Over The Edge Page 4

EDITORIAL

January 26, 1999

Coping with stress

It’s funny how the brain
responds to stress. As
the new Editor in Chief,
| am trying hard to catch
up and learn all rules,
where things are hidden
and why the rubber
cement is stored in a
locked drawer.

(it's because no one
wants to remember the
days when the newspa-
per was physically put
together with paper and
rubber cement)

The stress factor means
that | now interchange
the names of two of the
female staff members.
They work closely
together on a column
and take my mis-placed
memory in stride. They
both think that I’m nuts.
Some people live for
stress. Stress is a great
motivator and for all the
procrastinators out
there, they know it
works. Most people

enjoy a little stress in
their lives and deal with
it in a variety of ways.
Some hide in dark
rooms and try to
unwind. Some play loud
music until the batteries
die on their discmans.
And then there are
those who take battling
stress to a whole new
level.

They fight the stress of
life with the stress of
shear terror. These are

the bungie jumpers, the
hang gliders, extreme
marathon runners and
the people who can
drink themselves into a
coma night after night
after night.

| deal with stress by
doing something. | run,
hike ski or work on the
ambulance scraping
people off the highways.
| get a real thrill of howl-
ing down the highway
with the lights and siren

going, arriving at the
scene and being able to
help people who are
injured; being able to
help them when their
stress levels are really
high.

The student newspaper
provides opportunity to
report on the happen-
ings at UNBC and pro-
duce a newspaper that |
think will serve the pop-
ulation well. And my
stress level will come

down as | begin to
understand the systems
and ideas make the
newspaper what it is. It
is only the NUGSS
AGM to puzzle through
and | will be stress free.
| just have to watch
who’s name | use.

Aaron Mahoney

Communicating with NUGSS

| am usually not one to
voice my opinion in the
public sphere. However,
a new policy passed by
the Northern
Undergraduate Student
Society has struck a
chord. Music is my pas-
sion and Ilove to per-
form. Last semester
myself and a few other
local musicians from res-

& @h oe

In response to this let-
ter, the Northern
Undergraduate Student
Society [NUGSS] main-
tains that their Audio
Visual equipment rental
fees are as follows: a
$50.00 flat rate for the
rental of the equipment
(four hours) and $8.50
per hour to cover the
costs of a qualified tech-
nician to ensure that the

idence have been doing
monthly shows in the “al
cove” however the event
has become larger
through word of mouth
and we have 5 musi-
cians signed to play and
an expected 70+ people
to come out and watch.
This leaves the problem
of needing a a bigger
space to house the

abused.
However, if a student
requires only a smaller

portion of the equipment

for example only audio
or only video, then poli-
cy states a decreased
fee depending on what
equipment is required.
NUGSS also offers the
opportunity to submit a
request for the Society

equipment does not get

spectators and as a
result bigger equipment
to amplify the instru-
ments and vocals. This
“new” policy was issued
last week and the rental
price has _ drastically
increased for the audio-
equipment. | feel this is
wrong due to the fact
that we (the musicians)
provide a free

to sponsor a student
event, in which case the
event in question would
be held in conjunction
with the student society.
The amount of the fees,
which the Society would
cover, would be negoti-
ated’ between the
Society and the organi-
zation, including _ full
coverage of the equip-
ment rental fees. This is

Entertainment service
for the residence stu-
dents this event also
gives the students a
chance to flaunt their tal-
ents in a relaxed atmos-
phere. The final point |
want to make concerns
the student activity fees
and how they are used.
Since music is my main
activity and the activity of

renting the equipment
from NUGSS.

The rates for A/V
equipment rental are
much less than the
rates that can be found
via private ventures in
town, which can reach
approximately $400.00
for the same services.
The Student Society
also maintains that price

an alternative to flat out

a number of other resi-
dence students, | feel
some of the money from
the student activity fee’s
should go towards the
promotions of events
like this. The “Cosmic
lounge” is a good exam-
ple of this where stu-
dents enjoyed listening
to their peer amateur
performances in a

he

of the equipment rental
was misquoted to Chris.
The key error seems to
be in miscommunication
between directors. Until
each of the directors of
the Student Society can
agree on one policy and
be aware of it, the type
of confusion, which has
resulted here, will con-
tinue. One director
went so far as to point

relaxed atmosphere. Alt
this said | speak for the
musicians and the listen-
ers when | say that this
“new” and expensive
rental policy hurts some-
thing many of us have
enjoyed since last
semester.

Chris Maskulak
UNBC STudent

out that if a student is on
the "good side" of the
directors, then they may
be inclined to overlook
such fees and lend the
equipment to a student,
off the record.

Kevin Milos
Entertainment
Editor

Over The Edge