February 2017

Confluence The

YOUR OFFICIAL COLLEGE NEWSPAPER

FEBRUARY 2017

YOUR COROLLA’s OK

06

annual women’s memorial march

10

VALEnTINE’s day

14

Sydney Kulchyski Editor-in-Chief, The Confluence Student Ambassador, CNC

Kyle Rowell

Harman Dandiwal

News Editor The Confluence

Managing Editor, The Confluence Communications Officer, CNCSU

EDITORIAL

02 THECONFLUENCE

Sydney Kulchyski Editor-in-chief

Submissions, inquiries and requests can be made to news@cncsu.ca, in person at the CNCSU room 1-303, or mailed to “The Confluence c/o CNCSU 3330-22nd Ave. Prince George, BC V2N 1P8.

All submissions are welcome, the authors of edited works used in the confluence receive a $20 cheque upon publication.

Advertisement rates are available upon request.

Hey guys, I hope you’re all enjoying being back. For most of us, the term is coming to a close in just a couple short months and the excitement is evident. This month we had some really great events, like Chinese New Year and the Women’s Memorial March, both of which were a huge success. Next month there are even more neat things going on, like Pink Shirt Day, the Open the Doors Gala where 30 students will win $1000 each for schooling, International Women’s Day and the NorthWorks Career Fair being held at CNC. I look forward to experiencing it all with you and I hope you’re all excited as well! Hopefully Spring is on it’s way soon to add even more joy to our upcoming busy schedules.

Presents

Student Savings Program Understand how to secure income protection for you and your family If you’re like most students, you’re looking forward to a career that earns you a good living so you can have a comfortable financial future.

But what if an injury or illness prevents you from working?

What would happen to your financial dreams?

Please join us as we educate grad students in the importance of disability insurance for students in the following fields: 



Medical doctors, occupational therapists, optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, athletic therapists, dental specialists and registered nurses MBA program students



Accountants, architects, computer specialists and engineers



Trades students

Let us show you how you can take control and learn how to help protect your financial dreams now.

Monday March 6th, 2017 In Room 1-306

4:00PM - 6:00PM refreshments will be provided.

Please RSVP: wendie@mpyfs.com Or by calling: MPY 250.563.1212 www.mpyfs.com

03 THECONFLUENCE

Admission is FREE—snacks and

YOUR COROLLA’s OK

I mean it!

04 THECONFLUENCE

In my free time, I find it’s nice to unwind in front of a television. Due to the fact that my internet speed varies from acceptable to rural prison, I’m occasionally without Netflix, and forced to suffer commercials. In these commercials, especially car commercials, I’ve noticed a strange trend, the adventure-mobile. In exchange for 4-9 years of payments or 50-60 thousand dollars, you too can visit picturesque beaches or quite forests in your trendy almost SUV, transporting you, your trendy friends, and thousands in whichever sports equipment best shows carrying capacity. Now this got me thinking, what can a V6 mated to a lifted car chassis do, that a second hand sedan can’t? As someone who knows just a little and spends time with people who know a lot, the verdict is not much. Now this goes against marketing from various manufacturers, such as Fiat’s 500x, “The car you need and want”, or Ford’s, “Ford Escape. Life is a sport, and we are the utility.” In fact, the format for selling crossovers, especially to young people fresh out of college and finally making a living, is pretty simplistic.

First drive it through a forest, and then over sand, and then have it on a high way, maybe in the rain, and finally, a couple shots of a kayak or snowboard and a young couple driving through a city. What major manufacturer’s won’t mention, is this goal of youthful adventure doesn’t have to come at a cost of fifty-thousand dollars, paid in installments that end roughly when your first child graduates. The off-road capabilities of most crossovers are more or less matched by the cars they’re based on, and a little bit of cautious driving. For roughly 2-3 thousand dollars, you can have a second hand sedan, hatchback, or station wagon that’s every bit as capable as any modern crossover, and in many cases cheaper to maintain as well. Add $300-$600 and you can add a Roof rack and cargo box that outdoes the carrying capacity of some SUV’s much less a crossover. Now for those of you that got bored and began skimming at the word V6, there’s a reason I bring this all up. Marketing, especially in the west, seems determined to tell us all we’re inadequate. Not only is mounting a second hand Thule on your ’98 Accord not good enough in the eyes of marketing, your clothes are too old, your kitchens too small, and your lifestyle, much too plain and affordable. The west lives in a world of more and bigger, and in the north, where diesel powered monster trucks seem to reign supreme, it looks like we fell for it. The truth is, adventure can be affordable, and experiences are typically worth more than things. As students leave post-secondary and enter the workplace, businesses of all types will fight to take as much of this new found income as they can, from pockets that have been empty for quite some time. So as we grow in life, and find opportunity and careers, remember that your clothes fit alright, you’re kitchen is easy to navigate, and that Corolla you learned to drive in, despite the mechanical nuances it’s developed in its time, is pretty ok too.

Support and Crisis Contacts and Help Lines • Crisis Line- for immediate 24/7 support and information and referrals: 250-563-1214 Toll Free: 1-888-562-1214

• Youth Support Line: 250-564-8336

Chat line at www.northernbccrisissuicide.ca

• Provincial Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-784-2334

• College and University students for mental health • CNC Counselling: 250-561-5818 • UNBC Counselling: 250-960-6369

• Individuals who identify as aboriginal or wish to access aboriginal services • Carrier Sekani (Family Services): 250-562-3591 • Central Interior Native Health: 250-564-4422 • Native Friendship Centre: 250-564-4324

• Healing Centre: 250-564-4324

Cantonese Help Line, available 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: 604-270-8222

Mandarin Help Line, available 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.: 604-270-8222

• Bounce Back teaches effective skills to help adults overcome early symptoms of depression and improve their mental health: www.bounceback.ca

05 THECONFLUENCE

• SUCCESS Chinese Help Line:

CHINESE NEW YEAR Kyle Rowell, News Editor

06 THECONFLUENCE

An all Chinese band, covering a song written by a band from Dublin, on the stage of a British Columbian church, which accredits much of its early success to a Jamaican pastor.

This is Multiculturalism at its finest, and was only part of the fantastic local event that is the Chinese New Year. The five member Mini Band performing U2’s Zombie, was one of many extremely talented performers taking the stage of The First Baptist Church. This event brought various members of Prince George together. The many sponsors: RBC Royal Bank, Integris Credit Union, Sushi 97, CIBC, Scotiabank, China Taste, Canadian Western Bank, Days Inn, CNC Student’s Union, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and Pho U & Me, helped make this event a reality. The catering by China Taste provided tasty dishes that many in the West are accustomed too, as well as that little bit of unique and unusual that one hopes for when trying foreign food. This event was welcoming to all from Prince George, and tickets sold out quickly. Among those in attendance were many of those from Prince George’s political elite, showing the draw and importance of this event. Prince George is growing up, or at least it’s doing its best. For a northern British Columbian town, Prince George is growing to boast some of the best educational and career opportunities in the province. This, coupled with a reasonable cost of living that many southern and coastal cities such as Vancouver just can’t boast, is leading to international interest in our former forestry town. CNC and UNBC attract students from all over the world who, in turn, improve and enrich the communities around them.

NOTICE OF ELECTION 2017-18 Your Students’ Union is a democratic, not-for-profit organization.

CNCSU Board Elections are held in the Spring Semester of each year.

The following student representative positions are available:

1. Chairperson 2. Secretary 3. Treasurer 4. Quesnel Campus Representative 5. Women Students’ Representative 6. Aboriginal Students’ Representative 7. Prince George Campus Representative 8. International Students’ Representative

22 FEB - 9 MAR 2017

Call

for Nominations

*Nomination Form is available at CNC Students’ Union (Room 1-303) *Completed Nomination Form must be submitted on or before 9rd March 2017 by 4:00 PM to CNCSU office (Room 1-303). *1 week will be given for campaiging after nomination deadline and before the commencement of election. *Election period is 21-23 March 2017 (tentative). *All eligible student members are encouraged to participate.

07 THECONFLUENCE

NOMINATION PERIOD

CNC EVENTS

08 THECONFLUENCE

Visit CNC.BC.CA for more information

09 THECONFLUENCE

PROTEST, ACTIVISM, and THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH

10 THECONFLUENCE

by : Kyle Rowell In a time of heightened social empathy, social media, and a generation of well-educated young people often struggling for meaningful employment, activism matters. On February 14th, The Women’s Memorial march began on the Courthouse steps, in solidarity with protests across the country.

Speakers and Performers came together, demanding justice, resolution, and solutions to the despairingly long list of murdered and missing women along highway 16, and the concerning accusations of racism in the RCMP and what was not done about it. These are accusations that have been rightfully fueled by scandals involving emails being deleted, and an inquiry that took years of activism and protest to even begin. However, through all of this progress has been made. Not only was an inquiry granted, but from the views of an outsider, at least, attitudes have changed. As the march proceeded from the Courthouse steps, an RCMP presence was apparent. This presence was not established to break up the protest, but rather to keep everyone safe, as well as hold back traffic, allowing the march that was led by the Khastan Drummers to proceed freely. One officer stood with his car blocking side traffic and shook hands with activists as they went by. This may not be full reconciliation, and it doesn’t make up for all that has happened in this country’s past, but it’s most definitely an important step forward.

“We are a people of resilience, we’re not victims anymore” announced one of the many speakers.

This is activism that truly matters, not just too Aboriginal groups, but to all Canadians. Much of what aboriginal groups are fighting for - justice,

security, and environmental causes - are more than worthy of the support of all Canadians.

After many years, solutions are being looked at seriously, and voices are being heard. Survivors and activists, such as Theo Fleury, who spoke at CNC on February 6th, are sharing their stories, and offering solutions, to fight for the youth of their communities. Talented individuals such as Kym Gouchi, a musician, singer song writer, and an activist, are making a name for themselves well furthering causes. Respecting, honoring, and reconciling with Aboriginal populations across Canada is an important responsibility as both a Canadian and a human being. A Canada that respects its Aboriginal population is worth striving for, while just south of the 49th officers are using tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons, to ram a pipeline through sacred land in the face of thousands of protesters.

11 THECONFLUENCE

12 THECONFLUENCE

13 THECONFLUENCE

VALENTINE’s DAY

14 THECONFLUENCE

by : Justin Mcdonald

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to exploit the love you have for your spouse. Maybe you are out for dinner, driving around, or —if you’re lucky— vacationing. Whatever it is that you are doing, you go out of your way to share it with everyone. I get it, you have unconditional love that you’d like to share with all of the people that care about you enough to follow or add you on different social media platforms. But, on behalf of all single people, we’d like to sarcastically say: thank you.

Living life without a partner isn’t the worst possible thing known to any living individual, but it sure does suck sometimes. At work I watch people buy roses, chocolates, and little teddy bears.

Sometimes I think, “Aw, you care about someone”, but then I also think about all the single people at the liquor store and how much money they are wasting in an attempt to drink this day off. I just picture those people watching James Cameron’s “Titanic”, yelling at Rose saying “Rose why can’t you just move over! Don’t let Jack freeze alone!” while they’re crying hysterically and eating the biggest spoonful of ice cream known to mankind. These people are known as the heartbroken population. They spend their Valentine’s day listening to sad songs, watching sad movies, eating tons of ice cream, lying in bed, and mourning over their lost love. These people tend to suffer the most on this day. Unfortunately for them, their life isn’t over and they have plenty more years to suffer and cry over little things.

However, they shouldn’t.

Don’t suffer, overcome. “See the world not as it is, but as it should be.” - Glee Happy Valentine’s Day! J. J. Cheerful

15 THECONFLUENCE

“Well that’s easy for you to say.”

It is easy to say, but it’s not easy to do. Turning pain into something good is near impossible, but change is certainly better than dwelling on something that is absolute. This is life’s way: it likes to punch us in the throat. But regardless of all this pain, we are built to drink our milk rather than spill it. We drink our little things and accept that they’re a part of us before we can spill them.

Don’t cry over spilt milk, be strong and move on!

The last type of people are people like me: neutral. What do we do? We treat this day like a regular day. For me this day will consist of sitting at home studying, or playing video games. Maybe I’ll go to the gym if my zodiac sign instructs me to, but most of my time will be unintentionally invested in my evolved, manipulative, millennial trait: checking my phone. Avoiding social media is impractical and more than likely not going to happen, this biological impulse is built into my involuntary somatic nervous system. Even if I try to avoid it, it’s bound to happen, and when it does, do I label my own reaction to the collective posts of couples and “I love you babe!” statuses as suffering? This question is completely subjective.

You can chose to hate this day, or you can use this day as a motivator. Regardless, be aware of your misconception; just because it sucks for you, doesn’t mean it does. If you’re mad, you’re more than likely jealous, and if you’re annoyed, that seems to be your problem. This day is about love, and it exists everywhere. Being single sucks, but you’ll always be single if you don’t learn to appreciate the love that currently exists in your life.

GALA EVENT TUE, MARCH 7 Winners will each be awarded $1000 cheques Free cupcakes and doors prizes