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Puoro BY BewinpA Li

Lesley Bannister (left) and Annika Gerlach (right) donate a little of their time to help with PIRG’s compost program. Volunteering not
only improves the environment around UNBC, it helps you meet new friends, and sometimes you even get a workout as well. UNBC has
a variety of options for those who are interested in volunteering their time.

By Beunpa Li
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

If you have even the slightest interest in anything, you can become a volunteer, on campus, volunteers are an integral part of numerous clubs and organiza-
tions. As the weather outside is not the friendliest, and with the start of a new semester where many new opportunities have opencd up, there is no better time
than right now to get involved. Though students may be put off with the idea of voluntccring, as the perception is that volunteer jobs require a regular commit-
ment, it must be realized that many positions arc available for special events that only last from onc to several days.

To help you kick-start your hunt for a volunteer job that suits your interests, Over the Edge made profiles below of four volunteer-based organizations on cam-
pus. These arc not the only groups that are calling for voluntecrs, so go on an adventure and scck out places where you think you may help at UNBC. To find
volunteer jobs in the Prince George Community, contact Voluntecr Prince Gcorge at volunteerpg@telus.uct or visit their website at www.voluntcerpg.com.

PGPIRG

The Prince George Public Interest
Research Group operates through
individual Action Groups that sup-
port cnvironmental or social justice
issues. Besides providing ways for stu-
dents to get involved with these spe-
cial interests, PGPIRG also has a
library filled with uniquc resources.

WHY VOLUNTEER? “By voluntccring
with these Action Groups, our mem-
bers can feel proud to be involved in
creating something that enhances our
community,” said Helen Tremethick,
Coordinator of PGPIRG.

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: Action
groups at PGPIRG are always looking
for volunteers. Current active groups
are the Transportation Action Group,
Residence Recycling Committee, “I
Want To Make a New World” radio
show on CFUR, Organic Food
Group, Composting and
Demonstration Garden Site, and
Tuition Action Group. Students arc
also encouraged to create their own
action groups by making a proposal to
the board of dircctors.

CONTACT: Helen Tremethick by e-
mail at pgpirg@unbe.ca or go to the
PGPIRG office

CFUR Radio

As a community radio station led
by volunteers, CFUR is an altcrnative
to commercial media, that anyonc
can access or contribute to. CFUR’s
broadcast reaches most of the Prince
Gcorge area and hosts shows rdnging
from various genres of music to dis-
cussion of special issucs.

WHY VOLUNTEER? “I’ve been thee
Musical Dircctor for CFUR for three
years this February, aud I don’t even
gct paid. I do it because I feel like col-
lege and community radio is the most
important media we have today. Oh,
and J like music more than breath-
ing,” said CFUR Music Director,
Bryndis Ogmundson.

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: There are
still vacancies on the show schedule,
so any potential volunteer DJ's should
submit a show proposal form avail-
able online at cfurca or at the station.
If the Programming Committee likes
the idea, an interview will be con-
ducted, training will be provided, and
the show will be put on air.

CONTACT: Bryndis Ogmundson by c-
mail at cfurradio@hotmail.com or
drop by the station.

Over the Edge Student Newspaper

Over the Edge is an autonomous,
weekly student newspaper run entire-
ly by volunteers. The publications
alternate cach week between the tra-
ditional Over the Edge Newspaper
and an arts and culture oricnted Edge
Magazine.

WHY VOLUNTEER? = News cditor
Kathleen De Vere stated, “in addition
to our friendly, crazy stat, we also
oticr a great place to hang, good con-
versation, friendship, as well as the
opportunity to gct good experience
working for a real newspaper, learn-
ing with industry standard software
programms and methods.”

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: Anyoue with
interests in writing, layout, photogra-
phy, or anything to do with ucwspa-
pers Is very welcome to become a vol-
unteer. The recent move to a weckly
printing schedule has allowed for
more content to be published, so
more writers are especially needed at
this point.

CONTACT: Editor-in-Chief, Carolyne
Burkholder by c-mail at ovwrthe-
edge@unbe.ca or come by our oflice.
We are very friendly pcople!

Northern Women’s Centr e

Not only is the Northern Women's
Centre a twenty-four hour safe spot, it
is also a place for women to hang out
or chat. The centre also provides
cinergeucy items for anyone in need,
has links to contacts for anyone in cri-
sis, and contains a library of women’s
issues resources.

WHY VOLUNTEER? Women’s issues will
continue to be an important cause
because so many problems are hidden
and unknown to the community.

Volunteers are the essential basis of

all the progress made in women’s
issues by the Women’s Centre. It is
rewarding for volunteers to see that
their contributions really help make
change,

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE: = The
Women's Centre needs help with reg-
ular projects such as the emergency
kits, special events like Multicultural
Day on December 6, and promotion
of women’s issues. Aficr participating
in a volunteer training, volunteers can
also sign up to sit at the desk when the
coordinator is not present.

CONTAC: Sarah Boyd-Noel by e-mail
at empower@unbc.ca or stop by the
Northern Women’s Centre.

FEBRUARY 2, 2005

French & Spanish
During the Year

Interested in taking Spanish
or French? The International
Studies department is chang-
ing their language class offer-
ings, and as of next year, stu-
dents will be able to take
French and Spanish classes
during the fall and winter
semesters. Mandar, Russian
and Japanese will still be
offered as regular courses as
well.

Northern Sport
Centre Progress

Efforts continue to bring the
Northern Sport Centre to
Prince George. John Les,
Minister of Small Business
and Economic Development,
visited UNBC carlier this
month and met with commu-
nity and university officials
who have been involved with
developing the NSC plan and
business case.

The Northern Sport Centre
stecring committee has been
working with Partnerships BC
to consider possible public-pri-
vate partnerships around the
operation of the facility, which
is projected to-include a gym-
nasium, an indoor track and
ficid, spectator seating,
strength training, physic areas,
and room for coaches and

coaching clinics.

Grad Successes

Zoe Wilson, the first student
to graduate trom UNBC
(1997) with an MA in Gender
Studies, has successtully
defended lier PhD dissertation
entitled “Wishful Thinking,
Willful Blindness and Artful
Amnesia: UN strategics to
promote good governance,
democracy and human rights
in Africa” in Political Scicncee
at Dalhousie University. This
work was the result of over
two years of ficld work in East
aud Southern Africa, In the
fall Dr. Wilson will take up a
Research Fellowship at the
York Institute for Research
and Innovation in
Sustainability (IRIS) and a
post-doctoral fellowship at the
University of KwaZulu Natal’s
Centre for Civil Society in
Durban, South Africa.

Deborah Thien (MA
Gender Studics, 2000) was
awarded a Commonwealth
Scholarship to pursuc a doc-
torate in Geography at the
University of Edinburgh, one
of the world’s foremost depart-
ments in feminist geography.
Dr. Thicn has since successful-
ly defended her PhD at the
Institute of Geography at the
University of Edinburgh.

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