Muse, 1987-10-23

              OCT 2?   '
Memorial University
October 23, 1987
Volume 38, Number 6
NLFS re-started at
MUN conference
By HEIDI HARLEY
A conference involving
representatives across the province was held at MUN last
weekend in an attempt to .kick-
start the Newfoundland and
Labrador Federation of
Students. The organization was
1 established two years ago but
has since accomplished nothing
due to a lack of a budget.
The role of the NLFS is to do
provincially what the Canadian
Federation of Students does nationally, i.e. represent the student population of the province
to the government. The
organization, once firmly
established, will represent about
22 campuses and 40,000
students.
Tony Marcerello, chairperson of the Canadian Federation
of Students, attended the conference. He said "Strong provincial organizations exist in
other regions of the country and
This Week
in
The Muse
p-
3
NUW
p-
5
Legal Aid
p-
7
Free Trade
p-
9
Strike
p-
10
Editor fired
p.
II
CEGEPs
p-
12
Steve Biko
p-
15
Swordsladies
p-
17
Women
p-
18
John Denver
p-
19
RC Police
p.
21
Sports
p-
23
Wha' Happen
And much, much,
much, much more!
are instrumental in raising student issues such as student aid,
summer employment, and
underfunding to their
legislatures. The development
of the NLFS can only help to
highlight these issues as they
pertain to student in Newfoundland and Labrador."
The forty people attending
the conference discussed the
groundwork for the organization and the most immediate
issues facing it. Isolation was a
concern for many out-of-town
campuses, as was the ever-
present concern over funding,
quality of student life, involving
communities in the life of the
campuses and the debt load of
graduating students. Many of
the representatives felt that, as a
group, students would have
considerable power. "Forty
thousand people is enough to
put pressure on the government
in elections," said one representative.
If these people didn't get their tickets to Rush it's not because they didn't line up early enough.
Tickets for the show went on sale just before 9.00am, but by then the line was around the corner. Photo Darren Goodyear
The conference was funded
by the national organization
after requested to do so by the
Marine Institute, MUN, the
Cabot Institute and Sir Wilfred
Grenfell College. The organization is applying for an operating
grant from the government,
and   will   discuss  funding
measures such as a membership fee.
Anne Marie Vaughan, president of the CSU, thinks the
government will be willing to
fund the organization because
of the large membership, and
because it will perform a function useful to the government as
well as the students. "We will try
to provide helpful suggestions
to the government," she said,
"and point out reasonable
changes in their policy which
will improve the quality of student life. We'll resemble a
special investigatory committee
in that respect."
Student finds bugs thrive in broccoli
By PADRAIC BRAKE
During supper on October
10, a student living in residence
discovered greyish-green fruit
flies in a stem of broccoli she
had obtained from the salad
bar in the Hatcher Dining Hall.
The student, who did not
wish to be identified, said,
"After I had finished the flower
part of the broccoli, I noticed
large bunches of insects around
its stalk. They were definitely
alive."
Brian Johnson, Director of
Student Housing and Food
Services, said, "I know that the
broccoli was washed before it
was put on the salad bar,
because she would not have
even put it on her plate if it had
not been."
"For this time of the year, it
would have been imported,"
said Johnson. "The broccoli
must not have been washed as
thoroughly as it should have
been."
"I did not get sick or
anything, contrary to the
rumours going on," said the
student. "I do believe that it
should have been washed better, though."
"I showed the woman who
• was in charge that day, and she
apologized," said the student.
"I will put a memo out to
Nova Foods about the incident.
They are very responsive to
students' complaints," said
Johnson. "I know that in the
future it will be different."
The student said she felt the
problem was in the set-up of
the salad bar. "One of the pro
blems with the salad bar is that
the windows are open next to
it," she said. "All the dust blows
in on the salad."
"The windows should not be
opened," said Johnson. "During the summer they are, but
the salad bar is placed well
away from them."
Johnson added that any student in residence who has a
complaint concerning the food
in residence dining halls should
talk to their house food
representative.
"The food reps can talk to us
when we all meet together
every three weeks," said
Johnson. "Sometimes it's difficult to get a consensus, but
any problem can usually be
worked out."
Referendum turnout low, fees raised
By HEIDI HARLEY     •
Students will be paying eight
dollars more for student union
services in the winter semester.
The referendum held on
Wednesday and Thursday of
last week to change the student
union fee from $17 to $25 was
passed.
Only a 15 per cent voter turnout was recorded, with a vote of
812-679, or 54.3 per cent for
and 45.4 per cent against. Ann
Marie Vaughan, president of
the Council of the Students'
Union, said that compared to
the national average, the voter
turnout was high.
"Some campuses have trouble getting a 4 per cent voter
turnout for their elections,
much less fifteen." Vaughan
said that voter turnout at MUN
was exceptionally high for the
health plan referendum held
earlier this year, with turnout in
the high twenties, and that she
didn't expect such a good turnout for this referendum.
What she did find surprising,
however, was the relatively
close vote. She said that she
could only conclude that
students didn't know about the
services the CSU was offering.
"Some people thought that the
money was going to the library,
or thought that the president's
salary is full-time, or thought
that the CSU controls
Breezeway profits, a time-
honored myth, and didn't need
any money. Or they thought 'I
don't like x service, why should
I vote?'
The outcome is causing the
CSU to re-think their public
relations policy. They are
seriously thinking of going to an
outside firm for a study of their
methods and advice on improving it, according to Dave
Kirkland, CSU business
manager. Vaughan also said,
"An increased amount of
money will have to go to internal PR, that's for sure. People
just don't realize what the CSU
is doing and what services it is
providing."
The subject came up at last
Wednesday's council meeting,
and is currently under review.