UNBC Goes Medieval By TYLER CLARKE SPORTS AND CLUBS EDITOR As some of you may have noticed from the loud fighting taking place at UNBC, the Medieval Club is alive and kicking in this fall semester. In the fighting you may have wit- nessed, they are simulatng actual medieval styles, including “hand to hand combat, using weapons of vari- ous sorts: swords, maces, spears, hal- berds, axes, even Japanese Katanas,” said Roy Foomey, the president of the UNBC Medieval Combat and Culture Club. Long range weapons are also prac- ticed, including bow and arrow, cross- bows, throwing hammers, and javelins. Basically, whatever could have been made in the medieval times can, and is used. Accompanying this slew of weapons are just as many authentic looking helmets, shields, and armorz, as it is a dangerous sport. “The dents in my helmet can attest to that fact,” said Toomey. All of this fighting will lead to a full-on war in Edmonton on the weekend of March 11, in which sev- eral hundred fighters will be broken into two armies, divided into oppos- ing ends of the battlefield, and battle in different scenarios, using tactics and strategy, as well as brutality. A number of the members of the UNBC Medieval Club will be partic- ipating. Toomey notes that for those mem- bers uninterested in the fighting aspect of the medieval times, or inter- ested in more aspects of the times, there are various medieval arts and science activities to take part in. The arts include needlework, calligraphy, illumination, sewing, beadwork, singing, and storytelling. : The sciences include design and engineering of creating scale models of handlooms, trebuchets, ballistas, and other.medieval machines and weapons, and brewing of medieval remedies. Several members have won awards for work in some of these areas in the past. Currently, the Medieval Club has over seventy-five members, including those in Varghala, in Prince George, the Seekers from Smithers, and the Southpaws from Vancouver, but they are always looking for new members. According to ‘Toomey, “in order to become a member of the Wolfpack [UNBC Medieval Club], all you real- ly neéd to do is come out on a regu- lar basis and hang out with us.” As a member you would not be required to fight or be a part of the Wolfpack, UNBC First Nations Centre Screens Aboriginal Films By Dawn DUNSTAN CONTRIBUTOR The Business of Fancydancing is a film written and directed by Sherman Alexie. Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Indian who grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservaion in Washington, USA. He is a’ talented poet and writer, whose work includes numerous collections of poetry. Alexie is the author of- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, The Toughest Indian in the World, and his latest collection of short stories Ten Little Indians. Alexie extends his writing to novels, and has authored Reservation Blues and Indian Killer. His novel Indian Killer is a darker piece, illuminating another more seri- ous side of his writing. Known for his powerful prose and resilient humor, Alexie weaves together everyday sto- ries of struggle and survival, existence, and identity. The screenplay for his first film Smoke Signals is loosely based on the book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. The film, directed by Chris Eyre, was extremely well received; audiences really connected with Alexie’s use of humor, which through brilliant efforts on the part of the cast (including Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, and Gary Farmer just to name a few), translated well to the big screen. The Business of Fancydancing is Sherman Alexie’s second film; it repre- sents a solid start for a writer showcas- ing his directorial debut. As with his te a AR ie NE See ~~ first film, Alexie takes characters and storylines from his written work, and deposits them onto the screen; those familiar with his writing will recognize characters and snippets of stories from Toughest Indian in the World, and Indian Killer, among others. Evan Adams, a central character in Smoke Signals, is featured again as one of the main characters in The Business of Fancydancing. The story- line combines familiar themes of iden- tity and relationships, and Alexie takes the opportunity to return to his roots in poetry, representing this medium on film. Hopefully this provides some context for those who have no idea who Sherman Alexie is, and generates some Curiosity and. interest in the film. The Business of Fancydancing 1s being screened in Prince George for the first time on Tuesday, March 15 at 6pm in the Canfor Theatre. This will be followed by the critically acclaimed Smoked Signals at &pm. Admission is by donation, and all proceeds will go to the First Nations Grad Celebration. Hope to see you there. Bring Jnends, family members for an enjoyable evening of rarely shown independent films. just to hang out with them. Their practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Old Lab building during the winter, and in the courtyard during the rest of the year, with war practices held on Sundays, usually outside the fitness centre near the flag poles. Toomey encourages anyone inter- ested in joining to watch. Once you become a member you get to experi- ence the role-playing aspect of the club. Every member gets to decide upon a Medieval culture that he or she is most identifies with. There are Scots, Irishmen, Germans, Englishmen, French, Mongols, Russians, and Japanese. Members can also create a name, and some go as far as to create. an entire history for their personas. “For example, my persona is that of Faelan O’Tuama, an Irishman who joined an Irish Holy Order called the Knights of Saint Patrick and fought in the Sécond Crusade around 1137,” said Toomey, For more information on the UNBC Medieval Combat and Culture Club you can contact Roy Toomey, the President of the club at roytombstone@hotmail.com, or visit their website at www.varghala.com. 3 MaArcH 9, 2005 Puoro BY SALAR MOTAHARI, Members of the UNBC Medieval Club practice for the full-on war that will be held in Edmonton on March 11. Learn To Use the Remote Desktop Connection Access the UNBC ae from the comfort of your home Br LAuREL McDonatp CONTRIBUTOR There may only be a few months left in the school year, but it is not too late to learn how to access the UNBC Remote desktop from home, work, or wherever you find yourself. Due to the lack of effective adver- - tising, a shocking number of students have not yet acquired this useful knowledge. So, here is how it is done: First, get on the internet and _ type Okatu North The term ‘anime’ was coined in Japan to refer to all kinds of anima- tion, both domestic and foreign. Within North America, this term is used specifically regarding Japanese animation. This a very different style of animation to what North http://tss.unbe.ca into your address- bar. This will connect you to the Remote Desktop Web Connection Page. You must then make a few spec- ifications. The box to the right of Server will say tss.unbc.ca, and you must change this to sts.unbc.ca if you are undergraduate and gsts.unbe.ca if you are a graduate stu- dent. In the box to the right of Size, you may change the size of the connection screen if you wish. If you want to an Presents... Americans are commonly used to. Every genre is represented in anime, from drama to comedy to romance, fantasy to horror. For UNBC students interested in anime, Okatu North is presenting An Evil Suzie Sampler. The event will be have access to the local disk drives on your computer while connected to the remote desktop, you must check the box next to Map Local Drives. Next, press Connect, and you will have to log on just like when using the computers at school. Type in your user name and password, and make sure the dropdown box beside Log onto: says UNI. Press O.K., and never email yourself an assignment again! held on Saturday, March 26, 2005. It will begin at noon in room 7-212. If you have any questions with regards to this event, or Okatu North in general, please contact Suzie at suddsie@yahoo.com, Do you have a Clubs or Sports story that you would like to see in Over the Edge? Then please submit it to: over-the-edge@unbc.ca. We are looking forward to hearing from you!