From the Cult: Senate interviews

The UBC Senate deals with all the academic matters that are important but that no student actually pays attention to. This includes things like admissions and curriculum — so how well do they deal with silly questions about skateboards? I dunno, read with your eyes!

Max Holmes, Awais Quadre and Iman Morandi did not participate in the interview.

Julia Chai

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
If there are iClicker questions involved, it's never too late

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
The "I'm Lovin' It" jingle

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
The Bowlcut (2000-2003 RIP)

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
As long as they're still functional and don't give you blisters, rock on!

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
I'm very much spatially challenged, so the answer would be no.

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
No comment.

How many whales have you seen in your life?
If you count the Beaty Biodiversity Museum whale skeleton... 1 LOL

Can you skateboard?
Three years ago, I thought I could and I bought myself a penny board with no prior experience. Three days later I found myself racing down a very minimal decline and fell over and scraped up my elbow pretty badly :( saddest day ever

What was your high school mascot?
The WCHS Redhawks

Mathew Ho

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
10 minutes.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
I feel rather out of touch with modern music. Personally it would be Quand Je Suis Mis Au Retour, but if that’s too complicated, Love Story could do.

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
My current one

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
2.5 Years

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
I think I’ll fail horribly against you

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
I’m pretty sure it’s somewhere south of the nest, and east of Orchard.

How many whales have you seen in your life?
Real whales? I can’t seem to remember, but possibly just a few at most. I’ve seen a lot more toy whales, if those count.

Can you skateboard?
Unfortunately not.

What was your high school mascot?
Unfortunately, aside from some international schools, high school mascots aren’t a thing in schools in Hong Kong.

Julia Burnham

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
Anything more than 10-15 minutes is a bit much and can be awkward. Don’t be that person.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. That Oscars performance tho

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
A really short layered bob from a salon chain at the mall. I cried when I got home.

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
If you wear them, keep them. Reduce your consumption!

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
This is a hostile question, and for that reason, my answer is probably not.

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
I’m 90% sure it’s over in Vanier land? Walk down past the fountain, turn right at Mercante and keep walking until you hit it. I think. If you hit the parking lot you’ve gone too far. It’s kind of across from the geography building?? I think? I DID NOT CHEAT FOR THIS.

[note: these directions are incorrect]

How many whales have you seen in your life?
None :(

Can you skateboard?
Hard no. But I did have a RipStik in middle school if that counts?

What was your high school mascot?
The Red Devil. Bonus: I was the high school mascot.

Stuart Clarke

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
No such thing! I mean, yes, it's discomforting to be in a 10 person seminar and get there over an hour late. Or, yes, it's petrifying if you have to face a creaky door that leads into your class when it's closed. However, when I'm late, I walk into class without shame because at least I'm there. Better late than never is a fine motto.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
Ahhhh, this is tough. I've had vastly different feelings about the intimate relationships I've been in, partly because romance induces a swift, ever-changing mood, and partly because the love's of my life have made me feel very different things. I also really like music, and I've made far too many playlists on spotify.

Being in love, head over heels: Young Turks - Rod Stewart

Being in love, but wanting it to be chill: Photosynthesis - Saba, Jean Deaux

Being in love with someone more platonically, like a friend on a long car ride: Dove - Cymande

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
The last haircut I had, I did myself. Was it the worst? I didn't think so, but I definitely messed up a few times, and I can't remember the one's I didn't like when I was young.

I was just getting experimental. I have an electric trimmer, so I thought, "Hey, why not save some money?" And, furthermore, I had my friend help with the back of my head. Then I decided to keep trimming throughout last semester because it was fun. I thought I was learning a new, slightly odd skill. But this term I ended up caving in, and - I have to say - I like my haircut now a lot more than before ?

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
The longest I've had a pair of shoes is around 5 years. I still have em. However, they're a nice leathery version of Keen's. So, I can't say they're in bad shape. And I hardly wear them because, quite frankly, they're unstylish.

If anyone owned shoes for longer than 10 years - that are used most days - I'd be concerned. However, I'm all about what's best for the environment. If someone can buy blundstones and make them last 10 years, then hell ya! Go for it. After all, this is why thrift shops also sell shoes.

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
I've had my days. But if you want to go to the Gallery sometime in the next couple weeks, we could find out fair and [square]. I'd also look forward to "connecting" with you after having providing you with all these wonderfully vulnerable details.

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
Of course, just go down university boulevard from the Nest, turn left at the fountain (up to you if you like using it like a rotary, or if you take the shortest line possible), take main mall all the way to the intersection of Agronomy and voilà! It's on your right. Not much to see there. My friend in Landscape Architecture says it's just studios and most of her classes are in Lasserre (arguably harder to find) or MacMillan.

How many whales have you seen in your life?
At least 10. Luckily I've never seen any beached and ready to die. And if you count movies & photos, I'm up to 100, at least. After all they're in cartoons, natgeo instas... and whale rider is an epic movie.

I'm from Boston, and so I've been on a couple whale watches there, and I've also gone on boats in other countries for the same reason. One of these experiences was an epic school trip when I was in Grade 6. There was a family of 4 humpbacks breaching for all of us to see, and a couple others mixed in. Plus, harbour porpoises. Anyhow, lots of people "tossed their cookies" - to use the euphemism - from being on the rocking deck when we cruised over some waves for a while. I, to my content, was one of the few people who stayed out on the deck, not one of those laying across the tables waiting for the rocking to stop. Still brings laughs to me now thinking about all the adults who mistakenly joined us only to be sitting inside the boat's main cabin with heads tucked into their hands and arms in hopes of feeling better.

I guess it's the surfer in me that makes me nice and cozy out at sea. Safe to say, it was a swell experience that highlighted that school year.

Can you skateboard?
Just went today. Down from my place to Kits beach with the roomies. I was landing some tricks more cleanly, so that's always fun.

Would recommend everyone go the UBC Skate Park

What was your high school mascot?
The Lincoln-Sudbury Warriors. Super unoriginal considering the town next door, Wayland, also had the same name for their teams. I think it was a reference to Native Americans, but, honestly, there were hardly any graphics of warriors, nor was there a big, puffy-suited mascot. The only thing that gives away cultural appropriation of Native Americans was the feathers on the logo of football team sweaters.

A lot of my school's spirit was around the social aspect of being at games and participating in competitive sports. I don't think people found much relevance to the mascot other than saying "Go Warriors!" And, at games against Wayland, they would compete with who could rep the title better.

Chris Hakim

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
When the prof gives you the side eye, that's a bad sign.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
Floral & Fading by Pierce the Veil because sometimes my partner and I will listen to music and that song will come up, then for some reason we will start slow dancing. I've started to put it into my Spotify queues but playing it off as random just so we can slow dance.

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
I dyed my hair light brown with golden streaks once and I am constantly reminded by others about how bad it was.

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
When you start thinking about your life with another pair of shoes (gasp).

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
Hell no.

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
Leave through the doors on the second floor of Buchanan A into Main Mall. There should be this small building that looks like it definitely wasn't designed by architectures, and that's the landscape and architecture building.

[note: these instructions are incorrect, they are instructions for the Frederic Lasserre Building]

How many whales have you seen in your life?
Not enough to break the ice, so zero.

Can you skateboard?
I can longboard which means I'm a bit more pretentious.

What was your high school mascot?
A tree, a freaking tree.

Nick Pang

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
It’s never too late. I think it’s always important to be proud of yourself for your accomplishments. Always be your own biggest cheerleader. Unless you walk into class and block everyone else trying to get out. Then I hate you.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
There’s this song by an amazing European indie band. They’re able to capture the essence of love in a way that mainstream music never has. See if you can hear the deep, touching subtleties: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
Constipated porcupine.

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
Shoes have feelings. I don’t think they appreciate us stepping all over them forever. Say “thank u for sparking joy in my life” and hand them over to Marie Kondo (you and I both know she is secretly a shoe hoarder, don’t let her book and Netflix show fool you).

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
When you have eyesight as poor as mine, you can’t really tell the difference between the red and yellow disks. Any four in a row means a win for me. Playing by the rules is so 2008.

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
Walk north of the Fountain. Keep walking. Keep walking. It’s on your left. Keep walking anyways and go to the Rose Garden to procrastinate and silently judge tourists instead.

[note: these directions are incorrect]

How many whales have you seen in your life?
Zero. I want my money back, Derek. Your whale watching tour is a scam and I hope you’re happy for breaking a man's dream of hugging a marine animal.

Can you skateboard?
I’ve given up learning how to skateboard because I’m afraid of judgment from the neighbourhood tweens. However, skateboards make a great tool to move my $20 used IKEA furniture from one basement suite to another at the end of the school year.

What was your high school mascot?
Dragons. They’re real and they’re majestic.

Riley Ty

How late is too late to walk in on an hour long class?
It is never too late, unless everyone is gone and the next class walks in or the room is empty, that is 59 minutes of the 60 minute period. I would just say 25 minutes or halfway to keep it safe.

What song best captures the feeling of being in love?
Let's get it on! Nothing else could come to mind so I just have to go with feeling.

Describe the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
I cannot fully remember, as I was a small child, but I recall that after the haircut, my dad had to give me a buzz cut and payed me money not to complain. FYI my dad was cutting my hair to begin with, supposed to say I always went to the barber after, but my dad still claims he can do a better job for a cheaper price.

How long is too long to own a pair of shoes?
Well as long as the shoes do not hurt, they still fit, the colour is not faded, it is not severely scratched and there are no holes then I would say all good. If it is colonized by other living organisms such as spiders or mold, then that is too long.

Do you think you could beat me (Thomas O'Donnell) in a game of Connect 4?
As I say with most things in life, only one way to find out! That said, I challenge you Angela O'Donnell, to a game of Connect 4 (if I lose the election, please let me win).

Off the top of your head and without looking it up, could you direct me to the landscape architecture building?
Yes keep walking around campus and ask this same question until you find the right spot or a map. Although I was a tour guide in the past, I can only direct you to Buchanan, the NEST, Asian Studies, the Nitobe gardens, etc. but not architecture!

How many whales have you seen in your life?
Just the one in Beaty, if you count Doug Ford then 2.

Can you skateboard?
Only in video games, I have no luck in the real world.

What was your high school mascot?
A wildcat.

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