November 24, 2004

-UNBC Spreads

Local Democracy in ©

Russia

UNBC Anthropology profs

Michel Bouchard and fim

McDonald are working in :

Russia on a research ‘project
examining the role of com-

munity organizations in the-
process. |

local democratic
| Théit Russian co-researchers

from Perm State University °
Komi-Permiak -

‘and the
region recently visited Prince
George arid met with officials

in terrace and the Nass val- |

ley. The research is funded by

the Gorbechev foundation, :
local «

and is examining
democracy in the wake .of
decades of Soviet gover-

nance. The research ‘will con-

clude in December.

Student Wins Award

Grad Student Melanie
Noullett has. been awarded
“Best Student Paper” from
the American Meteorological
, Society. Noullett conducted a
study on local air quality and
individual exposure to small
particles in the air which
involved outfitting — local
schoolchildren with air quali-

ty samplers so she could

compare personal exposur
levels with levels that w
being measured in the air.

Noullett discovered that

even though the children
spent 95 percent of their time
inside, they were still
exposed to about half of the
pollutants that were outside.

Professor Selected
for Editorial Board

Eric Rapaport, an

Environmental Planning pro- |

fessor here'at UNBC has been

selected to sit on the Editorial”
Board of the Journal’ of }
Architectural and Planning |

Research, which focuses on
_ the fields of architecture and

urban planning. Reporting

both recent findings and
innovative new practices,
this journal provides a link
between theory and practice
for researchets and practicing
professionals.

Vandals Cost School Thousands

__ Page 4

Vandalism and destruction of school property on the rise on campus

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE WILSON

This sign of one who can only be known as “Blah” mars the wall of

the new medical building.

By JoNAs GAGNON

AND KATHLEEN DE VERE

OPINIONS EDITOR AND NEws EDITOR
Even the most unobservant of

students have probably noticed

the new decorations that have

been hung in the Agora bath-
rooms - polite reminders from the
university that graffiti is not toler-
ated on campus.

The signs have been put up
around campus because of the

Every time facilities is called in to
remove offensive cornments, or
replace a stolen sign, which cost the
school anywhere between $50 to $150,
the university is forced to spend
money that would go-to much better

uses elsewhere.

dramatic increase in vandalism
that has been seen at the universi-
ty in recent months.

According to Godfrey
Medhearst, the Director of
Facilities, .vandalism at UNBC
tends to go in cycles of three to
four years, and this year there
seems to be more vandalism than
there has been in past years.

While most of the vandalism
has been petty things like tipping
down signs and carving inane
comments into bathroom stall
walls, these small incidences are
far from harmless. Every time
facilities is called in to remove
offensive comments or replace a
stolen sign, which cost the school
anywhere between $50 to $150,
the university is forced to spend
money that would go to much
better uses elsewhere.

On average, this sort of vandal-
ism can cost the school three to
four thousand dollars a year
according, to Medhearst.
However, this figure does not
include the people hours needed
to clean up the vandalism and
replace stolen signs - people hours

that could be better used towards
keeping the campus clean or fix-
ing actual problems.

To put the costs of vandalism
into perspective, consider that the
university pays roughly $2,200 for
a new computer. Therefore, on
average, vandalism ends up cost-
ing the school two brand new
coniputers each year, and accord-
ing to Facilities, vandalism has
already cost the school approxi-
mately $4000 this year.

According to Medhurst, most
vandalism happens late at night
in the Agora washrooms, which
makes it hard to catch the vandals.
While there are security patrols
through the night they are not
very effective, as. it is practically
impossible to catch the destruc-
tive culprits in the act.

According to Facilities, what
could prove to be the biggest help
in reducing vandalism is the vigi-
lance of the student body. The
new signs have a number to call if
you see someone committing an
act of vandalism, and Facilities
urges students to report vandals
as soon as possible.

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