ONLINE VOTING OCT. 10-12 A.M. TO OCT. 15-4 P.M. AT NAITSA.CA THE Thursday, October 10, 2013 Volume 51, Issue 7 NAIT YOUR STUDENT NEWSPAPERNUGGET FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA YourDECISION NAIT student senate candidates, TIME pages 14-20 Photo by Fletcher O’Grady SERIOUS SOAKER A competitor tumbles into the water during the 40th annual bridge building competition at Whitemud Creek on Saturday, Oct. 5. Eight to 10 teams, drawn from NAIT students, alumni and construction industry representatives took part. 2 The Nugget Thursday, October 10, 2013 NEWS&FEATURES It’s timement for the population to to vote, to makevote, allowing some the power to representpeople change the shape of the city and the stu- decisions. And, as our democracy is rule all members. But Canadians, and voters dents’ associations and unions of the cities by representation, it cannot exist with- in most other first world countries with- post-secondary institutes recognize it. The out voters choosing their representatives. out mandatory voting laws, are slowly U of A, Grant MacEwan, Kings, Norquest, But ever since our first federal election’s becoming less and less compliant with and Concordia are all working together to 73.1 per cent voter turnout, that number this contract. In Edmonton, the municipal- help every Canadian citizen who has lived has progressively shrunk in every level of ity decided where $3.3 billion would be in Alberta for the past six months vote by government. Merely 61 per cent of Can- spent, of which some no doubt came from bringing voting stations for mayor, council- ada turned out for the 2011 federal elec- Nugget readers. Some came from Nugget lors and school trustees onto campuses to tion, a number nearly twice the percentage readers’ parents or their landlords. Any create an easy, quick way for students to be JOSH YAWORSKI of Edmontonians who turned out to the service utilized, from ETS through pub- represented. And NAIT gets to vote first of Issues Editor last municipal election. lic parks, the municipality has a major part the three campuses on Oct. 15. Grant Mac @actuallyjosh About 33.4 per cent of Edmonton chose in. Upset about no park zones for snow gets a go on the 16th and the U of A on the As democracy has grown from its cen- the last local government for 100 per cent removal? That’s municipal. Thinking can- 17th. turies of existence, from the male only of the population. That’s 33.4 per cent of didate Zombie was right to be worried There can no longer be an excuse for Ancient Grecian origins through to the Edmontonians deciding where 100 per cent about urban sprawl? Municipal. Problem students to not have their votes counted. system instilled after the French Revolu- of the cities money went. The expanded with potholes? Municipal. We can vote on campus, for any candi- tion that inspired and helped finance the LRT Lines, the City Centre Airport, the About 66 per cent of the population let date, from any ward and ID is all you democracy that North America now lives 2005 Edmonton Urban Aboriginal Accord, all those decisions be made by anyone who need. Our millennial apathy and first in, there has been many changes. There all of these decisions were made with- walked up on nomination day. But as young world compliance should not be the end have been inclusions and alterations to out the involvement of 66.6 per cent of adults, NAIT students have the potential to of democracy, and each NAIT student do just what it is that democracy means but Edmonton. create massive change. Post-secondary stu- their part to protect it by helping fulfill the necessity of one thing has never wav- Democracy is a contract, an agree- dents number 65,000 in Edmonton. Those their social contract right here, on cam- ered: Voters. There is always the require- ment between the people and politicians 65,000 students are more than enough to pus, on Tuesday Oct. 15. Parking woes? Take transit! By SHEEBA JOHNSON Vice President External, informed me of some As everyone is getting in the flow of things parking in the basement of the under-construction some of us are struggling with a very annoying Centre for Applied Technologies building, which matter that just won’t go away! For those of us who he believes will be allocated to staff. He also were too late to get a parking pass, parking is turn- informed me that the new parkade is budgeted ing into an everyday battle. You come to school to cost $24 million for nearly 1,000 stalls and it every day and try to hunt for a free spot somewhere came in slightly under budget. close to School or maybe just give in and pay the “Looking at the numbers, you can see it costs $8 or $9 for the day and if you can’t find a spot in over $20,000 per electrified stall to build an the day parking, well, you have no other choice but unheated parkade! he said to park at the hourly parking meters. And God for- “Parking is managed by NAIT Facilities as an bid if you exceeded the time limit of the meter and ancillary service. Revenue goes towards mainten- come back to your car to find a parking ticket. ance and, in this case, servicing the loan to build “I park 10 blocks east of here near 102 Street the new parkade. every day,” said NAIT student Sam Galbraith. “Any excess revenue generated through ancil- “If you park anywhere closer, there is a two- lary services is used to support NAIT operations.” hour time limit, so I walk 10 blocks to school Rainer also went on to say, “I’m really excited every morning and 10 blocks back to my car after about the LRT line making it easier for students to school. commute to campus. Hopefully, it will put down- “If I need something from my car in the middle ward pressure on demand for parking, making it eas- of the day, I’ll walk back to my car to get it because I ier for students to secure a stall with less advanced don’t have a locker. It would be nice if the day park- notice.” ing wasn’t as pricey because you end up spending For now, it looks like we will be getting $45-$50 a week just for the parking,” he said. some more stalls for parking but the real ques- “Not all students have a job and not everyone tions here are, will the parking costs go down? can afford it. ” Will the extra stalls be enough for the students? Most students I talked to had something simi- I personally think that this problem is not a new lar to say about the price and some of them have one and will be around for some time. I can only found some spots a little farther from the school encourage those of us who can, to take public that work for now. transit to school instead of driving. For now we So with these parking problems, I was glad can only hope for some genius to invent a tele- to find out that there is going to be more parking portation device! Till then let’s do our best to available in the near future. adapt to our circumstances and have a level head Photo by Taylor Mah Daryn Rainer, NAIT Students’ Association about our problems. Thursday, October 10, 2013 NEWS & FEATURES The Nugget 3 Choose your senate By WHITNEY FOX gan Strachan, NAITSA Vice President Aca- best for the students,” Strachan said. The Nugget Election season is in full swing on the demic, had this to say: “I think students right “They can raise issues. So if things are Room E-128B NAIT campus. The nominations for the NAIT now are really busy with schoolwork.” going on they can bring those up in the senate 11762–106 Street Students’ Association Senate candidates are in “Some of the programs we offer at NAIT and then we’re obligated to look into that.” Edmonton, Alberta and those running are on the campaign trail. are really heavy … so getting students from NAITSA is also responsible for publicizing T5G 2R1 There has been an underwhelming response those particular programs is a little more diffi- the senate. A great deal of this is done through Production Office 471-8866 to the election process. When asked, a majority cult,” she said. word of mouth. www.thenuggetonline.com of students in a variety of programs either said James Head, NAITSA Vice President Stu- Head adds that mentorship is a primary Editor-in-Chief that they had not heard of the senate or they had dent Services and former member of the 2011- method of getting students involved, citing his Nicole Murphy similar responses to Noelle Taha, an Academic 12 and 2012-13 senates, had this explanation: own experience in clubs and with the NAITSA [email protected] Upgrading student, “NAIT is a very unique executive as he worked who said that she institution. The average age his way through the Issues Editor had “heard of the is in the mid to high 20s.” organization. Josh Yaworski elections but not He said there is a “high The voting struc- [email protected] anything other than level of apathy” which is ture for senate can- Assistant Issues Editor that.” “common amongst tech- didates is somewhat Stephan Sutcliffe This lack of nical institutions” where unique.