pe soat | | | by Mike Roth Several students boycotted their classes yesterday as a show of sup- port for Faculty. All the students from Math 421 boycotted their class and marched up to the fourth floor to present their concerns to Douglas College Presi- dent, William Day. "Give me my money's worth, let me read your signs" Day said, as the sign-toting students entered his of- fice. Tarrie Joniec, one of the Math 421 students, said that they are worried about "losing our semester". "We were concerned about what is going on and wanted to do something * about it." The students presented Day with a letter outlining their concerns whereby he answered "Fair enough - message received.” Afterwards they marched down to the concourse to bring their message to the students there. Here they were | joined by sixteen of the students from the Political Science 110 class who voted to leave class and support the Febuary 24, 1988: students marched around the con- course carrying signs reading "We support Faculty 110%" and "Bill Day do you really care". "We would like to raise awareness of the students and hope that others follow our steps” said Joniec. Several of the students participat- ing in the boycott were disappointed with the lack of support from the Stu- dent Society. "We felt that they should have sup- ‘ported us.” said Bahroz. He was "in- sulted" that Anena Johnston, the President of the Student Society, was in a meeting and refused to come out and join the protest even after the meeting had concluded. Anena Johnston thought that the student boycott was "great". But she felt that "they should have phoned us before hand. We would have done a lot of work to help them." According to Anena, none of the students involved approached her before the protest. To demonstration. get their message across, the RALLY - 200 © by Ronaldo Horvat A student rally supporting faculty took place at noon on Thursday, Feb.18th, 1988. Students at Douglas College attending the rally in the concourse heard speeches from Len Millis, President of the Douglas/Kwantlen Faculty Associa- tion; Rob Clift, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students; and Anena Johnston, President of the Douglas College Student Society. The rally lasted for almost three hours, culminating in adiscussion on the fourth floor of the college with Bill Day, President of Douglas College. Songs were heard in the con- course after a question/answer period with the three speakers. Still singing the songs, and brandishing picket signs, the students walked up to the fourth floor, where they sat and waited for Bill Day. Day was on a lunch break. "The rally was very successful because it got some commitments from Bill Day," said Anena Johnston. Bill Day promised the students sitting in the fourth floor walkway that the request that a student repre- sentative attend the bargaining com- mitte meetings would be reconsidered. Day also said he would be willing to attend an open forum where he would presentor dis- cuss issues concerning education. Day committed himself to supporting students in fighting educational un- derfunding depending on what the funds are for. He also said he will speak to the Douglas College Stu- | dent Senate concerning ways to ap- proach the issues of underfunding after receiving pertinent financial data due in mid-April. "This was an important day at the College and proves that students are not as apathetic as most people think." said Rick Shepherd Secretary of the DCSS. Rona Nickerson, a student at the College said the rally was success- ful because "hardly any students get out to that kind of thing and finally the student society has done some- thing against administration." The turn-out atthe rally was abou’ 200 students. There are ap proximately 6000 at Douglas Col- lege. Impeach= ment Threat by Jeff McKeil Later, Scott Nelson said that due to the past incidences that have oc- curred, the Ski Club has asked the Senate that Julian Smit not be in charge of the social. The problem is connected to a motion put forward last semester by Rick Shepherd and Julian Smit to revoke the Ski Club's charter after a Ski Club social involving $592 in damage to the washrooms, and 5 in- Faculty response to the student walkout was positive. "| think it will have a bigger impact than any of the faculty could have. In the end, this (the students) is what the college is all about.” said Larry Tom- boulian, a Math instructor here at the college. Len Millis, the Faculty Negotiator, says he does not support students missing their classes. He concedes, however, that "it will have aless nega- tive effect if the students do it rather than if the Faculty does it. It will have a positive effect." The Administration had a some- what cheery response. "It was a pleasure to see them,” Day said, "It is a pleasure to See them take an active interest in the col- lege" He understands their concerns, but he fears that, in some cases, they are not all that well informed although he "respects their perception.” This was the first of such boycotts, and there may be others in the weeks to come. cidents of fighting in which security had to expel people. The Ski Club claims that the people involved were not Ski Club members. “Julian Smit said that, "All of the action taken by myself and Rick, fol- lowing the incidents of violence and damage at the last social, were in order to safe guard the DCSS Senate and all the students from costs relating to damages then, or in the future." Scott Nelson, the Vice President of the Ski Club, University Transfer Representative on the Senate, and a past President of the DCSS [until he was impeached] said, during a heated exchange in the DCSS office with Rick Shepherd and Julian Smit, The Douglas College Ski Club "We don't want you in. The Ski Club has threatened to impeach Rick Shepherd, the DCSS Executive Secreary, and Julian Smit , the Nursing Representative on the DCSS Senate, if Julian Smit is the Executive in charge of the upcoming Ski Club Social. They intend to ‘pack’ the Special General Meeting to be ‘held Thursday February 25th, at noon in RM 2201. wanted your resignation when you were giving them a hard time last time." Referring to the Ski Club's threat of impeachment, Rick Shepherd said, "If they'll do it to me and Julian over something like this, they’ll do it over anything." BORED MEETING Scott Nelson claimed to have the support of the Senate, the Ski Club members, the Ski Club executives and the DCSS President and Vice- President for their request to have Julian replaced as the Executive in charge of the Ski Club social. A ski club member found in the concourse agreed. Anena Johnston, the President of the DCSS said, "As far as |'m con- cerned, Clubs in the college should nothold senate members for ransom because of political decisions they have made." by Michael Roberts Bill Day, President of Douglas College, had little to say about the present labour dispute at the college during his report to the College Board on Thursday, Feb. 18th. The Douglas and Kwantlen Faculty Association has been without a contract for ten months, and is seriously considering strike action to bring D.C. administration to some sort of agreement. The DKFA boycotted the board meeting as part of its tactics to pressure administra- tion into action. The President's Report on the labour dispute was succinct and did not echo the gravity of the situation at the college. "It is fair to say to the board that administration, faculty and students are soldiering on." said Day. "On a positive note, faculty is being ex- emplary in maintaining instruction; students, to date, are being well served.”