THE October 31st, 1984 Douglas College’s Autonomous Student Newspaper DUCK PRESS 2nd class mail registration pending Volume17 Issue 5 Education vs Expo 86 It was dramatically staged. The crowd sported an effigy and the college dogrs were locked with chains. Dramatic perhaps, but the students by ROGER BOLEN showed their concern even if it wasn’t accurately stated to John Parks, a local M.L.A. The show of strength was part of the Education Day of Concern organized by Jesse Sedhu, student council rep- resentative, in cooperation with the Douglas and Kwantlen faculty Asso- ciation. The protest rally was staged in opposition to the recent government cutbacks in student aid grants and the 12 per cent cut in the college budget for the ’85-’86 season. Faculty and students were equally concerned with the removal of school board members from the College Board. In John Parks’ opening statement to the student body he said that the number one priority of the present government was to ensure health-care and that education fell second. ‘‘For some of you out there I’m sure it doesn’t sit well,’’ said Parks,’‘If you don’t have the funds, you don’t have the funds.’’ The students reacted violently to Parks’ opening remarks and asked how the government could allow so much money to be spent on the A.L.R.T. and Expo ’86 when the future “businessmen and politicians will be the people in colleges and universities Ashenine Policies in D.C. New. smoking policies have de- scended on Douglas College as of August 23rd. Smoking will be permitted in all by ROGER BOLEN open air segments of the college, the first and second floors of the concourse, “All ash receptacles have been removed from non-designated areas around the college due to carpet burns and debris,’’ one caretaker comment- ed. ‘‘It’s ludicrous since the students are going to smoke if they want to. What will happen is more’carpet burns and a higher cost to the college for repairing carpet burns instead of investing in a few more ashtrays.’’ In a memo handed down from the Health and Safety Committee it stated they would be happy to provide inquiring minds with information and background as to why smoking is a danger to people in buildings such as Douglas College. ‘The smokers are a minority here,”’ said one student. ‘‘| don’t see why | should be forced to breathe someone else’s habit.’’ Still another student intoned that smokers may be a minority but they should be allowed to socialize in a manner that they are comfortable with. Although they should have the courtesy to keep the smoke out of the way of others, people shouldn’t take it as a personal affront. “Smoking to me is sometimes an unconscious reflex,’’ said one smoker. “‘Some people act as if you get on an elevator with a cigarette just to annoy them. You end up acting retaliatory even though you never intended to. ‘1 don’t know what all the fuss is about. If the air circulation system is working properly then smoke should- ‘n’t be bothering anyone. The sprinkler system is all over the place. Concrete and steel aren’t too flammable,’’ he said. ' Srian Disses today. Ex Student Council President Sean Balderstone attacked the Socred posi- tion on funding mega-projects citing faulty logic and asking him if he thought it was logical to spend 3,000 million dollars while taking 1.5 million dollars away from Douglas College. “It’s not being logical in any perverse sense of the word.’’ said Balderstone. ’ Douglas/Kwantlen Faculty Asso- ciation President Len Millis asked students to identify their concerns dealing with the cut backs. He explained that the 1.5 million dollars shortfall would not force the college to cut classes but to increase class size and longer waiting lists. “Instructors will leave because they can’t cope,’’ said Millis. ; He added that it won’t be just tuition but other fees added as well. There will be an application fee that would be virtually unlimited as long as there is a waiting list. John Parks closed by justifying multi-million dollar projects as job creating: “We're trying to work within a reasonable economy.’’ said Parks. “Expo ‘86 is not a tribute to Premier, province or city. It’s going to create thousands of jobs.’’ he said. ‘The job of the government is not to tell the people what they want but to serve the peoples’ needs.’’ one stu- dent said. Representatives of the Douglas College faculty called upon the provin- ‘cial government to review its funding policies in education. Douglas and Kwantlen Faculty Association Presi- dent John Waters said that those policies are causing serious and lasting damage to education in the College region. Waters said that the Ministry of Education’s program of significantly reducing college budgets:over the five years beginning with ‘84-’85, is im- pairing Douglas College’s ability to serve the community. Specifically, he said, these budget reductions are _ producing untenably large class sizes, long waiting lists, cuts in programs and in faculty and staff, and a dangerously low level of morale among College personnel. Waters noted that Douglas College has: recently announced a $1.5 million D.K.F.A. in tue DMZ. ‘budget shortfall for the 1985-86 year. This shortfall, he said, threatens. further increases in class sizes and faculty workloads, tuition fee hikes, and cuts in programs and services. “The budget cuts, the tuition fee increases, and the government's elim- ination of financial aid to students, ’’ said Waters, ‘‘are denying access to college education to more and more residents. Some of the students who have gained access have not been able to register in the courses that they need. And the quality of education for all those who are able to attend is: dropping.’” He also noted that the effects of cutbacks in the school districts are equally severe. Waters called upon residents of the Douglas region to convey their con- cerns to the Government through their local school boards and through the Douglas College Board.