-~ ~The Sentient~ March 1st, 2005 Algoma University Student Newspaper Price: Free From Conception to Construction The New Student Center Troy Miron There has been a lot of speculation over the past year as to why it has been taking so long for the new student center and Information Communication Technology Center to open its doors. I was lucky enough to spend some tiine with Bruno Barban. Not many people know how and when this whole idea came about, so Bruno shed some light on this for me. He told me that it has been a part of the student council agenda for over ten years. The last six or so students' councils have played a very active role in its coming about. Some of the major roadblocks they faced were: a student center is considered more of a business than part of an educational institution, it cannot be funded the same way that the university is allocated moneys. Other things that hindered Bruno were that all of these plans and decisions had to be passed by the students' council. This Construction in progress for the new student center. sounds rather easy, but with a students' council that changes every year it is hard to keep everyone in the loop. As Bruno said, "it was like taking one step forward and Bruno was also having problems keeping the students' two steps back." These issues put more and more pressure council informed, Cindi Elgie solved this problem by on Bruno to come up with a solution and fast. There was becoming acting liaison between the students' council, so that an idea thrown around to renovate portables, but who she could keep everyone up to date in regard of all the wants a student center in a portable? This idea was decisions that had to be made. Now, where the student's obviously scrapped, so Bruno thought a new building center has been on the board for years, the I.T.S. building is a placed lower from where it is now would be the best idea. relatively new idea. When the IT building was first conceived However, there still was the question of funding. It turns they thought the best idea was to have a separate building. out that our student fees are among the lowest in Ontario, The student center was slated to be an octagonal shaped so it was decided that a raise by one hundred fifty dollars building lower to the side, they thought of connecting the 2 per year would be implemented. The 2003 students' via a tunnel or some sort of skywalk. These ideas were not council passed this almost unanimously and the 2004 class feasible, so it was decided that they would join the two and would inherit this system. This increase in student fees put it where it is now. It turns out that this would make both resulted in being able to raise $150,000 a year and the plan buildings bigger, and along with a bigger building comes a was to get about $300,000 as a down payment and then bigger budget. mortgage the rest for ten years. (continued on page 2) Family Usurps Illness John Gagnon When adversity sets itself into any situation, you should always be able to look to your family for help. Dr. Rene Gagne, our beloved French professor, is combating the affects of cancer. We must gather our family's strengths together and transpose them to Rene. Collectively, we must share in a silent prayer, 'may the spirits of a thousand warriors walk with you through this war.' Dr. Celia Ross, President of Algoma University, and Dr. Bill Newbigging Chair of the History departtnent, rallied to relieve Dr. Gagne of his duties, which would allow him to focus his time and energy on his health. There could not have been a better choice of locum tenentes. Dr. Ross cmnpleted her Ph.D. at l'Universite de Bordeaux 111, France and Dr. Newbigging received his certificate of translation from the University of Paris and says that, "stepping back into French curriculum was like riding a bike." During a phone interview over reading week, Dr. Newbigging stated that he and Celia would pick up the 'workload' until Dr. Gagne returned to his post. When asked how he felt about taking on the added pressure to his already busy ·semester, Dr. Newbigging nobly said, "No one chooses to become ill. Rene's health, along with the students at Algoma, is first priority {orthe University." It is this sentiment, in my opinion, which tnakes this school solely unique. We are fortunate to be a part of this kind ,of integrity, where our leaders are willing to remove the medals from their unifonns, and jump back into the trenches to help an injured comrade. I am proud to say that I am a member of this academic family. On behalf of the one collective thought of Algoma, 'come home quickly Rene!' Page 2.: Editorial The Sentient March 1st, 2005 Editor's Letter John Gagnon Our school is experiencing a new Renaissance. We are living 'the history' that will be carried by this institution for its lifetime. We are a culturally diverse institute with many dormant voices. It is time to wake up that sleeping giant and allow ourselves: to have a voice, to have the ability to express ourselves, to exercise our right to question and be answered. In my time away from Algoma University, I found myself visiting many University campuses throughout the country- not to study fulltime - but to find a familiarity tbat I had grown to love here at Algoma. I visited these other schools to stand in awe-to smell the library - to be around the love of learning. Whether it was sitting on the steps at Osgood Hall and listening to the conversations within earshot, or watching people enjoy the Botanical Gardens at UBC, I found one common ground. All of these schools have a voice, and have been exercising it consistently. When I returned to Algoma I felt discouraged, but feigned indifference to the thought that we had no school newspaper. I fed directly into the 'regional apathy.' In the first week of February, I was approached by the executive members of the student union, and was asked to 'take the reigns' of our voice, and re-establish The Sentient. I accepted, knowing that it would take a lot of work, and I would be flying by the seat of my pants. It literally started by wiping the proverbial cobwebs from the ancient computer that sat silent for so long. After creating some sort of office environment I set forth to write articles, and in this I succeeded first, though the brunt of the month was taken up by wading through bureaucracies. I made contacts throughout the school, the city, and the province and found my way by blind passion. Then the day came and I knew I needed help. I asked many people for help and received many different reactions. Fortunately, fate would bring the right people together and bring this venture to fruition. I have nothing but the utmost respect and gratitude for the team members of the Sentient. They rallied together during their week off to put this paper together and they tnust be commended. They are now the voice of our school. I reverted back to the look of the newspaper from the mid-nineties epoch, which was then known as the Sentinel. I had the pleasure of learning from Diane Tian-Agawa Editor-in-Chief. I felt a comfort in the look of the paper in that time, perhaps because I had already worked with that format. I must say, I have grown to love the name change, it is more fitting. I am not opposed to changing anything, as long as there is sqmething; our voices being heard. This last couple of years here at Algoma are proving to be quite newsworthy, with tqe ..growth of school, the building in process and all other issues at hand. No excuses can be implemented to the reason why the paper sat dormant. It had to be done, it must be done. We must have a voice. Algoma students, we should be proud of ourselves and we should look to AUSU, SASA, AUBS, AMSA, the History Society, and the rest of the great clubs of the school. Who by the way should be fueling the Sentient with content, input, questions, and even finances to keep the machine running. On that note, the Sentient would like to thank Charlotte Commanda, project coordinator for 'The Shingwauk Project', Cindi Elgie of Student Services, Bruno Barban (we need to talk-smile), Rose Taylor, Craig Diotte, Keith DeConto and the rest ofthe IT staff and TA's, our Alumni office (for being empathetic to our plights) and everybody who gave positive re-enforcement, wisdom, time and energy. My true hope is that this will be the last resurrection of our voice, and we can at least take note of our mother college. Laurentian University's school newspaper Lambda, has been in print since 1961. I encourage everyone here at our school, students, staff, faculty, management to submit work. Without these voices con1bined, there is no voice. We are also launching the Sentient on the web at SooToday.com, simultaneously with our print issue. Visit us and read our stuff@ http://www.sootoday.com/content/students_domain/! E-mail is wonderful when you know how to send an attachment. .. [email protected] is how you can send us the content.