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Douglas Students Union set to kickstart winter semester

Pub afternoon, pub night, U-Pass referendum, and computer lab on horizon

By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

o help ease students into

the throes of the winter semester, the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU) is hosting a pub afternoon this Tuesday in the upper floor of the DSU building at the New Westminster campus. All students 19 years of age and over are welcome to the event, with the opportunity to bring a non-student guest. Free food will be provided and there are also plans to continue free- food events throughout the rest of the month.

Another pub night is also being planned for January 24, with the theme yet to be announced.

Also coming up later this month is the renewal of the U-Pass contract with the provincial government

and TransLink. In the upcoming meetings, a new price will be set to keep public transport affordable for students and a referendum will be held at the end of the month. “Being a part of the Canadian Federation of Students has given us the opportunity to connect with students across the province and the country and has given us the tools to effec- tively combine both of these things to best serve the stu- dents at Douglas College,” said Jill Griffin, External Relations Coordinator. “Over the past year we have learned just how unique and diverse our members are and how to effectively advocate for them on a local, provin- cial, and federal level,” said Women’s Liaison Jenelle Davies. “We have learned how important it is to balance both social events, and advocacy with political issues. The DSU has organized numerous social events like free food days and pub nights to bring students together.”

The current rep team have also reflected on initiatives set in the fall semester and other ongoing campaigns.

“We have also brought campaigns like Rock the Vote and Beat the Bottle to the forefront of the college, and advocate for issues like Sisters in Spirit and National Day Against Violence Against Women,” said Davies.

The work on the new computer lab is slated to be completed this semester as well.

”The computer lab will be opened as soon as we have the necessary software and everything is networked properly.

We are hoping to have it opened before mid- terms,” said Griffin.

The lab will include a printing station for students hard-pressed for ink and paper with their standard library-issued printing credits. When operational, the lab will be accessible from the second floor of the DSU building at the New Westminster campus.

World Recap: weekly geopolitical events (Jan 1 - Jan 7)

By Keating Smith, Staff Writer

Africa: (South Africa) Former South Africa president Nelson Mandela has been discharged from a hospital in the city of Pretoria after spending three weeks in the facility while being treated for a reoccurring lung infection and surgery for gall stones. Mandela has been flown home where he is to carry out the rest of his recovery under doctor supervision. The Nobel Peace Laureate turns 95 this year.

North America: (United States) US Secretary of

4

State Hillary Clinton was released from a New York City hospital last week after doctors found a blood clot behind her right ear. Doctors treated Clinton with blood thinners to dissolve the clot, which developed after she suf- fered a concussion back in December. Clinton’s spokes- person told the media that she will be able to make a successful recovery on her own at home and is “eager to get back to the office.”

Latin & South America: (Venezuela) Newly re-elected president Hugo Chavez may potentially miss his inauguration this week after fighting a

lung infection post-cancer surgery in Cuba. Although Venezuela’s Vice President Nicolas Maduro rejected calls for another election

if Chavez is unable to

take office on Thursday, opposition leaders in the Venezuela have asked

the government for more detailed updates on the status of his health and con- dition while receiving treat- ment outside the country.

Asia- Pacific: (North Korea) North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has reached out to South Korea by calling for an end to the conflict between the two countries in a shocking New Years Day speech made on state-

run media. Jung-un, who took over from his father Kim Jung-il after he passed away in 2011, made the comments in contrast to

his father’s shy and rare public speeches. Both North and South Korea have

been at war since 1953.

Europe: (Vatican City) The Italian Central Bank has sus- pended bank card payments in the Vatican after the Holy See failed to meet the EU’s precautions on finances including anti-money laun- dering legislation beginning in 2013. The Italian Central Bank ordered Deutsche Bank Italia to freeze all of its card terminals in the Vatican on New Years Day causing

people to pay for goods and services in the area with cash only. The Vatican has been scrutinized by the EU for being involved in money laundering scandals on multiple separate occasions in the past.

Middle East: (Qatar) The Qatari based media network Al Jazeera is planning to launch Al Jazeera America after purchasing former US Vice President Al Gore’s Current TV network for

an estimated $500 million. The network hopes to reach out to more than 40 million American households by acquiring the network, which has been faced with financial problems over the past year.