The Confluence | September 17th, 2018

Confluence The

YOUR OFFICIAL COLLEGE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2018 Photo by: Karm Shah

Paige Riding

06

Textbooks are Expensive

08

Time Management

10

Serving a Waitress

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Damon Robinson Editor-In-Chief The Confluence

Paige Riding

News Editor The Confluence

Harman Dandiwal Organizer CNC Students’ Union

Submissions, inquiries and requests can be made to editor@cncsu.ca, in person at the CNCSU room 1-303, or mailed to “The Confluence c/o CNCSU 3330-22nd Ave. Prince George, BC V2N 1P8.”

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All submissions are welcome, the authors of edited works used in the confluence receive a $20 cheque upon publication.

Advertisement rates are available upon request.

Editorial

by Damon Robinson

Hey guys, With orientation finished, it’s always interesting in my mind to see how the student body adapts to a new school year. The excitement of a new year starts to slowly fade away and routine becomes the biggest priority. Some may be having quizzes or even starting essays. It’s a crazy, demanding world. What I’ve learned personally is that school is a marathon, not a race. If you go too hard too soon, you will more than likely burn yourself out. I found that out the hard way, with the job of publishing two issues a month and serving the student body at the Student’s Union office.

Due to the workload, the Students’ Union started a formal search for a brand new News Editor to fill that void and share some of the work load. The Confluence takes pride in showcasing the best works of the CNC Student body, and I would be doing a disservice if I were to be doing the job alone. After doing class presentations last week and posting posters around the college, I am very happy to announce that we have found our bright, new editor. Starting with this issue, Paige Riding is the Confluence’s News Editor. She fit all of our criteria for a new co-worker and has already proven to me how capable she is for the job. With Paige being the News Editor, we can spread our reach even further, bringing you an even higher quality product. I am very excited to be moving forward with Paige being a part of the Student’s Union team.

I would like to wish everyone who is reading this, the best. The one thing that we all have in common is that our lives have lead us to CNC. My belief is that we all share at least that trait.

If you see me in the hallway, don’t be afraid to say hello and introduce yourself. At the end of the day, my job is to share your voice. Let’s have a chat, sometime!

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Cheers, Damon Robinson Editor-in-Chief of The Confluence College of New Caledonia’s Students’ Union

CONTENTS NEWS EDITORIAL PAGE 6

TIME MANAGEMENT PAGE 10

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TEXTBOOKS ARE EXPENSIVE PAGE 8

SERVING A WAITRESS PAGE 14

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PHOTO DUMP PAGE 12

News Editorial Robin

by Paige Riding

The moment in which a student can choose to get involved in campus life is a big one for their current state of mind, as well as the possibilities opened to them further down the road. Crammed with assignments and studying, however, a student may feel as though this school work is the only matter at hand. Countless hours in a library take a toll on one’s morale. While schoolwork is arguably paramount, stress does not have to be the only emotion experienced at college.

Mary Poppins says “for every job that must be done, there is an element of fun”. Perhaps for a student who grimaces at the front doors of their institute each time they enter, a club or activity may just be what they need.

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Before I emailed the Students’ Union, the apathy I carried to each class was apparent. I had the mindset of “get in, take some notes, and get out”. For my first year at CNC, this was working— to an extent. I found success academically; yet, CNC was not a positive place for me. It took me almost an entire year to understand why. To associate college with

only negative emotions, as I was doing, was to eliminate the possibilities of getting the most out of my time on campus. I reached out to the Confluence to write, which is of keen interest to me. In actuality, the writing component is just the beginning of my involvement in this new role. Juggling school, a part-time job, and the work included in the job as editor will not be easy, but it is already rewarding.

I am eager to learn from those more experienced around me. As an English major, Psychology minor, this writing position is both intrinsically and extrinsically beneficial.

Close associations with the English department at CNC promises to strengthen the works I present. First-hand journalism presents a symbiotic relationship to the reader and speaker. I learn from the student body, and I aim to join in the process of delivering news that affects many types of students. By doing so, I connect with the college more than I ever could have with the mindset I had last year.

First-hand journalism presents a symbiotic relationship to the reader and speaker. I learn from the student body, and I aim to join in the process of delivering news that affects many types of students. By doing so, I connect with the college more than I ever could have with the mindset I had last year.

Of course, joining the Students’ Union may not be for everyone. Clubs that include sports and other activities are available.

Through just one mutual interest, a student one never expected to relate to can become a close friend. CNC offers various recreational events with a student’s budget in mind.

Where better to make new acquaintances than over cheap food? Such events are stress-

relievers, as well as great opportunities to get involved in causes one may never have heard about.

All the student must do is play an active role by looking out and listening. Information on such events presents itself around the campus, and I encourage each student to attempt to attend what they can. Apathy is only replaced when one makes the attempt to get involved in what happens around them, rather than just watching it happen.

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I am eager to learn from those more experienced around me. As an English major, Psychology minor, this writing position is both intrinsically and extrinsically beneficial. Close associations with the English department at CNC promises to strengthen the works I present.

Poetry Submissions

Textbooks are Expensive

by Karm Shah Back to school, And the gang is ready Kept all on sides And made themselves steady

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First day at the college And everything seems fresh Stress is coming so Preparing not to crash Many became sincere and Many became silent Some became crazy And the rest became violent Heavy, their back packs are With the costs of their books.

Struggling for their breakfast They become starving cooks

Second day of College Everything is unclear As time passes by It all seems familiar Having no proper snacks Or a healthy lunch As these are the problems You have to deal with a bunch We work everyday to Prove we are bright Just like darkness that Disappears in the sunlight

A Limerick

by Paige Riding

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by procrastinating, the only thing i gain is the dread, then panic, and generally more strain when the moment is prime, i will, just at a later time, take off my self-clamped ball and chain

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Time Management

by Rajesh Kumar

“Time management” refers to the way that you organize and plan how long you spend on specific activities.

It seems that there is never enough time in the day. But, since we all get the same 24 hours, why is it that some people achieve so much more with their time than others? The answer lies in proper time management.

“Time management” is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities.

Excellent time management enables you to work smarter – not harder – so that you get more done in less time, even when the time is tight, and pressures are high.

Failing to manage your time damages your effectiveness and causes stress.

The highest achievers manage their time exceptionally well. By using the timemanagement techniques in this section, you can improve your ability to function more effectively – even when the time is tight, and

pressures are high.

Excellent time management requires a significant shift in focus from activities to results: being busy isn’t the same as being useful. (Ironically, the opposite is often closer to the truth.)

Spending your day in a frenzy of activity often achieves less, because you’re dividing your attention between so many different tasks. Excellent time management lets you work smarter – not harder – so you get more done in less time.

Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it’s surprisingly hard to do in practice. It requires the investment of a little time upfront to prioritize and organise yourself. But once done, you will find that with minor tweaks, your day, and indeed your week and month, fall into place in an orderly fashion, with time for everything you need to do.

For example: Answering the phone is urgent. Going to the dentist regularly is important. Picking your children up from school is both urgent and essential.

Reading funny emails or checking Facebook is neither urgent nor important.

Many people think that the first thing they need to do is to start making lists of everything they need to get done.

But Time Management isn’t just about getting more things done; it’s about

getting the right things done. If you’ve ever had a day at work where you felt you were always running around and doing things, but at the end of the day you thought you had accomplished anything, you’ll understand the importance of focusing on the right job. As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”

What are you hoping to accomplish this year? What are you working towards, both personally and professionally?

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https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/time-management.html

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Photo Dump

ADVERTISE in

Confluence The

Advertise your business, organization, etc. to the students of CNC. Advertising in the magazine is a sure-fire way of advertising to the College of New Caledonia student body.

For more information, please contact us through these methods: Editor@cncsu.ca Organizer@cncsu.ca

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Also, supporting the Confluence by placing your advertisement here will make it so we can use Helvetica instead of Arial Bold.

Serving a Waitress

by Paige Riding

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A Waitress’ Viewpoint on Restaurant Work If you have ever snapped your fingers to get the attention of a server at a restaurant, let me be the first to inform you wholeheartedly that that server —who is actually a person despite popular belief— will recall that experience and talk badly about you over the dinner table with their family.

Those working in restaurants, unfortunately, can all recollect times where they were treated unfairly. Each server comes to learn that more and more of their guests, when asked how their day is going, indeed feel slightly “lemon water” with a side of “can I get a straw? Or do you want my teeth to hurt because of this ice?” And their fully-legible name tag? Each girl has a different pronunciation of “hey waitress!”

Even mine does. Who knew? Not me.

A coworker of mine, with much more experience than me in the industry, once spoke about a man who did not get his food as quickly as he idealistically imagined. The only rational reaction to this, obviously, is to head to his truck and wield a baseball bat in order to smash the glass panes on the front door. That sure made his Philly cheesesteak take less time to cook to a safe internal temperature.

Restaurants are a team effort. The cooks in the kitchen, hustling to finish three screens worth of orders while filling, cleaning, and helping the servers however they can, are a bit too busy to fast-track your meal because of the movie you will miss if they do not. Time management is the key, here, ironically. The hosts and hostesses are responsible not only to seat each server efficiently and in the correct order, but apparently to move a table half-way through their meal to a booth during the dinner rush because “this table is too high from the ground.”

Past the anecdotes, the serving industry is not just stories of which to look back upon and laugh. The poor treatment of servers and bartenders rears its ugly head in the statistics. Surveys show that those working in the food industry are the third most likely to drink heavily, preceded only by mining and construction workers. Even more staggeringly, food service workers take the top position in illegal drug use, with a 19.1 percentage on average from 2008 to 2012 (Substance Use Disorder by Industry, 2015). The strain experienced by servers spans past being on their feet for hours at a time. Guests who take their emotions out indeed take a toll on the members of the restaurant’s team.

According to an American survey, 35 percent of tipped servers have reported being sexually assaulted on the job from customers (Boston Restaurant Industry, 2016). Tip culture implies that tipping allows customers to do what they want, and if servers are to do anything about such actions, it could be at the expense of their income. With servers being paid below minimum wage, this could potentially lead to monetary issues, as tips “compensate” for the low base rate. Serving, like any

industry, poses its challenges financially and mentally.

The fellow servers and kitchen staff, however, are there for support. Clearing tables and helping to run food are just the beginning; the gears only work if everyone works. Countless people play a hand in the delivery of a meal. Even those who are not seen to the public are crucial in pleasing the customers. Only if the meal and the service are both up to snuff will a restaurant experience be a good one.

Arguably, the greatest part of serving is having the opportunity to connect with both coworkers and customers.

The stories I have heard from countless walks of life —some disturbing, some enlightening— are all unique, and are usually entertaining. The experience I have gained in just a few months as a server has boosted my confidence, gained me invaluable friends in my coworkers, and taught me more alcoholic drink options than I thought I would need to know at the age of nineteen. The work is fast-paced, and can be overwhelming. While the eight or more hour shifts with no breaks wear on the body, the fulfillment I experience at my place of work is rewarding in itself.

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“...35 percent of tipped servers have reported being sexually assaulted on the job from customers...”

Support and Crisis Contacts and Help Lines • Crisis Line- for immediate 24/7 support and information and referrals: 250-563-1214 Toll Free: 1-888-562-1214

• Youth Support Line: 250-564-8336

Chat line at www.northernbccrisissuicide.ca

• Provincial Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2334

• College and University students for mental health • CNC Counselling: 250-561-5818 • UNBC Counselling: 250-960-6369

• Individuals who identify as aboriginal or wish to access aboriginal services • Carrier Sekani (Family Services): 250-562-3591 • Central Interior Native Health: 250-564-4422 • Native Friendship Centre: 250-564-4324

• Healing Centre: 250-564-4324 • SUCCESS Chinese Help Line:

Cantonese Help Line, available 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: 604-270-8222

Mandarin Help Line, available 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: 604-270-8222

• Bounce Back teaches effective skills to help adults overcome early symptoms of depression and improve their mental health: www.bounceback.ca