Welcome Back By John McDonald Happy New Year! Spring 87 brought registration a record number of students into Douglas College and some extra money, a “post-Expo gift” = from the provincial government, meant more courses for those extra students. Trish Angus, Douglas College, said she thought registration “went very well.” She reported a un- Registrar for official preliminary number of 5,318 students through the gates, excluding ABE and Maple Ridge students. “It looks like we’re going to have the most students since the split,” said Angus. Douglas College and Kwantlen College in Surrey were originally one _ school, with Kwantlen _ splitting off from Douglas in 1982. Douglas student population was over 7000 =spread over eleven campuses before the split, said Angus. The split, discussed as early as 1978 within the college, was part of a Ministry of Education objective to have a college on both sides of the Fraser dating from the early Sixties. College statistician Doug Tal- ling, confirmed that _ registra- tion numbers had exceeded last falls record registration but cautioned that official figures won’t be in until after late regis- tration is over at the end of next week. Students were pleased with the process but some voiced dis- pleasure at the sparseness of course offerings for new stu- dents. generally registration CES talks back By John McDonald “It's really being unfair,” says Marg Fartaczek, Pacific region chairperson of the Canadian Fed- eration of Students, of DCSS inter- im president Michacl Booths comments concerming the national student lobby group. A campus- wide referendum is scheduled for March 10th, 1987 when students will vote on withdrawing from CES. “There's no old boy's network,” said Fartaczek. “It’s really unfair of him to label us a network when going from a college in the interior to a college in the Lower Mainland is a natural progression.” She also disputed. his claim that the regional executive spend over 70% of their budget on salaries. “I'd rather he focused on the amount of work that gocs into communica- tions between students.” said Fartaczcek. The three paid posistions on the Pacific region executive draw a to- tal of $78,000.00 in salaries out of an annual budget of $148,000.00, according to Fartaczck. Fartaczck said that Booth was also a member of the regional ex- ecutive and very active in its’ affa- irs. “It's up to all the student unions (in B.C.) to get involved. The more your student union con- tributes the more you get back.” “Lack of communication is not something you can blame on one person.” she added. “We've been doing a way better For Your Information: This is to inform the staff and students of Douglas Col- lege that the Other Press will now be producing a weekly newspaper. President ousted “Democracy is never unjust,” says Scott Nelson, of the Feb. 5th DCSS special general meeting where he was forced to resign. “I'm just glad more students are becoming aware of what the student society can do for them and how it can affect them.” Nelson, who was accused of “willful and total abrogation” of the student society constitution was swiftly voted out by a seem- ingly vengeful crowd. When “question” (a demand for an im- mediate vote on a motion) was called, several people in the crowd “objected” forcing a vote on whether to proceed to “question”. An overwhelming majority of the crowd said yes to the immediate vote. Mike Bouchard, a supporter of Nelson, then attempted to end the meeting by questioning “quorum” (whether the meeting had enough legal’ attendence to proceed) and leaving the meeting but chairper- son Mickey McLaughlin ruled the quorum motion invalid and the impeachment motion —_ continued again with an overwhelming’ ma- jority voting “yes”. Nelson said afterward that he was “disappointed that some stu- dents who raised their hands didn’t get a chance to ask ques- tions.” “Several students said _after- wards that they really didn’t know what they what they were voting for,” said Nelson. “One thing I'm asking is why he jumped over two agenda items to the resignation of the president.” “Nelson, a veteran of student politics as the president of his high school student government, said he was not sure if he would run again for the position of president. “It all depends if they hold a by- election,” said Nelson, “you don’t have to be president to be involved in the student soc- iety.” Student society treasurer Chris Lirette, who also faced an im- peachment motion at the meeting, said he thought the meeting was unfair to Nelson. “IT think the people who wanted him ousted had a slanted view and they came into the meeting with- out any consideration of his per- sonality and what he’s done for the DCSS,” said Lirette. “I think people tended to victim- ize him because of his support for the athletic levy,” he said. “He was rail-roaded and he didn’t have a chance.” Of the 121 name petition calling for his own impeachment, Lirette said “the 120 people who signed the petition obviously didn't show up.” 14 September 3 1996 The Other Press—Twenty Years of Unrestricted Growth job getting some attention for stu- dent concerns,” said Fartaczek. “The results speak for them- selves.” Stephen Scott, cxecutive officer for the Pacific region, called the creation of the provincial govern- ment’s Student Assistance Advi- sory Committee a good example. — “Our big part in that was hold- ing the Student Assistance Task Force.” said Scott. “A direct result of the prcassure was the creation of the committee with a mandate to improve the student assistance program.” “Stan Hagen (Minister of Ad- vanced Education and Job Train- ‘where students from eight univer ing) said it was an excellent repo: and that - it would. be give priority,” said Scott. “We're keeping the. pressure u) and we expect positive changes, Scott said, “more money, bette remission, something.” Scott added that CFS will mounting a _ post-card campaig sity and college campuses woul send post-cards to Hagen urgin action on student aid. He also pointed to CFS seats o the provincial Youth Advisory Council and the B.C. Student Loans Appeal Committee as ex- amples of CFS sucess. He calls it “the coup of the OP.” Who’s “he” and what’s “it”? “He” is Scott Nelson and “it” is his impeachment at the DCSS spe- cial general meeting on Feb. 5th. Accused of constitutional abroga- tion, Nelson believes the Other Press and their constant “negative cover- age” had much to do with his oust- ing. “I certainly feel the OP has not published anything positive about the DCSS,” said Nelson. “As far as personal vengeance goes, you have to expect a little of that when you are in the political seat.” Nelson said he thought none of the Other Press coverage in the 86-87 school year had reflected well on him or the student society. “When you have ex-members of the OP coming up to you and saying adding OP called negative it is all negative down there, you be} gin to wonder,” said Nelson. Nelson added that he had ‘ a lot in the last year and I can’t gret it.” Society treasurer Chris Lirette, who also faced impeachment at SGM, said he didn’t appreciate “editorializing” on the front cover| of the last issue of the Other Press. The cover featured a cartoon show- ing cowering politicians sitting on spring-loaded ejection seats labelled with the names of the DCSS executive. The figure labelled “Scott” was in the midst of ejection and was published before the SGM. “It was a pre-conceived notion of what could happen,” said Lirette. “1 think it could have affected the out- come of the SGM.” February 5th SGM: student backlash against athletic levy and con- duct of student society president Scott Nelson. As well, a backlash appeared against the motion passed at the Dec. Sth SGM where a number of athletics supporters appeared at the meeting and moved to have the DCSS support a pitch to college management for a seperate athletic levy. Students voted to have any mention of the levy struck from the minutes of the previous SGM as well as removing their support for the original proposal. Other agenda items included motions to change the name of the DCSS executive position of secre- tary to vice-president external and a motion endorsing the expansion of the DCSS external activity pro- gram to include some Fitness Plus locations with a S50¢ surcharge ap- plied to entrance. Both motions were lost in the confusion.