rc wn = gS oO ss Q 2 N Ft - > 2 CGC a Li Ft () hen > = o S 4 US rs ~” —_ Shen < oo [@)) VY oo Zo + 25 < >. nN ©«— Vy s © 2 & (a) (}) Le O ver the Edge September 22, 2010 Volume 17, Issue 2 It’s in Your Jeans Comfort and style come together Page 7 What’s got you jumping? Bed bugs invade your dreams Page 6 UNBC Finally Gets a Pride Center After a protest and sit-in, Pride UNBC finally gets their LGBTQ Centre SHELBY PETERSEN EDITOR IN CHIEF In universities across the country Pride Centres are opening their doors and providing much needed services to LGBTQ students. On Friday September 17", the NUGSS Board of Directors approved Pride UNBC’s proposal to open their own Pride Centre in the NUSC building. This centre will not only provide respite for students who may be marginalized due to their sexual orientation/preference, but also help spread awareness and _ provide an essential service to the people of Northern British Columbia. Over the past year the Pride UNBC club has been drafting proposals and fundraising in an effort to add UNBC to the long list of universities which offer LGBTQ support. Prior to the approval, the Pride Club offered aid to LGBTQ students through the Wellness Centre. While the Wellness Centre was a step in the right direction, the ultimate goal for the Pride Club has always been to operate a 24 hour facility for all students to access. Pride President Marli Liebovitch says that the Pride Centre would be a place “for gathering, resource acquisition, and peer support.” While the Pride Centre is now a go, the road to success was somewhat tumultuous. Over the summer the club put a lot of work into the proposal for the centre, and even went so far as to acquire furniture; however, just as school was about to begin, the club was given the disheartening news that their proposal was rejected by the NUGSS Board of Directors. Following this decision, the Pride Club took up residence in the proposed space for the Pride Centre and held a sit-in from September 7" to September 9". As word spread that the Pride Centre proposal had been rejected, many students and community members with the Pride Club to smooth out the discrepancies. Milinazzo believes that a Pride Centre is an essential service which all reputable universities should SHELBY PETERSEN On Thursday, Sept. 9 protesters listen to a speach in the makeshift Pride Centre. began to question the reasoning behind the BOD’s decision. While there were rumblings that the BOD had rejected the proposal based on its sensitive nature, NUGSS President Kaleigh Milinazzo suggests otherwise, “We never outwardly denied the Pride Centre. There are some discrepancies in the proposal which need to be altered before we can move forward.” Milinazzo says that the biggest reason why the proposal was rejected was that the UNBC Pride Club has no clear policy manual, constitution, or means with which to ensure the site will be secure. Moreover, Milinazzo has stated that she and the BOD are willing to work Backyard BBQ = A rocking start to a new year DARCIE SMITH ARTS EDITOR Nothing says “school spirit” like free hot dogs and cute reggae boys, and certainly nothing says “Prince George” like some drunk guy pulling the fire alarm and causing an evacuation. Essentially, that was the Backyard BBQ in a nutshell. On September 10° NUGSS hosted the 15" annual Backyard BBQ featuring the musical delights of opening act Daniel Wesley and headliners Bedouin Soundclash. Both acts put on stellar performances that sufficiently brought the summer to a close. For the first hour or two of the event, the crowd was predominantly first year students, and the air smelled heavily of Axe. The night did end unusually early in comparison to previous years, but with the days becoming shorter and the significant temperature drop, saying goodnight to the dark campus a bit earlier wasn’t so bad. The charming Daniel Wesley played a short, soulful set decked out in an excellent cardigan and accompanied by a beautiful guitar in his hands. He would make a lovely hobbit. Vocally, one could compare him to Dave Matthews, but musically he was JHALL provide, but it has to be done right because NUGSS is accountable for the space and liable for any insurance costs. One of the biggest disappointments for the Pride Club was that the final BOD vote was done secretly. The Pride Club alleges that the secret vote is in violation of the BC Societies Act which NUGSS must adhere to. While NUGSS insists that there is nothing illegal about a secret vote, President Milinazzo admits, “We should have done an open vote. We should have discussed it privately and voted publically.” While Milinazzo admits that the vote should have been conducted with the Pride Club present, was in the area. wasn’t from the sun. she also states that she didn’t want the BOD to feel pressured to vote in a certain way in the presence of the Pride Members. Following the Pride Club sit-in, the club leaders stated that their belongings would remain in the room in order to further stake their claim and send the message that the Pride Centre will come into existence. However, on Friday night the makeshift Pride Centre was taken down. NUGSS did not dismantle the protest out of spite as was originally believed. The makeshift Pride centre, as well as the adjacent room, were booked to house the two bands for the Backyard barbeque and the Pride belongings had to be removed as a result. Moreover, the UNBC Pride Club complied with these conditions and their belongings were removed amicably. “We did not put up black paper to send any type of message to the Pride Club, the black paper was simply used to give the bands some privacy,” stated NUGSS President Kaleigh Milinazzo. While the centre has been approved, it could be up to six months before it is completely operational. “There are a few things that need to be amended before the Centre is completely ready,” Heather Carson, NUGSS VP Student Affairs, said shortly after the go ahead was given, “We need to work out some security issues, get keys in order, and sign a lease agreement.” Pride UNBC will also have to draft a list of bylaws and a constitution. While these issues are being straightened out, an interim office has been set up in room 6-344; however, the room cannot be occupied past 11Pm until the aforementioned issues have been resolved. well-suited to open for Bedouin Soundclash with his upbeat solo acoustic performance. It is safe to say that his song “Drunk and Stoned” was a big hit, particularly amongst the rowdy beer-garden dwellers. Before concluding his performance, Wesley promised to return with his full band the next time he After an intermission, Bedouin Soundclash took to the stage. Those three handsome gentlemen certainly know how to make a lot of noise with very little, and the exceptionally attractive bass player was a pleasure to watch. They performed between ten and fifteen different songs, and were quick to give in to the audience’s chants for an encore set. Throughout the performance, several spectators could be witnessed singing along and dancing to the infectious tunes. During Bedouin’s set however, a fire alarm inside the university was pulled. The most disappointing aspect of this nuisance appeared to be the evacuation of the beer garden. The lead singer of the band made a remark pertaining to the difficulty of trying remove inebriated individuals from an area quickly. Despite the summery feeling having long since passed, Bedouin Soundclash made it feel like there was one last chance at warmth, even it if Overall, the event was a well-attended success, and hopefully the coming years will continue to be just as fruitful and entertaining as this one past.