Ottawa [CUP]--The death of
a British Columbia student
October 17 has prompted a
BC MP to question the
federal government ~ on
funding for sufficient stu-
dent housing in that prov-
ince.

Edward Murray Black-
more, who attended Camo-
son College in Victoria, as-
phyxiated in his van when
he left a propane stove
burning for warmth.

Svend Robinson, NDP-
Burnaby, asked Paul Cos-
grove, the minister respon-
sible for Central Mortage
and Housing Corporation,
what the government is
doing about the critical
housing shortage.

‘“‘When is the minister
going to accept some re-
sponsibility on behalf of the
government for the very
serious shortage of student
housing for university, col-
lege and vocational school
students?’’ said Robinson.

“How many other stu-

The framework for a new
student movement in Cana-
da was laid last week-end
by delegates attending the
National Union of Students
(NUS) and. Association of
Student Councils (AOSC)
joint conference in Winni-
peg

Delegates representing
over 70 post-secondary in-
stitutions passed motions
which will see the political-
lobbying NUS merge with
the service organization,
AOSC, in an effort to-pro-
vide students with a fuli
range student movement,
said Mike Miller, NUS field-
worker in British Columbia.

The new organization will
also create closer ties be-
tween provincial student or-
ganizations and the national
student movement.

The founding convention
for the new organization,
which remains nameless,
will probably be held within
three years, Miller said.

Until then NUS, AOSC
and the provincial student
organizations will continue
operating as they are now. I
the meantime, referendums
are expected before May

Volume IX
Issue VIII

provide

 

Housing crisi
causes death

dents, poor people and sen-
ior citizens are living in
vans or worse due to the
government’s policies?’’
George Pederson, presi-
dent of Simon Fraser Uni-
versity, also wrote to Cos-
grove in August calling the
government’s position re-
garding help for student

housing ‘‘shocking’’ and
““short-sighted’’.
Said Robinson, “‘If uni-

versity presidents are mak-
ing statements like that, the
situation must clearly be out
ofhand. —

Cosgrove, in response to
Pederson, said, ‘‘students
are only one group among
many who require housing
support. Other target
groups such as low-income
families and senior citizens
have housing needs that
are, if anything, more pres-
sing and longer-term.”’

Cosgrove, as well as Pat
McGeer, Minister of uni-
versities in BC, refused to
further housing

1981.

A new feature of the
proposed organization will
be exclusive use of AOSC
services by members. Stu-
dent associations will have
to be members before they
may receive the services of
the organization, said Max
Johnson, member of the
board of directors of AOSC.

Currently, student asso-
ciations can be members of
either the AOSC or NUS, or
both.

In the past,. separate ref-
erendums were needed if a
student association wished
to join the provincial and
national bodies.

Both Johnson and Miller
see the new organization as
offering students a better
run, higher profile, and
beneficial student associa-
tion. They feel it has a
chance to ‘‘truly unite stu-
dents in one organization.’

The per capita fee for
membership in the new
organization will be $3 high-
er than the current fee for
members of NUS. With the
larger resource base, Miller
said the organization will be
able to hire’ more staff to
service the members. As

funds.

Pederson pointed out the
economic and social impli-
cations of investments in
university education and
added, ‘‘students simply
cannot attend university if
they have no accommoda-
tions available at a price
they can afford.’’

This year an estimated
10,000 BC students had
difficulty finding accommo-
dations and were forced to
temporarily live in tents,
army barracks and trailers.

Robinson said many
people believe the problem
has eased because many of
the emergency measures
have been abandoned.
However, he said, many
students have left school
because of the problems or
are doubling up in crowded

apartments.
Students in Waterloo,
Calgary, Edmonton and

Ottawa also have trouble
finding off and on campus
accommodations this year.

well, the national compon-
ent of the organization will
be able to provide a ‘‘data
bank’’ which would provide
councils with information
‘‘on everything from how to

 
  

 

A United Way white elephant sale got under way

 

at the Coquitlam campus this Wednesday.

operate a student council, to
preparing a brief for gov-
ernment, to holding a
dance,”’ said Miller.

The congruent member-
ship of students in both the

Enrollment up

by Dan Hilborn

An increase in the num-
ber of courses offered at
Douglas College is respon-
sible for record enrollment
this year according to Ken
Battersby, the college ad-
missions director.

This year 6,509 students
registered at the college, up
11.5 per cent from last year
when the increase was only
minimal.

It is the success of the
continuous entry, self-paced
vocational programs, such
as those offered at the
rapidly growing Newton
centre, that are accountable
for the majority of the
increase, said Battersby.

Bill Morphy, the college
bursar says, ‘‘I like to think
that this is an indication
that the college is meeting

 

community needs.”’

In a residency report pre-
sented to the college board,
figures show fewer people
are enrolling from New
Westminster, Surrey, Lang-
ley and Maple Ridge while
there is more enrollment
from Delta, ~ Richmond,
Burnaby, Coquitlam and
communities outside of the
college area.

Enrollment in occupation-
al programs is up 24.6 per
tent this year while enroll-
ment in university transfer
has stayed relatively steady

New Westminster cam
pus has the largest popula-
tion with a estimated 2,574
students, followed by Sur-
rey with 1,989, Richmond
with 1,102, Coquitlam with
587, Langley with 189 and
Maple Ridge with 67.

algamate

provincial and national com-
ponents of the organization

will eliminate the current
overlap in work by the two

groups, Miller said.

————

nside

 

Employment.....pg2

Letters..........pg4

Hallowe’en........pg5

Police, XTC.......pg 6

Trooper eeeese.0. PEE

Sports.........:+...pg7