractorin the program," he says, matter-of-factly.

MDA has been involved in space pro-grams for some time now . Theydesigned the control software for the

Canadarm—the space-shuttle's robotic armcomponent—for NASA during the 1980s . Thearm was developed and constructed by SparAerospace, whose space robotics divisionMDA recently acquired . MDA is now respon-sible for providing the Space Station RemoteManipulator System (SSRMS), a new andimproved cousin of the Canadarm.

The original Canadarm was based on thehuman arm: two joints at the shoulder, one atthe elbow, and three at the wrist . The newspace station arm has an added joint at the,shoulder, making it symmetrical and muchmore versatile . It is used to move objectsaround the space station, help in repairs andunload cargo from docking spacecraft.

Now, even if one movement mechanismfails, the added degree of freedom createdby the extra joint should allow for the arm tocontinue working . The space station will havea lifetime of ten to 15 years, so the arm mustbe serviceable in space and be able to oper-ate with some systems down.

Another key difference between the oldCanadarm and the SSRMS is how it isanchored . The Canadarm can only work fromone point, because it is anchored at theshoulder. This is not a problem for shuttlemissions, because the cargo bay is a finiteopen space with everything in easy reach.

The ISS, on the other hand, will be thesize of a football field when complete, mean-ing that the arm must be able to carry outtasks on a much larger space . Instead ofbeing fixed at one location, it will travelaround the exterior of the space station . Buthow?

Simple—by using "latching endofectors ."These are hollow cylinders at each end of thearm, which can grasp onto metal posts thatprotrude from the surface of all the compo-nents of the space station . After one end ofthe arm grasps onto a post, the other end willthen move towards a second post, grab onand release the first, which can subsequent-ly move onto another post . The arm will thusmove around the space station like a giantinchworm, working wherever it is required.

In the early stages of construction, the"inchworm" movement will be sufficientbecause the station will be small . When fullyassembled, however, this mode of trans-portation will become too time-consuming . Toalleviate this problem, the arm will be able toattach itself to a small mobile base system,where a "railcar" will travel the length of thestation taking the arm, and anything the armis carrying, with it.

The SSRMS has already been built andthe control software is written . The arm isbeing sent up early in the mission schedule,since it will be heavily involved in construct-ing the space station.

Currently, the arm is undergoing testing inFlorida and is scheduled to be launchedaboard the space shuttle in the summer of2000. The mobile base system is alsoalready built, and is currently being tested inBrampton, Ontario, where the arm was actu-

ally constructed. The mobile base will belaunched into space about six months afterthe arm goes up . The software, meanwhile,is being written in Richmond.

of only is MDA orbiting the earth in theform of space station components, butN it also has radar satellites collecting

data about activities on the surface of theplanet . Satellite images are obtained usingboth optical sensors and a technique calledSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).

Ian McLeod, an MDA lead engineer, and

Gordon Staples, a very talkative andlively senior applications consultant,both illustrate to me the usefulness ofSAR.

SAR is called an "active sensor,"they explain, meaning that the energyit uses to "see" is self-generated . Anorbiting SAR satellite is able 'to trans-mit a beam of energy onto the surfaceof the Earth and detect how much ofthis energy is returned back to thesatellite after bouncing off the planet.Scanning can be done day or night,since no light from the sun is required.

MDA uses intense computing powerto make the data collected by thesatellite meaningful and easily under-stood . This usually takes place atground stations—where the data isdownloaded—which are located wherethe information is needed . As theworld's leading ground station suppli-er, MDA has provided systems to over85 per cent of all non-military remotesensing agencies.

Staples explains that a satellite isable to image at a rate of seven kilo-metres per second . That means thatthe entire length of Vancouver Islandcould be scanned in 30 to 40 sec-onds . The width of the scan is an indi-

rect trade-off with resolution . To scanonly 50 kilometres wide, the resolutionis eight metres, meaning you could seesomething the size of a small boat, while a500 kilometre-wide image has much poorerresolution—100 metres, and only very large

structures or land forms are discernible.McLeod draws an analogy of the beam of

energy to using a flashlight in a dark room.You can only see what the flashlight is illumi-nating, just as you can only see the energythat is returned to the satellite . If something

appears dark in SAR, it doesn't mean thatthe colour is dark—instead, it means that noenergy was returned.

Darkness may be observed in the case ofa calm lake, for example . The beam of ener-gy hits the surface of the lake and is reflect-

ed out into space, missing the satellite com-pletely.

Conversely, if the beam hits the side of amountain inclined towards the satellite, thebeam gets reflected straight back, and willappear very bright.Human-made objectssuch as buildings, shipsand planes, which oftenhave many sharp edgesand are typically madeof metal, also returnvery bright signals.

One example of thewide-ranging utility ofSAR is the ability togather valuable soilquality measure-ments—soils of differ-ent moisture contentreflect differentamounts of energy.Also, ice of differentthicknesses reflects theenergy

differently,meaning that icebreakers can be sent wher-ever the ice is thinnest.

McLeod obtained his Master's degreefrom UBC in electrical engineering.His thesis was a joint MDA project,

affiliated with UBC through the RemoteSensing Laboratory. McLeod now works onthe System for the Vigilance of the Amazon(SIVAM) project . SIVAM is an environmentalmonitoring and surveillance system that willaid the Brazilian government in controllingthe Amazon's natural resources, as well asaiding the move towards sustainable devel-opment in the embattled ecosystem.

This is no small task considering that theBrazilian Amazon is seven times the size ofFrance and contains no fewer than two mil-lion species of trees, insects, fish, birds andmammals . To carry out such an in-depth pro-ject as SIVAM, the infrastructure of the exist-ing remote sensing agency in Brazil requireda major upgrade. MDA has been deeply

involved in improving the facilities thatreceive and process satellite imagery, as wellas providing SAR capabilities on remotesensing surveillance planes.

The most useful thing about SAR in thecontext of the Amazon, states McLeod, isthat because microwave energy is utilised,clouds and other environmental phenomenado not interfere with data collection—a qual-ity particularly important in a rainforest,

where clouds and rain are commonplace.

It is easy to see how this technology couldbe used to monitor environmental degrada-tion in the Amazon . A rainforest will reflect

energy very differently from clear-cut or farm-

land area . Furthermore, airstrips and machin-ery will stand out in a radar image like bea-cons on a foggy ocean . The SIVAM project is,"a noble project" says Harding, with theglossy tones of a true public affairs man,

"because it's to dowith saving the Earthand helping Brazil man-age its resources ."

Airborne SAR datais also collected byplanes as part of theSIVAM project, offeringbetter resolution andthe ability to fly exactlywhere the imaging is tobe performed. Air-to-airsurveillance is alsopossible, with the air-craft focusing not onthe land but instead onsomewhere in theair—the goal being todetect drug-smugglingplanes.

The satellite groundstation upgrade portion of the SIVAM projecthas been completed, installed and is opera-tional . Work is now focused on completingthe airborne SAR system, which is scheduledto be delivered next year.

Staples says that SAR can also be usedto catch ships illegally dumping waste in theocean . Ships are supposed to release theirbilge (mixture of water and oil) on shorewhere it can be properly treated and dis-posed of, but since it costs money to do thisand since docked time is wasted time, it isoften dumped.

When oil coats the surface of the ocean ithas a smoothing effect . Therefore, oil onwater reflects back to the satellite differentlythan plain water.

Staples says it's not actually possible toidentify a ship, but once a streak of oil hasbeen detected, the processing time is so fast(within hours) that the appropriate authoritiescan be notified, and can determine which

ship or ships could have been in the pollutedarea at the time of imaging.

"Governments are highly interested,"says Staples, adding that Norway is oneexample of a country where this type ofenforcement is currently being used . "It mayact as a deterrent . If ships know that thistechnology exists, then they may be lessinclined to try to get away with something ."

This technology was put to use on a muchlarger scale in January of 1997 when theJapanese ship Nakhodka released hugeamounts of oil into the ocean off the easterncoast of Japan . Since SAR can operate atnight and during any weather, data on theprogression of the oil slick was obtainedeven when it was too dangerous for responseteams to be out on the sea . The complexsoftware accounted for wind and ocean cur-rents, and the imaging revealed sensitivecoastal areas that were in danger.Appropriate measures were then taken on

shore.

On the other, less superhero side ofthings, satellite images are also pro-vided to help oil companies find natur-

al oil that has seeped from the ocean floor.Seepage leaves characteristic markings onthe surface of the ocean—when these natur-al patterns are detected, people are able totranslate this data to a location on the oceanfloor where the seepage may have originated,and thus find a new location for offshoredrilling.

A "combination of computer tools andexpert operators" make this technology work,according to Staples . He describes the oceanand rain forest imaging projects as using the"training that you got in university in an appli-cation that you never thought of ."

The variety of projects at MDA means thatemployees with different backgrounds are anecessity, especially as new initiatives areundertaken . Between bad jokes, Hardingstates that not all of the 400 new employeeshired during the last two years were engi-neers.

From her office on campus, Meechanexplains that a main concern of industry inBC is people moving south of the border. Forthis reason, many companies such as MDAoffer stock options and profit sharing to min-imise staff turnover and maintain productivi-ty. It's working.

M acDonald still calls Vancouver hishome, while Dettwiler now lives inSwitzerland . Both founders are

retired, but are active as consultants . Thirtyyears ago they decided to help keep peopletrained in BC working locally. And if you lookat how their company is doing now, it seemslike it wasn't such a bad idea .:

On the other, lesssuperhero side of

things, satelliteimages are alsoprovided to help

oilcompanies find

natural oil that hasseeped from the

ocean floor.

mber 19, 1999 • page friday—the ubyssey magazine

Who called?Just press n 69 to see the lastnumber that called you.

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In 1996, three filmmakers set out into the jungles of Mexico to sLary about the Zapatista movement and the civil war . They wellvideo camera, and a couple of credit cards . They came out witllines, a new way of thinking about political struggle, and stories

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THE UNIVERSITY OF

BRITISH COLUMBIA

In collaboration withThe Delegation of the European Commissionin Canada, Embassy of Finland, Chan Centrefor the Performing Arts, UBC Film Program,and Pacific Cinematheque.

by Jaime Tong

First-year university just didn't appeal to Rick Rowley. How could classes compare to dri-ving through Central America in a 1976 Dodge Sportsman Royale?

After graduating from high school, Rowley, who is now 24, and two friends, Ben Eichertand Stale Sandberg, decided to take a year off . Instead of college or a day job, they insteadset out from sleepy North Dakota to travel through Central America . They spent some timein Nicaragua working on a farming collective, decided to keep moving, and boarded a busto Mexico City. It was a bus ride that changed their lives.

"We were riding the bus north while the entire Mexican army was going south and wesaw the massive militarisation of the state," says Rowley, who directed the film Zapatistaalong with Sandberg and Eichert. "[It was amazing] that there's a civil war going on in thesouth of Mexico and no one from the States that we were talking to on the phone knewanything about it."

Once they arrived, they landed right in the middle of chaos, finding lodging with localstudents involved with the protests shaking Mexico City.

"The energy in the city was amazing—the city was on fire . It was like being in Barcelonain 1936. There were demonstrations in the squares where there were 300,000 . . .to500,000 people.

"We'd run down every morning where we'd read La Jornada, the communiques that theZapatistas published and we were really amazed at the way the Zapatistas were able tomobilise the entire population," recalls Rowley.

"It was a beautiful thing for us to see and also an incredibly powerful thing becauseit's a group that managed to win victories against a territory-superior military force and acorporate-controlled media," he says . He still sounds amazed.

The Zapatista movement began with the Mayan peasant uprising on January 1, 1994,the same day the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) became law . To theMayans, it was New Year's Day in the year zero, also believed to be the beginning of theend of the world . In a way, it was.

In preparation for NAFTA, the Mexican government ended communal ownership of land,which also effectively ended any protection for the people who lived on the land . The gov-ernment proceeded to divide the land into privately owned parcels, which made the peas-ants vulnerable to losing their land due to foreclosure . According to Rowley, that repack-aging of land was the culmination of 500 years of expropriating indigenous peoples' land.

"The indegenes of Mexico clearly understood that if [NAFTA] goes through, then even-tually they're going to have to stop being indigenous . They're going to have to leave theirland and go work for someone else and that means becoming something else, losing yourculture and becoming a waged-worker."

Rowley recounts the New Year's Day Zapatista uprising . "They were a couple of thou-sand Mayan peasants armed with mix-matched hunting rifles and sticks carved to look likeguns . They took over half the state . The military reacted the way they always reacted, bysending down 45,000 troups with tanks and air strikes . They napalmed places outsideSan Cristobal and forced the Zapatistas back into the jungle, but as that happened, therewere [similar] uprisings all over the rest of Mexico.

"So the military offensive began on the 2nd of January . By the 14th of January, theywere forced to call a ceasefire because there were a half a million people in the centralsquare of Mexico City and in the central square of every other major city in the countrywhere people are saying, 'Wait, we're not having it either .

Rowley decries the lack of attention paid to the human toll of an undeclared war on

North American soil."A thousand indigenous peasant:

and twos . The military goes in, theysome houses, cut down some crop:been progressively more violent . Somassacre in Acteal where they killerRowley angrily.

Eventually, the year ended, and lgo to various universities . But whenidea of doing a documentary on Chi;

"We knew we wanted to do sorrmaybe write something about it . The!ly late and at sunrise, we sort of locto do . We were going to make a film

Inspired by the Zapatista comml,Rowley, Sandberg, and Eichert look(that the Zapatista weapons are theirhunting rifles against M-16s, tanksmeans using media and new media tnology. We were like the tenth peoplefirst came out ."

Rowley, Sandberg, and Eichert tcscraped together enough money andsion the three friends were on a pia!

"We thought of ourselves as Zapin order to include as many ti

Zapatista brought together a divers(Hannah, Edward James Olmos andImprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jarder, used his 15 minutes of telepholpart of the voice-over.

"We tried to bringtogether as many differ-ent languages and voicesas possible. That's whyMumia Abu-Jamal wasparticularly important tous . Him speaking thosewords, reading that[Zapatista leaderSubcommandante] Marcos commurof prison, thousands of miles away."

Rowley regrets not being preserence he had instead almost makesstroke, which weakened his immun

"I caught some kind of junglerivers . I had to get back into the citySan Cristobal, which is like a 12-hoarrived with ten pesos and Stale's

WiZa

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MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS

Nov 22 TO DEC. 2, 7:00PM

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For more information on films see our website : wwwiesaubcacalevent&f i

"101 Commercials" is a collection of commercialthe '50s and '60s that features celebrities such asReagan (endorsing a waterless hand soap) ; a yetMcMahon as a bartender serving up Budweiser (the sclaimed "king of beer") to Frank Sinatra ; or Ricky ar

by Lawrence Chew going into their private stash to fight up some smoctasty Phillip Morris 100s with new charcoal fitters!same time, watching these commercials was more thtply the amusement of seeing stereotypical "Leav(Beaver" housewives and "Father Knows Best" dadstheir perfect tittle children with their gollys and geeThese commercials are a small peek into another woi

Whether it was innocence, naivete or just plain deni

This presentation was made possible through thegenerous assistance of the Chan EndowmentFund of the University of British Columbia .

Tickets $4 .00Tickets Available at the door,one hour before show.

It was a far more innocent time . Invention was the mother ofnecessity and everywhere, people were trying to catch up withthe technology. Television had just taken over the radio and inone fell swoop, a giant advertising explosion left commercialssplattered all over the airwaves . That's right, I'm talking aboutthe golden age : the 1950s.

page friday—the ubyssey magazine•friday, novembegiii

to shoot Zapatista, a documen-vent in with little training, a digitalwith exclusive footage from the frontvies to tell .

my shit at the hotel (toldthem I had a credit cardand would pay later), wentto a cash machine and itate his credit card becauseit was past the expirationdate.

"So I was wandering aroundwithout a penny in SanCristobal, throwing up in gut-ters and I just sat down inthe market, didn't knowwhat the fuck I wasgoing to do . Thenthis guy walkspast who Irecognise fromtwo years ago.He saw meand said, 'Oh shit, man, you look terrible . Let me buy you lunch .' So he bought me lunchand we were sitting around. Another guy walks by whom this guy knows, Ruiz . . .Ruiz boughta house in Chiapas in '94, so he gave me the keys, said he had work out of town and thatI could stay there ."

The meeting with Ruiz, whose last name never gets mentioned, turned out to be astroke of luck in an otherwise unlucky week . After Rowley recovered from his illness, hemet up with the rest of the crew in the woods, waiting near a Zapatista building in hopesof getting more interviews . "We were just hanging around dejected, again, and Ruizwalks by, this guy who I'd seen for ten minutes, like ten days ago . Turns out that he wasrunning press relations for the Zapatistas ." The three filmmakers put in their requestfor an interview at 1pm, and 12 hours later they were being ushered into the building,

past the wall of soldiersand other press.

"They opened thislittle door and we werepushed into a roomwith three people inblack masks and onelight bulb hangingthere . It was our inter-view with Commandante

Zebedeo," says Rowley.Rowley says the objective of the film is to translate the indigenous resistance of the

Zapatistas into the language of American media and thereby somehow make it relevant."What we're trying to do is create a pop culture virus, create something that can cir-

culate through the same channels that have been worn by the pop culture that we livein . ,,

It's a funny thing—that so much experience and achievement can come just fromthe images of one bus ride.

Zapatista screens at the Blinding Light!! on Nov . 22 .+

ing this era, North America was filled with a careless IVism and hope . Ads for 'state-of-the-art' cars, washing

machines and miraculous household items proliferatedthrough TV screens across the continent. What these corn.

-mercials showus now, though, are more than just ;new' products, but the issues underlying society at the time and thechanges between these two decades:

rercials from

At the time, it seemed we were prepared to gorge our-h as Ronald selves and who better to show us how than the Americana young Ed Dairy Farmer's Association . Apparently, our roasted turkeys(the self pro- lose 1/3 of their juices while in the oven . So what better wayky and Lucy to overcome this obstacle than to "repeatedly baste them insmooth and pure butter before, during and after cooking it order to keepIters! At the them plump and tasty!" Another great idea was to use theire than slat- wonderful new invention, eggnog, in place of milk. in theLeave it to morning, have a nice, tall glass topped off with pure whippeddads talk to cream, along with the eggnog you've already put in your cerei gee whizs . al, then take a couple of quarts and serve it in a punch bowler world .

for the dinner party!denial, due

There wasn't exactly a foray into the feminist movement

!asants have been killed in this war since 1994, but in onesn, they kill three people in the town, they leave, they burn

crops . This has been going on for four years and this has)nt. So there are spectacular moments in the film like they killed 36 refugee women and children in a church," says

and Rowley, Eichert and Sandberg had to return home towhen they met again after finishing first-year university, the)n Chiapas literally dawned on them.to something. I was planning on going down to Chiapas tot . Then one night we were sitting around watching films real-: of looked at each other and we knew what we were goinga film ."emmunication methods, such as their use of the Internet,t looked to new media as their medium . "It seemed to use their words, not their guns . They're armed with sticks andtanks and helicopters . In this context [North America], itiedia technology and newly democratised digital media tech-people in the country to get digital video cameras when they

hert took two days to learn how to use the cameras . Theyy and credit to make the trip, and two weeks after their deci-a plane to Mexico.s Zapatistas . We were Zapatistas."any textures and voices as possible, the documentarydiverse group of people who believed in the cause. Daryls and Rage Against the Machine were recruited to help.bu-Jamal, who many believe was wrongly convicted of mur-,lephone time per week to call from prison and read out his

Ne thought aapatistas.W

ourselves aswere Zopaffsi'asi

mmunique there, and Marcos talking from a different kindaway.")resent for the interview with Marcos, though the experi-iakes up for it. He was filming outside all day and got heatnmune system.ngle virus and I was absolutely sick, throwing up in thehe city in case I got irretrievably ill . So I left and went into12-hour bus ride through these shitty little jungle roads . Iale's credit card . I spent the ten pesos on a taxi, dropped

yet either. An ad for Alka Seltzer had a woman say, "Honey,I've decided to take driving lessons!" followed by a man'sbeleaguered groan . Another commercial provided "ways tokeep the little girl busy" with the Little Homemaker line ofovens, washing machines, dryers and vacuums.

Even more noticeable was the transition to the free spirit-ed 60s . An ad featuring Pink Floyd's"Great Gig in the Sky"had an attractive woman dance about sensually in slowmotion, when suddenly a banana was flashed onto the screenwith the tag line "If you feel it, peel it . " What was most atten-tion-getting—and probably most amusing—were the last twocommercials, which seemed to be outtakes . One had a manexpressively endorsingphallic air pump, while the other hadtwo women in front of the bathroom mirror using Lady Powder(which "really makes you feel like a woman") and ending up

topless, makingout and fondling one another."101 Commercials" was great for more than just a series

of funny and entertaining 30 second bits . This collection wasa thoughtful and insightful history lesson in society, mediaand pop culture. v

State 6the,

THE EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVALat the Pacific Cinematheque Nov 19-Dec . 5at the Chan Centre Nov 22-Dec . 2

by Julian Dowling

"Rescuing cultural diversity from the bowels ofMcWorld ."

That, according to Georgia Straight film critic MarkHarris, is the mission of the second annual EuropeanUnion film festival opening this weekend at thePacific Cinematheque.

Harris spoke at a reception for film critics andstaff of European Consulates on Tuesday . The festi-val is held concurrently in Ottawa, and includes onefilm from each of the 15 European Union memberstates.

The festival is organised by Finland, the memberstate currently acting as the president of the Councilof the European Union . The Finnish Consular Generalpromoted the festival as a showcase of Europe's cul-tural diversity, and a celebration of the resurgence ofEuropean cinema in the last decade.

Dr. Frank Unger, a visiting German professor, saysthe films chosen for the festival are not necessarilythe best films from their respective countries.However, they are popular films that may never havebeen screened in Canada.

Some festival films, including The Polish Bridefrom the Netherlands, were screened at this year'sVancouver International Film Festival . For those whobalked at the long line-ups in October, this is a sec-ond chance to see those films.

Another festival highlight would be Ireland's TheBoxer. In the Jim Sheridan film, Daniel Day-Lewisplays Danny Flynn, an ex-IRA gunman who returns toBelfast and tries to rebuild a community boxing arenain the hopes of bridging the differences betweenCatholics and Protestants.

UBC's Institute for European Studies is co-hostingthe festival, and many of the films will also bescreened at the Royal Bank Cinema in the ChanCenter.

Whether you are looking for cultural enlightenmentor just good entertainment, it's a good way to relievethe end-of-term blues on a rainy November night .•:•

1r ' 'ahr,>november 19, 1999 • page friday—the ubyssey magazine

Who called?Just press •69 to see the lastnumber that called you.

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UBC Film SocietySchedule

7:009:30.

7:00Film Hotline: 822-3697www .atns.ubc.ca/clubs/sociaU£ilmsoc 9:30

November 19 - 21An Ideal Husband

Runaway BrideNovember 22 - 25

Forty Guns (Nov 2223)Unforgiven (Nov 24-25)Red River (Nov 22-23)

The Wild Bunch (Nov 24-25)

SUB TheatreAll Shows $3.00

FACULTY OF ARTSUBC KILLAM TEACHING PRIZES

Once again, the University is recognizing excellence in teaching through the

awarding ofprizes to faculty members. Five (5) prize winners will be selected in theFaculty ofArts for 2000.

ELIGIBILITY: Eligibility is open to faculty who have three or more years of teaching

experience at UBC . The three years include 1999-2000.

CRITERIA: The awards will recognize distinguished teaching at all levels:

introductory, advanced, graduate courses, graduate supervision, and any

combination of levels.

NOMINATION PROCESS: Members of faculty, students, or alumni may suggest

candidates to the Head of the Department, the Director of the School, or Chair of the Program

in which the nominee teaches . These suggestions should be in writing and signed by one or

more students, alumni or faculty, and they should include a very brief statement of the basis for

the nomination . You may write a letter of nomination or pick up a form from the Office of the

Dean, Faculty of Arts in Buchanan B130.

DEADLINE: 4:00 p.m . on January 24, 2000. Submit nominations to the Department,School or Program Office in which the nominee teaches,

Winners will be annouced in the Spring, and they will be identified as well during Spring

convocation in May.

For further information about these awards, contact either your Department ; School orProgram Office, or Dr . Errol Durbacb, Associate Dean ofArts at (604) 822-6703.

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UBC "thwarting" election mail-outsby Daliah Merzaban

UBC's Alma Mater Society (AMS) is accusing the uni-versity of bias after it was refused a request to distrib-ute campaign information for the upcoming GreaterVancouver Regional District (GVRD) election to themailboxes of all campus residents.

However, UBC officials maintain that their decisionwas based on clearly defined UBC policy.

The AMS is angry about a recent election mail-outto Hampton Place residents which, the AMS said, wassponsored by UBC. All Hampton Place residentsreceived an insert in a newsletter which included state-ments from each of the three candidates.

"It's a disgusting situation . . .The university is active-ly thwarting the student society's same right to distrib-ute to students," said Desmond Rodenbour, campaignmanager for Jon Chandler, a student candidate on theGVRD ballot.

Rodenbour, who also serves as the AMS policy ana-lyst, contends that UBC is impinging on the AMS sameright to campaign.

But Janice Robinson, UBC's associate director ofresidence life, said that the Housing office has a firmpolicy regarding advertising in residences, including a

provision for election campaigning which states that"canvassers may go door-to-door to distribute electionmaterial," and that posters may be put up on specifiedbulletin boards.

"In my written communications with the AMS, I'vebeen very clear that we have a policy on election cam-paigns," said Robinson, who added that Housing hadnothing to do with the Hampton Place mail-out.

AMS Coordinator of External Affairs Nathan Allensaid that after preparing 6000 campaign packagescontaining leaflets from each candidate—along with aletter from AMS President Ryan Marshall encouragingstudents to vote—they discovered that Housing wouldnot allow the mail-outs, even though the AMS offeredto pay for the costs of delivery or provide personnel todeliver the mail.

According to Rodenbour, Robinson told the AMS itwould have to go through Canada Post instead.Canada Post, however, doesn't have jurisdiction overuniversity mail, as the AMS later found out.

"Every reason that we've been given so far hasbeen hollow, fraudulent or misleading," saidRodenbour.

The AMS distributed campaign information door-to-door instead.

But UBC Vice-President, Students Brian Sullivansays that UBC has demonstrated no bias.

"There was some confusion and I think the conver-sation could have been clearer and more straightfor-ward, but I don't think there's been a bias," heexplained.

Rodenbour pointed out, however, that UBC was will-

ing to distribute information about the AMS medicalplan to each resident's mailbox before the campus ref-erendum last month . A clause in Housing's advertisingpolicy allows for exceptions to their mailing policy.

But Robinson said that a referendum is not thesame as an election campaign, and that Housing madean exception for the health plan because of its impor-tance to students and its timeliness.

Allen believes UBC's decision disrupts the electoralprocess . He said it prevents students from acquiringenough information to vote.

"We want to get information out to students quick-ly," said Allen, who added that the mail-out is notdesigned to campaign for the AMS-endorsed candidateChandler, but to "decrease student apathy andincrease student involvement in the process ."

Last month the AMS voted in favour of supportingChandler and committed $2000 towards his cam-paign.

Chandler, along with the two other non-student can-didates, is trying to become the next GVRD ElectoralArea A Director . Electoral A encompasses theUniversity Endowment Lands (UEL), and surroundingresidential areas, including Hampton Place.

All three candidates agree that UBC should havemade an exception and supported the mailouts.

"As far as I'm concerned it's reprehensible andunacceptable . I want a fair opportunity to have my sayand I want my opponents to have a fair opportunity tohave their say," said candidate Mike Boileau.

But Robinson is concerned about the precedentthat could be set if Housing allowed campaigning to bedone through campus mail.

"I need to think ahead [to upcoming elections] aswell," she said.

Both Rodenbour and Allen are adamant about con-fronting UBC about this issue next week, although theydo not yet have specific plans.

"We'll have to strategise," said Rodenbour . •:

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page friday—the ubyssey magazine•friday, november liiEiWg

GVRD elections to take place tomorrowby Nicholas Bradley

Vancouver residents will head to the polls tomorrow to elect anew city council . But at the polling station at University HillElementary School, or the one at the Lions Bay Community Hall,or the one at the Anmore Municipal Hall, voters can't vote for citycouncil . Instead, they will choose only one candidate to representan area that stretches from Pacific Spirit Park to Indian Arm.

Electoral Area A includes the UBC campus, the UniversityEndowment Lands (UEL), Hampton Place, and stretches out tooutlying areas such as Barnston Island and parts of HoweSound . The residents of the Area include students living incampus dorms and frat houses, homeowners whose propertysits at the tip of Point Grey, and Lions Bay villagers . The areais not a municipality, nor is it a part of any of the surroundingmunicipalities . As a result, area residents are unable to electmembers of city council, and can only elect a director to sit onthe Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) board . The cur-rent director won by acclimation.

The UBC community is starkly divided between studentsand permanent residents, says Tom Blom, one of the candi-dates for director of Electoral Area A . And despite candidates'efforts to reach both sides, tomorrow's election is only widen-ing the gap . The region is a jumble of different communities,each with different constituencies, and different needs, and itseems unlikely that any of the three candidates will be able—or, perhaps more importantly, willing—to address the region asa whole.

Roughly 60 per cent of the population of Electoral Area A iscomposed of students living on campus . And Jon Chandler, aUBC student and Thunderbird resident, is trying to turn thisnumber into a student voice on the GVRD.

"If students vote, assuming they'll vote for me, I'll win," hepredicted yesterday. And Chandler has made it clear that he'scounting on student voters to elect him.

"Right now the only voice that's being heard is those peoplein the Endowment Lands," he explained.

"I'm not really speaking to their concerns, and I recognisethis," Chandler continued.

Chandler, who is also an Alma Mater Society (AMS) commis-sioner, has based his campaign on the rights of students livingin residence, as well as on campus transportation issues.

Students who live in UBC housing are not covered under theprovincial Residential Tenancy Act, which Chandler wants tochange . While first- and second-year students in Totem Park andPlace Vanier may need some supervision, he says, senior stu-dents in Gage, Fairview, and Thunderbird aren't getting a fairdeal.

"The university acts exactly like your landlord," said Chandler,who says that a seat on the GVRD will give him access to theprovincial government, which administers tenancy issues . Inaddition, he would be able to help determine what types of newhousing would be built in the area.

But the other two candidates contesting the election aren't sosure . Mike Boileau is a Maple Ridge resident who is critical ofChandler's emphasis on student, and UBC, issues.

"If [Chandler] was to win this election—and he could dothat—he's going to be a moot point at that board of directors,"said Boileau, who said that his opponent will be unable to accom-plish all he promises—in part because the GVRD position does-n't have jurisdiction over the issues Chandler has taken on.

Boileau insists that the needs of non-student residents needto be addressed, and suggests that water quality and infrastruc-ture are two of the most important issues.

"[Chandler's] suggestion for governance does not addressthe problems that the people in the entire Electoral Area A have,such as up Howe Sound, Bartson Island, Indian Arm, and the PittLake region," Boileau said.

"I don't like the fact that he hasn't welcomed and embracedthe others from the outlying areas ."

Tom Blom, the third candidate, acknowledges the difficultiesin administrating an area with such disparate elements.According to the retired UBC professor of English, the GVRD hasmade it clear that it wants to eliminate the electoral area struc-

ture, which it can only do if the electoral area either is tied toanother municipality or. becomes a municipality itself.

"We're really at a crossroads here," he said . "Each one ofthese options carries very, very dramatic implications for stu-dents, faculty, staff, residents, everybody who lives in theUniversity Endowment Lands, or works here, or studies here ."

But Blom prefers a third option—the status quo.Amalgamation with Vancouver, he argues, would be too expen-sive, and the city would need to lay out its terms before anyagreement was signed.

"I don't think we can leap into that right away. It would be fool-hardy," he said.

So would incorporating as a municipality, according to theEndowment Lands resident. Taxes would go up, and, moreimportantly, there remain important questions of jurisdiction:UBC's Board of Governors, for example, could not cede itsauthority to another body.

But even if the governance stays the same, Blom wants tosee some change . But again, these policies don't apply to theentire electoral area . Like Chandler, Blom has focused hisstrategy primarily on the Point Grey community . He speaks ofbuilding a vibrant university community thateliminates the traditional division betweenstudents and UEL residents.

"I think the campus at night is a forbiddingplace, and on weekends . . .it's a very dismalplace . I think if we could get people living inthe campus core year-round that it would bepossible to establish a retail entertainmentcentre in the centre core that would keep thisplace alive," said Blom.

"I think there's an opportunity here forUBC to put itself on the map as having for-mulated an exemplary experiment which, Iwould hope, would prove successful," he con-tinued.

But Blom's approach towards communitystops short of Chandler's vision of "one per-son, one vote," which Blom fears could cre-ate a situation in which permanent residentsare subject to whatever the student majoritydecides.

Blom firmly believes that students shouldbe allowed to vote—legally, any student whohas lived on campus for 30 days from the dateof the election has the right to vote—but thata system of representation needs to be estab-lished to weight the student vote.

To Chandler, this reasoning is unaccept-able.

"I think that's disgusting," he declares."They're arguing that some people's votes aremore valid than others ."

The student candidate also disagreeswith Blom's reluctance to change the area'sgovernance without further consideration.He admits that amalgamation withVancouver would, because of the UEL'ssmall population, render the area irrelevantin civic elections, and suggests a ward sys-tem as a possible alternative . Under thisplan, each region of Vancouver would be rep-resented based on geography, so that typi-cally unrepresented regions such as the UELand the downtown East Side would have avoice on council.

Chandler believes that the best solution,however, would be to incorporate the univer-sity and the UEL as a separate township.

"The status quo is unacceptable, " he says.Chandler acknowledged the divisions

between the three candidates as he answeredstudents' questions yesterday . Blom, henoted, would appeal to UEL ratepayers,

Boileau was targeting the outlying parts of Electoral Area A, andhe was focusing his efforts on students.

It was implicit in his explanation that the three constituenciescould not be well served by one candidate, that the structure ofthe GVRD prevented this from happening . Blom, too, acknowl-edged the challenge of reaching the entire region.

"Running a campaign for office in this part of the world isalmost impossible because there is no way to get the messageacross ."v

•Voting takes place Saturday, November 20, from 8 :00amto 8 :00pm.

•The closest polling station is at Regent College (UniversityBlvd at Wesbrook Mall) . To vote, you must have lived on

campus for the past thirty days . You need two documentsthat provide proof of your identity and place of residence,one of which must have your signature (for example, a dri-

ver's license and a phone bill).

ONE BRICK AT A TIME : The Canadian Association of Student Associations(CASA) is in the midst of its Education Builds a Nation campaign . TheAMS held a brick-signing event on Wednesday in front of the SUB . Thebricks will be mailed to Ottawa to protest obstacles to accessible educa-tion . TARA WESTOVER PHOTOS

Negotiations on essential services ending soonby Daliah Merzaban

Canadian Union of Public Employees(CUPE) locals on campus are prepar-ing for job action as negotiations todetermine essential services nearcompletion.

"We will choose the time onceessential services are officially inplace to serve 72 hours strikenotice," said John Geppert, presidentof CUPE Local 116 which represents,along with Local 2950, UBC's morethan 3000 support staff.

He said local 116 membership

has been consulted, and funds are inplace for rotating strike action.

Frans Van de Ven, business agentfor Local 2950, agrees that job actionis fast approaching . The two localshave been negotiating with UBC sinceJanuary to renew contracts thatexpired in March.

"I believe 116 and certainly 2950have gotten just about everything itcan out of the mediation process sowe're coming to the end game now.We have to be in a position to servestrike notice," he said.

Negotiations should conclude by

next Tuesday, and both Geppert andVan de Ven say the process hasdragged on too long . Neither local candeclare strike notice until the LabourRelations Board (LRB) determineswhich services would be deemedessential during a strike.

According to Van de Ven, LRB vice-chair Mark Brown "was getting a littleimpatient" with the progress of thetalks, and subsequently cancelledtwo days of negotiations this week toallow UBC to come up with a "realis-tic" proposal that will be the startingpoint for discussion .

Paula Martin, UBC associatedirector of public affairs, said UBC iswilling to complete negotiationssoon.

"We'd like to get the processdealt with as quickly as possible,"said Martin.

There has been some disagree-ment over what constitutes essentialservices . Geppert believes that hisLocal—which includes Bookstore,Plant Operations, and Food Servicesemployees—does not contain essen-tial services.

However, in a letter to administra-

tion earlier this month, UBC Directorof Human Resources Lisa Castle saidthere are many services under thejurisdiction of CUPE locals thatshould be considered essential.

"We believe that we have a con-siderable number of essential ser-vices, including security and the col-lections of plants and animals," shewrote.

Although Geppert disagrees, hesaid to conclude the talks over essen-tial services, CUPE might "bite our lipand sign off an agreement whichwould provide some services ."v

member 19, 1999 6 page friday—the ubyssey magazine

Can a university have a clue?First-year student Paul Bilodeau [probably not a real name]

thinks so. He thought that it was really, really boring. So hewent to work as a welder. To ask him why it was so boringhere, call (604) 822-3131.

Can a university break your spirit, while charging youmoney for it?

Marty Zaleski thinks so. The fourth-year science studentnotes that first-year engineering is set up to weed out all butthe most socially inept and hardcore bootlickers by secondyear through bulging class sizes and insane, bush-league pro-fessors . To talk about it, call the Faculty of Applied Science at(604) 822-6413 . Be nice.

Can you run, smoke a cigarette, chew gum, drink WildTurkey, and spell your name backwards out loud all at thesame time?

We think so . But it'd be really, really hard . Go ahead andtry, though.

Can a residence toilet explode?Second-year Arts student Alicia Miller thinks so . Hers did,

in a residence to remain unnamed, and here's what she said:"All of our toilets exploded last week . . .with . . .urn . . .more thanwater ." Seriously. She did . They did.

Can a university sell its soul?Coca-Cola think so . They bought it . For the locations of their

fine vending machines, call them at 1-800-438-2653.Can a university have a clue?Do you think so?

Okay, you know when advertising borders on self-parody? Likethe ad for the National Post with the dog lifting its leg to peeon the newspaper box—it takes you a second to figure outwhether they consider the whole thing a big joke.

Well, happily, UBC has taken a firm foothold in the realm ofself-parody. It's an initiative that was first seen at the UBCAnnual General Meeting (AGM), and it's currently being show-cased on the UBC website (www .ubc .ca\dumb) . And it goes alittle something like this:

Can a university develop leaders? [UBC Commerce stu-dent] Irfhan Rawji thinks so.

Can a university listen? UBC grad [and Board of Governorsrep] Linda Thorstad thinks so.

Can a university have a soul? UBC grad Allison Dunnetthinks so.

And so on . There are accompanying pictures of these peoplewho so confidently think UBC can, among other things, developleaders, listen, and have a soul, and the pictures are glossy,overly sentimental, and take themselves completely seriously . Ifyou click on the picture, you get a breathless bio of the subject("UBC grad Linda Thorstad thinks so because that's what shedoes on behalf of the university as a member of its Board ofGovernors . . .") . Beautiful . Don't you just want to go outsideMartha Piper's house and yell, "Yes! I do think a university canhave a soul!" Go ahead! She'll love it! Don't mention our name!

The immediate result of this campaign, as far as we cantell, is that people wet their pants when they see it . We've

never laughed so hard at the UBC website in the entirety of ouracademic careers—even during the infamous "Martha givingthe finger" period . At any point during the planning of this cam-paign, didn't anyone raise their hand and note the campaignwas dumb? We figure that it would have been a true epiphany,like the sun coming out . But since the campaign is alreadywell underway, we have some additional suggestions.

Can a university tow your car?Danny Ho thinks so. Danny is the director of Parking

Enforcement on campus . He personally directs the impound-ing of every illegally parked and/or overly shabby car . If you'dlike to learn more about parking's innovative towing programs,call (604) 822-8609.

Can a university student get ahold of their final exams aweek before they happen, "for a price?"

Dr. Barry McBride thinks so . As Vice-President academicand provost, he'll "take care of it ." Just go to the third-floorwomen's washroom in the Old Admin building and knock onthe pipes behind the toilet, third stall . You'll know what to do.If not, visit our website at www.ubc .ca\mcbride!

Can an empty pint glass make it from UniversityBoulevard into the outdoor pool?

Robert James (not his real name) thinks so . He did it . Butnot all the glasses cleared the concrete pool deck . So don'tyou do it. For more information on broken glass, contact us at(604) 822-2211.

Can a university be boring?

RPAGE FRIDAYCOORDINATING

NATIONAL/COPYBruce Arthur

Cynthia Lee

0 DESIGN

SPORTS

M Todd Silver

Naomi Kim

FEATURES

PHOTOSTom Peacock

Tara Westover

CULTURE

NEWSDuncan M. McHugh Nicholas BradleyJaime Tong

Daliah Merzaban

COORDINATORScup Nyranne Martinweb Flora Grahamresearch Daniel Silvermau/Graeme worthyletters Lisa Denton

The Ubyssey is the official studentnewspaper of the University of BritishColumbia . It is published everyTuesday and Friday by The UbysseyPublications Society.We are an autonomous, democratical-ly run student organisation, and allstudents are encouraged to partici-pate.Editorials are chosen and written bythe Ubyssey staff . They are theexpressed opinion of the staff, and donot necessarily reflect the views of TheUbyssey Publications Society or theUniversity of British Columbia.The Ubyssey is a founding member ofCanadian University Press (CUP) andfirmly adheres to CUP's guiding princi-ples.All editorial content appearing in TheUbyssey is the property of The UbysseyPublications Society. Stories, opinions,photographs and artwork containedherein cannot be reproduced withoutthe expressed, written permission ofThe Ubyssey Publications Society.Letters to the editor must be under

300 words . Please include your phone EDITORIAL OFFICEnumber, student number and signa-ture (not for publication) as well asyour year and faculty with all submis-sions . ID will be checked when submis-sions are dropped off at the editorialoffice of The Ubyssey, otherwise verifi-cation will be done by phone."Perspectives" are opinion pieces over300 words but under 750 words andare run according to space."Freestyles" are opinion pieces written byUbyssey staff members . Priority will begiven to letters and perspectives overfreestyles unless the latter is time sensitive.Opinion pieces will not be run until theidentity of the writer has been verified.It is agreed by all persons placng displayor classified advertising that if theUbyssey Publications Society fails to pub-lish an advertisement or if an error in thead occurs the liability of the UPS will notbe greater than the price paid for the ad.The UPS shall not be responsible forslight changes or typographical errorsthat do not lessen the value or theimpact of the ad.

BUSINESS MANAGERFernie Pereira

ADVERTISING SALESJennifer Riley

ADVERTISING DESIGNShalene Takara

CONTRIBUTIONSTan Peemd, Jule Tan was written m the side of to '81 Land Chaser.wth Nkhtles &adey ai to wheS. A ,veemtg Cynthia lee lied on In the

OR ear bar. feaieg for her life. Naomi Non . Graeae Worthy and Todd Slhe

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had fund Me best gbeffa burn In to ypb . Ohm It htIt,4, had al e

lighn,Nn Ann and was Misting a Jaunty tttb bro . Tam Weaae was In to

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ouwbg sashed Into the doming stew oAnyhtn inn eating . 'Help oar ha

died and miaoed m to too. Tristan Winch and Mde de BbaiN appearedsou, atone, Ieadng a gap of tiod,p people before tem . La ,ehm Chew

was blindfolded and Thomas wane bald had and foot Jenny Beale

and Lain Sle anhedmte rerewlM Jain Neilson and L, .eededlbeee,t

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Room 241K, Student Union

Building,6138 Student Union Boulevard,Vancouver, BC . V6T 1ZI

tel : (604) 822-2301fax : (604) 822-9279email : feedback@ubyssey.bc .ca

BUSINESS OFFICERoom 245, Student UnionBuildingadvertising: (604) 822-1654business office : (604) 822-6681fax : (604) 822-1658

0PAGE FRIDAY c7

page friday—the ubyssey magazine•friday, november, 1

.

feedback@ubyssey.bc .cacontinued from page 3unattended open flame is to pro-tect residents from damageresulting from fires started by anunattended lit candle . Moreover,each incident is assessed on itsown by the Residence Life Manager,and points are assigned based onthe severity of the incident . (One inci-dence of unattended open flame willnot get you evicted .) As for section

3.14, it is something of a catch-all,but only because not all standardincidents can be anticipated beforethey take place. For example, itmight be difficult to conceive that anindividual would defecate in a cupand place it in a microwave, thenproceed to turn the microwave on.Such an incident has taken place.

Now, imagine, for a moment,Totem Park without standards,where residents have complete"control over their own space."Imagine trying to study or sleepwhile your neighbours "turn up theSlayer" on their concert speakers at3 :00pm . Imagine being the victim ofrandom pranks and dog-piles.Imagine walking to the cafeteria,only to be pelted by garbage thrownout of the windows around youImagine walking into your house tobe greeted by three of your neigh-bours' pitbulls, and to find out thatyour room has been damaged bysmoke caused by a fire started by acandle left unattended. And guesswhat? Your caring neighbour has noinsurance and neither do you . Not aproblem, right? Your residence advi-sor will deal with these incidentsbecause that is part of their jobs.Unfortunately, in this world, resi-dence advisors no longer exist

because all residents are free to doas they choose. Few of us would .choose to live in such a world.Furthermore, to believe that resi-dence would not be like this withoutstandards is completely unrealistic.

Clearly, as an advisor, I'm going

to agree with the contract ; after all,I'm paid to do so right? Well, whenI was a resident, I can honestly saythat I supported the contract, andhad a very positive' experience (oneof many reasons I became an advi-sor) . I must also state that dealingwith standards is one of my leastfavourite aspects of the job . And todismiss us as power-hungry individ-

uals trying to exercise out "power ofgod" is unfair. In general, we striveto be open-minded, objective, andfair.

Finally, I would like to remind youthat each resident receives a copyof the residence contract beforethey write their rent cheque, beforethey arrive in residence . Each resi-dent signs the contract stating thatthey have read, understood, andagreed to live by the residence con-tract . When they do not, their behav-iour is dealt with using the pointssystem also outlined in theResidence Contract . Of course, noteveryone will agree with my view,and that is certainly their right.Those students who do not agreewith the standards in place are cer-tainly free to choose accommoda-tions where they might have more"freedom" . Those of us that chooseto live in Housing residences enjoyour experiences, and would have itno other way.

Brian YehScience 4

come on, we dare ya

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGON THE COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY PLAN

FOR THE UBC CAMPUS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1999Two sessions : 12:30 p.m . - 2:00 p.m.OR 7:30 - 9 :00 p.m.

ASIAN CENTRE, AUDITORIUM1871 West Mall

The Official Community Plan (OCP) for the University of British Columbiaprovides a vision and goals for future development, broad land usedesignations and objectives for more detailed planning . The purpose of theComprehensive Community Planning process (called Area Planning in theOCP) is to interpret those policies and objectives as a framework fordevelopment approval . This will be the second of three public meetings andwill focus on the draft Comprehensive Community Plan (CCP), whichaddresses planning issues such as : parking and transportation ; parks,greenways and playing fields ; location and diversity of housing types ; densitiesand building forms ; commercial and market housing uses ; community facilities;and detailed development policies.

An Issues & Options Report can be picked up prior to the meeting at Campus Planningand Development, 2210 West Mall (hours: M-F, 8 :30 am - 4:30 pm) . The draft CCPwill be available at the meeting.

For information regarding access in the Asian Centre for persons with disabilities,please call Caroline Welling at 822-9560 . For further information onthe CCP, visit the web site www.ocp.ubc.ca, or call Jim Carruthers, THInKCampus Planning and Development, at 822-0469 .

♦bout It.

Finishing your Bachelor's?There's more where that came from . ..

Higher education needn't endwith a bachelor's degree.Further intellectual adventure,and better career options,await you in graduate school.

Explore your OptionsSee displays and talk torepresentatives from a host ofUBC departments and otherB .C . universities_ Hear talksabout admission, funding, andresearch at the graduate level.Take home brochures andapplication materials toexamine and compare.ne-Stop Shopping

In one place, at one time, youcan get the information youneed to make the bestprogram choice for youracademic future_

Student Union BuildingMonday, November 22, 1999Talks : Auditorium, 12 :30 - 1 :30 p .m.Displays : Ball Room, 11 :30 – 2 :30 p.m.

PRESENTED BY THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES

UBC

5~171IF

hfriy,onovember 19, 1999 • page friday—the ubyssey magazine

I went to Niagara falls with my mom, my dad and it was a special trip . Itwas fun and we went to Canada's wonderland and I went on the water-slides. They were scary, but my brother made me do it . He made fun ofme a lot until I went and then -1 went down the biggest one . It was fun.

dumb . since 1918Soccer systemmay hurt UBC

Do you have an idea for a creative projectto combat discrimination at UBC?

To apply for ftmding for your for a project, please oba1 an application form M

from the Speakeasy in the SUR-Concourse, your residence front desk, or by

dropping by SUB 262. funding decision will be announced by January, 2000.

by Chris MillerThe Gateway

EDMONTON (CUP)—A University ofAlberta (U of A) coach says the cur-rent system to determine whichCIAU soccer teams go to the nation-al finals is unfair to WesternCanada.

At the CIAU women's soccerchampionships last weekend, halfof the teams were from Ontario.

That has got to change," saidTracy David, the U ofA women's soccerhead coach.

David says thesystem is leaving tal-ented westernteams—like UBC—out of the finals . Shepointed to U of A'sagonising win overthe UBC women'steam in the recent Canada Westfinals . After no score in regulationtime, the Pandas won in penaltykicks.

"It's unfortunate that a team ofUBC's calibre won't go [toNationals]," she said.

As it stands now, Ontario, whichhas 23 teams in the CIAU women'ssoccer league, gets two spots in thenational finals.

However, Western Canada, with

14 teams, is only allowed one spotin the finals, even though U of A andUBC tied for first place in CanadaWest this season . UBC was rankedfourth in the country.

Quebec, also with 14 teams,gets one spot in the finals, as doesthe 13-team Atlantic league.

In addition, the school thathosts the CIAU finals automaticallygains a spot in the championships.This year, Wilfred Laurier Universityin Waterloo played host, resulting in

three Ontario teamsout of the total six inthe national champi-onships.

However, despitehaving more teamsentitled to play hasonly translated intofive championshiptitles for Ontario inthe last 12 years.

During the same period, theWest has also won five champi-onships, while the Atlantic regionwon two and Quebec none.According to David, Ontario's purenumber advantage gives it a greaterchance of winning the nationalswhile higher quality teams from thewest are being left out in the cold.

When they're hosting," shesaid, "they've got a 50 per centchance of winning the show."v

"It's unfortunatethat a team of UBC'scalibre won't go [to

Nationals ."–Tracy David, University of

Alberta women's soccerhead coach

Deadline:

Questions eaII Q4= 822 8722 oremeil x om ms:ubi .ca