biog bee Back to January Craziness

Kelley Ware
Finance Manager

he new semester has begun! It

is hard to think that it has been
over a month since our last issue.
So much has happened since then:
final exams, final assignments,
Christmas, and New Years. It has
been an exciting time this last
month. If you are anything like
me, finals and last assignments
were stressed over and you were
checking your UNBC account
religiously to find any updates on
your grades. Then you were finally
done. It was time to just go home
and spend time with family and
friends. Maybe you were lucky like
I was and went on a trip for your
break. Either way, hopefully you
enjoyed your time off and are ready

Canadian University Press

Toronto (CUP)

ew Year’s Day 1938 saw

the birth of a unique and
important organization in Canadian
print media. As the sun rose over
snowy Winnipeg delegates from
17 papers shook hands and signed
papers, creating the Canadian
University Press.

While the organization has gotten
older, the participants haven’t;
we're still students or recent grads,
learning about our craft by doing.
We like to look back, but we’re still
here; we still pound the pavement,
poke our noses where we shouldn’t
and write stories for, by, and about
the post-secondary students of
Canada.

Today’s CUP sees an organization
spidering across the provinces.

A two-person national office
hunkers down in the basement of
a former bicycle store in Toronto.

to start the new semester.

It is always an interesting time in
January. A new semester comes
with new classes and new classes
come with new routines. The
university experience begins again.
For some people, January is a busy
time with not just classes, but
activities beginning again after

the holidays. Sports and clubs are
kicking off once again. Not only do
I have my new classes, but clubs
and dance are all starting back up. I
also have two separate conferences
(because January is evidently
conference month) to attend.

As this issue is circulating and
you are reading it, Shelley our
Editor in Chief; Jasmine the Copy
Editor; Isabelle the Production

The chair of the board and the
National Francophone Director
both happen to share cities this
year in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Board members might span the
greatest distance ever this year,
from Prince George, BC to Sydney
Nova Scotia. We have six reporters
working on original content placed
strategically and three editors
curating content from our member
papers in sports, arts, opinions,
humour, and features.

We're more than student
journalists working together. We
stand for things. When we find out
about a paper in trouble we try

to intervene (if the paper wants

us to). We’ve struck partnerships
with other media organizations
like the Communications Workers
of America - Canada (CWA Canada)
and Journalists for Human

Rights. Perhaps most important,
historically, is that we’ve provided

Coordinator; and myself are all in
Edmonton for NASH, the national
conference for Canadian University
Press. This conference brings
together student newspapers

from all over the country. With
speakers, panels, discussions, and
commissions to attend and be

part of, we are hoping we will be
able to bring back some valuable
information and tips to make Over
the Edge even better. These should
include writing and design tips to
show ways to improve the overall
look and content of the paper. As
well, the particular theme this
year should provide me with good
insight and tips to the business side
of the paper to make it run more
smoothly. With luck, I will learn
more financial tips to provide the

NBC Life

Shelley Termuende | OTE

biggest bang for our buck.

Hopefully your January will be as
good as mine. Maybe a little less
busy, but good. As well, hopefully
this semester will be even better
than the last for you, for myself,
and for our newspaper.

Celebrating Over 75 years

or played a part in the training

of many of Canada’s journalists.
Many schools don’t have journalism
programs, and while many have
appeared in the last ten years, a
common way for journalists to get
into the industry was — and is — to
write for a student paper, proving

a skill set by using it on a regular
basis.

That training now comes from

a few different places. One may
become a bureau chief and spend
time writing for CUP, learning by
doing at a provincial or regional
level and interviewing important
policy makers and breaking stories.
Some are now part of the CWA
Canada mentorship program,
meeting with a professional with
years in the industry. Others
attend the conferences and go to
workshops with practical skills
explained by people in the industry.
In addition, the conferences offer

a chance for cross-pollination as
students from Vancouver Island

to Prince Edward Island share
experiences and what they learned,
which at times can be cutting edge
ideas as students tend to be more
experimental than the mainstream
media.

Since that cold day in 1938,

the organization has seen the
good times and bad times: wars,
recessions and the forming of
modern Canada (CUP predates the
province of Newfoundland and
Labrador, the Canadian flag, and
Superman). While we’ve changed
and adapted with society, our
ideals remain kindred with so
many other students before us, to
bring journalism to the students.
If you want to get into this sort
of organization, I’m absolutely
certain your paper is looking for
volunteers.

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Thank you to the following restaurants that supported Norther HIV and Health Education

Society's fundraiser “Eating Out For Youth Education’:

Café Voltaire,

College Heights 2 for 1 Pizza
Grama’s Inn Restaurant

Hummus Brothers Tapas Bar

Kelly O'Bryans

Community participation eating out and media support especially CKPG, The River

Mom's Place

Shiraz Café and Restaurant

Taco Del Mar

and Drive are greatly appreciated.

Sassafras Savories

Spicy Green in the Hart and College Heights