It’s mid-March and UBC’s Senate is meeting as it does monthly in the Law Building.
After discussion of an issue, Senate chair and UBC President Martha Piper puts
a motion to vote. “All in favor,” she asks, and hands rise across the room.
“Opposed?” A lone hand reaches skyward.
The hand belongs to Brian Murphy, a student senator graduating this month
with both a BASc in Chemical Engineering and a new found love of politics.
Murphy, a native of Victoria, has come a long way since his first years at
UBC. He has developed the confidence to vote against the grain, the belief that
he can make a difference, and a certain amount of proof to go with it.
“When I first came to UBC I used to complain a lot to friends about things
I didn’t like about the university. Finally one of them said `Why don’t you
do something about it?'” Murphy recalls.
“I’ve learned that you can change things if you try, and, once you know how
things work here, you’ll find there’s less to complain about.”
As a senator, Murphy tackled renewal guidelines for university scholarships
in an attempt to make them more equitable. Whereas previous guidelines made
it tougher for students with heavy course loads, Murphy succeeded in bringing
about changes that make the renewal process standard across faculties.
As taken as he is by politics, his involvement with the UBC community extended
well beyond Senate. He participated in intramural sports and enrolled in the
co-op education program in Chemical Engineering, which led him to work terms
in Kitimat, Prince George, Victoria and Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
His extensive involvement in university life and his academic excellence led
to Murphy being awarded one of the university’s most respected scholarships
for graduating students, the Harry Logan Memorial Scholarship. Getting involved,
he says, is the best thing any student can do.
“I would urge students to get involved beyond academics. School is a valid
focus, but it shouldn’t be the only one,” he says. “If you really want to learn,
you have to push your limits. And the more you get out and do different things,
the more you learn about yourself and the world beyond your field of study.”
