FREE November 20, 2014 www.TheReflector.ca Students united will never be defeated Hundreds of Alberta post-secondary students take market modifiers protests to the Legislature Pg 2 Sam Roberts OUR rocks Calgary GIFT Pg 14 TO YOU: SUDOKU PUZZLES ARE BACK PG 18 NEWS FEATURES ARTS SPORTS Mellissa Fung, Not all toys are for ‘Tis the season Take a bite out Canadian children. Be a to watch Netflix! of the vegetarian Journalist, sexy santa this Waste just the lifestyle — speaks at MRU holiday season right amount you can be a ant smashes with our Sex of time with our boss, healthy stereotypes against Columnist’s best holiday athlete at Afghanistan gift guide. film picks. the same time. Pg 5 Pg 8 Pg 11 Pg 16 News Editor Dayla Brown news newseditor@thereflector.ca Students take concerns to government doorstep Hundreds of students travelled to Edmonton to protest countless broken funding promises Kaity Brown Advanced Education for Alberta, hours and then it was time for briefly came down but did not students to start their journey Publishing Editor address the mob of students. home. He chatted with some reporters The ongoing battle is still not Students in Alberta are taking briefly saying that he would con- over. It started back in mid- a stand; they are tired of bro- tinue to be a champion for post- October with the consultation ken promises made by the Tory secondary education in Alberta. that sparked student action. A Government and they’re demand- “Our system is one where in local protest took place at MRU ing answers and changes. Alberta we invest more per stu- a week later, urging President Students from across Alberta dent than any other province David Docherty to not go through gathered in a never-before-done in Canada. It’s approximately with the market modifier appli- combined protest to make their $51,000 per student basis and cation which would be increases voices heard at the Legislature that is $20,000 more than any to Business, $150 per course, Office in Edmonton on Nov. 17, other province,” said Scott. “We Nursing, $100 per course and the date that the market modi- do an excellent job in post sec- Science, $50 per course. fiers were supposedly being dis- ondary education.” The application did still go Photo: Kaity Brown 10 institutions in Alberta have through. Students’ Council at cussed. Zoe Slusar, VP of Student Life for MRU, reminds students made a total of 26 applications MRU started a letter writing cam- Of the 300 students there was that they are valuable and in their venture to educate and for the market modifiers. Scott paign, addressing letters to Don representation from: University better themselves they will help better Alberta. of Calgary, University of Alberta, said that the discussion is still un- Scott and premier Jim Prentice. University of Lethbridge, Grant derway for the market modifiers. Almost 2,000 letters were sub- MacEwan University, Bow “I don’t have a fixed date of mitted by students when the orig- Valley College and Mount Royal when we will have a decision inal goal for SAMRU Executives University. made, we are going to be taking a was 500. It was another testa- From MRU, a total of 27 stu- look at it, but at this point we will ment showing that students are dents got on a bus provided by be reviewing them. I have still taking a stand. the Students’ Association, and been going around the province To date, they have not received travelled to Edmonton. talking to student leadership,” a reply to those letters. Congregating at the U of A, stu- said Scott. At the protest, VP Student Life dents were escorted by SafeWalk “I want to make sure that I for MRU, Zoe Slusar, had some personnel from the university have all of the best information remaining letters addressed to walking downtown and over the to make a decision.” Prentice. However, when she High Level bridge to get to the However, students weren’t the went, along with a handful of Legislature office, chanting along only ones present at the protest. MRU protesters, to the public the way. Some of the notable MLAs and entrance she was denied. The Heads turned and cars honked party leaders that stood with stu- guard took the letters from her along with the voices of students dents out in the cold and talked and promptly let in other citizens Photo: Kaity Brown to them were David Swan, Raj behind her. screaming, “People want to know, Students from across Alberta gathered at the foot of the Sherman and Brian Mason. Without a doubt the MRU stu- who we are, we are the students, Legislature Office calling on government to be held Student Executive Leaders dents felt proud being a part of the mighty, mighty students!” accountable. Spirits were high and the line of at the different campuses were the protest as they loudly partied students spanned almost a kilo- the driving factor behind these on the bus ride home. meter long. protests and campaign. Navneet Slusar said she was over- The proposed market modifi- Khinda, VP External for U of A, whelmed by excitement and ers were being discussed in office said that the most frustrating pride. and students attended, chanting thing is no doubt the broken “It is really exhilarating and outside with countless signs “I promises. empowering to be part of a had a dream of an education”, “I “Repeatedly, promises have movement that has been really want to learn without thinking been broken. We faced budget quiet for a long time and the fact about my next meal” and “No cuts a few years ago and a year that there were students from all more broken promises.” At mid- ago and now they want to in- across the province gathering for point of the protest, students troduce tuition hikes and it is a united cause that it really valu- sang “Oh Canada” in unison at unacceptable,” said Khinda to able for not only us but also fu- the doorstep of the Legislature the crowd. “Today we are hear ture students, is a really amazing Office. to say, Mr. Prentice, keep your thing,” said Slusar. A few faces peaked out of the promises.” “To be a part of that and have curtains in the warm Legislature “I am proud to live in a prov- our little MRU community with- Office as students rallied with ince that values education but in that wider community of stu- Photo: Kaity Brown their VPs chanting “no ifs, no I think that we need more. We dents from the province is special The protest spanned about a kilometer long. Students buts, no education cuts!” and, need to keep government ac- and I am so thankful to everyone marched from the U of A, over the High Level Bridge and to “keep the cap!” countable.” who turned out.” the Legislature Office. Don Scott, the Minister of The protest lasted around two .OVEMBER sTHEREmECTOR 3 Take a stand; save a life Link between cyber-bulling and suicide rates on the rise Dayla Brown News Editor Dangers for those Alone, isolated, unwanted and being bullied: outcasted are just some of the • Depression words that commonly cross the • Social anxiety, loneli- mind of someone who’s being ness, isolation bullied. According to Canadian Children’s Rights Council • Stress related health (CCRC), suicide is the second problems leading cause of death for 10 to • Low self-esteem 24-year-olds in Canada. • School absenteeism Eight out of 10 people who and academic prob- commit suicide showed signs of being bullied. lems Stephanie Stone, Diversity • Aggressive behav- and Human Rights Advisor, says iours that according to Mount Royal Photo illustration: Albina Khouzina • Contemplating, at- University’s personal harassment It’s easy to attack someone from behind the screen. New studies show that suicide and cyber tempting or commit- policy bullying is an, “offensive, bullying are linked and on the rise. malicious, intimidating, insult- ting suicide ing or humiliating behaviour, of- are three times higher than in September, a month prior to due to the extreme nature, in the ten associated with the misuse of heterosexual youth, Statistics her suicide. In the video she de- article she says, “They were the Dangers for those power or position.” Canada reported. scribed her life and the bullying nastiest things I’ve ever heard. I While most online statistics are that bully: Alarmingly, bullying doesn’t she was experiencing through can’t even repeat — some of the directed towards primary educa- stop at school, with 40 per cent of cue cards. Her death began a things were just disgusting.” • Not knowing the tion to high school, Stone says Canadian workers reporting that nation-wide anti-bullying cam- These are only a few of the difference between bullying is found everywhere. they experienced bullying on a paign, the National Post reports. many cases. right and wrong “Bullying can be an issue for weekly basis. In recent years bul- CBC reported a case that hap- Stone says there are multiple everyone. It’s not just something • Delinquency and lying has taken on a new form: pened last year, where Rehtaeh resources on campus for those that happens in the school yard - substance use through the Internet. Parsons, 17, took her life after she who are experiencing bullying: it happens in workplaces, online According to the Royal was raped and then bullied for Student Counseling, Student • Academic problems and yes, on university campuses,” Canadian Mounted Police web- months. She lived in Nova Scotia.