January 19, 2005 security Gives Something Back to Students Br KATHLEEN DE VERE News EDITOR If you are onc of the many students who like to unwind between classes by playing a little ping-pong, you may be convinced the agora was visited by Santa’s elves oyer \ winter break. When students.came:baek to séhool this semester, onc of the new sights greeting them was a brand new ping pong table, where the old one should have been, Although’ this iin’t ‘pigof sf; Santa Claus, it is proof that UNBC security can be pretty thoughtful when it comes to the students. ‘ - “We put in [the ping pong table] over Christmas time, after cveryonc > had left after exams,” cxplained Diana Clausen, UNBC’s Sccurity Supervisor. “What happened was, we have the lost and found sale for the students every year, and previously we used the procccds from the lost and found sale to have .a: pancake -breakfast,” said Clausen. “However, we saw this ping pong stable; and how breken it looked, so we: decided’ to use the midncy to buy the students a new table instead. We decided that the'studcnts needed.a new. ping pong table becaise the old one was just trashed,” said Clausen. According to Clausen, Sccurity decided to purchase the ping-pong table for students instead of holding the breakfast, since rather than a flecting pleasure for a few students, a new ping- pong table would provide enjoyment for many students for ycars to come. The plan almost hit a small snag however, because. Clauscn almost couldnt find a ping-pong table in Prince George. “There was only one in Prinee George,” said: Clausen, “T.went shopping, and then I went one the web, and then I phoned and I said ‘who has a ping pong table?” and Wal Mart was the only onc!” Luckily, Clausen was able to locate a table, and security staff spent their own ume over the holidays sctting it.up so _ PHOTO Bi: Becky OT Students make goed use of the new ping-pong table donated by UNBC security. Security used the money from the annual Lost and Found sale to purchase the table. the students would sc¢:the new table as soon as they got back, and would he able to usc it immediately. While the funding for the new ping- pong table came from the annual lost and found sale; Security needed to get authorizaion to purchase the table from the university, beeanse the money fromthe sale is put intel ufiwersity account. ‘ Security went ahead and purchased the table: on ‘their, own,” And -Vice President of Administration and Finance Sharon Coechranc, later approved the expense, reimbursing them. from. the funds generated by the lost and found sale. University of Ottawa Student Paper Gains Independence Student union makes unanimous decision to set the Fulcrum free t By STEPHEN HUI CUP NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF OTTAWA (CUP) — After months of planning and years of positioning, the University of Ottawa’s English- language student newspaper has won its independence. Editors of the Fulcrum watched nervously as the student union’s board of administrators voted unanimously, with one abstention, on Jan. 9 to trans- fer ownership of the paper to the newly created Fulcrum Publishing Society as of May 1. “I was shocked that it passed like that,” said Mary Cummins, cditor-in- chief, as Fulcrum staff gathered at a bar to celebrate, “because the feed- back I got before the meeting was telling me that they weren't for it.” The 10,000-circulation, weckly publication sought separation from the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa to protect its journalistic integrity and take on legal responsibil- ity for its content and’ finances, pro- duction manager Marcts McCann told the boatd. “The SFUO-Fulcrum relationship, as it stands, is flawed,” McCann said. The current situation, where the paper reports on the student union’s activitics and the student union signs editors’ paycheques, creates an “inher- ent conflict-of-interest,” he explained. To help the Fulcrum Publishing Society gct on its feet, the student union will buy $40,000 of advertising credit in the paper — about three years’ worth — as part of the autono- my agreement. The paper has agreed to purchase its assets from the student union and pay back any debts within three years. While a new board of directors — mostly elected by students — will gov- ern the Fulcrum Publishing Socicty, it will continue to collect the paper’s $2.61 per scmester student levy and operate out of the same building. If the Fulcrum gocs bankrupt or breach- cs the agreement, its assets will revert back to the student union. Phil Laliberté, president of the stu- dent union, said at the mecting he had been working with the Fulcrum to hammer out the autonomy agreement since last summer. “In the end, no one gets the wrong end of the stick: the Fulcrum gcts to survive, as the SFUO does,” Laliberté said. “I think it’s a fair agreement.” After lawycré review the autonomy agreement, it will return to the student union board for final ratification. Board members raised concerns about the Fulcrum’s financial plan- ning, liability issues and cditorial con- tent, during the one hour and 20 min- utes of discussion Icading up to the vote. One faculty representative want- ed the paper to make a commitment to promote school pride, while social vice-president Guillaume Lemicux complained about the lack of a bal- ance between positive and negative news coverage. Editors assured the board the hiring of a business manager was alrcady increasing ad revenuc, and autonomy would cncourage them to put out an even better paper. The student union’s decision means the Fulcrum, which dates back to 1942, will. no longer be onc of. Canada’s largest non-autonomous stu- dent newspapers. The Fulcrum’s recoré ,show the paper was. interested in autonomy as carly as 1978. In the ‘90s, the paper created a publishing board and won its own student levy. Every year, student papers on cam- puses across the country win or attempt to gain independence. Students at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. voted to scparate Over the Edge from their student union in a November 2004 referendum. Since the Gateway at the University. of Alberta in Edmonton won its autonomy referendum in 2002, the paper has been more innovative com- mercially and independent cditorially, said business manager Don Iveson. “Editorially, I think the leveliof: care and attention is higher because of that ability,” he sajd., Twson’s advice to the Fulerum: “Baby steps, Den’t try to. set every: thing up overnight.” News Page 5 Board of Governors approve multitude of changes The Boarc:of Governors held a mectitre in November, and approver a variety of items, including the full MBA program, and a-revised version of the 2004-2005 budget. With the approval of the Master of Busincss Administration, the Board has approved the full program. Last year a Diploma in Business Administration was introduced, and the 23 stu- dents in the program will now have the option to transfer their diploma credits towards completing their MBA. The Board has also approved a revistd 2004-2005 operating budgét; whieh includes an additional $640,000 for nurs- ing programs iiQuesnel, and a new Nurse Practitioner Program. é $ I 00,000 from Fort St.John -« Doctors. : Doctors in Fort St John have. opencd up their pocketbooks to support the Northern Medical Program by donating more than $100,000 to ithe Northern Mcdical eae trust. The contribution comes'a » month. after dommunitics.in the North Peace joined togeth- er.to ercate ‘the North Peace > Comnunity Pledge, which is aiming to-raisc nearly $550,000 to support the Trust. The pledge includes Hudson's Hope, ‘Taylor, and Fort St Jahn, along with Areas B'and’ C of the Peace River Regional District. The/Northern Medical Programs ‘Trust is a. partner- ship involving the University of Northern British Columbia and nearly two-dozen commu- nities from around northern, ~ BC. The goal is to create’an endowment of $6 million, with different communitics pledging different amounts based on their populations. Together with the University, the com- munities themselves will man- age the Trust, and determine the critcria for-how students will be able to access funds. that will help them: offset the costs of . their. medical educa- tion."