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Stories that want you to get your head in the game

The Ubyssey's annual sports supplement is on stands across campus!

Author

The Ubyssey
March 25, 2025

Star players don’t win championships. Teams do. 

Putting your body on the line for the person next to you, putting in the hard work even when you don’t want to, putting aside your pride for the sake of the group — these are the qualities of a winning team. 

The journalist I admire the most once told me reporting works the same way; that the best journalism is done as a team — and he was right.

I was lucky enough to work in a team for this year’s sports supplement and coverage of the two Final 8 national basketball tournaments held at UBC. Although it was full of hard work, late nights, chaos and headaches, it was also full of camaraderie, laughter and memories I won’t forget.

Like championships, Double Dribble represents the best of the best. This supplement covers everything from analyzing the home-court advantage and game-day superstitions to profiles of star coaches and players at UBC. 

I hope reading this will inspire you to dream big, or at the very least, remind you no success happens in isolation.

— Lauren Kasowski
Sports + Rec Editor

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Pick up a copy of The Ubyssey’s sports supplement, Double Dribble! Cover by Emilija V Harrison

DOUBLE DRIBBLE — 2025 Ubyssey sports supplement

Working in sports media brings the game to life

Written by Caleb Peterson | Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Two years ago, Ryann Kristmanson was at a crossroads. After being on the UBC women’s basketball team for two years, she was abruptly forced to reconsider her future.

“I came [to UBC] for basketball. I was recruited here. But I had a career-ending injury,” she said.

In a moment, it seemed like she would have to leave everything she had known on campus behind. The injury would separate her from her teammates and coaches — her friends. But as she was pondering the future, a new roster spot opened on the team for her. Not as a player, but as the team’s social media coordinator.

For Kristmanson, basketball was so crucial that, despite not being able to play, she still wanted to be a part of it. She isn’t the only one.

Leveling the court: Gender equality in North American basketball

This year, UBC hosted the men's and women's basketball national championships, marking the first time a single university has held both. But why is this push for gender equality in basketball happening now, and what remains to be done?

Written by Ian Cooper | Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Q&A with UBC's favourite mascot, Thunder

We had a chance to sit down with Thunder — whose identity has remained anonymous — to answer burning questions about the iconic role.

Written by Lauren Kasowski | Illustrations by Abbie Lee

The Ubyssey’s back on Instagram

People in Canada couldn’t see our articles on Meta-owned platforms due to Bill C-18. But don’t let Meta control how you get your news. Keep up with our newsletter and RSS feed, and follow us on our new Instagram account, @ubyssey.ca and other social media platforms Bluesky and LinkedIn.

NEWS

New graduate student senator election to be held after initial ballot nullified

Due to an oversight error, an incorrectly formatted ballot was sent to students for the graduate student senator race. The new voting period started March 21 at 12:01 a.m. and ends March 28 at 8 p.m.

Written by Iman Janmohamed | Photos by Saumya Kamra

Senate discusses strategic plan, withdraws motion on institutional neutrality

On March 19, Senate met to vote on curriculum proposals and discuss the strengths and limitations of the strategic plan.

Written by Bernice Wong | Photos by Isabella Falsetti

CULTURE

UBC Theatre's The Last of the Pelican Daughters combines loss, family, prosecco and birthday cake

Written by Natalie Vakulin | Photo courtesy Javier Sotres

UBC Theatre’s production of The Pelican Daughters, created by the Wardrobe Ensemble and directed by Fay Nass, is at its very core a story about a family — how unconditional love can bring us together despite differences, loss and anger. Everyone has dealt with the complexities of family, whether chosen or born into, and this play embodies the theatrics, emotion and love that is so common to us all.

The play asks how far we would go for family, questioning how the loss of a loved one can cause idolization and how our view of those closest to us can change in the light of a loss. Though tackling heavy topics, The Last of the Pelican Daughters manages to remain light and comedic. It’s a perfect representation of the nuances of these experiences.

FEATURES

Written by Amardeep Bains | Photos by Fiona Sjaus

A commuter student has three nightmares: missing the bus, falling down the stairs from the second level of the 351 and watching a driver shut the door on you — TransLink’s financial crisis may be worse than all three.

In August 2024, UBC reported that around 75 per cent of students commute to campus. This statistic came weeks after TransLink announced potential future transit service cuts would be necessary at the end of 2025 due to an annual funding gap of approximately $600 million from 2026–33. This is the result of a decrease in provincial and federal government funding for TransLink.

Three months into the year, the situation is still dire. On March 4, the provincial government unveiled its budget for 2025, and any funding allocation directly to TransLink to repair its shortfall was absent from the breakdown.

You can now securely and anonymously share information with The Ubyssey

The Ubyssey’s Secure Dropbox, powered by OnionShare, provides sources a way to share information with our journalists with more security and anonymity than other means. 

OPINION

Opinion: We ran for AMS president as joke candidates. Here’s why

Reflecting on the 2025 AMS election, all three presidential joke candidates offer an indictment of the current state of student politics — taking on issues of engagement, culture and toxicity they say are preventing the student union from doing the work of serving its constituents.

Written by Tony Kulenovic, Eve Sankar and Quyen Schroeder | Visual by Mahin E Alam and Saumya Kamra

Hyperlinked: No, the bus does not sound like your playlist

Everywhere we go, we surround ourselves with music. But are our playlists actually inspiring — as they should be — or just white noise?

Written by Colin Angell

HUMOUR

MORE cool pick-up lines to subject your crush to

On Reddit, between the odd AMS post and TA love story, some lonely soul writes about being single. We published a Valentine’s Day article last month about pick-up lines, but I guess none of you used them. (It’s like you’re asking for perpetual loneliness.)

Written by Ariela Heimlich | Illustrations by Elita Menezes

We’re the best paper on campus, but don't just take our word for it — get involved and find out! All UBC students are welcome to join the staff of the paper — no experience is necessary. Just sign up for our pitch lists or come visit us in the Nest in room 2208.

Want to catch up on old editions? Find our archive here.