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Glorious junk

The story of thrift stores

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THE UBYSSEY

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March 6, 2009 | www.ubyssey.ca frizzing like a little poodle since 1918 | volume xc, number 42 UBC’s official student newspaper is published Tuesdays and Fridays

ONE YEAR AWAY

Brace yourself for the 2010 Olympics by Samantha Jung Senior News Staff In less than a year’s time, athletes and spectators from all over the world will flock to UBC for the 2010 Olympics. Thunderbird Arena will be hosting men’s, women’s, and Paralympic hockey. Yet despite the international scale of the event, and the degree it will affect students, most are in the dark over what it will entail. Michelle Aucoin, the current Olympic Secretariat, is working on a community engagement program aimed at educating students about the impacts the Games will have. “In some regards there’s been no info shared,” Aucoin said, adding “we want to ensure that students are aware of the opportunities.” The most direct impact the Games will have on students is the extension of reading week to two weeks over the fortnight the Games are taking place. Decided by the Senate in 2007, the change was made to spare students a busier commute to campus during the games, and according to VP Students Brian Sullivan, to “free up interested students’ time to become Olympic volunteers, participants and spectators.” Critics of the switch have focused on the fact that due to the extended break, the exam period will stretch into the first day of May, which could pose significant problems for renters off-campus. However, Anne DeWolfe, executive coordinator of the office of VP students, says that while May 1 is set as the last official day of the exam period, exams will finish prior to this date. She cites increasing the number of evening exams, special Sunday exams, and additional spaces opened for exams as solutions to the potential conflict. As the entry point to Thunderbird Arena, Wesbrook Mall will be busy before, during, and after the games, with VANOC having control of the street for security purposes. DeWolfe admitted that there will be limited access along Wesbrook for the entire second semester of the 2009-2010

any form of representation within the Olympics planning process or were even consulted by any means,” she said. She feels that it will be us students who will be paying for the games. “Generally speaking, students at UBC haven’t quite entered the workforce. There are significant financial obstacles already,” Ratjen said. “The costing for the Olympics is in a state of crisis right now.…I think that has a very significant impact on sort of this generation of people because we’re ultimately the people that are going to be paying for that. And that’s going to have a huge impact on any kinds of social programs in the future.” Aucoin and UBC are aware of the mixed feelings students have. “There are those who are very keen and want to participate…and those who aren’t supportive, and who are questioning why we’re hosting the Games and the cost that’s associated.” Will UBC be little more than an uncritical sideline cheerleader come February 2010? Aucoin pledges that won’t be the case. “It’s not about delivering a program of ‘rah, rah!’ It’s about delivering a program that is intellectual inquiry and curiosity and engaging these questions in a very respectful, consistent way.” U UBC THUNDERBIRD WINTER SPORTS CENTRE COMPLETION DATE June 2008 LOCATION Wesbrook Mall and

Thunderbird Boulevard GOH IROMOTO COMIC

school year, but alternate access routes and parking will be offered to all residents affected. Another concern has been the impact of security at UBC. The government recently admitted that the overall cost of security for the Olympics will be approximately $900 million. Keith Baulk, the VANOC venue manager for UBC, said that while security around the arena has yet to be finalized, there will be fenced security perimeters. He added that while there will be no significant changes to the

Motorbikes, Mao and a Yak Two UBC students’ journey through Tibet

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balance of the university, there will be some implications with respect to road closures and transportation times. Tony Mahon, Director of UBC Security, says that while security in and around the Thunderbird Arena is under VANOC’s jurisdiction, they, along with campus RCMP, will still police the rest of campus. Mahon says that the numbers of officers will increase, and that an operational plan is in the works. The AMS has recently published a report that is critical of the

Olympics’ impact on issues such as security and civil liberties, the environment, and how the games will have a direct impact on UBC students. Former VP External Stefanie Ratjen, who worked with AMS President Blake Frederick on the report, believes that there has been a lack of transparency and student representation in the planning process. “It’s quite obvious that Olympics planning and activities have been going on for some time, but it was only in October last year that students had

CAPACITY 7200 ELEVATION 90 metres ARENA Main arena NHL-Standard,

17,000 square feet of ice, 200 feet by 85 feet, two smaller arenas EVENTS Men and Women’s ice

hockey (Olympic games), men’s ice sledge hockey (Paralympic games) EXTRAS Was redeveloped from

an existing facility, meets LEED silver standards Index

The recession

and you

Find out at www.ubyssey.ca

Events Feature Culture Editorial Streeters Letters Games Sports

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2 | events

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Events Ongoing Action—Camera: Beijing Performance Photography • Examines the trajectory from the discreet underground performance art community centered in Beijing’s “East Village” in the early 1990s, to a current internationally recognized practice. • January 16, 2009 10am–Monday, April 20, 2009 11am. For further information please contact Naomi Sawada at [email protected], tel: (604) 822-3640, or fax: (604) 822-6689, or take a look at belkinartgallery. com/_email/_main_belkin/Action_Camera • UBC Greek Week • The Panhellenic Council and the Inter-Fraternity Council are putting on a week long event for Greeks and UBC students alike. Events include, Delta Gamma Anchor Splash, Greek Letter Check & Guest Speaker, Staff Appreciation & Greek Jepoardy, Greek BBQ Fundraiser, Greek Olympics, Can-Struction & Greek Olympic Finals, Awards Presentation Ceremony will take place at Pride of Order of Omega. If you’ve ever wondering what the Greeks are all about come out and check out this events. • March 1–7, events all over campus. For more information check out the “UBC GREEK WEEK 2009!” Facebook group •

March 6 Imagine Your Arts Major Go Global: Taking Your Major Global • Imagine waking up for class in Australia or Denmark, or going on a volunteer placement to Africa or a co-op placement in Singapore. Come to this session to learn about Go Global opportunities and how you can participate. • March 6, 12pm–1pm. Location: Irving K Barber, Lillooet Room, register online at secure.students.ubc.ca/ workshops/careers.cfm • Imagine Your Arts Major: Arts Coop Info Session • Learn how Arts Co-op can enrich your academic learning with paid work experience. Participants in this session will also learn about the requirements for joining the Arts Co-op program, the types of jobs and employers that hire Arts students, and will also have the opportunity

march 6, 2009

If you have an event, e-mail us at [email protected] to hear from current Arts Co-op students. • March 6, 5pm–6pm. Location: Irving K Barber, Lillooet Room, register online at secure. students.ubc.ca/workshops/ careers.cfm • 24 For Hunger • This is a voluntary 24 hour fast organized by the Meal Exchange club and the UBC Food Bank. Participants will fast for 24 hours to raise money for the Strathcona Healthy Food Choices program, which provides underprivileged families in Vancouver with a means for accessing nutritious meals. All students are encouraged to participate in this event and raise at least $15. On Friday night meet in SUB 212 for activities (a scavenger hunt through downtown Vancouver and/or other activities). On Saturday morning join us for a free breakfast and presentation in SUB 212 from 10am-12pm. Come and help fight local hunger! • March 6, 10am – March 7, 10am, Friday night at 5:30pm-9:30pm and Sat morning at 10am-12pm. Sub 212. Register online at: www. mealexchange.com/ubc •

March 10 Fix - The Story of An Addicted City • Presented by the Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy (CSSDP) Club. This documentary deals with Vancouver’s drug issues. All are welcome and light refreshments will be provided. • March 10, 2009, 4:30pm, Woodward Lecture Hall 5, Inquiries contact us via email [email protected]. ca. •

March 11 A NUMBER by Caryl Churchill • What makes you who you are? Your genes or . . .? What if you found out you were one of a number of clones? Science fact, or science fiction? These are some of the provocative questions posed by this startling play about a son who confronts his father with the fact that he has genetically identical counterparts and is merely one of “a number.” This critically acclaimed professional production of Caryl Churchill’s award winning play is something that you will want to discuss and debate long after you have left the theatre. •

Correction On Tuesday’s Issue of The Ubyssey, The Ubyssey noted that the person flying through the air was a Phi Gamma Delta (or FIJI); it was actually a Phi Delta Theta brother. The Ubyssey regrets this error especially since one of our editors is in the Greek system.

March 11 - 14, 2009, Dorothy Somerset Studio Theatre, 7:30pm To: 8:30pm and 1 Matinee, Cost: $5 to book call: 604.822.2678 or Email: [email protected]. ca, for more info www.theatre. ubc.ca •

March 12 Silent No More Awareness Campaign • Presented by AMS club Lifeline. There will be testimonies from women and men about their experience with abortion and how they have healed from the pain. There will be time for questions afterwards. Everyone is encouraged to attend, particularly those who are interested in the after effects of abortion or who has experienced one. • March 12, 2009, 5-7pm, Macmillian Building Room 160. For more information visit http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/ lifeline/ •

March 15 Feminism’s Discontents: Fireside Chats • From a social movement’s perspective, feminism has represented one of the more profound challenges to dominant culture of the modern era. Andrew Butz invites discussion of how we should consider the reality of anti-feminist trends or countermovement -- from religious fundamentalisms and right wing talk shows, to feminization of low-wage global production, and perhaps even the ‘extreme makeover’ entertainment genre. Tiffany Johnstone will share her own experiences of how feminist scholarship has shaped and contributed to literary studies and will also explore how such scholarship has been critiqued (both fairly and unfairly) over the years. • March 15, 2009, 8-10pm, Piano Lounge, Green College, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road, UBC. For more information contact [email protected] •

March 16 TATAU: Samoan Tattooing and Global Culture • The contemporary significance of Samoan tattoo traditions is the focus of this insightful and provocative exhibit opening in Gallery 3 (adjacent to the Great Hall). Curated by Peter Brunt, Senior Lecturer in Art History at Victoria University of Wellington, the show features over 40 photographs by distinguished New Zealand artist Mark Adams. Thanks to the Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington, and Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, for

organizing this touring exhibition. • March 16, 2009, 10am, Museum of Anthropology. For more information visit www.moa.ubc.ca •

March 19 2nd Annual Leadership Summit • It’s ELU’s biggest event. Each year, ELU invites some top guest speakers from a range of professions from student to CEO, to come and speak for ELU Summit invitees. Guest and VIPs have a chance to listen to speeches from four different quest speakers about leadership and their life experience in it, and then to mingle with them afterwards in a ‘bites and pieces’ networking session where food and drinks are provided • March 19, 7-9pm, in the Irving K. Barber room 182. Admission $2 for nonmembers, free for members •

March 26 Lola Dance: Provincial Essays • Presented by the Dance Centre. A stunning ensemble work that takes inspiration from the natural world and our relationship to it, Provincial Essays will be featured in the next edition of the popular Discover Dance! noon series. Created by Artistic Director Lola MacLaughlin, who is regarded as one of Canada’s finest contemporary dance choreographers, Provincial Essays is an eclectic collection of choreographic landscapes informed by nature, and full of delicious humour and ravishing visuals. It looks at modern society’s relationship with the natural world – our dominance and commodification of the environment contrasted with nature’s great power and beauty. • March 26, 2009, 12pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St (at Granville), Inquiries contact 604 606 6400 or www.thedancecentre.ca •

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THE UBYSSEY March 6th, 2009 volume xc, no 42

Editorial Board coordinating editor Kellan Higgins : [email protected]

news editors

Stephanie Findlay & Justin McElroy : [email protected]

culture editor

Trevor Melanson : [email protected]

sports editor

Shun Endo : [email protected]

features & perspectives editor Joe Rayment : [email protected]

photo editor

Goh Iromoto : [email protected]

production manager

Paul Bucci : [email protected]

copy editor

Celestian Rince : [email protected]

volunteer coordinator

Kalyeena Makortoff : [email protected]

webmaster

Adam Leggett : [email protected]

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Tara Martellaro : [email protected]

Editorial Office Room 24, Student Union Building 6138 Student Union Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 tel: 604-822-2301 fax: 604-822-9279 web: www.ubyssey.ca e-mail: [email protected]

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Legal The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Tuesday and Friday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate. Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society. The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles. Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. “Perspectives” are opinion pieces over 300 words but under 750 words and are run according to space. “Freestyles” are opinion pieces written by Ubyssey staff members. Priority will be given to letters and perspectives over freestyles unless the latter is time sensitive. Opinion pieces will not be run until the identity of the writer has been verified. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff. It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

Contributors Lightning cracked overhead, and the thunder rolled over the village. Kellan Higgins knew how to read the signs - the wind carried a dark omen. Filled with foreboding, Katarina Grgic warned the townsfolk, hurrying to find shelter. Samantha Jung made sure all the children were indoors, safe from the doom looming over the horizon. Paul Bucci made sure all the doors were shut tight, before hunkering down for the coming storm. Stephanie Findlay could hear it approaching. Justin McElroy rode into the village on the thunder with his hordes, Shun Endo and Tara Martellaro riding at his sides, blood dried on their flashing blades. The heads of villagers less prepared hung from their saddles; Shun Endo’s head gazing blankly at the destruction left in their wake. Sarah Eden’s was barely recognizable anymore. But Goh Iromoto knew the rites, and had prepared a surprise for the marauders bearing down upon their village. With the magic of Caroline Chuang, and the sacrifice made by Ken Dodge, he had awoken powers more ancient, and more terrifying. Olivia Fellows and Joe Rayment chanted quietly in their hut, privately dreading the carnage that would follow if they were unsuccessful, if they failed to repeat the lines Celestian Rince had laid out for them. All Matt Hildebrand could hear, cowering with his wife under the bed of their hut, was a rushing sound, as Trevor Melanson, that ancient beast, rose from the lake, larger than any tree, and far more terrible. When the noise passed and the sun rose, Kyrstin Bain emerged from her hut: it was a peaceful spring morning.

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Features

Editor: Joe Rayment | E-mail: [email protected]

March 6, 2009 | Page 3

Glorious Junk The Business of Cast Off Clothing

HAT: $8

BY CAROLINE CHUANG

SUNGLASSES: $8

SCARF: $5

SUNGLASSES: $9

SCARF: $5 MITTENS: $4

SHIRT: $11

SHIRTS: $12

VEST: $7 SKIRT: $6 CARDIGAN: $10

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fter almost six years at UBC, and two changes of majors, I find myself in different company. The social milieu has changed. Now UBC is a flutter of hipsters of different kinds—some mimic the whiff of an aristocracy gone by, whereas others wear a style of feigned poverty like perfume. Their looks come off as slick as the glossy pages of Nylon and i-D. You see one after the other like polished diamonds making their pilgrimage through Buchanan D’s hallways up to Lasserre. When I see them, I wonder if they smell as nice as they look. I wonder how they wear the badge of counter culture and look so immaculately fashionable at the same time. But, don’t get too close or stare too intently; nothing that spot on can hold up so flawlessly under inspection. Behind the pretension there usually is a lack of substance. It’s emboldening to feel like you’re not buying into mass retail market labels. Until recently, I thought shopping at thrift stores was a symbol of democratized shopping, that thrift existed solely for the masses and anyone could purchase name brands or quality vintage for low cost. Accessibility was universal. What I’ve learned is that the thrift industry is part of a global economy that feeds off places like Value Village. It claims to cater to the poor, and it does, but it also feeds the rich. To find the source of the used clothing business look to a profession called “ragpicking.” Sascha Garrey, an honours economics graduate at UBC, was a ragpicker. It required her to spend her time digging through dirty piles of clothing in a smelly warehouse. It was a love of old clothes that got her working as a picker at a rag yard. Sascha describes her experi-

JEANS: $10

JEANS: $10

SHOES: $8

SHOES: $5

KELLAN HIGGINS PHOTOS

ence using visceral images: “rats, rubber gloves, bright yellow.” She spent an entire summer in a “gross, lonely warehouse.” Isolated from the rest of humanity, she worked hard to stock a vintage store. Ragpickers were among the demi monde of personality types that existed in 19th century Paris, along with such representatives as the vagabond, absinthe drinker, and the prostitute. Baudelaire had an affinity for the ragpickers in particular. He liked to compare them to poets. One of the reasons was symbolic—the poet picked up the detritus of the city in the form of discarded words and bits and pieces found here and there for inspiration. Imagine the ragpicker as low-class archivist and cataloguer of the city. They’d sort through all the personal items people threw away as Paris took on modernity. You’d wonder who’d be in this business today. Garrey says the person who interviewed her for the job lived with a few other people in a huge house. The house had so much stuff that you wouldn’t be

able to sort through it in years. This is a clue to his personality type: he was a hoarder. But, this is the type of hoarding that’s inspired by an instinct for survival in a materialist world. The vintage hoarder’s life is in their stockpiles of vintage clothing or their inventory—it represents money and a certain kind of greed, especially if they are blokes without a passion for clothes. They collect just to pimp the historicity of dead women’s clothing. Garrey picked through a lot of clothes from Alaska and Virginia, judging from the tourist tshirts. How did these clothes end up in a rag yard in Vancouver? As far as I can tell, it’s because rag yards buy and sell clothes from other rag yards. The vintage item you find at

True Value Vintage may have been picked unwashed from a rag yard in Alaska that bought its shipment from a Saver’s (what Value Village is called in the US) in Wisconsin. And, this is just North America. There is a global market for used rags and clothing. A rag yard in India may ship their vintage to New York, where they’ll send the goods to Japan. In modern ragpicking, operations are hush hush. The location where Garrey picked is nondescript. Once she’d open the building’s garage door, she’d enter “this crazy, secret world…. To your left there was a baler”—a machine for packing clothes like sardines in a box—“and two men operating it. All women are stationary and all men are bringing bales to the

This is a world of giant semi trucks. Think conveyor belts with radios being thrown and women in shower caps.

next pile. Men are moving, women are sorting. Things are really organized; they are separated into women’s blouses, women’s fancy blouses.” This is a world of giant semi trucks. Think conveyor belts with radios being thrown and women in shower caps. People are digging for treasures. Then out of the remnants of castaway goods, someone fishes out a Valentino cape that causes your hands to leap forth in greed and delight. All of this is closed to the general public. “The prices we pay for vintage clothing!” Garrey says. “Due to inflation and supply and demand— there is a vintage spillover effect [from] Value Village and Salvation Army—the pickers who go there drive up the prices where the low-income families shop.” Frustrated, Garrey blurts out, “These places are not for young, stupid hipsters.” Rag yards service many proprietors in the used clothing trade. Natalie Addington, the owner of Woo Vintage, isn’t typical of the thrift scene. She is not the stereotypical hoarder, miser or greedy proprietor. She knows everything there is to know about the used clothing business and speaks with authority on the subject. She also genuinely loves the clothes. I went to her store looking to consign vintage clothes after being turned down by the husky biker brothers at Deluxe Junk Co., another vintage in Vancouver. Addington has great cheekbones, is fashionably thin, and dresses a bit kooky. She was born to wear clothes. I could see her in 60s minimalist sheaths. She got interested in vintage clothes after her mom took her to a swap meet in Surrey. “I was interested in sundresses—the colours. That was more than 20 years ago.” SEE NEXT PAGE

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the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca

It’s that time of year, again!

The Ubyssey is having editorial board elections. That means that if you think you’ve got the chops to be part of our editorial staff submit your position paper to our office by March 19th. Email any questions to [email protected].

march 6, 2009 FROM PREVIOUS PAGE The people who come into her store tend to be fashion conscious. “The fashionistas and hipsters are looking for the alternative interpretation to Vogue,” Addington says. “A version of whatever came off the catwalk.” She gets UBC medical students coming in for 50s ball gowns because she offers them a discount. Addington is interested primarily in restoration—it’s almost an obsession with her. And her historian’s knowledge of clothes feeds the fashion lover’s appetite. Near her counter you’ll find the dresses—every vintagelover’s favourite staple. I point to a beaded dress from the Robert’s Shop and Natalie tells me about the 3D beading, known as drop beading, which I would have otherwise overlooked. She can describe a lot of the items in her shop in similar detail. You can tell this by how she can describe the clothes in her store. Of a dress hanging on the wall: “light blue 50s ball gown in iridescent taffeta, glass beading. We clean it, Valerie does repairs.” Natalie looks for clues on an item of clothing like an archaeologist searching for fossils—“check fasteners, labels, colours.” She goes through the racks of Value Village now without touching anything—it used to be hand feel, but now she just “eyeballs.” You’ll find no better tailoring than 60s Hong Kong clothing, she tells me. I ask Addington specifics about the rag yards, which are generally secret knowledge among industry insiders. I do not publish some of her answers because it would be disclosing too much. “Picking is a dirty job. Not much different from binners,” Addington confides. “…Most of the stuff in rag yards gets sent to Africa. Farmers there buy it because they have the money. When you see African children on TV they’ve got clothes from 30 years ago.” Most people have seen it on World Vision commercials, but they thought this was donated clothing. Like other vintage store owners, Addington has amassed a collection of her own, mostly from items that don’t sell. Her penchant is for 40s suits, 50s sundresses, clothes from the early 60s look like they’re from the 50s. Her taste in cars is of the same period—she’s the owner of a ’63 Falcon wagon. On another side of the thrift spectrum is Value Village. According to their mission statement, their goal is to be the “best thrift store in the world.” They are one of the biggest, and their selection is hard to beat. A lot of their stock comes from clothing recyclers who donate their clothes. In exchange, they give a very small percentage of their revenue to charity. Make no mistake though, they’re a business like any other. A man named William O. Ellison founded the first Value Village (Savers) store. Its expansion into a thrift store empire was aided by Ellison’s great uncle and grandfathers, who built the Salvation Army thrift organization in the 1930s and 40s. Helping the poor was in their genes, “but then they got greedy,” according to Ana Lukic, former assistant of operations supervisor at a Value Village. Value Village’s competition isn’t thrift stores: it’s Superstore and Wal-Mart, Lukic says. Gone are the days when shopping at thrift stores meant sticking it to the man. “Most managers come from corporate. Jonathan [Lu-

kic’s store’s former manager] used to manage a Wal-Mart. That says it all,” admits Lukic. I met Lukic at originally when I was working at the same Value Village. She’s passionate about purses from the ’30s, an interest she picked up from her grandmother. Shopping at Value Village appeals to Ana on a romantic level. “Going through the racks you can escape to a different world and time,” she says. Even some of the shoppers go to Value Village for business though. They’ll search the store just looking for things to bring to consignment shops. If they can successfully consign something, they get a percentage of the selling price. They are the intrepid and die hard thrifters who boil down the practice down to handfeel and eyeballing—like Addington, they don’t flip through every item painstakingly. They know what styles and labels to look for—an art in itself. Front & Company is arguably the best and most successful consignment shop in Vancouver. Its storefront displays, which face out to Main Street, are also the city’s best. When I went to visit, one of the mannequins was a lumberjack shirt, a jean vest with a ribbon pin. There were two others made up with looks that were creative and sophisticated, mixing thrift store pieces, like a light blue highwaisted striped skirt coupled with layers and layers on top. The key was the layering. It looked busy, but refined, sort of an artier version of what Nicole Ritchie would wear. It was so current. I spoke with Allie Sheldan, Front & Company’s manager. She wears fancy glasses that make her look geek chic. “What the consigners bring in is amazing,” Sheldan says, which is what she credits with the store’s success. The consigners are primarily in the 25–35 age range and come from as far as Richmond and North Van. Others are from the Main St. and downtown area. Front & Company specializes in clothing of the last couple of years. But, they are notoriously picky. I’ve consigned there myself—they often only take one item out of from the huge bag you’ve brought and reject the rest. This is good for customers though. Everything in the store is filtered through by Sheldan’s skillful eye. As a result, all the clothes are in season and in quality condition. The clothes that make it through are typically priced at one-third the original cost, but if they come new with tags attached, then half. The vintage pieces are priced according to their “uniqueness.” Shoes are no lower than $18. This is unlike Value Village, where the pricers often affix prices for unique vintage items at less than items from middle-of-the-road labels like Gap and Jacob. Sheldan calls Front “the beginner’s thrift store.” They’re different from Value Village in that they have “less stock and better quality.” “Our fur coats and leather goods have a good price point,” she says. Front also carries local designers. Almost everyone in the store look like serious shoppers—they have items in their hands and stare intently at the clothes before they buy— unlike most stores where they are wandering and browsing. The high class thrifters are evenly dispersed amongst the store’s many categories of racks—they are separated by a section for designers, consignment, and new. There is something for everyone, but everything follows a closely edited and current attitude. U

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Culture

Editor: Trevor Melanson | E-mail: [email protected]

March 6, 2009 | Page 5

UBC filmmakers prepare for motorbike adventure

Documenting their 60-day journey from Lhasa to Shanghai by Sarah Eden Culture Writer This summer, UBC students Liam Bates and Patrick Caracas embark on what will undoubtedly be a journey of a lifetime. Following the road Chairman Mao took in the Long March of 1934, they will traverse over 8000km, traveling from Lhasa to Shanghai by motorbike, filming along the way. At the end of this 60-day journey they hope to have ample footage for their forthcoming documentary Motorbikes, Mao and a Yak (expected to be released in March 2010). The process began last summer when the Swiss-born Bates worked in western China and Tibet as a Chinese-speaking tour guide for a Swiss TV producer and his family. While discussing the Western perception of the Tibet-China conflict, the producer made a suggestion to Bates: “Hey, why don’t you go on a trip with a Tibetan and a Chinese guy? You could ride motorbikes from Lhasa to Beijing.” Four months later, Bates began planning. First, Bates needed a cameraman. He didn’t have to look far. As a member of UBC’s film production program, Caracas was eager to join in as cinematographer for the project. Caracas and Bates met in their first year at UBC as roommates in Place Vanier. They quickly became friends, bonding over their mutual passion for film-

making and extreme adventuring (just google “Pat Liam extreme”). Also, as a Brazilian, Caracas brings another cultural dimension to the travelogue. The multi-cultural aspect will serve as a key element to the documentary. Bates describes presenting “an accurate view of modern China for the world to see” as a primary aim of the documentary. To achieve this, Bates asked Wen Xiang, an eastern Chinese acquaintance, if he would like to join the trip. He said yes and found the final member Gesan Duojie, who has never left his native Tibet. These final two members will likely shape the documentary the most, showcasing (as Bates states) “the true feelings of a young Tibetan and a young Chinese, [representatives of] the two groups actually involved with the debate.” Both Bates and Caracas are insistent that this will not be your average documentary. “We don’t want this film to be just like other documentaries, full of facts and figures, talking heads, stock footage,” Caracas explains. “We want it to be about the people we meet along the way and the relationships we build as travelers.” The focus will be on the interactions of the travelers with the local youth along their way, hoping to answer questions such as “what is a 20 year old in Tibet, southwest China, Inner Mongolia, or Beijing doing right now?”

courtesy of liam bates

The path to finding answers to these questions is certainly not an easy one. The team will traverse the Himalayas, deserts, the Mongolian grasslands, coastal regions, and then enter the treachery of Shanghai traffic. Traveling through all of this terrain on motorbikes means other likely difficulties: flat tires, dead batteries, backfiring, and more. Caracas, however,

sees this as an opportunity: “It is through all the problems and all the ‘get arounds’ that the trip will gain a sense of rawness.” Before their trip starts, the Motorbikes, Mao and a Yak team are working on generating excitement and raising funds for the documentary with events such as the popular “Ménage-àTrois” benefit hosted earlier this month. Bates hopes the other

Atoning for dad’s sins, seeking redemption

Recent play East of Berlin is disturbing and unfamiliar by Caroline Chuang Culture Writer

Hannah Moscovitch’s play East of Berlin deals with the theme of atoning for the sins of the father in a way that is both disturbing and novel. The protagonist, Rudi (Brendan Gall), searches for absolution and redemption, but these attempts are as ill-fated as a Shakespearean tragedy. Upon discovering his father’s past as an SS officer, he begins to rebel intensely, having a homosexual affair. Moscovitch really delves into the psyche of Rudi and uses his dual role as narrator and actor to make his psychological demons more prominent. The multiple and constant shifts in real time are demarcated by lighting and the entry of Sarah (Diana Donnelly) and Hermann (Paul Dunn). By the end, you’ll be used to the schizophrenic rhythm. Hermann, Rudi’s former best friend from childhood, is thoroughly sinister, yet provides

some genuine comedic relief at the start. As teenagers, Hermann uses sarcasm and pithy remarks made in secrecy to goad his friend into having a special relationship with him, that actualizes itself in a brief interlude of homosexual desire. He is, after all, the one who breaks it to Rudi, over a science experiment, that they are the sons of prominent SS officers. It is no wonder they were raised in Paraguay of all places, where Rudi’s father fled to Latin American sympathizers. By the last few scenes, Hermann plays the part of a lover scorned, as he meets face to face with Rudi’s fiancée, also the bearer of his child. Hermann is so jealous he reveals Rudi’s secret to her—his father isn’t dead yet. One wonders why Rudi didn’t kill him. Rudi tells us his father is a good one, a gentle man who has sex with his mom once a week and eats a good dinner. He asks himself whether he should turn in his father as a war criminal. One audience member replied

affirmatively. At 18, Rudi decides to leave for West Berlin, sponsored by Project Rhinehart. Ironically, his journey toward an imagined independence from his father is funded by a Nazi organization, but we get the sense that Rudi fell back on this default identity anyway, by not coming clean about turning his father in. It is there that Rudi’s tortured self-identity is made more complicated. He falls in love with a Jewish girl, Sara Kleinman. Donnelly stands out in this role; you can see her tears from the front row, and she delivers her lines with earnestness. She vomits at the site of Auschwitz, and curses at Rudi for comedic effect—“fuckin’ German.” Rudi, on the other hand, has a staccato voice, perhaps because there is no real transition from his boyhood to his adulthood. The delivery is sporadic and Gall seems uneasy. There is a picture of Hitler in a gold frame on his father’s desk. Rudi tells us this. But, we know

nothing of his father that would humanize him—that would be going too far. We know that Rudi has thought the matter of his father over from all possible perspectives when he says that his father probably succumbed to the idea of a bright future and double salary on his path to SS officerdom. The secrecy of the dark confessions are sacred for us, for we can still maintain our composure when a suggestion of evil is offered rather than its embodiment. Throughout, we smell the stench of Rudi’s hand-rolled cigarettes. It may serve to calm the actor’s nerves in real life; he was given this plum role to explore a cracked psyche, after all. It is telling that Rudi never finds redemption. But he enacts a solution, which I won’t reveal. East of Berlin is a Tarragon Theatre Production brought to audiences by the Touchstone Theatre in Vancouver and the Chutzpah! Festival, and it ran from February 18–28. U

pre-departure parties will be as successful. “In the pre-production stage, obtaining funding is one of the hardest parts! It is expensive to film a documentary, especially on the other side of the earth.” Keep an eye out at www.motorbikesmaoandayak.com for trip updates and traveler blogs as their journey begins this June. U

UNDEROATH LOST IN THE SOUND OF SEPARATION

Christian metalcore: the label most often ascribed to Underoath. One expects music that is both preachy and really heavy, but Underoath’s latest, Lost in the Sound of Separation, plays with emotion and sound rather than trafficking in bland ideology. The songs progress uniquely, each in their own time, creating distinct soundscapes and an enjoyable listening experience. The playing is never fast for the sake of being fast, though it is much heavier than their first album, Define the Great Line. The haunting rises and falls of “We Are The Involuntary” breathlessly hold my attention. Their ability to progress in sound and avoid repetition; the slow building of drums and static in “Breathing in a New Mentality” leads perfectly to the rest of this neck-breaking, headbanging song. The poppy, emo-kid lyrics in “A Fault Line, A Fault of Mine” contrast melodiously with the rest of this screamo dirge, again keeping my attention. Underoath returns to Vancouver this Saturday at the Vogue Theatre. —Ken Dodge

E

Editorial

If you’d like to submit a letter, please contact [email protected]

March 6, 2009 | Page 6

Why the hunger strike?

POINT In Tuesday’s issue we reported that newly elected AMS

President Blake Frederick, former president Michael Duncan, Tristan Markle and a few others are partaking in a hunger strike. The strike, known as the 2010 Homelessness Hunger Strike Relay, is a protest against the government’s failure to reduce homelessness in Vancouver, despite promising in 2002 (when the 2010 Olympics were announced) that it would. Oh, Michael Byers did it too. We will not question the integrity of these individuals, nor their devotion to the cause. The effectiveness of this hunger strike, however, is suspect. What will it accomplish? Am Johal, who put the protest into motion, says that they are “trying to build a broader public support.” We at The Ubyssey are unsure how a hunger strike leads to broader public support. Who exactly are we supposed to be supporting: the protesters or Vancouver’s homeless? What actual benefits will result from this hunger strike? We realize homelessness exists, and we realize it has become a hotter topic with the upcoming Olympics; but the self-inflicted suffering these protesters incur does not give any tangible benefit for our city’s homeless population. At the same time, it’s not for lack of food that these people are suffering—there are plenty of places where the homeless can get nutrition on a daily basis. So, it must be about raising public awareness then. Hands up: who didn’t realize homelessness was a problem in Vancouver—or in any city for that matter? Granted, perhaps a few of us forgot that reducing the problem was on the pre-Olympics agenda. Even still, homelessness is a problem that never goes away, and also one that is always brought up before any Olympics. If you didn’t know this, it’s very unlikely that you would have ever caught wind or been inspired by this hunger strike, which is of much lower profile than the problem itself. If this hunger strike accomplishes anything, it’s more street cred for its participants—a way for them to show everyone how much they care. And care they certainly do, we’ll credit them that much. Unfortunately, while jail time may sell rap albums, we’re not convinced starvation time will sell the government on this one—especially when budgets are so tight with the recession. Let’s be clear, we at The Ubyssey are not encouraging apathy. We’re just suggesting that there are more practical ways to address this problem. U

Every voice counts

COUNTERPOINT The point of any massive media stunt—as the aforementioned hunger strike unequivocally is­—is to garner as much media attention as possible. Like this. Right here. This is not to raise awareness in the strict sense of the word, but to put the issue front and centre in the public mind, if only for a few minutes. It also promotes discussion, which is valuable at all levels of a democracy. Questioning the motives of those involved is irrelevant. Politicians will act like politicians no matter what. The important part is whether they are part of a cause, which this distinctly labels them. The sheer number of people participating in the hunger strike, combined with support from the public, can create discussion at a political level, which is where it really counts. So this is “actually doing something.” In fact, how else are things “actually done?” If you go to an AMS council meeting, you will find that this is how motions are made. Someone finds out/participates in something that they feel is worthwhile to promote and asks council to pass a motion in support of the principle. If it garners enough support among the councillors, a committee is often formed along the lines of “Whereas the AMS supports Cause X, be it resolved that the AMS strike a committee to figure out how to actively support that cause.” Then money can be put towards programs, research, lobbying, etc. to help the cause. In response to the Olympics specifically, it is a serious concern that VANOC has not kept up its end of the bargain when it comes to homelessness. Anything that criticizes that issue and brings it to light is worthwhile. Where is the massive public outcry for that? A hunger strike shows that some people care. As for the specifics of the protest, starving oneself for a week is difficult. It may not be the most productive form of protest with the problem, but it does show a certain level of dedication. Even if it’s Michael Byers. U

Toope on: tuition increases “It’s not something we’re considering, and it’s not something I’m prepared to do”

—UBC president Stephen Toope

by Katarina Grgic’

Letters IN RESPONSE TO MR PORITZ’S LETTER I consider Mr Poritz a friend of mine. However, I cannot stand by while his views are printed in this paper without offering my dissent. He talks of SPHR offending supporters of Israel; as an ethnically Jewish Canadian, his words have shamed me by rhetorically implying that all Jews must support Israel unconditionally. The IAC’s Israel Week display is just as much propaganda as the SPHR’s display. The IAC portrays Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East, focusing on the culture, music and food of its people. I do not recall seeing posters about mandatory military service, illegal settlements in the West Bank or the overwhelming imbalance in military casualties in the ongoing conflict. When he says he hopes to see

a “moderate...message” I fear that Mr Poritz wants to see a castrated display of a people’s suffering. From my side, being a Jew does not equate to unquestioning support of Israel’s actions. The status of Israel is not an ethno-religious position; it is a political one. The SPHR display simply presents an opposing view to the pro-Israel side. In saying this, I am not suggesting that Israel’s actions constitute apartheid. Rather, both Israeli and Palestinian blood has been spilled, and without good faith from both camps, the troubles are likely to last. I support the existence of the state of Israel, but I have questioned why I support it. The only thing that we can do as students to pursue peace is to foster respectful dialogues, not shouting matches, which Mr Poritz has a history of starting. Different realities exist for different people, least of all when

a people is at the mercy of two occupiers: one of which carries a gun, and one of which carries a megaphone. Mr Poritz is in Honours History: he should know well that there exist multiple truths to every debate. —Mike Kushnir Human Geography 4

If you wish to to submit a letter it must be no longer than 350 words. Your identity will be confirmed by phone or by ID from the office. People may email us at [email protected]

Streeters What do you think of thrift stores?

Monica Kim Art History 2

“I go in there but I can’t find anything I like, and sometimes they kind of smell...I don’t try to avoid them but then I don’t go in as much as I use to.”

Danbee Lee Arts 3

“First year I [went] to the thrift store there I really didn’t buy clothes...I don’t really seem to find the size just right for me, or the style.”

Mizz Maha Human Kinetics 3

“Oh absolutely, yes, they have the best costumes ever... that’s where you find the most unique vintage things. I mean you can’t find stuff made in the 60s in stores today.”

Bobby Taylor Pharmacy 3

“I do...it supports a good cause Salvation Army, SPCA... and usually they’re just as good as clothes you get at new stores...but then you’re not paying the big bucks either.”

Nicole Chiang Pharmacy 3

“Yup, it goes to a good cause, and it’s not very expensive, and you can find a lot of good buys in there.”

—Coordinated by Tara Martellaro & Paul Bucci, with photos by Kellan Higgins

march 6, 2009 SUSCOMIC.COM, BY MICHAEL BROUND

the ubyssey | www.ubyssey.ca

games & comics | 7

Crossword

by Kyrstin Bain

BARNABY, BY BRAD LOCKE

ECOCOMIC, BY PIERCE NETTLING

2020 Washington DC: A new memorial opens on The Washington Mall.

Here lie the victims of Neo-Liberalism The Human Soul The American Dream Western industrialization Human Rights | IMF The Working Class General Motors, United States

Hey! Make a difference. Come down to SUB 24 now to volunteer for your student newspaper.

ACROSS 1. Certain brass horn 6. Tissue 10. Original man 14. Easter month, often 15. Sharp side 16. Coliseum garb 17. Climbing aid 19. Ogle 20. Lather 21. Field 22. Bordeaux 24. Coil used in fluorescent lighting 26. Tight-fisted 27. Dancer’s workplace 29. Eye longer 33. Sn 34. Overcooked 36. Ringworm 37. Engrave 39. Certain UBC residence 41. ‘No change’ 42. Divvy 44. Province in the Veneto region of Italy 46. Sinatra’s “__ Got a Crush on You” 47. Maintain pace 49. November number 51. Henry VIII’s wife Catherine __ 52. Line spoken to the audience 53. Photo equipment 56. A spicy Indian dish 57. Female name or a group of indigenous Colombians 60. Preserved, as wine 61. Fiery constellation of a driver

64. Personal teacher 65. Netherlands’ currency 66. Metaphysical poet John __ 67. Small dog’s bark 68. Control, as a horse 69. Get ready for the day DOWN 1. Deepest voice 2. “__ __ no good” 3. Your grandma’s brother 4. Edged 5. Kay’s follower 6. Jason’s murderous wife 7. The Old Norse Poetic __ or Prose __ 8. Number of years 9. Three lines of poetry forming a stanza 10. Lost island of lore 11. Go-getter 12. Biblical father of Shammah 13. Wal-__ 18. Pop ballad “__ __ of Love” 23. Ultimate 25. Sis. or Bro. 26. Hushed 27. Cut of meat 28. Headline 29. Draught beer

30. Venom antidote 31. Superman Christopher __ 32. Fed 35. Lurer 38. On drugs 40. Swiss cereal 43. Russian emperor 45. Boxer Cassius Clay’s alias 48. Bright burning bullets 50. Grammar checker 52. Brother of Moses 53. Shrewd 54. Chills of Malaria 55. Black thrush 56. A Persian language variant 58. Roman clan 59. Greek god of war 62. Quality of colour 63. Not even

SSports

Athletes of the Week

Editor: Shun Endo | E-mail: [email protected]

March 6, 2009 | Page 8

Claire Hanna, T-Bird Athletic Council

The Birds hope to pass through the first round of the playoffs this year. The T-birds enter the playoffs this weekend. keegan bursaw file photo/the ubyssey

Hockey Preview by Shun Endo Sports Editor

kellan higgins photo/the ubyssey KYLA RICHEY — WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

This past weekend, rightside Kyla Richey of the women’s volleyball team led her team to a national championship victory. She had a total of 34 kills in the tournament, including 18 in the final versus the Calgary Dinos. She was recognized as the tournament MVP, and also earned a spot on the tournament All-Star team. Richey was

also recognized this week as the Canadian Interuniversity Sports Female Athlete of the Week, an honour that stands above all other sports. This is Richey’s second appearance as UBC athlete of the week. U ANDREA BUNDON – WOMEN’S ROWING

This past weekend, Andrea Bundon and the UBC rowing crew competed in the Spring Granite

Regatta. Bundon had an exceptional weekend, coming first in the women’s lightweight singles and also winning the women’s pair division. Bundon and the rest of the crew leave for Amsterdam next week where they will be competing in the Heineken Regatta, a race which involves a 6km race and then a 250m turnaround sprint, and another 5km race with a 750m sprint. We wish Bundon and the crew the best of luck in Europe! U

As many sports are approaching the end of the season, the men’s hockey team will enter the last stage—the competitive Canada West playoffs. Starting this weekend, the teams will compete for the only spot in the CIS championships at Lakehead University. The Birds had a dismal start this season including seven consecutive losses and one of them being an embarrassing 1–10 defeat against last ranked Calgary. This was a disappointing result for the squad as they were successful in recruiting several WHL and OHL players. Even with increasing momentum on their side, nationally topranked teams like Alberta and Saskatchewan stood tall before

the Birds to keep the team on the playoff borderline. But as the regular season came to a close, the Birds came out strong winning four out of five of the last games. T-Birds will face the Canada West fourth-ranked Lethbridge Pronghorns for their first battle in the playoffs. Though the Pronghorns have been physically strong, the Birds have claimed several victories over them this season and they do have a substantial chance of breaking through the first stage. The only setback in this situation is that the Birds will have to travel away. With no fans behind their back and a lot of attention focused on the CIS men’s basketball championship, the squad will have to put everything on the rink to reach as far as they can. U