Over the Edge -November 2ist 2012

YOUNG CANADIANS STRESSED

VERONIKA BONDARENKO

THE UBYSSEY

An online poll conducted by Sun Life
financial has found that young adults
are more likely to stress about money
than anyone else as they struggle to
find decent employment. The Sun
Life Canadian Health Index survey
compiled by Ipsos Reid looked at
attitudes toward healthy lifestyles.
It intended to show the impact the
global financial crisis has had on
the mental health of Canadians. The
survey found that nine out of ten
respondents aged 18 to 24 experience
“uncomfortable” levels of stress, with
money and work being two of the
largest factors. The survey received

3,113 responses from Canadians
across the country.
Those in the next age _ brackets

aren’t better off, with 80 percent
of respondents between 25 and 44
indicating they are also stressed from
jobs and financial concerns. The poll
indicates that younger Canadians are
feeling financially stressed to greater

extents than those of the Baby
Boomer generation.
The survey notes’ that the

unemployment rate for those under 25
sits at 15 percent which is double the
national average. Conference Board
of Canada health economics director
Louis Theriault said the country’s

youngest adults are struggling. “It’s
more difficult for young Canadians to
find permanent full-time jobs that suit
their skills and areas of study. Recent
job creation has been dominated by
part time work - which is becoming
a trend in Canada,” Theriault said
in a release. “This impacts younger
workers in particular and contributes
to their higher stress levels.”
Finding suitable employment after
graduation is the main goal of
nearly every university student;
however, it is easier said then done
in this economy. Added to the
employment uncertainty facing
youth is the tremendous weight
of student debt that is persistently
haunting for a majority of graduates.
“We’re concerned to see the impact
of economic instability on young
Canadians with nine in 10 feeling
excessively stressed,” said Kevin
Dougherty, President of Sun Life
Financial Canada. “This finding is
consistent with what we are seeing
in our disability claims business -
for Canadians age 30 and under 40,
per cent of their long term disability
claims relate to mental health.”

ACTION ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

LEY FRASER

WOMEN’S REPRESENTATIVE, NUGSS

Every year, a ceremony is organized at
UNBC to mark the anniversary of the
1989 murders of 14 young women at
I'Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. Despite
the fact that more than 20 years have
passed, women’s organizations all across
Canada take responsibility every year for
making sure that this tragic event, and
the circumstances that led to it, are not
forgotten.

As a result of the 14 deaths at l'Ecole
Polytechnique in 1989, December 6th was
officially established as the National Day
of Remembrance and Action on Violence
against Women in 1991 by the Parliament
of Canada. This day marks the fact that
these 14 people died for one reason: because
they were women. It also represents an
opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the
phenomenon of violence against women in
our society.

This year, the event will be held in
the UNBC Wintergarden on Monday,
December 3rd between 2:00 and 4:00pm.
Despite the significance of the 6th of
December, organizers decided that the
event would be more appropriately placed
if it preceded the exam period, and thus
allow more students to attend. The topic
around which this event is organized is
“Violence as Experienced by Women in
Northern BC’ A varied lineup of speakers,
performers and poets will share the stage
to bring attention to the vulnerabilities
faced by women across the spectrums of

age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Speakers include Maggie DeVries, the
resident writer at UNBC who will be
reading from her sister Sarah’s work, while
Indrani Margolin performs an interpretive
dance to interact with the piece; Si Transken,
a UNBC professor of Social Work who
will be reading original poetry; Sarah
Boyd, Director of the Northern Women’s
Centre who will speak on the legal rights
of women in the North; and many others.
This event is an eloquent reminder to take
a moment and consider the women and
girls for whom violence is a daily reality,
and for whom death by violence, often
targeted to them because of their gender,
is a real possibility. It is a day on which
communities can consider concrete actions
to eliminate all forms of violence against
women and girls.

As the Women’s Representative for
NUGSS, I welcome the Prince George
community to attend this meaningful
event to reflect on both the issues facing
our Northern communities, and support
some of the creative and passionate people
working to end them. Following the event
there will be a reception in the Northern
Women’s Centre, with refreshments
provided, where both men and women are
welcome to attend. The organizers would
like to acknowledge the hospitality of the
Lheidl Tenee First Nations for allowing this
event to be hosted on their ancestral lands.
For more information on the event, email
Ley Fraser at nugss-womensrep@unbc.ca.

UNBC SECOND BEST SMALL
UNIVERSITY IN CANADA

HANNA PETERSEN

NEWS EDITOR

Maclean’s magazine has _ recently
released the results of its annual ranking
and UNBC has tied its highest ranking
ever, placing second among 19 small
“primarily undergraduate” Canadian
universities. Mt. Allison, which is
150 years older than UNBC, has
placed first. The Maclean’s University
rankings, for those unfamiliar with
the magazine’s annual survey, are “the
holy book for anyone planning their
education in Canada.” This is also the
eighth year that UNBC has ranked as
the best university west of Atlantic
Canada in its category. Maclean’s
comprehensively examines Canadian
post-secondary education institutions
and creates a guide for prospective
students to choose the best schools.
“We have terrific faculty, fantastic
students, great relationships with
communities throughout the north,
and a wonderful environment for
teaching and research. Its no wonder
UNBC continues to perform well in
Maclean’s,” says UNBC president
George Iwama. “All those associated
with UNBC should take pride in this
accomplishment.” In their selection
of UNBC, Maclean’s cited UNBC’s
favourable student-teacher ratio and
research funding: “UNBC, an 18-year-
old school, debuted at ninth place 14

years ago. This year it has the highest
total research dollars, and the second
best student faculty-ratio - impressive
for such a young school.”

The Maclean’s rankings are broken
down into three categories: primarily

undergraduate, comprehensive, and
medical/doctoral. To determine the
rankings Maclean’s considers 13

numerical indicators of the quality of
students, libraries, faculty, and finances
to rank 49 universities in Canada across
these three categories. Traditionally,
older universities in eastern Canada
tended to dominate the top spots in
the annual rankings, but as UNBC
shows the west is continually gaining
momentum. “If there’s one trend in the
rankings, it’s the rise of the west. Every
university from Saskatchewan to the
Pacific Ocean maintains or improves its
standing. All four British Columbia’s
ranked universities placed in the top
two in their category,” says Maclean’s
Josh Dehaas.

This is not only a win for the University
and students itself, but it is also a proud
moment for the community as the home
of one of the top small universities in
Canada. “Be Proud Prince George,”
says a spread in the Prince George
Citizen. “In the 22nd annual Maclean’s
magazine rankings UNBC is_ the
second-highest ranked small university
in Canada which reminds us just how
much we have to be proud of.”

WWW.UNBC.CA