October 28, 1997

The Cadre

Student Union report:

So what exactly has your SU been up to?

By Jamy Ellen Proud

Well...

Tim Willis (VPO) and the Panther Lounge Management Committee are madly trying to think of ways to make this years Hallowe’en Pub, to be held on October 30, rock. Word has it that no one will be standing out in the dark this year. Tim is also in the process of trying to get all of the Clubs and Societies on campus to register with him. So if you’re a member of a club, make sure that Tim knows about you, OK?

Speaking of Clubs and Societies, Allison MacDonald, Yearbook Editor Extraordinaire, is asking that Clubs and Societies decide how many pages they want set aside for them in this year’s Yearbook. Between one and four pages can be reserved. She needs to know by the end of the month to be able to get organized.

If there are any students out there who haven’t signed the petition to save the Health Centre, please search one out (shouldn’t be too hard, they’re fairly well distributed around campus). The Health Centre is a very important part of our campus, hundreds of students rely on it for their health care during the school year. It is in danger of being cut in this year’s University budget. The aim is to have the University Budget prepared by Christmas. This means that students should speak now about what areas on campus they do not want cut.

On November 12, the Provincial Legislature will open for its Fall Sitting. Inresponse, there will bea student protest march leaving the school at 12:30 pm. Students should meet at the gazeb, and we’ll all walk down to Province House together. There are rumors of transportation for those of us who just don’t like the thought of walking across town in the middle of November. Once we get down to Province House, there’ Il be free hot dogs and music.

On October 27-30, there will be a Student Union election and referendum. The question for the referendum is “Do you sup) the existence of a student radio station?” The radio station has been in limbo since its funding was cut in the spring of 1996. The Union is trying to get some input from students on whether or not they feel a student radio station is important. There are also some excellent candidates running in the election, and there promises to be a hot race for at least three positions. The ballot boxes will be in the Breezeway, from 6-9 on October 27-28, and from 9-5 on October 29-30.

Everyone should feel free to come on down to the barn if they have any questions, suggestions or criticisms. (And apply for SU jobs... the deadline is November 7 at 4pm)

And hanging out in the Panther Lounge Is always good for a few laughs too!

Opposites attract in B.C. coalition

BY CRAIG SAUNDERS

VICTORIA (CUP) —The Reformers and Marxist- Leninists have finally found their common ground and it’s in lotus land.

The B.C. branches of these political parties, along with a host of others across the political spectrum, have joined together to create the Electoral Change Coalition of British Columbia to push for electoral reforms in the province.

The group is lobbying the provincial government for an electoral system that more accurately reflects the wishes of voters. They would like to see the current first-past-the-post system replaced. Under this system, a party must win a seat in a riding in order to be represented in the provincial legislature a party’s popular vote does not matter.

This is not the first push for electoral reform in the province, according to University of British Columbia political science professor Richard Johnston. The debate also came up in the 1970's, he says, but was short-lived.

Johnston says the system of proportional representation, where a party’s popular vote determines to some extent how many seats it has in the legislature, is common in most democ- racies. The existing system, he adds, often results in majority governments elected by a minority of the population.

University football player

tests positive BY MIKE DE PELLEGRIN

OTTAWA (CUP) Yet another Canadian university football player has been caught using steroids, bringing the to- tal of suspended players this season to four.

Martin Arsenault, a fifth-year lineman with the University of Ottawa Gee- Gees, was suspended Oct. 15 by the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) after testing positive for the steroid Stanozolol. He is the second Ottawa player in as many weeks to be sus- pended for steroid use.

Arsenault admitted to Ottawa’s coaching staff that he started taking the drug eight

months ago after working out for a Miami Dolphins scout.

“I'm furious,” Ottawa head coach Larry Ring, said. “We ve had over 80 tests con- ducted in my seven years here and only two have come out positive, unfortunately back- to-back.”

On Oct. 6, Constantin Shousha, another offensive lineman with the U of O, was suspended for steroid use, as were Matthew Demers of the St. Mary’s Huskies and Shawn Dyson of the University of Waterloo Warriors. All three were suspended for a period of no less than four years,

the same penalty handed out to Arsenault.

Inthe wake of the initial suspensions, officials with the CIAU said they planned to meet with the schools involved and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports to see if more could be done to prevent ster- oid use.

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