25 november 4, 2015 issue 5 | volume 26 nexusnewspaper.com camosun’s student voice since 1990 N SPORTS ON CAMPUS AND BEYOND PAGE SIX SEMESTER SWITCH DECA DELIGHTS IT’S ALL GOOD Interurban technology programs Camosun student club wants to Matthew Good talks about what switching to semesters in prove that it’s not just for those in keeps him going past the glory September ’16. the business program. days of the ’90s. page 3 page 4 page 8 VIEWS November 4, 2015 editor’s letter open space Time to get sporty People with disabilities camosun’s student voice since 1990 It goes without saying, but maybe we don’t say it enough: sports Next publication: November 18, 2015 are a huge part of life for many students. Given that our offices are on deserve respect too Deadline: 9 am November 9, 2015 Camosun’s Lansdowne campus, we’re pretty removed from the day-to-day goings-on of Camosun’s sports teams, the Chargers, who call Interurban Jessica Williamson Address: 3100 Foul Bay Rd., Victoria, BC, All Ciarra wanted was to be ad- home. But they’re a part of student life, so our contributing writer Adam contributing writer V8P 5J2 dressed directly. Marsh has caught up with them for our feature story (see page 6) to find Location: Lansdowne Richmond House 201 Imagine being a high-school It’s easy to notice three kinds of out what the school’s basketball, volleyball, and golf teams are up to Phone: 250-370-3591 student, getting lunch, struggling to people in the community when there (spoiler: good things). Email: [email protected] get to class, and dealing with judg- is someone with a disability. Marsh didn’t stop there: his story also looks at teams off campus to give Website: nexusnewspaper.com mental teachers. Sound familiar? There are people who stare, a quick but thorough overview of what’s happening locally in the sports Now imagine being a student point, and whisper to whomever Publisher: Nexus Publishing Society scene. And it’s only a beginning: there are many sports not represented with cerebral palsy. This condition they’re with and make the situation at all, and hopefully in the weeks to come you’ll see those represented on NEXUS PUBLISHING SOCIETY affects motor skills, muscle tone, unbearably uncomfortable. these pages as well. STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS and movement, and can lead to Then you get the people who, Speaking of Interurban, we caught wind that some programs over Pascale Archibald many other health issues impact- in fear of getting trapped in an there are switching over to a semester system next year, so we sent con- Jayden Grieve ing vision, hearing, speech, and awkward situation, act like the tributing writer Jessica Williamson out to get the details; see page 3 for Keagan Hawthorne learning. other person is completely invisible. Oryanna Ross the lowdown. Sarah Tayler There’s lots more in this issue, as always, but instead of detailing it, I MANAGING EDITOR wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for swinging by our 25th an- Greg Pratt niversary celebrations on October 22. Not only did you prove to us that Just because someone thinks, moves, or speaks STUDENT EDITOR you’re all hungry (those éclairs flew off our table before a single Nexus Pascale Archibald person had a chance to try one; email us if you ate one and give us the differently than you do doesn’t mean they ADVERTISING SALES review!), but you proved that what we do matters: we fielded tons of nice Greg Pratt should be alienated from social interactions and comments about the paper and the stories we’ve been running as of late, 250-370-3593 opportunities. FREE Media (national) which means the world to us. [email protected] You know, working in this industry, I’ve had people telling me for 780-421-1000 about a decade now how print media doesn’t matter. Not sure where STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER they’re getting this from: every day I get comments from people proving Jill Westby So, add cerebral palsy on top This typically involves averted eye that it indeed matters, and in an era of oversaturation of pseudo-news of the list of typical high-school contact and zero acknowledgment. INSTAGRAM TEAM LEADER online, I’d say it matters more than ever. Your positive comments lately Jessica Williamson pressures, and you’ve definitely Also, they don’t typically respect the prove that I’m right, which is why we’re continuing on as your student got a challenge at hand. The real space bubble that someone who CONTRIBUTORS newspaper, your student voice. Adam Boyle issue here isn’t the adequate staff- uses a wheelchair needs. Greg Pratt, managing editor Rebecca Davies ing, facilities, or funding, but the Then there is the preferred inter- Melanie Didrich [email protected] Sera Down social aspect of going through action, where the person knows Audrey Greenlees school alone. how to treat the situation correctly: Rachael Grant flashback I have a friend, Ciarra, dealing respecting the unique requirements Keagan Hawthorne with cerebral palsy, learning dis- that person may need, not judging Adam Marsh 5 years ago in Nexus abilities, and social stigma. Ciarra, or making anyone feel uncomfort- Tasha Olekshy Mikayla Russell who has now finished high school, able, and, beyond that, treating Nova Sawatzky would go weeks at school without everyone the same. If you generally Lorenzo Scala a single peer acknowledging her, nod and smile at people, keep that Wendy Snedden engaging her, or even simply touch- up; this is how you create inclusion Sarah Tayler ing her hand or shoulder. in the community. Jessica Williamson Jake Wyatt This exclusion was painful, and Treating someone superficially the hardship of going through high and judging their intellect by their school with mainly staff, workers, apparent disabilities is something and health-care aides as “friends” that, as a culture we need to change. All editorial content appearing in Nexus is property of the Student society mover and opening in 1990, and it had lots of Nexus Publishing Society. Stories, photographs, and artwork is not something she will easily Just because someone thinks, contained herein cannot be reproduced without written permis- shaker: In “Student president re- extras in it. In “New library means sion of the Nexus Publishing Society. The views and opinions forget. moves, or speaks differently than expressed herein are those of the authors, not of Nexus. Nexus signs” in our October 30, 1990 expanded AV services” we talked has no official ties to the administration of Camosun College. I understand how, in an encoun- you do doesn’t mean they should be One copy of Nexus is available per issue, per person. issue, we reported that James Grey about those extras. “Camosun ter with someone you’ve never met alienated from social interactions was stepping down as president faculty participating in an uplink to before who uses a wheelchair or and opportunities. Send a letter of the Camosun College Student other schools is now a possibility,” Nexus prints letters that are 250 words or less. has a disability, interaction may be People need to be kind and re- Nexus reserves the right to refuse publication of let- Society (CCSS). Grey said in his we reported. No word yet on what ters. Letters must include full name and student num- stiff, forced, or uncomfortable at spectful to everyone else they see ber (not printed). Nexus accepts all letters by email to resignment letter that he had ac- that means. [email protected]. We reserve the right to edit first. Also, it may be hard to judge in their day, regardless of whether all letters. complished his main goal of es- Bike advice for the ages: We the degree of their impairment. One they have a disability. tablishing a student society that gave some advice in our Why cycle? OVERHEARD AT NEXUS: “I’m a social bumpkin.” of the things Ciarra hated the most You may never know the impact was autonomous and independent column that still holds true all these was when children would walk up just a simple “hello” will have on of the college, yet still influential years later. Writer Dave Mosley to her mother or worker and ask, that person, so why not reach out within Camosun, which the CCSS cautioned cyclists in Victoria about “What’s wrong with her?” and make someone’s day better? is to this day. not doing anything “stupid” while New technology, old tech- on two wheels. “You’ll get hit,” Something on your mind? Send Open Space submissions (up to 400 words) to COVER PHOTO: Kevin Light nology, confusing technology: he warned. “And the car always [email protected]. Include your student number. Thanks! The new Lansdowne library was wins.” Do you follow local sports? by Sarah Tayler matt Gadd abby drouGel loGan simonson richard WhittinG Kathryn cutchey Felicia morGan “I do. I follow the “No, I don’t. Sports don’t “Cycling. I just don’t really “Not specifically, no. Too “City-wide, yes. Camosun- “A bit; mostly hockey or Shamrocks and Rebels.” really interest me, but it’s like team sports, which is much of a hassle, I guess.” specific, not yet. We’re soccer.” fun to go to a game every usually what’s being talked starting to watch the once in a while.” about.” Victoria Royals. We watched the Wildcats a bit over the summer.” nexusnewspaper.com NEWS college Interurban technology programs to switch to semester system “Those students will actually be getting a shorter summer [the year the programs transition]—it means they will not be able to get a regular co-op work term.