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THE CANADIAN NA T IONAL BADMIN T ON CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE AT NAIT – MAR C H 4-6 THE P l e a s e r e c y c l e t h i s Thursday, March 4, 2010 newspaper when you are Volume 47, Issue 20 finished with it. NUGGETYOUR STUDENT NEWSPAPER EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA Ready to woRk! NAITSA’s new executive set to take over the reins of student government, story page 2 your chosen four nAITsA’s new exec- utive members get together following their election victories last month. Tessa cocchio, left, is to be VP Aca- demic, Tim Jobs was elected Presi- dent, Tyler Bernard is to be VP campus Life and Govind Pillai, right, is to be Photo by raymond Ip VP external. 2 The Nugget Thursday, March 4, 2010 NEWS&FEATURES execs face host of issues By KathArIne hAy Back before the Olympics started, before Reading Week, something magical happened at NAIT. Students got together, went online, and voted. The result? Your new NAIT Students’ Association Executive. There are some new faces, and some people returning for a sec- ond kick at the can. Moving from his role of Vice President Aca- demic into the coveted President’s office is Timothy Jobs. For Jobs, it’s all about serving the students. “We’re going into some interesting times with budget cuts,” Jobs said. “So it’s an opportunity to use my experience to help students.” Jobs will bring to his new position his experience dealing with student academic issues, and his past interactions with influential people on campus. Sadly, as Jobs enters the pres- ident’s role, it will be the last we see of the presidential toque, which has been worn by out going president Geoff Tate. Another current executive member, Tessa Cocchio, is mak- ing the move from Vice President External into Jobs’ former role of V.P. Academic. “I’m really excited for that [face time] with students, because right now I don’t get to do that a lot,” said Cocchio. During her tenure as V.P. External, Cochio dealt more with administration at NAIT and at the provincial level. As for the challenges with the new position, Cocchio’s efforts to learn the academic rules and regulations might be her biggest task. Still, she wanted to remain with the executive because of how awe- Photo by Jenna Turner some working with NAITSA is. nAITsA’s new executive members take some time out recently to catch up on their nugget reading. “I get to talk to other student executives and talk to politi- They are, left, Govind Pillai, VP external; Tyler Bernard, VP campus Life; Tim Jobs, President and Tessa cians about what could be better for post-secondary education,” cocchio, VP Academic. she explained. One of the fresh faces on the executive is Govind Pillai, who of the student body, as he considers it “an honour and a privi- the learning curve coming into his new position as fairly easy. will be moving into the role of Vice President External. Pillai lege” to be working for students as their representative. “I’ve been working with [NAITSA] since I first got here … and had represented students on the Senate prior to his election to the As a reminder to himself about what got him elected and helped put on stuff like the Pirate Party for the past year,” he said, NAITSA executive. why he is there, Pillai says he plans to keep a blown-up copy of adding that he wants to expand events like that around campus. “I anticipate the learning curve will be almost completely his platform on his door to “ensure all the projects I pursue will In his new position, Bernard is looking forward to having more vertical and I’m looking forward to it,” said Pillai in an e-mail. always come back to my platform objectives.” resources and power to have a positive impact within the NAIT Pillai says he will have an absolutely open-door policy with all The second new member of the NAITSA executive is Tyler community. One of his main goals is to have at least half of the Bernard, who will be tak- people in every building know who he is, what his role is and feel ing over the position of Vice comfortable approaching him about pretty much anything. President Campus Life. Ber- Training and transition will begin formally in early April for nard has also been a Senate the new executive. They take over their new duties on May 1. Home fires burn representative, and volunteer More information about your NAITSA Executive and Senate By nIcoLe de chAmPLAIn All submissions must be in by March 4 and director with NAITSA over is available at www.naitsa.ca, and executive members generally My home. Two words that mean a com- the winner will get his or her photo profes- the past year. Bernard looks at maintain an open-door policy with all NAIT students. pletely different thing to each individual. On sionally mounted and framed. March 10, NAITSA will celebrate the diver- “The picture to send in is of your home, sity among students here at NAIT. The My whether international or Canadian, rural or Home event will be held at the Shaw Theatre, city, abstract or specific,” says Maquinay. giving students a chance to share their differ- At the event, there will be many different ent cultures and backgrounds. types of entertainment, including professional To enhance the cultural theme, everyone dancers, musicians and martial arts experts. attending the event is asked to wear his or her Many types of dancers from different cultures traditional dress. Prizes will be rewarded to have already been booked. Maquinay expects those who dress up. To get a little “taste” of to have great entertainment, saying NAITSA other cultures, the nest will be providing many has booked “a Chinese Lion Dancer, belly different ethnic foods. dancer, Indian dancer, salsa dancer, bagpiper Fe Maquinay, NAITSA Event Co-ordina- and an Aboriginal dancer.” tor, says some of the types of foods served are, Maquinay says she expects up to 150 par- “spring rolls from China and falafel from the ticipants but hopes that there will be even Middle East. Yeah, different kinds of cocktails more. The success of the event depends on and foods for free for students and different NAIT students and their participation. This is teas and coffees.” not NAITSA’s first multicultural event but it The event has been created during Multi- will hopefully be the largest. cultural week, not only to share each individ- NAIT is filled with people who come from ual’s culture but to learn about others as well. many backgrounds and this is an opportunity There will be a My Home photo contest that for students to learn about each other. There is any NAIT student can enter by submitting a a lot to look forward to and everything is free! picture of his or her home. Students can e-mail Free food and free entertainment, so really, or bring the picture into the NAITSA office. you have nothing to lose. Thursday, March 4, 2010 NEWS AND features The Nugget 3 apprenticeship cuts The nugget By KathArIne hAy Burns said it would be nice to move to a sys- ship programs. To minimize layoffs, Burns said Room E-128B In the face of new budget numbers, NAIT is tem that offers a more long-term plan for how NAIT is currently looking to expand their inter- 11762–106 Street looking at cutting about 1,000 apprenticeship many apprentices will be trained throughout national programs. NAIT President Sam Shaw Edmonton, Alberta positions from a number of school programs. With Alberta, rather than having to make is currently in South Amer- T5G 2R1 fewer applicants, and fewer companies willing to new plans for staff and students each ica exploring the possibility of Production Office 471-8866 sponsor apprentices, Alberta Infrastructure and year. Burns is part of the senior aca- sending instructors down there www.thenuggetonline.com Technology has been forced to reduce the alloca- demic officers group within Alberta, to teach. Burns sees this as a Editor-in-Chief and said they meet annually with the way to expand NAIT’s place in tion of spaces for apprentices to NAIT. Chris Carmichael-Powell According to Paula Burns, Assistant Vice-Pres- ministry to explore ways to improve the global community, and to ident of Academic Affairs, this isn’t a new phe- the system. ensure that layoffs are not nec- [email protected] nomenon, as AIT allocates NAIT, and other poly- “We want to move to a system essary within the tight budget Issues Editor technic institutes, a specific amount of apprentice- that is less reactive than it is now,” NAIT is facing for the upcom- Ryan Flaherty ship spaces based on how many students are reg- said Burns, adding that the Minis- ing academic year. Burns said [email protected] istered within the apprenticeship system. Burns try has been really receptive dur- she looks at the budget issues as Assistant Issues Editor noted that in some years AIT asks NAIT to take ing discussions about bridging this a challenge, rather than some- Linda Hoang more students than the institute has the physical gap between what AIT currently thing negative. [email protected] capacity for, which is why school administrators does, and something more holis- “Anytime there’s a cri- continue to express a desire to expand the campus tic that NAIT, SAIT and other poly- Paula Burns sis like this, there is always an Sports Editor beyond its current boundaries.

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