CANDIDATES FOR NAITSA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, PAGES 12–15 T NAI NUGGET Thursday, February 7, 2019 thenuggetonline.com Volume 56, Issue 9 @nuggetonline Cover photo by Aaron Wilmot & typography by Shawna Bannerman ONLINE VOTING FEBRUARY 8-14 USING YOUR NAIT STUDENT PORTAL 2 The Nugget NEWS & FEATURES Thursday, February 7, 2019 Peer support program open By ELI O’DONNELL “We’d love to see the hours be the applications every year. and they can get really emotional. But The Peer Support Center is now same as our office hours, we’d love to Brodeur hopes to receive applica- we want to make sure that whatever open. After nearly two years of planning see this expand to the satellite campuses tions for more peer counsellors. Postings issues [the interviewee has] are worked and training, the peers at the centre are as well,” said Brodeur. for positions are usually posted on the through, [they] are going to be ok and ready to help and listen as of January 30. Other institutions, such as Grant MacE- NAITSA website in March and April. To not be triggered by somebody else’s The service hub manager at wan and the University of Alberta, have had become a peer supporter, one must first problems,” said Brodeur. NAITSA, Megan Brodeur, explains that some form of peer support since the ‘60s. be enrolled at NAIT. They also screen Students are encouraged to seek help the major draw of peer support programs They have almost 40 students employed as for empathy and unbiasedness. if they need it and the Peer Support Cen- is the fact that you will be speaking to supporters and they see between 60 and 70 “The interviews are really tough, tre is now open to serve students. another student – one who has been trained to help those in need. “Peer support is student to student supportive listening,”said Brodeur. The service is anonymous, which means no names, no IDs and no student numbers. Not only is it anonymous, but it is for everybody. The peer supporters are there to listen, whether a student is nerv- ous about a test or if they are experien- cing more severe concerns. “We do not give any advice,” says Brodeur, after being asked about the dif- ference between a peer supporter and a counsellor. “You bring in your prob- lem, spread it out on the table, talk about your feelings, and then the peer sup- porter will help you package it back up.” They also give resources and refer- rals if someone needs or asks to take their healing to the next level. Support- ers are not licenced and will not give advice. “We are not going to come in and say ‘Oh, break up with your boyfriend, he sounds like a jerk.’ It is very impar- tial and unbiased with no judgement,” said Brodeur. NAITSA currently employs ten stu- dents, but Brodeur hopes to expand the Peer Support Centre in the future. The program is currently open on a walk-in basis three hours a day on Mon- day to Friday. One hour in the mornings, one at lunch and one before evening classes. Aaron Wilmot STUDENT SENATE New procedures will effect grading By JOE LIPOVSKI up with two separate transcripts. Glenday said NAIT she had underestimated the workload of an executive Last term ended with the approval of NAITSA’s is working on transferability within a new system, but position. However, after adapting quickly to the new Peer Support operating budget. At the first meeting of doesn’t know how that will work. role as VP Student Services, the role has been very this term, Jennifer Glenday, from the registrar’s office Glenday said when there are manual intervention rewarding. presented the changes NAIT is currently reviewing, and curriculum changes, there can be room for error. Karen Velasco, VP External, who came from the regarding academic procedures. This includes how NAIT is continually working to automate their tran- peer mentor owl program at NAIT, said her biggest grades are determined and NAIT’s appeal procedures. script and transferability within their services in order challenge was adapting to her new role. Velasco also The senate had many questions for Glenday regard- to remove more of the ‘human error’ factor. found going through the decision making process, when ing transcripts. Senator Grace Chan-Lowe asked if Michael Essex, the senator for trades and appren- advocating for student funding from government was this review would bring any changes to NAIT’s cur- ticeships, explained that he is unable to run for an equally as challenging. rent transcript system. Senator Rick Guillaume asked executive position, because some apprenticeship pro- President Naomi Pela said the most challenging if a new system would be able to recognize the 33 level grams are as short as two months. Essex mentioned that thing for her was how quickly her time books up. As high courses and transcripts, compared to today’s 30-1 apprentices are also not eligible for several services, a result she would have to choose which meetings or and 2 level courses. such as the U-Pass, which he would like to change. events to attend. Brenda Needham, VP Academic, said Glenday said this review includes NAIT’s current, Senator Seo asked the Executives what they found the most difficult part will be leaving at the end of the Peoplesoft transcript system. However, Peoplesoft only most challenging during their term. VP Student Servi- term. Needham and Pela are both nearing the end of goes back as far as 1999. As a result students may end ces, Willow Shelley, said that being a senator last year, their second and final term as executives. Thursday, February 7, 2019 NEWS & FEATURES The Nugget 3 U of A prof. poses changes The Nugget Room E-128B 11762–106 Street Edmonton, Alberta to current prison system T5G 2R1 By MICHAEL STREAN Dr. Taylor reminds us that the vast formative justice’. A more familiar term Media Operations 780-952-3570 An associate professor at the University majority of rape cases are unreported. “Even might be ‘restorative justice’, which means www.thenuggetonline.com of Alberta published a critique of the correc- when it is reported, the police don’t believe having a deeper community response to Senior Editor tions system and on prison feminism. it, judges don’t believe it. Even in the tiny crime. Dr. Chloe Taylor’s new book Foucault, minority of rape cases that get reported to The focus of transformative justice is Eryn Pinksen Feminism and Sex-Crimes: an Anti-Car- the police and go to trial, the person doesn’t to make the necessary changes in the com- [email protected] ceral Analysis is her response to Michel end up in prison anyway,” said Taylor. “We munity that created the crime. Part of this Assistant Editor Foucault’s controversial idea that sex-crimes need to debunk the myth that rapists are in change is to rehabilitate and re-incorporate Althea Alabat ought to be treated as crimes of violence prison.” offenders into this community. only. When it comes to actual response to “Maybe what we need to do is trans- Sports Editor Michel Foucault is a French philosopher crime, however, the direct solution Dr. Tay- form society so that these things don’t hap- Zachary Flynn and sociologist. Some of his works include: lor would offer is something called ‘trans- pen anymore,” said Taylor. [email protected] Discipline and Punish (1975), The History of Sexuality (1976) and Madness and Civil- Assist. Sports Editor ization (1961). Much of Foucault’s work Jordan Tougas hinges on a critique of labelling or categoriz- Entertainment Editor ing people based on things like sexuality or mental illness. Chris Figliuzzi “He recognizes the ways that these cat- [email protected] egories can be both pathologizing, and Assist. Entertainment Editor oppressive and limiting. But also ways that they can be empowering,” said Taylor. Tora Matys Dr. Taylor gives the example of iden- Video Editor tifying as homosexual. This identity may Spencer Shortt mean suffering oppression, but she explains that there would not have been a gay rights Photo Editor movement if there was no adoption of the Aaron Wilmot identity of being gay. [email protected] Responding to Foucault, she believes that his writing lacks a feminist analysis that Social Media Editors she provides in her book. Jaylene Hollohan So what does anti-carceral mean Jace Maki exactly? “Sometimes de-carceral is used a less Media Operations Mgr. polarizing term,” said Taylor. “I liked ‘car- Nicole Murphy ceral’ rather than something like prison [email protected] abolitionist.” Dr. Taylor uses the term anti-carceral Sales Manager because it takes into account that there are George Hong many types of incarceration. The traditional [email protected] jail that we all think of is not the only place Production Manager where people get locked up. “We have many institutions of confine- Shawna Bannerman ment and incarceration in our society, not [email protected] just prisons. A danger of prison-abolitionism is that people will sometimes say ‘okay, yes. The opinions expressed We’re not going to put these people in prison by contributors to but we might put them into drug-rehabilita- the Nugget are not tion programs against their will, and we’re necessarily shared by NAIT officials, going to put others in hospitals and psychi- NAITSA or elected school atric wards against their will, and just find representatives. other kinds institutions of confinement.’ It remains a carceral society.” Info clerks needed for student elections Duration: Feb. 13, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.