news // no. 4 Illustration by Morgan Hannah theotherpress.ca Final exams are nigh » Douglas College releases fall exam schedule Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter I the spirit of Halloween, the registrar at Douglas College decided to scare students by releasing the 2019 fall semester final examination schedule. Released in late October, the fall final examination schedule is available on the Douglas College website, under the “Study at Douglas” homepage tab. Most courses, with sections based at the New Westminster campus, will be writing their respective final examinations in Royals Gym (n1101). Whereas those sections based at Douglas’ Coquitlam campus will mainly write in the room common to their class for the semester. The schedule is easy to read as the table is listed by course, and for those who have long forgotten their section number— or never committed their section number to memory—instructor names are featured to provide clarity. For those students who inspected the final exam schedule and realized that they have four classes with exams scheduled on the same day or that they have two exams on two different campuses on the same day, the registrar has you covered. Posted with the final exam schedule is the final exam procedures document for students with exam conflicts. According to the scheduling department, final examinations can only be rescheduled for a student with two (or more) examinations scheduled at the same time, or three examinations within a 24- hour period. For students with two exams at two different Douglas campuses on the same Migraines cured by mushrooms >» The benefits and deterrents of recreational drugs Emily Devereux Via The Nugget (CUP) patient who struggled with migraines ound solace in an unusual remedy. Prescription drugs brought no relief to her debilitating pain and she felt like doctors werent taking her seriously. Eventually, she found a thread on Reddit that suggested hallucinogenic mushrooms as potential relief. After additional research, she surrounded herself with friends, blankets and food, and began her mushroom journey. The “magic” in magic mushrooms made itself apparent, and the migraines ceased. She ate about a gram of mushrooms once every week or two for a couple of years and, though she’s stopped for four years now, her migraines have not returned. You may have noticed that this patient remains anonymous. While she may be open to sharing her drug explorations in some situations, she doesn’t want it public. Cannabis is legal now but not everything is and speaking about drugs is still mostly taboo. But there’s lots to talk about—like how to weigh the risks and benefits of drugs. “Sure it’s not the ‘demon weed’ or ‘demon shroom, but it’s also not harmless,” said Dr. Tanya Spencer, a psychologist at the NAIT Student Counselling Centre. “There is an appeal to prescribing your own medication, or looking for a natural alternative... I’d say in the very general sense, just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s safe.” While things worked out for the now ex-migraine patient, she’s quick to caution others from following her path, noting the dangers of induced psychosis, bad trips, and negative interactions with prescribed medications such as antidepressants. Spencer takes a balanced approach to the idea of self-administering drugs. “There’s lots of things that are prescribed or not prescribed that are more and less dangerous, it just seems there’s day, the department of the class with the second examination should provide a minimum of two hours travel time between the end of your previous exam and the start of your second exam. Interestingly, the scheduling department at the office of the registrar will inform departments and instructors of students with exam scheduling conflicts, which means that students do not need to contact the registrar with their conflicts; it is the responsibility of the instructor and department to make alternative arrangements for students to complete their final exam. However, if your instructor does not discuss your exam conflict with you, it is advised that you approach your instructor to solve the issue. This semester the last day of classes will be Monday December 2, with the final examination period beginning Wednesday December 4 until Monday December 16. After writing final exams, make sure you log onto your Douglas College account to access your grades after 9 am on Wednesday December 18, which is the time and date grades are due for the fall semester. Good luck with finals! Support is available Final exams can be a source of extreme stress that affects well-being, so if you or someone you know needs support, Douglas College offers a wealth of resources to help you navigate studying, exams, or the ups and downs of being a student. Additionally, for student requiring accommodations—such as extra time for final examinations due to a medical condition—contact Accessibility Services on either campus for more information. such a social construction of these ideas that play such a big role in it,” said Spencer. “I mean, I guess part of me is like, if it works, do it.” She has her concerns about people jumping in without knowing the dangers. Spencer recommends looking into your family’s medical history, as a history of schizophrenia or other mental health conditions increases your risks. Studies show that cannabis is harmful if used before the age of 25 when your brain is still developing. Spencer says it could be a good idea to wait until around that age to try psychedelics too, since any predispositions to mental health conditions are likely to have expressed themselves by then. There are precautions to take to avoid a bad trip, like creating a low-stress environment and having friends around— Spencer says about six is the right number. The ex-migraine patient imagines a future where professionals guide people through the tripping process and provide a safe place to medicinally dose. “I don't want to be an advocate for it, and J don't want to encourage it—but, it is an option,” said the patient. “It does fascinate me that something as small as [taking mushrooms] was able to cure something as big the headaches in my life.”