s Student Life November 7th 2012 - Over the Edge A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS JOHN TURNER BOARD OF GOVERNORS CHAIR UNBC was established in 1990 by its own legislation, the UNBC Act. Since 2002, UNBC has been governed by the University Act, as are all the other research-intensive universities in Brit- ish Columbia. This change in govern- ance occurred once the university had reached a level of 2,500 students for two years. Two bodies, the Senate and the Board of Governors, rule the affairs of UNBC. The Senate is the academic governing body, responsible for such things as the academic quality of degree programs and the academic calendar. Part 7 of the University Act details the powers and purpose of the Senate. The Board of Governors of the Univer- sity of Northern British Columbia is composed of fifteen members. These include eight members appointed by the Province of BC, five elected from the University community (two students, two faculty and one non-faculty), and 2 ex-officio members, the Chancellor and the President & Vice-Chancellor. All serve as volunteers and receive no re- muneration. The composition and powers of the Board can be found in Sections 19 and 27, respectively, of the University Act. The main responsibility of the Board of Governors is the oversight of the man- agement, administration and control of the property, revenue, business and af- fairs of the university. The Board meets four times per year to conduct its general business, with one of these meetings held in the re- gions served by the University. There are 3 standing committees; Finance and Audit, Governance, and Human Resources and additional meetings are held throughout the year, including one planning session annually. More in- formation about the Board, Board Com- mittees and meeting schedules can be found on the UNBC website www.unbc. ca/governance. Ghandi said, “be the change you want to see in the world” and the university simply works better when everyone is engaged. The Board of Governors works because we bring broad and di- verse points of view to the table. Board meetings are open to the public and we welcome individuals and delegations FLYNN IN SCOTLAND We all love sales. That word means the same thing in every culture and every country — you're going to get your stuff cheaper. But being in another country makes the shopper in all of us go a little bit crazier when we see that big four- letter word — SALE! It doesn't help that students have a certain kind of consumerism tailored towards us. We hate to be labelled “consumers” but it’s true. Many of us grab a pint and maybe a light supper at the pub to celebrate an exam done well; we go for trips to the mall with friends and end up buying a few small things, and I’m sure most of us couldn't get into that awesome Halloween party at the club without a costume, right? Don’t get me wrong, we all have to buy stuff at one point or another, but, especially for exchange students, it is different than normal. Some universities have a unique locality which can cater to student spending habits. UNBC is a shopping “island” where there are no shopping centres within walking distance, aside from the weekly Farmer’s Market (thank goodness), the cafeteria, and the basic amenities available at the corner store (Why do you think | love the reciprocity shelf so much?). UBC in Vancouver has its Own community, complete with full grocery stores and other shops. The University of Dundee, however, is right downtown, and very near several shopping districts that | walk by every day. In the past few weeks, quite a few stores in that district were having sales, and many of them were quite tempting, even for a thrifty individual like myself, or “cheap lil’ bastard” as my mom would call me (she means it lovingly, | swear). While only a select few of these sales were aimed directly at students, their goal remained the same: buy, buy, buy! And they don't even have to have a sale to encourage you to shop. There are numerous grocery stores that are close to the campus residences. What these stores lack in sales they make up for in ideal location. Not only are their locations great, but the various grocery store chains have a range of food items from across the UK and even Europe. You can see where I'm going with this; you’re walking down the sweets aisle and BAM! They carry that brand of chocolate you love that you haven't seen anywhere else! It reminds you so much of home, you have to buy one! GASP! It’s on sale? Get a case! When you're a foreigner in another country, a lot of things are new, especially food. Whether it’s a different version of something familiar, or anew product altogether, food is something anyone can appreciate, especially hungry students. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant and expensive, it can be something as tame as a deep- fried Mars bar. Simple — yes - but have you tried it? No? Then give it a try! The saying, “When in Rome...’ is easily applicable to food. I'm not saying don’t try new things, just that there’s more of an inclination to spend money when things are new, whether it be food or even experiences. Back home, | wouldn't be so eager to see the local museum on First Nation history, or pay for an expensive bottle of maple syrup every week - I've experienced these before. But over here in Scotland, well geez! I've never been to a castle before, or toured a scotch distillery, or even seen the infamous Loch Ness, so I'll jump on the chance to do those things. I’ve seen this in Canada before, especially in BC. Exchange students are eager to go to Vancouver for reading break, try maple syrup, go to a hockey game, go snowboarding in Jasper, etc. It is novel and new and the thing to do while in Canada, provided you have enough money. It's not a bad thing to do as the Romans do “when in Rome.” It is, however, easy to get caught up in the excitement of being in a strange country where you want to try everything new, especially when those things are on sale. So if you find yourself on a student exchange, pace yourself. Go to a museum here and there if it looks interesting, check out castles when you can, and...ooh! Haggis, neeps and tatties lunch special! And it comes with a bottle of Irn Brul... SGU CLUB SPOTLIGHT MICHAEL WATSON Students for a Green University is UN- BC's environmental club. We aim to educate students, faculty and staff to make everyday changes in their every- day lives, as well as at the University. Our activities include informational documentary screenings, protests, ral- lies, petitions, workshops, fundraisers, and ongoing campaigns to address particular issues on campus as well as in the community. Every year we par- ticipate in UNBC's Green Day, bottled water free day, and BC River's Day. We are also in the process of building a Geodesic Dome Greenhouse on cam- pus. There have been some hiccups along the way, but is a great time for new people to get involved in the pro- ject, and help get it constructed for spring! Come join our Monday meet- ings at 6pm in the clubs room in the NUSC building.