check out the new nexusnewspaper.com! september 11, 2019 issue 2 | volume 30 nexusnewspaper.com Parking at Camosun: camosun’s student voice since 1990 Is it getting better or worse? page 6 Camosun welcomes new vice president of student experience Camosun student chases Black Mountain return to rock page 3 boxing dreams YYJ once again page 4 page 8 politics Camosun College Student Society campaign encourages students to raise their voices and vote GREG PRATT/NEXUS A banner for the Get Out the Vote campaign hangs on the walkway between Ewing and Fisher on the Lansdowne campus; the campaign encourages students to vote. for example. We try and find out things won’t change. I think it’s real- “I really think it’s so important “It is easier now than ever for students to vote, what they are wanting to know.” ly important that everyone exercises for students to get out and vote, Umulisa says that the campaign their right to vote.” because everyone fought for the so we don’t see why we shouldn’t be out there is completely non-partisan, and First-year Business student Reid right to be able to vote, and that’s encouraging them to vote, because that is what says that the CCSS is hosting a Taylor says it’s important to vote. overlooked a lot,” says Pepper. “I candidate’s forum on Wednesday, “I think 100 percent it’s im- think that the government does counts.” October 2. portant for students to vote in the have a lot to do with our post-sec- FILLETTE UMULISA “For students that are inter- election,” says Taylor. ondary schooling, and it affects us. CAMOSUN COLLEGE STUDENT SOCIETY ested, there will be people that are First year Arts and Science stu- I think that students need to learn running that you can meet and talk dent Bailey Pepper thinks that it’s everything they can about it, and to,” she says, “but we are not point- crucial for students to vote. participate.” ing any students in any direction, or canvassing for any political party.” EMILY WELCH The average overall voter turn- eyed on campus STAFF WRITER Umulisa believes that students need out in federal elections has remained The Camosun College Student to see how important their vote is. below 70 percent since 1993, ac- Society (CCSS) and the Canadian “I think the whole purpose of cording to the Canadian Library Alliance of Student Associations this campaign is to mobilize stu- of Parliament; however, the youth (CASA) are working together to dents to get out and vote, because vote has continued to climb. In the launch the Get Out the Vote cam- CASA and the [Camosun College] last federal election, in 2015, the paign, which encourages students Student Society feel that democracy youth turnout was 57.1 percent, to vote in the upcoming federal elec- is important and if students actual- an 18-percent increase from 2011. tion. The campaign was launched at ly vote, they can help shape the Third-year Marketing student Camosun on Tuesday, September 3 future,” she says. “It is also easier Jodi Shambrook believes that voting and runs until October 21, which is now than ever for students to vote, is the only way to voice concerns federal election day. so we don’t see why we shouldn’t about the government’s deci- The CCSS and CASA are direct- be out there encouraging them to sion-making process. ing their efforts wherever needed to vote, because that is what counts.” “I definitely think it’s import- encourage students to vote. This can Umulisa is enthusiastic about ant,” says Shambrook, “especially be on social media, through canvas- the campaign and hopes that it will when you have people who don’t sing, by mailing out flyers, or by go- speak to students and show them vote and who then complain about ing out and talking to people face to that their opinion is important. who gets in or the decisions that face, for example, on campus. This “We will be doing a lot of mo- have been made.” fall, CASA and the CCSS (and other bilization, so we’ll table, we’ll host Shambrook says that being student associations across Canada) events, we’ll go to classes to talk to politically active is a sure way to be GREG PRATT/NEXUS have created the non-partisan Get students,” she says. “We are going heard as a student. Last issue, we ran a feature story about the college’s recycling initiatives. Out the Vote campaign to help to be on campus getting students to “I don’t really believe that you On August 27, we opened up a dumpster marked as “garbage” on the Lans- motivate post-secondary students to pledge to vote, giving them informa- have the right to complain if you downe campus to find it containing no shortage of recyclable styrofoam, get involved in the political process. tion about where to vote, directing aren’t active,” says Shambrook, plastic, and paper. This wasn’t necessarily the college, but whoever it was CCSS external executive Fillette them to sites like Elections Canada, “and if you don’t put in your vote, on campus could stand to be a bit more sustainable. 2 VIEWS September 11, 2019 nexusnewspaper.com NEWS 3 student editor’s letter open space college No parking from midnight onwards Late-night bus service long overdue Camosun’s new VP of student experience says campus life is all connected camosun’s student voice since 1990 I’m like everyone else: parking is the bane of my existence. Side roads LINDA OSTROM tended late-night service? Langford Next publication: September 25, 2019 are too crowded, downtown is too expensive, and Camosun parking lots CONTRIBUTING WRITER is almost as far away as Sidney is. sometimes it’s a matter of finding Deadline: 9 am Monday September are a combination of both. 16, 2019 I can’t believe that BC Transit The decision to wait to add late- “It breaks my heart if a student can’t stay in them. But paying for parking is a societal tax, and it’s one of the reasons thinks that adding late-night bus night service to the Sidney area is a college because they don’t have the money, and “It’s just a matter of talking Address: 3100 Foul Bay Rd., Victoria, BC, why I choose not to drive whenever possible. And I’m not alone in that. service is a good idea. I think it’s a disservice to those who live or work to people and figuring out where V8P 5J2 I’ve spoken to numerous students who feel the same way, and some are we couldn’t figure out how to get the money; waste of taxpayers’ money. Who’s there. However, at least for now support needs to be to get those Location: Lansdowne Richmond House 201 downright fuming when I mention parking on campus. taking a bus as late as 2:45 am? they are starting to fill in the hole that breaks my heart a little bit because there’s solutions in place,” she says. Phone: 250-370-3591 At its roots, the issue of parking increases as our population grows. Why add this service to the schedule in the road. My hope is that those As far as the position influencing Email: [email protected] It’s a covert issue in the sense that the changes aren’t noticeable day to such a social benefit of education.” when there’s never been a demand who live and work on the routes that students in day-to-day life, Cum- Website: nexusnewspaper.com day, week to week, or even month to month. But as each year goes by, before? What person is taking a have the new extended schedule will HEATHER CUMMINGS mings says that it’s hard to identify Publisher: Nexus Publishing Society more people crowd the streets, and more cars cram their way into the bus that late anyway? Students appreciate what they have. CAMOSUN COLLEGE specifics because student experi- parking spots. and those who don’t own a car? When I read that transit was ence changes on a student-to-stu- NEXUS PUBLISHING SOCIETY I’ve also seen parking as the cutthroat industry it is: friends getting There’s always a taxi to hire, or they going to add weekend late-night dent basis. Cummings says that STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS their tires locked to the concrete and people having their vehicles towed can walk if they don’t have enough service as late as 2:45 am, I was Camosun has an extremely diverse President - Jayden Grieve when the tow truck driver clearly could have just moved the hunk of metal Vice-President - Katy Weicker money to pay a cabbie. skeptically optimistic. My first ADAM MARSH despite the organizational structure student population and that she on rubber seven feet to the perimeter of the no-parking zone. STUDENT EDITOR Treasurer/Secretary - Just kidding: myself and other thought was that it must be some that separates the two, student ex- wants to focus on what each indi- But parking doesn’t work like that. These companies can’t just move Kate Wood transit users have stressed the need sort of joke and the bus passengers Mental health, supporting perience and academic experience vidual needs. people’s cars to wherever (even though it sometimes feels, in that moment Director-at-Large - Nate Downe for late-night bus service over the are the butt of it.