Tramp University. : _, Creator of educational products Trump University. a a ‘traed Dream Discovery Coach and an avid real estate investor. se As an ambitious 23 year old run- ning several businesses, Andrew stays focused by ensuring all of his' efforts contribute to his De dream: to equip and empower students to live life fully on to pursue: their dreams. Andrew Hewitt will ‘be coming OVER THE EDGE October 24 - November 7, 2007 Stand Up, Speak Out Against Poverty a Success ResBecca CARMICHAEL Copy Eprror Would you go a dinner where two tables eat well, one table eats broth, one table eats rice and beans, and another just gets rice? This is how the “WUSC Stand Up and Speak Out International Dinner for Poverty started, and it was all for a great cause, which was to raise money and awareness to fight poverty both locally and internationally. It falls on the International Eradication of Poverty Day. Of course, after the message sank in we were all given the ample meal that we paid for. The disparity in food represented the vast differences in living standards around the world. The countries of Canada, Greece, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Malawi were represented by those tables, respectively. As mostly affluent Canadians we were given time to reflect on what it meant to eat only a cup of rice or broth all day, if anything at all. This was to stimu- late people to take action against poverty and hunger around the world. During the dinner several guest speakers gave us more information on particular issues and projects they have been involved in. The first speaker was Bernie Gould, a volunteer with the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She has worked with this Society for over 28 years. They supply meals, food hampers and fresh fruit and vegetables to people in need.The number of people utilizing this Society has increased by 19% over the past year, so do- nations and volunteers are much needed. Next, Randi Duritch gave a pres- entation about her work with trafficked children in Ghana. These children are sold by their families at a very young age to do dangerous slave work for fishermen. She volunteered for a group which rescues and rehabilitates these children. After a break, Shazad Shah gave a speech inspiring people to take action about issues such as poverty. Next, Cowboy Bob gave a mov- ing speech about local poverty. A recovered alcoholic, he has worked with people struggling with drug and alcohol addictions and poverty for many years. The money raised went to the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Prince George. This was in an effort to “think globally, act locally.” It was a small, intimate event, with only 50 tickets sold. The money raised, $500 plus do- nations, all went directly to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. WUSC had decided to keep the event small in order to test to reception it would have at UNBC, since this is the first year they have done anything like this. The event was considered a success, as they sold out of tickets a few days be- forehand. It may become an annual event, perhaps with higher capacity and more high profile attendees, such as politicians and other people who can influence policy. The event was organized by WUSC (World University Service of Can- ada), which fosters international social and environmental justice. Their main project is to bring refugee students to study in Canada. The UNBC chapter of WUSC sponsors one new student every two years. Robin Chang, Chair of Internal Affairs for WUSC, was the main organizer for the Inter- national Dinner for Poverty event. Similar events are held all over Canada, typically called “Feast for Famine”. It looks like the event was a rousing success, something that will hopefully happen again next year. E-Chug Converts Beer to Burgers By Gemma Karstens-SmitH Tue Martier (University oF Victoria) VICTORIA (CUP) -- Students at the University of Victoria now have access to a website that translates alcohol habits into more than just dead brain cells. The university’s student and ancillary services department bought the Li- censing to e-Chug, a website which gives students a profile of their drinking behaviors in realistic terms. “It’s a way to motivate students to change their behaviors if they’re con- cemed about them,” said Paweena Sukhawathanakul, the fourth-year hon- ours psychology student who helped develop the University of Victoria’s alcohol strategy. “Tt’s not about prevention,” she said. “It’s about harm reduction.” On e-Chug, students complete a questionnaire about their drinking be- haviours and the website generates feedback in real-world terms. Rather than spitting out how many calories a student has consumed, for example, it will produce the equivalent in cheeseburgers and estimate the percentage of their disposable income is spent on alcohol. It also provides personalized information on blood alcohol concentration (BAC), letting students know what their BAC is when they have reached their peak of drinking. It also estimates how long it will take for their BAC to return to zero. Risk factors, such as long-term dependency, are determined based on the respondent’s current behaviours and family history with alcohol. The site also provides the potential physical and legal consequences as- sociated with the above risk factors in both text and graph form. It’s a lot of information about drinking habits for a ten-minute question- naire. The site also provides students with safe strategies for alcohol consump- tion, such as alternating alcoholic beverages with water and taking a cab home instead of getting a car with someone who has been drinking. Resources for students who are concerned about their drinking behaviors are also included. The site also allows students to compare their drinking with others on campus. “That’s not right,” said fourth-year engineering student Lori Woodman when reading the statistic that only 6.7 per cent of UVic students have four or more alcoholic drinks in a typical week. “How much people drink probably depends on their major,” Woodman said. Other statistics on the site say that 13.6 per cent of students on campus do not drink at all in a typical week and 31.6 per cent of students smoke marijuana at least once a month. The information comes from the 1998 Canadian Campus Survey. The university’s health and wellness strategy also includes handbooks on alcohol safety which are sent to the parents of all incoming students over the summer. More groups dealing with alcohol have also been added to counselling services. ; “This year it’s more of a collaborative effort,” said Sukhawathanakul. “Different services are coming together to come up with strategies. Sukhawathanakul sees e-Chug as an important part of the strategy. “It’s key to the education process on our campus,” she said. “It’s an alcohol awareness education tool.” : e-Chug was developed at San Diego State University and is currently used by more than 300 schools across North America and Australia. I stand out Vanessa Garro Took Athabasca University courses to camplete her degree st the University of Western Ontario Need a prerequisite, extra credits? Have a scheduling conflict? Your choice Choose from over 700 distance or online courses to complement your studies at your home university. Your terms Start courses anytime of the year and study at home, or wherever you may find yourself. Take the first step Talk to your academic advisor to make sure courses will transfer, then visit our website or call to register. Finally, a university that’s all about you. Canada’s leader In distance and oniine education. www.athabascau.ca 1-800-788-9041 Athabasca University Ml CANADA'S OPEN UNIVERSITY