March 5, 1996 bck Press Plans for new Douglas College logo spark controversy Everyone agrees that current logo sucks, but disagree on procedure for changing it by Samuel Lapalme-Remis Because of concerns that Douglas College’s current logo is out of date, the Visual Identity Review Committee has decided to implement a new logo. A request for new logo proposals has been put out, and a budget of $14,500 has been put aside for design. Brad Barber, Director of Communications and VIRC chair, insists this issue is more important than it may first trouble”. The VIRC has recommended that the new, as-of-yet not designed, logo be implemented as part of the construction cost of the new Pinetree Way campus in Coquitlam. The new logo would be implemented gradually at the New Westminster and Maple Ridge campuses, replacing old signs as they become worn due to weather and other external factors. This would cost approximately $34,000, but the VIRC maintains that it will be spent gradually and would have been spent anyway, “Ts __a__ CORR SREB ince signs are normally changed due to , wear and tear. Katrina Lennax, President of the Douglas College Student Society, is sceptical of this time line. “What do you think that they’re going produce when they get their $14,500 spent and a new logo developed? Of course they’re going to want to implement it. This is not a $14,500 expenditure, and I’m appalled that they pretend to the people who are voting on it that that’s what it’s going to cost them”. Lennax is also concerned with the fact that focus groups came from outside the college. She feels that Douglas students should have been made more involved in the redesign process. “If you’re not involved in the college and already paying the tuition, then what do you care if they change their logo? Sure, you’re gonna say ‘Yeah, it’s a good idea’ or ‘That logo is boring and it needs to get up to date”. Brad Barber responds by stating that the purpose of a logo is to attract new students, not to please current DC students. “What’s important to remember is that it’s the public that really matters here it’s not so much what we think about it, it’s what impression it’s creating external to the college”. However, Katrina Lennax’s criticism does not end there. She questions the timing of this project. “The logo is boring and it does need to be up to date. I’m not arguing that. However, we have faculty here who are on strike asking for more money and they’re told there is none. We have a budget coming out from the finance’ department that says that every department must cut I 1/2% of their budget. We also have notices to the students saying *We’re talking about raising your tuition twenty to twenty- five percent. We’re talking about charging you user fees to make up some money because of these budget constraints’. When all of this is happening, is this a good time to introduce this cost?” Brad Barber stresses that with the new campus in Coquitlam prepared to open in September, the least expensive moment to change the logo is now. “If we wait do this for three years, it would mean replacing signage and other materials with an extra cost of ten or fifteen thousand dollars in Pinetree. We want to save money. So if we do it now, before the construction is finished, we can save probably fifteen thousand dollars. With adding new campuses, we also have to update our letterhead. By making this change now, the letterhead has to change anyway because we have to incorporate another address. We can save money by updating the logo and including the new address at the same time”. Regardless of the debate, the new logo should be ready between April 16 and May |. There will be an Information Session regarding the new logo held by the VIRC on Thursday, March 7 from 12 to 1 PM in room 2804. Students are welcome to attend and ask questions. _Langara students move ad campaign to Ottawa Final attempt to stop budget cuts only option for student activists 7 7 > aad b. by Paul Andrew The Student Issues Action Committee at Langara College said if Ottawa won’t come down to Earth, the students will fly there instead. The Langara Students Union said at a media conference last Thursday they are flying four representatives to Ottawa to protest expected cuts to education funding in the federal budget. The budget is expected to be announced March 6. “We need to come up with some answers,” said Lisa Moffatt, LSU chair. “We want the public to know what’s happening. “By going to Ottawa the week the budget is announced, anybody we want to talk to, federal and provincial, will be there”. Flying with Moffatt will be the media contact for the Earth to Ottawa campaign, Shannon Kaplun, and two members of the Student Issues Action Committee, Adam Sutton and Matt Macrae. Sutton, the SIAC chair, said the week- long trip will be financed by $5,000 drawn from the Earth To Ottawa ad- campaign fund, and added that it will be the “closing move in the federal portion” of the fight to stop tuition cuts. He said over 30,000 post-cards protesting the cuts to tuition have been sent to Ottawa as a result of the campaign launched at Langara last semester. “Our goal is to have the media travelling with us so we can send media releases to the students at Langara everyday while we’re in Ottawa” said Sutton, who announced the committee’s travel plans in the Student Union Building at Langara College. “Our whole trip depends on the amount of media coverage we get”, he added. Sutton’s initial goal was to have one of the Vancouver media travelling with the foursome to document the groups activities while in Ottawa. But now he says the CBC news bureau in Ottawa has expressed some interest. “Tt makes more sense to have them meet us in Ottawa,” Sutton said. He added that he will be calling for support from all provincial colleges, and once in Ottawa, will seek the help of the National Office of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), and the Carleton University Student Union. Katerina Lennax, DCSS president, said she thinks it’s a good idea to take the fight against tuition cuts to Ottawa, but is not sure there will be province- wide support for the trip. I don’t know how much support they’ ll get from other college’s,” Lennax said. “But I think that Anna Terrenin (federal MP) has given them - an appointment because there is more pressure now. The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” Lennax added. Lennax explained that because of the recent pressure by local student groups, heFeb7 rally _ Paul Andrew Photo like SIAC at Langara, more people are becoming aware of the potential problems student face in the future. “T think we stand a GOT Oc08 chance,” L €-n.n-a x continued. CeD pre were more concerned about cuts to he:a] teh before. Now they “s¢ saying “Lets S7. Va education.’” Da vice Kappele, Ce iPy.+§ representative in B.C., said he supports the Langara students in their actions, but is uncertain of the impact they will have. “Tt can’t hurt,” Kappele said, “it will compliment all the other work being done by students”. “The more action we take, the more successful we’ll be”, he added. The students are also attempting to appear on a political-debate TV show, The Editors, that airs on a Montreal- based network, said Kaplun. “We've been receiving some encouragement about a meeting with the Prime Minister,” Kaplun said. “But if we don’t get a confirmation, we’ll wait in the hall until we can meet with somebody.” a n Sutton considers strategy for trip to Ottawa - Paul Andrew Photo - Why work for peanuts when you can sell them? Starting your own business is one way to guarantee yourself a job this summer. If you're a full-time student returning to school this fall and legally entitled to work in Canada, the Student Business Loans Program, part of the government of Canada’s Student Summer Job Action program, is offering loans of up to $3,000 to help you start a business. 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