Volume 21 Issue 7

Over The Edge (Use pages 8 & 9 as wrapping paper)

Volume 21, Issue 7

Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca

November 24, 2014 ote-newspaper@unbc.ca

Masthead Letter from the

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Next deadline: January 1, 2015

(In case you’re wondering, I’m not cool.)

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Coolness now seems to be directly related to

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Every year, we provide employment as editors, designers, and managers to students with a passion for journalism and are always looking for motivated individuals to work and volunteer in our collaborative environment. Over The Edge offers competitive advertising rates for space in our print publication as well as online.

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Over The Edge is the University of Northern British Columbia’s independent student newspaper. Our office is located on the 2nd floor of the NUSC building in room 6-350.

We are an equal opportunity publication which represents students in the UNBC and Prince George community. Our publication supports student writing by welcoming news, arts, sports, culture and opinion articles, as well as photography, comics, and creative writing submissions.

social injustice. South Park, which long ago lost it’s coolness after years of fart jokes, is becoming cool again - because as a show, it started adding humour to things like cysgenderism and MTV news. Knowing what’s happening in the world is cool. Riding your bike is cool. Middle agers using kik is not cool, so lets all just stop encouraging them.

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Over The Edge

Relatively old people are instagramming.

They’re taking selfies and using hashtags, causing the rapid decline of their cool factor.

Popular Facebook groups are being used as search engines, Twitter is a home base for celebrities to complain about how rich they are, and Snapchat recently revealed that it can be used for money transfers.

Kelley

inter break is almost upon us - but screw it, I’m not going to write about the holidays. You know it’s happening, it happens every year, and it isn’t going to be any different this year. In fact, the holidays are only going to get worse when you’re done school, because life is just going to continue as normal until maybe December 24, if you deserve a couple days off. I’d rather write about anything else. Anything at all.

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UNBC Life Motivational speaker Blake Fly comes to UNBC in some way once one is removed.

Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator

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n November 6, Student Life brought university motivational speaker Blake Fly to UNBC. The event was two years in the making, with conversations happening between Fly and Student Life Coordinator Lisa Scheck. Finally, due to the 25th anniversary of UNBC, Fly came to UNBC. The day began with workshops, followed by a big speaking event in the evening. Both events were about making the best of the amazing opportunity we all have: university.

The evening event saw a wide variety of students attend with a presence from UNBC, CNC, and some of the high schools in Prince George. The event began with interactive drumming and clapping. While other events have had similar beginnings to gain the audience’s attention, Fly’s excitement and humour were contagious and made what could have come off as a mundane exercise as something special.

Fly’s stage presence, personality, and banter made the information feel new. Ultimately

Blake Fly at UNBC Kelley Ware | OTE

the theme of Fly’s talk was that leaving your comfort zone in university is necessary if you want your university experience to be extraordinary. Another major theme of his talk was finding a balance in your university experience. To make this point, Fly brought in three props: a backpack, a teddy bear,

and a guitar. The backpack represented the academic side of university, the reason we are here, the teddy bear represented the people and relationships in our lives, and the guitar represented our passions and hobbies. A balance between these three is vital, because the experience is lessened

The last part of the talk I will never forget.

Fly began talking about prank phone calls.

He mentioned that they were fun, but were only fun because they were at the expense of someone. So Fly introduced the “Thank Call.” The idea is similar: you still call an unsuspecting person in your contacts; however, instead of the prank, you identify yourself to your friend and thank them. Then he did it for all of us to see. At random, the audience chose a contact of his that he then put onto speaker and called.

Fly thanked them for the things they had done for him as we listened in. It was an amazing idea. Then Fly challenged us to do it right then and there. One brave soul took the challenge and stood up and called his friend. It was incredible, and we made two people’s day by doing it. Finally he ended with a song on his guitar, bringing us back to the importance of passions.

Ultimately Fly left us with one message: do not be afraid. Do not be afraid to ask for help, to reach out and make friends, to tell people they matter, and to take chances.

News from NUGSS: meet the VP Internal Shelley Termuende VP Internal | NUGSS

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irst and foremost, I would like to thank the UNBC undergraduates for electing me to this position. I am confident that my past experience will ensure that the student body is well represented for the remainder of my term.

Shelley Termuende | NUGSS

I certainly have some big shoes to fill with Amarilys Ducharme’s strong legacy, but with her mentorship, I hope to equal her

success in this position. I am incredibly excited to work with this year’s NUGSS team to ensure clubs are content, NUGSS services are known and utilized by the student body, and NUGSS policy is maintained and adjusted to be beneficial for the society as a whole.

While I am new to the VP position, I will not be afraid to ask questions, admit where I need to improve, and work to my fullest to do just that. As your new VP Internal (previously VP Student Affairs), I will be fair and balanced when working with clubs. I am

no stranger to hard work and I am willing to dedicate my time to you, however long you need. When I am not in class, I will be devoting my time to my new position here at NUGSS. The first on my list of priorities will be to meet with all of the club executives and discuss what they hope to see from NUGSS and from me in the upcoming semester.

I look forward to speaking with everyone and am willing to answer questions during my scheduled office hours on Monday

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UNBC Life

UNBC removes barrier for fostered youth Tyson Kelsall Contributor

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NBC, under the encouragement of Social Work professor and Ph.D. Glen Schmidt, will stop charging youth in care for tuition.

This includes anybody who is or has been in care under the Child, Family and Community Services Act. Schmidt recognizes the continuing rise in costs for post-secondary education, and his idea is that education would be entirely publicly funded. He uses Sweden as an example of that idealism. Germany also recently reintroduced tuition-free university. Schmidt does not see Canada as being anywhere close to that model. He does, however, see that giving students with low economic background increased access to post-secondary education is important.

Diversity in education, at least in theory, has been a continued goal in the past few

decades for academia. Schmidt specifies that a diversity of different socio-economic backgrounds in a classroom setting leads to better understanding, better communication, and thus a better civil society.

Challenges for Canadian Youth in Care: The cost of continuing one’s education beyond secondary school is far from the only hurdle youth in care must jump.

Schmidt points out that unlike a lot of Canadian youth, who, when they turn 19, still receive some level of support from their parents, youth in care are shown the door. Once having left, many youth in care find themselves on income security benefits. Schmidt says that within one year of leaving, approximately half of former youth in care are on social assistance.

The Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, compared former

in-care 19-year-olds with their counterparts, and found that the former were: “less likely to graduate from high school and attend post-secondary education…[m] ore likely to have mental health problems, become parents at an early age, experience trouble with employment, be involved in the criminal justice system, receive social assistance, experience homelessness or have substance abuse issues.” It was TurpelLafond who originally called upon British Columbian colleges and universities to bear the burden of tuition for youth in care after seeing the government failing to do so. Schmidt and Turpel-Lafond both see the Province as a “bad parent”.

UNBC is not the first school in BC to waive tuition for youth in care; Vancouver Island University did so in the summer of 2013, and the University of British Columbia did so earlier this year.

Who Will It Effect & How It Does Work: Using UBC as a measuring stick, Schmidt predicts this waiver will perhaps help 7 or 8 youth in care annually. UBC has an undergraduate student population of around 35,000 and had 18 students benefit from the program last year.

UNBC has an undergraduate population of 3500 students. According to Schmidt, approximately 230 youth in care have a strong enough GPA to become firstyear students in British Columbia.

The tuition waiver will not affect students already receiving funding for their education, such as Aboriginal students who already receive full funding from their band. Students wishing to use the waiver must already be eligible for a university education. The waiver will also not add any fees to other students total tuition costs. The waiver will most likely come into effect as of September 2015.

Student Life Stressbuster SuIn Lee Publisher

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fter each semester, students gradually learn to procrastinate more efficiently.

It is around November when we wish we would have started everything earlier. Before the panic hits, remember to look around and take advantage of various events to celebrate the end of the 2014 year.

In a joint partnership between CNC and UNBC, Student Life and International Education is hosting a Winter Wonderland Semi Formal party at 7:30

pm on November 29 in the NUSC space. The event will feature an international food festival, featuring foods from nine different countries and offering a unique experience for students to discover new flavours and ingredients. Some of the options voted by the students to be on the menu include pakora, dumplings, and spring rolls. Before the excitement of food goes away, a DJ will be brought in for a de-stress dance-off.

Get the $5.00 tickets from Student Life office as they are selling fast!

unbc.ca

UNBC Life

UNBC’s Dr. Lightfoot Hannah Rizun Contributor

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ithin the Royal Society of Canada, the Academies of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences were established in 1882 as the senior Canadian collegium of distinguished scholars, artists and scientists. The primary objective of the society is to promote learning and research.

UNBC’s Associate Professor of History, Dana Wessell Lightfoot, has been named a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists, the newest of four branches within the Royal Society of Canada, joining the Academies of the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science.

The mission of the College is: “To address issues of particular concern to new scholars, artists and scientists, for the advancement of understanding and the benefit of society, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary approaches fostered by the establishment of the College.” Over The Edge caught up with Dr. Wessell Lightfoot to learn more about her recent appointment.

“The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists was created because they [the Royal Society] realized that the majority of faculty at universities in Canada got their PhDs after 2002, and they wanted to bring new life into the Royal Society; in particular, people that are putting forth new advancements and research. But also, to make it interdisciplinary, as the other parts of the Royal Society are siloed by Humanities or by Sciences, this is people from all three fields.”

So, what kind of people can you expect to meet within this particular college? “The people are from all over; there are other historians, but also artists, musicians, and scientists all working in a huge range of fields.”

What are you hoping to bring back to UNBC from this position? “I’d like to bring back connections with these other institutions, as well as bringing more awareness to UNBC,” On November 21, Dr. Lightfoot attended a symposium and general meeting as a part of the Royal Society. Before her departure, we asked her about the themes being discussed at the conference. “The theme this year is immigration and thinking about immigration broadly across Canada but also how it impacts post-secondary education. There will also be speakers discussing ‘The Role of PostSecondary Education in the 21st Century.’

I think this is one of the big questions post-secondaries are facing right now.”

Dr. Lightfoot’s research interests include gender in medieval European history, with a focus on Spain. She hopes to foster a discussion around gender equity and higher education in this forum.

Dr. Lightfoot is one of 91 researchers from across the country that were presented as inaugural members of the College last weekend at the annual general meeting in Quebec City. She is only the second UNBC professor to be named to the Royal Society, joining Professor Emeritus of Political Science Alex Michalos. Inductees were selected after demonstrating a high level of achievement in the early stages of their career.

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Melvyn Bragg Andrew Hayes Watkins | BBC Picture Archives

Culture 5 More podcasts to

Help Stave Off Boredom

Colin Slark Team Member

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arlier this year I wrote an article about some of the best podcasts available for you to listen to. You may have immediately downloaded and listened to every minute of the podcasts I recommended, but I am here to tell you that there is good news. If you are craving more fine audio entertainment, there are many more good podcasts for you to listen to.

Serial: Still in its first season, Serial promises to spend each season examining the details of a different nonfiction story. The currently ongoing first season focuses on the murder of a teenage girl in late-nineties Baltimore and examines whether or not the young man

convicted of the crime really did it. Every episode throws out different possibilities and new information, as you start to wonder if the accused was the real killer, or if his conviction was a miscarriage of justice.

Revolutions: By the same person who did the excellent History of Rome podcast, Revolutions tackles various historical revolutions from start to finish. Host Mike Duncan provides enough context and information to make sense of the events while keeping the narrative tight enough to keep your interest from week to week.

Six Feats Under: You might find the idea of listening to people playing a tabletop roleplaying game dull, but this group makes things interesting. Set in the 13th Age

roleplaying game, the players have chemistry while interacting, and their game master is a good storyteller. This makes for a compelling and fun fantasy story, whether you’re just interested in the story, the game they’re playing, or just looking for ideas for your own roleplaying campaign. Six Feats Under is a good time for fantasy and RPG lovers.

Judge John Hodgman: The Daily Show contributor and humourist John Hodgman dispenses podcast justice in his weekly show.

Through the power of the Internet, groups of listeners call in to have Hodgman pronounce judgement on a variety of disputes. No matter how inane or insane, Hodgman always has something amusing to say on any given topic.

In Our Time With Melvyn Bragg: This BBC podcast takes on people, things, and events from hundreds of subjects in history and discusses them with experts on the topics.

The tone can be somewhat dry at times, but the amount of information on a topic contained within a 40-50 minute episode is astounding. There are hundreds of episodes on different aspects of general history, culture, philosophy, religion, and science.

Much like how YouTube is a haven for aspiring movie makers to display their talents, podcasts are a great opportunity for people with talents that are suited to radio-style presentations. There are some creative people in podcasting, so if none of the programs on this list grab your attention, there is sure to be a podcast about a topic you are interested in.

Culture

Frostfit

Kayla Kilba Contributor

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tudents all feel the burden of midterms, group projects, presentations, you name it. Sometimes it’s a struggle for us to make it through the day only to go to bed, wake up the next morning and do it all over again. From personal experience, I understand how difficult it can be to balance all the aspects of your life.

I am currently in my fourth year of post-secondary education.

I attended UNBC for three semesters majoring in biology. In my second year at UNBC I made some major life changes. I was unhappy with my body and with the program I was in, so I decided to switch into the nursing program, and to make some huge personal health changes. That winter, I returned home to work, and I began lifting. Although I had been actively involved in fitness and sports my whole life, lifting weights was a whole new concept to me. I bought fitness magazines, watched YouTube videos, was a frequent visitor of bodybuilding.com, and used everything and anything I could get my hands on to, to try and educate myself.

I started eating healthy, which meant portion control too.

I won’t lie--it was hard, as I am a bit of a carbitarian, but it got easier and soon became routine. I lost a significant amount of weight on my own just with eating healthy and lifting weights, with added cardio here and there.

Then I returned to Prince George for my first year of the nursing program. I was worried I was not going to have time to work out or eat healthy, and fall back into my old routine. Because it was important to me for personal reasons and for my health, I kept up my good habits.

It turned out that I performed better in school too!

Most recently I competed in a bodybuilding competition

with the World Beauty Fitness and Fashion in October, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I cannot wait for my next one.

So why am I telling you all this? It’s because I can sympathize with what it’s like when your days easily become consumed with the post-secondary workload; schedules get tailored to deadlines, instead of to your well-being. If nursing school has taught me anything so far, it’s that self-care is necessary for your emotional, physical, and mental health.

Self-care are the actions you take or implement in your everyday life to promote your overall well-being.

This includes the food you eat, how much exercise you get, how much you sleep at night, and having fun with friends. In other words, it is all about balance.

So let’s throwback to first year physics for a second.

Remember how if all the forces acting on an object balance each other, the object is said to be in equilibrium? Let’s take this physics lesson and apply it to ourselves for a moment. If we allow for balance between our diet, exercise, academics, social, and relational aspects, we too can remain at equilibrium, and in doing so we address self-care. However, if we let one of these aspects significantly out-weigh one of the others , or we neglect them or eliminate them altogether, we become unbalanced, and we are no longer at equilibrium.

I have learned a lot about balance over the past couple years.

Everyone is different and may need to work on different aspects of their life to find that equilibrium, for me it was focusing on diet and exercise, but specifically the diet.

Remember when I mentioned I am a bit of a carbitarian?

Well, I would like to share with you a healthy pancake recipe.

The best part is you can make them the night before and just warm them up in the morning if you are in a rush, and

since you may be rolling out of bed at 8:15 for your 8:30 class, this may be a great option. Here is what you’ll need: Blueberry Protein Pancakes ½ cup quick oats 1 tsp baking powder 1 package of stevia (optional), ½ cup blueberries 6 egg whites ( ¾ cup) 1. Blend the oats, baking powder, and stevia until a flour-like consistency is reached.

2. Add the egg whites and blend, and then let this sit for a couple minutes to allow the oats to soak up the egg whites.

3. Hand mix in the blueberries.

4. Use coconut oil and cook just like regular pancakes, sizing and amount may vary depending on how big you make the pancakes.

5. Add some peanut butter, cinnamon, or plain greek yogurt for a topping if you would like.

6. Congratulate yourself! You just made HEALTHY pancakes, and got some of your daily protein intake to boot!

I hope you all take some time to reflect on self-care. I will be submitting recipes and fitness tips every now and then so stay tuned! Until then, stay humble and stay hungry.

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Culture

Experiences participating in a political campaign Kelley Ware Multimedia Coordinator

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he last four weeks I have been involved in a mayoral campaign.

It originally began back in April, when Lyn Hall had approached me to talk over coffee.

Once there, Lyn talked to me about his plan to run for mayor, asked whether I felt the time was right for him, and if I wanted to get involved in the campaign. I am a student looking for anything I can to set myself apart from the crowd, and Lyn had been one of my favourite councillors—I gave an ecstatic yes.

Throughout the summer, we had one meeting with a team of people interested in the campaign. The meeting was a couple hours in a living room discussing the realities of Prince George politics, what people need, what people want, what can be given, and how a campaign should be formed. I was the youngest person in the room by far, and had managed to hear some things about Prince George politics that was information for the “in” crowds. I was told they wanted me as a university liaison, to connect the campaign to the students and get the students out to vote.

The rest of the summer and September passed uneventfully. Come October, the tone changed substantially. First of all, my position had changed. Rather than a university liaison (which I had assumed would make me a contact at the university that volunteered to phone for them every once in a while) I was going to be the Office and Volunteer Coordinator for Lyn Hall’s mayor campaign. This meant that I was in charge of the front office as well as the volunteers who would be covering phoning, the front end, and other events necessary for the campaign to flourish.

It was both rewarding and incredibly stressful. Between office coverage, part time jobs, and classes I was probably pulling a 60 plus hour work weeks for a

month straight. I will admit to sharing a couple of “stress cries” with the campaign manager, Michelle Marrelli.

Despite the personal stress, the campaign was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. The amount I learned from the people involved was incredible. These lessons were not just tied to the things I was doing on a day-to-day basis (though I learned a ton about office organization, contacting people, and effectively using people we have) but lessons that will stay with me forever.

One of the lessons that I will hold with me actually came from social media. On Election Day, someone was being incredibly negative on Facebook about both candidates, and voting in general. I got suckered in from my personal account before Michelle told me to stop. I listened, (although I did not know why and did not agree). However, an hour or so later, I saw that Lyn had posted something positive, reaching out to chat with this person. The final post the person had written was thanking Lyn, saying he had made up his mind, and was on his way to vote. It was a deeply moving lesson for me to realize that positive campaigns do work, and that kindness (even in politics) can be rewarded.

I learned an incredible amount about the Prince George community and how amazing it can be when we come together regardless of political stripes. We had an incredibly diverse group of volunteers spanning different age groups (there was a sixty year gap between myself and one of the gentlemen that was involved), ethnicities, and political backgrounds. On Election Day, we got a picture of David McWalter, a man who had worked on Sheri Green’s campaign last time around, next to federal NDP candidate Lois Boone wearing matching “Lyn Hall for Mayor” t-shirts. Everything I experienced in this campaign reminded and reinforced the idea that there is great possibilities and great things in Prince George.

The fact that Lyn Hall won shocked a few

people across Prince George. It was an incredibly emotional time for all of us. After the winner was announced, hugs and tears were shared with nearly everyone in the Golf and Curling Club. I was crying the entire night, knowing that not only did all the hard work pay off, but that we are looking towards an amazing four years in Prince George. Lyn even thanked me personally in his acceptance speech, and it still makes me shake or tear up when I rewatch it.

Two days after the election, we cleaned up

the office. It was also an emotional time since I had spent so much of the last four weeks there. Near the end, Lyn pulled me aside.

He told me that he was getting sworn in on December 1st and that I should be there.

He also reminded me of the Council liaison positions and told me I should get a team together and think about what Councillor we want to work with to discuss student needs.

That reminded me that this is not the end, it is only the beginning.

Culture 11

The CW

The Flash: a quick review Colin Slark Team Member

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C Comics’s properties haven’t been fun for a while. The Christopher Nolan Batman movies and Man of Steel were grim and gritty, and their comics have lacked the sense of adventure and optimism they once had. Luckily, the CW’s new superhero TV show, and Arrow spinoff, The Flash is here to change that.

The biggest thing I was worried about when it came to this show wasn’t the acting or the writing, but how the central character would look in action. The 1990s incarnation had a silly costume and unconvincing special effects, but the visual effects team has done a good job here. Some of the visual effects that have to do with the super villain of the week aren’t the greatest, but when The Flash himself is running around, it looks great.

There are some great touches, like the streaks of lightning and flashes of red as he speeds around, and since we see an awful lot of

running, it’s good that it is pretty convincing.

The writing is fairly mediocre. Most characters not named Barry Allen (The Flash’s secret identity) are one-dimensional stereotypes. I could have done without another overeager yet socially awkward computer whiz and a best friend who doesn’t recognize the protagonist’s romantic feelings. However, a lot of the bad characterization is made up for by how fun the show is. We get to see a fledgling superhero learning how to use his new

powers, which leads to some really cool moments. There are also some genuinely compelling mysteries to be solved, which will help draw viewers back week after week. For fans familiar with the comics, there are some subtle nods and Easter Eggs, but they aren’t shoved in your face or incredibly obvious.

The Flash is a fun show with great action. It’s not perfect, but has enough content to keep an audience’s interest. I would recommend that any fan of superhero media give it a shot.

News Municipal and School District 57 election results Grant Bachand Team Member

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t has been an intense couple of months. The city of Prince George has some new and old faces coming back to city council. Lyn Hall is now Prince George’s new mayor, taking 53.08% of the vote (10,463 votes cast his way). He beats out Don Zurowski who got 44.9% and 8,850 votes. Both candidates came out with strong platforms, and had good visions for the future of Prince George.

During his campaign, Hall spoke of forming student committees to work with city hall to help give a voice to students; he also spoke of being in favor of a student residence downtown, possibly in the new Wood Innovation building. Hall also spoke of working to help revitalize the downtown core and bring civic pride to the area. Instituting downtown foot patrols from the RCMP and creating an entertainment zone were among a few of his priorities he stated during the election. Time will tell if Hall follows through with his campaign ideas, but it is clear that he holds a positive agenda for students.

Zurowski seems to holds no ill will towards the mayor elect; Zurowski was seen shaking hands with Hall and congratulating him on his win. In an interview with CKPG at the campaign headquarters, Zurowski attributed Hall’s win to the endorsement he had received from the labor council, “I think it got tough when there was the major endorsement out by the labor council. That was a critical point. There are a lot of union members in the City of Prince George.” Hall wasn’t the only candidate to receive an endorsed by the unions; in fact, all of the candidates endorsed by unions won. According to CKPG these include Frank Everitt, Garth Frizzell, Murry Krause, Jillian Merrick, Terri McConnachie and Brian Skakun.

Union funding was not the only type of money to come into play in this election. Though it is unclear how much came from the private business sector, historically it has housed huge contributors to campaign funding. It is clear that after tensions between the former mayor and the CUPE union in previous labour negotiations unions will be getting more involved in civic politics for the coming future.

City council also got a bit of a shuffle with Cameron Stolz and Dave Wilbur losing their seats on council. Terri McConnachie

(6,580 votes), Susan Scott (6,218 votes) and Jillian Merrick (6,829) received new seats on council. Returning members of council are Brian Skakun (12,674 votes), Murry Krause (10,304 votes), Garth Frizzell (8,773 votes), Albert Koehler (8,022) and Frank Everitt (6,788 votes). Jillian Merrick campaigned with a small budget of only $5,000; she has been an advocate of many issues which are important to students, such as public transit and student housing. After her win, she said to CKPG that it is great that all three newcomers to council are women. Two of the main issues, which are in the immediate future, include approving the budget and handling the results of the fluoride referendum, which the city voted against. The new mayor and city council will be sworn in on December 1.

There have been some shifts in the school board as well. The trustees are: Trisha Bella (7,338 votes), Tim Bennett (5,852 votes), Tony Cable (5,843 votes), Bob Harris (5,492 votes), Brenda Hooker (6,658 votes), Sharel Warrington (6,350 votes) and Bruce Wiebe (5,685 votes). Although the BCTF strike is over, trust needs to be rebuilt between the new school board and the teachers. Both Tony Cable and Bob Harris, two of the new faces at the board table, agree and want to work on that. The new school board will be sworn in on December 9.

One of the biggest victories was that of voter attendance. In 2011, 15,027 votes were cast for the Mayor of Prince George. This time around 19,313 votes were cast. That is a 4,286 voter increase from last election. Advanced voting and social media are some of the factors that contributed to the increase. There was a big push by many different groups around PG to see a larger voter turnout go up this election. Frustration on the side of the voter towards the former mayor could also be a factor; many believe Prince George residents were looking for a major change.

It will be four years until the next election in October 2018. That allows us plenty of time to see what these new and returning faces can do.

Students issues are predicted to be more important to this council, as there was a lot of talk during the election about ways to help students.

News 13

Cody Legebokoff CBC

Tragic lessons from the Legebokoff murders James Mangan Team Member

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he Cody Legebokoff murder trial highlighted a major social blight facing Prince George: addiction, and the high risk life-style that follows. Three of Cody Legebokoff’s victims, Natasha Montgomery, Cynthia Maas, and Jill Stuchenko, were described to the jury as sex-trade workers who suffered from their addictions to crackcocaine and other illegal drugs. However, the jury also witnessed family testimonies describing the active struggles these women experienced in their attempts to liberate themselves from the lifestyle that follows this level of addiction. If no other lesson is taken from this trial, let it be that the resources available to those who seek to liberate themselves from addiction and the high-risk lifestyle can be improved.

Crown Prosecutor Joseph Temple stated that all four of Cody Legebokoff’s victims were “willing to meet with...unknown males and accompany those males to the male’s residence or motor vehicle to consume drugs or alcohol.” As a result of such descriptions, BC Supreme Court Justice W. G. Parrett stated in section 155 of the official court document

that this trial highlights “a sociological issue, one that arises from, among other things, a high risk lifestyle.” This statement suggests that Supreme Court Justice Parrett was convinced the victims’ high-risk lifestyle, brought about by their addictions to illegal substances, was a contributing factor, though not a direct cause, to their murders. Supreme Court Justice Parrett next states that “This is an issue that must be dealt with.”

To delve deeper into the social-impact of these murders, the families of Cody Legebokoff’s victims presented impactstatements. These statements offered the public a glimpse into a very different Prince George. They suggested that each of the three victims who actively engaged in the sex-trade attempted to find relief, even liberation, from their addictions to illegal drugs and the high-risk scene.

Only months before her murder, Natasha Mongomery had been released from prison, and her father claimed at the trial that she had been actively attempting to put her life back together. One would like to think that incarceration would ideally be the first step towards providing help for those suffering from addiction. Cynthia Maas’s cousin testified that despite being forced

onto the streets as a result of her drug addiction, Maas regularly attended Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

The common theme among all the impactstatements was that the victims had been reaching out to their families for help.

Unfortunately, the resources provided to these women, be they those found in incarceration facilities, private charities, or family-development groups, proved to be ineffective at helping these women battle their addiction. As a result, they remained in the spiral that is the highrisk lifestyle, which is where they were preyed upon by Cody Legebokoff.

Cody Legebokoff’s victims are extreme examples of the dangers of the high-risk lifestyle. During the trial, Temple stated that most murders conducted in the highrisk scene are done to send messages as a result of debts, rather than to satisfy serial killers. Nonetheless, the murder of these women highlights a need to prioritize the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens who actively seek out aid and relief from their addictions and the high-risk lifestyle.

To improve the resources available to these citizens, Prince George has a number of

options. The new municipal government contains councillors who have stated their willingness to improve communications with the provincial government. Addiction is a national issue that can best be addressed through cooperation among the municipal, provincial, and federal governments.

Locally, Prince George has unique options.

Support for local recovery centers, such as the proposed facility in the Haldi Road community, can help separate those seeking addiction-relief from their highrisk lifestyles, while accommodating family engagement in the recovery process.

Prince George may have to accept that helping those who want relief from addiction and the high-risk lifestyle requires community investment. In the aftermath of Cody Legebokoff’s trial, Supreme Court Justice Parrett stated that the damaging nature of the high-risk lifestyle is a social issue that must be dealt with. By prioritizing the investment of recovery centers and addiction services, Prince George will be bolstering the resources necessary for those who seek liberation from addiction to successfully leave the high-risk scene.

Sports

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Timberwolves Basketball: 2014-2015 Brady Stark Team Member

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o far in the 2014-2015 season, the UNBC men’s basketball team has played four away games, and won none. A few of the games have been close, only losing by four points twice, and once losing by only a single bucket. It is early in the season, and they have yet to play in front of a home crowd, but alarm bells must be going off in the coach’s head as he tries to improve the team before the season goes pear-shaped like the last couple of years.

One of the main problems apparent last year, other than being forced to play against bigger universities, was that the team never seemed to have the spark coursing through their lineup like the opposition did. As a fan that went to a number of games, I frequently saw the other team’s bench always on their feet, cheering on their teammates and being as vocal as possible in order to keep their squads energy up and give pointers where needed. On the Timberwolves bench, it was shocking to see that even when the scores were fairly close, most of the team sat silent on the bench and kept to themselves. It is

very apparent when you see the team play or practice at the NSC, there is no lack of talent coming from the Timberwolves. However, they are playing teams that have more resources and are racking up the points.

The one saving grace that Timberwolves fans and the team might appreciate is the fact that the league has changed its format this season by going with higher and lower tier conferences (Pioneers and Explorers). Teams from these two conferences are not going to be playing against each other in order to ensure that there are more competitive

games, rather than the predictable blowouts that happened throughout the previous years. The top three teams from the lower tier are still eligible to play in the playoffs against the higher conference, but this is a reward for the top seeded teams to have an easier path to the next round. The Timberwolves are seeking to revitalize their program and reach new heights for themselves and the fans that loyally cheer them on. Now it’s up to the team to win some games, to prove we still belong in the CIS!

Sports 15

Cougar watch: into the WHL season Brady Stark Team Member

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he Prince George Cougars are coming up on the quarter mark of the WHL season, and are showing a four-point improvement from their position at this time last year.

Despite an early stumble at the hands of the league-leading Kelowna Rockets, the Cougars have had a strong start to the season with an ever-improving home record of 8-7-0. Not only has the team improved, there have also been a number of players taking the WHL by storm.

Chase Witala: A Prince George native, Chase Witala has been one of the longest serving on this year’s roster. Despite being passed over in the NHL draft, Witala has been the model of consistency for the Cougars over the last four years. In an interview, Witala said the New Ice Age has revitalized his energy for the game, and that he is pleased that this energy is being reflected in his gameplay.

Jari Erricson: Another Prince George boy, Jari Erricson has become one of the faces of the Cougars over the last couple years. He started his WHL career as a member of the Everett Silvertips, before getting traded to the Cougars in 2012.

Looking like a young Ryan Kesler, Erricson has been getting under the skin of the other team; whenever there is a scrum or a scuffle, you will see him right in the middle of it with a loud mouth and tons of aggression. Erricson has landed himself in the penalty box on more occasions than coach Mark Hollick would like to see, but that does not stop Erricson from being presented as a leader.

Jansen Harkins: The “star” of the team has lived up to his

billing, as Harkins has demonstrated a flare for the dramatic with fancy dekes and tapeto-tape passes that show that his hockey sense is worlds above most that have come through this fair town. These many abilities have given Harkins confidence, which in turn has transitioned to some showboating.

Harkins was projected by TSN and Hockey Central Scouting as a late 1st round pick to mid-2nd round pick, and has not done anything to increase that perception. If the pace keeps up for Harkins as a top 10 leader in the WHL, fans of number 12 could see his stock rise as a potential NHL player one day.

Marc McNulty: Marc McNulty is a 6th round draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, which seemed promising at the time given that the Red Wings have been notorious in the past for picking top tier talent in later rounds.

Having the safety net of a trustworthy backup has given McNulty the confidence to grow into a well-rounded player going forward. A suggestion to the coaching staff is to try and create the “next Brent Burns”, and put him on the offense for a few games to see if he is more of a threat in a purely offensive position.

Tavin Grant: With Edmonds taking the starting spot, the second string goalie for most of the games thus far has been 16-year-old Tavin Grant. Note it takes goalies far longer to develop than any other position in hockey; in saying that, Grant has been thrust into the spotlight of the WHL as a goaltender for the Prince George Cougars, and has been given a lot of responsibility very early on in his career. The recommendation for the betterment of Tavin Grant’s development is that he gets sent down to the Cougars minor affiliate to get more starts, and gain a better understanding of the basics.

Kaitlyn Martin featured in downtown mural Hannah Rizun Contributor

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ourteen year old Kaitlyn Martin has just become eligible to compete for a Team BC spot in the Winter Games. Martin is a fierce competitor in Super G, Giant Slalom, and Ski Cross, and Integris recognizes the passion and dedication in this young athlete. For this reason, Integris Credit Union chose to feature Martin in a mural on the side of their Town Centre Branch. The mural features Martin, intensely focused and highly intimidating, howling her racing war cry.

Over The Edge caught up with Daniel Wingham, Manager of Partnerships at Integris, to find out more.

So, Dan, tell us a little bit about the mural and the inspiration behind it? “Well, Integris is an official community partner with the Canada Winter Games. We wanted to showcase our support for the Games, but because we’re a local financial institution, we wanted to showcase our support for local athletes. There was something about having a young, local, female athlete that we were specifically looking for. So, we started looking through photo archives and Kaitlyn’s picture just jumped out at us.”

I can imagine; it’s a great shot. What do you think this mural will add to the downtown ambience?

“The eyes of the nation will be on Prince George, and we feel that it showcases our spirit when it comes to the Games, and we think this just adds to the downtown revitalization that has been going on for years. It adds a real charm to downtown, and there’s really heart and spirit projected there.”

Wingham and the rest of the Integris team wish Kaitlyn their best on her journey to the podium.

After the unveiling, we caught up with Kaitlyn Martin as well.

Kaitlyn, what would you tell younger people who are trying to get to the place where you are today? “Train hard, and do your best. Try your hardest to get where you want to go.”

What is your long-term goal? “Well, for me for a long time it was getting to the Canada Games. So, now that it’s almost a reality I’m just focusing on that.”

Over The Edge would like to wish Kaitlyn the best of luck on her journey to the podium.

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