November 29'. 1984

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The Netted Gem

- page 3 —

UPEI Council goes radioalagainst underfunding

By Carolyn Ryan

“I’d like to see nothing short of a demonstration!” was one comment made as the Student Union planned a campaign against govem- ment underfunding. _

“We’re talking tuition in- creases of $200 or $300 for each student if thest cutbacks go through,” said Canadian Federation of Students rep for P.E.l. Cathy Campbell at Sunday’s Council meeting.

She said the new federal government is planning to cut $200,000,000 from areas di- rectly concerning students at post-secondary institutions, and thinks students at UPEI should be more worried about it then they are.

750 Canada Summer Works jobs may be lost from Prince «Edward Island alone, as the government announced cuts of $85 million in the pro-

gram three weeks ago. Campbell is gathering her

forces to plan a massive

media and awareness cam- paign after the Christmas break, aimed at students and government members through the Guardian, Journal- Pioneer, - CBC, CFCY, CHTN, and anyone else she can think of.

She also wants the student Union Council to contribute significantly.

“Council is now judged org how good its Main Events are,” said student Ombuds- man Jacinta Gallant.

President Michelle Dorsey agreed, but said, “Our problem is that we don’t know how to become politi- cally involved. ’ ’

She said the drive for serious attention will never work unless Councillors “can feel this inside, and get mad every time (they) think

about it.”

“The easiest place to make cuts is in vulnerable areas,” she said, and urges UPEI students to lash back.

Campbell would like every- one interested in helping with

' the cutback protest to leave

their names at the Student

Union office so that an in- formal committee can work on the agenda over Christmas.

“Elitist education — that should be the heading of the campaign,” said Senator Gordon Cobb, but was over- ruled by those who said some students at UPEI may not

know what an elite is.

“We have a smaller voice (than other universities),” said Cobb, so we have to make it more effective.”

“Youth and energy are our greatest power,” said Gallant. “This is the only way we will have any influence at all.”

Some events planned may include visits from PEI Members of Parliament, pro- longed exposure in campus media, and volunteers visit- ing all classes to speak to students on government underfunding to post- secondary institutions.

Ombudsmandate established

Two months after her election, UPEI Student Union Ombudsman Jacinta Gallant is looking for things to do. ,

“Is it my job to look for problems, and force students to be interested?” she ased Council on Sunday, saying she’s been really frustrated in attempts to make her position known.

The lack of direction to her position is a handicap, she

StudentCounci/s says

OTTAWA (CUP) — Picture yourself next year, bags slung over your shoulder, books weighing down on your back, searching vainly for a place to live.

Suspicious landlords slam their doors-in your face when they realize you are a student who will likely wreak havoc on their linoleum. Housing directors shrug their shoulders at the few spots left adver- tised in their offices and you try not to panic when every call you make through the classified ads 'tums up nothing. v

Even your mother won’t let you back home. And when you fear you may have to spend your academic year sleeping in your friend’s car or in the library, your spirits sink lower. .

It doesn’t have to be this way.

It possibly won’t, thanks to a proposal passed at the Nov. 4 to 11 general meeting of Canada’s national student organization, the Canadian Federation of Students.

Genera-meeting delegates at the seventh ' semi-annual get—together in Ottawa threw their support behind a plan calling on the federal and provincial governments to set up a national student housing fund so student councils could use the money to go‘ into the real estate business.

The money would take care of downpayments for affordable student housing and allOw student councils to offer spots to students that are lower than the market price, better quality and more suitable to students needs. Students would not have to continue their nomadic life in the beginning of the school Year, wandering from place to place and looking for Somewhere to call their own.

The plan also calls on CFS t0 enter into negotiations with ,the federal public works

' ventures undertaken

“yes” to housing

minister to come up with specific Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation guidelines allowing the government to support stu- dent housing ventures. It asks CFS to store housing in-

formation in. its files with

easy access towstudent coun- cils and distrilnite a guide ifo the real estageegbnsiness, for

purchase their 'oWn housing. “Students have got to stop behaving as a band of dis- organized beggars and start performing as a group of responsible dedicated members of society,” says John Bosnitch, student coun- cil president at the University of New Brunswick, whose council proposed the plan. “One way to do this is to start our own housing plan, which will allow student unions to take their natural

role in helping students find,

housing.” Bosnitch says he hopes CFS approaches prime‘

minister Brian Mulroney for his support of the plan soon and encourages councils across the country to adopt the plan to fit their local situations. He is opti- mistic about 10 to 15 housing by councils will spring up by September next year.

“I can see it having an _

immediate and positive effect on student housing crisis facing Canadian students,” he says. ' .

The UNB student council has already put the plan into practise. Unhappy with the university administration’s response to the housing crisis in Fredericton, the student council sought to buy an old convent. After three hours in negotiations with the univer-

' sity board of governors, and

winning the support of the local MLA, MP and the mayor, the council finally

persuaded the board'to bu’y

students 1

fund.”

Bosnitch says the details of .

the plan will be hammered out likely in January, when the CFS l3-member national executive meets to examine mandates set at the general meeting. Bosnitch says he hopes to become New Bruns-

says. Last year’s Council incorporated the volunteer job in its new constitution, making the Ombudsman re- sponsible for aiding students having difficulties with either the university or the Student Union, and this year’s critics say the mandate is too broad.

Debate at Sunday’s meet- ing eventually revolved around whether an Ombuds-

'man should look for trouble

or sit and wait for it to walk

fund

about 60 students.

“It’s our contention that student unions should not have to go through the same sort of hell as we did to get student housing,” he says. “The federal and provincial governments, as an incentive to investment and enterprise,

-wick rep solii‘e can participatellpshould put, 7.. money , in a

. .. . ., . 5" fry-2V '3’: its student politicians “eager to‘

computer

WOLFVILLE, N.S. (CUP) — Two Acadia University students have been suspended for breaking into the com- puter system containing the school’s exams and student- marks. ' ' A I

Derrick Zinck and Chris Rizzuto, second year com-_ puter science majors, used their classroom. training to gain access to private files stored in the university’s main computer. The two spent 3 or 4 nights working, on breaking the security code before gaining access to the heart of the system. ‘

The computer centre, staff suspected a security breach and. advised all users to change their passwords.

Once Zinck and g; Rizzuto

reentered the system with the ,1. Steele said he knew flaws

old password, the words “security breach” appeared on the screen. The th0 replied “and we’re proud of it”, and signed themselves! “turbobusters”.

The computer staff took this to mean someone was out to destroy the system and vigourously pursued them. Zinck and Rizzuto were tracked down in no time, and «confessed to the —security breach.

“the. building' It now houses I

national: ,. student housing

~ Turbobusters breach

at Acadia

“Apparently they didn’t take the hint or see the movie Ghostbusters,” Rizzuto said when he learned the admini- stration failed to see the humour in his actions.

“Students should have better things to do,” said professor Steele. “They com- plain about workload yet they spend time on projects like this.” ‘

Rizzuto and Zinck deny

they were trying to get at the

faculty files, exams or stu- dent marks in the system, saying they only wanted to prove someone could break into the system.

They admit, however, that

they were offered money to.

obtain certain exams. They say they turned down the offers.

existed in the system and getting access was not a diffi- cult task. Since the break-in, operating systems have changed and passwords can

1 no longer be tapped by the

process the “turbobusters” used.

In addition to the suspen- sions — which last until January — neither Zinck nor Rizzuto will ever be eligible for an academic assistant position at Acadia.

in the office door.

“The biggest thing I’m doing now is walking around and meeting people,” she said, adding that she’s at- tended meetings of the Athletics Council, the Library Committee, and met with several administrators.

To help publicize the fact that students do have some- where to go for help, Gallant wants to have pamphlets printed, and like Senator Randy Gass’s suggestion that she use the radio station as avoice.

Council spent over an hour discussing Gallant’s request for guidance, and Gallant will now gather together an informal committee to hash out a job description.

“We’re not looking for anyone’s head here,” said Senator Gordon Cobb. “We should be attacking what cer- tain 'structures and policies stand for.”

To his suggestion that. Gillant should actively look

for irregularities in files and

records, though, ' " ’ma‘ny disagreed. “If students themselves

don’t see problems," why

should we cause trouble?”

\ said VP External Les Smith.

r CIMN, Councillors

“You’ve done enough' in letting people know the posi- tion is there,” agreed Senator Norman Beck.

VP External Howard Beattie thinks Council is “naive to think there aren’t any problems,” and pro- posed that Gallant look for problem situations herself for the first while, to establish credibility and let students know she’s available.

Council decided not to give the Ombudsman (Gallant prefers that name to Om- budsperson) a specific task

» for this year, though some

wanted her to work on the library hours issue or cuts in funding for post-secondary education.

“The position should be allowed to evolve with no restricitions,” said Gass, adding that this may mean Gallant has a lonely year.

Gallant appeared satisfied with the debate, saying, “It‘s good to know someone cares about what I’m doing.”

' Greater advertising, through them-

selves and a Lucy booth (The Ombudsman is “ln”) after Christinasawill help. alleviate student ignorance of her, she thinks. '

Deadline? Nobody told me anything about a deadline!

Quote of the Week'

“Well, we’re all Christians. And if we’re

not, we should be.”

—— Student Union President Michelle Dorsey last Sunday, talking about some students’ unwilling- ness to attend a seminar on Unemployment given by the Student Christian Movement.

This is our last issue for the term.

Good luck in exams from all of 11:? at the Netted Gem, and, although it ’5 a limp premature, have a very, mgcrxght'istmqsl,‘,W