6 | Over The Edge October 2, 1996

Response to simon

As I read Over The Edge this
afternoon, a few things popped
into my head that I thought I
should clarify. The first issue
was with the Editorial. The
people who worked security at
the BBQ probably put up with
more shit in that one night than
I did in the four months it took
to plan. Yes, they were
volunteers; yes, they were not
professionally trained; yes, we
didn’t have enough of them (a
few who showed up for the
meetings either did not show up
for the BBQ or ditched during
the event). The people who did
stick around ‘til the bitter end
did an excellent job and I back
them up 100%. I know we had
two main problem areas, the
beer garden and the stage.
Unfortunately, Prince George
does not seem to have a stage
barricade. [ started to look into
one as soon as I returned from
Vancouver on Aug., 23. Noone
seemed to know where to find
one except in Vancouver.
Between the cost ($1000.00)
and the time to get it here, it was
not viable. The main problem
here was the time factor. We
are looking into purchasing a
stage barricade for future use.
The other issue brought up in the
Editorial was with the beer
garden. It seems that you and I
(and some of the other society
members) have the same idea.
Do we really need a beer
garden? Considering the
hundreds of shows that I have
attended that didn’t have one
and thinking of any backlash I
heard pertaining to the hassle
that it created, I would have to
say that we do not need a beer
garden next year. I brought this
up at a debriefing meeting with
Conference Services, ICL,
Facilities, and Security on Sept.
19. What it comes down to is
that it’s not worth the hassle for
Student Society to deal with
ID’ ing people and the extra
security that it entails. If ICL
would like to continue the beer

garden next year, I wish them
well but they can deal with it,
not us.

I strongly disagree with a few
things that simon brought up in
his column “Impressions of the
Backyard BBQ II”. First of all;
the comment “immature
underqualified people doing
jobs requiring qualified trained
personnel”. Speaking of
“immature underqualified
people doing jobs requiring
qualified trained personnel”, if
you had done any research
before writing this shit (you
could have asked me) you
would have found out that we
cannot hire “qualified, trained,
and insured personnel” like a
professional security company
because of stipulations with
contracts and policies with the
University. I found this out
when | brought up this option
to Jacquie Sobchishin in
Conference Services.

Secondly, the communication
problem. Only so many radios
were available to us and they
were given to key people.
Myself, the backstage runner,
the head of volunteer security,
and one person in the beer
garden. All of whom did an
excellent job. Yes, I had a
bunch of second year students
running around with radios, I
was one of them. Considering
that this school is only three
years old, my guess is that most
of us are second or third year
students. You got a problem
with that? I suggest you go to
UBC or U of A.

One other thing that I would
like to clarify, simon, is that I
did not, nor have I ever claimed
to have, pulled off the Backyard
BBQ by myself. This event
could not have happened
without the help of: Darren
Bradley, Student Services
Orientation Coordinator; April
Williams, Student Society
Office Manager; Erin
Kinghorn, my predecessor;
every single member of the
Student Society; and 65 of your
fellow students volunteering
their precious time. Trust me,

it takes a lot more then one
person to organize this event.
Considering what we put up
with that night, battling Mother
Nature, The Real McKenzies
not showing up until midnight,
and the whole tooth fiasco, I
feel that everything went as
smoothly as possible. If you
disagree, simon, then I invite
you to run against me in
October. I must warn you
though, you will have no
summer vacation to speak of,
and so far I have put in an
average of 25 hours a week in
the office (we are only required
to put in 8). As for classes, they
have kind of been hit and miss
since term began. I plan on
spending this weekend
catching up on my reading.

Brenda Haggerty

Director of Social and

Promotions.

Everyone has
a penny
few spend
them wisely

Life is an isolated world
surely has its advantages.
Ignorance tops the list. By
being totally ignorant of not
only what you, yourself are
saying, as well as what is being
said around you, life becomes
one happy verbal shit. The kind
that makes you feel like you’ve
done good. The sad part is, all
that you’ve really
accomplished is making the
bathroom stink. John
McFetrick’s opinion in last
months “Over The Edge” is a
prime example. he sits down
and grabs the paper, and starts
to relieve himself, while at the
same time, trying to appease
the GALA by coming to their
defense because some person

took it upon him or herself (let’s
all be politically correct, here
now) to make light of what may
be a viable and healthy club.
Done correctly, McFetrick’s
public expression of disgust,
may have constituted a hero
cookie from the offended as
well as-the offender. However,
calling other people names in
order to make them realize that
they were wrong, is not
politically correct way to ‘air
out the bathroom’ or make
some person change his or her
views about the subject at hand.
I realize that this little rhyme
that I am about to recite is a
little old, but haven’t you heard
“sticks and stones may break
my bones but names will never
hurt me?” This world, a.k.a. the
bathroom, still stinks, Mr.
McFetrick, but let’s share it
anyways.

For all those people who are
afraid to step into our stinky
bathroom of right and not so
right, let them be. Homophobia
is not a disease, neither is
homosexuality. Just because a
person happens to hold certain
believes and chooses to live in
a manner which does not
appease those who, he or she is
surrounded by, does not mean
that he or she “will spend the
rest of [his or her] miserable
homophobic [shall we say
homosexual .as well, Mr.

. McFetrick?] shitty life flipping

burgers in a dingy diner in, Oh,
I don’t know, Fort St. Bubba,
or wherever.” I said
homosexuals, but really I could
have said any minority - yes,
even the white male - because
it is all the same shit, just
different piles. So, for all those
people who are afraid to be
stunk out by our ‘trying to be
politically correct’ bathroom,
rest easy. There are jobs out
there for homophobics and/or -
insert whichever minority you

chose here. In addition, UNBC-

will not kick you out because
of your beliefs, i.e. being a
homophobic, homosexual, and
so forth (as long as you keep it
relatively low key) because
“UNBC is a school that doesn’t
disparage people for any
reason.” Life in the bathroom
is not as easy as ‘spending a
penny’, Mr. McFetrick.
Sincerely, Jason Jones

Hot Topic in
UNBC-land

In the last issue of Over The
Edge, I wrote an article on page
6. In it, I tried to have fun with
words and to be humorous in an
attempt to bring about what I
feel is a daunting task: having
men gather in an open forum
where we could freely discuss
with the opposite sex, notions
of masculinity and femininity,
as well as social, personal and
academic issues.

I gave out eight copies of my
original article to randomly
selected individuals, of which
most, ironically enough were
English majors. Most of them
liked my article while two

biology students said it was too

wordy. I also gave a copy to a
woman and she told me she
would “Get back to me.” 72
hours later as I was walking
down the hall, she shoved my
paper at me, did a 180 degree
turn, and walked away. Written
on my copy in bold fluorescent
highlighter was the word
“!'WACKO!” Five other
unidentified women had written
that (A) I had “alienated people
from us” and that (B) “If you
really need friends that bad, this
is not the way to get them.”
Another unidentified woman
said, “What is with all the ‘witty
bullshit’ be a little more
genuine...” Also, another
unidentified women had written
on my copy, “Yes, men and
women should work together
and be equal.” But several
penstrokes were scribbled over
this sentiment as if to erase what
had already been said; as if
disagreeing that men and
women should work or be
treated as equals.

All of this has really hurt me.
I asked for an apology and 72
hours later I find myself still
waiting. I major in Women’s
Studies because I find it has the
ability to unlock many doors for
me in the realms of personal
and social. I intend to teach
Gender Issues one day.

I came to this university to
better understand the human
condition—starting with mine.
I didn’t come here to be called
a !WACKO!