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NEWS
By Alexander Jones
Phil robinson
I wish I had the chance togo camping more thanI did.
AlexAndrA bAYnes
I’ve always wanted to goto Amsterdam, but I justcouldn’t save up enoughmoney.
KAmilA VillA
I really wanted to hike theJuan de Fuca Trail.
rob Friesen
I really wanted to go on aroad trip. They’re alwaysgreat.
TAmArA russell
I wanted to dive RaceRocks. It’s amazing.
New cafeteria hopes to win hearts and stomachs of Camosun
Is there anything you wished you had done over the summer?
NEWS BRIEFS
bY KAiT CAVers
PISE excellence
Victoria’s new Pacific Institutefor Sports Excellence (PISE) is of-ficially open for business as of Sept.2 at Interurban. If you’re wonder-ing where all of Camosun’s sportsteams have disappeared to, thenthis is the first place you wantto look. Haven’t heard anythingabout what’s being offered at thenew PISE? Feeling rather athletic,but not sure where to turn? Pop into take a peek at the new facili-ties, programming, and sport-related services! Located behindthe student parking at Camosun’sInterurban Campus. Or looking fora new and exciting workplace?Why not check out the job board atwww.pacificsportinstitute.ca
Construction delayed at Lansdowne
Original plans had themfinished by the start of school, butwheelchair accessible pathwaysleading from the Young and Fisherbuildings to the Richmond housewon’t be done until the end ofSeptember. Camosun PhysicalResources urges all students tostay away from construction zonesand walk the long way aroundto the Richmond House. Otherongoing renos at Lansdowneinclude more work on prematuredeterioration of the Young Building(those funny looking safety tentswill stay up until it’s resolved)and a new stairway and footpathdirectly from Fisher courtyard toRichmond House.
Digging deep tomake the grade?
Always strapped for cash whenfee deadlines roll around but tooterrified to take out a studentloan? Human Resources MinisterMonte Solberg just unveiled plansto benefit Canada’s student loanand grant programs to the tune of$1 billion. Te new grant systemwill take effect for the 2009-2010 school year and will providestudents from low to moderateincome families up to $250 amonth for every month they areenrolled in school. Te loan systemensures no more than 20 percentof the borrower’s income wouldgo toward payment, and repay-ment periods will be capped at 15years. Extra assistance will also beoffered to graduates with perma-nent disabilities. And those sickof filling out the same loan formsevery semester will be happyto hear about the new MasterLoan Agreement consolidating allfederal, provincial, and territorialloans for the duration of all studies.
PhilliP siKorsKi And JoAnnA AndreJAnCZYK
Phillip:
I really wanted to go surng in Tono.
Joanna:
I was working all summer. There’s a wholebunch of things I didn’t get to do.
No Work on Campus for Camosun students
liZ mCArThur
staFF Writer
A ray of hope is shining throughthe overcast skies of back-to-school
stress. Chartwells, the often un-
popular and longtime food services
provider at Camosun College, isgone and Aramark steps up to takeon the role of college trough.New Aramark Food ServicesDirector Donna Burger hopes stu-
dents will keep coming back for theincreased food options and that the
shiny, new LCD menu screens willhelp draw them in.Nutrition seems to be the buzz-word surrounding the changeover. After some bleak cafeteria survey results from last year, the collegerealized things needed to be dif-ferent when it comes to feedingstudents.
“The surveys told us very clearly
what people needed and wanted,and what they weren’t getting,”says Kathryn Le Gros, Camosundirector of ancillary services.So, when Chartwells’ contractexpired this summer, Camosunopened up the bidding for a newprovider. According to Le Gros,although there was initially somelocal interest in the contract, nolocal bid was submitted because of the capital investment required.Le Gros lists sustainable prac-tices, healthy options, food quality,
and the ability to meet growth needs
as the things that stood out on Aramark’s winning bid. The newcontract with the multinationalcompany, which employs over240,000 employees worldwide,is for eight years with a two-yearrenewal option. It nets the college
an undisclosed amount of ongoingcommisions, up to $1 million in cap-ital commitment over the course of the contract, plus an upfront capital
commitment of up to $350,000.But will students notice a dif-ference? Second-year arts student
Julie Ruch used to eat at Chartwells
a couple times a week. She says sofar things look “less scary” andshe has high hopes for the newcafeteria.
“I am trying to temper my hopes,but it looks like an improvement so
far,” says Ruch.Business student Max McKen-
zie says he didn’t know the cafeteriahad changed, but he wasn’t satised
before. “Things were fairly over-priced,” he says, adding he wouldpay more for better quality food.Higher prices are somethingstudents will be facing when they reach the till at lunchtime. Burgersays buying locally and providing
environmentally sustainable cutlery
and packaging costs more, and
some of that expense will be passed
on to students.
“We’ve tried to keep that as min-
imal as possible, while remainingrealistic,” says Burger.She points out the quality of food will be improved. Burger, acertied chef, also says she will be
bringing in some of her own recipes.
“I make awesome chili.”Le Gros hints at a possible sec-ond option for students at Lans-downe, saying Aramark is lookingat a local coffee supplier to partnerwith as a smaller coffee shop some-where else on campus. Another mini-survey may be inthe works before any decisions are
made about secondary food outlets
on campus, says Le Gros. As faras Burger is concerned, the idea
seems promising, but plans are not
solidied yet.Meanwhile, if anyone hasproblems with the new cafeteriaofferings, they can talk directly toBurger.“I’m here and I’m open to com-ments and suggestions. And I’veordered a comment box. MaybeI’m crazy, but I’m looking forwardto the first week of school,” saysBurger with a smile. Whether or not Aramark willbe a marked improvement overChartwells remains to be seen. So
far, the outer renovations have given
the place a flashy new look, but asone cafeteria staff member was
overheard mumbling, “It’s still the
same kitchen . . .”
“I’m here and I’m opento comments andsuggestions.”
donnA burGer
aramarK Food serViCesdireCtor
liZ mCArThur
staFF Writer
What do students have to doto get a job around here? Well, theanswer may not please incomingstudents. The Work on Campusprogram, which previously pro-vided students in financial needwith flexible, convenient jobs atCamosun, is no more.Students looking for jobs oncampus that could work aroundtheir school hours used to be ableto find employment through thecollege. According to Gloria Darroch,
director of Co-operative Educationand Student Employment, the jobswere not for continued employment,
meaning they didn’t fall underunionized work and sometimescould be related to studies.Darroch says her departmentdidn’t ask for the Camosun Col-lege Foundation’s rationale whenfunding for the Work on Campusprogram was cut, but says themoney was never meant for repeti-tive funding of ongoing jobs. Associate Director of College
Relations David Sovka says the Col-
lege Foundation staff who were incharge of funding for the Work onCampus program are on vacationand not available for comment.“Susan Haddon was handlingthat,” says Sovka. Haddon is theexecutive director of the CamosunCollege Foundation and College
Relations and could not be reached
for a comment before press time. As for negative impacts of theprogram’s cancellation, Darrochsays it’s one less opportunity forstudents in nancial need who arethe most likely to feel the strainoff-campus employment.“Balancing that out, of course,is the low unemployment rate in Victoria, which means there are a
lot of other opportunities, and localemployers have been forced to push
up their wages,” says Darroch.The Camosun College StudentSociety’s Director of Operations,Michel Turcotte, laughs and re-sponds, “Most students are notintending to graduate to work in afast food environment.”He says off-campus workmay not serve students as well aspositions on campus would. Headds the student society is sad anddisappointed that Camosun hasdecided not to allocate the money previously used for student jobson campus.Now that Work on Campus isdead, Camosun students will haveto look a little harder for that all-
important extra income that can be
vital to survival while at school.
Brand new food services provider Aramark has made Lansdowne cafeteria look “lessscary” for September.
Photo: Courtney broughton
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