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The Other Press is a democratically run, autonomous student newspaper, published several times a semester [ usually twice a month] under the ausices of The Other Publications Society. Our funding comes by way of a direct student levy at registration time and through local and national advertising. The Other Press is a member of Canadian University Press and of the national advertising cooperative Campus Plus.

The Other Press welcomes new and prospective members to come to our regular staff meetings every Thursday at 12:00 noon. Story and production meetings alternate every Monday at 4:00 pm. All meetings take place in The Other Press Newsroom adjacent to the student lounge off the main concourse in the North Building in room 2305. .

Phone: 525-3542 Mailing Adress: The Other Press ° Douglas College a 700 Royal Ave. a i Box 2503 New Westminster B.C.

V3L 5B2

Wednesday, eae 18 1984

Dear Other Press,

the semester. But Then | was. told .that this move

The other day, | was talking to a friend who is

involved with the Student Society and was told that they, as well as The Other Press, were being forced to relocate so that the com- munity programs services could move into their off- ices.

Now, | could sympathize with my friends complaint because this sort of move is a major inconvenience, especially in the middle of

Last semester students of our college as well as every- one in B.C. witnessed a conflict opposing Operation Solidarity against the Social Credit Government of B.C. The main reason for Soli- ‘darity to oppose the govern- ment and get support was that the government of B.C. did not represent the popu- lation according to the man- date it received from the people of B.C. in the last election. The government of B.C. was therefore misrep- resenting the population,

thus acting in a dictatorial manner and in a non-demo- cratic way.

Seeing that, the Douglas College Student Society offi- cially decided by a vote to give support to Operation

would cost somewhere aro- und $45,000. What the hell gives? We’ve got cutbacks left and right, programs shut down, and the college is spending $45,000 to re- locate three societies so that the one can have more room? This is pure defica- tion. The way | understand things, the office space pre- sently occupied by the O.P. and the D.C.S.S. were built

‘Student Society, Undemocratic |

Solidarity.

The line of action taken by the Douglas College Student Society. was antidemocratic the same way the budget brought in by the B.C. Government was. The socie- ty was not elected to support Solidarity but to protect and represent the students of Douglas College. No step such as a referendum or large meeting was taken, thus leaving the students of Douglas College without any representation.

Supporting Solidarity may not be a priority for many students of Douglas. The risk of losing one Semester of school may have very important consequences in

the life of some needy stu-.

dents. In conflicts such as

we if you hadn’t noticed, set class sizes are up at Douglas pester College. And if you hadn’t Mey.t noticed that, you probably M.\ have noticed that student fv dn aid is less accessable than in foe the past, and that large mmm universities, like U.B.C., are My proposing substantial tuition fee increases. B ©6In light of these factors, moe students are tightening their gem belts, and many are scrap- we ing the bottom of the barrel mso that they can go to school. It is essential then, that money budgeted for post- secondary institutions is used where it is needed faggmost: in the maintenance mand improvement of educa- tional standards. | The recent decision to I = relocate the community pro- | ae grams division, the Student

to suit the specific needs of those societies.

| also heard that our pres- ident gave permission for the move without consulting % the other members of the D.C.S.S. What the fornica- tion do we have hear? A goddam dictatorship? Screw the move. Leave things as they are and use the money to be spent on the move to pay two instructors for a - year.

<4

A Cutback Student

the one involving Solidarity students are taken hostage.

The Student Society should start taking care of the students it represents and not their own self inter- est and prestige or Solidar- ity. ail

Important decissions | should not be taken without any imput from the stu- dents. When the Student Society ignores the stu- dents, it becomes a dictator- ship.

The number of students that crossed the picket line should be an indication that there was opposition to the . measure. They were not listened to. That is anti- democratic.

Jocelyn Gagnon

Society, and The Othe Press, as requested by Jim Doerr, is not necessary. In fact, it is a waste of money.

The 40,000 to 50,000 dol-}}- lar moving expenditure, supported by neither the} Other Press, nor some of the Community Services staff, could be more wisely spent in other ways.

For instance, the money could be spent to reduce tuition fees, or better yet, add more classes or increase the faculty size.

Some of the funds could be used for student aid, or for scholarships administra-} ted and funded by the col-} lege.

In the future, Douglas College should pay more attention to its students than to the whims of its adminis- trators.