OVER THE EDGE September 12-26, 2007 13 UNBC Student Poli Devan C. Tasa - Columnist Should Clubs Day Take Place Later In September? As long as I have been going to UNBC, Clubs Day, the day in which campus clubs and sports attract new members, has always been the first Friday of every new semester. But I have to question: is that the best day to schedule Clubs Day? I’m going to contend that it is not, and that Clubs Day should be scheduled in the second or third week of September, for a few reasons. The first reason why I think that Clubs Day should be later is the preparation time for the clubs. After coming back from a busy holiday, the members of a club have around four days or so in order to organize enough people and resources for an event that is basically going to define how successful the club is going to be for the rest of the year. Don’t forget, too, that these four days are usually the busiest time for students occu- pied by things such as paying tuition, moving in to homes, and reacquainting themselves with old friends. The second reason for delaying Clubs Day is the sheer amount of events, such as the Backyard BBQ, put on for the student body during the first week of school. This concerns. mé in two ways: 1) that the message that the clubs are trying to send to the student population may be lost among all the hurly-burly of activity; and 2) that since NUGSS is so busy organizing other events, Clubs Day does not receive the atten- tion that it could otherwise use. The final reason comes from looking how other universities handle similar events. Having a quick look at the UBC and SFU student association sites, SFU has a clubs week (well, they are bigger) on the second week of September, and UBC will have its clubs day “sometime in late September.” It seems to me that moving Clubs Day to the second week of September would be an easy way to improve the experience for all those involved. Please visit. UNBC Student Politics online at web.unbc. ca/~tasa to.comment on articles on student politics, look at reports of the activities of UNBC Senate, and more. Tales from the graveyard shift Awprew Oares CONTRIBUTOR Dear reader, I seek to inform you of the intri- cacies of that life which few dare to live. The life of constant danger, surprises at every turn, and groggy industry workers. I speak of course of the life of a graveyard shift em- ployee. What drudgery and horrors encompass this life you may ask? Well, in certain situations, being a graveyard worker (commonly re- ferred to as “Gravers”, “Night-work- ers”, or “Tomb-wardens’”) proves to test both brains and brawn. Mostly brawn. And the ability to stay awake for extended periods of time. In particular, the ability to deal with strange and disruptive custom- ers is essential. These numberless Situations arise seemingly on the hour each and every night. The in- evitable degradation of otherwise good and upstanding folk never fails to amaze me. People who are civil and individual during the passing of the Daystar across the sky, suddenly become ravenous were-beasts of anger and uncoordinated capability. Scholars and gentlemen alike cower in fear of these night-creatures. But what manner of affliction is it that rips down the barely-stapled-to-the- wall fabric of civil order and moral- ity? In the length and heights of my travels, I have found only two things WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO FORK OUT TO REPLACE YOUR STUFF? Renting your own place for the first time can be expensive enough. Everything adds up. What would you do if all your stuff were destroyed in a disaster like a fire? Imagine having to replace all your belongings in one go. Here’s where BCAA comes in. For as low as $12 a month, BCAA offers First-Time Tenant’s Insurance to members and non-members under the age of 35. You'll get up to $20,000 coverage for loss or damage to your personal property” and also receive liability coverage. If you’re a BCAA member you even get a 5% discount! Choose the convenient monthly payment plan and get a free $10 Payless Shoe Source gift card.” of laundry. Get protected with First-Time Tenant’s Insurance. Call 310-2345 for your local office or 604-268-5555, visit your nearest BCAA office or go to: www.bcaa.com/first-time Insurance is sold through BCAA Insurance Agency and is underwritten by BCAA Insurance Corporation. *Theft, burglary, and robbery are excluded. This information is intended to provide a product overview only. Complete terms, conditions, and exclusions are Now, the only disaster you need to worry about is that big pile FREESi90 ™ PAYLESS SHOE SOURCE GIFT CARD _ ASKUS HOW! B/c) al A PINS U RAN CE] RELAX. WE’VE GOT IT COVERED. detailed in the policy declaration and wording.” **Offer valid until October 31, 2007 or while quantities last. Some conditions apply. which can alter the human animal in such ways. The first is dark witch- craft, and is in all likelihood not re- sponsible, as it is often delegated to more horrible endeavours, such as animal sacrifices, and politics. The second is the effects of strong and hearty drink (which sometimes en-. compasses some elements of dark witchcraft). I am not against the imbibing of certain kinds of drink, such as well brewed beers (say per- haps, black label supreme), or the occasional purchase of more exotic liquor (everything else). 1am simply against the tom-foolery and sword- canery that often encompasses most young alcohol hi-jinx. Activities of the drunk should concern more wholesome endeay- ours, one of which might be hav- ing a rousing game of Beer-Darts. Another drunken activity could be the ever-so-loved drunken singing, which rarely results in brawling or fisticuffs. Then of course there is the old sport of falsely accusing people of using dark witchcraft. All in all, the experience of getting “Drunk”, “Tanked”, or “Knackerblitzed” need not be a negative experience for concerned innocent bystanders and inanimate objects. The next time you find yourself in that twilight realm of intoxication, when you are not thinking straight, nor seeing curved, consider doing something productive. The last time I drank myself into a 3-day long stu- por, I believe (I am not quite sure, as my memory is quite hazy) I distrib- uted my resume to local businesses (at least the ones who did not turn me away at the first sign of stum- bling and dementia). When I finally woke up with a headache that could eat small wildlife, I found myself to be in a corner store uniform, and was subsequently told that I had acquired a job working graveyard shift. Which brings me back to my ori- ginal point, which was this: if you’re drinking, be very careful when ap- plying for jobs, as the consequences can be unfortunate. Andrew D. Oates, Esq. Returning to Studies Manoieé Lynn Watts CONTRIBUTOR The excitement of a fresh start makes me giddy like a child. I had ‘totally blown my last year, due mostly in part to an injury and the bittersweet decision I made to with- draw from courses. Retuming to school was not a decision I made lightly. In fact, up until two weeks ago I was determined to take a year off, hopefully fix my back, and fig- ure out what it is I actually want to do. However still unsure. of what exactly what I want to do in the future, I do know I want to go to grad school, so a bachelors degree is needed. The real question I now ask myself is if there something that I love enough to suffer though. How do other people find their call- ing? How does the chemistry major reason with their love of chemistry enough to ‘overcome the hell of physics? That is my problem; I just do not get physics, I cannot grasp it. Every semester I am overwhelmed with the excitement of starting over and the bustle of everything going on. This excitement tends to melt into stress and the realization that I have bitten off more than I could possibly chew. I know how badly things could possibly go this year, and I know that I may be going back too soon. However, I do feel that my decision to return to school was the best one I have made in a long in time. After all, how could I not love UNBC, the sheer beauty of the school alone is enough to inspire. Iam excited, giddy like a child to be returning to the one thing I know I love. Learning, however chal- lenging and frustrating it can be at times, fills my soul with joy.