the cavalier - november issue

NOVEMBER 2009GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? FREE CUS NEWSPAPER

Integrated solutions and long-term thinking were the cornerstones of the second annual Chas-ing Sustainability Conference, held at the Liu In-stitute for Global Issues on November 6. The con-ference originated as a speaker series organized by the Commerce Community Program but assumed its current form last year under the supervision of the newly created CUS Sustainability. Approxi-mately fifty delegates, some CUS die-hards, but many more average students interested in learn-ing more about the sustainability movement were treated to presentations by UBC Sustainability guru John Robinson, Mountain Equipment Co-Op CFO Sandy Treagus, VANOC VP Sustainability Linda Coady, and a keynote address by UBC’s own rogue economist Bill Rees.

All the presenters, with the exception of Dr. Rees, kept a very positive attitude about what can be a very daunting and depressing topic and stressed innovation and dedication while putting forward concrete ideas to help make our business-es more sustainable.

Dr. Rees’s keynote address focused on his field of ecological economics and how this differs from the traditional field of neo-liberal econom-ics that we are all familiar with. The gist of the presentation was that the economic theories that we have all been taught stress profit maximiza-tion and constant growth as the cornerstones of success and that these motivations are the source of our current environmental turmoil. Perhaps his most eye-opening point was that we concern our-selves only with the output of production but that production processes really produce two things: output and waste, however we seldom give much attention to the latter, which can be considerable. He noted that governments the world over mea-sure Gross Domestic Product and focus on grow-ing it year-to-year but none measure Gross Do-mestic Waste.

Dr. Rees’s presentation was certainly very

thought-provoking but, to be honest, made my head hurt at times. The speech delivered by Sandy Treagus from MEC was perhaps the most relevant for the predominantly commerce under-graduate audience. The key point of his presenta-tion was that “you can’t control what you can’t measure.” That is to say that if businesses hope to ever become more sustainable they need to identi-fy all the factors that relate to their environmental impact, such as emissions from employee com-muting, energy consumption, and emissions from

Chasing Sustainability: Maybe One Day We’ll Catch UpBY BRIAN GRANT

transportation, then measure and analyze these metrics on a regular basis to keep them under con-trol. He stressed that being more sustainable can be cost-effective especially when considered over the long term.

On balance Chasing Sustainability was a very inspirational event and one that I would highly recommend to any student, not just those with a strong interest in sustainability. ■

M O D E R N T E C H N O L O G Y O W E S E C O L O G Y A N A P O L O G Y . C H A S I N G S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y T I M E - C A V A L I E R G O E S G R E E N

Whistler Film Festival December 3-6 2009The Whistler Film Festival will have sport

enthusiasts less inclined to pummel themselves down icy mountains during the 9th annual festi-val. Many Canadian filmmakers will hit the the-aters and bars at this high profile event. The rest of us are invited, too. Just bring your evening wear and leave expectations of dreary 3-hour films at home.

It is only a 4 day event with an opening gala,

a closing gala, and many soirees in between. Whether the emphasis is on partying or film screenings, it is a proud Canadian event mirroring the Cannes film festival. The festival showcases primarily Canadian cinema and hosts a ski race against filmmakers as a fundraiser, all in wintery Whistler.

If you attend one of the outdoor film screen-ings, bring a jacket. I put a request in for Titanic. ■

Few Injuries Anticipated at Whistler Film FestBY NICOLE FISHER

R E A D I N T H I S I S S U E :

- Photo Hunt: Chasing Sustainability (p. 8) - Are You Worldly? IBC Review (p. 4) - EcoFont. SavingThe World One Letter At A Time (p. 7)

CUS VISUAL MEDIA TEAM PHOTOGRAPHY

NOVEMBER 2009 cavalier.cusonline.capage 2

The theme of this issue is something that is very important to both me and the entire Cava-lier team: environmental sustainability and social responsibility. For years businesses have been polluting our earth and exploiting workers the world over. However change is afoot: consumers finally stood up and said, “No more,” and thus emerged the concept of a “social license to op-erate,” whereby consumers begin to refuse to do business with corporations that have abysmal en-vironmental and social records.

We have been left with a world in dire straights and we as the business leaders of tomorrow are left with the task of fixing it. This task at the same time produces a great challenge and opportunity for our generation – and that is really what this issue is about.

But that got me thinking. Is there something inherently different about yesterday’s business leaders? Well, to an extent there certainly is – the world they grew up in was different than ours. However, there are many similarities and while it is easy to point out their mistakes and assure ourselves that we would never be so foolish, it is naive to truly believe this.

No one, save perhaps the most callous of peo-ple, sets out planning to wipe species off the face of the earth or abuse child labourers in develop-ing countries. These atrocities are committed for one reason – business leaders sold out their be-liefs for money. It is usually cheaper (although recent literature suggests otherwise) to do busi-ness in an irresponsible way. The business lead-ers of yesteryear took a look at the dollar signs and said, “Screw the polar bears, I have boat pay-ments.” This irresponsible attitude resulted in a form of taxation without representation where

A Message of Change From the EditorBY BRIAN GRANT

Editorial Team:

the younger generations have to suffer the cost of environmental degradation while not reaping the “benefits” of exploitation.

The road to recovery is not going to be an easy ride – our generation will have to slog it out on an uphill bike ride instead of cruising along in the gas-chugging SUVs of our forbearers. To truly become environmentally sustainable will require a fundamental shift in the business paradigms of our generation. As nicely put by Ray Anderson, the President of Interface, the world’s largest car-pet manufacturer: “Can any product be made sus-tainably? Well, not any and every product. . . . Some products ought not to be made at all. Unless we can make carpets sustainably, you know, per-haps we don’t have a place in a sustainable world, but neither does anybody else, making products unsustainably.”

I think that Mr. Anderson really hits the mes-sage home. We need to evaluate every product that we make and every action that we take and ask ourselves, “Is this sustainable?” If the answer is no, then we need to think long and hard about if we should be making that product or taking that action at all. We’ve done that with this issue. We realized that preaching sustainability in an issue printed on thousands of pieces of paper would be wrong, so we put our money where our pens are and made this issue entirely digital.

This issue explores some of the opportunities available and some of the issues surrounding sus-tainability. I am heartened to see that so many students at Sauder are dedicated to becoming more sustainable – just make sure to stick to your guns and never sell out your beliefs for a few ex-tra dollars. We’re all in this together. ■

[email protected]

Many people closely involved in the CUS elec-tions last year will agree the process was some-thing of a joke. Campaigning was lightly regulat-ed, winners were announced who were not even running in the election, and results were released before final numbers were set in stone.

In fairness to the organizers, however, the tim-ing of the elections was less than desirable. The constitution, which introduced the elected board and a new CUS structure, was passed just shortly before positions needed to be filled. The develop-ment of a strong voting system had to be greatly hurried, and unfortunately this was evident in the result.

There was widespread consensus among the new CUS administration that something needed to be done. A committee was formed and an ac-tion plan was produced outlining specific issues. A secure and reliable voting system would be es-tablished, specific guidelines would outline what is permitted during a candidate’s campaign, and certain barriers to entry would help make sure candidates were seriously interested in the posi-tion.

Guidelines in the new policy will ultimately help improve the organization and accuracy of election results. But the board is also developing a better online system. By February, you will all

have one more link on your WebCT Vista homep-age. It will take you to a personalized CUS page from which you will be able to securely vote. The page will appear different for each grad year, as students will only be able to select candidates in positions for which they are eligible to vote. The system will hopefully be much more reliable, and results will be clear and accurate. Conveniently, the system will also provide a direct marketing tool for CUS use throughout the school year.

Notable restrictions on campaigning include a set number of approved campaign posters, a limit on campaign spending (of which the CUS will re-imburse a set percentage), and the prohibition of formal speeches during class time. Any candidate that is found to have promoted campaign materi-als prior to the opening of nominations will no longer be eligible to run.

The severity of punishment handed out for pol-icy violations during the campaign is left for the elections officer to decide. The issue was lightly discussed at a meeting in early September before the document was passed. Possible disciplinary action that has been brought up includes time re-strictions during the candidate forum, removal of campaign posters, or for more serious violations, removal from the ballot.

(continued on page 4)

On the Board: One Policy Approved Another Not UnderstoodBY ADAM DEAN

Briant GrantEditor-in-Chief

[email protected]

The Cavalier Team(If You See Us In Henry Angus - Say Hi)

Stephanie HungAssistant Editor

[email protected]

WRITERS: Amelia Lak

Colin SimkusEkaterina Dovjenko

Jarrod ZhangJinn Soo-Tveita

Kyle DodmanMichelle FanNicole FisherStas Pavlov

William Wijaya

Adam DeanLanguage Editor

[email protected]

Paulina AksenovaLayout Editor

[email protected]

Pamela YuenMarketing [email protected]

NOVEMBER 2009cavalier.cusonline.ca page 3

I was originally going to share with you, the reader, a perspective on UK Prime Minister Gor-don Brown’s surprise announcement. At a recent G20 meeting, Prime Minister Brown suggested a global tax on financial and currency transactions. Not surprisingly, the IMF rushed to be the one to be able to implement it. The idea, however, re-ceived such disapproval from the United States (and Canada) that Gordon Brown officially with-drew it; the folks toying with a soda tax have no stomach for a global transaction tax.

On the topic of sustainability, however, there is a meeting happening soon that could actually create a global tax (of sorts) on a very wide range of products. From December 7th through Decem-ber 18th, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to discuss how to take the next step on combating climate change. Currently, 192 mem-bers of the world community are party to the Unit-ed Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a document with lots of ab-stract principles and high-minded ambitions. In an attempt to put nitty-gritty hard commitments be-hind the UNFCCC, signatories to the Framework Convention drafted the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. The Protocol aimed to get developed countries to commit to reducing their emissions, by 2012, to a level that is a certain percentage (varying country to country) below their 1990 emissions.

However, the Kyoto Protocol was not as widely adhered to as many had hoped. The United States never ratified it, and Canada reneged. While both were supposed to cut their emissions 6-7%, American emissions increased 20% and ours (due in part to our employment creating Alberta bi-tumen fields) increased 27%. Furthermore, the Kyoto Protocol never aimed to bind developing countries (ie: India and China) to 2012 obliga-tions. Many people in the West complained about having to make cuts while China continues to

add a dozen coal-fired power plants every month (China has increased its emissions 150%).

Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) believes that, by 2020, global emissions will need to be reduced to 25-40% below 1990 levels. Otherwise, the IPCC’s twin goals of no more than 350 parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere, and no more than a global two-percent temperature increase will not be achieved. The solution to be developed in Copenhagen will include which countries are re-sponsible for the “desired” global aggregate 25-40% cut and, in each case, to what degree.

The developing countries note that, per capita, Western countries emit far more than develop-ing countries, and they argue that even if they quadrupled their emissions, they would only just reach current Western per capita levels – prevent-ing them from reaching that level would impinge on their “inherent right to develop.” They also expound a theory of “historical responsibility”: 80% of the existing “man-made” carbon in the atmosphere came from developed countries. The developing countries also argue that there should be “separate and differentiated responsibilities” because, compared to richer countries, they lack the financial and technological resources to make adequate changes. As a result, they seek a lower burden of obligation. China and India have already agreed to form a common negotiating position to jointly force the hand of developed countries.

There certainly is some strong merit in the ar-guments advanced by developing countries. The question for us in Canada, though, is what does this mean for Western countries; what should we agree to? Given that half the World wants to keep developing, if the 25-40% reductions are to be achieved, should Canada and other westernized countries accept cuts in the range of 50-75 per-cent? In a Northern (cold winter), geographically

diffuse country such as ours, is such a reduction – in just over ten years – possible? What are we, as Canadians, comfortable with?

At the end of the day, however, we need a se-rious dialogue about how the different nations for the world, at their respective stages of devel-opment, can collectively make the changes that are being asked of the world. Increases in urban density, improvement in mass transit, the devel-opment of green energy technology, improved energy efficiency mechanisms, and consuming more cautiously can all help. Furthermore, emis-sions trading mechanisms could allow countries that over-emit to pay other countries (less expen-sive developing countries) to under-emit as com-pared to their targeted amounts. Pessimistically, it means we can either make the necessary cuts or pay other countries to make those cuts for us.

Ultimately, it’s tremendous that world leaders are sitting down to discuss these tough challeng-es. But if we’re setting out to reshape the World, let’s have the proper public participation; if ‘we’ are going to be asked to make such tough sac-rifices, we need to have a more fulsome, demo-cratic dialogue on the issue. Otherwise, we could suddenly wake up on December 19th (inciden-tally, my birthday) to learn that Canada is facing global taxation without adequate representation. If Canadians want to be leaders at Copenhagen, like we were half a century ago on peacekeeping, or more recently on landmines, then that’s fine; but whereas voluntary sacrifice is noble, forced sacrifice is coercion. Whether you support the impending requested sacrifice or not, stay tuned and make sure to let your elected representatives know where you stand – engaging your voice can be taxing, but perhaps not as taxing as saying nothing. ■

The Taxing International Negotiations on the HorizonBY COLIN SIMKUS

It seems almost impossible to not see or hear about these four characters, “H1N1,” in today’s media. Since its initial outbreak in March 2009, the public media has kept us updated with the latest death toll, infection rate and other related dire news. Here at UBC, an alert has been issued regarding the school policy on the pandemic and hand sanitizers have been installed everywhere. It appears that almost everyone is making a big fuss about it, whether this is warranted or not. I was watching the news the other day and saw the emp-ty shelves at stores, which used to display hand sanitizers. My parents wouldn’t even take me on our annual vacation this year due to this horrible epidemic. Personally, I think the power of the H1N1 flu has been exaggerated. It is true that H1N1 has already claimed eighteen lives in BC, according to the latest news; however, in most cases, the majority of the population is strong and healthy. To see whether or not there is consen-sus on my viewpoint, I have asked a few of my friends and professors for their takes on H1N1.

Out of the seven people I surveyed, no one is really anxious about the disease. Most of them just see H1N1 as a slightly darker, if not the same, version of a regular flu. Esther Law from Sauder was a little worried when the issue initially came up because she was constantly told about death associated with H1N1. However, now that she sees many people who had H1N1 making full re-coveries, her mind is pretty much at ease. Simi-larly, another Sauderite, Tim Blonk, told me, “I

honestly don’t think the H1N1 is that serious. I think it’s been massively exaggerated in the me-dia.” Arts student Janice Liu even joked, “I have more things to worry about than H1N1.”

Even though these students are not too pessi-mistic about H1N1, the disease surely changed their lives. My Organizational Behaviour Profes-sor Michael Read would wash his hands or use sanitizer after each class and after handling sub-mitted assignments, in addition to avoiding touch-ing public objects entirely. Others share similar answers, suggesting better personal hygiene and avoiding contact with sick people. These tips can be valuable for you to defend against H1N1 if you are not already doing so.

When asked about UBC’s precautionary policy about H1N1, most students from Sauder agree that the school is doing a great job keeping peo-ple informed by sending out mail packages and emails and installing lots of sanitizer stations. However, Janice Liu and Science student Janny Ke feel that they are not given as much informa-tion about H1N1. To those who would like more information, I strongly encourage them to check out the H1N1 link in the Student Service Center or view the November 12 edition of the electronic UBC newsletter.

For the most part, the answers to the question-naires were generally agreed upon. Perhaps the most controversial problem was whether or not to get a H1N1 vaccine. I got answers from one end of the spectrum to the other. Angela Wong from

Swine and Cheese: How Sauder Is Coping With H1N1BY MICHELLE FAN

Sauder is definitely getting a vaccine because she feels it’s a worthy safety precaution. Naomi Tse, another Sauder student, expresses scepticism about the effectiveness of the vaccine but will get one because her mom is forcing her to do so. Tim and Esther will not get the shot due to doubt of the effectiveness and fear of possible mishaps. At this point in time, it is hard to say whether or not the vaccine is entirely beneficial, but it is a risk that some people are willing to take. If you want to find out how to get an H1N1 vaccine on cam-pus starting Nov 23, visit www.ubc.ca for more information.

Overall, H1N1 is an important problem that we should all take notice of. Prevention can be as simple as washing your hands frequently and avoiding contact with sick people. However, we should not let it take over our lives and eat away at our fun university experience. ■


Don’t Forget Your Passport: A Trip Through IBCBY PAMELA YUEN

As the longest running CUS conference, the 17th annual International Business Conference took place on November 12, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Downtown Vancouver. Themed “Leading a Global Brand,” IBC circulated around the topic of international marketing. Speakers from various notable companies embraced the opportunity to inform and challenge the minds of delegates through the individual branding strate-gies of each of their companies. Insight was given to their methodologies and one company even previewed their upcoming “Smile, You’re in Spain” campaign!

It was a tough day-after Remembrance Day to start a conference at 8 in the morning – adding to that was a shortage of delegate sign-up. None-theless, bubbly and energetic chairperson Melissa Mills welcomed the delegation with ease. Every-one was instructed to stand up, shake hands, and exchange business cards with five delegates with whom they were not acquainted.

Opening keynote speakers, Susan Dioszeghy (Senior Vice President Media Director, West-ern Canada) and Hagan Ainsworth (SVP Gen-eral Manager, Creative Director) from MaClaren McCann, the world’s largest agency network, engaged delegates with an agency’s perspective on global brands. MaClaren McCann’s clients in-

clude Coca Cola, Bacardi, Cathay Pacific, Micro-soft and Mastercard.

Further into the discussion, Mastercard’s Price-less Campaign, which is in its twelfth year, was brought forth. Established in over 200 countries, various versions of each campaign were shown; Canada’s centred around hockey while Brazil’s main focus was soccer. Nevertheless, each cam-paign ended with the fitting slogan: “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”

A taste of Hagan:o “Marketing is like showing up to a party un-

invited – you want to fit in.” This refers to the target markets that each company must identify before going through with distribution.

o A “brand bible” is the “wardrobe you dress your brand up in when it goes out into the world.”

Essentially, branding is about recognizing a product or service without mentioning the name. An example provided by Dioszeghy is the cola products we all recognize: the red and white brand (Coca Cola) and the red, white, and blue one (Pepsi).

The day continued with a roundtable discussion about international brand management led by mod-erator Elaine Williamson-Sprague, an instructor

in the Sauder School of Business. The panel con-sisted of four top businessmen: Brad Pennefather (Labatt Breweries of Canada), Bo Smith (Micro-soft), David Champion (Best Buy Canada), and Scott Riegert (Pepsi Bottling Group).

Questions addressed the adaptation of brands when entering new markets; opinions on the na-tional branding gap in Canada, and of course, the effects of social media. “When everyone thought Facebook was the biggest thing since Jesus walked on water, along came Twitter,” Riegert explained so eloquently.

What interested me most was Greg Klassen’s presentation on the tourism industry in Canada. As Senior Vice-President, Marketing Strategy and Communications, of the Canadian Tourism Commission, Klassen described the struggles Canada as a brand faces in competing with oth-er countries for visitors. Even so, a vacation in Canada promises “stunning geography, diverse culture and progressive society,” giving it the sec-ond best tourism brand in the world – the US was voted #1 because of the Obama factor. Klassen emphasized that there is more to Canadian tour-ism than “[boosting] mountains and Mounties.” When Vancouver is graced with the 2010 Olym-pic Games, the tourism industry is focused on the 3 billion television viewers from abroad getting a glimpse of the “unique, exotic, [and] enthralling,” scenery that is Canada.

A little bit more to boost our Canadian egos: when choosing to travel to Canada, the brand index plays a 58% role, meaning that travelers are influenced heavily by the Canadian brand. Klassen explains how Canadians are avid inter-national travelers, unlike our counterparts down south. When Canadians hear accents, many have the urge and ability to say, “Hey, I’ve been there before!” This sense of understanding and culture spreads the word about the friendliness and open-ness of Canadians.

In another session, Carolyn Solby, Director of Marketing for UNICEF CANADA, spoke about the non-profit approach to global branding. After lunch, HSBC Bank Canada shared their market-ing strategies followed by the closing keynote speaker, Stephen Nairne (Managing Director, Lundin for Africa).

A thorough understanding of global branding requires more than one day of learning. The In-ternational Business Conference has definitely sparked my interest in international marketing! Fantastic efforts IBC 2009 team! ■

(continued from page 2)Each candidate will be required to read the of-

ficial elections policy and sign the attached candi-date’s agreement before campaigning.

The committee wanted to ensure the pursuit of a board position was taken seriously by responsible and motivated candidates. With this in mind, the original draft of the policy included a requirement stating that each candidate must write a short let-ter of intent, obtain 20 signatures of endorsement from members of their electorate, and obtain a let-ter of referral in order to run in any CUS election. Requirements for the letter of referral were, if not entirely non-existent, left unclear. As a result, the board decided to remove this requirement from the final policy. To ensure equity, the remaining requirements are the same for all candidates pur-

suing any position on the board.With all these in place, we can be sure each

candidate running in January will be motivated. But to risk sounding the horn against democracy, how do we ensure candidates are capable of the duties they may be chosen to perform? Last Mon-day’s meeting was an awkward reminder that not all board members are comfortable with the more sensitive aspects of society governance. A large number of members abstained on the vote to pass a new corporate relations policy. When asked to explain the abstentions, many members said they did not understand the policy, or corporate relations for that matter. Murmurs of frustration spread among more experienced members, and the policy was tabled until the next meeting.

It was an odd situation. No one can reasonably

expect all board members to be experts on every issue. But what seemed to bother people in HA 310 that evening was that the drafted corporate relations policy had been sent out for pre-read-ing a few days earlier, leaving adequate time for questions and concerns. It was an attempt to keep the meeting under two and a half hours, but led to confusion as not everyone had put the time in to fully understand the document. Handling a budget in excess of one million dollars is a task carrying weight, no question, and looking out for fellow students’ needs is no less daunting. There is no doubt each member of the board takes his/her po-sition seriously. But after Monday it is important for everyone to ensure they do their homework, come prepared, and keep the CUS moving for-ward. ■


On the Board


Ekaterina is the CUS Representative to the AMS Council.

It is safe to assume that mistakes will be made when running an organization such as the Alma Mater Society of UBC. Sometimes they are the results of poor planning, unsatisfactory leadership or unfortunate circumstances, leading to a mis-management or even waste of funds. This is prev-alent in almost any type of organization: mistakes will be made. Things go wrong, however, when these mistakes are covered up and hidden. This is exactly what has happened with the President’s Fund, also known as the slush fund of the AMS.

You must imagine council’s surprise on Janu-ary 10th 2007 when they learned that a two-time graduate of UBC, Mr. John Alexander Hunter, left $110,000 in his will to the AMS with the sim-ple request that thirty percent of it would go into a “President’s Fund.” At that time, no such fund existed, but since these were his wishes, council created the fund with terms of reference regard-ing allowable expenditures. These terms ensured (a) that the money would be used to advance the mission of the Society, (b) that the fund may be used to fund initiatives including, but not limited to, ad hoc or special projects in the areas of stra-tegic planning, governance, sustainability, mar-keting, services, and other programs developed to

AMS Update: Slush Funds and Cover Ups

BY EKATERINA DOVJENKO

advance the mission of the society, (c) that mon-ies added to the fund may be transferred to other funds of the society, (d) that the Executive Com-mittee (the executives) may not spend more than $10,000 from the fund on any one initiative unless a larger amount is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) resolution of council, and (e) that total spending from this fund in any given year shall not exceed $30,000 unless a larger amount is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) resolution of council. Simple, right? Wrong.

It turns out that the President’s Fund’s terms of reference were far too vague for it to fully func-tion. While only $33,000 truly needed to be in the fund, somehow the fund grew, and due to its broad mandate, it was plundered by both the council and executives alike. In 2008, about $23,000 was au-thorized by the executive without going to council for a vote. This year, $97,117 has been authorized to be withdrawn from the fund by council. Of this money, how much fulfilled the true mandate of the fund, and how much was simply taken to cov-er up fiscal mistakes?

The true problem with the fund then is twofold: (1) the fund has no clear mandate and (2) the ex-ecutives have too great of an ability to authorize expenditures, especially if executive minutes are not promptly brought to council. The solution, therefore, needs to address both of these issues. The fund was initially created to fund student ini-tiatives such as the Great farm Trek (which did in fact use the fund rightfully) but now essentially acts as a financial Band-Aid.

As for moving forward with the fund, only two true solutions exist: we can clean out the fund and put it to better use – the best, I think, would be to transfer it to the SUB Renew fund as it will significantly lower our future financing costs – or change the terms of reference so that they are less vague and more focused on engaging student ini-tiatives. Either way, the fund is unsustainable in its current form. Luckily for you, there will be a discussion at the December 2nd council meeting (6pm in the council chambers in the SUB) deal-ing, once and for all, with this elusive fund.

*A big thank you to Sheldon Goldfarb, Archi-vist-Researcher and Privacy Officer, of the Alma Mater Society of UBC. ■

The 14th annual John Molson Sports Market-ing Conference in Montreal, Quebec was an un-forgettable four-day event that brought together students from all across Canada. As an organizer of the second annual Collegiate Sports Business Conference at UBC, I was interested in going to this unique conference because of its fourteen year history and renowned speakers. Over the weekend, we learned from the experience of vari-ous leaders in the sports marketing industry and networked with other students hailing from coast-to-coast. The conference began with cocktails and a speaker who is the leading sports agent for track and field athletes in Canada. He shared sto-ries about “how to be stealth” like an agent and the 24/7 Blackberry usage required by his job that has put a strain on his relationships. We ended the night at the Peel Pub located near our hotel, which featured $1 dollar shooters on Thursdays – our personal favourite was the “Popsicle” shooter.

A notable speaker was the General Manager of Reebok CCM, who directs global operations of Reebok’s hockey business and plays a key role in building the brand through marketing and pio-neering products. It was interesting to learn how the umbrella brand splits into Reebok and CCM to target different parts of the market, with the former targeting image conscious consumers and high performance innovation while the latter tar-gets heritage and price value. Many of the speak-ers were public relations or marketing directors from the NHL or CFL teams including represen-tatives from the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Alouettes, and a representative of the New York Rangers, who was the first female speaker in the history of the conference!

On the final night we were invited to the Molson brewery for the conference gala. The last speaker was a well known TSN reporter whose career path led him from a business degree to an economics degree to journalism, because of his passion for sports. At the brewery there was an open bar that was one of the highlights of the entire trip, where we were able to try some of the more uncommon beers from Molson such as the Sangria and Lem-on Dry. The conference continued at two clubs in downtown Montreal’s Crescent Street, which would be the equivalent of Vancouver’s Granville Street. The combination of the conference’s dis-tinguished industry professionals and fun night events in the beautiful city of Montreal made the trip incredible. I would highly recommend this conference to anyone interested in or curious about a career in the sports industry.

Keep an eye out for updated information about this year’s Collegiate Sports Business Conference which will take place in late second term. We will have positions available on the organizing committee shortly, for anyone passionate about working in the sports industry and gaining valu-able experience about conference organization. Please visit www.discoverCSBC.ca for more in-formation about our conference. ■

Montreal Calling: John Molson Sports Marketing Conference A Must

BY VINA YIU Winner: Vancouver International Film Festi-

val Environmental Film Audience AwardTears were shed for sharks in Sharkwater, dol-

phins in The Cove, and the film At the Edge of the World provides an opportunity to feel wretched for whales. Volunteers crusade north with a film crew following Japanese whaling ships respon-sible for over 1000 whale deaths per year. Ambi-guities in the law and jurisdictions allow whaling to continue, leaving activists as the last hope. It

The Edge of the WorldBY NICOLE FISHER

is a dangerous cause to defend. Protesting with signs is a luxury in city streets, but the desperate situation on the open ocean turns into a dangerous battle.

SHOWTIMES AT VANCITY THEATER, $8 Student Pricing (with $2 membership)

1181 Seymour StreetNov. 17 - 8:15, Nov. 20 – 6:30, Nov. 21 - 6:30,

Nov. 22 – 5:30 & 8:45, Nov. 23 – 8:15, Nov. 26 – 12:30 ■

BEN CAPELLACCI PHOTOGRAPHY


“Sprouts offers a great opportunity for those interested in sustainability and healthy eating to get involved in a meaningful way with other like minded individuals.”

– Sauder’s very own Jeff Geng, Sprouts’ Trea-surer

This is not another scam to get rid of those week-old, stale, partially molded cookies and leftover cake. Community Eats, a student-run vol-unteer initiative dedicated to food security, offers warm and hearty meals to hungry students just like you! Hosted by Sprouts, previous menu items include Chilly Chile Chilli and Fall Back Lentils, accompanied by a wide assortment of fruits and bread. I can feel your mouths watering already.

So what are you waiting for? Go get your vita-min-deficient, malnourished behind to Commu-nity Eats! Remember to thank the lovely group of volunteers behind the Sprouts counter who form the exceptionally efficient assembly line to deliv-er your scrumdiddlyumptious meal!

Where: Sprouts, SUB basement, room 66When: every second Friday from 11:30AM-

1:30PMBring: a dish, cutlery and some spare change

for donations! The next Community Eats is Friday, December

4th, 2009. Find out more at www.ubcsprouts.ca/ under Community Eats.■

Sprouts + Community Eats = ScrumdiddlyumptiousBY PAMELA YUEN

Jinn’s TakeBY JINN-ERIK SOO-TVEITA

[email protected]

Networking, defined by the ever so reputable urbandictionary.com as “a yuppie euphemism for kissing ass in order to get a job or obtain a raise or promotion,” has across time (or I guess… for the past few years…) struck fear among those in the business world. “Fake,” “dishonest,” and “awkward” are adjectives often used to describe networking. Indeed, MrFranklin’s definition on urbandictionary.com highlights a pervasive nega-tive attitude towards a behaviour that, let’s face it, we all know has positive long run benefits.

Usernames MintyLeila and Yessimica have the better idea of what networking is all about: Mint-yLeila defines networking as “how white collar executives hook up” while Yessimica defines net-working as “when you walk into a . . . business and have had sexual relations with at least one employee . . . .” Yes, I took the two most sexual definitions I could find. It’s a personal goal of mine to make at least one reference to sex per is-sue.

Anyways, perhaps some fancy statistics will add more legitimacy to my argument that net-working is a good thing. In his influential paper, “The Strength of Weak Ties,” famed sociolo-gist Mark Granovetter discovered that 55.6% of respondents (recent job changers in a Boston suburb) had found a job through a contact that they had engaged in contact with only occasion-ally (more than once a year but less than twice a week). Additionally, 27.8% of respondents found a job through a contact that they communicated with rarely (once a year or less). Shocking, oui?

Not really, and here’s why: people like to give opportunities to people they’re already comfort-able with. Networking is a great way to let other people get to know you. 1+1=2

So now that you’re (mildly) educated about it - how can you start having sexual relations with employers, I mean, network successfully?

1. Be yourself. I know, SO clichéd, but so true. Don’t try to be someone you’re not – it never works. Also, if necessary, spend excessive amounts of income on quality clothes that make you feel good (this is a good excuse for those of you seeking to add to your wardrobe). Feeling good about oneself lends itself to higher self-con-fidence, and being yourself is the easiest way to make people like you (unless you’re Jon Gosse-lin).

2. If you’re at a formal networking event, have allies up your sleeve. Make a deal with friends to be “ad hoc” networking partners. DON’T be attached to the hip (a sign of shyness) but DO have deals with people you have chemistry with. Engaging in conversation with those you’re com-fortable with will help you act more naturally.

3. Have a good time. Enjoy meeting other peo-ple and hearing their stories. Smile! If you’re not having a good time and you can’t cheer yourself up – leave. Being sulky, boring and downbeat will have no positive benefits. Take a breather – return to the action when you’re ready.

And I am now officially ridiculously over my word count for this issue - but don’t let that stop the fun train that is Jinn’s take! Email me your thoughts, concerns or questions for future issues at [email protected]. ■

Hey Sauder? Hey What? You Got Questions? He’s Got Answers!

Chimes sound and two hundred young women flood the hotel lobby, bringing with them a rush of laughter and enthusiastic chatter. Energetic and exceptionally well-dressed, they are directed to various workshops where, for the next two days, they will learn to stand up, stand out and build their own story. No, this is not a sorority recruit-ment event nor a sample sale at BCBG. Rather, this is something much more amazing – this is Beyond P!nk 2009.

On November 13th and 14th, I had the privilege of attending Young Women in Business’ (YWIB) flagship conference, Beyond P!nk. YWIB is a non-profit society that acts as a central forum to connect ambitious young women from a variety of careers, industries, and backgrounds so that they can ultimately achieve “insight, support, and [the] capability to reach their fullest personal and professional potential.” Beyond P!nk strives to further build upon YWIB’s mission by providing engaging workshops, speaker sessions and the opportunity to interact with some of Vancouver’s top business professionals all during an annual two-day conference.

The themes of being happy with who you are, evaluating your goals and realizing your potential were prevalent in the workshops that spanned the first day. The first keynote speaker, Liz Gaige, from Market Navigators Consulting, helped del-egates recognize how to connect with their amaz-ing women within. “Life doesn’t happen to you, you make life happen,” she said, and repeated this mantra while sharing that rules are made to be broken, there is no “right” path, and that women today need to accept who they are and use their feminine energy for their benefit. Delegates were also treated to an intimate mentorship lunch and after a quick yoga break, the adventure continued

at Venue with a fashion show courtesy of Sty-leCanvas.

The next day, rightfully called Stand Out, fo-cused on helping delegates develop their unique value proposition and become competitive in their professional field. After a quick welcome speech by Dr. Penny Bellem talking about avail-ability, affability and ability, Judy Thomson and Gayle Halgren-Rezac – consultants, board mem-bers and businesswomen extraordinaire – spoke on the importance of storytelling in networking. I found this particularly insightful as studies have shown that people retain stories better than facts and numbers alone.

The morning continued with a variety of work-shops; in particular, one that stood out for me was directed by Allison Mack, an actress on Small-ville and now a film entrepreneur. Honest and insightful, Allison discussed the importance of an authentic female community and matriarchal structures within our world. Later in the day, Fio-na Walsh of FM Walsh & Associates Inc. gave delegates a much needed reality check with ten simple rules about women in business. One big one: ask for what you actually want and not what you think you can get.

The conference truly finished with a bang. The Beyond P!nk Gala and silent auction provided a glamorous, engaging and exciting affair. Imagine delicious food, beautiful dresses, Kristin Kreuk from Smallville as your MC, and the Smart Cook-ies financial gurus sharing their money saving ad-vice. What more could a girl ask for?

Stand up and stand out – another fantastic suc-cess. As for me, I left not only inspired but with a sudden urge to grab a hold of my world and paint it pink. ■

Paint the World PinkBY EKATERINA DOVJENKO



The Other Side of Sustainability

“After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well.”

Worried about the longevity of your ink car-tridges? The new holey Dutch font is here! Eco-font is a free downloadable font that strategically omits parts of each letter to conserve up to 20% of ink usage. The small circles are so minimal that readability is not compromised. The holey

BY PAMELA YUEN

“We’re so self-important. Everybody’s going to save something now. Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails. And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. What? Are these f---ing people kidding me? Save the planet, we don’t even know how to take care of ourselves yet. We haven’t learned how to care for one another, we’re going to save the f---ing planet?” These are the iconic starting words of the legendary comedian George Carlin – the alleged “court jester of American hegemony.”

Saving the planet through change and sustain-ability is happening one step at a time. Though it might seem like the further on we go and the more talk that takes place, there is a lack of concrete ac-tion: action of the right kind, of the kind that can have a big impact. The Kyoto protocol fell apart a long time ago, globalization and industrialization are running wild and free as multinational corpo-rations are shifting production to less developed nations that have cheap labor and next to zero environmental regulations. After all, what does the environment mean in the cold, steely face of money? As wisely put by Mr. Carlin, “I’m tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white, bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren’t enough bi-cycle paths, people trying to make the world safe for their Volvos. Besides, environmentalists don’t give a shit about the planet. They don’t care about the planet, not in the abstract they don’t. You know what they’re interested in? A clean place to live, their own habitat. They’re worried that some day in the future, they might be personally incon-venienced. Narrow, unenlightened self-interest doesn’t impress me.”

In fact, I’m not going to try and distract you from the critical brilliance that is George Carlin. Simply open your mind and read what he says.

“Besides, there is nothing wrong with the plan-et. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are f---ed. Difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. Been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We’ve been here, what, a hun-dred thousand? Maybe two hundred thousand? And we’ve only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over two hundred years: two hundred years versus four and a half billion. And we have

BY AMELIA LAK

the conceit to think that somehow we’re a threat? That somehow we’re going to put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that’s just floating around the sun?

“The planet has been through all kinds of things worse than us: earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles, hundreds of thousands of years of bom-bardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages. . . and we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isn’t going anywhere. WE ARE!

“We’re going away. Pack your shit, folks. We’re going away and we won’t leave much of a trace either. Thank God for that. Maybe a little Styrofoam. The planet will be here and we’ll be long gone, just another failed mutation, just an-other closed-end biological mistake, an evolu-tionary cul-de-sac. The planet will shake us off like a bad case of fleas, a surface nuisance.

“The planet will be here for a long, long, time after we’re gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, because that’s what it does. It’s a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed, and if it’s true that plastic is not degradable, well, the planet will simply incorporate plastic into a new paradigm: the earth plus plastic. The earth doesn’t share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the earth. The earth probably sees plastic as just an-other one of its children. Could be the only rea-son the earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn’t know how to make it, needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old egocentric philosophical question: ‘Why are we here?’

Plastic. . .“Well, that’s a poetic note. And it’s a start. And

I can dream, can’t I? See, I don’t worry about the little things: bees, trees, whales, and snails. I think we’re part of a greater wisdom than we will ever understand, a higher order. Call it what you want. It doesn’t punish, it doesn’t reward, it doesn’t judge at all. It just is. And so are we. For a little while.”

IN LOVING MEMORY OF GEORGE CAR-LIN, MAY 12 1937 – JUNE 22 2008. ■

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Plastic bags have been ousted, is it time to change our movie preferences?

Environmentalism is very trendy and many businesses practice sustainable operations, if only to humour consumers. Hollywood however, is the exception. With explosive stunts, tight production schedules, and so much glamour, who cares about sustainability? Jessica Alba in spandex is appeal-ing whether her outfit is made of organic material or not.

Film production is a nasty contributor to emis-sions. It is an industry where sustainable business practices are prioritized below the car explosion at set 2 and the finding of parking space for Jay Z’s Hummer. Since having fewer chase scenes and opting out of unnecessary explosions are not options in my books, emissions will have to be cut elsewhere. Producers can be conscious in other aspects on set and be held accountable for causing harm to the environment.

A report by “The California Waste Management Board” reported the film industry as Los Angeles’ second biggest contributor to conventional pol-lutants, greenhouse gas emissions, and tire con-sumption. Behind a feature length film there are months of set construction/destruction, endless filming, and running of generators and machinery - even romantic comedies have a daunting effect on the environment.

The Day After Tomorrow set the precedent for environmentally friendly film production when it became the first “carbon-neutral” film. Out of his own pocket, director Ronald Emmerich hired The Carbon Neutral Company to monitor emis-sions during production, and later offset them by planting trees and investing in renewable energy. The cost was $200,000, a modest expenditure on a Blockbuster hit.

Hollywood remains unscathed from the sustain-ability revolution, for now. Eventually environ-mentalist efforts will weigh the harmful effects of film production into their movie selections. Then you can expect to see “carbon-neutral” film cer-tifications ensuring production has been respon-sible, and social pressures will influence theaters into only playing carbon-neutral certified films.

Once there is a system certifying films as hav-ing been environmentally responsible it will be an easy cause. Producers will have their films certi-fied to avoid losing theater attendance, just like fathers are hopeless to say no when their children ask for ice cream. Big budget films are desperate for approval and the inexpensive price tag for en-vironmentally friendly status will become a rou-tine production expenditure.

Sustainability films no longer refer to docu-mentaries that belittle the audience into wanting to make a difference. Just like your laundry deter-gent, Blockbuster hits are about to become envi-ronmentally friendly. ■

Carbon-Neutral Blockbuster Hits

BY NICOLE FISHER

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The Cavalier UBC


Sustaining Memories of UBCBY WILLIAM WIJAYA

Two weeks ago, I sent an email to an old friend of mine. I was filled with curiosity as to how he has been doing lately, since his retirement last year in March. After a few correspondences we settled on having lunch at UBC and taking a stroll through the campus to catch up on the happen-ings of each other’s lives. My friend Ron went to UBC in the early ’70s to do his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and later in the early ’80s to do his Masters in Creative Writing, so he is quite familiar with the campus and has memories of UBC, which he enjoyed sharing with me.

We settled on having lunch at the Pendulum and then went on to walk around campus. He was amazed at all the changes that have taken place since the last time he had been here. Back then, Brock Hall was the SUB, the Bookstore was be-low Henry Angus and Irving was the “Main Li-brary,” without any wings of course. Oh, how he cringed when he saw what they had done to the Main Library! He then regaled me with stories of his youthful adventures. Ron dragged me eagerly by the arm to the top floor of the SUB to show me something special. Finally, we arrived at a corner near the AMS offices. I was perplexed. There was nothing there. Apparently, it was the spot where he first met his wife, and it hasn’t changed since

30 years ago. Then he took me to his physical domain of

study: the Buchanan buildings and the Graduate Student Centre. I discovered parts of Buchanan I never even knew existed. I discovered that UBC publishes a literary magazine called Prism, which is the oldest literary magazine in Western Canada. Ron used to be an editor, so I got the chance to meet and converse with some of the current edi-tors of the magazine. Strolling through the Cre-ative Writing section of Buchanan, we talked about literature and all the books we’ve read in the past year and a half. I must admit, at that moment, I felt pangs of regret for not pursuing my high school dream of studying English and becoming a writer. However, fantasies will remain fantasies, and my dreams have changed since then.

I came home that day with thoughts bubbling in my mind. UBC is not just a place where we go for classes. It is such an integral part of our youth. Looking at Ron’s expression when telling me about his adventures here as a young lad, I couldn’t help but notice that this place meant a lot to him. It was where he found intellectual libera-tion in the arts, where he found new friends, and where he found love. I also realized that his view of UBC is different from my view of UBC. See-

ing this place through someone else’s eyes was incredibly refreshing. Often we are so stuck in our own Sauder world that we forget other people exist in other faculties who go to UBC yet see to-tally different things than what we see every day. It transgresses classes, departments, faculties and generations. Each person has their own set of ex-periences and views that are completely different from the next. I had the fortunate occasion that day to view UBC through the eyes of someone I’m close to, and it was absolutely beautiful.

My sojourn with Ron has inspired me to look beyond the walls of my niche and explore other parts of the intellect that piques my curiosity. These endeavors might not boost my resume, but it will allow for a deeper understanding of diverse subjects and a tolerance for others that are achiev-able only through the path of exploration. In dis-covering new experiences we get to understand what is most valuable to us. So if this writer could give one piece of advice, it’s this: go out there and explore those things that are beautifully uncon-ventional, insightful and magnificent. You just might end up feeling enlightened.

For Ron’s next visit, he has requested to see UBC through my eyes. So put on a smile Sauder, because we’re gonna make an impression! ■

Photo Hunt: Chasing Sustainability


the cavalier - november issue

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