The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 3, 2002 - BI

TERRACE STANDARD.

INSIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS B2

SECTION B

JUST A THOUGHT’ EY BISHOP

Gasp! No, breathe... slowly... good

RRRGGGHHHHHH. Have you ever

signed up for something and ended

up saying, “What the heck was I

thinking?” If yes, welcome to my life.

I have often spouted off about the joys of education for education’s sake and about how it’s good to stretch your mind by making your- self learn about things outside of your main interests. I think I still believe that... but ] don’t want to. I want to quit believing it and bel- lyache for a while instead.

I recently (OK, OK, eight long months ago) signed up for a course through Open Learning University. Being as smart as a fence post, J figured that I should get the course I least

wanted to do out of the way first. The dreaded science credits. WHAT WAS I thinking?

I definitely should’ve started with some-_

_ thing I was more interested in so that I could slowly wean myself back into the whole rig- matole of school, After all, it's been 10 years since | was last there, worrying about assign- ments, exams and grades. And somehow, in my time away, I forgot some vital, key, cru- cial, very important aspects of my personality.

I am not motivated to do things 1 don’t like.... [ don’t believe I’m unique in this but, unfortunately, sharing the problem with fellow humans doesn’t help me.

1 am a terrible procrastinator... ditto about not being unique in this, blah, blah, blah.

I really have no mind for formulas of any kind... whether it’s a sincere lack of ability or just a huge mental block doesn’t really matter.

I’m terrified of exams... so much so in fact that I feel the trots coming on when I think of them. (Yes, thal was probably too much infor- mation but I figure if I have to suffer, you might as well too!)

Still, I'm stuck with the problem of really needing this course and probably failing it be- cause I’ve left it way too long. For someone who freaks out with worry, obsessing about

doing well on schoolwork, leaving a whole course till near the end of its time limit is a VERY bad idea.

Yet, there have been some good paints to all my stress. It’s made me remember to be sympathetic to students. I'd forgotten about pre-exam psychosis and the horrible heat flashes through your stomach that come with the conviction that you’re probably faiting your assignments.

I'd forgotten what it was like to have the very best of intentions to study but to have your eyes and mind glaze over just reading the title of the chapter that you’re supposed to be covering.

; I’d forgotten that sometimes you really want

to get a lot accomplished but thal television and exhaustion from a busy day usually win the “what's gonna get time” battle.

I will be much more understanding when people groan and shudder when certain sub- jects come up.

But, all complaining aside, I’m faced with the hard facts. Ultimately, this is my choice. No one is going to force me to finish. No one is going to be my cheerleader. And no one, besides my husband, who will probably faint in shock, will really be affected by my finishing... Except for me, that is. 1 will be affected. If I don’t finish, I will be further set back in my goals and I’il be angry with myself and discouraged,

Now I’m starting to panic again. Deep breathe. Deep breathe. Ok... I’m a bit better.

One of the ways I'm attempting to brain- wash myself into finishing the course is by treading affirmations that I’ve written to myself about why it would be good to complete the course. 1 have them posted on my computer tower to mock me, I mean, to encourage me, My favourite one is, “Once I’m done, [’ll never have to do it again!”

Of course, that’s only half true. While, yes, T hope that I never have to do another course like this again, I will definitely have to do other things that I don’t like, What I’m hoping is that eventually I will learn that things do nat get better when you put them off, they only get worse. Life is full of things that we have to do (or choose to do, kicking and screaming) be- cause we value something that we'll only ob- tain by completing all the steps. Sigh. I just won’t tell myself that this might not be the end too loudly and Ill try to keep my eye on the finish Hine for this one thing.

Is all the work worth it? Right at this moment? No way. But after I get my transcript saying that [ made it through? You bet.

COMMUNITY-=

Striving for excellence

Terrace gets ready for the 37th annual Pacific Northwest Music Festival

By JENNIFER LANG DISCIPLINE AND confidence aren't qualities you're born with. They’re something you earn,

“though hard work and determina-

tion.

That's where the Pacific North- west Music Festival comes in. The annual event, now in its 37th year, helps instil confidence and discipline in the hundreds of stu- dents who part each year, accord- ing to Joanne Wakaruk.

“Getting up and performing in front of people and playing, whe- ther you win or not, it just takes so much courage,” says Wakaruk, who's festival president this year.

Like most members of the Pa- cific Northwest Music Festival Society, Wakaruk first got in- volved as a parent.

Wakaruk joined the society as a way to give something back to the festival that had contributed so much to her own family.

Not everyone who takes part in the festival ends up performing for a living. But the experience of sttiving for excellence has lasting benefits, just the same.

“If you only ever slay in your living room, that’s fine too,” Wa- karuk says.

Nearly 1,250 entrants from Burns Lake to the Queen Char- lotte Islands are registered for this year’s festival, beginning April 8.

All competitions are open to the public and take place at the following venues: the R.E.M, Lee Theatre, the Terrace Pentecostal Assembly, the Terrace Evangeli- cal Free Church and the Zion

PIANO PARTNERS Anna Geller and David Evenchick rehearse their duet, “Glove Puppets”. Both 7-year-olds are competing in the music festival for the first time.

JENNIFER LANG PHOTO

Baptist Church.

The festival is capped off with two banner events ~ the Scholar- ship Competition on Friday, April 19 and the Gala Performance and Awards Night Saturday April 20. Both take place at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre.

Adjudicators recommend the best competitors from each dis- cipline for the scholarship compe- tition. Cash prizes of $250, $500

and $1,000 are awarded to the top junior, intermediate and senior performers.

Gala night organizer Kelly Lima has chosen the theme, Bou- quet of Talent, for the April 20 performance that wraps up the festival.

Again, performers are chosen by adjudicators, but they aren't necessarily the winners.

“Is just pure entertainment,”

Lima says, adding bands share the stage with soloists. “Last year there was an Elvis impersonator. People were just rolling in their seats.”

You're advised buy a ticket early. The Gala has sold out for the past three years.

A great way to support the fes- lival is to purchase a souvenir. T- shirts and music bags will be on sale at the R,E.M. Lee.

mw Walkies

“Around Town

based TV show.

tic Circle.

Bulkley River.

PRINCE RUPERT resident Lucy Rutherford and her Scottish terrier, Mag-

Tongues,

Northwest provides backdrop for TV show

THE SPECTACULAR Salmon Glacier in the mountains above Stewart will be featured in to- night’s inslalment of No Boundaries, a reality-

The show follows a group of contestants who confront a series of ouldoor challenges as they make their way from Vancouver Island to the Are-

. Last week’s instalment featured K’san Village in the Hazelton area east of here, although viewers weren’t offered much of an explanation about the location of the stop over.

The contestants, weary after a gruelling moun- tain bike expedition, got to spend the night inside one of the replica buildings at K’san, snuggled up inside sleeping bags around a toasty fire.

The next morning they explored the banks of the

Spring ahead DON’T FORGET to set your clocks ahead one hour Sunday morning. North America switches ta Day- light Savings Time April 7 at 2 a.m. Of course, youll lose an hour of sleep, but look on the bright side — you'll get that hour back in October, when Daylight Savings Time ends.

Play

TERRACE LITTLE THEATRE hosts an upcoming play reading of Andrew Boveil's Speaking in

It takes place April 16 at the McColl Playhouse,

preview

gie, explored Terrace. The pair were spotted downtown March 28.

Craft fair celebrates creativity

Thousands expected at Kitimat Saturday

By JENNIFER LANG HORDES descend upon Kitimat Saturday, when the Aluminum City hosts its Spring Arts, Crafts and Home Business Fair.

The annual event is ex- pected to draw between 1,500 and 2,000 people.

Exhibitors from across the region are taking part, organizer Barbara Notheis says, adding many of those are from Terrace and Smi- thers.

There's even an exhibi- tor from Courtenay on Vancouver Island this year, Notheis says.-

A whole range of hand- made crafts will be. on dis-

play, as more than 100 en- trants set up exhibits.

Rick Goyette, a Terrace carver who created those face carvings in the trees of Ferry Island; will be on hand with a selection of his wooden carvings,

Other arts and crafts on display. include pottery, quills, tole painting, je- wellery and garden orna- ments. -

As well, there will be a number of home based bu-

_sinesses.,

Notheis says there will be a range of activities for children, including pony tides, .baby animals, and

face- palnting,

“It's sort of a celebra- tion of the creative and

enterprising spirit,” No- theis says of the fair, An internalional food

fair will serve up every- thing from Greek, Chinese, Portuguese and East Indian to Hungarian and Filipino foads - all prepared with pride, she says.

The fair takes place at the Riverlodge sports com- plex from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6.

To get there, turn ieft.a at the third set of traffic

lights in Kitimat. Take the —

first right. Riverlodge is a

large, brown building on.

the. left. -

- Kalum housing complex on the Southside.

starting at 7:30 p.m.

The playhouse hosted a reading of Norm Foster’s Affectations of May last night. Both titles are under consideration for the TLT’s 2002-03 perfor- mance season.

Gardens gearing up

TERRACE'S community gardens program, spon- sored by Terrace Anti-Poverty Group Society, is looking for gardeners of all ages and abilities as preparations for the upcoming growing season get underway.

The program is intended for people who would like to garden, but don’t have the space at home - or don’t know much about gardening but would like to find out more.

Participants typically grow vegetables, but are welcome to plant a few flowers, too.

Individuals and families, who are interested in joining up should get in touch with the coordinator, Jennifer, She can be reached at 635-4631.

There are two community gardens in Terrace. The first is located at the corner of Apsley and Grieg Ave., near the Royal Canadian Legion.

The second community garden is much larger. It's located on Evergreen street near the Skeena