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

You can 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 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.

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/

by Simran Cheema

Living in suite-style residence calls for grocery shopping. It is not only a daunting task but also very demanding when it comes to expenses. When shopping for groceries, one has to keep in mind about healthy food items that they SHOULD pick up, guilty pleasures that they WANT to pick up and the $$ in the pocket which will restrain them from picking everything up that is in the “SHOULD” and “WANT” list. So I am presenting to you a guide which comprises of just 5 points. But if followed, these 5 points will be very helpful in managing your budget and groceries.

1. Pick a timeline: It is very important that you decide as to for how long you are purchasing the groceries for at a given time. Some people like to purchase groceries for 2 weeks and some go for 1 month. This will give you an idea of how much food you should pick up and save you from the hassle of going to the store too often. Additionally, it helps to avoid buying either too much or too less food. If there is something left from the past weeks, make a note of that and avoid picking it up from the store when you go in the next time.
2. Make a list: This sounds very boring but it is an essential element of efficient grocery shopping. A lot of people prefer to pick groceries as they see them at the store. Due to this, they tend to pick up more stuff than what they need. Having a list allows you to grab products you need and avoiding the unnecessary purchase of products you do not need. I prefer to have a small pad in my kitchen, preferably on my refrigerator door, and write items I need on it as soon as they come to my mind. This way, you will also not forget things that you absolutely need.
3. Avoid guilty pleasures: Often unnecessary items make a bulk of our grocery shopping. Avoid such items by not including them on the grocery list. It gets very tempting to pick up chocolate bars or gum at the checkout. If you do look at them, start humming a tune in your mind or think about something important that you need to go home and do. This will help you get your mind off of these items. And trust me, IT REALLY WORKS!
4. Choose a good store: As a student at UBC, we are very lucky to have some very good and cheap grocery stores around campus. I prefer No Frills personally because it is very close to campus (15 minutes of bus ride). The University Village as a produce store which is super cost effective. If you’re someone who liked to shop at Save-On Foods in the Wesbrook Village, then get their Save-On More card. It helps you gain points and also save money every time you buy something.
5. Pile up items on sale: A lot of times you’ll see cans and other items on sale. It is a good idea to pile up those items for later times because the sale might not last for too long. These items do not expire for a really long time. Same applies to items like cleaning supplies, soap, etc. However, it is important to purchase only such items that are needed. Do not stock pile things that are on sale but not necessarily needed by you.

So next time you go for grocery shopping, make sure you follow the above mentioned points for an efficient and cost-effective grocery shopping.

Happy Grocery Shopping!!