Murder mystery in air for Homecoming ’96

Solve a murder on the high seas, lend an ear to local literati, or sample
enough apples to keep a dozen doctors away. UBC’s annual Homecoming celebration
offers something for every taste Oct. 15-20.

The events that make up Homecoming are expected to bring thousands of guests
and UBC alumni to campus to participate in class reunions, the Botanical
Garden’s annual Apple Festival, special lectures and a murder mystery at the
Cecil Green mansion.

Several events, including the Apple Festival and a lecture by Prof. Stanley
Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs and more recently Sleep
Thieves, are open to the public.


  • Prof. Stanley Coren will kick off Homecoming festivities with a talk
    on sleep deprivation, a condition which he says many of us suffer from. Coren’s
    talk is the first in the Favourite Professors Speakers Series and part of the
    Bringing UBC Downtown program. It takes place from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 15 at
    the Robson Square Conference Centre and is open to the public. To purchase a
    ticket, which is $10, call 822-3313.

  • Murder on the High Seas is the theme of this year’s murder mystery
    dessert event at Cecil Green Park House, Oct. 18. Guests are invited to take
    part by acting as a suspect or joining fellow detectives in trying to solve the
    mystery. This is the third time the event has been hosted by the Alumni
    Association, following two previous sell-outs. Participants can register as
    individuals or as a team of six. Tickets are $20 and include a dessert buffet.
    For information and reservations call 822-8923.

  • The Great Trek Remembered Luncheon takes place Oct. 18 at Cecil Green
    Park House. The lunch, to honour alumni for their contributions to UBC’s
    development over the years, will pay special tribute to Evelyn Lett on the
    occasion of her 100th birthday. Lett was instrumental in the creation of both
    the Alma Mater Society and the UBC Alumni Association.

  • A Literary Event, featuring readings by four alumni authors, will take
    place Oct. 19 from 1-3 p.m. at Cecil Green Park House. Authors Murray Logan,
    Zsuzsi Gartner, Genni Gunn and Tim Ward will read from their works at this
    first-ever literary event, hosted by the Alumni Association and dedicated to
    the memory of Rosalind MacPhee, author of Picasso’s Woman — an
    award-winning story on her fight with breast cancer. Call 822-3313.

  • The Botanical Garden’s annual Apple Festival draws thousands of apple
    fanciers every year. Visitors to this year’s festival will have an opportunity
    to sample some 50 varieties of apple, question experts regarding apple types,
    blights and other general apple information, and take in pruning and grafting
    demonstrations. Apple trees and a wide range of apple varieties will be
    available for purchase as well. The festival takes place at the Botanical
    Garden on Southwest Marine Dr. on Oct. 19-20 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.