April 1, 1999

UNREAL NEWS

Over The Edge Page 3

CANDU? UNBC Might

University Focuses on Nuclear Power Development

By Adam Masher
UNBC is expecting word
later on the feasibility of

adding a CANDU
Nuclear Reactor to the
campus.

In a controversial move,
the UNBC Administration
made a decision to gath-
er information about
increasing the power
generated on campus, as
well as the potential for
export to other external
power grids.

“it is important that we
have the power,” A high
ranking UNBC official
said during a press con-
ference, “All of the power
we need, and enough to
hold the local economy in
our hands.”

The officials also were
expected to outline how

keeping the local busi-
nesses in a state of per-
petual ‘brown-out’ condi-
tions would make the
UNBC  Administra-tion
the “ultimate
northern authori-
ty”, but the advent
of protestors
breaking into the
UNBC Senate
Chambers
brought them up
short.

“You've sold my
education to the
Devil? shouted a

student  protestor a

dressed up as a
giant bottle of
beverage, “Life is
a bottle of lemon-
ade to this administration,

(a) Fuctling Machines

back!”

“Do you know where |
live,” shouted another pro-
testor, waving around a
semi-automatic water pis-

reactor site! | for one don’t
want to glow in the dark!”

The protest was quietly
put down with a minimum
of fuss.

a

we

at?

tol, “I live one hundred
and | want my money and fifty feet from that

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Once the clouds of tear
gas had evaporated, the

discussion was obviously

not as vigorous as before.
“| think that the students

really have the ability to

unnerve and destroy this
process,” said an
unnamed sub-member
of the meeting, “It is cru-
cial that the UNBC cam-
pus be able to become
self sufficient before Y2K
hits us hard?

The protest was
sparked when students
discovered that the
CANDU reactor would
be installed next to the
student residences,
replacing the current
location of the UNBC
Power Plant. Furthering
the anger of the students

was the eagerness of the
UNBC Administration to

renew the beverage
monopoly contract on
campus with a special
clause stating that the
company awarded the
contract would have to
provide enough of their
product to allow for the
creation of a “coolant
reservoir’ for the reactor.
“If this keeps up, not one
company on the face of
this planet will desire to
have any affiliation with
the UNBC campus,’ said
a member of the student
resistance forces, “And
then we can kiss scholar-
ships and_ bursaries

goodbye. This is not a

helpful process”