Over The Edge
UNBC’s Independent Student Newspaper est. 1994
Courses, Kinks and Cow Farts
see pg 4 - 7, 13
Monique Gendron | OTE Volume 24, Issue 2
Free overtheedgenewspaper.ca
September 26, 2017 over.the.edge.unbc@gmail.com
Edge itor
Letter from the
A
s world events continue to spiral out of control, it is important to take care of ourselves. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and poor political decisions bring a depth of human suffering before us that was previously unprecedented. As students, we are usually more exposed to these
At the same time that we are shifting into long pants and sweaters, our minds are
Over The Edge
shifting to accommodate the seasonal change and lower light conditions. A common mental change is a shift in mood, tending towards being tired, sad, or more emotional. For some, these feelings are intense enough to be described as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is generally managed by sitting under a special light for a certain amount of time each day. This can be important to remember in taking care of ourselves; it’s okay to feel this way. Remember to be gentle with yourself and the people around you; we all deal with these stresses in different ways.
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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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Next deadline: October 11, 2017
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to like us on Facebook. For more information, please visit our website www.overtheedgenewspaper.ca.
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.
But most importantly, remember that you are not alone, especially in university. Take university as an opportunity to learn and push yourself, but also as a time to find new ways of supporting yourself and those around you. If you feel able, reach out to others, it will make you both feel more connected. Go for a walk and experience the beauty of this season. Medical care, the gym, and counselling services are your right to access as a student; it’s even covered in your fees, so why not take advantage? It’s a tough world out there, but I know we’ve got this.
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issues, making our overall health a more pertinent concern. As well, we face growing course pressures as September rolls out, and the weather shifts from hot summer to crisp air. Personally, autumn is one of my favourite seasons, and I tend to prefer the cold of winter to the dry, hot Northern summers. It might have something to do with being a December baby, born into the cold; the darker seasons feel like coming home.
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News
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Backyard BBQ 2017 Tierney Watkinson News Director
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e’re thrilled to announce a line-up of local talents: Flying Machine PG, Crones, and Studio 720, with interlude tunes by Miss Ryan!” exclaimed the Backyard BBQ Facebook page earlier this month. The event, hosted by NUGSS and the Thirsty Moose Pub, ran from 6pm to midnight on September 22. DJ Miss Ryan opened the night with her calm, yet inspiring, heart-stirring beats. The Canadian Indigenous DJ is influenced by music from around the world and the earliest to arrive to the party got to experience the artist’s show in full. The well-known, city-beloved band Crones followed Miss Ryan to the stage with their upbeat rock vibe, performing at their best even as the night seemed like it would be a quiet one. Crones has been performing in Prince George for many years, and has received the highest praise from local news outlets including The Prince George Citizen
and UNBC’s own CFURadio.
dreamily left the Thirsty Moose.
People trickled in slowly for the first couple hours of the event and the musicians played to a smaller, but nevertheless enthusiastic, audience. But as the night went on the venue suddenly filled with late arrivals and the dance floor was bursting at the seams. Flying Machine greeted the jumping, churning, bubbly crowd with their own deep rock music and reminiscences about college life. The band, fairly new to the scene, is well on its way to becoming known across the city. Finally, Studio 720 played to the late-night audience, a floor of new and old fans who stuck around to the very end. Studio 720, founded two years ago, has been making a name for itself by wowing crowds at multiple venues across Prince George. The tightly-knit band is known for their amazing covers of classic hits and their undeniable ability to keep the crowds dancing.
Many of them hurried off across the turf and to the bus stop, heading to the Unofficial After Party held at Heartbreaker’s, hosted by the UNBC Synthetic Biology Club.
Miss Ryan returned to the stage to play the last dancers out as they
The Backyard Barbeque 2017 most definitely exceeded expectations. Holding the event indoors gave attendees the chance to sit down with their drinks and take a break from dancing, and gave the entire event a sense of control without suppression. Using the campus pub itself as a venue provided the “at home” feel to the event that was absent last year. This year, the stage felt less inaccessible and distant; the band was nearly on the same level as the dancers and people were often even invited up onstage to dance alongside the performers. The musicians spoke to the crowd as friends, sending jokes and personal anecdotes out into the crowd between songs. The sound at the event was brilliant. The security team was numerous and initially seemed
intimidating, but as the night went on it became clear that its members were there not to be threatening but to keep everyone safe. Piles of merch from Pilsner and Cariboo beer were on display and free for the taking. Northern Lights Estates Winery had a wine tasting booth in the beer gardens and most certainly changed a lot of minds about what wine should taste like. The bartenders of the Thirsty Moose were excellent servers and could be seen dancing to the music, too. Hotdogs, served by the Moose’s very own line cooks, were provided to hungry dancers by donation. The organizers, sponsors, and hosts of this event deserve a round of applause as passionate as that given to the performers. They found local, incredibly skilled musicians to play to a room whose vibe was undoubtedly more welcoming and inclusive than last year’s. Hats off to NUGSS and the Thirsty Moose Pub!
Tierney Watkinson | OTE
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Professors A to Z Talk - Writing So Many Assignments D
earest Overwhelmed,
First of all—professor confession, we are both still working on our writing, and think that we both still have a lot to learn. We also struggle with days that we don’t feel like writing, and experience writer’s block and other difficulties. All this said, however, we learn about how to improve our writing all of the time, and this learning began in high school and university. Despite these truths, Professors A to Z honestly assure you that half an hour into grading a large pile of your writing assignments, your professors are likely asking themselves that exact same question— why do we make you write? Once, long ago, the story of the world was only told orally. Cultures transmitted knowledge and wisdom, culture and history and, of course, gossip, through brilliant oratory stories and debate. Today, many cultures still are oral cultures, keeping their knowledge and history brilliantly alive through spoken transmission to keen and eager listeners who pay attention and don’t fiddle with their smart devices. However, unfortunately for you, many millennia ago, some damn fool invented written language and the world has not been the same since. A discussion of which form of communication is better isn’t relevant here. What is important is that institutions of learning followed hot on the heels of the religious institutions they were frequently associated with in embracing this cool new form of knowledge transmission: writing. After the Gutenberg Book Press was invented, “the masses” could
eventually get in on the action and learn to read and write. Today, the written word is the preferred form of communication in the majority of cultures, nations and universities, for better or worse. So, for your sake, we ask you to write. And write. And write. And write some more. Because we know that this is a skill that is still very important to your future success and employment options in Western cultures, no matter which amazing path you choose. Unfortunately, most people stink at writing (including many professors.. shhhhhh… don’t tell them we told you!) unless they practice and practice, and get lots of feedback on how to improve. We profs have pegged ourselves to this writing cycle for life, via the peer-review process—every time we write, submit, and re-submit (perhaps more than once) for publication, we feel like you do, and ask the same question, but might also begrudgingly admit that we do learn something new almost every time. And that is why we ask you to write, and then provide you feedback on your submissions—we are not trying to exact revenge, but rather to prepare you for similar processes that you will experience. We want to help refine your writing skills so that you will leave university a better communicator than when you arrived. It’s not because we love grading (trust us!), it’s because we need to help you test the knowledge and arguments that you are forming along the way, in the predominant communication form: the written word. That is, until we are taken over by aliens, and then you
and your professors will be struggling side by side to decipher the means of communication brought by the new visitors…..
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Professors A to Z Talk - Late Assignments D
don’t know how to ask your professor for an extension, wellness staff will help you with that too. You just have to ask—please do not suffer in silence.
earest “I am so Late,”
Disclaimer: we write these answers from our positions, not that of all professors (who are a diverse group with different ways of handing late assignments, and many other things…).
And if it was just a minor bump along the way, and not something more serious, you can try talking about that too. If you just screwed up, missed the date in the syllabus, were focused on something else (Netflix marathon binge? We know about those too!), an honest apology might just work…
As people who have encountered tricky life situations from time to me, Professors A to Z are somewhat sympathetic to your question. We hope that your other professors will be too… We do think, though, that when announcing a late turn-in and/or asking for an extension, the reception you will get is likely to depend on: 1) your performance in class to date, 2) how early you let them know/ ask them, and 3) what the reason is for your paper being late. If you are generally a punctual, engaged student, you have a good basis from which to share your story. If you have to date been habitually late or otherwise standing out in negative ways, the reception might be different…. So, our best advice is to let your prof know early (even if only the night before rather than the morning of), and to respectfully share your story (major components only; we don’t usually want finer details!), politely requesting if an accommodation can be made. This is your right, and you should not feel afraid to do this. But... there are also some things you should know from a professor’s point of view:
1) Professors have schedules to balance, and lives outside of the classroom. So… if your assignment or your request for an extension comes at a bad time (we might be struggling to meet our own deadlines), you might not get the response that you had hoped for… And our answer might not be about you, and your situation, but about the difficulties of managing our sets of responsibilities, especially if assignments arrive outside of the times/spaces we have reserved for them. 2) We are not (all?) cranky dragons! We know that life happens, and we are aware that our assignments must sometimes get bumped down students’ lists of priorities. So, let us know if you are struggling, and focus on reasonable accommodations (e.g. a day or two longer for short assignments), as well as helping yourself to get back on top of things. If you have a cold, do make time to rest and recover. If
your part time job is eating into important work time for school, make adjustments…. And, if your personal life is feeling out of control; if you are struggling with health issues, mental health issues, learning disabilities, family troubles, choose to talk to a professional at the university-there are things that can be done to help you. The people you consult can write you a note for us, if appropriate. Further, your professor, wellness counsellor, disability coordinator, and other advisors want you to do well at school, and we know how hard university can be, especially when you have other challenges to contend with. We have walked those halls, back in the day. If you are struggling, your professor can direct you to resources, and you should be able to negotiate new due dates with support. Your wellness counselors will provide you needed help, food vouchers if you are hungry, and a trained empathetic ear. If you
Pro tip: use our lonely dedicated office hours (that is what they are for!), rather than coming up to us right before or after class as we struggle to put up or take down class materials, and if you are emailing us, keep the email polite (Dear Dr. Dragon, not Hey girl!) and to the point (no wandering multi-screen emails please!). Doing all of these finer things might just make us more sympathetic too.
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Column
For the Love of Sex: Trustworthy, Sexual Life Advice Pollyanne Marie Columnist
I
started my journey into kink when I was eleven years old...
This is something I realized recently while on a first date with a fellow polyamorous kinkster. The topic of online relationships and our experiences with them had come up, and as my mind wandered back, I remembered my first “Master.” This was not a repressed memory by any means. I had thought back to this time in my life before, but seeing that this experience was kink related had been an interesting realization for me.
but can even get you killed. Listening to Dan Savage this week, I was reminded of the concentration camps in Chechnya, where gay men are being tortured and killed for whom they choose to love. Yes, we are very lucky here in our small Northern Canadian town of Prince George, where I frequently
it’s true what they say “Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind!” So, here I am, opening myself up to you my dear reader, albeit anonymously (for now) to protect the innocent. I have spent many years exploring, understanding and guiding people through the wildness of ethical, honest, kinky,
And the question of the day... What is the importance of pre-care and aftercare when practicing BDSM? Pre-care: Emotional and physical preparation for play time. Aftercare: Emotional and physical care after play time.
After coming home from my date, I messaged one of my kink positive friends and told her of what had come to light. Of course her first reaction was “Master? I think you mean Pedophile...” Fair enough, I can understand why most people would react that way, but to me that wasn’t about who was on the other side of my shitty dialup MSN conversation, it was about the fantasy that I wanted to play out. I very consciously chose what I was getting myself into and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now years later I find myself living a regular, although discreetly kinky lifestyle. I am polyamorous* and would say that I am currently “out of the closet” in that respect, just not as much when it comes to kink. Most of my friends know how I like to play, but I think it is wise for the safety of myself and my partners to keep these things on the down and low. Unfortunately, not everyone is as sex positive as myself, and we find ourselves in a world where something as simple as spending intimate time with the same gender can not only be cause for ridicule
-Is there a way for me to ask out someone who I meet in a public space without seeming like a creep?!?
Bobbu | thebobbu.com come across other pansexual and kink positive people who are happy to kiss and hold my hand in public. I know how lucky I am to have a polyamorous landlord/ roommate who is happy to host kink parties in their home. This makes for a much easier time and eliminates having to sneak around or explain the sounds of rattling chains and screams of ecstasy in the middle of the day. It has taken work, courage, and practice to come out to people about my lifestyle, but you know
queer love, and would like to take this opportunity to broaden my reach. Do you have a question you would like to ask? There is no judgement here, as I would not be one to, as Brittany Simon says, “ick” another’s “yum.” So here you go! Some questions I have recently answered are: -How do I come out to my monogamous partner as a polyamorous individual? -How do I know if I have herpes?
I cannot emphasize the importance of this enough. I recently went through sub drop myself, and it lasted close to eighteen hours. I was shaky, dizzy, and emotionally upset. Luckily, I had a very good play partner who knew how to bring me down properly and was not interested in having me go through it alone. In fact, they let me go home when I said I was okay and picked me up again when I told them that the negative feelings were not subsiding. A good play partner will go out of their way to make sure you are stable, offering proper pre and aftercare. That goes for Doms (Dominants) and Subs (Submissives). Both are susceptible to a form of emotional and/or physical “drop.” If someone does not offer you these things, or have a discussion with you about a scene beforehand they are either ignorant or just plain selfish. 50 Shades of Grey is old news, but somehow I still hear people talking about how they are looking for their “Christian Grey.” I want to be very clear here, kink is not about abuse. It is not about treating your partner disrespectfully or pushing boundaries without
Columnn their permission. Even with permission, it is important to use common sense, communication (safewords), and the perception of body language to make sure that the person you are playing with is genuinely enjoying the situation. A big part of that respect and care comes in the form of pre-care and aftercare. I always try to do a bit of both, and for myself it now comes effortlessly to do so. If you are in a time sensitive situation however, it is possible to do one or the other as long as this has been communicated between partners beforehand. Either of these can be whatever it is that you and your partner negotiate to help you feel good going in and coming out of a scene. If you are in a major time crunch I would suggest putting off a scene until you have time to properly look after yourself and your partner. Driving or operating machinery can be dangerous as the effects of sub and dom drop are very similar to being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. You may find the only major difference between pre and aftercare to be in the timing as the scene can only really be imagined
beforehand, and discussed afterwards. Imagining a scene and talking through what both people are hoping to experience, even if that experience is to not know what is going to happen next, can help partners to be mentally and emotionally prepared. These talks can help so much in tending to a partner’s well-being. Knowing that both partners enjoyed the scene, or would maybe like to change something for next time can mean the difference of a weeklong bout of depression for some. A large part of dom drop can come from feeling as though they have hurt the person they are interacting with. While dom drop is not spoken of as commonly, it is definitely very real and needs to be addressed. A lot of trust is put into a dom to control and keep their submissive safe while acting out whatever play has been agreed upon. This can result in a feeling of selfloathing and/or depression if the dominant feels that their partner has not been honest with them about their enjoyment of a scene or particular action within said scene. This being said,
some people prefer space and would rather not kiss or cuddle before or after a scene. This is completely acceptable and is why we emphasize communication between partners first and foremost. Everyone has different needs, likes and dislikes, and the priority here is to make your partner feel safe and respected. Some of the more common ways of administering care includes cuddling, holding hands, massage, having a shower together, or discussing the scene. I absolutely love a warm washcloth during aftercare to help feel clean and refreshed and maybe a juice box or piece of chocolate to help stabilize blood sugars. So remember to communicate before and after, maybe send your partner a text and check up on them to see how they’re doing after a scene. Be respectful of personal needs and remember that the people always come before the relationship! Until next time, Keep it kinky and keep it consensual! ~Pollyanne Marie
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*Polyamorous: the ability to have more than one intimate, romantic relationship concurrently with the knowledge and consent of all individuals involved. *Sub drop/dom drop: Temporary depression or chemical imbalance experienced by the submissive or dominant after participation in some good ol’ fashion BDSM playtime. To leave a comment, email me at askpollyannemarie@gmail. com or ask your own anonymous questions by visiting my blog at pollyannemarie.tumblr.com, where I will be posting answers to these questions and more!
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Mental Health
The Seriousness of Depression Alexandra Tuttosi Team Member
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ust like any other mental illness, “depression” is not a word to be thrown around. It is a serious condition in which 1 in 5 people suffer from. Although they may not show, or tell people about it, this illness is consuming them everyday. Many people confuse or substitute general sadness or grief for depression, when it is so much more than that. It is not only an internal fight mentally, but also physically. When one goes through a depressive episode, it is not that they don’t want to get
pmcgregor.com
out of bed—it is that they can’t. The brain may be saying “Just sit up and everything will be okay,” but they cannot even do that. To them, their body has sunk into their mattress and the strength to even sit up is too great. This is what happens to those with minor depression. For those with major depressive disorder, their mind is telling them things like “You’re not good enough, why are you here?” This is when something like suicide comes into play.
Depression is similar to epilepsy, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia in its seriousness. When someone’s mood is good one moment, and then bad the next, that person doesn’t say they have bipolar disorder. The same as when someone does something abnormal, we don’t say they have schizophrenia. So why is depression different? Social media is filled with this misconception of what depression is. Depression becomes something
to describe not wanting to do something (like homework), but that is not what it is. The next time someone uses the word “depression,” ask yourself if this is depression or general sadness.
Campus Life
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Bee Smart: The Importance of Proper Beekeeping Tierney Watkinson News Editor
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ur province’s agriculture is highly dependent on the health of bee populations and according to the BC Ministry of Agriculture, “more than 2,300 beekeepers currently operate approximately 47,000 colonies as a hobby or as a full or part-time business venture.” Among these provincial beekeepers is Alicja Muir, president of the UNBeeC Apiary Club on campus. Although the club was founded almost nine years ago, it dissolved around the same time that its original members graduated. Muir resurrected the club last year. The club still works with prominent Prince George beekeeper Gerry Bomford, who has been a beekeeper for decades. Bomford accompanies the club whenever they visit the six hives on campus. Muir says that the honey produced from these hives is given to the club by Bomford, who owns the bees as well as the hives. The honey is then sold at the Farmers Market. Even if you have a fear of bees, Muir encourages people to join the Apiary Club. “If you are afraid of bees, actually coming to the meetings is a really, really good idea,” says Muir. “We have the full bodysuits,” she reassures prospective members. “You are sealed in…It is like a hazmat suit.” Caring for the bees while fully protected helps significantly to overcome the fears of, say, being stung. She explains that the club’s mentor Bomford does not even wear gloves or a bodysuit, he is so used to his work. “I saw him stung in the eyelid once,” Muir laughs, “and he looks in his car mirror, scrapes the stinger out of his eye, and just says ‘Ok! Get back to work!’”
The club hosts hives of Apis mellifera, also known as the western honey bee, or the European honey bee. There are nine species of honeybees with 44 subspecies, Muir explains; the ones we have here in northern BC are the only ones that aren’t tropical or sub Saharan, so they can survive our winters. When asked if she believes that domestic bee colonies have a positive impact on wild colonies, Muir says: “Definitely.” An interest in domesticated honey bees, she explains, spurs interest and thought pertaining to wild bees and other insects that people see naturally in our area. “The bees that are native to North America aren’t honeybees.” In Prince George, the two main types of bees are carpenter bees and bumble bees; since they don’t produce delicious honey, they are unfortunately more likely to be overlooked. If you don’t feel like beekeeping is for you or perhaps don’t have the space for hives, planting a beefriendly garden is another way to encourage wild bee populations in your area. Muir uses the botanical garden on campus as a great example of such a garden, because “it has all of the native species of plants, which helps the native species of bees.” Muir clarifies that flowering plants that are native to the area are the ideal option for a healthy local bee population; native grasses and plants that do not flower do not attract or need the bees. Be sure to plant a variety of flowers because carpenter bees, for instance, will pollinate your smaller flowers while bumble bees will tend towards the larger ones. “There are lots of different species around and
they all need different food.” Beekeeping as an organization is strong in Prince George. The BC Honey Producers’ Association (BCHPA), meet the second Monday of every month at CNC. Approximately 12 beekeepers attend these meetings regularly, according to Muir, not counting the newcomers to the practice. Beekeeping is becoming more recognized as an important practice. Local businesses such as Betulla Burning, Muir adds, are even becoming involved and plan to install hives on their roofs. Costco even had beekeeper start-up kits available for sale last summer. Despite the apparent ease of beginning your own bee colony, Muir cautions those interested that this is not something you can just dive into. “Don’t just go buy bees and think that you will be able to do it without any knowledge.” Beekeeping is complicated; people even go to school for it and Google will not necessarily have all of the answers. It is easy to become excited and then overwhelmed, Muir warns, and she encourages those interested in apiculture to take some time to do the research, receive training, and attend meetings. To be unaware of an important detail, such as the need to install feeders to hives during winter months, and have your entire colony die because of it, would be tragic. “They are living creatures.” Winters here are long and cold, and proper knowledge of winterizing hives is especially paramount to bee survival. According to the 2017 CAPA (Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists) Bee Winter Loss Report, British
Columbia beekeepers who experienced losses over the winter last year cited weather and starvation as the main causes of honeybee mortality in their domestic bee colonies. Beekeeping presents many challenges, including “pest management, climatic condition, bee nutrition, bee exposure to pesticides in hives and environment.” Regardless, CAPA notes that “the number of [bee] colonies in Canada has increased by 27.3% from 2007 until 2016,” as more people across the province become interested in apiculture and see the need for it. The UNBeeC Apiary Club has no membership fees, and members are simply encouraged to come to the meetings when they can. Weekly meetings are held over the summer and through the end of October at 1pm Saturdays and Sundays alternatively. As soon as the first snow hits or Prince George experiences heavy frost, which should be sometime around late October, Muir says, the club will need extra volunteers to help winterize the hives. “It is a bigger production. We need to put all the feeder boxes on, we nail Styrofoam boards around each hive to insulate them.” Club meetings will continue until the hives are winterized. In March, when the weather warms and things start to flower, those winter protections will be removed and regular club meetings will start back up again. If you would like to become involved in apiculture, or simply want to learn more about the bee hives on campus, the club’s Facebook page (UNBeeC Apiary Club) is the best method of contact. You can also email the club directly at UNBeeC@unbc.ca.
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Campus Life
UNBC Musical Productions: Into the New Year Tierney Watkinson News Editor
T
he UNBC Musical Productions Club is gearing up for a new round of shows. Auditions have already been held and the club executives are in the process of selecting the right actors and actresses for each character. This year, the main production will be Into The Woods, and the special short production will be Spamalot.
Tierney Watkinson | OTE
Into The Woods provides a spin on many classic fairy tales. The original musical production was created by Stephen Sondheim (also known for Sweeney Todd and West Side Story), but some may be more familiar with the film adaptation from 2014, which notably starred Meryl Streep and multiple other well-known actors. Into The Woods follows the story
of a married couple as they meet and influence fairytale characters, all in their quest to end a witch’s curse and begin their own family. Those familiar with Monty Python will recognize most of the plot of Spamalot, which happens to be a musical stage adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The play, like the film, parodies Arthurian Legend.
Spamalot will be presented at the end of November this year, and Into The Woods will be featured from the middle through the end of March. Keep an eye out for updates on the UNBC Musical Productions Facebook page.
Campus Life
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University Farmer’s Market Alexandra Tuttosi Team Member
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ver The Edge sat down with UFM Manager, Leanne Varney, to get a better understanding of what it takes to run the Farmer’s Market: Q: What encouraged you to help manage the Farmer’s Market this year? A: I think that the Farmer’s Market is an excellent addition to the campus. It allows students to access local goods from all around them. We have a wonderful team of employees
and volunteers, and of course all of our great vendors that make every Tuesday’s Market possible. The Farmer’s Market is unique to the UNBC campus, and I’m excited to start some more campus projects through it this year. Q: What can someone expect from the Farmer’s Market if they have never gone before? A: You can expect farm fresh fruits and vegetables, homemade baking, salsa, eggs, meats, teas, delicious lunches
and ice cream, and crafts. Everything is sold by friendly vendors, always with a smile. Q: What is your favourite thing about the Farmer’s Market? A: My favourite part of the Market is meeting and talking with the vendors and students. Everyone has such interesting stories, and it’s nice to have everyone all in one place on Tuesdays.
they miss out on a major part of what makes UNBC what it is today. As pointed out by Leanne, the Market is a great place to not only immerse yourself in the UNBC community, but also the Prince George community. UNBC would not be the same without the Farmer’s Market.
Although there are people who do not go to the Farmer’s Market, or only go there for the ice cream,
Alexandra Tuttosi | OTE
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Opinion
Grant’s Rant: How We Reach Beyond Our Pond Grant Bachand Contributor
W
hen I was thinking about what I was going to write for this issue of Over The Edge, I found it difficult, because so much of our world seems strange, and there are too many voices all talking about the same thing. It made me realize that the event I have spent over a year organizing is more important than ever these days. TEDxUNBC is an event which shares ideas worth spreading. We need ideas that are captivating, inspirational, and entertaining today more than ever. We need leaders who do not play to ideological biases but speak scientific truths. TEDxUNBC is so much more than a TED event here in our community of Prince George; it is an opportunity. I have spent most my life in Prince George, and I have often wanted more for my community and myself. Often feeling let down by my community, I had come to resent it in many ways. Finally, I had a realization a few years ago: you can complain about something until you’re blue in the face, or you can actively move to change it. TEDxUNBC is a manifestation of that idea. TEDxUNBC is a chance for Prince
George leaders to contribute to the global community in a way that it has never done before. We have often been told by the world how to think, act, and live. By our community creating events like TEDxUNBC, we show the world that we too have world-class ideas and we are not afraid to show them. We are not scared to be on a massive stage and promote ideas that may inspire people from London to New Delhi. This is our chance to stand up and say with a unified voice, “We will not be overlooked or underappreciated.” It would be silly for me to say that an event like this is not hard to organize. This event took hundreds of hours of organizing by a team of students who ranged from first to fourth year, graduate students, alumni, and community leaders. I am proud to have lead this group of people, who in every respect, embody leadership and forward thinking. These people deserve more thanks than I can provide in one article, but be sure that I owe the success of this event to them. Without them, I would have been a big old blow hard ranting about improving Prince George and I could have very well gotten nowhere.
TEDxUNBC is an event that will have a legacy, and I hope that this event on Saturday, September 30 will not be our last. We will hold a fantastic event, learn from it, and do it again next year. This is where I ask all of you to join us at UNBC in the Student and Conference Centre on September 30 and be exposed to ideas worth spreading, even if you have not bought a ticket. We will have a trade show for free from 12:00 pm-3:00 pm and all are welcome. If you cannot be part of this year’s event, I ask you to join our TED community here in Prince George because there will always be next year.
Culture
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Cow Farts and Global Warming James Eckstein Contributor
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ith the abundance of inclement weather at the end of this summer, global warming has become a more relevant discussion topic. People are beginning to question their own appetite for cows. A common belief is that cow flatulence is one of the main contributors towards global warming. Is it true that cows are the primary source of arguably the largest issue planet Earth has ever faced? Yes and no. Put into simple terms, global warming is the rise of Earth’s average temperature from the abundance of greenhouse gases trapped inside the atmosphere. These gases rise to the top of the atmosphere and essentially act as a massive blanket inhibiting infrared radiation from exiting into outer space. Because infrared radiation is a source of energy in the form of heat, Earth’s temperature continues
to rise. This is known as the greenhouse effect and is the main driver behind global warming. The two main greenhouse gases contributing to the greenhouse effect are carbon dioxide and methane. Out of all animals used as livestock, cows are the largest producers of greenhouse gases, specifically methane. On average, a single cow will produce anywhere between 70 to 120 kilograms of methane per year. As a comparison, this is approximately the same amount of methane produced by 74 pigs. Contrary to popular belief this methane is produced by cows not in the form of flatulence, but instead through burping. Only 5% of methane from cows comes out of their rear. Even with the huge number of over 1.4 billion cows worldwide, the blame is not entirely on them but instead the entire
agricultural industry as a whole. The agriculture industry encompasses all animals, plants, and fungi bred or cultivated to sustain human life. All together the agricultural industry is responsible for 18% of all total greenhouse gases, the #1 largest worldwide. Not only does this include the greenhouse gases created from livestock but all other parts included in the agricultural process. The deforestation involved to create land for livestock results in the destruction of massive amounts of forest. Approximately 64% of all deforestation is for agricultural use, specifically raising cattle. Less forests means fewer trees to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, resulting in an increased amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The next highest source of greenhouse gases is the transportation industry,
producing approximately 13% of all total greenhouse gases. Even with the massive amount of greenhouse gases being pumped out by the agricultural industry, there is a very easy fix that almost everybody could implement to help minimize the emissions. Since the majority of emissions from the agricultural industry come from livestock, one needs to simply lower the amount of meat and dairy they consume. This does not mean pledging one’s self to veganism (however if the entire population did this there would be massive drop in worldwide greenhouse gas emissions), but instead simply make an effort to reduce the amount of animal products one consumes. Not only will this lower the greenhouse gases produced from the agricultural industry, but create much happier cows as well.
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Culture
Keeping a Busy Schedule Jade Szymanski Contributor
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all has finally decided to stumble upon us, and with the new season comes a whole new schedule and routine to start getting into the habit of. Once you’ve figured out your classes, you can start planning around the rest of your week, such as how often you’re going to go to the gym, what hours you’re going to designate to homework, how frequently you’re going to shower, how long you’re going to designate to scrapbooking, when you’re going to have time to manage your fantasy football league, etc. Being able to balance such a heavy schedule can seem daunting at first. However, I can assure you that the benefits of staying busy far outweigh the cons. Last year was my first year at UNBC, and I found myself skipping classes so that I could nap at least 4 hours every day, skipping the gym to rewatch the same shows on Netflix, and postponing all my homework until the very last minute (somehow still managing to get stellar grades but not in the most
efficient way possible). I was a bag of lazy bones that was absolutely miserable with my routine and just couldn’t wait until the summer where I could get a reset button. I never want to find myself in that position ever again and think I have found a solution to never having to fall back into that pit of despair. My problem last year was that I had so much extra free time that I would easily get bored and wouldn’t want to do any homework or chores because I thought, “Oh, I have so much time, I can do it later.” Well “later” would turn into “at the very last minute” and “at the very last minute” would turn into “never.” This year, I’ve decided to approach school and routine in a new way by staying busy. All throughout high school I found that the kids who did no extracurriculars would have the worst work ethic and in turn their grades would suffer, whereas the kids who did multiple extracurriculars would always somehow find the time to balance their activities and excel in everything they did. This always
boggled my mind as one would think that if you had so much free time to do homework and study, you would succeed with ease; however, this was not the case. When reflected upon though, it’s quite simple to understand; being constantly busy requires you to learn a more in depth understanding about time management and prioritization between what needs to get done first and how long you can devote to one activity before moving on to the next. On the other hand, if you have five hours to complete a task that takes an hour and a half, you’re probably going to procrastinate and stretch out how long it should actually take since you feel like you have all the time in the world; you don’t feel the pressure to work efficiently. While I’m not saying to overbook yourself and to never have any free time, it should be understood that too much of anything can be a bad thing. Too much free time will lead to laziness whereas too much to do in a day will lead to stress. It’s important to find a balance between responsibilities
and leisure, although I don’t believe it should be a 50/50 split. Having more responsibilities than leisure time will kick your butt into being a hardworking individual with a good work ethic. To all the first years, please take my advice with a grain of salt as you’re still learning the ropes of university and it’s basically a party the whole year for you, so live it up and enjoy it while you still can. To everyone else though, if you find that you have lots of free time, you don’t know what to do with yourself, and are pretty self-motivated, please consider filling your schedule with new activities and hobbies. Not only will you discover new passions and interests, and maybe make a buck or two while doing it, but you will find yourself gaining a better understanding of good time management while keeping an active brain which will help it maintain a flow of agility and alertness.
Culture
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Sleepwalking to Brain death Emmanuel Drame Team Member
A night time satellite image of planet Earth shows nothing but lights, That’s the new image of our brains today, lights everywhere from sensory Overload of information. Too much to process in small time frames. Like traffic light controlled cars, we are now being hardwired to take the One-way Route of thought. We are now served predetermined options…the debilitating thing is, We are smart for making smart devices that have made us “smartless:” we have automated Jobs and had courier services drop off our jobless packages. If Descartes lived in our day, he would have to rephrase, “I think therefore I am,” to I feel therefore I am. We have changed the sequence of the thought process for action, to feeling and acting before thinking. The full power of the brain has been limited to the temporal lobe because our temperament has placed our other lobes in a tertiary state. Academia, once the bastion of mental engagement has become Fordist prototypes for the majority who see nothing but an assembly line of jobs and an achievement of pension before assuming full Brain death. For the mavericks who do not think with their feelings and hear with their eyes, they are Usually labelled as opponents of progress or divisive figures. They have created a mental Sieve to trap impure thoughts; they have controlled their mental traffic to take two-way Streets with roundabouts to go in any direction. The day is here and now upon us when we live In the future but yearn for the past because we have sleepwalked ourselves to Brain death. We have become so open-minded to the point of making our minds a universal portal for Junk. Our intelligence has gotten us to where we are, but we are on the verge of questioning Our own intelligence. From predetermined consumerism through automated advertisements, to the same news headlines with different captions, we need to reignite the power of objective thought to counter the effects of the brain death we are creating. Get yourself a mental stabilizer in the form of being a critic if you have to; use your brain For its purpose – THINK!!!!
trottin-the-globe.tumblr.com
The Last Word
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