ana page three ‘The Other Press March 6, 1981 news Split Awareness Stressed Anthony Wilkinson and Bill Day discussed the new roles of Kwantlen and Douglas College with the local media at a luncheon at King Neptune, New West- minster, on Friday, Feb- bruary 20. Anthony Wilkinson, pre- sident-designate of Kwant- len College; said that Kwantlen is not a clone of Douglas despite their com- mon parentage. by Carol Pope He said that although many similar programmes would be offered, the dif- fering societal needs of the two college regions would be reflected by different mixes of academic offerings to be introduced over the coming years. “‘To deny change in an academic institution such as Kwantlen is to predeter- mine academic obsolescence and inevitable decline.’’ Wilkinson said a doubling in population within ten years is possible in the area south of the Fraser compri- sing Richmond, Delta, Sur- rey, and Langley, which will be served by Kwantlen. ‘‘Such growth will create new academic, structural, and space challenges for Kwantlen which will require all the many talents of the Kwantlen community if they are to be met in a construc- tive manner,”’ he said. Wilkinson said the antici- pated population growth, along with the limited sys- tem of public transportation and rising costs of private transportation would most likely lead to a_ basic range of programmes being eventually offered at each of Kwantlen’s four compuses. “The changing ecomonic pattern of the south Fraser region could also result in the introduction of a dif- ferent range of programmes in technology than which presently exists,’’ he said. ‘Nuclear kills’ Infant mortality rates in the Soviet Union have sky- rocketed due to several nu- clear reactors located on the heavily populated side of the Ural Mountains said an American physicist, Satur- day night, at Robson Square _ Media Centre. by Carol Pope “Such a rise in mortality rates is unprecedented in technological society,’’ said Dr. Ernest Sternglass, pro- fessor of radiation physicxs fessor of radiation physics at the University of Pitts- burg. Sternglass said that in- creasing mortality rates are due to radioactive gasses from fallout, testing and leaks from the _ reactors which were largely built during 1969 and onwards. “‘The Soviets often didn’t even bother to build the protective five foot walls which would normally sur- round reactors,’’ he said. Sternglass said the Soviets stopped publishing mortality rates in 1974 but smuggled reports have re- vealed that since 1971, there have been increases in in- fant mortality of five to ten percent a year. Sternglass said a similiar rise in infant mortality rates Sternglass demonstrates occurred after the March 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in Harrisburg, Penn- sylvania. “Harrisburg experienced increased spontaneous a- bortions, infant death, and mutations in human and animal populations,’’ he said. Sternglass, who once worked for Westinghouse on nuclear reactor design, has launched a_ personal campaign to inform people of his views on radiation. “Exposure to. low-level radiation over an extended period of time is equal if not greater in effect than a high-level dose in a single exposure like Hiroshima,”’ he said, ‘‘The safety level set by governments is a farce.”’ Sternglass said govern- ments have too much inves- ted in the nuclear business to reveal information revea- ling its dangerous effects. “There is no safe thresh- old of exposure to radiat- ion,’’ said Sternglass. Sternglass said military personnel exposed to levels of radiation labelled as safe by the American govern- ment are experiencing a four-fold increase in leuke- mia as compared to non-ex- posed military personnel. Soviet infant mortality rates. by Carol Pope “The health effects ot low-level ‘radiation are not limited to cancer, but in- clude genetic damage, fetal damage and mortality, and decreased resistance to all of the chronic diseases to which the human race is. susceptible,’’ he said. He said that in areas where nuclear testing has been terminated, cancer ra- tes have decreased. “Scientists had no idea that radiation given at low levels could do so much damage even to adults,’’ said Sternglass. He said low-level radia- tion did not even have -to contact a cell to do damage - it just has to reach the surrounding fluid. ‘‘We had underestimated the sensitivity of mem- branes by 5,000 times,’’ he said. Sternglass warned his audience to avoid medical x-rays unless they are truly necessary. ‘‘There is a direct rela- tionship between x-rays and cancer,’’ he said. Sternglass said many scientists have overlooked the possible hazards of nu- clear activity due to their haste to make up for Hiroshima by finding a be- nefitial use for nuclear pow- er. “If the future of our children is really important we will protest nuclear pow- er,’’ he said. , Sternglass said the people should demand that their governments release all in- formation on nuclear acti- vity. ‘“‘No greater threat in the world exists to our future than secrecy.’’ he said, ‘‘freedom of information is not a luxury; it is a neces- sity.’’ Wilkinson said that cent- ral control which allows for decentralised decision-ma- king is imperative to dealing with the ‘‘dispersed nature of Kwantlen’’. “With some 3,000 full- time equivalent students enrolled in three major sub- ject areas transfer, career and voca- tional education, and con- tinuing community educa- tion and located on four campuses, Kwantlen faces major diseconomies of scale which will hopefully decline as student enrolment in creases,’’ he said. He said the potential of Kwantlen is severely. res- stricted by lack of space, that the provincial govern- ment has agreed to the construction of new build- ings. ‘Until our new campuses are built, the debilitating physical environment will remain with us with the possible expansion into even more temporary facili- ties,’’ Wilkinson said. He claimed space limita- tions could cause a cutback on non-credit courses in favour of credit courses and programmes. Wilkinson said Kwantlen will seek to accommodate the needs of the increasing number of adult workers, many of whom attend sitional programmes for women seeking to return to the labour force. “‘The provision of retrai- ning programmes for an obsolescent work force must be guaranteed,’’ said Wil- kinson. He said the American Bureau of Labour Statistics has estimated that tech- nological change will have eliminated 50 percent of existing jobs in the United States by 1990. “There is a general in- crease in demand in Canada for courses with a vocational and career emphasis,’’ Wil- kinson said. ; He said the role of kwantlen will be challenged by the development of elec- tronic and distance educa- of university . tion and educational pro- grammes offered by private companies. ‘“‘Kwantlen will continue to stress the academic ex- cellence which made Dou- glas the jewel in the com- munity college system of British Columbia,’’ said Wilkinson. He stated that Kwantlen university trans- fer students will be accep- ted by provincial universi- ties as Douglas students have been. Bill Day, president of the new Douglas College, said the college split demons- trates that the needs of the suburbs to the east and south of Vancouver are being recognized. ‘‘These municipalities, a- bout 25 percent of British Columbia’s population, ha- ve been underserved in post-secondary educational and training facilities,’ he said. Day said Douglas will work closely with consti- tuent school districts in . order to coordinate with secondary school and adult education programmes. - Douglas College will be serving Maple Ridge, Co- quitlam, New Westmins- ter, and Burnaby. ‘‘We have already held discussions with Simon Fra- ser University on joint pro- jects,’’ said Day who stated the Douglas building will complement those of the British Columbia Institute of Technology and the Pacific Vocational Institute in Bur- naby. i Day said the new Douglas campus in downtown New Westminster will offer ex- cellent cultural and recre- ational facilities. He claim- ed much notice will be paid to the development of ser-_ vices to Maple Ridge, Co- quitlam and Burnaby. Day said in addition to “high caliber opportunities for academic programmes and adult education pro- grammes’’, Douglas will of- fer more training oppor- tunities in health, business, social service, technical and arts related occupations. by Carol Pope Wilkinson speaks on split to media.