i t ones INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2 JUST A THOUGHT. KATHY FLORITTO Fast track learning hen the College’s booklet on its 1998 fall offerings arrived, I called about computer accounting classes slated to begin in November. It was one of those “now you've bought the software, wanna learn how to use it?’’ courses. Afier a minimal amount of nagging, our com- pany had decided to make the part of my life devoted to bookkeeping a more pleasurable and mistake-proof experience. Wahoo! ““¥ou want Version 6’’, smiles our accoun- tant. ~ Groan. ‘‘Version 67°’ I asked. ‘“There’s more than one?”’ _ You know how it goes. Company brings out new software - one of those ‘‘best things since sliced-bread’’ things designed to make our lives _ ‘so much easier’. ~ We buy it and try it, frantically aying to find » the Easy button, but to no avail, Our fizst c-mail to the company’s technical ’ staff opens the door to a long, long association wilh a-fellow named Jim who initially signs _-himself James [, Amberetohelpyou but quickly becomes. your commiserating buddy, Jimmy, “who agrees there are ‘‘a few glitches in the sys- tem, which will be improved with the next Ver- sion — promise.”’ Congratulations. You’ve joined a long list of - software Testers. The irony doesn’t escape you, “[’m sure. You’ye paid the company to test its “software — and now that you’re on the list, ‘Why... with your help (and a Little more of your money), you'll be able to advise them on a) - where those glitches are in Version 1 and b) give the program writers great ideas about what should be in Version 2 and beyond, Oh yes, there will be a Version 2 and 3, 4, 5 and 6 and... Bet onit, — . Now it’s true that, in this instance, Version 6 has the Jatest tax updates which are crucial for anyone writing payroll cheques. Tf you have slightly older software you can pay $100 a year for the updates and play Catch the Bug(s) lo your heart’s content. Heck, if you . know what you're doing, the books will even get done! But, if you're working the other oar in my little wooden boat, Version 6 it is. OLf you go to your friendly software retaiter, A couple of hun- dred dollars later, you rush home to install it and enter push-button heaven. Oops! Not so fast. If you’re new to this, there’s that College course to bring you up to ‘specd — for the nominal price of $250, Since this is one of those programs whereby errors must be corrected by reverse entries, it’s a fine idea to leam how noi to make them in the first place. You join nine other people equally determined to join the league of hi-tech money counters. Your instructor is a peach. I mean, this guy is* really interested in helping you and he knows his stuff! Unfortunately, the peach begins losing his sweetness — starting with the first class. His students quickly become familiar with the pit Oh, he’s still an excellent instructor, but he’s an “unhappy one. Why? Glad you asked! * Back to September and my initial inquiry about the course,..“Will it be with Version 6?” “Ob yes...Version 4 (1996) is installed right . now, but by the time the course begins...”’ Two months and four classes later (there’s one - more left)...il’s still Version 4, "T's not like this in Version 617’ our peach ‘croaks, “He explains the differences to a class that is attempting to learn what they know they won’t be using at the office. “Jl is going to be interesting trying to remem- ber what is and is not the same and how to ac- commodate the changes. The folks at the College on the hill are, appar- ently, convinced that in- this world of constant ‘technological updates, the old stuff is as good as the new stuff — which convinces me of a few ihings,..primarily that some form of rebate is in ‘order, » Having to learn'a new program with an out- “dated one...well,..what’s the going rate for frus- tration and confusion, I wonder. Oh, did I mention that the classroom bas a dis- ““claimer wrilten across its blackboard? ‘It’s. something about someone not being “responsible for ensuring that the printers will print. Joo Akl TERRACE STANDARD - COMMUNI The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 2, 1998 - BI SECTION B ALEX HAMILTON 638-7283 Hospital auxiliary turns 50 MILLS MEMORIAL Hos- pital wouldn’t be the same wilhout them. From its baby photo ser- vice to its car seat rental program, the hospital auxil- iary has made a difference in patient’s lives — not ta mention the thousands of dollars worth of new equip- ment it has purchased for the hospital in the past 50 years. “If there wasn't an orga- nization like ours think what our hospital would be like,’’ said Ruth Shannon, presi- dent of the Mills Memorial Auxiliary, “There’s a tremendous amount of equipment they wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for us.”’ Shannon explained — the auxiliary purchases cquip- ment the hospital’s budget can’t cover. But purchasing hospital equipment wasn’t the auxil- iary’s primary goal when it formed a half century ago. ‘The first hospital women’s auxiliary was formed Dec. 21, 1948 after the Canadian Red Cross set up an small hospital in Terrace in March of the same year. The hospital was no more than a ten bed outpost with two doctors — Dr. Stanley Mills and Dr. Frank McGil- very. The women’s auxil- jary (17 members) was formed to help the hospital in any way possible, This meant cleaning windows, furnishing hospi- tal rooms and nurses quarters with pictures and rugs, visiting patients, and mending and sewing sheets and mattress covers. In a report written by one of the auxiliary’s first presi- deuts, Mary Little, the auxil- jiary’s main objective was to do maittenance work and promote quality heaith care to patients. In its first year, the auxil- iary raised $345 by way of ’ membership fees (50 cents per aunuim), donations, sales of plants, an October tea and a card party. The money was spent on cups and saucers for the - nurses’ lounge, creating a li- brary, purchasing a baby Local celebrates her new book WHEN JOY LENNOX was struck with a serious illness a few years ago leaving her partially paralyzed, she found a new way of looking at the world. Her new book, Joi the dots, explains the inward journey THRIFT SHOP VOLUNTEERS: Mills Memorial Hos- pital Auxiliary members Erna Motschilnig, Beryl Schooner and president Ruth Shannon work at the bottle sterilizer for the nurs-. ery and giving patients gifts at Christmas and Easter. Starting in the 60s, the hospital auxiliary changed ils focus from hands-on work to raising money for hospital equipment only. The first hospital auxiliary Thrift, Shop, which sold donated clothing for a rea- sonable price, opened in 1955. ‘Ever since then, the secondhand store has been the = auxiliary’s largest money maker, Tn 1997, The Thrift Shop raised more than’ $38,006, double the amount raised by the hospital’s Gift Shop and pop machine combincd. Other fund-raising — ac- tivities like Tag Day in May, Craft sales in Novem- ber, the newborn photo ser- vice and car seal rentals helped ‘to raise a total of $62,850 for new hospilal equipment. The hospital presents. the auxiliary wilh a wish list every spring. This year the auxiliary agreed to buy a number of items (three blood pressure monitors, two bedside pulse oximetres, three infusion pumps with stands ctc.), NEW BOOK: It took locai author Joy Lennox eight months to write her first book Jo/n the Dots, The hook is a positive and uplifting guide that teaches readers how to look at life In a more spiritual way. costing more than $62,000. . The auxiliary also pur- chased two cordless phones for the nursing unit, 50 per- sonal care books for new patients at —Terraceview Lodge, and made a $1250 donation towards endoscopy equipment at Mills. “There scems to be a real nced to raise funds for the hospital,’’ said Shannon, a 10-year member, This coming year, Shan- non said the auxiliary hopes to furnish another palliative care room at the hospital, “They need more than one pallialive care room,’’ she said. “IE someone is dying and needs the room, but someone-else is using it, they have stay in an or- dinary room.” And that’s why she and about 39 other people donate countless hours of volunteer time at the Thrift Shop, Gift Shop and other moncy-raising ventures. Last year, volunteers worked a total of 5942 hours. “J like the work we’re doing,’ said Beryl Schooner, who voluntcers at the Thrift Shop. ‘‘It gives you a good feeling because it goes to good use.” she took to reframe her life, “7 turned inward,’’ she said. ‘I had some very interest- ing experiences and ] wrote about them.’’ Lennox explained that when she gol sick, instead of fall- ing into self-pity, she Icarned a lesson, “Either you go, ‘Woe is me’ and go down the tubes, or you change the way you look al yourself,’’ she said. Lennox said she docsn’t sce herself as less of a person because she’s in a wheelchair. “You learn thal you're self warth isn't based on a job or your health,”’ she said. Instead, she learned some important lessons from her “imier teacher’? while meditating, Coming up with these lessons have allowed her to sec things in 4 more spiritual way. Thrift Shop on Lazelle Avenue to help raise money for new hospital equipment. The secondhand store is the auxiliary's largest money raiser. OUTPOST HOSPITAL | The Canadian Red Cross Society. MACE B. £. . The Terrace Red Cross Hospital Women's Auxiliary was formed Dec. 21, 1948 after the Red Cross out- post hospital was created in March of the same year, Around Town UNBC gets good grade IN ITS EIGHTH an- nual ranking of Cana- dian universities, Maclean’s magazine ranked the University of Northern B.C. ninth out of 21 universities in the Primary Undergraduate category. UNBC's faculty also ranked among the high- est in the country. Since 92.7 per cent of the in- Guidance/direction comes not from thinking about what you are ding and trying to figure out what direction you are heading in, but from loving what you are doing and letting the love make the way clear. ~~ Inner Teacher, excerpt from Join the Dois. structars have PhDs, the university ranked second in thal respect, In terms of research, UNBC ranked first for both the number and value of- research projects supported by the Social Sciences and “T haven't. based myself on an external view of the world,’ Lennox said, ‘I’m emotionally and mentally happy. I’m alright with myself. I’m happy with the way I - Lennox said she wrote Join the Dots to share her spiritual jouracy. “Tl think that everyone has a wakcup call and this was mine. It’s helped explain everything along the way, like self discovery and self understanding. " “When you reach a health crisis you find your real self under all the trappings. "” She said the book is relevant to all people because every- one bas had problems in life he or she has | found diffleuit to understand, - Lennox describes her book as encouraging and helpful She sald different people will relate to it in different ways. Humanities — Research Council, and eighth for research funding from the Natural Sciences and Enginecring Research council. UNBC’s library is also tops in Canada for the percentage of its budget that goes to new acquisi- tlons — 61 per cent. Charics Jago, president of UNBC said 86 Ter- race students are study- ing at UNBC either in ‘the Northwest or Prince George.