Douglas welcomes new bachelor’s degree By Allie Davison, Staff Writer tarting in May 2012, Douglas College Performing Arts students will have the chance to further expand their education through a new Bachelor of Performing Arts degree. The degree— which partners Douglas College, Capilano University, Langara College, and Vancouver Community College—will offer students a chance to earn the degree after completing the Performing and Fine Arts Certificate at Douglas College. The Bachelor of Performing Arts degree is a full-time fourth-year program that will give students the opportunity to participate in the creation of productions, as well as taking a look at the business side of the performing arts— giving students as much real- world training as possible. Marcus Youssef, the Program Project Manager, explains “I truly believe in the idea of this program. It’s the kind of real-world training that is too often neglected in performing arts programs. And the kind of collaboration these institutions are offering is exactly the kind of collaboration that I believe is crucial for artists to learn how to do.” To be accepted into the program, students must have completed a minimum of 87 credits at a post- secondary level of education, in a performing arts discipline. Upon completing the program, the students will have gained 33 upper-level credits. _ The program will be starting May 2012, and classes will be held through summer and fall semesters and include a production project in January. Students looking for more information regarding the program can check out both the Douglas College (www.douglas.bc.ca/programs/bpa. html) or Capilano University (www2. capilanou.ca/programs/performing-arts. html) web pages. By Maria Asselin-Roy, Staff Reporter ovember is a month favoured by few. With the days slowly getting darker, rainier and colder there isn’t much to look forward to until December. Fortunately for Douglas College students, there are a myriad of interesting, fun, and educational events to look forward to. Getting through November can be easy if you have the right tools and try not to sleep in past the limited daylight hours. Democracy and Human Rights Presentation Starting on Wednesday, November 2, Douglas College will be hosting a Democracy and Human Rights Presentation. The presentation will be held at the Aboriginal Gathering Place on the 4" floor at the New Westminster campus from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The presentation will be given by democracy and human rights activists Mi Aie Son and Aung Naing Soe, who will share their thoughts and aspirations in order to create a democratic Burma. Son works with an independent youth organization that supports the notion of democracy for Burma, with influence on surrounding countries. Soe is the General Secretary of the Nationalities Youth Forum. If you are interested in learning why it is important to achieve democracy in Burma and other countries around the world, you can sign up for the discussion on www. douglife.ca. WorkSafe BC Summer Opportunities On Thursday, November 3 a representative from WorkSafe BC will be stopping by the New West campus to talk to interested students about work opportunities coming up next summer. The presentation will Coming this November at Douglas be held from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in room 1717. The representative will discuss how to get a summer job with WorkSafe BC, and how certain programs the college offers will lead to future opportunities. Interested students are asked to register to the Co-op department with their full name and student number at co-op@ douglascollege.ca. Alumni Marketplace Event There will be an Alumni ’ Marketplace event on Tuesday, November 15 at the David Lam campus. The market will be open all day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the atrium. The marketplace will supply student buyers with various gifts such as pottery, art, jewellery, and clothing. Proceeds will go to supporting students in need. Girls Night Out Fall 2011 Ladies, on Monday November 21 head over to Sephora at Coquitlam Centre for a free makeover. All you have to do is bring your student ID card to prove you are a Douglas College student; the Sephora event runs from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. Afterwards, students will be heading down to Milestones Lounge for dinner and drinks from 8:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Bowling Night And to conclude November’s events—on Wednesday November 23 Douglas College students are welcome to participate in a bowling night. Students will meet at Xcalibur Bowling Centre (12350 Pattullow Place in Surrey) at 6 p.m. The event costs $9 for two hours of bowling and shoe rental, or $12 for bowling, shoes, and dinner. Don’t forget to sign up on douglife.ca! Don’t let November get you down and make the most of it by checking out these events! Canada close to the limit: Canadian Federation of Students suggest changes to federal student loan system Maria Asselin-Roy Staff Reporter anada’s student loan program . is close to reaching its funding limit—loans are expected to exceed the $15 billion legal limit on loans by January 2013— which could leave students in a lurch in the near future. The Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website (www. hrsdc.bc.ca) claims “The Canada Student Loans Program and the Canada Student Grants Program help by providing student financial assistance in the form of loans and grants to Canadians attending post-secondary 4 education in most provinces and territories.” Indeed, many students at Douglas College and other universities use student financial assistance to get through their post-secondary education, _and it is getting harder and harder for However, if the federal government reaches its loan limit, there will need to be changes to the student loan system through either an increased funding limit or changes to the student loan system. “The Canadian Federation of Students claims that lowering tuition fees and finding a solution to easily provide post-secondary education to those with low-income backgrounds is crucial in reducing student debt.” students to pay those loans and grants back. With tuition rates continuously rising, it can be very difficult for a working student to fully pay for his or her education. Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) president Roxanne Dubois offers alternative solutions, suggesting that a grant-based system (where the federal government would provide grants to provinces to reduce tuition fees—in lieu of tax credits—and convert some student loans to non-repayable grants) could be more effective and would stretch further than the current system. The CFS claims that lowering tuition fees and finding a solution to easily provide post-secondary education to those with low-income backgrounds is crucial in reducing student debt. Without government action, the CFS asserts, the amount of student debt accumulated throughout the country will continue to climb.