Sa i as EO ce ae Va ia aE Tat a Ah a cn ae MB OVER THE EDGE Volume f1 Issue 9 Editor-in-Chief Carolynne Burkholder Managing Editor Stephanie Wilson News Editor Kathleen De Vere Arts Editor Maggie Gilbert Sports and Clubs Editor Tyler Clarke Opinion Editor Jonas Gagnon Photo Editor Travis Nielsen (acting) Office Manager Travis Nielsen Production Coordinator Belinda Li Copy Editor Earson Gibson Ad Manager Russell VanderEnde Technical Advisor Eric Chlebek Staff Writers Elizabeth Fyles JC Diachuk Sean Dobbyn Genevieve Young Becky Booth Dana Schwehr Colin VanderEnde Adam Hussein Photographers Graham Stark Noel: Dix | Rob van Adrichem Becky Booth Contributors Will DeWokk Julia Polson Lesley Bannigter Laura Sapergia Hilda Wirth: Elizabeth Sharp Over The Edge is the official publish- ing media of students at the University of Northern British Columbia. As such, it is our mandate to report on issues of interest to stu- dents in the Northern Region. We encourage all students, both on the main and regional campuses to sub- mit to Over The Edge. Over the Edge is part of the Canadian University Press network of papers, otherwise known as CUP. CUP is an organization that is entirely owned by member papers, and provides such services as a newswire and advertising to Over The Edge. OVER THE EDGE 3333 University Way Prince George, BC V2N 4A6 PHONE 960-5633 Fax 960-5407 EMAIL OVER-THE-EDGE@UNBC.CA 2 ‘FEBRUARY 23, 2005 Names changes, smaller board approved after hours of debate at AGM Puoro By Becry Boori NUGSS Board members look tense during their several hour long AGM. The meeting was the longest in recent history. CONTINUED FROM COVER the College Representatives, which would have been combined into one Associate Director who would have represented both Colleges. The motion was defeated ten to six, falling short of the 75% miajority needed to pass, and several members of the NUGSS board broke sol- idarity and expressed their concern that a nine- member board would coticentrate the voting power in the hands of the Executive Board Members. Students in the audience at the AGM also expressed concern over the combination of the two college representatives. A motion was passed to un-sptit the college representatives, restoring the CASHS (College of ‘Arts, Socitl Laie Health Sciences} and CSM (College’ of Science and Management} Representatives, However, because the NUGSS Boatd needed to have an uneven number of members (to prevent voting deadlock during board meetings) “anather Associate Board Member had to be added, The proposal was amended to-inélude a International Students Representative. However, not all members on the board felt the need for an International Student Representative, so a deadlock situation was creat- ed, where a nine-member board couldn't be cre- ated, but the structure of an cleven member board couldn't be decided on at the AGM. The board attempted to pass amended ver- sions of Bylaw V several more: times, however, each time there was a deadlock situation, and the motions were defeated. After several attempts and more than an hour of discussion, an amend- ed Bylaw V with an 11 member board ineluding both college representatives and a Director at Large was finally passed. Another part of Bylaw V that proved to-be contentious were the proposed name changes tor the executive members of the board, that pro- posed changing the Director of University Affairs to the President, The Director of Finance and Operations to the VP Finance, The Director of University Affairs to VP Social, The Director of Campus Activities to VP Student Affairs and The Director of Internal Affairs to VP-Externak: Many students were coricerned about thé mame changes reflecting an implied“hicrarehy; however after some debate tlic name changes were passed: The last controversial motion to be defeated was a proposed change to Bylaw XVII, which would have extended to NUGSS the ability to borrow and pledge assets without student con- sent when it concerned the Northern University Student Centre. After some debate, a small but concerned group of students and two members of the NUGSS board defeated the motion. Despite difficulties, NUGSS was able to pass several of the proposed changes to their bylaws, including a bylaw’ establishing the NUGSS Transit Improvénicnt Commission (NTIC), a bylaw change moving NUGSS elections from March to January, bylaws changing signing authority to four members of NUGSS board instead of the previous three, a bylaw estallish- ing the NUGSS Ombudsperson as a hired, rather than elected position, and bylaw changing the speaker of the board from a hired position to a duty of the General Manager. NUGSS also stuck things for their bylaws at the AGM - bylaw: VHI, which climinated the University @aucus: a body that had never met, as well as section four of bylaw XX, which specified Over the Edge as a service of NUGSS. Controversial Bylaw Change Moves By Becey Boor STarK WRITER A proposed $35 dollar inerease in student fecg at UNBC could help to kick’start the construc- tion of the proposed Northern Undergraduate Student Center (NUSC) - however, that fee increase will be decided at a referendum, rather than as a simple bylaw change. Currently students pay NUGSS $32 in student fees, with an additional $15 building fee. The proposed change will increase the building fee to a total of $50 to help finance the construction of the NUSC. Originally, the fee increase was to be voted on during the NUGSS Annual Gencral Mecting, which took place on February 9. However, a few days prior to the mecting, the NUGSS board reconsidered voting on the fee increase at their AGM, and decided to have the bylaw change removed from the agenda. “Having the issuc as simply a bylaw change at that time would not have given the students a chance to vote on something that directly affects them,” cxplained Ingrid “Hope, NUGSS’ Director of External Affairs, when asked why the board removed the item from the agenda. “It was felt that the students were lacking the informa- tion needed to make an informed decision,” she added. At the mecting, there was a vote with an unan- imous decision to move the question of the fee increase to referéndum. “A referendum gives more flexibiliry and allows more to comment,’ Hope said. “We received a response that said many students wanted to be present at the AGM but couldn’t, so it was then decided that a referendum was in order,” According to a NUGSS document entitled Mission of the Student Union Building, the goals behind building the NUSC arc to “improve cam- pus life and community by incorporating valu- able services and amenities for students, [to be] student run and operated, to cnhance the univer- sity community by bridging the gap between and among students, faculty, staff and alumui, to build upon the positive aspect of the UNBC envi- ronment in creating a welcoming atmosplicre by attracting and encouraging diversity and under- “standing, and to provide a unique environment distinct from academic life, which fulfills the needs and interests of our students.” While far reaching, NUGSS remains confident about the ability of the NUSC to mect these goals. “Such a centre will improve the quality of life for the UNBC student. Having a space of one’s own is Inspiring and this inspiration will manifest itself in the work that is produced here on cam- pus. I truly believe that,” Hope said. to Referendum Despite the apparent enthusiasm which the coustruction of the proposéd NUSC inspires, the fee increase is not without controversy: “T think it’s unfair to raise the fees by that much. If they believe the only way to get the stu- dent union building is to increase fecs again, that’s ridiculous. If they can’t get a loan on their own, they shouldn’t be asking students for moncy,” said one student at the AGM. With undergraduate tuition on the rise at UNBG, many students worry that they will not be able to afford a student fee increase. “I’m glad this is going to referendum,” said Hilda Wirth, another student who attended the AGM. “With the tuition increases, education is already becom- ug unaccessible, This is a very large fee increase and students should have a chance to vote on it.” According to NUGSS, the exact date of the . referendum has’ yet to be scheduled, but it will take place cither late in the winter semester, or carly in the fall. “It hasnt beeu decided when the referendum will be. It was proposed that a referendum be held at the same time as the Spring elections. It was also proposed that a referendum be held in September,” Hope explained. “The time is dependent on the ability to properly inform the students of everything that is going on with the student centre.”