DUSTIN
QUEZADA

wf. NeW, to. the.relay, is..

RANDY SMALBRUGGE,

_ he’ll shave his head,

’ April 8 the North-

_second-year

Oo

Around Town

Critical Mass part of
Earth Day in Terrace

TERRACE’S first-ever Critical Mass will be staged
on Friday, April 22 at 5 p.m. at the band shell in
George Little Park.

Critical Mass is an event held typically on Earth
Day in cities around the world, where bicyclists and
self-propelled people take to the’streets en masse.

Critical Mass has no leaders, and no goals other

‘than to enjoy the security of riding, rolling and trav-

elling through the city together.

According to Patrick Hayes, Skeena Green Par-
‘ty candidate, since rides started in San Francisco in

1992, Critical Mass has had an undeniable effect
in exhorting local government and city planners to.,

consider cyclists’ needs and facilities i in urban plan- ;

ning.
It has since spread to more than 325 cities around
the world.

Dress up in Earth Day celebratory | wear and .
bring a dish and share some. food at the park after-

wards.
Later that evening, The Kiva Sports Café hosts
a Get Your Vote On party at 8 p.m. as part of Earth’
Day. Provincial election candidates Ian Austin,
Roger Harris and Hayes will appear, as will local
band Dr. Fishy. The Kiva is in the trades building
at NWCC campus. No cost and prizes to be dolled
out. i »

Relay For Life
fundraising builds

‘superintendant of
schools for school district 82, is putting his. well-.

, groomed appearance on the Jine | in the name. of |

cancer research.

Smalbrugge has promised his team, ‘The ‘Amaz- |

ing Racers, that if
they raise $2,500, |

and if they raise
$4,000, he’ll shave
his head and pierce
his ears. The team,

captained by Joyce
Gibsen (635-7913).
On. Friday,

ern Healthcare team
successfully staged .
a second. annual
barbecue and cake
sale with help from
culi-
nary arts students
from NWCC. The
returning team is
captained by Loretta Kuemper (615-5151).

This year’s Relay for Life is Sunday, May 8th. It
is a 12-hour relay from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. that ends
with a luminary ceremony and guest speaker.

There’s food, entertainment, and kids’ activities
throughout the day.

The relay has become the signature fundrais-
ing event of the Canadian Cancer Society, last year
raising more than $22.9 million across Canada for
research and Support programs.

Randy Smalbrugge

Scientists sought for

volunteer workshops

THE NORTHWEST Science and Innovation
Society and Science World is looking for
participants to attend a Scientists in the Schools
workshop in Terrace Monday, April 25.

Organizers are seeking scientists, technologists

~ and technicians in any field who might like to vol-

unteer four to five hours per school year present-
ing their real-world work experiences with regional

kindergarten to Grade 12 students.

The orientation workshop will assist prospective
volunteers to prepare for the i in- class speaking en-
gagements.

It will take place at Northwest Community Col- |

lege, room 2001 in the cafeteria building between
5-8:30 p.m.

Registration is required and can be done by call-
ing Angela at Science World 1-800-363-1611 or
Betty 635-6244.

Society aims to raise
violence awareness

THE KSAN Society is planning a week-long

community awareness campaign during Prevention
of Violence Against Women Week, April 25-29.
Organizations are invited to pick a time to pro-

vide displays or activities relating to the theme.

The campaign is based on “Together We Can,”
a community initiative to make four pairs of button
blankets. .

Displays will be put up in the community room
at Skeena Mall.

For information or to book a time slot, call Fiona
at 635-2373.

Milk Run 2005

STUDENTS FROM Thornhill Junior Secondary
and Caledonia Senior Secondary schools will take
part in Milk Run 2005: Survival. of the Fittest on
Wednesday, April 20.

p FERRACE STANDARD @

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 20, 2005- B1 :

PSY Adar |

A CENTRIFUGE destined for Ecuador is tagged Y YTA and ready to go at Mills Memorial Hosp April 12.

Elizabeth Engkjer, Joanne Monaghan and Richard Engkjer. _

a

— By
DUSTIN QUEZADA

2

public’s awareness.

She | was interviewed on the radio to. raise the

When she returned last week with husband

country.

‘outskirts of Porto Viejo in the South American

From left to right is Sharon Prinz,

DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO

Q

The clinic is run by an Ecuadorean doctor and

THE NORTHWEST has proven to be a medical
goldmine for an American couple that operates a
medical clinic in impoverished Ecuador.

Through generosity and | coincidence, individu-

“als and the medical Communities in Terrace and’

Kitimat will be helping out incalculably.

Joanne Monaghan, a Kitimat-based counsel-
lor and regional! district official, was alerted to the
Denver-based project while in the Colorado city
in 2002.

Her friend of 45 years, Dottie McGuire, is a
board member with Fundacién Yo Te Amo, Colo-
rado, which translated means I love you, Colo-
rado.

With contacts at the Northern Health Author-
ity, Monaghan saw an opportunity to arrange a
significant donation.

Elizabeth Engkjer, vice- -president of the seven:
year-old project came to Kitimat in the fall of
2004.

\

‘Richard and McGuire, they were overwhelmed.

with the scope of the accumulated supplies.
“It’s a miraculous event,” said Engkjer. “(In-

“ dividuals) have donated hospital gowns, crutches,

braces, walkers, empty prescription medical bot-
tles and plastic bags.”

However, the biggest coup came from the hos-
pitals.

Monaghan again had contacts, including Sha-
ron Prinz, head of day surgery at Mills Memorial
Hospital.

-“] asked Sharon if the hospital had any equip-

ment that could be donated and she said they had.

a big room of stuff,” Monaghan said.
Equipment, such as X-ray machines, gurnies

and hospital beds that have become obsolete here, ’
is state of the art where it 'is destined...

The foundation opened. a medical clinic in

the foundation sends a team of 20 doctors from

the U.S. every year for a week.
With money raised through a yearly yardsale,

- private donations and church fundraisers, there is ©

little money for, the desperately-needed medical
supplies.

The last hurdle is getting the goods down to the

equatorial country.

Monaghan has contacted the air force in Alaska
and shipping companies trying to get the equip:
ment to Seattle.

Once there, says Richard Engkjer, the founda-
tion’s president, a U.S. government program that
ships donations to Third World countries for free |
would take over.

Ecuadorean customs would be the last hurdle:

. Other notable donors in Terrace include Ben-
son Optical, ophthalmologist Dr. Thomas Nagy

‘and dentist Dr. Peter Okimi.

Gamers

‘marathon

game for

LAN Party

DUSTIN QUEZADA
KILLSWITCH, BUZZING
on .65-miligram caffeine:
drinks, is one of 30 fixated
on his screen in a dim-lit,
abandoned store.

Welcome to the world of
gamers.

“Everyone has an alias.”
says Richard Jenniss, AKA
Killswitch, when compet-
ing against others in video
games.

Jenniss, a computer tech-
nician and salesperson by
trade, is also a gamer.

October 2004 in El Florén, a shanty town on the

PLUGGED in to the local area network, Smithers resident Tyler Johnson engages in.
video warfare with peers at the Terrace LAN party April 10.

DUSTIN QUEZADA PHOTO

He organized a LAN par-
ty in Terrace Sunday, April

‘10 that drew 31 participants.

LAN stands for local area network
and its associated party is a gathering
of gamers that engage in video battle.

In games such as Assault and Cap-
ture the Flag, groups are pitted against
one another for an hour or more.

In a LAN party, all players are con-
nected on a network by a server.

And with some help from friends,
Jenniss put it all together.

“Terrace has had smaller events,”
said Jenniss, who had travelled before
to Smithers to get his gaming fix.

Set up in an unused store in the
Keith Avenue Mail, Jenniss had the
power for up to 42 gamers, but was sat-

_isfied with the 31 that came.

Needing power cords and bars, ta-
bles, a switch server and two projection
screens, the 25-year-old spent about
$1,000 to stage the tournament.

Charging $20 a head, Jenniss said
he’d use 20 per cent of that money to

‘after frame,”

cover his costs.

The hobby isn’t cheap. Besides a
computer and a network cable for tour-
neys, gamers need game cards to play.

It’s a way to immerse
yourself in another .
world

“Game cards act like a production
line with each segment drawing frame
said Jenniss, comparing
the images to the wire drawings used in
computer animation movies.

Cards need to be upgraded every 18
months or so because the games change
so fast, and the high-end ones cost up-
wards of $800.

Most games are designed for mul-
tiple players, but can still be played in-
dividually, often as a means of practice

- ability (in their movements),”

for wider matches.

“The better players exceed human
Jenniss
said. “It’s a way to immerse yourself i in
another world.”

Although two women: took part,
gamers are mainly boys and men.

With players sporting headphones,
the atmosphere was eerily quiet in the
dark space, lit only by the glowing PC
screens and the two wall projections.

Jenniss had the space from Friday
to Sunday and he said some players,
fuelled by Bawls, were practising all
night.

The drink of choice for gamers,
Bawls contains 65 miligrams of caf-
feine.

“Unlike coffee or Red Bull, itdoesn’t
bother your stomach,” said Jenniss,
who supplied a-steady supply of the
energizing drink. “It gives your head a
buzz until your head gives out.”

The next LAN party for Terrace is
planned for June.

Enjoy BC”
Arts and —
| week here

Submitted by
KARLA HENNIG

ON APRIL 24 - 30, people ©

across B.C.. will celebrate
Arts and Culture Week,
a ‘recognition of British
Columbia’s vibrant arts and
culture sector. -

, Arts and Culture Week
highlights the contribution
that arts and culture make |
‘to our everyday life. Music, -
films, media arts, dance,

. books, theatre and visual art .

are a part of daily life, and
have a lasting impact. They
inspire us and challenge us.

In Terrace, we have a .

broad range of top rate arts
groups, who bring creativ-
‘ity into our lives. Here are a
few of the many groups who

- enrich our lives through the

arts:

Theatre

Terrace Little Theatre, the
longest continuosly running |
community theatre group
‘in B.C., boasts a member-
ship of over 200 people, and
has been. producing plays .
since the 1950s. Long-time
members are. full of entic-
ing stories. Like the night
actors had to wade through

“the flood water streaming

through the set. Or, the per-
formance where a boulder
was placed on the lighting
console to keep it going.

Continued Page B3