The Volume 18 Issue 6 Student society Apathy struck again when approximately 0.8 percent of the Douglas College student population attended the Doug- by JAYNE MUSKENS las College Student Society's annual general meeting on March 7. Jesse Sedhu, president of the society, opened the meet- ing with a report on his year in office and referred to govern- ment cutbacks as their ‘‘big- gest challenge.”’ Sedhu brought up the issue of D.C. pub nights which were discontinued after a_ fight broke out and damaged D.C. property last December. ‘’Ba- sically (administration) wants us off campus for socials, said Sedhu. In his report Sedhu included the possibility of having lock- ers for students by the beginn- ing of the fall semester. These lockers would cost the student approximately $10.00 per se- mester and the service would likely be run by the bookstore. Sedhu did urge the students to write letters in response to the registrar’s proposed cal- endar changes for next fall. The changes would see stu- dents starting one week later and ending one and half weeks later, which Sedhu felt could cause a problem for Douglas students competing for sum- mer jobs. One of the major issues of the meeing involved the pur- chasing of a video screen which was on display in the D.C.S.S. office last week. The cost of the video screen was approximately $4000, but the student society felt it could pay for itself in the long run by running ads on it. There was a lot of controver- sy over the machine because Maple Ridge students would not benefit from purchasing the screen. The motion was finally defeated. In Ken Gilbert’s ombuds- person report he felt his major feat of the year was obtaining regular counselling services at Maple Ridge. A motion was continued on page 2 Parks promotes popcorn peddling Before a handful of stu- dents at the Douglas College student society A.G.M. on March 7, John Parks, secre- by JAYNE MUSKENS tary to the minister of health delivered a speech on issues concerning students. “Education as a whole is the top budget priority to our government after the provi- sion of universal health care,’’ said Parks, who blamed the federal government for ‘‘re- fusing to acknowledge the very rapidly upward spiraling cost of health care.’’ This funding comes from the fed- eral government in the form of a transfer payment, desig- nated for health and welfare, and education. Parks also explained to stu- dents how the grant program was turned into a loan pro- gram in which students would be expected to pay back their loans after they entered the work force and completed their education. With respect to jobs, Parks regarded Expo ‘86 as profit- able for students to find summer employment. ‘Who is going to man the cotton ball candy popcorn umbrella con- cessions,’’ said Parks. Parks was optimistic about the future of B.C. ‘The im- proved overall financial pos- ition of the province should help to create new jobs and opportunities for graduating students.’’ But Parks did add later that in choosing careers, students must realize the ‘‘very harsh economic realities’’ of today, and that ‘‘there is really no sense to get training if there is no work once you’ve got your training.”’ “We are developing ad- vanced technological program type of education that when you do get the skill you are going to find a job,’’ said Parks. Parks ended his speech quoting the last three years as a “bitter pill.’’ Unfortunately, a lack of time cut Parks speech short and did not allow too many students to ask ques- tions. When asked about his views on Park’s speech, an unidenti- fied student said, ‘‘It’s abso- lutely futile to have him here. He can make all the nice state- ments he likes before the next budget comes down.”’ ————SSSS=== Friday, March 15, 1985 Other Press Douglas College’s Autonomous Student Newspaper Matthew Owers [speaker of the house], Jesse Sedhu [D.C.S.S. president] and guest speaker John Parks at student society A.G.M. A.G.M. photo by Brian Bisset What accessibility? Along with a_ probable $10.00 application fee, Doug- las College students might also be facing a 10.5 percent by JAYNE MUSKENS tuition increase next fall. In a memorandum to the manangement committee, Bill Morfey, bursar of Douglas College recommended a $2.00 increase per semester credit, that the administration adopt an application fee, and also adopt other increases to the fee schedule. “The recommended _in- crease in the tuition fee sched- ule being imposed and consid- ered by other institutions,’’ said Morfey. As for the application fee, Morfey added that ‘‘the pur- pose of the proposed appli- cation fee is two fold.’’ The application fee, according to Morfey, will raise revenue and also help to support expenses of the registrar’s office over which the college has no control of, but which are triggered by the act of application. The application fee will be one time only for students enrolling in credit courses/ programs. The fee will be non- refundable and while a few students may not be able to continued on page 2 Mister Bill speaks REGINA [CUP] - B.C. premier Bill Bennett says he thinks “it’s sick’’ to have B.C.’s three universities managed by three separate university ad- ministrations. Speaking in a hotel parking lot after dinner at the first ministers’ meeting in Regina, Bennett told two students he saw no need for the three distinct managing bodies. __ “Yeah, that’s sick,’’ said one of the students, Kevin Weedmark from the Univer- sity of Regina, disgusted by Bennett’s comment. Bennett said the univer- sities must use their operating grants from the government more efficiently. He added “there are going to be a few surprises’’ when the govern- ment unveils its budget in March. Bennett said British Colum- bians angry about the govern- ment’s cutbacks in funding for education and social services should ‘‘wait for the next one and I'll give them something to scream about.’’ Earlier at the reception, Bennett refused to answer a student reporter’s question about accusations that the B.C. government was divert- ing federal transfer payments away from education.