The CordThe tie that binds since 1926 Weekly Laurier sports year in review History's natural disasters, and the 1... page 16 elephants that predict them... page 12 Volume 45 Issue 16 Thursday January 6, 2005 www.clublaurier.ca Bus pass fate left to students Referendum question set to probe students' feelings about a mandatory $40 bus pass BLAIR FORSYTH-STARK Steve Welker, WLUSU's campus and take the bus to Staff Writer president and CEO, voted against school. "The closer you live to this referendum question, noting campus, the higher the rental will decide in he believes a mandatory bus fee rates tend to be." evaluates February's elections if they Cord Students is, "not in the best interest of stu- "I don't think it will have a wish to support the pilot project dents." He could not be reached huge impact on people moving of UPASS, which would provide for additional comment. elsewhere," said Pisciielli, but, he unlimited access to Grand River Graham Vincent, the Director explained, if one student moves BOD performance Transit (GRT) bus systems to of Transportation Planning for further away, then one housing Laurier students. GRT and the region of Waterloo, unit would become available The plan would call for a indicated that there would be closer to campus. "It doesn't take Directors still have a few to $39.50 fee be included in plans for "added frequency of a lot of students to [...] affect a Review aims to months remaining in their term tuition costs per semester and service midday and evening on lot of students." to take additional actions, so the would grant students access to route seven," which runs up and According to Vincent and report the Cord's review acts as a midterm GRT buses in Waterloo, down King Street. He also said Piscitelli, the UPASS project of report, which we hope will Kitchener and Cambridge each there will be "later night service," would also help with Laurier's adequacy inspire improvement for the sake term. The fee is significantly should the project be supported parking shortage as well as help- WLUSU of students. It should also pro- lower than the usual cost of $130 by students. ing to achieve 'green' or environ- vide students with an update on per term for a student bus pass, mentally friendly objectives. politicians how their elected representatives however students who do not for a Other universities such as have weathered the storm. Have wish to purchase pass The plan would call or are the would Western, Queens, Guclph and JENNIFER ASSELIN & they pulled their weight, not be able to opt out. $39,50 fee to he McMaster have similar plans, and APRIL CUNNINGHAM some directors better left beyond Correspondents On February 3, 2005 students included in tuition costs Piscitelli feels that a bus pass plan WLUSU the board room? will not only vote for student rep- per semester and would would be beneficial to Laurier's resentatives, but will vote on var- grant to GRT administration in terms of mar- Since May of 2004, the Wilfrid ious access Laurier University Students' If representatives and referenda questions. The buses in Waterloo, keting initiatives towards incom- WLUSU Board of Directors ing students. Union's elected representatives appointed members to fulfill recently passed a question con- Kitchener and Piscitelli indicated that while have attempted their can't communicate duties for cerning the UPASS project. Cambridge each term, this project has "been talked the student-run corpo- properly, how can While some students may be about for a number of years," ration and to provide a voice for quite the average Laurier student. As students expect them supportive of the project, interest on the part of WLU to communicate others may not wish to spend the administration and CRT, as well with any politicians, some mem- $40 bers of the Board of Directors dollars per term for a service "We want to ensure that we several WLUSU directors who properly with them? they (BOD) have feel they would not use. provide an appropriate level of included the UPASS as an elec- made substantial contributions, "This will be a close election" service for ridership," continued tion promise, helped to com- while others have been more disappointing. said Anthony Piscitelli, Vincent, referring to the planned mence the realization of this proj- Year in Review The annual BOD Review is WLUSU's vice-president: service improvements that were ect. an attempt for the Cord Weekly to University Affairs. Piscitelli, who outlined in a presentation to the Ultimately, the decision For many directors, the most sig- a of is supporter of the project, feels BOD. remains in the hands of the stu- evaluate the effectiveness the nificant issue has been the con- that "students will be quite happy Vincent also indicated that dent body on February 3. individuals chosen by the Laurier troversy over allowing underage student body to represent them with it," but feels that by allow- "[housing] rental costs for stu- students to access Turret bar ing on the Students' Union. Reviews students to vote, "all students dents can be reduced," if they are nights. Most feel that they have have been based on a combina- can make an informed decision." able to live further away from acted in die best interest of stu- tion of what Cord editors have dents with the decision to keep witnessed from the galleries of the policy as-is, while others still Board Meetings and a series of believe the insurance lisks for one-on-one interviews based on the corporation are too high. Editor's Pick... each director's election platform. Input was also collected from reveals how student Visit The Cord's Student Life section where staff writer John Meddick Laurier fellow directors on how they colleagues were - Please see Review, page 4j Kathleen Ryan exposed students' lack of respect for women on campus ... Full Story Page 18 believed their performing thus far. 2 News Thursday January 6, 2005 - The Cord Weekly Some students interested in the program have voiced a con- cern that because the program is Cord new, graduates will have less in B-ford credibility than Journalism stu- clippings Journalism dents graduating from other schools. "It takes time to estab- ! NATIONAL MIRANDA MACDONALD us that there is a huge interest in practical skills Production Assistant training. Although lish the reputation of any new this type of program." ! the course is made up of very spe- program," said Groarke. Big Wave means big wave of Students in Laurier cific journalism skills such as an attempt to diversify the However, he is confident that I immigrants Brantford's new Journalism pro- writing, reporting, layout and programs available at WLU, the program will attract a lot of In gram can choose from four differ- design, Groarke said that "it is Laurier Brantford is launching a students and be quick to establish ; The CTV.ca news department ent streams: Print Journalism, our view that you need more than new Journalism program in itself. ! reports that Canada is the first Video-Radio that." ! September of 2005. Groarke said that first year nation to speed immigrants Journalism/Documentary Groarke emphasized the need ! Leo Groarke, dean of Laurier Communication Studies students through the immigration Production, Public Relations and to integrate the liberal arts and Brantford, said there is a high stu- will be able to switch into the j process if they have been Emerging Journalism, and New sciences in addition to hard jour- dent interest in pursuing a degree Journalism program after this j directly affected by the recent Media. nalism skills in order to provide in Journalism, not year but it will become increas- ; natural disasters in Asia. only within Both the Journalism and students with best WLU but within the training. ingly difficult in the future based ; Relatives of people already in Ontario as a Public are integrated "Students Relations will come out of this on competitive stan- ! Canada are having their appli- whole. When determining an admission with intensive, one-year post- program with the ability to identi- ! whether to launch the new pro- dards and limited spaces in the cations given top priority. graduate certificate program from fy a good story whether written ! gram, they looked at the demands course. Laurier Brantford is only While the decision affects all Mohawk College. Groarke said or spoken," Groarke said. ! for other Journalism programs admitting 35-50 students per people that have been affected that Laurier Brantford does not Students waiting for the pro- and found that there were six to year. ; by the disaster, the applications have the facilities to run these gram to come to Laurier's for Currently, Maija Saari is the ; are being treated on a case-by- seven applications every specialized, technical courses and campus, Waterloo shouldn't hold only professor hired to teach the ! case basis with primary consid- space in Journalism programs in as a result, an agreement was their breath. It will be offered new program. When the program ! eration being given to children Ontario. made with College to exclusively Mohawk in Brantford in an begins in September there will ! orphaned by the disaster and "There are a lot of students use be their facilities. effort to develop the satellite ! other people that want a journalism degree that three professors. "I would be sur- from regions that The Laurier Brantford's campus and provide alternative have been simply can't get in," Groarke prised if in five years there aren't ; particularly hard-hit. Journalism program combines courses that are not available in said.