Category: Community

Feel so uncomfortable…Can’t stand to look at or touch my body because I’m afraid it will get fat…just want to cover up. Don’t deserve to look nice…I can’t imagine ever being normal. Hate everyone and myself…(Excerpt from journal of Erin* age 23, recovering Anorexic).

Fat phobia, food phobia, weight phobia, appetite phobia, phobia of oneself – that is the life of the anorexic. Anorexia nervosa – a Greek term meaning “loss of appetite due to nervous tendencies” – has become an illness all too familiar in our society today.

As many as one in ten women in university suffer from a clinical eating disorder, according to Support, Concern and Resources For Eating Disorders. Studies done in 2002 also indicate that by their first year of university, 4.5 to 18 per cent of women and 0.4 per cent of men have a history of bulimia.

It has also been reported that 1 in 100 females between the ages of 12 and 18, according to Support, Concern and Resources For Eating Disorders, have anorexia.

In addition, about seven million girls and women and about one million boys and men are affected by this debilitating disease.

It is estimated by Support, Concern and Resources For Eating Disorders as well that 200,000 to 300,000 Canadian women aged 13 to 40 have anorexia nervosa and twice as many have bulimia. These illnesses are fatal for 10 to 15 per cent of those affected.

According to the Canadian Press, a study of 11 year old girls found that 44 per cent were on a diet to lose weight. One simple diet can start it all.

When confronted with these statistics, Concordia students were shocked. “One word – society,” says Tina Mocella, first year political science student referring to the implications society has on an individuals’ perception of what body image is acceptable.

Anorexia nervosa is not necessarily a loss of appetite; it is more like a lack thereof.

Initially it was thought, according to Anatomy of Anorexia by Steven Levenkron that anorexia was simply a phase that young girls went through as adolescents.

Just as they hit puberty the urge to remain a child was too strong and so the eating disorder took over. Anorexia has no boundaries of age or sex.

The stereotype has changed as experts now realize that women and men of all ages are infected with the illness for a variety of reasons.

How does this disease start? There is no right answer when exploring the reasons for anorexia because just as we are all individuals the disease also becomes unique to the individual it has consumed.

Levenkron has found that the most common reasons for eating disorders are anxiety, depression, a sense of control, obsessive behaviourism and perfectionism. Family troubles can also play a big role – divorce or the loss of a parent or loved one as well as sexual or abuse trauma at a young age.

It has also been noted that for men the reasons are a bit different – society tells him to be a strong, fit man in order to provide for his family properly. Men face different issues than women, but in the end the result is the same. They strive for perfection, what they believe to be society’s norm, and a need to live a normal life with an obsessive addiction.

The victim is trying to express emotions through lack of eating, adds Levenkron, and telling the world how she/he feels with each jutting bone. Feeling good is associated with losing weight.

Therefore they can feel they have accomplished something, controlled an important part of their lives while everything else around them becomes obsolete. Food and weight is the only thing they think about. It is everything to them, their reason for living. They begin to starve themselves to live.

Medically, the end results of anorexia nervosa are not something for which to strive. As the individual continues to reduce the number of calories and, inevitably, the number of vitamins needed, says Levinkron, the body begins to shut down. Cardiac problems arise due to lack of electrolytes which causes a great imbalance and irregular heartbeat.

Not only is the heartbeat affected but the heart size is as well. Anorexia starves the body and muscle mass is lost. As the heart is a muscle, it shrinks.

Other common side-effects of anorexia are anemia, decreased testicular function, dental decay and discolouration, dizziness, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, fainting, increased risk of osteoporosis, lanugo – the growth of fine hair on the body in order to keep it warm – and low blood pressure.

Concordia Health Services recognizes the severity of anorexia nervosa and the effect eating disorders has on a majority of university students. “We offer psychotherapy, full physicals and a psychologist at the SGW clinic. Come in and talk to a nurse or doctor,” says Loyola’s on-campus nurse Donna Cooper. She is eager to offer advice for students seeking help and offers numerous pamphlets and hand-outs on eating disorders. There is a lending-library with an abundance of eating-disorder reading material.

“If I’m thin then my life will be better,” says Erin* who wanted control of her life. At age 17 she began the rough road to anorexia nervosa with a severe case of bulimia – bingeing and purging. She wanted to create the perfect body image in order to make herself imagine she was satisfied and gain the love and respect of those around her.

With each pound she lost, she sunk further into a fantasy world that she fashioned in order to make herself feel like she belonged. “I’m not happy like this but it’s safe, I know it,” says Erin*.

Food became her obsession and she preoccupied herself by reading cookbooks, anxiously awaiting the next visit to the grocery store, and constantly looking over the shoulder of anyone cooking a meal to make sure it was all done the way she wanted it to be. Time between meals was agonizing, the loss of food made her think about it that much more.

Erin* knew she had a problem. She recognized the destructive behaviour in herself and set out to seek help. Having a full library of medical books and self-help books on anorexia nervosa she wanted to believe she understood the disease, yet she still couldn’t understand how to fully recover from it.

“If I’m better, I’ll have no excuses for my shortcomings; being shy, not going out, being short tempered, lazy. If I’m not sick, who am I? I’ll lose myself and disappear and no one will see me. I’ll be ignored like usual,” she adds.

Erin* still battles the disease. “You have to accept you’re not a norm, you are constantly fighting your body,” she says. Her obsession with food has been subdued but still remains. She chooses to help herself and seek help in her family and friends as well as professionals who recognized the severity of her illness.

I can’t imagine ever being normal…I can but I don’t think I really ever will be. I’ll either be like this and skinny, normal weight and bulimic or overweight. Whichever way you look at it it’s a load of unhappy shit. (Excerpt from journal of Erin* age 23 recovering Anorexic.)

Eating Disorder Awareness week begins February 1st. Visit Concordia’s Health Services for more information or call them at 848-3565 (Sir George William Campus) or 848-3575 (Loyola Campus).

*Name has been changed.

For at least two thirds of the year, university students are devoted to virtue; however, there is one week where all inhibitions run amuck. Watching MTV and Girls Gone Wild proves that on Spring Break, many university students, slave

driven by their books and grades, flock southward in search of an escape from the tedious certainty of their existence.

One historically popular destination is Daytona Beach, Florida.

“Daytona Beach is cheap, has a number of clubs and activities and there’s the beach,” says Norman DeMelo of Breakaway Tours.

White powder stretches 23 miles along the Atlantic Coast,
accommodating nearly one hundred hotels catering specifically to students.

Travelers on a tight budget can enjoy the sun and sand, a range of aquatic sports, shopping and great parties.

Daytona Beach, located in central-east Florida between Orlando and Jacksonville, has a mild climate that boasts an average annual air temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. Its population is about 64,112 according to the Census Bureau but its vacationers, coming from
all over the world, reach the eight million mark.

Dating back to the late 1800s, many wealthy northern tycoons saw Daytona Beach as land favourable for investment. The Palmetto House was the first hotel to be built, in 1874, by Mathias Day. He was the founding father of what was then called Daytona and he led the following of other entrepreneurs reveling in their endeavors to construct a city.

At the turn of the twentieth Century, the pastime was car racing along the hard-packed beaches and by 1959, the Daytona International Speedway had opened and motor-sports were gaining new ground.

The Speedway now hosts annual events beginning with the Rolex 24
Hours at Daytona and followed by events leading up to the “Great American Race” – the prestigious Daytona 500 which showcases NASCAR’s most talented drivers.

There are unconventional ways to entertain oneself in this wonderful Floridian paradise. A-typical attractions such as Biketoberfest, drawing about 60,000 motorcycle enthusiasts globally, entertain tourists during the third weekend in October with numerous street festivals, events and concerts.

For some standard sightseeing, visit Adventure Landing Water Park and the newly developed Ocean Walk Village which offers vacationers some shade while they enjoy the 10-cinema complex with all-stadium seating
and the latest in digital sound and projection technology. Day trips are
also available to Orlando’s famous theme parks.

For those who can legally comply to the drinking age of 21, go see the numerous night venues like Razzle’s Nightclub, 600 North and Ocean Deck Beach Club. They offer wild beach parties, contests, big cash prizes, outdoor concerts featuring world renowned DJs and one of the largest pool decks in Daytona Beach. Late January through mid-April are busy months, and therefore the most expensive months, as loads of tourists flock to Daytona Beach for special events. Consequently, hotels can range from $70 to $200 US dollars per night in most areas.

According to www.lodging.com, public transportation is available,
but you’ll need a car. Vehicles can be driven on the beach and at other
marked locations during daylight hours. Uniglobe Voyage Lexus handles both McGill and Concordia University accounts and is well aware that students are on tight budgets.

“We really send few people to Daytona,” says vacation agent Dorothy Yellin. “The U.S. dollar is so high [so] unless you have four or five people in a hotel room, then you really have a good deal.” Yellin
mentions some disadvantages to vacationing in Daytona Beach and with that advises her clients to travel to Cuba or the Dominican Republic.
“You get guaranteed beautiful weather in the Caribbean for the same price minus the expensive fares,” she adds.

Whether one decides to brave the cold back home or head south of the border for spring break, what ultimately counts is using that week off as a break from a routine of academic servitude.

For a comprehensive list of accommodations, news, events, activities and more visit; www.daytonabreak.com, www.daytonabeach.com and
www.daytona-florida.com.

For more information about the Daytona

International Speedway visit www.daytonaintlspeedway.com.

For more information about Biketoberfest visit www.biketoberfest.org.

Grads, fearing the transition from free wielding student to a disillusioned 9 to 5 corporate slave, may find what they never knew they were looking for at 1455 Blvd. de Maisonneuve: Concordia’s teaching English as a second language (TESL) centre.

For many antsy young ones, TESL has become a surprising opportunity to travel extensively, make money and gain unique working experience abroad.

“[TESL] is one of the fastest growing and largest grossing industries on the globe right now,” says Barbara Barclay, one of the centre’s coordinators.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the English language is used by more than 300 million as a second language and a foreign language by one hundred million more. Listed as the official or co-official language of over 45 countries, more than half of all business deals are conducted in English. Clearly there is a market for such an essential commodity.

The TESL centre, created in 1973, is one of the first in Canada to specialize in the instruction of teaching English as second language. It offers a new 120-credit bachelor of education in TESL, a programme approved in 1998 for provincial education standards.

Teachers of ESL are considered by the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) to be in the second most-wanted category (after teachers of math and science) in the province. Concordia’s website, artsandscience.concordia.ca/tesl/tesl.html, states that graduates, satisfying certification criteria, are recommended for immediate, permanent provincial employment to the MEQ.

The centre also offers a 30-credit certificate in TESL to students with an undergraduate degree and a proficiency in the English language, which can be completed in a year. Courses are usually available in the evening and for those 40 to 50 applicants a year, an average of 36 will graduate.

Barclay also mentions that while this certificate does not provide basic teacher training for provincial certification, it allows for teaching in adult education and commercial language schools in Quebec. It is used most widely, however, to travel abroad while teaching ESL.

Marlise Horst, an instructor at the centre who teaches language acquisition and methodology, has taught and helped design ESL programs in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Hong Kong. “[Concordia] is recognized as having the best TESL program in Quebec and pretty much in Canada,” she says, encouragingly.

Sean Earl graduated from Concordia almost ten years ago with a Bachelor of Education in TESL and has never looked back. “In a near decade that I’ve been teaching overseas I’ve learned more about life, the world and myself than I could possibly have conceived of beforehand,” says Earl.

In that time he has traveled and lived in Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Taiwan, Russia, Spain, France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Of that, he simply says he did what he set out to do. “I chose a program that would facilitate two of my great passions – travel and education. It was somewhat of a calling,” he says of TESL.

According to its Web sites, www.eslworldwide.com and asiafacts.kingston.net, there is such a high demand for ESL instructors in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America that formal training or experience is not even always a requirement for employment.

When Earl started out with a bachelor in education in TESL he was shocked to realize that the majority of ESL teachers had either a bachelor in arts in an unrelated field or no degree at all. “In countries like Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, appearance is everything and qualifications secondary. A crisp business suit and fake degree will almost always be hired over a casual dress and legitimate, relevant qualifications,” he adds.

TESL hopefuls should realize that while some employers may be relaxed on qualifications, the challenges of teaching, especially with a language barrier, are numerous. “It’s really important to get good training,” Horst says, recognizing the problem that TESL doesn’t require proper training.

According to Horst, to truly flourish in TESL, it takes an individual of personal and emotional stability willing to face cultural situations.

ESL training can also lead you to unexpected professional paths. Earl, who was teaching on the side, landed a job as a desk editor at an international real estate company in Thailand, competing against more than 50 other applicants. “I was the only one who managed to pass the oral and written grammar/style tests,” Earl says, accrediting his success to the then-seemingly tedious grammar component of the TESL program.

However, while Earl raves of his years abroad, he warns that like any job there is a usual mix of good and bad bosses and job situations. He stresses that thoroughly researching a country is imperative, even suggesting so far as visiting it before committing to a job contract there.

While it is hard to universalize working conditions, pays and experiences in specific countries, websites such as http://www.eslcafe.com/ and http://www.eslworldwide.com/ offer excellent insights from hundreds of TESL instructors working overseas. Such sites also give invaluable advice on actively seeking TESL employment.

The standards in Europe and Asia according to Earl is 20 to 30 hours of contact teaching a week with a salary anywhere from 1,000 to 2,500 Canadian dollars monthly, which can be highly boosted with private tutoring.

While Earl both opted for packaged deals and worked through agents to handle visas, work permits, living accommodations and contracts, he does not recommend this and advises to seek jobs through non-profit organizations/agencies. UN volunteers and the World University Service of Canada usually can assure better working conditions. He also warns to avoid any position which needs to be urgently filled, because this could be the result of dissatisfied employees leaving abruptly.

Horst agrees that non-profit organizations, through which she first started teaching ESL, are a safer route. She also states that answering ads can be pretty scary as they secure no guarantees.

“An ounce of common sense will most often keep you out of harm’s way. The horror stories you may read on sites such as Dave’s ESL Caf

Tony Koulakis, better known as Captain Cholesterol, keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny. At 66 years old, the owner of Cosmos Restaurant in Notre-Dame de Grace is talking retirement. However, Koulakis is always lured back to the greasy spoon and hot grill that have made him famous.

“When you work you don’t think you’re getting old,” says Koulakis while flipping two eggs and preparing bacon and sausage.

After emigrating from Greece in 1954, Koulakis turned an outwardly ordinary restaurant into a Montreal institution. Students, businessmen and lawyers from all over come to sample Tony’s famous breakfast and leave completely overwhelmed by the experience.

It’s no wonder they call him the “God of Potatoes.” He peels and cleans 1000 pounds of potatoes in his garage a week and with them cooks the most exceptional hash browns in town. “He’s the only one that makes potatoes that good,” says Jesse Vincent, a psychology student at Concordia. “It’s the best cure for a hang-over.”

“The restaurant business is a tough business,” adds Koulakis in a thick accent. “You have to be nice and serve nice so the customers could come again.” And that they most certainly do.

Clients start filing in as early as 7:30 a.m. and it’s not long before the 11 stools available are occupied and line-ups begin. “You get a lot for your money,” says Nancy Kneem, a 51 year old NDG resident and former social worker.

Cosmos is not for the calorie conscious. Koulakis’ specialty, the mish mash, which is a mix of four eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, salami, tomatoes, onions and cheese, contains a little over 1800 calories per portion. However, this is one of those occasions when it’s good to be bad.

“One meal at Tony’s and you’re good to go for the day,” says Morris Rosengarten, a managing director for a software company.

Captain Cholesterol isn’t only known for his tasty hash browns; he’s a celebrity. Man of Grease was a documentary directed by Ezra Soiferman and shown at The Montreal World Film Festival in 2000. It spoke about his life’s work and the legacy of dinner restaurants.

His devotion to his customers, love for his craft and simple joie-de-vivre were summed up in a 50 minute video but the memory of his tireless energy for his vocation will remain with his clients for a lifetime.

After officially retiring, Koulakis hopes to spend more time with his wife, go on more vacations and perhaps make a sequel to the documentary Man of Grease entitled The Holy Man on the Grill.

Cosmos is a family business where father, sons and daughter all work hard side by side to make sure customers remain satisfied. “We all got molded in the restaurant business; we are all entrepreneurs,” says Johnny Koulakis, the youngest son.

Johnny began working at Cosmos 15 years ago. Now, along with his two siblings, Nick and Nicki, he wants to take over the great establishment.

“I’m semi-retired,” Koulakis says. He still works the grill 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. “I still come to help the boys and slowly, slowly they will take over.”

“He’s passing on the spatula to the fruit of his loins; his sons and daughter,” says Rosengarten. “They will feed the next generation of Montrealers.”

Like a light at the end of a long tunnel of media coverage and reputation debate at our university, shines the story of an accomplished Concordia graduate making a difference in the world. Philip McMaster is settling down from a life of globe-trotting and adventure to mold impressionable young minds.

“I’m passionate about passionate people,” says the self proclaimed adventurer. “Every program I’m involved in all have to do with passionately pursuing dreams to ultimately to help other people.”

His current ventures include two innovative specialized photography courses he has developed at the Dawson College Centre for Imaging Arts and Information Technologies. At a continuing educational level, McMaster emphasizes the development of backstage access skills and understanding human behaviour around cameras in real-life situations.

“You plan to be flexible, for what you don’t know is going to happen,” says McMaster. “I’ve been in situations where getting the shot is getting out alive.”

Event, sports and adventure photography (ESA), photography and public relations (PR) are the bi-products of his world travels and business experiences.

ESA has historically lead him to brazen out difficult situations such as the dangerous environments of Chiapas, Mexico to Stanley Cup riots in Montreal and from jungle expeditions in Central America to free-fall parachute jumping over the Caribbean islands. PR is the ultimate recognition and preparation for winning shot opportunities.

“What I’ve learned is if you want to get the shot, you must negotiate and learn people skills,” says McMaster, employing his experiences from his freelance photojournalist days at La Presse. He hopes the success of the courses will develop a university level program for students missing higher learning from their field.

The psychology behind photographic methods has been overshadowed in the classroom where the focus is placed on the technical and artistic aspects. However, Concordia structures its courses around conceptual, theoretical and historical understanding and practices.

The photography department at Concordia focuses on the artistic aspect of the medium,” says Jean Pierre Duchesne, the enrolment and student affairs manager for the department of fine arts at Concordia . “What [McMaster] is offering at Dawson sounds commercially and media oriented.”

Duchesne verifies that every year departments offer a number of special topic courses which exists currently on the curriculum. “The department of studio arts is looking at their curriculum to revise it,” he says. “However, it is a slow process that will remain the same for another two years.”

Born in Val-Morin, McMaster has lived in cities across the globe but nothing beats home. “I’m the type of person who requires a civilized environment with the right amount of ‘joi de vivre.’ Montreal is the best place to live in the world.”

He has recently completed his MBA at the

Graduate students who are feeling less than satisfied with the present streamlined and sometimes singular focused graduate and PhD programs will find some flexibility in Concordia’s Specialized Individualized Program (SIP).

The school of graduate studies created SIP in 1977 for graduate students with specific research goals that were not part of the university’s existing graduate programs.

Today, SIP continues to help students who want to include relevant work and academic experiences in their graduate and doctorate research, when no other program will do.

“SIP is for graduate students who, for the most part, are thinking outside of the box,” says James Jans, the director of SIP. “Their work does not fit neatly into a single discipline and they want to bring several ways of thinking to their ideas.”

A graduate student can create and propose a program based on academic and professional experience from more than one discipline and from more than one university across Canada and the United States.

Suzy Lister’s professional and academic experiences have included seven years as an art therapist in pediatric oncology, an honours BA in psychology, diploma in art therapy and a certificate in play therapy.

She has also taken courses in religion, fine arts and creative art therapies, so when she was ready to begin her PhD she wasn’t interested in having a program decided for her.

“I wanted to have the autonomy to create a PhD program that I felt was meaningful based on my clinical experience in Pediatric Oncology,” says Lister. “I had a good idea of what I wanted, but that did not mean being narrowly focused. SIP gave me the opportunity to dally in related fields that I would never have been able to do in a more basic program.”

Lister drew on Concordia’s applied human science and from the psychology department to create her PhD program. “My focus is on transformational learning in bereaved parents, thus I am looking at how parents who have lost a child can learn and grow from this tragedy.”

SIP presently has 37 students registered, with 18 working on their PhD. Last year only six of the 28 applications to SIP were accepted.

“SIP is highly competitive,” says Jans. “A strong GPA is required and a student must have at least three supervisors, with the head supervisor from Concordia, who has agreed to work with the student.”

Often, a student has worked with, or wishes to work with, an individual faculty member at Concordia who is recognized as a leader in a field of research, but the department they belong to does not have a doctoral program. “If the student wants to work with the best he or she comes to Concordia and does a SIP,” adds Jans.

Olga Proulx combined geography, biology and forest science from UQAM for her PhD. “I certainly had to justify my admission,” says Proulx.

“My reason for applying was somewhat unique in that ideally I wanted to continue to work with my supervisor who is an expert in my field.”

Proulx holds an honours degree in physical geography and a master’s in public policy and public administration from Concordia.

“Also I had to demonstrate a commitment to my studies and a clearly set out program. Of course, I had to have good grades and the support of my supervisors.”

The support of a supervisor from each department is a critical element to the acceptance of the proposal. “It would be unfair of us to admit a student without a complete committee,” says Jans. “When we admit a student we know Concordia has the academic resources to help the student successfully complete a degree and we know that because three supervisors have stepped forward and said they want to work with the student.”

SIP is not for the faint of heart.

Students who have been accepted in SIP face some challenges. The primary challenges include isolation and poor opportunities for funding.

The isolation is the result of the variety of disciplines that SIP students study. In many cases there is no commonality, or colleague group that would be part of a single discipline.

“You must be self motivated,” says Proulx. “There is no one around other than your supervisors to wind you up, grip to or complain to.”

Since the students design individualized programs, they don’t really have a home department. “There is no place where everyone knows your name,” says Lister. “Unless your supervisor has space you do not get an office to go to, colleagues to develop relationships with, or peers to have conversations with.”

To help students deal with the isolation, SIP held their first breakfast gathering last December as a way to bring the department’s students together.

“I intend to keep having them on a regular basis so that students have a place to meet and talk with one another about their research and their experiences,” says Jans. The department is also trying to find suitable space to have a reading room that is similar to the room located at the mature student centre.

As there is no department per se, students in SIP are not specifically funded and unless a supervisor is willing to help with finances students are left to do it for themselves.

Unfortunately, funding is a perennial problem. “If a supervisor has funds, it is certainly a positive influence,” says Jans.

“Sometimes, however, a supervisor’s funds are to be used for a specific research project of the supervisor’s, not the SIP student, so the funds can’t be used to support the SIP student.”

The school of graduate studies provides funding for teaching assistantships for first year students, but this is what at best can be described as modest funds. The total amount available is fixed, so the specific amount that students get varies with the number of students entering the programs in any given year.

“We don’t have the long tradition of a place like McGill where endowments have built up,” says Jans. “Both the former and current deans of graduate studies are working very hard to find other sources of funds for students.”

The success of the SIP can be attributed to the number of spin-off departmental programs that have developed. Successful students in the SIP have helped departments demonstrate that they should have a PhD program. The Quebec government did not approve the present biology PhD program until 1995, after many students included the biology department as a main element of their SIP. Other programs have benefited from successful SIP students, including chemistry and mathematics.

“Sociology and anthropology are furthest along,” reports Jans. “But I have heard that geography and political science are also interested.”

The ancient Babylonians celebrated New Year’s over four thousand years ago. Their celebration, however, was in March coinciding with the planting of crops in the spring. Resolutions reflected their belief that what someone did on the first day of the New Year would have an effect throughout the year.

According to Vered Neta, a trainer, success coach and online lecturer for www.inspiration2go.com, an individual traditionally makes New Year’s resolutions to become a better person.

“It’s a lot easier to get through life when you have goals,” says Matt Wright. “I know that life can be a lot more rewarding.”

His resolution is to pay more attention to relationships. “When I’m busy, I tend to ignore people. This also includes God. I kind of sever a lot of my contact when I’m studying and stuff. I tend to pay less attention to my family, friends and God, and they are all really patient with me.”

Hoping to keep his promise, the 21-year-old psychology student says the way to do this will be to rethink his priorities and take more breaks and just try to relax more.

Statistics taken from www.inspiration2go.com, however, say that most people will have broken more than 90 per cent of their resolutions by February.

An article written in the January 1999 edition of Natural Health magazine by Katherine Gallia says the majority of resolutions are broken mainly because winter is a time for resting and conserving energy, not expending it. Hibernation time means lazy time.

For some people, therefore, there is no point in making any resolutions.

“I just don’t believe in them,” says Jermaine Walker, a 21-year-old computer science student. “You’re not going to make some life-altering decision or any decision based off the calendar. I think [New Year’s resolutions] are clich

Subscribers to Bell Sympatico and Videotron high speed Internet got an unpleasant surprise in October when both major service providers put caps on the amount individuals can download, charging extra for surplus.

The new cap means that Videotron high speed subscribers are entitled to download six gigabytes of music, video, or software every month under the standard service plan, and pay $7.95 per additional gigabyte.

Bell Sympatico has a similar standard plan, allowing subscribers to download five gigabytes a month and charging $7.95 per additional gigabyte to a maximum of $30 extra per month.

“I could tell you I’m upset about it, but I’m not,” says Ross Perigoe, a media professor in Concordia’s journalism department. Perigoe explains that the increase in rates is a predictable by-product of our market economy and it is standard fare for companies to charge as much as possible for the services they offer.

“Everybody has a kind of critical threshold,” Perigoe says matter-of-factly. “When they’ve broken the threshold of what people will pay, then people will react.”

Videotron’s website claims 90 per cent of subscribers don’t exceed the transfer limit, and the cap is only for those whose “overuse” the service, tying up the servers and diminishing the quality of service for other users.

Concordia philosophy student Aaron Oppenheim, one of these “overusers,” was taken aback by a $90 Videotron bill for October; he had gone six gigabytes over the limit. “The download cap is probably not most people’s ‘critical threshold,'” says Oppenheim, “It’s just mine and everyone else’s I know.”

In what has been hailed as the digital age, Videotron says to avoid using increasingly popular file-sharing programs like Kazaa and Limewire, webcams, multiplayer computer games like Quake and live streaming off the web, but Oppenheim says video files are the biggest problem.

“Video files are huge, and you can run through them really fast,” says Oppenheim, who has had to self-regulate his downloading habits this past month. He asserts that six gigabytes isn’t enough for anyone taking advantage of all the web has to offer: “It seems like all they want you to do is look at websites. If so, then why bother getting high speed?”

At least 25 per cent of Canadian households have high speed Internet access, and studies show the number is on the rise. Bell Sympatico alone has more than 300,000 high speed customers.

While Videotron downplays the number of subscribers affected by the download cap, both companies will profit from it significantly. But if Bell and Videotron are already increasing their profits by getting new subscribers, why do they feel the need to make more money from their Internet services?

When companies first became interested in the Internet, they hoped to make ad revenues by hosting popular web sites. But that scheme has been all but abandoned, with Internet ad revenues down 18 per cent in the third quarter of this year.

“Bottom line: The Internet doesn’t pay,” explains Perigoe, “Everybody’s looking for a way to make a buck off it.” Perigoe says to make a profit in the media business, companies first get lots of subscribers, and once they get subscribers, they charge more for the service charges.

Thanks to a recent technological development known as convergence, whereby companies provide multiple services through one medium, both Videotron and Bell have been selling package deals which may include telephone, TV and Internet services. However, this is becoming increasingly irrelevant to Internet-savvy users who download TV shows and movies and either watch them on their computer or have an output to their television sets.

In addition to the convenience offered by convergence, Bell and Videotron have lured subscribers by offering packages which cost less than the combined cost of the individual services, knowing that the rates would eventually have to be increased. At Bell, the price hike began in February when the company quietly introduced new charges for its satellite TV service, Bell Expressvu, and is being followed up by additional fees for Bell Sympatico.

The Videotron website boasts: “Synergies between the Internet, cable television broadcasting, telephone and publishing media are now a reality,” but Oppenheim warns convergence is not a friend of the people.

“Convergence allows companies to bring in customers from single service providers, then hike up prices across the board, because it’s so convenient to receive several services on one bill,” says Oppenheim. “Bell and Videotron know the vast majority of users will not switch because they already subscribe to essential services,” he adds.

By Videotron’s calculations, the new plan should continue to satisfy 90 per cent of subscribers. “They think that what people want is one bill,” Oppenheim muses, “But frankly, I don’t think people [care] about that if they can’t afford to pay their bill or download what they need to. If they keep on tampering with the service like this, I think they’re going to lose a lot of customers.”

Oppenheim himself is looking into independent service providers, which he says tend to have better technical support anyway. Having dealt with technical support at the larger companies many times over the years, Oppenheim surmises that phone operators at bigger companies don’t know a thing.

Servicing the Montreal area, SpeedE high speed Internet at http://www.golden.net is just one of many alternatives to Bell and Videotron. SpeedE offers a DSL plan comparable to Bell Sympatico at $29.95 a month, with no download cap of any sort. Oppenheim says the smaller companies can probably provide lower rates because they have no advertising costs and little to no overhead, but that isn’t to say that all big companies are price-gouging.

Another major competitor, Look, offers “UltraFast DSL” which operates at the speed of cable, for only $24.95 a month, and at least for now, that company hasn’t declared any intentions of putting a cap on downloads.

Consult http://www.canadianisp.com for a complete list of Internet service providers in your area.

New Years Eve, 2002 has finally come to a close and the excitement of the crowd around you is escalating. After hours of partying, dancing and drinking with friends you’re exhausted, but prepared to bring in 2003 with a bang.

The mass of people throb with anticipation as they groove to the rhythm of the music that envelopes everyone in a thick blanket of bass and treble. Dick Clark, his voice booming over the thriving mob, dramatically recounts the events of the past year and everyone watches as the giant ball drops in Time Square via satellite on a giant screen.

A hush falls over the crowd for a split second and then, as if it had been practiced for months, you all begin the countdown together, perfectly in sync – the suspense rising. Champagne in hand, lover in arms, friends nearby, and smiles all around, the crowd around you is anxious to begin a new year. The atmosphere overflows with joy as the final countdown begins – three, two, one – but, where will you be?

“New Year’s is the perfect time to sit at home with friends and have a blast watching Dick Clark,” says Gen Waller, a first year journalism student. Other Concordia partygoers out there like first year political science student Martin Conly are preparing to hit the town hard on New Year’s Eve. “I want to go to as many places as possible, see as many people as possible and drink as much champagne as I can take!” he exclaims.

Montreal offers a wide range of reasonably priced, well located and event-filled celebrations on New Year’s Eve. Diversity is definitely Montreal’s claim to fame, and there is something for everyone out there – you just have to know where to look.

For those who crave a night of dancing to relentless R&B, hip hop and 80’s music, Club Montreal Dome is an excellent choice. Although known as the biggest club in the city, it often attracts crowds that make it seem closet-sized and the New Year’s Eve celebration will, no doubt, draw in quite a crowd of party-goers.

With an awesome sound system and a light and laser show that is one of a kind in Canada no less, the Dome brags that its New Year’s bash will be like no other.

Outfitted with a brand new look, the club sports huge big screens that will display the countdown live from Times Square complimented by a balloon drop at midnight. Complete with champagne, party favours, 25 bartenders, open bar from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. and two floors of non-stop festivities, this night will cost you $69.99 in advance.

Opened under the same people who brought the city Club Montreal Dome is another club that suits the needs of raging dance-aholics. Club Vatican boasts that it will be the best party of the night. Housing a somewhat older crowd, Club Vatican offers an evening of party favours, open bar from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., gifts, live feed from Times Square and a champagne toast at midnight. This considerably smaller club holds about 850 people and tends to fill up quickly on New Year’s Eve. It is recommended to buy your tickets in advance, which will also cost you $69.99.

Along with sister clubs Dome and Vatican lays another well-known and extremely popular club – Club 737. Renowned for its amazing 360 degree view of the entire city of Montreal, for New Year’s it will host an amazing party complete with hors d’oevres and bubbly.

For the first 300 people who call for tickets the price is $50, anyone after will have to pay $70. Tickets are currently on sale, and buying them as soon as possible is recommended – the price can sky-rocket to $80 at the door if tickets have not been pre-purchased.

Of course, there are those who prefer a more relaxed atmosphere like that of a pub or bar. Individuals who enjoy an evening spent sitting with friends around multiple pitchers will deem McKibbinn’s Irish Pub as the best alternative.

Three distinct floors, an old-fashioned atmosphere and a hip crowd are just a few reasons why McKibbinn’s is a great place to please an indecisive group of partygoers. A ticket for only $25 will get you champagne, chances to win prizes, a buffet open all evening and party favors. The festivities begin at 8 p.m. Instead of open bar, there will be various drink specials throughout the night.

On the top floor, known as Toucan, there will be a DJ spinning the latest in dance, hip-hop, R&B and techno. On the second floor, the band Sona will be playing and of course the first floor houses the traditional pub-goers complete with dartboard, television and good ‘ole Guinness on tap. McKibbinn’s Irish Pub brags that this will be a phenomenal party and recommends buying tickets early – they go on sale this week.

Of course, the club and bar scene is not for everyone. But don’t confirm plans with Dick Clark and the cat just yet. The downtown hotel scene is worth checking-out. They offer an evening of good food, good people, good music and good deals on rooms.

Out of all the hotels, The Marriott stands out as unique and is magnificent inside and out. If your plan for New Year’s Eve is to spend it wrapped in your lovers’ arms, The Marriott should accommodate those plans quite nicely. They offer a two day package from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 – priced at 349$ for two people – which includes in-room breakfast, supper in the main hall on Dec. 31 and a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine in the room. This is the perfect plan for a quiet, romantic evening which comes highly recommended by the staff.

The Holiday Inn has the perfect median between intimate and drunken madness. Geared towards a slightly older crowd, 24 to 36 years, for $120 per person you can enjoy en evening of food, friends and music. The hotel offers a seven course sit-down meal, wine and open bar all night from 7 p.m. until 3 a.m.

Purchasing a room is not necessary to attend the party, although with the purchase of a New Year’s Eve celebration ticket, there is a discount on the rooms regularly priced at $220. Recommended attire is suit and tie for the men, evening dress for the ladies.

This will be the fifth year the Holiday Inn hosts such a party and they boast that it has always been a success.

If nothing mentioned above has tickled your fancy, and you are still set on staying in, at least treat yourself to a nice bottle of champagne. To ring in the New Year with style, any SAQ Selection store in Montreal has an amazing selection of champagnes.

There is no “bad” champagne and so it all comes down to how much you are willing to spend. The well-known Cristal, famous for it’s crystal and lead bottles made for the Tzars of Russia, will cost approximately $200, but will be enjoyed until the very last drop as it has a very distinct flavour. For the starving student, Cristal might not be the best choice so an alternative recommended by the Selection staff is the Moet & Chandon Champagne which is easier on the wallet at $56.

So, where will you be when the ball drops, when the clock strikes midnight, when your loved one holds you near, when the year 2003 begins? Regardless of what you plan to do, remember to do it safely. Enjoy yourself and surround yourself with the people you love, be it family or friends.

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to enjoy the company of others and engage in a party like no other. Remember, there is something out there for everyone – make it your New Year’s Eve.

It’s that wonderful time of year once again. The end of the semester is quickly approaching and many students are feeling drowned in their work.

One thought comes to mind amid all the studying and essay writing: When will the Christmas shopping get done?

Students don’t have much time between classes to handle the mad Christmas shoppers rush. It is understandable if some decide to procrastinate on their holiday purchases.

Kelly Small, a first year journalism student, admits to waiting until the very last minute for Christmas shopping.

Not surprisingly, this is the case for many other students who are simply “wrapped up” in their books until just a few days before Christmas arrives. So what do you do in so little time?

The solution to Christmas shopping may be aided by the Internet. The creation that has revolutionized the world of information can also be a great help come the holiday season.

For those clueless about what to get that special someone, there are many Websites that offer lists of gift ideas.

“I love looking at suggestion lists published on websites and in magazines just to know what the new cool things are,” says Gab Tarabously, a third year communication studies student.

This year, some of the familiar suggestion items include digital cameras, palm pilots and an array of other little technical gadgets.

There are many advantages to online shopping. For one, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home.

This may sound indolent, but some simply don’t have time to travel from store to the stores. Visualize the jam-packed parking lots and long line-ups. Now think about how incredible it will feel to bypass that stress.

Another advantage is you save time. Hitting a few key strokes and clicking on your mouse can find you the perfect gift in minutes.

A major setback to online shopping is that although it may save you the time of actually making your purchase, you can be waiting up to four weeks for delivery.

Most sites will guarantee delivery by Christmas, but that means that you won’t really have a chance to see it until your loved one rips off the wrapping paper.

Another disadvantage is that people are still very hesitant to give out personal credit information online because they feel that there are great risks involved.

“I have not made online purchases because I still don’t trust giving my credit card number over the Internet,” admits Tanya Avrith, a second year Concordia student.

Some experts however are trying to encourage abandoning the fear of online shopping.

“There’s more security over a typical credit card transaction online in terms of encryption than there is over a retail store transaction,” says Jim Carroll, Canada’s e-biz/Internet Guru, columnist and author of Surviving the Information Age.

His view is that credit card companies promise to guarantee you against any loss if you are subjected to fraud, so where are the risks?

Carroll believes that credit card skeptics should feel more worried in venues other than online.

“Frankly, if I wanted to get a bunch of credit cards, I’d get a job as a waiter. It would be a lot easier!” he says.

In the end, there is always something more personal about actually being able to touch the gift that you are buying before purchasing it but not all students have time for this making online shopping the more convenient option.

For those who still think it is worthwhile to check out what there is online, here are a few interesting sites:

Presentpicker.com lets you search for gift ideas when you simply don’t know what to buy your loved ones this year. The user can choose between doing a keyword search or can have a personalized search by making selections in six different categories dealing with demographics and miscellaneous questions.

Pages.ebay.ca is the popular auction house and a great place to find memorabilia or simply hard to find items. On a profitable note, people seem to buy almost anything and it is one of the best times of the year for anyone to make a little extra cash for Christmas shopping by auctioning something of yours.

Montrealplus.ca is a Montreal-based website linked to Sympatico which has great gift ideas. The user can choose from categories dealing with gender to price ranges to get a list of possible gifts that suits that category. This site also offers great links to what is happening around Montreal this holiday season.

Spencergifts.com is a site for those who want to find something a little different for their loved ones this year. Coined as the place to buy gags (more of a Halloween site than a Christmas one), items of the week include farting monkeys and also available at decent prices, the talking Ozzy Osbourne bobble-head and lots of Simpson’s collectibles.

Wishlistexpress.com is a one of a kind site that will, for a buck, send Sneaky off to find out exactly what your recipient would like this year. Sneaky is an e-mail that secretly asks your gift receiver questions in order for you to know exactly what to get them.

Of course they won’t know it is you because Sneaky e-mails them. Why not get the people you love exactly what they ask for?

Maybe one day, we will all be avid online shoppers. In the end, whether you choose to actually purchase something online or not, it may still be worthwhile to simply check the net for gift ideas and quotes on prices to avoid circling the mall cluelessly.

Additional reporting by Andrea Young.

Researchers agree that the Internet is the most significant advancement in the field of communications in the history of mankind. This statement is extremely sweeping, but the potential for value along the super highway is literally infinite.

Andrew Conrad, who teaches American culture at Phoenix University, described it as a book that never ends, a library with a million floors, a research project with legions of contributors working around the clock forever, a city with all the doors wide open.

A study performed in 2002 by Integrated Resources (IR), a company that conducts research, found that there are specific “dark paths” in cyberspace that lead to these “seedy back alleys” that are likely to entice students more than any other Internet applications.

The survey suggested there are certain types of people that are more likely to overuse or become addicted to the Internet. Housewives, office workers, teenagers and the homebound are a recognized segment, but the most likely and important category seems to be university students.

Of the 5,321 people surveyed via the Internet by IR, 2,100 of the respondents were students, with 849 respondents reporting they were dependent users. Of the 849; 82 per cent said they found themselves staying online longer than they wanted, and the number one reason was to engage in MUD games.

A MUD, or multi-user dungeon, is an online environment where multiple users are logged on and interacting with one another. One can be drawn to a MUD by the prospect of gaining power through monster killing and the direct competition with other human players.

Once again, this recent study resuscitates the question: is there such a thing as internet addiction?

Given that students topped the list as most susceptible, it would prove worthwhile exploring briefly the term.

Kimberly Young, PhD, is touted as the world’s first cyber psychologist also known as an international researcher and speaker on the impact of technology and human behaviour. She first defined Internet addiction in her book Caught in the Net, as ‘a maladaptive pattern of Internet use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.’

The Internet also has the potential for good and bad. As easily as one can find well-kept rest stops along the Information highway, one can find seedy, nasty, corrupt, decadent and wasteful back alleys.

These diversions, such as video games, chat rooms and certain websites take the form of unhealthy social applications whose power is so great that the human mind can easily fall victim to their seductive lure, or become addicted.

Others think that you can’t call the phenomenon an addiction, since it doesn’t involve any physical substances being ingested in the body. On the other hand TV, videogames, gambling and even love, are considered addictive by some.

“People no more suffer an addiction to the Internet than someone who works all the time suffers from ‘work addiction disorder'”, says John Grohol, PhD, well-known online psychologist and director of the Web site Mental Health Net, in his frequently asked questions of life section at the Psychnet-Web site.

The media hype around Internet addiction rose to new heights in October last year when a woman in Florida, Pam Albridge, lost custody of her two young children because she spent too much time online.

In this case a diagnosis “Internet addiction syndrome” was actually used successfully in court to prohibit Albridge of taking care of her own kids.

A month earlier, in September, another case had been reported. Cincinnati woman Sandra Bloomsfield locked up her three children, aged two, three and five, in a room to keep them from disturbing her in her online sessions.

This time “net addiction disorder” was the term used by the police. Bloomsfield faces three different charges of child endangering.

These are all strong points that build a sturdy foundation for the argument for and against Internet addiction, but try telling Internet addiction does not exist to Sydney West, a Concordia student, who has become severely attached to Age of Legends-the One Ring, a popular MUD.

Like many in the IR survey, West became more and more powerful through his character in the game. He became less and less powerful in his real life. “Eventually I got to the point where my body was merely a host for the game.”

West’s story is typical and begins with normal Internet use and then progresses to very serious situations. “In Legends I am Gore, the beast conqueror of underland, but in everyday life I am just plain old Sydney.”

The ability to start a brand new identity in the online community, and tailor that identity to shape our personal preferences is appealing.

“The problems arise when this new identity completely replaces our identity in the real world,” writes Linda, a student from New York, who was one of the survey respondents. “The freedom from the physical limitations of the real world is another attraction of the on-line games,” she adds.

The second reason for staying online longer is to interact in chat rooms. The survey suggests that students were also the most vulnerable.

Robin-Linn Mendez, a former Harvard student and chat room over-user, now provides recovery groups for chat room over-users twice a week.

“What we try to convey to our members is that in cyberspace, relationships are not real, no matter how real they seem. A cyber friend’s character is only what is given up on line. We fill in the gaps of unknown traits with our version of what we want. The person on the other side never looks like your image.”

Another aspect of the Internet that everyone will be drawn to essentially is the ability to escape from the problems and stressors of real life. This is like going to a movie for the same purpose, but with the Internet, the interaction is so deeply intertwined that it is hard not to become permanently locked into the escape.

Now the real life, where the problems originated, is no longer existent.

People who are shunned in real life by peers will eagerly rush into the open arms of these virtual communities. “One reason that many people choose online relationships over real life relationships is because on the Internet there are no repercussions or lasting effects. Internet users can have cybersex or kill another person in a MUD and not have to worry about the consequences,” agrees Conrad.

What happens when the power is turned off and the screen goes black? The abuser is thrust back into the life they have been neglecting, and the problems they are trying to escape are waiting.

Anyone who feels that they may be overusing the Internet can answer the following questions that Young has created:

1. Do you constantly anticipate your next online session?

2. Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?

3. Do you stay online longer than originally intended?

4. Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational, or career opportunity because of the Internet?

5. Do you use the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a distressed mood?

Young, Grohl and Conrad cite the many resources for recovery assistance. These include online support groups, an idea that is likened to holding AA meetings, which are being developed rapidly in hospitals and on university campuses across the country.

The main goal of these strategies is to get the over-user to see the value of their real life and then to stay in the real life once it is recognized again.

Acknowledge what you are missing. Think about what you used to do in the real world and what activities you enjoyed. Assess your online time for often Internet over-users do not realize how much time they are actually spending.

One good way to limit Internet use without feeling withdrawal effects is to set up a tight schedule. For example, one hour of Internet use per day is good.

Unlike other addictions, total abstinence is not necessary or helpful for recovery. On the contrary, a tightly disciplined schedule is the best strategy.

It is also necessary to find some support in the real world. Letting a friend from real life know what your problem has been is a very important step.

Finally, the most important aspect of Internet addiction, whether it truly exists or not, is conveyed in the question: Who is in control?

People are losing jobs, being kicked out of school and ending up with broken families all because of a computer!

Regardless if Internet addiction is real or just a snappy psychological term, the Internet is a technology with remarkable power and potential. The nature of this technology can however have a damaging effect on people, and more so on students.

From transportation costs to site seeing to drinking in the local clubs, traveling anywhere can get quite expensive. However, it can be done cheaply.

Concordia houses one of the most well known companies for student travel, Travel Cuts, or better known in Quebec as Voyage Campus. This establishment aids thousands of students in traveling around the world each year and recognizes the finite student budget. The staff is friendly, helpful and guides students to great saving tips while abroad.

Before traveling, a student should count on spending at least $50 a day, for lodging expenses and food according to Clara Soares, manager of the Voyage Campus located at Concordia.

Since Voyage Campus is concerned with helping students to travel, they concentrate on finding the best deals on airfare. “We are going to look at the student fares, we look at the seat sales, we look at charter – we look at all the possibilities that are offered,” says Soares.

England is a place with a lot of history and splendor. It also happens to be one of the world’s most expensive travel destinations. Specifically, London is where historical atmosphere and modern flare combine to make this cosmopolitan city extraordinary.

The city itself has a population of about ten million and boasts some of the oldest must-see sites in the world. Moreover, thousands of travelers from around the globe visit London every year – inexpensively.

Of the many sites to visit in London, the Tower of London is an absolute must-see attraction as its construction dates back over 900 years. It has experienced great changes through the millennium and offers a place where you can step inside the rooms of past royalty and get a close-up look at the crown jewels.

London’s Tower Bridge, famous for its architectural design, was built in 1894 and houses a museum of the bridges history called The Tower Bridge Experience.

Big Ben, located in the clock tower beside the Houses of Parliament, is also a site to see. Many people think that the clock tower is Big Ben, however, Big Ben is the enormous 13 ton bell inside the tower.

The London Dungeon Museum is more modern than the other sites mentioned. It allows you to step back in time and witness all the horrors that plagued London over centuries. Experience London’s Great Fire, the Black Plague and walk through the horrific path of the ladies slain by Jack the Ripper. It will leave chills down your spine and a haunting memory of the horrific past that walked the streets of London many years ago. Get there early to avoid waiting two to three hours to get in.

Before leaving however, it is very important to take a student identity card with you, but keep in mind, your Concordia identity card will not cut it. “They don’t recognize that as proof, they need to recognize an international student,” she adds.

Soares confirms that the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is what students should have before going abroad and that it’s a good card to have in the U.K. ISIC is free for full-time Concordia grads and undergrads. It is accepted by most international institutions and offers student rates on buses, trains, museums and some hostels.

Hostels are the best choice for cheap travel accommodation. They may not be rated five star but most of them are very clean and well kept, and namely, much cheaper than a hotel.

The Hostelling Association Card (HAC) is another card that students can purchase before going abroad. This card is a discount and priority pass for specific hostels that are part of this association.

There is a standard of cleanliness in these hostels so you will always know what to expect. However, this type of card can be purchased while abroad in case you’re not sure where you plan to stay, according to former Concordia student Robin Young, an experienced traveler.

There are many hostels all over London and they are targeted toward the traveling backpacker.

“Hostels are set up like that, you could meet as many or as few people as you want. They are all backpackers like you,” says Young.

As for transportation in London, the easiest way to travel is by the Underground. The Underground is London’s subway system and is widely referred to as the ‘Tube.’ By purchasing daily travel cards you will have mobile access to the city all day. These passes include the world famous double-decker buses.

Don’t forget to visit the pubs. During the week they start getting busy late in the afternoon, but last call is at 10:45 p.m. – a bit of a stretch from the Montreal nightlife. The nightclubs, which are more costly, stay open until 3:00 a.m., for those who like to party into all the hours of the night.

During your stay in London, if you need information or direction, there are three Travel Cuts locations and one in the city central. Soares indicates that these offices will have more information on local tours and attractions, more so than what is offered at the Canadian offices.

A trip abroad can be a very rewarding experience. “It broadened my horizons and opened my mind,” says Young with regards to her experience. “I came home more aware of myself and my culture.”

What you can obtain from your traveling adventures all depends on what you want and what you do about it.

For more information go to the Voyage Campus Web site at www.travelcuts.com or call 288-1130.