The Ubyssey
An independent, nonprofit, public service student press covering the University of British Columbia community since 1918.
FEBRUARY 26, 2026
VOLUME CVII | ISSUE XIII
Published in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territories of the Coast Salish peoples including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (TsleilWaututh) nations.
SINCE 1918
The Ubyssey’s 2026 Black History Month Supplement, in collaboration with the UBC Black Student Union:
ON OUR TERMS Creative Non-fiction by Daniella Barretto Guest Contributor Who might we be if given the room to become? A question that haunts the still spaces of the mind, yet we often lack the language to confront it. We wait for a spark, a sudden clarity, a bolt of inspiration to strike. Yet for many, life does not always begin with an act of lighting. Sometimes it begins with fighting the will to imagine what could have been. We find ourselves paralyzed, not by a lack of desire, but by the fear of the unseen and the lack of strength to give in to our potential. Yet there is a staggering power in this resistance: the will to abstain from the paths that were never meant for us.
This resistance is not unfamiliar. Each day, we encounter the quiet pull toward what is easiest, the urge to remain where we are, to postpone becoming, to choose comfort over transformation. We are told constantly to rise, to strive, to show up without hesitation, yet many of us know the immense force of the opposing will: the desire to remain still, to delay, to abstain from effort. To acknowledge this resistance is to recognize its magnitude. Only when we confront the strength of this opposing force do we begin to understand what it truly means to choose growth, to choose discipline, to choose becoming. The will to abstain, when recognized, reveals the depth of the will required to overcome it. Continued on page 8.
Finding ourselves in cinema’s monsters Cinematic Monsters of Asia, a new course taught by assistant professor Dr. Ji-yoon An, made its debut in the department of Asian studies this semester.
OUR CAMPUS // 2
Women’s Volleyball is playoff-ready
MYELLE YOUNG / UBC BLACK STUDENT UNION
Post-secondary funding to remain steady under provincial budget Report by Sophia Bertuzzi Samilski News Reporter Post-secondary institution expenditures over the next three years will modestly increase, according to B.C.’s provincial budget tabled Tuesday afternoon, while the province will sink into a record-breaking $13.3 billion deficit. Government expenses in the sector are projected to rise from $9.1 billion in 2025-26 and reach
$9.5 billion by 2028-29, marking a $394 million or four per cent increase. The annual increase is not projected to keep up with inflation. According to the government, the rise in expenses are primarily driven by amortization and operating costs associated with new major infrastructure initiatives across the institutions, and inflation on operating costs. Salary expenses are also expected to significantly contribute
to the rising expenses as many unionized employees who work in post-secondary institutions and research universities have negotiated new collective agreements. The province is also increasing the tax rate of the lowest income tax bracket from 5.06 per cent to 5.60 per cent. Additionally, school tax rates are going up, and PST exceptions on certain goods and services are being removed. Continued on page 3.
How could Venezuela’s political future impact Canadians? In a statement following the United States’ intervention, Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed Canada’s support for a peaceful, Venezuelan-led transition while calling on all parties to respect international law. Yet the potential implications for Canada are significant.
In the team’s final regular season game against UBCO, while the stakes were low, they played just the style that can sustain a long postseason run.
SPORTS & RECREATION // 11
UBC’s next PWHL success story? Now playing her final games as a T-Bird this postseason, UBC Women’s Hockey’s all-time point leader, Grace Elliott, has had quite the career.
SPORTS & RECREATION // 12
Feature by Harper Jasinski Contributer
There was a Shane from Montreal, a Shane who’d seen the show four times and a Shane who claimed their reason for qualification should be that they also “like dicks.” | ALEAH KIPPAN / THE UBYSSEY
High sticking at the Heated Rivalry lookalike contest Review by Nivita Dutta Contributor On a cool February afternoon, crowds huddled toward the Pride wall outside the Nest to seek warmth, but not of the electric variety: this heat would emanate from what some were hoping might be a potential hunk parade. Months after the Performative Male contest hosted by the Gender, Race,
Sexuality and Social Justice Undergraduate Society (GRSJUA), event organizers Nayis Majumder and friends decided to throw their second event on their own. This time, it aimed to get a little less family-friendly. The Feb. 10 Heated Rivalry Lookalike Contest was a chance for guys who wear hockey jerseys to class and anyone who can do a Russian accent to compete to be
UBC’s very own Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Minutes after the event’s start time, large masses began to form. Against the wall stood a judges’ table and a red children’s hockey net. Students stood around claiming disinterest about the event, yet proceeded to get on tiptoes and crane their necks trying to goggle the growing contestant pool. Continued on page 4.
In the wake of the United States’ capture of Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro, questions have arisen over the country’s democratic future. This brazen act of foreign intervention also raises further topics that are critical to Canada and the world order, including issues surrounding natural resource production, breaches of international law and principles of state sovereignty. In a statement following the United States’ intervention, Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed Canada’s support for a peaceful, Venezuelan-led transition while calling on all parties to respect international law. Yet the potential implications for Canada are significant. Venezuela possesses the world’s largest crude oil reserves, leading to concerns that Canadian crude may be threatened if Venezuelan
production increases. Further, given President Donald Trump’s repeated ‘suggestion’ that Canada become the 51st state, the operation in Venezuela heightens concerns about the United States’ intentions for Canada and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Trump’s remarks about “running” Venezuela post-Maduro further complicate the picture, and widespread confusion remains surrounding the fate of Venezuela and a world in which the United States is a dominant actor. The Ubyssey spoke with Dr. Maxwell A. Cameron for his insights on the situation in Venezuela and its impact on Canada. Cameron specializes in comparative Latin American politics and is jointly appointed to the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and department of political science at UBC. He has been a touchstone for media sources in light of political unrest in Venezuela. Continued on page 7.
How MRI can help preterm babies Researchers are using MRI techniques to observe how preterm infants use oxygen in their brains — and improve early neonatal care.
RESEARCH // 13
Students need cash Renting dorms on Airbnb is the newest campus side-hustle for broke UBC students.
HUMOUR // 15