Over The Edge Page 4 EDITORIAL February 8, 1999
The evolution of a student body

| think it was the passion-
ate speeches that brought
the students to the
Wintergarden ~ between
classes. Maybe it was the
agenda that would alter the
way two student-funded
organizations were defined
in the constitution or
maybe it was the fact that it
was free entertainment
between classes.

No matter what the rea-
son, students at UNBC
participated in the large

The struggle concerning
bylaw 19 was a classic
case of concealing ones
true agenda under bureau-
cratic mumbo-jumbo. |
was told by the President
of NUGSS himself
(Saleem) during the elec-

numbers on January 28 in
the Northern
Undergraduate Students
Society Annual General
Meeting (AGM). There was
a rumor in the audience
that gathered at 10 am that
Quorum (88), the number
of students needed to
attend to make the pro-
ceedings legal, would not
be reached. But 88 stu-
dents took time out of their
day to sit and listen to how
NUGSS defines the way

tion process that he was
campaigning on _ the
promise to “eliminate the
Women’s Centre” from the
UNBC campus. | was the
looney who stood up and
started shouting, the rea-
son was that one student

UNBC fails french

To Whom It May Concern,

| am writing this letter to
express my personal dis-
appointment that the
University of Northern
British Columbia does not
offer French language
courses amongst the
courses it offers in such
programs as International
Studies, or other related
courses. Many of the lan-
guage courses here at
UNBC are targeted not
only to teach the student

about the origins of the dif-
ferent languages, but they
also familiarize the individ-
ual with the cultural back-
ground and diversity which
exists in these specific
countries around the
world. | agree wholeheart-
edly with the goals of the
International Studies pro-
gram, however | find that
the program and other
such programs would be
universally accepted by
the student body at our
university if a wider range

they relate to students,
spend student's money,
govern themselves and
fund other student bodies.
For the most part, the
AGM went well with very
few hang-ups. There were
the usual calls for clarifica-
tion on procedural points
and explanation about
which amendments were
up for discussion.

The hottest debate
revolved around changing
the Women's Centre and

Over The Edge from enti-
ties in the NUGSS consti-
tution to Student Services.
From my point of view, this
simply puts into one docu-
ment what was contained
in three and provides clear
expectations for the news-
paper to operate under.
Students who participat-
ed are now _ watching
NUGSS, Over The Edge
and the Women's Centre
and expect results from
these organizations. Each

LETTERS

NUGSS AGM sparks comment

actually stated what was
going on under the surface
of this bylaw vote.

| thank you for that. The
Women’s Centre and the
newspaper angers the
NUGSS board when they
speak out against the sta-

of courses were offered.

It is imperative in this day
and age that we under-
stand the issues that are
taking: place within the
boarders of our own coun-
try before we begin to look
at cultures outside of our
own. Canada is a multicul-
tural country that has been
build up since the English
and the French people first
landed here in the late
15th Century. We are
amongst the elite countries
in all senses of the word,

Treasurer comments on AGM

To Whom it May Concern

| feel that must comment
on the past NUGSS AGM.
| wish to make a number of
comments, the first being
that as a Director of the
Student Society, | must
maintain a level of profes-
sionalism while dealing
with the public. In this
instance | am speaking of
the way I conducted myself
at the past AGM on the
28th of January. | am sorry
to the students that had to
listen to the way | carried
myself, and apologies for a
manner that was not within
the best interests of the
students. It will not happen

again and | am sorry for
the way that | did carry
myself.

The second point | must
make is in the level of
integrity and devotion that
my fellow Board members
maintained throughout the
AGM. Saleem however,
our President and Chair of
the AGM, must be com-
mended for his hard work
while in such a difficult
position—chairing an AGM
of some very emotional
students and Directors.

The third point | would
like to make and probably
the one that is the most
important to me, is the stu-
dents. | would like to thank

everyone that attended
and showed their support
for their student society. |
was truly amazed at the
number of students that
attended and participated
in what | feel was the most
important AGM of NUGSS’
history. So, again, | thank
each and every student
who got involved with the
AGM and hope that this
level of participation con-
tinues in the future.

The last point | must com-
ment on is the Bylaws
themselves. These Bylaws
that were accepted by the
students were one year’s
worth of work. | also feel
that these Bylaws are

tus quo of this university
whose function is patriar-
chal in origin and whom
the board supports in its
actions. We must as a
media outlet and place for
women continue to have a
space on campus as in

but especially so since we
have the opportunity to
become familiar with not
one but two national lan-
guages. It is in our hands
to solve the separation
between the French and
English-speaking people
of our country by learning
about their values.

The method that | am sug-
gesting the we do this here
at the University of
Northern British Columbia
is by opening a French
department at. the

going to make the student
society more open, more
approachable and more
accountable to the stu-
dents. So | thank you.

One last point. This point
| think is one that stems
from the entire Board of
Directors and those that
work with NUGSS. What |
am speaking of is the
unbelievable support that
the students showed
towards the current Board
of Directors. For over a
year now, we have been
under attack by the same
groups of students who
tells us that everything
from our budget to our
office manager to the

has its own challenges. Not
everyone will agree with
the way that student
money is spent by NUGSS
as noted by the number of
Letters to the Editor about
the Athletic Fee.

The newspaper will be
accused of not covering
what is important to one
student; the student does-

n't realize the newspaper is"

trying to satisfy the other
3000. The Women's Centre
probably had the hardest

agreement with the origi-
nal mandate of this univer-
sity, to allow the voice of
women and the voice of
political and student dis-
sent to be heard. It is OK to
not agree with the exis-
tance of the Women’s

University that offers a
range of French courses,
from the Beginner level to
the Advanced level. This is
a feeling that | share with
many students across the
campus and | wish to
extend this feeling of insuf-
ficiency -to you. French,
whether some of us prefer
to like and accept it or not
is the second Canadian
national language and
those of use that wish to
recognize it as such
should be _ given. the

water cooler in the office is
not in the best interests of
the students. This group of
students is also the group
of students that has been
trying to tell us that the job
we perform everyday is
either “out-dated” or “cor-
rupt.” | wish to express my
opinion here as a Director
of the society in the hopes
that | may be able to in the
future work more closely
with these students in pro-
viding the best possible
services and representa-
tion that they feel is not
happening at NUGSS. |
would also like to comment
and say that the students
at UNBC fell NUGSS is

task convincing half of the
student body denied
access to -their office to
continue funding _ their
operation.

To the students who
voted, listened or provided
comment in front of the
microphone, good on you.
For those who were unable
to attend, your fellow stu-
dents did an admirable job.

Aaron Mahoney

Centre and the newspa-
per. It is not okay to seek
their elimination in the
name of funding cuts and
democracy.

M. Hughes

chance to do so.

| have collected a tally,
and sent it to the University
administration, of those
students who are interest-
ed in enrolling in French
language courses and of
those who support UNBC
offering French courses
and the choice that it will
offer students to pursue
their knowledge of the
French language at the
University level.

Cameron Given-Severs

doing a good job. That was
proven at the AGM with the
vote on the student fees
and general comments
from those in attendance.

| would like to thank the
students at UNBC who
attended the AGM for their
support of NUGSS and the
Directors. If it were not for
you the students, we would
not have the drive or deter-
mination to keep pushing
the society forward.

All and all, thank-you
Respectfully

Chris Reid
Treasurer

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