www.TheReflector.ca FREE Sept. 4, 2008 Student Welcome week Summer rock Cougars season centre gets four-page fest recap preview Arts News $14-million pullout Sports facelift Features 2 11 16 21 Wyckham ready to roll Student centre expands 45 per cent to help meet student needs by Jeremy Nolais but this type of design will allow Publishing Editor students to see that the centres are good happening places and The massive expansion of that will maybe de-mystify them MRC’s Wyckham House has had a bit,” Fogal said. some hiccups along the way but The main-level food court has Phase 1 of the project is complete also been expanded to double just in time for the hustle and the seating space and introduce bustle of the fall 2008 semester, four new food kiosks. There is according to representatives also a motion coming to student with the Students’ Association. council to create an open store The $14-million project, where people could drop off which officially broke ground items they no longer need and in May 2007, will expand the students could then pick them college’s student centre by 45 up for free. per cent. SAMRC executive From an architectural point director Marcy Fogal says the of view, the structural design new additions will provide of Wyckham’s expansion is NEWS EDITOR: students with plenty of space to quite abstract and challenging, Alan Mattson pursue their special interests. especially the circular glass [email protected] “(The expansion) gives us portion which will house the lots of opportunity to respond SAMRC council chambers, to students needs more said T.J Fletcher, construction immediately,” Fogal said. “More manager with CANA who is September 4, 2008 space to do concerts, to do responsible for the project. events, more space for students “We have had some challenges to hang out and talk with one connecting the old building to another, interact with other the new. We had to integrate groups, you name it.” along all kinds of different Photo by James Paton Fogal said in past years it was media: brick, glass, roofing, Construction crews have been working hard to get the new BRIEFS a struggle to facilitate student we had to connect to the new portion of Wyckham House ready for the first day of school. clubs and services especially building through all of that, so as the college’s population it was definitely challenging,” or another, adding a personal and more,” Agnew said. s Hurricane Gustav continued to grow. Fletcher said. significance to the project. He said the expansion is all part “So many people were using Last January, the SAMRC “It’s really unbelievable, I of the SAMRC’s goal to become Aapproached the building and there were reported on its expansion myself started my engineering more accessible to students and New Orleans many so many services that students blog that the project was degree at Mount Royal and then pointed out that council has just feared a repeat of wanted that we ended up ahead by roughly six months, transferred,” Fletcher said. “It’s put forth a motion to create a the devastation that having to cram into places like however a steelworker labour sort of a homecoming and it’s brand new website as well. occurred one year ago meeting rooms,” she said. “We shortage slowed the structural nice to take a journey back in Fogal said the third floor discovered we needed to have development work. time.” and a few of the new centres as Katrina slammed purpose-built spaces that could “The oilpatch draws away a SAMRC president Jeff Agnew awaiting council approval into a town that was be fully dedicated to clubs and lot of the steelworkers and that said it’s a very exciting time to will not be ready until mid- unprepared to manage services and now we have that.” puts a strain on the project early be at MRC. October but besides that, Phase the damage that All of the SAMRC’s various on, but we have made up a lot “We have the Peer Support 1 is complete. Phase 2, which the winds and water service centres are now located of time over the spring and the Centre, which is probably used includes renovating the Liberty on the second and third floors summer,” Fletcher said. the most by students, Cultural Lounge, could begin as early as brought as it hammered and are visible from the main Fletcher said he and his team Mosaic Centre, Access-Ability next summer. the U.S. city. food court bowl. were happy to reach their goal Centre, all of these things that “We are going to let the The possibility of “We have got a streetscape of having the new centre open we are pushing forward now dust settle first on Phase 1 another crushing concept going on, so students in time for the fall semester. He have a lot more space and are and regroup a bit financially blow by this storm, will actually be able to see inside noted that most of the workers a lot more visible and hopefully to make sure we have the the various centres. We’ll still be involved with the project students will see the benefits of financial wherewithal to handle which killed 94 in the able to protect people’s privacy attended MRC at one point them and start using them more Phase 2.” Carribean, led to the evacuation of the area. Feared to become a Category 4 storm, Gustav hit the city as a more forgiving Category 2 with winds reaching 177km/h. apan, the world’s Jsecond largest economy, faced the loss of its second premier in under a year as Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda stepped down. Unpopular and facing a stalling economy Fukuda followed in the footsteps of his predecessor Shinzo Abe. The resignations contrast sharply with a five-year rule by Photo by James Paton the popular Junichiro Firefighters battle a massive blaze in West Citadel Estates, which destroyed two homes and damaged another. Koizumi. Photo by Ben Curties This wide-eyed Tokay gecko spent much of his summer just hanging around at Reptile World in Drumheller. September 4, 2008 • THE REFLECTOR 3 Welcome to Boomtown Despite its growing pains, Calgary has plenty to offer declare, you must be lazy. But in this boomtown, holding down a job doesn’t guarantee a roof over your head. Not when homes rarely go for less than $400,000. by Alan Mattson For some newly transplanted Calgarians, coming here will News Editor be a nerve-racking experience. If you’re new to Calgary — How can one live under a and with the way things have government dominated for 36 been going, many people are — years by Conservatives? you may be wondering exactly How to contribute taxes and what this city stands for. In royalties to unaccountable 2008, what does it mean to be politicians? a Calgarian? How to live where multi- We give white cowboy hats billion dollar oilsands to visiting dignitaries. We projects are gutting the Photo by Hamish MacLean occasionally like to blow up northern landscape, draining President Dave Marshall is pleased with the progress that MRC has made in the past few hospitals. As a city, we’re rich irreplaceable fresh water and years. This may be a critical year in the college’s transition to university status. as hell. Our mayor was once natural gas? Ralph Klein. How do you carve Once you look past the an identity out of that? economy which is, by the way, What does it mean to be slowing down, things are bleak. part of the economic engine But for all the downsides, It’s not just a name of the oilpatch, to be among there’s plenty of good. the statistics in a swelling The arts are beginning to MRC’s transition to university status population, to be in a city that take hold in this city despite is booming? the image of cigar-smoking, ‘getting there fast enough,’ says President For most new Calgarians, bourbon-drinking oil it starts with work. Jobs. barons that would sneer at by Hamish MacLean that will create a situation where MRC and they will, or perhaps The economy. Money. And Shakespeare, or even a good Layout Editor it will be ridiculous not to call us won’t, give the school their the popular corresponding indie rock show. a university.” stamp of approval. assumption is that Calgary is In April Calgary hosted Next spring Mount Royal As an example: in traditional The Association of Universities a rat race. the Junos, College could see its first universities, says Koczkur, and Colleges of Canada’s website A maze C a n a d a ’ s graduates leaving with degrees there are two separate decision- explains that the provincial of young For most new biggest music issued by MRC. And among making bodies. And this year government deals with all professionals awards. With others, Dave Marshall, the MRC has assembled a new levels of education, including chasing the Calgarians it the nation’s president of the college says that general faculties founcil to universities. run-off from starts with work. musical elite the post-secondary institution’s ensure that quality education “There’s no federal ministry $120 oil. looking on, growth has been significant decisions are being made while of education or formal It’s true. Jobs. Money. it was an enough that it may be on the the board of governors looks accreditation system,” it says. Money is u n b r i d l e d verge of outgrowing its own after the operations side of “Instead, membership in the the lifeblood And the popular success with a name.