Satirical material in handbooks issued to UBC grad students have led to the abrupt recall of some 7,000 copies. Guilty comments include a description of a campus parking lot as “inspired by some of the most beautiful maximum-security penitentiaries in the United States” and a satirical advertisement which states, “UBC Inc. Building Community Whether You Want It Or Not.”
Shortly after distribution, GSS president Mona Maghsoodi issued an email to all GSS members advising them to return copies of the handbook to the GSS and to keep any remaining copies in a discreet manner as to avoid embarrassment for the student union.
UBC students Andrew Witt and Nate Crompton had been commissioned by the GSS to take a new approach in the design of the handbooks. They decided to provide a lively commentary regarding the perceived corporatization of the UBC administration. The GSS is now distributing replacement handbooks typically reserved for international students as a temporary solution.
