News

The B.A.R.F. Campaign

By Niki Hebb

If you saw the stuffed jeans
and t-shirt barfing into the toi-
let in the Winter Garden you
probably pointed and snick-
ered as | did. It’s not some-
thing you expect to see inside
the halls of UNBC, but some-
thing we’re all too familiar
with off campus.

Be a Responsible Friend, or
B.A.R.F., put on an informa-
tive and entertaining display
in the Winter Gardens on
Thursday, September 20th,
between 11 am and 3 pm.

The displays covered many
important issues surrounding
alcohol and the ways it is
used and abused. Sucked in
by the ‘Fatal Goggle
Challenge’ I’d seen in the
media previously, | ventured
over out of curiosity. Walk or
ride the line, and get a blue
fish jube-jube! Easier said
than done!

The goggles made me dizzy
and looking down, my feet
were over to my right, not
where I’m used to seeing
them! | barely made a
straight line, and Matt, a vol-
unteer for B.A.R.F., yelled out
for me to look up and not at
my feet just like a police offi-
cer would. | just about fell
over! | sure wouldn’t want to
be in that predicament in real
life! | think ll opt to drink
responsibly.

As Ali Sucro, Residence Life
Coordinator of Housing and
Conferencing Services, and
Robin Johnson, Coordinator
of the Health and Wellness
Centre explained, drinking
responsibly is what B.A.R.F.
is all about.

“Working Through the
Blues’ is this years theme for
B.A.R.F. “We are hoping to
reach more people through
the use of Blues music this
year.”, explained Johnson,
pointing out that the blue fish
jube jubes represented that
theme.

Many turn to alcohol think-
ing it will help alleviate their
blues, or depression, not
realizing that it could very
likely lead to more problems
ahead. Along with that
important message were dis-
plays on the Bacchus

Returns to UNBC

Proposed transit Alternative? No ... UNBC wellness Center
had students attempt to drive while wearing drunk goggles.

Maneuver (a method of keep-
ing your friend from choking
on their own vomit), a Date
Rape display going over the
use of alcohol and other
drugs to help incapacitate
others, and a “Drink Don’t
Bowl” display that indicated
that you should only have

one alcoholic beverage each

hour.

To help us all remain
responsible, and to heip oth-
ers maintain that goal,
B.A.R.F. had displays on
Operation Red Nose, how to
make Mocktails for an alcohol
free party, and the
Responsible Brick Road,
where you can pledge one of
three things: to support des-
ignated drivers, to not drive
under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, or to drink responsi-
bly.

Along with the displays was
information on canvassing for
people to create plays based
on social issues that will be
presented on the UNBC cam-
pus. Johnson made a heart-
felt plea for volunteers and
campaigners to go to high-
schools and bars to spread

the word about responsible
drinking, and designated dri-
vers.

B.A.R.F. is an effort put on
by UNBC in conjunction with
the Health and Wellness
Centre, Residence Life,
N.U.G.G.S., the Counselling
Centre, the First Nations
Centre, UNBC Athletics,
Operation Red Nose, ICBC,
and the PARTY program. If
you'd like more information
please go to any of the
involved campus Centers.

UNBC Students Being
Offered a Second
Chance at Health Care

By Kevin Milos

Students at UNBC are being
offered, for the second time,
the opportunity to give them-
selves a competitive and well
suited health-care ~ plan,
which is in accordance with
similar plans offered at other
universities in BC.

In fact, the health care plan
being offered is not only “as
good as” but superior to
health plans at some univer-
sities even if only through the
presence of dental coverage.
This is not a feature of many
university health care plans
and often becomes a great
cost for students when they
least expect it.

The plan proposed will. be
offered through the Northern
Undergraduate Student
Society. It will be similar to
the policy of the University of
British Columbia and Simon
Fraser University. It will
include prescription drug cov-
erage, vaccinations, ambu-
lance service, medical equip-
ment costs, dental accidents,
tutorial benefits (a cus-
tomized feature for students),
and travel insurance. The
dental plan will offer subsi-
dized insured rates for all
dentists and in the future,
special rates for participating
dentists in town.

The combined coverage will
come to $17.00 a month,
which is far less than most
corporate plans or union
plans, and coverage is com-
parable. In short, students

NUGSS EGM

Extraordinary General Meeting
September 26, 2001
In the Wintergarden

Items on the Agenda Include:

1) Director’s Report
2) By-law Amendments
3)Audit Report

are getting a very good deal
and it would be disappointing
to see students reject it
actively, or out of apathy.

If students already have a
health care plan, they should
still vote, as a 2/3 majority
vote is going to be needed by
provincial legislation in order
to implement a student ser-
vice. Students who already
have coverage will be able to
opt out of the plan and
receive their fees back again.
This plan may in fact be more
comprehensive than students
existing health care plans
(those who possess them)
and as a result, students may
even choose to keep the
UNBC plan instead of their
original plan. Either way,
they will have the choice.
Part time students will not be
automatically covered but will
have the opportunity to opt in
if they choose; however, the
premiums may vary.

In light of the overwhelming-
ly well thought out and posi-
tive aspect which the pro-
posed health and dental care
plan offers to UNBC stu-
dents, there will be little rea-
son for any student not to
vote in favor of the motion.
Voting will take place on
October 1st to 5th.

Hopefully, students who
already have a health care
plan will vote in favor of a
UNBC plan so as not to take
the opportunity away from
those who do not.

Everyone Welcome- Come and Vote
Proposed changes to the by-laws are on the NUGSS door and other changes can
be viewed online at www.nugss.com