UNie Life

“4

#1SupportBarry: how
to save Copy Services

Kelley Ware
Multimedia Coordinator

UNBC joined together

hen the UNBC strike ended, it seemed like students would finally be able to breathe a
Wien of relief, leave their Twitter accounts alone, and briefly relax before class started
back up and assignments began to be due again. However, that was not the case when another
bombshell was dropped on the student body through social media and word-of-mouth. This
bombshell was about proposed renovations that would change the way that Copy Services
would run and affect public interaction with copy-guy Barry Wong.

As a service that many people frequently access, Barry has built a reputation of great
customer service, friendliness, and cheerfulness. “His workspace is a very welcoming
environment,” says Alex Pinette of the UNBC Political Science Student Association,
“[He] makes it easier for students who may not be as outgoing to come in and get copies
made.” On Twitter, Barry has been referred to as “the heart of the university” by user
Marli Rachel. Part-time psychology instructor Brian Duffels mentioned on Twitter

that Barry is the best service provider of all four universities he has taught at.

The proposed renovations that had everyone worried have been an idea that
has been discussed for six months. According to an email from Aaron LeBlanc,
the Director of Ancillary Services, this renovation (which was not finalized)
would “...provide Copy Services with a physical link to the Bookstore for point-
of-sale service, invoicing, etc. [Which] would also have enhanced space for two
additional units that provide service to students, employees, and the public.”

Faculty and students alike were quick to voice their concern. Twitter exploded with hashtags
about Barry and Copy Services. Fear that any changes to Copy Services would prevent people

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from seeing Barry saw students immediately being vocal about their displeasure and trying
to organize and assure that Barry would stay where he is. The Facebook group “Students

for a Better UNBC” began discussing the possibilities of creating a petition to make sure
students still have access to Barry. NUGSS Academic Representative, Molly Fredeen, said that
“the amount of support I saw for Barry’s space from faculty was impressive. My inbox was
flooded with people agreeing to take the stance against the copy services renovations.”

While the concern from faculty and students were based on mainly rumour and heresy

(since renovations were neither fully planned nor fully shared), the reaction from the UNBC
community was still incredibly powerful. Emails came from multiple people and flooded
feeds. Students came with coffee and tea for Barry to express their support. NBCGSS president
Jessy Rajan wrote on Twitter that the university strike had divided some students along
ideological lines, but support for Barry brought us together again. Rajan’s tweet implied that,
much like during a time-sensitive copy emergency, Barry was able to save the day once again.
Indirectly, he brought the students together in a time when they were most divided and
healed tears between them. This likely only made them fight harder to keep him where he is.

As a result, on Wednesday March 25, LeBlanc shared an email to the colleges of UNBC:

“The idea has always been to optimize space utilization on campus, utilize existing resources,
enhance multiple service units, and not detract from the customer service for which Barry

is famous. We have been making progress on designing a renovation that would have
achieved all of these objectives, but concerns about possible declines in customer service
have led me to reconsider. As a result, we will not be proceeding with this renovation.”

Regardless of what could have been, it is clear that Barry will continue to be a staple at UNBC.