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taleNteD Peers

student tackle Caoun’ ﬁrt-ever talent ow to rae awarene aboutPeer Connecton.

beat tHe stress

stren’ bg te? here’ ow to turnt around wt a potve pn andake tre your btc.

Volume 19 Issue 9 January 7, 2009

NeWs—3life—4

Camosun’s Student VoiceSince 1990

giviNg it uP

it eeed poble, but coluntKelly maron urvved te oldaywtout any alcool.

ColumNs—9

P h o t o : C o U r t n e y B r o U g h t o n

Jaay 7, 2009



Keltie larter

Contributing Writer

I’ve been hearing a lot of com-plaints about the new cafeterialately. The food is too expensive,there aren’t enough vegetarianoptions, the pizza sucks, et cetera. While I agree they’re far from per-

fect, I feel we are overlooking someof the major improvements they’ve

made from last year.First of all, Aramark deserves

major credit for providing compostbins, biodegradable food containers,and compostable cutlery. What wecall Styrofoam is actually a material

called polystyrene. Polystyrenenever biodegrades. Not ever. Thatmeans that every cup, plate, or

takeout container you’ve ever used

made of the stuff is still out there,in a landll, cluttering up a beachsomewhere, or maybe poisoningsome sh.Think of the hundreds of thou-sands of tons of the stuff we mustuse every year in Canada alone,never mind the rest of the world.Polystyrene has also been linkedto all sorts of unpleasant physicaland emotional ailments, such asdepression and leukemia. So, yes,I am willing to pay a little bit morefor my food if it means we stopusing Styrofoam containers in thecafeteria.The cafeteria also provides af-fordable food options. You canget an omelet with toast and hash

browns for under four bucks, a bowl

of soup for about three bucks, anda veggie burger wrap or a half of a

baguette sandwich for less than ve

bucks. There is also an assortmentof mufns, scones, and bagels forunder three bucks and a fresh fruitand salad bar.It’s true the burgers and fries,sushi, and shitty pizza are way tooexpensive, but that stuff is bad foryou anyway. Try eating a salad andsome soup instead.Don’t get me wrong, I knowour cafeteria is still a far cry frombeing as good as it could be, butwe are taking a step in the rightdirection. As Darwin put it, “It is notthe strongest of the species thatsurvives, nor the most intelligent,but the one most responsive tochange.”

Next publication date: Jan. 21, 2009Deadline: noon Jan. 14, 2009

Address: 3100 Foul Bay Rd., Victoria, BC,V8P 5J2Location: Lansdowne Richmond House 201Phone: 250-370-3591Email: nexus@nexusnewspaper.comWebsite: www.nexusnewspaper.comPublisher: Nexus Publishing Society

NEXUS PUBLISHING SOCIETY

STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS

Kyla FernsKelly MarionLiz McArthurAndrea Moir Jason MotzChris PalMiriam Putters

MANAGING EDITOR

Jason Schreurs

LAYOUT EDITOR

Laila Brown

STUDENT EDITOR

Tessa Cogman

COPY EDITOR

Alan Piffer

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Kait Cavers

STAFF WRITERS

Guy AlaimoBrendan Kergin

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Courtney Broughton

ADVERTISING SALES

Breanna Carey Jason Schreurs250-370-3593Campus Plus NATIONAL1-800-265-5372

DISTRIBUTION

Adrian BinakajAshley Moore

CONTRIBUTORS:

Guy AlaimoAdrian BinakajCourtney BroughtonBreanna CareyKait CaversTessa CogmanMatteus ClementSarah DartSamantha DoneyMichael DuncanRyan GibbonsBrendan KerginDonald KennedyKeltie Larter Jim MaddenKelly Marion Jason MotzAlan PifferNathan StamEd Sum Joel Witherington

th vws ad ps xpssd h ahs  h ahs,   h nxs PlshScy. o cpy  nxs s avalal p ss,p ps. nxs s pd  a mx 100 ad 40 pc cycld pap.Plas cycl y cpy. thaks!

Editorial meetings

Cm    wkly nxs dal ms,wh all Cams sds ca  vlvd h sd wspap. Ms ak placvy tsday a 11:30 am  h nxs c,rchmd Hs 201, Lasdw. Call 370-3591 -mal xs@xswspap.cm  mma.

Send a letter

nxs ps ls ha a 250 wds  lss sps  pvs ss. nxs svsh h  s plca  ls. Lsms cld ll am ad sd m (pd). nxs accps all ls y -mal xs@xswspap.cm

VieWS

Open Space accepts submissions from Camosun students. Submissions to Open Space should be400 words or less. Responses to previous articles in Nexus should be 250 words or less.E-mail submissions to nexus@nexusnewspaper.com and include your name and student number.

Open Space

DEPARTMENT OF cORREcTiONs

i h acl

Caf doesn’t cater toits customers

[Dc. 3 ss], hqd -mal cam m KahyL gs, Cams Cll’s maa acllay svcs,  Aamakmaam as sad  h acl.Whl L gs vss h cacw Cams ad Aamak, shs mplyd y h cll,  yh d svcs cac. nxss h .

Help buildour team

Nexus needsstudent volunteers

nxus s lk  a w dsuds  j u am. i yuwuld lk  w, ak phs, jus wa  hlp u wh hwspap,   uch whus asap!

250.370.3591nexus@nexusnewspaper.comwww.nexusnewspaper.com

Richmond House 201,Lansdowne

N e x u s E d i t o r i a l

tessa CogmaN

StAff Writer

The Christmas trees are allpacked away, unless you’re a lazy student like me, and it’s now 2009.

This is the time of year when making

a New Year’s resolution is at thetop of the list.There’s the typical “lose some

weight” or “stop smoking,” but our

generation should be able to comeup with resolutions a little moreunique and realistic. I mean, wesurvived Y2K, didn’t we? We arecapable of anything.Instead of kicking a bad habit,

why not pick one up to see what it’s

like? Seriously.

Everyone’s always talking aboutgiving something up, but how about

trying something you’re not neces-sarily used to. It could create themost exciting year so far. Are you scared of fast-movingvehicles? Try your hand at dragracing! Why not? Yes, it’s illegal,

but you’ll make a ton of friends and

nally have an excuse to buy thatleather jacket you’ve been eyeing.Plus, you’ll conquer a fear.Say you drank far too mucheggnog over the holidays and it’sa bit hard to give up that frothy

goodness. Why not drink it all year

round? When the grocery stores stopselling it, you could mix your ownbatch and start selling it to yourfriends. Can you say business op?

For those uptight sort of people,

try procrastinating for once andnot nishing your term paper twoweeks ahead. Everyone will think

you’re badass and when the teachercomes to his favourite student to dosome extra work, you can tell him topiss off and then run away blushing

at what you just said. And if you can’t come up witha resolution, then don’t bothermaking one! Resolutions are forpeople who want change in theirlives. If you’re happy with the way

things are going, then don’t change

a thing.I’m sick of hearing people say they’re going to lose weight and

then seeing them at the all-you-can-

eat buffet the next day, or catchinga roommate lighting up half a butt

of a cigarette in the backyard under

a tree.If you’re going to make a goal,make it fun and entertaining—aresolution you won’t get bored of halfway through the year.

Stop living by the rules and start

living on the edge. But try to be alittle responsible; after all, we’restill adults.

Two thouand and nne and n our prme

i’m sck  happl say hy’  ls whad h s hma h all-y-ca-a h x day.

stop forkng around wth Aramark

i’s  h sad s, ssh, adshy pzza a way xpsv, ha s s ad y ayway.

miCHael DuNCaN

Contributing Writer

If the constitutional rights of Canadian Parliament evade you,then Stephen Harper is your man.If you’re scared of the “danger-ous” coalition attempting a “take-over” in a “coup” of the Canadiangovernment, then Mr. Harper isyour man.If you’re furious about the Lib-eral and NDP coalition selling out

your Canadian soul to the separatistBloc Quebecois (BQ), then Harper

wants your vote.

In a time when the BQ holds the

veto on Canada’s most importanteconomic decisions, the Conserva-tive leader has your back. As Harper has stated multiple

times, he bears no responsibility for

this current political crisis and theprorogation of Parliament.He’s simply upholding the willof all Canadians who brought theConservatives a minority govern-ment—all 37 percent of them. And, in keeping with his ownchivalrous ways, the prime min-ister had no choice but to suspendthe elected democratic institutionmaintaining the lifeline of Canadaand its people.So how could the connivingopposition coalition attempt anun-democratic act and drive theGovernor General to such an un-

precedented decision by proroguingparliament just weeks after an elec-

tion? They didn’t.The men who announced the

coalition in front of the ag were notthe catalyst for this current politicalcrisis. The catalyst sat behind closed

doors at 24 Sussex Drive.This isn’t to say the unstablecreature that is the coalition was

the appropriate solution—not with

an unpopular interim leader inStephane Dion, and such overzeal-ous decision-making.But on the question of beingprime minister and fulfilling theobligation to provide stability to

Canadians and unite a nation from

coast to coast, Harper has failed. And he’s done so in a divisive way.

The accountability for this situa-

tion is also found in the hands of Canadians who fail to understandthe country’s political system. Vot-

ers don’t elect prime ministers, and

they don’t elect governments.

The voters elect MPs running fora party, which makes up Parliament.It’s the MPs who have the ability toform a government with the support

of the House of Commons—nosupport, no government.So where would the country sitnow without the coalition? Would the opposition partieshave been eliminated by the re-moval of their public subsidies? Would the tumultuous fiscalstatement now being overhauled

have buried Canada’s economy into

a depression? Who knows where the country would be, but it’s comforting to

know Harper’s imperfections havevalidated the necessity of Canada’s

parliamentary processes.

Government protetng u from telf?

th m whacd hcal    ha w  hcaalys  hsc plcal css.

xs@xswspap.cm



JasoN motz

Contributing Writer

Kabuki theatre. Bollywood-style singing. Irish folk dancing.Latvian cat wrestling. Who knows

what talents will be on display whenCamosun College hosts its rst-ever

talent show on Feb. 12.In an effort to raise awarenessfor the Peer Connections programon campus, a peer support groupfor international students, the tal-ent show is open to students of allbackgrounds, races, creeds, andtalents.Beyond the promotion of PeerConnections, the talent show is

seen as a way of promoting a sense

of community on campus.In this very same spirit of com-

munity, Peer Connections has spon-sored past events to varying degrees

of success, from an ongoing cam-

pus movie night (the last Thursday

of every month at Lansdowne) to

International Cafes, open to any and

all that might be interested.This year, Peer Connections ishoping our cultural thirst for

Can-

adian Idol

-style entertainment willgenerate a newfound awareness of,

and enthusiasm for, this student-empowering program.

Peer Connections is Camosun’s

way of welcoming internation-al students into the community.Camosun International Student

Coordinator Brian Herron acknow-

ledges all students face challengesregardless of their backgrounds,but says international studentsare sometimes more vulnerable tothese challenges.Cultural pressures, isolation,frustration, and homesickness are

common blights on an international

student’s experience in Canada.Since 2004, the program hascreated an atmosphere of cultural

awareness and harmony on campus,

while offering cultural and leader-ship opportunities for students tocontribute both academically andwithin the community.Open to people of all culturesand backgrounds, Peer Connec-tions is student-centered and stu-

dent-driven. “We want the students

to be the power,” says Herron. A haven for internationalstudents, Peer Connections is areprieve from culture shock andhomesickness. Benefiting fromthe volunteer efforts of formerprogram members, Peer Connec-tions is a valuable resource fora campus community seeing its

international student base growing

each semester.“[Peer Connections] providesopportunities for the members to

listen to their own experience living

in Canada,” says Takehiro Suzuki,

a 24-year-old student in Camosun’s

music program. “Some studentsmay not be experienced enough toovercome their difculties such aslanguage barrier, cultural differ-

ence, different etiquette, and differ-

ent way of communicating.”Suzuki’s involvement withPeer Connections came aboutafter discovering common experi-ences among other internationalstudents.

“I realized that there were peoplelike myself struggling to get decent

grades in their study, as well astrying to enjoy their life here atthe same time,” says Suzuki. “Butsome of the experienced memberswho’ve already lived in Canada forawhile could possibly give others

some input on how to make their liv-

ing here comfortably by telling thestudents their own experience.”Through group projects, pres-entations, one-on-one support,

peer mentoring, and events like theupcoming talent show the program

fosters interaction amongst thestudents.The mandate of Peer Connec-tions, according to Herron, is tomake international students “feelcomfortable and connected at thecollege.”Peer Connections uses presen-

tations and role-playing to alleviate

cultural barriers. Students can act

out scenarios highlighting culturaland personal situations that might

arise in or out of the classroom.From these activities, students

receive feedback to help them gain

personal confidence, self-aware-ness, and a sense of camaraderiewith their peers. Wai Chuen Man is anotherCamosun advocate of Peer Con-nections. For him, the move fromHong Kong to Victoria has beenmade easier because of his involve-ment with Peer Connections.“After I joined the Peer Con-nections program, I have learneda lot of different skills, like greet-ing people from different culturalbackgrounds,” says Man.It’s not necessary to be aninternational student to partici-pate in Peer Connections, or to

enjoy the many events the program

promotes.“We love to include Canadian

students,” says Herron. “It’s about

students coming together andlearning from each other. That’sthe power of it.”It’s that very power Herronand Suzuki hope to see on display in February, when the diversity of culture and talent residing oncampus takes the stage.“The talent show will let us see

some other aspects of international

students,” says Herron. “It will be

exciting to see many different types

of cultural performances.” Auditions will be held Jan. 8,13, and 15 from 6–7:30 pm in the Young Auditorium at Lansdowne. Anybody interested in audition-ing or needing more informationshould email peerconnections@camosun.bc.ca

neWS

By Keltie Larter

leeN alomari

La a wlaa wld a!

JaKe PearCe

i wa    a wlds .

DeriCK tHomPsoN

i’d lk   sk adswad—i’vv d  .

CHelCa moir

g dp sa dv adchck  dvs cal ad h wld.

Jesse Hill

i’d lv    a k ad eas Aca.

Kim mCKay

i’m   la scav. i  a dll my hday,  ihav’ sd  y.

JaCob DobsoN

nw ha i’ll  lv h cas llm,i’d lv  la hw s.

Wha s smh w ha y’d lk  y hs ya?

NEWs BRiEFs

by Kait Cavers

Talent how promote peer onneton on ampu

“Ppl lk mysl w sl  dc ads  hsdy as wll as y jy h l ha h sam m.”

taKeHiro suzuKi

CAMoSun StuDent

Camosun budget update

Sc h cll’s ad  vs appvd Camsu’spa ud  h 2008/09scal ya, Vc-Psd  Admsa ad Ch facaloc P Lck has lasdh uh ud upda. thpa ud, whch cludda dc  $2,488,987, wasappvd wh a accmpay- ac pla  dal wh hdc. th ac pla culycluds sm mmda sh-m sps  cl xpdus,ad ppus  wk wh hMsy  Advacd educaad Lau Mak Dvlpm csd m ma cu ad uu ud. Alscludd  h upda s hdvlpm  a csulavpcss wh h cll  d vw ad valua psslps  achv acalsusaaly, ad,  cus,h p  pss ack h cll ad. H’s hpCamsu ca pull  h dal wh hs smly ua-us d.

ContinuingEducation in ’09

As  Dc. 13, Camsu’slup  Cu educaclasss  h w smshas  avalal as a pdcalda, as wll as psd l.ov 200 cuss a culycludd  h w calda,whch s dsud  ky lca-s aud w ad avalal campus. Sc Macis, dc  Cu educa ad Cacta, says, “Cmmuyclls such as Camsu pvdccal accss  duca,a, ad a. thsclud pssal cca-, upad, ad v adpa-m ppus  llla huh Cueduca.” th chcs adpssls a dlss wh hcll’s Cu educa p-amm, whch has jus addd“Sx Dcumas ha Shkh Wld” ad “M iala tavls”  s alady vadslc  classs. f mma  w classs, adu cca ad wkca pams, chck u www.camsu.ca/c

Dress to impress

ru u  das  sus-a yu aly? Camsubusss sud Ma Wahas h asw. Wa ad hspas hav sp h las hmhs salsh a cusmsc-p ad clhcmpay u u  a asm Vca. th cmpay lls yh am  Al e Appal,ad pds sl  h /ppculu/al awk a hyaach  ach qualy am.n ly a hs uys lk sll h als hy mak,hy’ als culy skpashps wh lcal ass adCamsu a suds  d pduc w ad xc -shdss. i yu’ lk  a way  yu wk cd, why csd waal a? Yu cacac Wa a alap-pal@yah.cm  ma hw yu ca cu,  vswww.alappal.ca  chcku sm  h cu dssh am has  wk . Yuca v puchas a sh lha yu w’ hav  wy ausmdy ls shw up  hpay . o,  yu wa  dyu sz, pp  Dcad (1407gvm)  y  h su.

The $10 Now campaign

Hw much my d yu maka yu j? i yu’   hhusads  suds makmmum wa, yu kw ’s uh. Mak ds m  $8a hu s had uh, ad ha’swhu h husads  dllassp ach ya  duca.th bC fda  Lau, cpa wh h ups,has cad a campa  d hlp as bC’s mmum wa $10 a hu. th al s  wa wa cas  h 115,000bsh Clumas wh a$8 p hu, al wh ah135,000 ppl  bC a lssha $10, ad  pmaly dh $6 p hu a wa. thcampa clams bC’s lws padwks hav  l hdy h vm, caus hmmum wa has  zsc 2001. t su wks bC d’ hav  lv lw hpvy l, h bC fda Lau s call  a h-sp cas  h mmumwa. ths cluds a mmd-a cas  $10 p hu adlma h a wa, asusqu cas  $11 phu  ya la, ad allya dx mula  d hs a h mmum  assud  a aual cas pay. Campa pll shws 80pc  h pulc culysupps h campa. i yusupp  , vs hwww.cd.cm/ssus/mmum_wa s h p ad hlp all m-plys, clud yusl,  ah h  a pay.

P Ccs sds ad sa pla  a pcm al shw.

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