Katrina Lennax had a problem. - Editorial As a student, she is responsible for her homework. As a single mother, she is responsible for raising her daughter single- handedly. As the president of the DCSS, she is responsible to all students for how the society is run. As a member of the search committee to select a new college president, she is responsible to the entire college community, the college board, and the provincial government for bringing forth the best recommendation for a new president. And as a member of the committee writing the training manual on “how to be a good citizen in the 21st century,” she is responsible to all students in Canada. It was inevitable, then, that her responsibilities would come into conflict. And in mid-October, the last one came into conflict with the first one. She was required to go to Ottawa to work on the manual, which deals with issues of multiculturalism and racism, but’on the same day had a major Criminology assignment due. Her options: go to Ottawa and fail the course, or renege on a prior responsibility. It seems unfair then, that if the same professor that threatened to fail her had to go to Ottawa the same weekend on educational business, the instructor would have been able to go with the blessings of the college. It seems unfair that athletics students are often given the same ultimatum when they have to miss class to compete at major events. Stay here or fail. It seems unfair that these decisions are left completely up to the whim of the instructor. In an age where more and more responsi- bilities are being placed upon the shoulders of students, it seems unfair that there is no policy in place to deal with the realities of student life. And the reality is that not everyone is able to commit Letters Dear Other Press Once again I am compelled to write, this time in response to Corene McKay’s recent article on clearcuts. While I know she’s being sarcastic and has more knowledge regarding trees and forestry issues than Marcel Martin (who, I may add, has chosen not to respond to my last letter), anyhoo, I must have my say once more. oped@siwash.be.ca It saddens me, actually, to hear her words. I mean, she likes clearcuts. Ya, I know she is being sarcastic, but y’know, she says she likes clearcuts because of their complete apocalysm. They signify to her that humans have really messed up big...and that impresses her. Its kind’ve like being in the fan club of some wicked serial killer, or collecting bad Elvis OPinion oped@siwash.be.ca ped@siwasn.bc.ca 100% of their energies to school. The reality is that not every student has the freedom it takes to get every single assignment in on time. Fortunately, Katrina was able to resolve her problem without sacrificing either. Others aren’t so lucky. It gets worse. Full time instructors are required to teach three courses a semester, but if they have responsibilities outside the school, they are able to cut back their course load and only teach one course. Students with valid reasons for not taking a full course load, due to community involvement, due to illnesses that are chronic but not debilitating, due to the pressures of a family, due to the pressures of a job, are not given the same dispensation. If students doesn’t take nine credits, they are required to start paying back their student loan, no matter what their commitment to learning is. Something about this setup seems implicitly unfair. Most students don’t aspire to be late on assignments. Most don’t aspire to have their life interfere with their education, but it is inevitable, because students are people, too. And as such, they should be granted the same freedom as faculty. It is unfair to penalize someone 5% a day if their grandfather died. It is unrealistic to ask students to take nine credit hours, have at least 10 hours a week volunteering in a program-related field, work to support themselves and, oh, by the way, if you don’t show up to this class, you’ve failed. Admittedly, for every instructor who says that you fail if you don’t show up, there is another who is more than willing to give a week’s extension. But the way it stands now, students are completely at the mercy of the individual instructor. Something is wrong here. Something needs to be changed. Douglas College needs to realize the changing realities for students as well as for the institution and the instructors. We do not live in an ivory tower institution, we live in the real world. All students want is a bit of sensitivity to that fact. singles....don’t you think this is inappropriate? Too much hip irony is certainly not healthy personal ecology. Why do I write, as I know this will get little or no response? I’ve been to the Other Press, and as a paper that relies so heavily on cheap pulp, they should be extremly aware of forestry and wood issues... think of it this way, this paper you are holding in your Rumours from the Milhouse by Lindquist P. Milhouse, esq. I would like to apologize for my absence last issue. One word. Midterms. Let it go at that. In the rush and grind of my studies, I have been removed from my sources. Ergo, this outing will be just a pitiance, really. The weekend past (Nov 8-10) saw the meeting of student societies from all over the province here at the good old C of D. The meeting was billed as being non-political, but put that many student government types in a room, and you can’t help but find politics sooner or later. Even more interesting is that the meet- ing had representitives from CFS (Ca- nadian Federation of Students for those of you who have not been paying atten- tion) and the new, formative, not-yet- registered-but-going-to-be-soon British Columbia Student’s Association. The last time these two groups tried to meet, nothing was accomplished, hence the apolitcal nature of this conference. The new BCSA is trying to be the polar opposite of the CFS. The CFS is infamous for having layers of hierarchy and paid positions. The new student’s as- sociation will be completely staffed by volunteers and will only have two ex- ecutives. That is, if the constitution and bylaws are passed as they stand now. The five founding student unions (University College of the Cariboo, Vancouver Com- munity College, University College of the Fraser Valley, Camosun and Kwantlen) will be getting together in two weeks to finalize the constitution and bylaws. I mention this only because the new BCSA offers Douglas an option other than CFS. Now, I know the argument has gone far and wide that the CFS is a na- tional organization and this will be a pro- vincial group, but CFS itself refuses to accept that. CFS has a provincial branch, headed by the lovely and talented (sic) Michael Gardener. Why, oh why, then do schools feel the need to form a provincial stu- dent organization? The way I see it, CFS is currently choking on its own hierarchy and politi- cal manouvering, and is losing focus. I don’t dislike the idea of CFS. I am quite taken by the thought of students being able to exert influence at such a high level of power. But I’ve noticed that true student power is a result of students as a body massing together in unity. Events in the sixties or earlier this century in South and Central America where stu- dents have held power to influence the highest levels of government are excercises in anarcho-syndaclism, not the political posturing that’s happening these days in the CFS. They’ve organ- ized the student ralleys against educa- tional cutbacks, and for that they deserve some credit. (Even if, like Bill Gates and Windows 95, it wasn’t really their idea in the first place.) And they’ve got this Travel Cuts thing happening, which is cool. But they’ve lost sight of the fact that the true power of the stu- dent movement comes from students, not the student gov- ernment. i Enough of that. On to some- thing a little more local. Users of computer labs 4333 and 4327 (speaking of Win95, that devil-spawned OS) are still having problems with the en- tire lab crashing. A note on the door says that systems is working on it, but, from what I’ve heard, they’re going to have a tough go of it, as the network isn’t currently configured to run Win95., DC is going ahead with the s PAANTOM OF THE OP hands is the vestige of a proud tree or two. Trees, I may add, are about 3 or 4 times your age. It could be your grandmother’s skin . Don’t think of me as the thought police...think of me as the dream police. Dream for a green tomorrow. Broadleafs to you, Lorax change in logo, despite a direct order from the BC provincial government to stop. Chairman of the DC board Bob Buzza sent a letter to minister Moe Shihota say- ing that the logo change was already in place, and to go back would cost more than to go ahead. Nobody I’ve talked to knows if Moe ever responded, but the logo is still making its insidious, triangu- lar way into our lives. Whoops. Out of space. More on logo next issue. November 12 1996 Volume 21 Issue 6 nor the College Administrati emment can tell the Other The paper is under the sof domination of the stu lege. Please feel free to basement cave and exc contributing to two out issues in a semester, yi voting member. The non-heirarchical collec’ rate, no one’s in charg: ask for our president We receive our fundin; collected every semest from local.anid pational Mail % The Other Press Douglas College Room 1020 700 Royal Avenue New Westminster. BC Sallows, Elijah Bak, took that picture, Davi Donahue, Kim McDon Herbert) Kearse, NG B Tammy Shewchuk, Lindquist P. Milhouse, Young, Cynthia Ashto! Taylor, Marc N. Tulin, Whitlow, David Gamb Writtenbird, Shawn Ple Employees opemploy@siwash. be. Accounting -Marion Production Resource - Editorial Resource - Ti 2 The Other Press October 29 1996