ee 2 News Volume 12, Issue 2 September 28, 2005 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maggie Gilbert MANAGING EDITOR Stephanie Wilson PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Belinda Li NEWS EDITOR Andrew Kurjata ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Earson Gibson SPORTS AND CLUBS EDITOR Tyler Clarke FEATURES AND OPINIONS EDITOR Vacant PHOTO EDITOR Vacant DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Vacant TECHNICAL ADVISOR Eric Chlebek STAFF WRITERS Tanya Alvarez Aaron Baker Verona Black Becky Carmichael Sean Dobbyn Elizabeth Fyles Jeremy Johnson Nathan Kelly Tabitha CARTOONISTS Josh Hammerstedt Shaun Lyons CONTRIBUTORS Adam Doyle Greg Hammond Irena Koski Dave McMullen Mantra Films Inc. Natural Resources Canada Northern Women’s Centre Michael Sitayeb Eric Szeto William Wolfe-Wylie World Naked Bike Ride Over the Edge is the official independent publishing media of students at the University of Northern British Columbia. As such, it is our mandate to report on issues of interest to students in the Northern Region. We encourage all students, both on the main and regional campuses to submit to Over the Edge. Over the Edge is part of the Canadian University Press network of papers, otherwise known as CUP. CUP is an organization that is entirely owned by member papers, and provides such services as a news wire and adver- tising to Over the Edge. OFFICE LOCATION 7-219 MAILING ADDRESS 3333 University Way Prince George, BCV2N 4A6 PHONE (250) 960-5633 FAX (250) 960-5407 E-mail over-the-edge@unbc.ca Be ae ae 0) 8 Or ee a TE LRN ORY Re Tee Ko ee pomerl September 28, 2005 + Over the Edge Naked Bike Ride Makes History in Prince George WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE The World Naked Bike Ride takes place in June of every year in protest of oil dependency, Prince George hosted the first Naked Bike Ride in Northern British Columbia this year. IRENA KOSKI CONTRIBUTOR On June 11, a group of six brave in- dividuals, headed by event organizer Goji Leakey, toughed out a chilly rainy day and took to the streets to protest __ against the over-consumption of oil and gas. They carried signs, rode biked, and walked; some remained clothed, some went partially nude, and two courage- ous individuals bared all. The theme was Bare As You Dare, and the route covered much of the Prince George Bowl area, including Johnson, 15th and 17th Avenue, and Queensway. The gathering started at 1662 John- son Street, next to the Fort George Baptist Church, where onlookers and news media alike gathered to observe the event. Crowd reactions were both positive and negative, though mostly the former. RCMP arrived on the scene later to both ensure participant safety and record names. Law enforce- ment officials approached the riders at the Coliseum near Dominion and 7th Avenue, and one participant was hand- cuffed following refusal to disclose identity, ; The display of protesting public nud- ity was not an isolated event, but part of the larger international Second An- nual World Naked Bike Ride. Prince George was one of fifty other global cities that joined the cause. A diverse range of countries, such as Brazil, Ire- land, France, Germany, and the United. States. Nor was Prince George the only Canadian city: Quebec, Ottawa, Toronto, Wolfsville (Nova Scotia), and Vancouver (to name but a few) all had participants, as well, One city in particular solidified their commitment to the message. In Lon- don, 250 riders bared as they dared for a long hout-and-a-half ride, Par- ticipants brought petitions protesting the English government's aggressive policy on oil. An unexpected change precipitated from this: the city granted legal approval for next year's ride, even including a government budget of 90 pounds, Chicago, as well, had a strong showing of support: 200 or more with 80% mostly naked. though the event was poorly organized, with the route being unplanned and the message be- ing reported as “not clear’. Regardless, there was a great show of enthusiasm by participants and observers alike, “The goal [of the World Naked Bike Ride] was not only to bring to light current wasteful energy prac- tices, but to condone better health practi- ces.” Sixty-two to 63 riders joined in Seattle. Clothes Free TV filmed the pre-ride party and ride itself until the rain came and cancelled the second leg of the event. Kiro Channel Seven or Komo Channel Four were reported to have filmed the protest. The ride lasted ten to 12 miles. Two DJ's provided music and water was donated, The devotion and involvement that went into the World Naked Bike Ride was motivated by the desire to pro- mote healthy life choices and oil and gas conservation. The goal was not only to bring to light current wasteful energy practices, but to condone better health practices. The Naked Bike Ride is made to bring awareness to current lifestyle practices and world views, and is not merely a event made to shock and. bring about community controversy. Next year's protest is scheduled for Saturday, June 10 and there is currently a documentary of the bike ride is in the making, Visit www.worldnakedbik- eride.org for more information. Clickers Now Mandatory in St. Mary’s Univer- Technology hoped to improve student attendance and participation WILLIAM WOLFE-WYLIE THE ARGOSY (MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY) SACKVILLE, N.B. (CUP) - Bring- ing a remote control to class isn't some- thing that a lot of students are used to, but at St. Mary's University in Halifax, “clickers” have become a mandatory purchase for nine classes this year, “Clickers” are the common term for a device which is sold to post-secondary institutions by Texas-based. e-Instruc- tion Corporation and are the latest craze in instructional technology, The device resembles a television re- mote control and is carried by students in class. The professor can then ask general questions such as “Does every- one understand this concept?” and re- ceive unbiased anonymous feedback from the class via the clickers. A small change in the settings at the terminal at the front of the classroom, and the professor can administer instant pop- quizzes to the class, The whole system allows “class par- ticipation as the lecture goes on,’ said Dr. Adam Sarty, an associate professor of physics at St. Mary's University. Sarty has been using the system in his physics class as part of a pilot pro- ject for St. Mary's since 2001. Then, with the help of Karen Lightstone in the university's accounting department, they made a joint pitch for the technol- ogy to be introduced across.the univer- sity. According to Sarty, a small, single question, multiple choice quiz at the end of each class based on the material discussed in the lecture encourages stu- dent participation and attendance. The e-Instruction “clicker” system operates through the university's exist- ing network infrastructure, A radio re- ceiver is installed in every class room on campus and is linked to the university's network. For every class using the system, a database file is prepared on the net- work drive, This allows universal ac- cess to the collected information as well as the use of the system regardless of where the professor is teaching and easily allows for last minute class-room changes. St. Mary's University currently has 68 classrooms fitted with the receivers. The cost of the program, however, is being charged to the students in the classes. The small handheld devices at the root of the program are purchased by the students at the university book- store at a cost of $19.50 plus taxes. At the end of the academic year the bookstore buys back the devices for $10.00. In addition to these costs, each student is required to register their “clicker” with e-Instruction before it can be used in class, which costs an additional $24.50 plus taxes ($12.00 if registered online and tax free). “It’s basically like a textbook,’ said Olivier Jarda, St. Mary's Student Union VP Academic. “It’s another tool in class.’ Jarda also said that e-Instruction was charging the fees and not the Univer- sity. But unlike some textbooks that stu- dents simply choose not to buy, the “clicker” is a mandatory purchase for some classes. “More mandatory than a textbook,” said Jarda, as their participation in class activities is severely limited without their access to the technology. Accord- ing to the e-Instruction website, some professors have even begun using the system as a means of taking attendance in class. Some students are cautious about the possible misuse of the technology and that excessive use for evaluation purposes could reduce professor-stu- dent interaction. “Many students dislike being quizzed and would rather be evaluated by pro- fessors using more conventional meth- ods,’ said Jarda. The only other. Canadian university to use the system is the University of Saskatchewan. PHOTO SUBMITTED As this picture shows, the future of education is remote-controlled.