The Ubyssey presents

Guide To UBC

Zubair Hirji

Coordinating Editor

Pawan Minhas

Visuals Editor

Lua Presidio

News Editors

Charlotte Alden and Andrew Ha

Culture Editor

Danni Olusanya

Sports + Rec Editor

Diana Hong

Video Editor

Akshay Khandelwal

Opinion + Blog Editor

Sam Smart

Science Editor

Myla White

Photo Editor

Sophie Galloway

Features Editor

Bailey Martens


Web Developer

David Kao

Web Developer

Keegan Landrigan


Contributors

Sarah Zhao
Anupriya Dasgupta
Sanjana Subramanian
Campbell Speedy
Jasmine Arora
Kaila Johnson
Lara Radovic
Angela Villavicencio
Taman Mohamed
Arumann Dhillon
Semeion Wong
Shereen Lee
Benoit Dupras
Kyle Delgatty
Shanzeh Chaudhry
Sebastian Geraldo
Zubair Hirji
Theresa Wong
Thomas O’Donnell

Editor's Note

There’s a saying back home that goes ‘If something’s tough, that just means it’s worth doing.’ I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this year’s going to be tough. The articles in this guide are to help you see that this year — with its Zoom calls, video lectures and Canvas aplenty — is worth doing.


The common thread throughout this guide is that you’re going to find some of the best folks you’ve ever known in your classes and clubs meetings — it’s just a matter of getting out there and attending. The caveat to that thread is that online learning means you’ve got to put in a bit more legwork to develop those connections, but after plenty of time spent inside, you’re likely itching to meet new people. So take those leaps of faith, turn on your trash webcam once in a while and try engaging with the course material — if you’re lucky, you’ll find some folks who make the next few years pass like a breeze. I know I did.


And one last thing: if you’re new to BC, here’s an important piece of culture to welcome you. A quote from one of the smartest folks around: “Be kind, be calm, be safe.”

To the guide
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“Yeah, online classes aren't exactly the intro you wanted to university life. But you WILL get your iconic first-year moments when we can all return to campus. Remember - you're in university to learn, and you will still get to do that this year. Plus, it's a way better way to make the most of your time in quarantine - it's not like any of us can do the typical gap year of travel or work right now anyway.”

— Julia Burnham
Who's the Ubyssey?

The Ubyssey — it rhymes with the Odyssey — is your student newspaper, telling the stories that matter to the UBC student body. We know what’s important to students because we’re students too. We’ve been the official campus newspaper since 1918, and we’re fully independent from the university and the AMS, both of whom we aim to call out when they mess up.


You’ve probably seen us on your Facebook or Twitter feeds (if you haven’t, give us a like and follow!), and you can also check us out online at ubyssey.ca. In these pandemic days, we’re publishing a print issue every month. But normally, we publish a print issue most Tuesdays that you can pick up around campus.


A team of lovely editors and web developers runs The Ubyssey from our home in the Nest — at least, when we’re not busy skipping class or shooting the shit in our office. You might be thinking, aren’t the only people who would dedicate themselves to student journalism total nerds? And you’d be completely right. Cool nerds, though. Each section has its own unique brand of chaos that you can get involved with.


News

keeps you in the know about all things UBC before anyone else.


Culture

gets students going on stuff like the best campus eats, or arts and performance.


Features

is where we investigate what goes on behind the scenes at UBC through long-form articles.


Opinion

is a place for students to talk smack and generate discussion about the issues that affect them.


Sports + Rec

covers all things sports, so you never miss a game.


Blog

posts the funkiest content, from humour columns to satire about UBC’s quirks.


Science

covers all things science-related, including the research that some of your very own professors are working on.


Video

sees UBC from a director’s eyes, creating our next viral YouTube video.


Visuals

uses illustration and design to make our stories shine.


Photos

captures everything on campus. Nobody would read our articles if photos didn’t tell the visual side of our stories.


Web

is what makes our stories go viral. Our web devs coded our website from scratch.

more about us
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“University can seem scary, especially for a large university, but everyone is so excited to make new friends that the size really doesn’t matter. And for all the first-years who are upset about their experience: just know that you are going through the same thing that everyone else is going through, and you are not alone.”

— Ioana David
How to get involved

The Ubyssey is your student newspaper, and that means we’re run by students just like you. Volunteers are the backbone of our paper and we’d love to have you contribute. You can hone your drawing skills, work on web development, snap photos, film videos or snag a written byline. You can contribute twice a year or twice a week — it’s up to you. Whatever you’re into, there’s a place for you at The Ubyssey. No experience necessary.


Interested? Here’s how you can get involved.


Contact the editors

The Ubyssey is run by a ragtag bunch of 11 editors overseeing 10 written and visual sections. All of them are here to field your pitches and work with you to publish your work. If you’re interested in a particular topic, you can reach each editor by finding their email address at ubyssey.ca/contact. We’re here to pitch you, flesh out your ideas and help you become a better journalist. We don’t bite — pinky promise.


Sign up for pitch lists

Many sections regularly send out emails with pitches that you can pick up. We’ll send out stories or illustrations and the first person to reply gets the pitch. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you have all the info needed to do the work and we’ll support you from start to finish. What are you waiting for? Sign up at ubyssey.ca/volunteer.


Visit our office

When there isn’t a pandemic ravaging the world, you can come find the editors working away 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in our office, room 2208 in the Nest. You can talk to us about pitch ideas or anything at all. Every week, we hold weekly staff meetings where you can come meet fellow contributors. Check out our Facebook page for more details. We’re lonely. Please come bother us.

contact us