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Tyson Kelsall
Culture Editor | ote-culture@unbc.ca

he Northern Women’s Centre at the
Toniversiy of Northern BC is the
only place of its kind in Prince George.
The executive director of the Northern
Women’s Centre, Sarah Boyd-Noel, says
that the most important thing that centre
can do is be there for women in their time
of need. Access to their services is not
limited to the student body; any woman is
welcome to come into the Women’s Centre.

Boyd-Noel defines the role of the
organization as a “Gatekeeper.” The role
played by the center is multi-dimensional
as the issues faced by the women who
seek their services greatly vary in nature.
The Women’s Centre acts primarily as

RKABLE..
EAT LOVE STORY
OVS CENTURY.”

— ANDREW O’HEHIR, SALON

Culture 7

must see:
Blue is the

armest

Nahid Taheri
Contributor

[re by Julie Maroh's graphic novel
of the same name, Blue Is the Warmest
Color is the story of Adele. At first it seems
that three hours is too long for watching
a movie, however once becoming engaged
with Adele’s story, it is not enough. She
loves to read, talks about boys with her
friends, attends anti-austerity rallies, and
has only a very vague sense of what she
wants to do with her life. Whilst walking
through town one day, she sees Emma,

a girl with blue hair, and falls for her,
hard. The director draws us in to Adele’s
ordinary life in high school, love at first
sight, her sexual orientation, immersion
into the older, blue-haired Emma’s artistic
lifestyle, her own work as a school teacher
and a perhaps inevitable break up as two
different worlds collide. On the one hand

Ce

a resource center and a safe place. It
often helps with referrals, as well as
providing important information on a
variety of topics including addiction,
violence, mental health, and gender
issues. All of the volunteers at the
Women’s Centre also receive training in
suicide and crisis intervention, thereby
enhancing and diversifying the strength
of a safe atmosphere for women in need.
Additionally, the Women’s Centre plays
the role of advocate for many women;
Boyd-Noel gave an example of a woman
who came into the center because her gas
had been cut off. Boyd-Noel advocated
on her behalf and spoke with Fortis BC
to help her get it running again. They
also host a wide array events year round.
The “No Means No” and “Yes Means Yes”
campaign regarding sexual consent was

Color

we can Say it is a basic French love story,
on the other hand we can share real-life
emotions with Adele. The director is

not in a hurry, so we can see every detail
from Adele, her way to school, when she
is eating dinner with her family and even
when she is sleeping. The director forces
us to watch reality. There are no make-up
artists, no costume designers, or use of
anything fancy. The colour blue has been
used rigorously and it seems to pop up
everywhere Adele looks, from Emma’s blue
hair to the blue water where Adele tries

to drown her tears. When we see Emma
with her blond hair, it seems this is an end
for both of them. There are number of
criticisms for the sexual scenes, but still
this is movie should be watched. This is
not love story, this is about the emptiness
you feel when you are all alone, about very
simple yet true feelings.

ARTivism hosted by UNBC’s Northern Womehis Centre, September 2013

Trina Mae

held very successfully this past year on
campus. Another on-campus event is
their involvement with Respect Week.
This year, on 27 February, the Centre will
host an interactive self-assessment for
women in relationships. In conjunction,

a counsellor will be readily available for
women who may come to the realization
they are in an unhealthy relationship after
completing the assessment. Off-campus,
the Women’s Centre acts as a connector to
the community, helping and coordinating
events such as Take Back the Night,
Jezebel’s Jam and the Eco-Fashion Show.

Additionally, according to Boyd-Noel, the
Northern Undergraduate Services Society’s
Women’s Representative put together a
survey that concluded there were still many
cases of abuses towards woman that were/

are relatively hidden or unknown at UNBC.
The results are relatively consistent with
the number of incidences that occurred

in 1995; the year that the Women’s Centre
first opened its’ doors. In other words, she
does not believe enough has changed, and
the Women’s Centre still plays a crucial role
in meeting the needs of women at UNBC
and in the community at large.

Currently and ongoing, the Women’s
Centre has an art program, featuring Si
Transken and other artists’ work. At the
moment, 50% of sales goes towards the
Women’s Centre and the other half towards
Transken’s community-based art therapy
program. Boyd-Noel says the program has
helped raise many funds for their program
and she is very thankful for all of the
artists’ and communities’ support.