The Pit Pub v. Clark Pub

The Pit Pub is briefly, or possibly not at all, closing. We are renovating it, updating what is, to be honest, a complete pit, into what will hopefully be a more active and enticing campus bar. (One which I will continue to go to far less than the Gallery.) However, I just want it to be known that, we will not close it down forever.

QUIZ! QUIZ! QUIZ!

So, the quarterlies are out. They are comprehensive and long. Read them...

In lieu of content (which will, mind you, be somewhat sparse during the summer), this is an AMS quiz prepared by Sheldon. Google Symbionese... its an interesting read.

Answers in 1 week or five submissions in the comments, whichever comes last. I will buy an AMS meal voucher worth of lunch for the winner.

QUIZ! QUIZ! QUIZ!

How much do you know about the history of the AMS? Not that much? Well, it doesn't matter--you're bound to do well on this quiz anyway.


1. The SRA was: (a) the Symbionese Revolutionary Army; (b)the Shotgun and Rifle Association; (c) the Scottish Republican Army; (d) the Student Representative Assembly, the name of the AMS Student Council between 1976 and 1980.

2. Sherwood Lett was: (a) the first AMS President at UBC; (b) a chancellor of UBC; (c) Chief Justice of British Columbia; (d) the husband of Evelyn Lett; (e) all of the above.

3. Leonard S. Klinck was: (a) a character on Hogan's Heroes; (b) the first head of UBC Parking and Security; (c) the inventor of the jail; (d) the second president of UBC.

4. The Great Trek was: (a) a 1937 Maoist military maneuver; (b) a 1923 Rudolph Valentino movie; (c) the 1922 march of UBC students demanding the construction of the current campus; (d) an early science fiction show by Gene Roddenberry.

5. Before moving onto the current campus, UBC operated (a) in Victoria College; (b) on the ferries between Victoria and Vancouver; (c) in buildings at 12th and Oak, near the current site of the Vancouver General Hospital; (d) in the hearts and minds of right-thinking students everywhere.

6. Mamooks was: (a) the sequel to Nanook of the North; (b) a club for actors who had performed in Mame; (c) a rare tropical disease eradicated by UBC scientists; (d) a poster and sign-painting club active at UBC in the 1940s and subsequent decades and responsible for announcing student activities.

7. In 1968, at the urging of U.S. hippie leader Jerry Rubin, thousands of UBC students occupied (a) B lot; (b) the clock tower; (c) the outdoor swimming pool; (d) the Faculty Club.

8. Human Government was (a) a 1980’s disco band; (b) Alexander Dubcek’s slogan in Czechoslovakia in 1968; (c) a novel jointly written by Balzac and Dante; (d) a left-wing AMS slate that swept the Executive elections in 1971 but was then forced to resign en masse after losing a non-confidence referendum.

9. The first woman president of the AMS was: (a) Evelyn Lett; (b) Janice Boyle; (c) Norah Coy; (d) Kim Campbell.

10. The AMS Insider was called Inside UBC from 1982 through 2003; before that it was called (a) Insight; (b) Out of Sight!; (c) Uptight; (d) Hello Frosh.

11. Bird Calls was: (a) the old UBC Nature Club; (b) the sponsor of the Lady Godiva Ride; (c) a 1933 Bing Crosby recording; (d) the old Student Telephone Directory.

12. UBC first opened its doors in (a) 1915; (b) 1925; (c) 1950; (d) 1867.

13. In its first academic session, the number of students attending UBC was approximately (a) 40,000; (b) 4,000; (c) 400; (d) 40.

14. Before UBC opened, students could take university-transfer courses at a Vancouver college affiliated with (a) Harvard; (b) Ball State; (c) UVic; (d) McGill.

15. Attempts have been made to get quorum at general meetings by (a) holding a free rock concert as part of the meeting; (b) making the meeting part of the Welcome Back BBQ; (c) holding the meeting in the SUB cafeteria at lunchtime; (d) all of the above.

16. Brock Hall, the former Student Union Building, was named after (a) CFL football player Dieter Brock; (b) Isaac Brock, the hero of the Battle of Queenston Heights in 1812; (c) baseball star Lou Brock; (d) Engineering Dean Reginald Brock and his wife, who died in a plane crash in 1935.

17. The Literary and Scientific Department was: (a) a code name for an illegal drug; (b) a column in the Ubyssey; (c) a predecessor of SAC; (d) the old name for the UBC Senate.

18. The "Back Mac" campaign was: (a) a promotion for McDonald's; (b) an attempt to unionize truck drivers; (c) a computer virus attacking only IBM machines; (d) a 1963 student campaign asking the government to provide the funding requested by UBC President John Macdonald.

19. Before the name “Thunderbirds” was finally chosen, what name almost became the one given to UBC sports teams, because it won the first student-wide vote on the issue? (a) Grizzlies; (b) Prowlers; (c) Sea-Gulls; (d) Musqueams.

20. The Yell King was: (a) an early TV series set in Australia; (b) a 1950's rock and roll star; (c) a Swiss chalet; (d) an AMS official in the 1920's responsible for promoting school spirit and organizing demonstrations.

21. David Suzuki is: (a) a well-known environmentalist; (b) a former UBC professor; (c) the host of CBC’s “The Nature of Things”; (d) the person who named the Pit Pub; (e) all of the above.

22. The current Student Union Building opened on September 26 in: (a) 1978; (b) 1968; (c) 1958; (d) 1948.

23. In 1924, Student Council passed motions forbidding students to: (a) talk in the library; (b) loiter in the halls; (c) gamble at cards; (d) write on the walls; (e) all of the above.

24. The Feldhaus Case was: (a) a White House scandal; (b) a type of backpack; (c) John Grisham’s first novel; (d) a legal action challenging the right of student societies to collect fees from students.

25. “Alma Mater Society” is: (a) the name of only one other student society in the entire world; (b) a term that makes most people think of the alumni; (c) the former name of the Students’ Society of McGill University; (d) a term that dates back to before UBC opened; (e) all of the above.

26. In 1975, the election for one member of the AMS executive ended in a tie. The winner was then decided on by: (a) rerunning the election; (b) letting Student Council choose between the two tied candidates; (c) letting the AMS President choose; (d) tossing a coin.

27. In March 1999, the only surviving member of the first AMS Student Council at UBC died at the age of 102. This person, who helped draft the first AMS constitution, was: (a) Pierre Berton; (b) Sherwood Lett; (c) Evelyn Lett; (d) Earle Birney; (e) David Strangway.

28. Which two well-known personalities served together on the AMS executive in 1976-77? (a) Jack Layton and Stephen Harper; (b) Gordon Campbell and Larry Campbell; (c) Moe Sihota and Herb Dhaliwal; (d) Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

29. Before the recent U-Pass referendums, the AMS referendum in which the Yes side won the most votes was (a) in 1982, when students were asked to vote in favour of increasing the AMS fee by $20; (b) in 1984, when students were asked to vote to join the Canadian Federation of Students; (c) in 1987, when students were asked to vote to ban the sale of products from South Africa because of apartheid; (d) in 1996, when students were asked to vote to establish the Evelyn Lett childcare bursary fund; (e) in 1970, when students were asked to make the AMS fee voluntary.

30. The Great Trekker Award (a) is given by the AMS to a worthy UBC graduate; (b) once had the name James T. Kirk engraved on it thanks to the Engineers; (c) has been won by Pierre Berton, Allan Fotheringham, and Byron Hender; (d) was first awarded in 1950; (e) was not awarded for many years in the 1970’s; (f) all of the above.

Meetings in May

So, it's the May second meeting of student council, and given that I don't actually see anyone from the UBC Insiders crew here today (correction - Maayan, apparently, it here somewhere), so I guess that I'll report on the goings on.


Appointment of the Speaker
Sadly, we do not angrilly drag our speaker up to his chair up upon his appointment, much to my dismay. The AMS needs a little more ceremonialization, methinks. Dave was reappointed.


SA-Link
Brittany and Sarah are very gung ho about a program to streamline the bureaucratic administrative processes of the AMS.


U-Blvd.
Well, the people form UBC External Affairs made a presentation on what their vision was for the U-Blvd design. It... was not good. The actually have managed to systematically remove any type of benefit from the original design, the one that students voted on.

I am not opposed to developing this space. I like the idea of plazas. I'm actually really quite fond of plazas. However, there is not a good use of plaza space, and there is no integration with the SUB, something that has, up to now, functioned as a hub of student life.

I really like how this guy brought in anecdotal evidence on the need for retail. He spoke to the changing face of campus, how there will be more need for a greater variety of campus. However, this is fundamentally incorrect. Campus is actually becoming more homogeneous. We exist within a smaller and smaller age cohort - so I don't really know what he's talking about.

I like the Knoll. It is a necessary and useful meeting place on campus.

The administration seems to assert that we on AMS council are part of a very vocal minority of involved individuals. To this end, I have reached through time to someone who is unequivocally not involved. I beg my readers indulgence to introduce a non expert witness. John Naylor, graduate of Biology in 1976, never ran for office, never joined a club, and never lived on campus. He spent time in the SUB, and enjoyed Dr. Bungbogo's Pandemonium Medicine Show in the Norm. Now, he lives in Calgary, Alberta, home of Canadian capitalism, and works as a doctor. Here is what he has to say:

The SUB was a place to go. It was a hub of Student life on Campus. I enjoyed my time at UBC. The Knoll should serve its purpose. The presence of green space and traditional student meeting places is important and should be preserved.

In terms of development:

Development must be aesthetically and functionally useful. Students would have to be involved in the process. Any business that goes there must fit with the concept of being a university - the concept of being an institution of higher learning, as opposed to just shops. There must be something to do with the needs of campus.

Two generations of UBC students oppose this idea of non consultation. When you can convince some capitalist pig like me (or my family, for that matter) that this program is bad for students, there is a problem.

Here was an interesting exchange...

Are these things (shopping malls) that students have said that they want on campus?

No.

An absence of universal vocal opposition does not imply an implicit approval.

So, I support the petition. I think that a complete redesign needs to take place, and that the current plan is unacceptable (read - does not take into account the SUB, nor does it exist in, tactfully, a non-ugly fashion).


A Thought on Norm, the guy from the office of the UBC VP External
Were people idiots when he was on AMS council, because he sure assumes that we are all of a below standard level of intelligence.


CASA Motions
A bunch of CASA motions came to Council today. They were to ratify changes to the fee structure, the constitution and the bylaws that we made at the AGM. I am happy that they passed so very uneventfully.


WOW Discussion Topics
Developing Provincial Partnerships: How should the Department of External Affairs proceed in developing provincial partnerships with other student associations. How should our friend-finding occur, and what friends should we find? What should the mandate of the organization be, and what should our role in it be?

Campus Community and the Future of Life on Campus: What challenges present themselves to us in creating a campus community for a student body on a commuter campus? What do you think will be the future of our life on campus, and how are we going to interact with the growing Universities Neighbrohood Association, and what our focus should be?

UBC Student Society Praises Campus 2020 Report

This was our press release regarding Campus 2020



VANCOUVER, BC (April 24, 2007) The Alma Mater Society (AMS), the student society at UBC, today praised the Campus 2020 report on post-secondary education issued yesterday by former BC attorney-general Geoff Plant.

The AMS said that the report contained bold new ideas that could improve the quality of education in the province if the government adopts them.

AMS President Jeff Friedrich said the key would be to provide funding to implement the report’s recommendations. “It has to be fully funded,” he said, “or we won’t get beyond where we are today.”

“We’re impressed with the report’s position on improved data collection, which reflects one of the suggestions in the AMS submission to Campus 2020 in December of last year,” said Friedrich.

The organization’s main disappointment was concerning tuition. “We were looking for a proportional cap to limit the student contribution to 20 percent of the cost of their education,” said AMS VP External Matthew Naylor, “but overall this is an excellent report that we hope the government adopts.”

The AMS praised the combined emphasis on access and excellence – singling out the report’s ambitious goal of having the province achieve the highest level of participation in post-secondary education per capita in Canada by 2015, along with the goal of having the province rank highest in the country on quality measures by that same year.

“We’re pleased with the proposals for a Higher Education Presidents Council, Higher Education Board, and a Pacific Centre of Excellence in Learning Innovation, which reflect the spirit of our submission to Campus 2020 late last year,” said Friedrich.

My Deepest Condolences

There are times like these where you don't really know what to think. Times like when I found out about the September 11th attacks, or the Columbine Shootings. This, coming on the heels of the Shooting at Virgina Tech, is one of those times.

Tim does raise some interesting points over at UBC Insiders, though.

I am, however, reminded of one thing, and that is the importance of a functioning campus safety and security network. I feel incredibly blessed that there are mechanisms on UBC's campus that do their absolute best to help make this institution the safest possible. Our Blue Light Phones, for example, are a beacon, quite literally, of safety on campus. Campus security patrols too are important. But I think that the most important thing for development of a safe campus is Safewalk.

People rag on Safewalk all the time, especially at the yearly Safewalk service presentation to AMS Council. And there are some legitimate arguments - the cost per walk is often above thirty dollars. But they do more than just walk. They also patrol around campus, acting as students who we can count on. The Safewalk logo is the most recognizable brand on campus, and everyone knows who the people are in the red coats. So, yes, perhaps Safewalk costs a fair amount (mere pennies a student, by the way), but when faced with the choice that we see today, between 31 dollars or 31 lives, there's no contest.

Why does this blog exist?

The AMS Department of External Affairs (not a constitutionally defined body), comprising the office of the VP External, the External Commission, and, to a lesser extent, the Lobbying Review Committee, is one of the least understood bodies in the organization. This is because it deals with things that have a less tangible and short term benefit to students than things like Club Administration or the Budget. Notably, the Academic and University Affairs portfolio suffers from similar problems, but, well, thats not my portfolio and I don't know all thats going on in it.

So what am I going to do here? Post. That a first one, and not just on External issues, but also on issues related to the AMS as an organization and as a part of Campus and Community life. What does CASA do for students? What is going on in the greater student movement? These are questions which are relevant to us, as I have no doubt you will see in the near future, but issues which don't have the profile that that probably should. Translink governance, civil liberties... all of these things are dealt with through the External portfolio. So, for those of you who dont read council minutes or hear my exec remarks in person, I hope this tool of greater information sharing is, in any form, useful.