= Community January 9th 2013 - Over the Edge Volume 19, Issue 7 January 9th 2013 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Vacant MANAGING EDITOR Shelley Termuende PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Randy Roy WEBSITE MANAGER Behrooz Dalvandi A&E EDITOR Jordan Tucker COPY EDITOR Ben Filipkowski FEATURES EDITOR Gala Munoz NEWS EDITOR Hanna Petersen SPORTS EDITOR Geoff Sargent STUDENT LIFE EDITOR Leila Maheiddinibonab CONTRIBUTORS Devon Flynn Jeff Hollett Don Ireland Sarah Foot The deadline for the next issue is Wednesday, January 17th. Be sure to get your articles in on time! 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 mem- ber papers, and provides such services as a news wire and advertising to Over the Edge. Over the Edge is published every second week during the fall and winter semesters. Office Location: 6-350 MAILING ADDRESS 3333 University Way Prince George, BCV2N 4Z9 PHONE (250) 960-5633 FAX (250) 960-5407 E-mail: ote-newspaper@unbc.ca BENEFITS OF THE PEER SUPPORT NETWORK DON IRELAND PSN COUNSELLOR The Peer Support Network (PSN) is a First Nations Centre (FNC) program designed to meet the needs of all students at UNBC, and it is a great resource on campus for all students. It is a group of peer counsellors that provide peer to peer counselling to all students. Throughout the school year, students experience many 66The you stressful situations, both inside and outside of the university. This includes exam stress, grades, and matters in their personal life such as relationship or family issues. As students, we are under a lot of stress; being a student is a full time job, and when the unexpected happens, it can create a lot of stress, which interferes in our daily school routine. When this occurs, it becomes very difficult to keep focus on our schooling, which can become overwhelming. It is very beneficial to talk about our issues and stresses. Stress is a like a balloon within us; it starts small, but the longer we go without letting it out the more it grows. The more we hold our issues in, the bigger the balloon becomes, and the more difficult it is to deal with our stress. The balloon will continue to grow until it pops, and when that happens, the pain and stress will no longer be tolerable, and it will become extremely difficult to focus on anything other than the issues that gave rise to this stress. It is highly beneficial to talk about our stresses before they become too much. This can be as simple as just having someone to listen to you. Just having that one person’s undivided attention to listen to your concerns and your problems can make a world of difference in your well-being. The peer counsellors are here to help and listen to whatever you have to say, whether you simply just need to vent or have a problem that you need help with. All of us at the PSN understand the importance of being able to have someone to just listen to you and hear everything you need say. We are students ourselves and understand all too well the challenges we face as students and how hard they are sometimes to deal with. I have personally been on both sides of the PSN, as the counsellor and the student needing to talk. In the early years of my university degree I experienced a hardship in my life that greatly affected my focus on my schooling, and it was not until the balloon popped that I realised that I needed to talk to someone. Deciding to talk about eer counsellors are here to help and listen to whatever ave to say, whether you sim Pyy Just need to vent or have a problem that you need help with. 2 my issues and seeking out the aid of the PSN was one of the best decisions I made. If you are experiencing any challenges during your schooling no matter what it is, whether it is school or non-school related we at the PSN are here to listen to you and help you overcome these challenges. So whether you just want to vent or seek help, feel free to come to the office ;we are available Monday to Fridays 9:00am-4:00pm. We are located right down the hall from the First Nations Centre and the walk in clinic on campus. WHAT DOES CONVOCATION MEAN 10 YOU? SARAH FOOT CEREMONIES & EVENTS COORDINATOR While Convocation is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a ceremonial assembly of members of a college or university,” I have discovered that the word Convocation has greater meaning for students who are graduating from UNBC. Our students associate Convocation with hard work, personal growth, gained confidence, career flexibility, and the start of a new journey. For example, Iasked UNBC’s regional students what Convocation meant to them and Robert Laval, a candidate for a Master’s degree in Education, inspired me with his response: “In 2013, I will be 70 years of age and convocation will be the completion and closing of a journey initiated in 1971. It will substantiate that with the scope of research now made available by technology and the expansion of thinking since that date, that it is now possible to explore alternate worldviews and approaches to leadership uncluttered and unfettered. Convocation is but a sign post marking an end; it is an essential pause acknowledging what was received individually and as a cohort, that will allow me to go on to engage in the next awaiting adventure.” If you, like Robert, are entering your final academic semester at UNBC, I encourage you to contemplate Convocation and what it represents to you. Your reflections will motivate you during those final months of study. And, if you are a graduate student, you will remember to submit your Graduate Student Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar by Tuesday, January 15, 2013. To spark your musings, I leave aa with a celebratory quote about I’ve made to get here and it’s also a reminder of the commitment that life will now demand from me. Despite individual challenges, I have been given opportunities that billions across the world could never dream of. I now have to protect that opportunity © More importantly, convocation is a celebration of the commitment I’ve made to get here and it’s also a reminder of the commitment that life will now demand from me. 22 Convocation from another regional candidate in the Master of Education program who wished to remain anonymous: “Convocation is the culmination of many sleepless nights, countless hours of reading, writing, and forming bonds with classmates and professors. More importantly, convocation is a celebration of the commitment and treasure what it represents to me: a chance to achieve my dreams.” Mark your calendars! All of your questions about the Convocation ceremonies will be answered at the Grad Fair on Wednesday, February 6th from ilam — 2pm in the Wintergarden! For more information, please contact me: sarah.foot@unbc.ca Challenge! ng it in the our draw!