news // 4

Campus couples

» Does dating affect academic success?

   

] Cazzy Lewchuk
Staff Writer

A Valentine’s Day
approaches, love and
dating are on many people’s
minds. It’s very common

for students to date during
their post-secondary years—
but romance might act as a
distraction and have a negative
effect on academic success,
although there is not yet a
consensus on the matter.

A research survey
conducted in 1963 concluded
that married undergraduates
had a higher grade point
average (GPA), although
different factors in the results
included the participants’
educational goals, views,
and satisfaction. In general,
married students tended to
have a more goal-focussed view
on their studies. Nowadays,
undergraduates are less likely
to be married, although ones
in committed relationships
are still more likely to be goal-
oriented.

Studies have shown that
time management is essential
for a student to fully succeed.
Post-secondary students often

: struggle to find time to study
: while balancing their other

: commitments; making time
: for a romantic companion

: is often a hindrance to their

: time management and,

: consequently, to academic

: success.

There are many conflicting

: viewpoints on whether or not
: relationships affect a student’s
: academic progress and, if so,

: whether it has a positive or

: negative effect.

Cathy, a college graduate,

: says “I was engaged and then

: married the entire time I was in
: college. It really helped to have
: the emotional support.”

Rhea, a second-year

: student, expresses a similar

: opinion, adding “Generally

: there’s been no impact in my

: academic performance. I tend

: to do better when I’ve been with
: my boyfriend because I end up

: talking about what I’m learning
: in class with him.”

Conversely, romantic

: relationships can act asa social
: distraction, or cause stress.

: Stanley, a lawyer, suggests

: that “The concept of ‘dating’

: is always a distraction. You

: worry about if someone will go
: out with you, how things will

: go, etc. You're programmed to

: give that a higher priority than

: studying. I think being ina

: committed relationship is more
: helpful than dating for your

: marks, unless of course it’s an

: unhealthy relationship.”

Many factors contribute to

: the impact that a relationship

: bears on each individual. Some
: argue that it has nothing to

: do with the partners or the

: relationship itself, but rather

: the student’s commitment to

: their grades.

Asked about his academic

: success, Jake, a university

: graduate, replied “I never dated
: inschool, and my marks were

: average. Dating has nothing to

: do with them, and everything

: to do with your commitment to
: your coursework.”

Elizabeth McCausland,

: an English professor at

: Douglas College, perhaps

: sums it up best: “A strong

: healthy relationship with

: someone supportive probably
: helps success. High drama,

: heartbreak, or an inability to

: balance your time probably

: hurts. Or maybe not... Maybe

: the student deals with the

: bad breakup by burying

: themselves in their studies.

: Everyone handles these things
: differently.”

 

theotherpress.ca

By www.huffingtonpost.ca

 

Disturbing the peace at Wreck Beach

» Woman charged and banned from Vancouver nude beach for selling alcoholic freezies

   

“ Julia Siedlanowska
| Staff Writer

Vancouver woman has just
dded to her legal troubles

after being charged with selling
alcohol at a nudist beach.

Alana Thomson, 31, who
is facing drug-related charges
as well, has been arrested and
charged after being caught
selling alcoholic freezies on the
nude beach near the University
of British Columbia. The
charges come after Thomson
had been warned several
times by Metro Vancouver
park rangers, who oversee the
operations at Wreck Beach.

In total, Thomson faces
a total of 14 charges which,
according to reports in the
Province, include “one count of
manufacturing freezies and two
counts of possession of drugs,
marijuana and ecstasy, for the
purposes of trafficking.”

According to a warrant
obtained by the Province, a file

 

: on the case was opened after

: Thomson’s landlord, Donald

: Shumka reported to RCMP

: that he suspected his tenant of
: making alcoholic freezies for

: the purpose of selling them at

: Wreck Beach. The warrant also
: said that RCMP Const. Roger

: Mah, while not in uniform,

: observed Thomson on Wreck

: Beach and saw her walking and
: calling out flavours of alcoholic
: freezies and stopping to sell

: them. Upon her arrest, police

: seized Thomson’s cooler, which
: was reportedly filled with 50

: freezies in different colours.

: Police were also reported to

: have seized over $350 in cash.

Thomson was charged

under British Columbia’s

: Liquor Act, which according
: to the Province, “prohibits

: the selling and advertising

: of alcohol without a licence

: and, under Section 55 of the
: act, manufacturing alcohol.”
: Thomson's lawyer, Patrick

: McGowan, stated in an

: interview with the Province

Alana Thomson : mw
: that his client knows of some

By www.theprovince.com :
: of the Crown’s evidence, and is
: waiting for more information

: before she decides whether or

: not to challenge the charges.

: “It’s an unusual charge,” he said. :
: “It’s often a ticketable offence.
: This is a more aggressive

: approach.”

Metro Vancouver park rangers

: had been noticing Thomson's

: activities since 2011, issuing

: written warnings, notices of

: violations, and municipal ticket
: information, according to the

: warrant.

: Drew Grainger stated that drug
: and alcohol consumption has

: beena major problem forthe — :
: detachment dealing with Wreck :
: Beach for the last several years.
: Healso said that patrolling

: officers “have issued hundreds
: of $230 violation tickets for

: open alcohol,’ at a rate of :
: between six and 20 tickets a day. :

: recognized in the area, and

: has received criticism from

: the Wreck Beach Preservation
: Society. According to the

The Province reports that

“She was fined $100 on

UBC RCMP spokesman Sgt.

Thomson is known and

: Province, Judy Williams of the

: Wreck Beach Preservation

: Society said that “she’s

: obnoxious, she’s loud, and she

: didn’t follow the dictates of the
: culture down there. There’s an

: etiquette on the beach and you
: don’t get in people's faces. They
: : don't like that.”

: three different dates in 201 and :
: 2012, and banned each time for
: 72 hours, and then fined $500

: on two different dates last year
: and banned for seven days,” said :
: arecent article in the Province.

Thomson reportedly

: sought mentorship in starting
: her own business venture
: with the freezies. Her ideas

were displayed on the website

: Vancouver Entrepreneur

: Mentors. “I’m looking to

: develop freezies that are

: cocktails fit for adults,” it

: read. “Think our childhood

Mr. Freeze but the contents

: actually being a lime margarita,
: strawberry daiquiri, or some

: other delicious cocktail us big

: kids can enjoy!... My goal is to

: get this product on the liquor

shelves all throughout Canada

: by the summer of 2014.” The

: profile has since been removed
: from the web along with

: Thomson’s Facebook page.