SCARLETT FEVER ICE ICE BABY GIMME A "W? Johansson dishes on Woody, tiny dogs. T-Bird hockey hopes stomped by Bears. We weigh in on the Woodward's plans. PAGE 11 PAGE 5 PAGE 14 VOL.LXXXVII N°23 TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER, 2005 www.ubyssey.bc.ca The Claudyssey since 1918 •*?4s9l -*?" Not so special % M jag anymore --•-If m TransLink to terminate 99S 'm1 bus line in the new year 9 by Boris Korby 1 NEWS STAFF Students returning to UBC in Jr* fxggjM January will no longer have the option of taking the 99 Special buses to or from campus following TransLink's decision to terminate the route as of December 12. Low ridership levels and cus­ tomer confusion factored into the decision to eliminate the express line between UBC and Broadway Station, said TransLink Director of Communication Ken Hardie. "There was some consultation with the U-Pass committee, so this didn't come like a bolt out of the blue," said Hardie. "We signaled to the U-Pass committee at UBC that we were going to do this." However, Alma Mater Society (AMS) VP External Jess Klug said she has received numerous emails of complaint from students con­ cerning the termination of the 99S. She beHeves that the lack of consul­ tation between TransLink and the U- Pass service review committee was "I live in this neighbourhood because I like it." insufficient to gauge the effect the # A stand-out piece of the mural alcove lighting up Carrall and Hastings: how will the new Woodward's impact the streets of the cancellation will have on UBC's stu- ~* dent commuters. Downtown Eastside? See page 7 for an in-depth look at what the City's got brewing, YINAN MAX WANG PHOTO "[UBC and TransLink] mei ^ October and there was no consulta­ tion. It was an announcement made that said they were terminating the UBC set to exceed its Kyoto targets 99 Special. At the meeting I clarified for them how much of a bad idea I UBC's drive for campus sustainability began increase cost savings. To date, UBC has decreased thought it was, but there was obvi­ over ten years ago when former UBC President water use by 30 per cent and energy use by 20 per ously no movement," said Klug. David Strangway signed the TaUoires and cent, from 1998 levels. "I don't know what consultation Halifax Declarations. Aside from physical upgrades, the they're talking about because we "When we signed the TaUoires and Halifax dec­ Sustainabifity Office has also sought to change the hadn't received any information larations, we committed to setting a good ecologi­ behaviours of students, faculty and staff on cam­ prior to that announcement in cal, social and economic model for societies to fol­ pus. The campaign to remind people to shut off October," she added. low. The basic part [of the declarations] is meeting fights and computers in buildings after use has TransLink noted that there were international agreements such as Kyoto and to been very successful, saving over $75,000 annual­ numerous concerns with keeping reduce carbon-dioxide emissions," said Ruth ly. The U-Pass program has also reduced single- the 99 Special in operation. Abramson, manager of communication at UBC's occupancy vehicles to and from UBC dramatically, "In many cases the bus was leav­ Sustainabifity Office. resulting in reduced carbon-dioxide emissions. ing Broadway-Commercial without "If we can't do that then we're not doing a good The price tag for the ecotrek project—$35 mil­ [being at full] capacity. When you're CK CHOI: Setting benchmarks for environ­ job," she added. Hon for all buildings on campus—will be paid back really pressed to move a large num­ mentally sound buildings. CLAUDIA LI PHOTO As a result of these declarations, UBC began by energy savings. UBC is currently saving 2.5 mil­ ber of people, having a not-full bus ecotrek, Canada's largest university energy and Hon dollars annually from the upgrades and has make that trip is very counterpro­ by Claudia Li water retrofit program in order to save energy, also received six milHon dollars in funding from ductive, not only to the transit sys­ NEWS STAFF reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote a BC Hydro for the project tem but to the people waiting along more efficient campus. Aside from UBC, other universities across the way," said Hardie. In 2006, UBC will become the first university in The project is slated for completion next year Canada are beginning or continuing energy saving Hardie recaUed incidents of Canada to meet the Kyoto Protocol's goals. As per and involves retrofitting aU buildings, old and new. and greenhouse gas reducing initiatives. rider confusion concerning the non­ the agreement, UBC will reduce its greenhouse gas Air, heating and fighting systems have been stop service provided by the 99 emissions by six per cent from 1990 levels. upgraded in order to decrease energy use and See "Kyoto"page 2. Special as further contributing to TransLink's decision to phase the buses into' the existing 99B-Iine service. Canada's first non-profit university set to open doors in 2007 "What was happening was that a lot of people were demanding to be by Eric Szeto Quest U's purpose wiH be to pro­ "The whole idea of this thing is smaU and let off along the route, which of NEWS EDITOR vide a fulfilling undergrad expe­ intensive,* he said. course works against a non-stop rience, said Strangway. Strangway's brainchild was first conceived service,* he said. 'After taking a Ht­ Former UBC president David Strangway says that "The system in Canada shortly after his tenure as president of UBC. With tie bit of abuse in some cases, the Quest University, set to open in 2007, isn't going needs to have different kinds articles like the Maclean's University Report high­ [bus] operators and TransLink to serve as an antithesis to large pubHc universi­ of institutions meeting differ­ lighting the problem of keeping classes small and decided that it would be just as good ties. It's an alternative. ent needs, meeting different intimate with consistently scarce funding, to take that bus capacity [and] fold it As Canada's first non-profit private institution, demands from its society—and Strangway recognised that the diminishing quaH­ into the 99B-Line.* Quest University—formerly Sea to Sky we've had a tendency for stu­ ty of education was undermining the undergrad "All things considered, it just University—is, in its own way, a pioneer. dents to be clones of each STRANGWAY experience. He set out to create an institution that seems to be a more efficient use of The University is taking a novel approach to other,* said Strangway, the would address these deficiencies. the [buses],* explained Hardie. education by providing its students with a broad- CEO and founding director of Quest U. *I think there's a real problem with the pubfic Translink estimates that stu­ based curriculum that includes fiberal arts and In addition, lectures will be highly engaging, system,* said Strangway, "Something has to give," dents forced to switch over to the science courses while maintaining small class as class sizes at Quest U will be no larger 25. This he stated. 99B-Line service to get to and from sizes—contrary to the criticisms many large pub­ is significantly less than many first year classes at Going to Quest U carries a hefty price tag, campus will see their commute Hc institutions now face. major institutions, which can at times cliiiib to Rather than acting as a diploma assembly line 160, he added. See "Quest University"page 2. See "99 Special" page 2. ^~Cffi;>:;SK-;;^ 2 NEWS TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER, 2005 THE UBYSSEY Sustainability leader There wasn't any consultation between UBC and Translink prior to October "99 Special" from page 1. "Kyoto" from page 1. time increase only marginally. TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER, 2005 The University of Victoria's sustainabil­ The difference in travel time, said VoL.LXXXVn N°23 ity coordinator Sarah Webb explained that Hardie, will likely be under 10 minutes. the sustainabifity office has made a com­ EDITORIAL BOARD mitment towards constructing aU new Brett Vanpoorten, a UBC buildings and facilities to be 25 per cent student and regular rider of the COORDINATING EDITOR Jesse Marchand more energy efficient than the model 99 Special, thinks that he and [email protected]. ca national building code. many other students who use NEWS EDITORS Paul Evans SC Eric Szeto It also plans to reduce energy con­ this express bus wUl be incon­ [email protected] ca sumption by ten per cent by 2010 from venienced as a result of its ter­ CULTURE EDITOR Simon Underwood 2005 levels by implementing some rather mination. [email protected] innovative initiatives, she said. "I think it's too bad because it SPORTS EDITOR Megan Smyth "UVic has a fleet of bicycles that all the is a really good service, [yet] the maintenance staff (such as electricians, fact that it's not jammed pact on [email protected] plumbers, carpenters) uses,* said Webb. eveiy single run means they're FEATURES/NATIONAL EDITOR "They [use the bicycles to] get around to do not getting the absolute benefit to Bryan Zandberg daily tasks on campus that they would nor­ their dollar," he said. [email protected] mally use vehicles for.* "[Next term] the 99B-Line is my PHOTO EDITOR Yinan Max Wang [email protected] Simon Fraser University does not as of A STOP TO THE NON-STOP: As of December 12, the 99S only solution because I'm going yet have a separate sustainability office, will be phased into the 99 B-Line.