NBC Life

leg’ bP: The Joys of Student Conferences

Kelley Ware
Finance Manager
ote-finance@unbc.ca

Hi Readers! To begin this segment
of Kelley’s Korner I want to apologize
for missing the last issue of Over the Edge.
I do have a good excuse though, I promise!
I was in London, Ontario at the beautiful
campus of the University of Western
Ontario for the 18th annual Canadian
Political Science Student Association
Conference (CPSSA). The topic in question
was Current Affairs in International
Politics. It was two days of travelling

with three and a half days of panels,
discussions, keynotes, presentations, and
social programming. I have been a delegate
for three years now and can honestly say
it is one of my favourite parts of January.
Before CPSSA was NASH, the annual
conference for Canadian University Press,
which lasted two days longer and had
sessions on writing, photography, business
administration, and more.

After I returned from my jet set January, I
realized that many university students do
not realize that conferences such as these
are open to them. I highly recommend
attending student conferences for a
multitude of reasons. Here is a chance

to go outside of UNBC, often to a whole
other city, and take part in important
discussions. Oftentimes the speakers

are other academics that you would not
otherwise have had an opportunity to
hear. Other times, the conferences could
get big names people to speak. These are
the people that you likely would not have
a chance to hear outside of this setting. At
NASH, Ezra Levant, a right-wing political
pundit who got everyone’s blood boiling,

spoke as well as the likes of Robin Doolittle,

the Toronto Star reporter who was one of
the first to break the Rob Ford crack story.
Without NASH, I never would have had

the chance to corner Levant off-stage and

discuss the future of Canadian politics with

him. CPSSA was the same way, with the
keynote being Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Dr. James Orbinski of Doctors Without
Borders. Student conferences really are a
great learning opportunity and, due to that
fact, professors tend to be easy-going about
missing class for them.

Student conferences also tend to have lively
social programming. All of the ones I have
gone to have a “Work Hard, Play Hard”
mentality. Academics nine to five with
parties planned right after. It is the perfect
time to kick back and have some fun with
new friends who have come from all over
the province/region/country. I should warn
you, from my experience a lot of drinking
goes on at these things. However, I have
also met some of the most non-judgemental
people at conferences, so if that is not

your style do not worry. People will accept
whatever choice you make. Just know that
acceptance goes both ways and there is a
tendency to be wild at the events after the
academic programming. I have woken up

at one CPSSA to a semi-naked man on the
couch outside the bedroom (I wish I was

making that up).

The learning experiences and the friends
you will gain make student conferences
an amazing experience that most people
do not get in university. It is also a great
networking opportunity. The people you
meet - both academics and other students
- build connections that branch all over
Canada. There may also be chances to
present your own work in an academic
setting amongst peers outside of your
classes. Other opportunities also pop up.
Many organizations that host conferences
like this have Boards of Directors that

are made up of students, just like you.

As well, do not let the cost scare you
away. The university has a lot of funding
opportunities that are waiting for you

if you look for them. If it is academic

in nature, chances are you can get the
conference partially or fully funded. There
is nothing to lose and so much to gain by
attending student conferences!

~ CHEESIEST

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