Why We Came Together: #UBC4Ferguson

Written by Blessing Falayi

UBC Vancouver vigil for Michael Brown. #UBC4Ferguson

UBC Vancouver vigil for Michael Brown. #UBC4Ferguson. Photo by Sheldon Lynn.

On Friday, November 28 2014, one hundred candles shone in solidarity with Ferguson, Missouri, keeping vigil for murdered eighteen year old, Michael Brown. Though the vigil came into fruition just two days prior (the Facebook event only popping up on Wednesday night), the turnout was much greater than expected.

With Monday’s grand jury verdict still fresh in our minds, we came together angry, upset, saddened, and confused, but no longer silent. We wanted to do something. We wanted to show our support, we wanted to reach out, and we knew we could no longer be complicit. This is how this vigil came to be.

The main focus of this event was to honour Michael Brown, and we did so by keeping his family’s wish of four and a half minutes of silence. Candles were lit as students kept vigil by the fountain on Main Mall. These moments of silence represented the four and a half hours that Michael’s body lay on the street in the scorching summer heat. The last words of various Black men were called out to end the quietude, to remind us of the humanity of those who lost their lives at the hands of the police. To end the vigil, Ivan Leonce – the Colour Connected Against Racism Coordinator – performed “Caribbean Sun”, a poem that celebrates his Black heritage and honours the resilience of his ancestors.

At the end of the vigil, the main idea we wanted to emphasize is systemic racism. Although mainstream media continues to push themes revolving around police brutality, it is important to acknowledge there is more to the picture than these “random” acts of violence by individuals. Rather, we recognize that police brutality is the manifestation of a violent, oppressive, anti-black, and overall racist system.

Labeling the incident as a “colourblind” one would not only be a disservice to Michael Brown, but also to more Black lives that have been lost over the years. Our law enforcement reflects our society. It is far from infallible and we are still far from equity. By tiptoeing around the issue, we lose grasp of what is truly important.

Though some may claim that UBC Vancouver is a campus of relative apathy, this event is clear proof that it is not. The activist network at UBC is dedicated, strong, and admirable. We create a powerful discussion for students to come together and create change, whether it be the changing of minds or the changing of systems. UBC students are empathetic and they are only beginning to realize the extent of their power.

But why did people care about this specific event? I speculate that the reasons are endless. Perhaps it was the fact that an eighteen year old was killed. Mike was not much younger than most of us. He was unarmed and he was also Black. We understand that this is no coincidence. A no indictment verdict made absolutely no sense to us. Darren Wilson couldn’t even be brought to trial because of conflicting evidence? We’d like to ask, “Is that justice?”

We also understand that this is not an isolated incident. Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, Tamir Rice, Kendrec McDade, Jonathan Ferrell, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Aiyana Jones; these are just a few Black people who have been killed by law enforcement officers in the last fifteen years. All of them unarmed. Twelve year-old Tamir Rice was only carrying a toy gun. Did he deserve to die? Again, this is no coincidence. This is an irrevocably flawed system and UBC students know this. We understand that this same system extends into Canada. We know we are not exempt. Our indigenous population suffers heinously at the hands of this same system. This is no coincidence.
We know that we can no longer be complicit. UBC students will continue to care and we will continue the conversation. We will continue to “fight the powers that be.”

Apples for Profs – A New Tradition at UBC

On Wednesday, October 29 – the Equity & Inclusion office worked with students to pilot the first ever “Apples for Profs” event at UBC.  The inspiration for this event came from consultation work with faculty, many of whom reported feeling increasingly unappreciated in their roles as instructors, because some have been struggling to connect with their students in the classroom. UBC is comprised of a diverse student population, some of which come from cultures where gift-giving [for instructors] is commonplace, whereas others are of backgrounds where this practice is discouraged. The symbolism of the quintessential “apple” is familiar for many North American instructors and students. Historically speaking, this symbol comes from the 17th or 18th century, where poorer farmers in Northern Europe and the United States would pay their children’s teachers with food, such as apples and potatoes. With the help of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society members (LFS|US) and Agora Cafe volunteers, we handed out 480 apples locally sourced from the UBC Botanical Garden (Apple Festival 2014) to students, who were encouraged to write notes of appreciation to accompany their apples.

Alden Habacon, Intercultural Understanding Director, is making a fresh apple delivery on his bike.

Alden Habacon, Director of Intercultural Understanding at UBC, is making a fresh apple delivery on his bike.

instagram

Taken from Instagram. #apples4ubcprofs

Joanna and Krystal of the Equity & Inclusion Office handing out apples.

Joanna and Krystal of the Equity & Inclusion Office handing out apples.

The event was well-received by students – most of them were happy to see a “no strings attached” event happen on campus.

This is the official Equity & Inclusion Office article about the event: http://equity.ubc.ca/2014/10/30/starting-a-new-tradition-apples-for-ubc-profs/

And for photos, please visit our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/EquityUBCV

We are looking to improve this tradition for the future, so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comment box below.

Congratulations to Karen Dhaliwal and UBC Intercultural Alliance for winning the 2014 Provincial Nesika Award!

Province of British Columbia

VANCOUVER – The fifth annual Provincial Nesika Awards proved that multiculturalism is flourishing in British Columbia. More than 400 people attended this flagship event at the Science World OMNIMAX Theatre with Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism Teresa Wat there to present the awards.   Continue reading

Remember to stay safe during exams

To UBC’s Vancouver campus community:

I want to wish students every success in your exams. And I want to remind all members of our community to continue to look out for each other’s wellbeing and safety as we transition to new spring routines.

Recently the UBC RCMP issued a safety reminder to our campus community with tips to keep in mind for a new season. Find out more here:   Continue reading

Launch A Career in Canada: for International Students, Event of UBC, March 6, 2014 | UBC國際學生活動—— 如何在加拿大開啟職業生涯之旅

At Vancouver Public Library Conference Centre
By Boshan Wang (DAP, Sauder School of Business)

日期: 2014年3月6日
地點:溫哥華圖書館會議中心
作者:王伯珊 (DAP,尚德商學院)

Launch a Career in Canada is an annual event that features a keynote presentation and interactive discussions with a variety of speakers, panelists, employers, and international alumni representing many different sectors including, but not limited to: engineering, mining, arts and entertainment, biotechnology, marketing and communications, information technology, finance and accounting. There are three rounds of interactive roundtable discussion (kind of like speed dating) that allow participants to ask questions of the mentor, followed by a networking session with the mentors, employers and international alumni.   Continue reading

Request for Feedback from UBC Students

Over the last semester I have been meeting with student groups for a final look at the working draft of the mid-level plan.

I had promised students and Heads and Directors to turn my presentations into a 20-minute video that could be shared. Here it is, providing an overview of the working draft of The Intercultural Promise. To download and review the working draft of The Intercultural Promise.

The mid-level plan features six strategic goals. The first three address the core issues at UBC that contribute to intercultural barriers.

  1. Fostering a culture of dynamic interaction (aka. “friend-making”);
  2. Growing our capacity for “courageous conversations”; and
  3. Classroom content: Integrating intercultural understanding into the classroom experience.

We have consulted students all through the plan’s development and just want to loop back to students before we put out a more final version of the mid-level plan.

We are currently asking students the following question:

Do these strategic goals contribute to UBC students’ aspiration for an intercultural campus?

We are asking students to respond by sending thoughts and comments by email to anna.wong@ubc.ca or through the following survey:

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/ubc-intercultural-u/intercultural-promise/

Here are the list of groups we have already presented to that provided an opportunity for student feedback:

  • VP Students Group (June 2013)
  • AMS Council (July 2013)
  • Student Administrative Commission (August 2013)
  • Constituency President’s Council (October 2013)
  • Student Clubs at Global Lounge (October 2013)
  • SAC Info Sessions (November 2013)
  • UBC Board of Governors (November 2013)

Happy Lunar New Year! 恭禧發財 and 新年快樂 | 新年快乐 (Xin Nian Kuai Le!) | 새해 복 많이 받으세요 | Chúc mừng năm mới | 明けましておめでとうございます。

Courtesy of Linda Ong and Library Communications and Marketing

A message from Alden E. Habacon, Director, Intercultural Understanding Strategy Development (February 4, 2014):

Happy Lunar New Year! Gong hey fat choy and San Nihn Faai Lok! (Cantonese), Xin Nian Kuai Le! (Mandarin), Sae Hae Bok Mani Ba Deu Se Yo! (Korean), Chúc mng năm mi! (Vietnamese), and Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu (Japanese).

This past Friday marked the beginning of the Year of the Horse for Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and many Japanese families all over the world. It is especially important for Vancouver and our community at UBC, as marked by the many celebrations on campus by various clubs and the countless activities throughout the city in the past week.

Continue reading

Celebrating Lunar New Year with Foods From Different Cultures

yu sheng ingredients 2

Every year, Lunar New Year is celebrated around the globe with great fanfare: lion dances, red packets stuffed with money, and of course, 10-course banquets comprising dishes made with exquisite ingredients and brimming with symbolism–foods that are homonyms or look-alikes for gold bars, prosperity, family unity, fertility, good fortune, etc. This year, Lunar New Year falls on January 31st–it’s the year of the Horse!– and families will gather from far and wide over the next two weeks to eat dishes from long-life noodles to whole fish and fried egg rolls. Continue reading