Consent Week will take place throughout the week of October 6^th-10^th2014. Join The SASC every day at the SUB South Side Lounge (by Starbucks and the Cafeteria) from 11am-3pm to chat about consent with our enthusiastic Outreach team, purchase Got Consent? Clothing, contribute to our community mural on consent, and watch our new Got Consent? video!

Other events include:

– Got Consent? workshop on Wednesday, October 8 from 11-1:30, email sascprog@ams.ubc.ca to register.

– Mike Domitrz presents an engaging  discussion titled “Can I kiss You? on October 7^th, 2014 at 7pm Totem Park Ballroom.

– Get in Bed with Hillel event on Monday October 6^th at 5.30pm-7pm in the Hillel House lounge.

Garbage, recycling and composting in Vancouver, sort it out!

Our daily consumption and habits produce lots of garbage and since we are a big community, you can imagine the amount of debris we dispose of. However, did you know that you can contribute to reduce this amount by properly sorting out your garbage (garbage/recycling/compost)?

It differs from one country to another, but here are some of Vancouver’s regulations concerning waste disposal.

Recycling:

On campus, you will most likely have two different bins; one for paper products and one for plastic, cans or glass products. Here are some items which fit these categories:

Paper products: paper, paper containers (e.g. pizza box), cardboards, paper cups, newspaper, toilet paper rolls, eggs carton, etc.

Plastic, cans or glass products: Milk container, soda cans, Pringles’ container, coffee cups and lids, ice cream container, aluminum container, cans, glass container, aerosol cans, light bulbs, etc.

Compost :

If you use a plastic bag to gather your compost, it is important to not put it in the compost too. Instead, you could use newspapers or some compostable nets. Also, you can easily clean and deodorize your compost bin using water and baking soda.

What goes in: cooked food waste, raw fruits, paper towels and napkins, bones, eggshells, dairy products, compostable plates and utensils, coffee grounds, tea bags, hair, etc.

Garbage:

Anything that you couldn’t fit into previous categories will most likely end up here. However, if you have unusual wastes such as electronics or batteries to dispose of, please check UBC’s sustainability website to inquire about the proper ways of disposal of such items.

What goes in: plastic bags, Styrofoam, non-recyclable cutlery, waxed paper, etc.

How to reduce your waste imprint?

-When you go grocery shopping you can buy reusable and washable nets for your vegetables and fruits instead of using plastic bags all the time. Same idea for grocery or any shopping bags, use reusable ones or even your backpack.

-Stop buying plastic bottles and buy a reusable water bottle (why not buy a cute one with a cat on it or a cool one with the UBC logo on it?).

-Plan your meals in advance (make a list) to avoid unnecessary wastes and to save money!

-Reuse old readings prints to take notes and save money!

Finally, do not hesitate to share your advices and tricks with your friends to create a ripple effect which encourage a smart and efficient lifestyle!

Sources:

http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/what-goes-in-recycling-bins.aspx

http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/recycling-waste/sort-it-out/what-goes-where

http://sustain.ubc.ca/campus-initiatives/recycling-waste/what-you-can-do

Make a difference

Although summer may have come to an end, there is still plenty of time left to try some of Vancouver’s best outdoor activities!

1)  Outdoor Net Sports

One of the best ways to enjoy the sunny weather! The outdoor tennis courts and volleyball nets at Kitsilano beach are free for the public to use, so why not take advantage of that?

2)  Hiking

This is a great way to get in touch with nature, get some fresh air, tan, and burn some calories. Try walking the seawall or a trail in Pacific Spirit Park if you’re looking for a more leisurely activity, or the Grouse Grind if you’re looking for a challenge!

3)  Boot Camps or Running Group

If you’re not that into sports, but want to get fit, boot camps and running groups are great options! Boot camps are held both indoors and outdoors, and running groups are always outdoors.

4)  Kayaking and Paddle Boarding

For a fun and easy beach-day activity, try kayaking or paddle boarding! You can rent a kayak or paddle board at Kits beach or English bay and paddle along the coast line. This is a great way to relax and admire Vancouver’s beauty from a different perspective.

5)  Exploring the Stanley Park Seawall

Walk, jog, bike, or even rollerblade around the 10km seawall. You can also explre some of the trails winding through the interior of the park. Try some of the restaurants and visit the Vancouver Aquarium!

Source: vancitybuzz

By: Elise Benito

Being angry sometimes

If you’re mad, scream. Shout at somebody or don’t talk to anyone if you don’t want to. You can sleep all day and ignore every responsibility you have. Don’t sleep at all and spend your time ranting on every social media possible. It’s okay because it will teach you the importance and benefit of forgiveness. You will learn to forgive others. It will help you understand that people make mistakes but most of them don’t mean to hurt you. You will learn to forgive yourself for the bad decisions you made. Forgiveness can make a heavy heart lighter.

Crying

It won’t make you less of a person if you’re the one to cry. Tear glands were put there for a reason and that is to wash away whatever it is that’s blocking your vision. It could be the dust that piled up on the memories you shouldn’t be keeping. Maybe it’s time for you to clean up your closet or your mind. Get two boxes and label each as follows: give away and keep. You’re going to need space in your brain for new memories and that exam you have to study for.

Moving on

Over time, you will lose connection with your grade school best friend or your ex-girlfriend from college. You will remember them out of the blue and miss them. There will come a day that you’ll drop your phone in the toilet and won’t be able to resuscitate it. A friend will borrow your favorite book and never return it. The night you’ll lose your virginity will either break you or show you the love of your life. These things will leave you empty but believe that this is only temporary. It will be replaced by better versions of what you had before. An upgrade of some sort – an iPhone, a more mature partner, or a new favorite book. Raise your hands to the sky and catch what the universe will give you.

Being lost

Everybody gets lost a couple of times in their lives. It will take you days, months, or even year to get yourself out of that ditch. But it is during those times that you will find out where you really want to go. Take your time. Nobody can or should rush you. It is your life that you’ll be living out, not theirs. Try new things. If you’ve never rode a plane, go do it. Maybe a pretty girl will seat beside you and then you’ll click. Meet new people. Maybe she knows a way. Maybe she wants to walk with you until you find a way. Ride cars, busses, boats, cruise ships, trucks, space shuttles, and bikes. You’ll get there someday, wherever it is.

Being alone

There are days when you’ll need to be away from people even when you don’t want it. You’ll learn to take care of yourself more. Nobody knows your needs more than yourself but you can’t do that when you’re too focused on other people. They can take care of themselves and so do you. So walk by yourself. Eat by yourself. Sleep by yourself. Get a beer and spend the night watching people interact. Go see a movie alone and appreciate the fact that nobody keeps asking you to explain what’s happening on screen.

I usually avoid negative feelings thinking that it will only drag me down. I thought that ignoring them would make them go away or I would just forget about it. While the negativity is still there, I waste my time in front of the laptop and distract myself with cat gifs, tips for the 20-somethings, and endless list of irrelevant things. I do that until I fall asleep at four in the morning and do the same routine the next day. But I’m getting tired of it and I feel like I’m beating myself up. You and I can’t lose to ourselves. You and I should start seeing the negativity from a different perspective.

You need to accept those things happen but it happens for a reason. It happens and it will leave you with experiences and lessons for the next 50 years of your life. Tread lightly. Let things go, let things grow. Be kind to the people you meet along the way. Be kind to yourself, most of all.

by Sanaah Dodhia

If you’re all done with exams, the only logical thing to do with your time is binge watch great TV shows on Netflix. Here are my recommendations on where to start.

1. Suits

Description on Netflix: When he impresses a big lawyer with his razor-sharp mind, a college dropout scores a coveted associate job, even though he has no legal credentials.

My description: Mike Ross – a cute, smart, college drop out with a crazy memory – meets Harvey Spector – a handsome, charming Senior Partner at a law firm and New York – and ends up with a job. Mike is not a real lawyer but because of his witts and ability Harvey decides to take him on as his associate. The whole show revolves around solving cases while trying to keep Mike Ross from being fired.

Why I like it: It’s a really engaging show in terms of the content level. It makes you think but there’s some comedy and emotional drama in it – a dramedy.

2. Orange Is The New Black

Description on Netflix: From the creator of “Weeds” comes a heartbreaking and hilarious original series set in a women’s prison. Piper Chapman’s wild past comes back to haunt her, resulting in her arrest and detention in a federal penitentiary. To pay her debt to society, Piper trades her comfortable New York life for an orange prison jumpsuit and finds unexpected conflict and camaraderie amidst an eccentric group of inmates.

My description: Piper, who’s about to get engaged gets put into prison because of a group that she was associated with when she was younger. The show revolves around her struggles as a non-criminal in prison and how she “blossoms” from this quite, logical woman into this beast that can seriously kick some a**.

Why I like it: I was addicted to season 1 because I was really curious to know what it was that got Piper in jail in the first place. It’s a really interesting story line and it’s not something a lot of people would think of – what’s life like in prison? Stay in school kids, because it’s not a fun life.

3. How I Met Your Mother

Description on Netflix: Ted’s epic search for his soul mate is told largely through flashbacks, as an adult Ted recounts to his kids how he met their mother.

My Description: Ted is this crazy believer in love and finding the right woman for him but he’s essentially obsessed with his best friend Robyn the entire show. Ted goes through multiple women with interesting backgrounds – stalker police woman, baker who leaves her wedding, a divorced woman with a child etc. Eventually Ted finds the right woman but don’t anticipate the ending of the show to meet your expectations; it certainly didn’t meet mine!

Why I like it: After a hard day of class or work, it was really nice to slip into someone else’s life story for a while. Plus it was funny seeing Ted be so ridiculous in his love life. I’m also secretly a sucker for the mushy love story stuff so I liked that aspect of a light hearted story with a romantic spin.

by Jason Speidel

Have you ever walked past that big, shiny, circular building on the north end of campus? You know the one, right next to the rose garden, and across from Buchanon. Have you ever actually taken the time to figure out what it is, what it is used for or why it is so fancy? As you may have guessed from the title of this article, that futuristic looking cylinder is the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and I am here to tell you why it is so awesome.

1. The UBC Symphony Orchestra

The UBC SO is made up of extremely talented music students who you definitely need to hear play. Often performing in conjunction with UBC Opera Theatre, University Singers, or the UBC Choral Union, they leave a lasting impression. Best part? Most concerts are free!

2. Numerous TV Appearances

The Chan Centre has shown up in many TV shows including: Fringe, The 4400, Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, and Kyle XY. Keep an eye out the next time you are channel surfing; you never know when this iconic building might pop up.

3. Acoustics

If you ever hear a concert in the Chan Centre, you will know immediately that it was designed right. The hall has sound absorbing banners to mask the walls, convex concrete walls that have been jack hammered to prevent reverb, and is even shaped like a cello. Another key feature is the hanging acoustic canopy which reflects sounds to optimize your listening experience while looking like a spaceship.

4. The Giant Hanging Spaceship

Ok, so it is not really a space ship, but it for sure looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Weighing a massive 37-tonnes, this canopy can be moved up or down depending on the performance and uses a combination of cork and steel to reflect sounds. Most definitely an awesome addition.

5. The Chairs

There is something extremely satisfying about the red cushiony seats that you have to experience for yourself. Sitting down in the Concert Hall, you immediately feel 100% more classy – true fact.

6. It has its own Wikipedia page

Need I say more?

7. The Dalai Lama visits!

Yep, you read that right, the Dalai Lama has been known to visit the Chan Centre and give a speech or two while visiting UBC.

8. You get your diploma here!

This is my favourite reason for loving the Chan Centre and it should be yours too. This is the culmination of your UBC experience, the pinnacle of your education and a totally awesome time to celebrate your achievements. Listening to the UBC President give a speech while you wait your turn to finally graduate. It all builds up to you walking across the hallowed stage to shake hands with Deans, the President, and the Chancellor. This will be one your proudest moments so you should be glad to have such a renowned building to complete your experience in.

As you may have seen we are in the final planning stages for an electrical shutdown that will occur on June 14, 2014 from 8am – 6pm.

During the shutdown the following will be impacted:

– Hot water will not be available; however cold water and toilet operation will not be affected.

– Elevators will not be operational.

– Wifi will not be operational in your block.

– Life safety systems will be operational.

– Laundry machines will not be operational.

This shutdown is necessary for cleaning of the high voltage transformers which feed our grid throughout Fairview Crescent and Thunderbird Residence 1000 and 2000 Block and the full day is needed as the transformers need to cool for the work to occur safely.  Many residents inquired why the shutdown is occurring on a Saturday – the reason for this is that this shutdown affects many childcare centres, academic buildings, sports facilities, recreational venues as well as the residences.
Reminder that barbeques and camping stoves may not be used indoors and if you are planning on lighting candles during this time, to please attend to them.

Please ensure that you are prepared by:

– powering down sensitive appliances (i.e.: computers) before the electrical shut-down begins;

– planning your day to avoid the inconvenience of accessing your room/unit without working elevators;

– reviewing the perishable food storage suggestions below.

Perishable food storage suggestions:

– Use up foods prior to power outage.

– Consider freezing remaining perishable items.

– Place ice (you have previously made) in a leak proof container in your fridge the morning of the power outage.

– Refrain from opening the fridge or freezer doors during the power outage.

Frozen food and refrigeration during a power outage (Canadian Food Inspection Agency):

– A freezer should keep food frozen for about 24 hours during a power failure if the freezer is kept closed.

– A refrigerator will keep food cool for four to six hours. Put ice, if available, in the refrigerator, an ice box or cooler to help keep perishable foods temporarily chilled.

– Food that still contains ice crystals or feels refrigerator-cold can be re-frozen. If raw food has leaked during thawing, clean and disinfect the areas the food has touched. Do not reuse wash cloths until they have been cleaned and disinfected.

– Discard thawed food that has remained at room temperature for two or more hours and any food that has an obvious strange colour or odour. Remember that food contaminated with bacteria does not necessarily smell or appear spoiled. When in doubt, throw it out.

– For more information visit: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/tipcon/emurge.shtml

by Cathy Wang

What If I’m Not Interested Composting?

That’s fine; you can still help by not throw garbage into the composting bins. Garbage such as plastic bags, juice boxes, or glass contaminates the compost and the entire bin will be thrown in the garbage instead. Place unsorted waste in the large metal garbage bins outside each block.

What Can I Compost?

How Do I Compost?

Place all accepted compost into a compost container, and empty it into the green compost bins outside each block. Wash out your container, and repeat. Make sure not to put any plastics, wood, or any of the items which are not accepted into the compost bin. Congratulations, you’re a proud composter!

What is Compost?

Compost is organic waste that can be turned into nutrient-rich, soil-like material by worms and/ or other organisms. Compost is extremely useful for making land more fertile and preventing moisture loss.

Why Should I Compost?

Composting reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills, decreases the harmful emissions from landfills, and makes for a more sustainable future for all of us on this planet!

For more information about composting at UBC, visit: http://www.buildingoperations.ubc.ca/municipal/waste-management/composting/

Are you confused about taxes? Do you want to learn how to file your income tax return and give back to the community? Join UBC TACS!

UBC Tax Assistance Clinic for Students (UBC TACS) is a student-run organization that assists students and low-income individuals in tax return preparation from late February to the end of March. We are currently looking for student supervisors and volunteers to help our 1700+ clients file their income tax returns.

Applications are open to students from ALL faculties who are interested in learning more about filing personal income tax returns and are passionate about giving back. No experience in tax is required and training will be provided. This year, the clinic runs from February 25 to March 31, 2014.

Benefits:
– Gain volunteer hours 
– Develop stronger communication, management, problem-solving, and leadership skills 
– Gain relevant tax and accounting experience 
– Have the opportunity to network with professionals in the accounting industry 
– Certificate of recognition from the Canada Revenue Agency upon successful completion of the program 
– Receive first-hand training from the Canada Revenue Agency
– Meet new people!

Deadline for supervisor applications are Friday, January 10, 2014 at 11:59 PM

Deadline for volunteer applications are Thursday, January 16, 2014 at 11:59 PM

Visit http://apply.ubctacs.org/ for applications and details.

Facebook Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/234470513397712/

Feel free to email us at volunteers@ubctacs.org with any questions!

Staying around Vancouver for the holidays? You may be far from your family and your closest friends, but that doesn’t mean you will have less to do this holiday season! Finally exam-free, you are now able to explore this city during the greatest time of the year. Here are the top 10 things to do during December in Vancouver:

1. The Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain: 8,000 square foot outdoor ice skating pond, Santa’s workshop and much more all a top the peak of Vancouver.

2. The Vancouver Christmas Market: Celebrating the rich and unique German culture with all who enter through the gates, the Vancouver Christmas Market is a showcase of traditional German crafts, delicious food, and entertainment for all ages.

3. Skating at Robson Square: The Robson Square Ice Rink is a family favorite for the holiday season! Just beware that it may get a little crowded.

4. Bright Lights at Stanley Park: This year marks the 16th year of Bright Nights at Stanley Park. During the holiday season Stanley Park’s forest is adourned with 2 million lights transforming Vancouver’s crown jewel into a wonderful holiday winter wonderland.

5. Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge: CLIFFWALK, the park’s latest attraction and a hit with guests since it opened in June, brings an exciting new holiday thrill during the winter chill. The narrow 700-foot cliff-side walkway, split into ascending and descending staircases and viewing platforms takes guests along the colour-washed cliff-face, through an enchanting light display high above the rushing waters of Capilano River.

6. Karaoke Trolley Tour: Join The Vancouver Trolley Company and sing your favourite holiday carols while visiting two of Vancouver’s most spectacular light displays.

7. VanDusen Garden Festival of Lights

8.Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Jack Poole Plaza: This is the largest tree lighting ceremony in Western Canada, with a 50-foot Rockefeller-style Christmas tree that illuminates the dreary winter nights.

9. Woodward’s Windows: In the 60′s & 70′s in Vancouver, Christmas meant heading down to the Woodward’s Department Store with your family or sweetheart and seeing the display windows come to life with Santa, his elves, “The Lamplighter”, teddy bears and more. When Woodwards’ closed in 1993, Canada Place purchased the windows and since then they have been a part of the holiday magic at Canada Place adding nostalgia and romance to Christmas in Vancouver.

10.Christmas in Kerrisdale: Head to one of South Vancouver’s great neighbourhoods and soak in the sights and sounds of Christmas.

by Tina Gao