the other press Culture http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca Kerry Evans Culture Editor Culture: The system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to genera- tion through learning. When I think about Culture, many things spring to mind. Many people think of the obvious surface culture scenes like the latest CDs, movies and the- atre events. But what about society and its needs? In today’s society, there are so many types of fami- lies, and raising children is a costly expense. Right here at Douglas College is a good example of the diverse and ever-changing student profile. When we think of the college student, we think of kids 18-20, but that is outdated. Today’s college student is 18-58. Some of these students have families at home. Getting the family involved and being cre- ative is just as much a part of the cultural experi- ence as anything else. Parents are forced to make choices—learn new and innovative ways to upkeep and create customs every day. Through careful thought and consideration, I have put together a list of useful ways to save money and still enjoy a cultural experience. Instead of buying juice boxes for the kids lunch- es, try buying a can of juice and using a plastic trav- el juice box. The kids love having their own juice container and it can carry you almost two weeks for a dollar. When a sock goes missing, hang on to the one left behind for a week. If you don’t locate the other one, make sock puppets by just using a marker. Hours of fun for the kids. Of course youre still stuck buying new socks, but at least you gained a toy out of it. Make enough dinner so that there is a small por- tion left over for the child to take to lunch the next day. Kids love having hot meals, so long as they enjoy the contents. Take a box and fill it with toys. Every two months rotate what is in the box with the toys the child is currently playing with. Yes, they will know that they are the old toys, but they will be very happy to see them again. Trust me, this one works. Broken crayons all over the house? Buy some cheap candlewicks and melt the crayons together to create colourful new candles. Baby blankets too small to cover your child? Grab a needle and thread, and you can sew four old blankets to make one new big one. They'll be happy that they get to hang on to the blankets just a little bit longer. Instead of throwing out old picture books that have fallen apart, cut them up into pieces and make a puzzle. Your child will enjoy the new activity. Sometimes kids don’t make very good use out of paper. Try putting their name and date on the pic- tures they draw. Keep these drawings and in couple months when they are asking for drawing paper, pull out the old drawings and have them draw on the other side. This way you can track and com- pare their advancements. As an alternative to renting videos, tape a few of their favourite shows to watch. Kids enjoy laughing at the same old jokes and singing the same old songs. It reinforces their memory and in turn builds their confidence. Cheap dessert. Instead of an ice cream sandwich, take two chocolate wafers, and spread cool whip in the middle, join them together and freeze for an hour...aha low fat, low sugar, just like ice cream bars. In the summertime, instead of going to a crowd- ed pool, try packing a picnic lunch and going to a park with a spray pool. Kids love being able to have the choice of running through the water or playing on the swings. They also like spreading out the blanket for lunch. Pack some books and an easy lunch so that you can also save money by not pay- ing a visit to the concession stand. Kids always want the latest toy out on the mar- ket. To get them participating in the purchase, have them glue or tape a picture of the item to a jar and at allowance time, they can put the money inside. Hence a step towards money management, saving, and involvement in purchasing. Instead of going to an expensive child entertain- ment centre, create a scavenger hunt. You can put then things on the list and take your child for a walk around the neighbouring blocks and maybe cut through a park or two. Make the hunt easy so the child can be successful. The prize could be an hour of their television show or an extra book at bedtime. Try these ideas for the hunt: - small grey rock - penny - feather - green leaf - blade of grass - dandelion - flower (red, yellow and purple) January 22, 2003 $5,000 to the winner Friends of Canadian Broadcasting announces of an essay The Dalton Camp Award competition on how Deadline for entries: March 31st, 2003 the media influence Award announcement: 2003 Banff Television Festival Canadian democracy For details visit daltoncampaward.ca The Dalton Camp Award FRIENDS OF CANADIAN BROADCASTING The Students’ Union Pride Collective meets Wednesdays at 4:00pm in the Pride Resource Room (Room 110 in the Students’ Union Building). All lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered, questioning and allied students are welcome. Douglas ets Union Local 18-Canadian Federation of Students page 11 ©