Contestants continue to shine on UNBSJ’s talent show best night yet
By Rafal Szymański

On Tuesday, the public was given yet another opportunity to be wooed by the skills and talents of the students at the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus.

The third night of UNBSJ’s Got Talent saw the five semi-finalists sing  and play for the audience that came out to cheer on their favorite artists.

Having gotten the kinks out of the way in the first two shows, the third night got under way without a hitch.  The rest of the evening went smoothly and just when you got excited about the acts, the evening was over.

The fact that the show was over in less than an hour actually made the event more popular.  People were already talking about how they cannot wait for next week’s final.  It would not be surprising if the size of the crowd continued to increase.

The general trend was that as the show progressed, more people came.  The crowd was much larger this time around than in the first week.  It seemed as if each performer had brought their own personal fan-base present.

Different sections of the audience came to life with every performer.  The crowd was more animated than before and the artists performing on stage reacted with impassioned performances all around.

What is more, UNBSJ’s Got Talent had a guest performer at the beginning and end of the show.  Wearing shoes to match his guitar, Adam Lowry sang confidently and broke the ice for the competitors.

The first act was Kendra Breedveld and her sister, Zoe Nadj, singing a well practiced duet.  The judges were right in pointing out that the background music that was used overpowered their low volumed microphones.  They were told that in order to win the competition they “need to break out of [their] shells.”  The judges distinguished the strengths and weaknesses of both singers individually and in the end were impressed with the singers.

Next up was Thomas Vautour who walked out on stage with his guitar to once again blind us with his talent.  The crowd erupted in laughter when Thomas began to play the universally known and memorized Nintendo’s Mario theme.  It was well executed and kept the audience holding on the every well strung note.

The intricacy of his piece revealed talent, but only to those that themselves play the guitar.  This was because Thomas played for quite a while, without moving at all.  The poor stage presence left the audience disengaged.  The applause following his performance revealed exactly this.

The judges complemented Thomas on his finger-work saying that it was “the best performance throughout the competition.”

Third on the list was once again SRC’s very own Melissa Colwell performed “Alone” by Heart.

The song sounded like an attempt at broadway, or highschool musical.  The pop soundtrack took away from the true rock sound of the original.

And yet the performance was animated, the crowd sensed Melissa’s excitement, and got right behind her in support.  Her air guitar brought out laughs from the audience.  Melissa knew she had to attack the crowd, and she won them over with her effort.  Choosing a well known song was also key to her success.  The audience clapped along with Melissa’s singing for a large part of the song.

Yet the judges were critical.  Instead of commending her for great annunciation and for revealing “the most entertaining showmanship”, they attacked her for her own personal style.  Having asked her to do a piece that was not “show-tunes” the week before, they urged her to choose something different for the final.

To be fair to the judges, it must be said that her version of Heart’s “Alone” was indeed a bit popish, show-tunes style, lacking the raw energy the original band represented.

Jordan Kennedy was up next and he played the acoustic hit “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.  Jordan was able to bare his soul to the crowd and showed his capacity for imitating other contemporary artists we listen to on the radio every day.

At one point, Jordan made a blunder by forgetting his words and instead of breaking under pressure and stopping the music, had the courage to change the song and make it his own.  This brought out laughter and support form the crowd.

The judges realized that Jordan was having fun and commented that he”really let [himself] go, [his] nerves didn’t take over.  But without fail, they were justified in saying that he needed to step up, “do [his] homework and blow [them] away next week.”

The Final artist was Patricia Harrity singing Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance.” At the beginning of the song, the lyrics speak of leaving you empty handed, so did the beginning of Patricia’s performance.  It left the audience wondering, for just a second, and then it happened.

The song picked up tempo.  Patricia stood up from her stool and showed the audience the reason why she is still in the competition.  All she needed was a little bit of confidence, confidence she received from getting through the first few lines of the song.

The applause was loudest with Patricia’s performance and the judges felt it.  They told Patricia what she already knew, that she was “singing from the heart.”  Even though she missed a note, one judge complimented that her’s was his “favourite performance of the night.”

Nigel Wiles once again introduced Adam Lowry to perform for the crowd at the end of the night.  As the evening came to an end, it was great to hear an impassioned performance from the most confident artist of the night singing “Dream Dream Dream” by the classic Everly Brothers.

The show was a success.  Next week’s final will be even better, with a host of surprise artists waiting to entertain and raise the roof on Saint John High School.  UNBSJ has much to be thankful for and even more to be proud of: their students.

Rafal Szymański is a staff writer with the Baron.

Next year’s president will be one of fifteen positions on next year’s Student Representative Council to be acclaimed without election

By Simon Jack

UNBSJ Student Elections are over almost before they’ve begun.  Of the sixteen elected positions in student government at UNBSJ, fifteen had only one applicant – and thus have been automatically filled by acclamation.  The remaining position, that of Vice-President External, is being campaigned for by current VP Student Affairs Leah Richardson and current Arts Representative Isaiah Richards.  Voting will have commenced by the time this article is printed, and will end on February 24th.

SRC President-elect Anthony Enman graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the Baron regarding both his plans as President and the SRC elections in general:

Baron: Why did you run for SRC President?

Anthony Enman: Because of my interest in student government and my interest in the SRC as a company.  I have been an employee of the SRC for the past three years, and I’ve really gotten to see the good that comes out of being able to affect change and enhance the student experience.  Being president of the SRC is obviously one of the best ways to do that.

Baron: What changes would you like to effect and how would you like to enhance the student experience?

Enman:I feel the past couple of years have been positive ones for the SRC and I feel the presidents who have preceded me have done a really good job at keeping student interest at the forefront of the SRC’s operations, and I want to continue that by further opening the lines of communication between the SRC and the students.  Once the lines of communication are open, students will hopefully be better able to communicate their concerns to the SRC and the SRC be better able to communicate its actions to the students.

I’d also like to find ways to better enhance how we operate so that every student on campus can receive the best student experience while they’re here at UNB Saint John.  Again, I want to build upon what has come before.  A lot of great things have happened this year in terms of the student experience, and as a team we’ve really been able to improve upon some of the areas where we were lacking and enhance many of our strengths.  I want to continue working on that with the Social Director, the VP Student Affairs, and the rest of the team, to make sure that students continue to have a positive student experience.

Baron: How do you plan to effectively communicate the needs of the students to the university administration?

Enman: I believe that we have a responsibility to ensure that all students have a voice.  The needs of the students are the most important variable in terms of our operations. From my involvement in student government and various other groups on campus, I have been able to become acquainted and build relationships with the university administration. I believe that those relationships will translate into open lines of communication; so that myself and the rest of the SRC can do just what you are asking about, effectively communicate the needs of the students when they arise.

I also feel that there is an opportunity to have students become more involved at an institutional level, and in turn allowing them to voice their concerns directly. There are a number of committees that require or request student members, but when the committees meet sometimes do not accommodate student schedules. If there was one thing I would like to try and change, it would be to have the committees schedule their meetings around student schedules, creating more opportunity for students to become involved.

Baron: What are your thoughts on the poor nomination turnout?

Enman: I feel like there is a sense of disconnect between students and their student government. I don’t want to get into passing blame or pointing fingers on this issue, but I just feel that, over the years, interest in student government has really started to dip. This being said, I know that we can change this. It truly boils down to letting students know that we are here for them, when they need us and will to the best of our ability meet their needs, individually and as a whole.

Bridging this gap is something I am passionate about and would like to try and improve on. How we do that, I am not sure. I feel like it is a trial and error type thing and the result will ultimately be a mixture of ideas, programs and services being implemented to address the issue. However, the most important message that I want to reiterate is that we want to help students and make their experience the best it possibly can be. So if students have an idea, come see us about it because we are here for you.

Baron: What is your favorite monkey?

Enman: The majestic mandrill.

—

The following people have been acclaimed to various posts: Anthony Enman (President, Student Representative to Board of Governors, Senator), Melissa Colwell (VP Student Affairs, Senator), Vasoula Papadopoulos (Member-at-Large), Colin Rouse (Athletic Representative), Joshua Jackson (Social Representative), Rika Nason (Mature Student Representative), Bilal Tariq (International Representative), Colin Landers (Business Representative), Stephen Doucette (Science Representative), Caitlyn Carpenter (Science Representative), Nancy Vos (Arts Representative), Richard Seguin (Arts Representative).

Simon Jack is a Baron staff writer.

Fartun Bashir is a former Somali Refugee who now has permanent residency in Canada and is in the process of becoming a Canadian citizen. This is her story.

Written by Andre Rochon

Fartun Bashir is now attending course at the Saint John College with some course here at the university. She is set to be a full time student next semester. There is an upcoming election for the SRC and on the ballot the issue of a 5 dollar levy will be presented to the student population. Without your support we are unable to fund a student through the Student Refugee Program. It is thorough your generosity that we are able to do such an amazing thing. This is not only a WUSC success but a UNBSJ success. Please vote yes in this week’s election.

I am originally from Somalia. I fled the country with my family when I was 2 years old in 1992 due to civil war that start in the 1990’s. The city that my family fled to was Manbassa in Kenya. We stayed there for 4 years and went to a refugee camp on the other side of the city in 1996.

Life in the refugee camp was challenging. The people living in the camp experience a lot of problems within their life due to their experiences before they came to the camp. In the early part of the 90’s there were many security problems in the camp. Group of gangs would come to your house at night and attack you. But thanks to the government of Kenya and Non Governmental Organizations operating there, they made security tighter and made is a safer environment.

In the Refugee camp there are many different ethnic groups living there. The majority are Somalis, there are people from Ethiopia, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan and even Yemen.

Apart from the harsh environment we receive the same education as the Kenyan’s and receive the same national examinations. This is good because when we do come to Canada we are able to understand the language here. In high school they teach us the United Kingdom curriculum with English as our Primary language and Swahili as our secondary (the language spoken in Kenya other than English). We also are required to take biology, chemistry, social studies, mathematics and we have a range of optional classes. I took history and Arabic.

After high school I tried to work hard because life was challenging in those countries. I did not like to stay there and I tried by best to get out of there. I was able to qualify for the WUSC (World University Services of Canada) scholarship that was being offered by acquiring high grades. I see this is a very good program and it is not given out to everyone. It is only given to students with good grades and a willingness to continue their studies. Within the whole country there might be 18 people who get out every year.

I was very happy when I received the scholarship. I had to take an English test and do a research paper, I wrote on “Refugee camp life and childhood education in the camps: what girls experience”. Afterwards I had to have a medical assessment which is done in partnership with WUSC by Window Trusts Kenya and the International Organization of Migration. The process is relatively easy for students but it takes time with the IOM, about six months of taking English courses before anything happens.

I really feel like one of the lucky ones. Out of three classes in high school there are a total of one hundred and twenty students. And only three receive scholarship. It is really hard going to another country without previous travel experience especially when you have to go through immigration. But when you come to Canada you become a landed immigrant and you receive a lot of consideration. You are able to get immigration status when you go to the United States or other places but you are really all on your own. You need to work and it becomes very difficult to get established and go to school if you want to.

With WUSC committee members they help us along which was really appreciate. I am the only Somali that I know in this city and sometimes you are really alone and face many problems by yourself. But with my committee I am very happy, I feel there are people who really love me like my mother and my family does. They really take care of me and call me all the time asking if I need anything. With them I do not fee like I have problems here in Canada. Canadians seem to be very helpful. In America they resettle refugees who have fled the country, but Canada is the only country that gives out scholarships to students to study in Canada. People who do not qualify for WUSC scholarships and who get good grades are still considered for scholarships for Kenyan universities and schools.

My Dream as child was to be a Human Rights worker for children. I wanted to do this because they used to punish us in school (Dugsi) if you came late. I used to cry a lot when I was punished. When you go somewhere to study you become a special person, and I wanted to put those people in jail that beat children. I wanted to stop the punishments that they gave out to students.

When I finished high school these people want to help you learn…now I want to become a lawyer or a journalist. Back in my old school they told me that Muslims cannot become lawyers. I want to work with the United Nation high commission for Refugees or an NGO. I want to help people who are in poverty, who are suffering with many problems and disadvantages in Refugee camps. There are Billions of people in so many countries that live in hunger. Most of these countries are in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, so maybe I can help those people.

My view of Canada at first was due to the working with people from Canada and the U.S through the NGO that I worked with at the Refugee camp. When you come here there are so many differences. There is total freedom here and you can do anything you like, back at the camp there are limits for everything.

There you may not find men doing house hold activities. At my family homestead I really liked it. You had the husband cooking everything one night while the wife goes out and takes the dog for a walk. It was not a shock but a huge relief when I arrived. Women want tasks shared and have equal parts in the household and here you can take a stand.

I am glad that I am here, my life has changed. WUSC has as a slogan: education will change the world. I came from a camp were there are many problems with insecurity to be here in a place where you have everything that you need with opportunity, education, health benefits, receiving permanent residency and will soon be able to travel anywhere with my citizenship. I am now starting to see myself as Canada as my home. Sponsored students really appreciate the WUSC committees and Canadian students for what they have done to take up all of our responsibilities to make it and easy transition for us and to make our dreams come true.

Andre Rochon is a volunteer writer with the Baron.

Baron writer Dana Miller offers her take on the public forum orchestrated by UNBSJ’s faculty of Arts to discuss the controversial decision by the Liberal Government to sell NB Power to Hydro Quebec.

“One way to silence the opposition” Dr. Yves Gagnon said ominously “is to keep them in the dark.”

Dr. Gagnon, Chair of Sustainable Development at l’Université de Moncton, was one of three key speakers on Monday, February 8^th, 2010, in the crowded Oland Hall classroom. The Faculty of Arts hosted an open forum at UNBSJ to discuss the proposed deal between Hydro Quebec (HQ) and New Brunswick Power. The forum allowed for key speakers to discuss aspects of the proposal made by the Shawn Graham government and allowed the public to express their opinions, concerns and reactions to the propositions they had heard.

The theme expressed by all the key speakers was that the HQ deal was not in the best interest of the population of New Brunswick and that it needed to be discussed and investigated further.

Gagnon talked in detail about how this issue had evolved over the past months, emphasizing his view that the deal seemed to not be in the interests of New Brunswick and that public consultation was severely lacking.

The current deal being considered, he explained, was not presented in a press conference, but had been leaked out to the general public.  Gagnon described it as a “nice story”, wherein the government later issued a brief summary of the deal, no official deal in writing was available.

This led to Gagnon asking the question, does the deal even exist, or “is a 3.2 billion dollar deal being processed without the proper documentation?”

The first deal made between NB power and HQ in October 2009, Gagnon explained, was also made without consulting the people of New Brunswick. The pitch was that the people of New Brunswick would see lower rates of electricity, share industrial rates with, eliminate the provincial debt, and allow NB to become self sufficient. In return, Hydro Québec would receive the assets that NB power had left – which includes power generation and distribution.  HQ would also receive the Point LePreau power plant, but only once it was fully operational again and it would receive the financial assets of it as well.

While the rates would be comparable to Québec and stable at first, they would rise after the first five years. HQ revenue would exponentially increase year after year -  “for infinity”, as the deal contract has no expiration.  Gagnon demonstrated that this deal would supremely benefit HQ.

Perhaps in response to public outcry, in January of this year there was another deal presented. Once again, the deal was formed without public. This version of the deal stated that New Brunswick would be fulfilling its energy demands by Hydro Québec, paying their rates for the first 5 years, and then be subjected to increases and decreases based on the NB consumer index.  Employees who work at NB power generation facilities would become employees of HQ, and since there is little documentation aside from a press release, the pension plan for these employees remains unclear.

Premier Graham has said that the deal is to be closed by March 31^st, 2010 and yet there have been no conditions set to debate the issue further in government.  The opposition have yet to see the details of the deals and argue their position.  Gagnon led to the conclusion that the government may just be covering up the truth about the deals.

Tom Mann presented the view from the protest groups, NB Power Not for Sale.  As a law alumnus of UNB, and having worked with the NB trade union programs and the labour unions, he spoke of why the citizens of NB should not be in accordance with the deals proposed by Graham.  He spoke of the measures being put into place to stop the sale of NB power to Québec, having 60% of New Brunswickers against the sale.  He also spoke of the goal of the coalition groups; to stop the sale of NB power.  Mann made it clear it would take more than just the coalition alone, saying that “No single one group can wage the challenge by themselves.  This is much bigger, much bigger than the individual parts”.

Mann, as part of the coalition has a mission, to prevent the sale of NB power from going through, and the coalition plans on doing this by coordinating forces and becoming united with others in town halls and forums like the one held on campus, to educate New Brunswickers on the issues hitting the table of public debate before government.  The deal has yet to be set in stone and finalized, and it is still possible to delay or stop the deal from going through.

“Pressure has to be put upon the politicians”, says Mann, because the government wants to take advantage of our apathy”.  The deal needs to be stopped so it can be discussed in due time.

Mann also says in order to prevent this deal from going through, the people of New Brunswick need to stay focused on what is at stake, because there are many solutions to this debate. Mann quoted Margaret Meed on this subject:  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world”.

And last to speak was UNBSJ history professor, Dr. Greg Marquis.  Dr. Marquis wrapped up the information session with a brief history of New Brunswick, in relation to where the province has been and the events it has been through.  He considers this deal with HQ and NB power to be the “7^th or 8^th biggest thing that has happened since 1867”.  Canada and NB have seen controversy, and nothing was ever settled and decided on so quickly and quietly, stressed Marquis.  Many major decisions have taken years to be decided; and nothing was ever “settled over night”.  Marquis said that he considers this “a very dark time in our history”.

Dana Miller is a volunteer writer with the Baron.

Name: Leah Richardson
Degree: Bachelor of Science – Biology

I am running for this position because:

I want to build on the momentum that this year’s Council has achieved in enriching the student experience on campus and in making significant connections within our local community.

What about your background makes you qualified for this position?:

I am currently the Student Council Vice President of Student Affairs as well as a student representative on the UNB Saint John Senate. I have been working very closely with our present VP External to organize and recruit students to participate in community service initiatives at Hazen White/St. Francis School as well as the Crescent Valley Resource Center. One of my major projects this year was the launching of a Student Mentorship Program at HW/SF school.

What do you plan to do during your term should you be elected?:
With the return of several of our present SRC executives, I look forward to building on the progress we have made this past year. Our present Council has recently launched a number of excellent initiatives such as the campus-wide recycling program, the new UNB Student Volunteer Unit and daily lunch at Colonel Tucker’s! I am very excited to maintain this momentum as we move into the next academic year.
How do you feel you can improve student morale and student involvement on campus?:
It is my intention to utilize a wide variety of communication methods to make students more aware of events and opportunities in and around our campus and to encourage them to become active participants.
How do you plan to effectively communicate the needs of the students to government or any officials you may deal with?:

In my present position as VP Student Affairs, I have been fortunate to establish a network of valuable contacts, both within the university and the greater Saint John community. In particular, I have built strong connections with UNB’s Director of Government Relations, the Communications and Marketing Department, our University President and Vice-President, the Associated Alumni, as well as New Brunswick’s Department of Post-Secondary Education. Additionally, I have established strong relationships with local community organizations such as the Crescent Valley Resource Center and Hazen White/St. Francis School. It is my intention to use these connections with faculty, staff, community leaders and politicians as vital resources to enhance the UNBSJ student experience and to build partnerships with organizations within our community.

If you could add anything to the UNBSJ Campus, what would it be?:
I am passionate about getting students involved in community service initiatives and will work hard to provide opportunities that will promote a sense of unity within our student body.
What is your favorite book?:
Dr. Seuss – Green Eggs and Ham.
Is there anything else you would like to let Baron readers know?:
Although other SRC positions have been decided by acclamation, I strongly encourage every student to cast their vote for the VP External position on February 22, 23 or 24. Simply go to your eServices account, click on the voting tab and select Leah Richardson for VP External. I very much appreciate your support and look forward to working for you in the coming year.  Thanks!

Name: Isaiah Richards

Degree: Arts with a Major in Political science and minor in Philosophy

I am running for this position because:

I believe that as VP External I can speak for the average student and bring there needs to not only the student council but the political stage as well

What about your background makes you qualified for this position?

As a Politics Major I believe that my schooling is very geared to this position. This position is like the career field I plan to get into. I have been on the SRC this year as an Arts rep and feel I am ready to take on bigger things.

What do you plan to do during your term should you be elected?

I plan to build on the thing Celia our current Vp External as well as our past VPs worked so hard. As well as bring my own things into this position such as, I would like to see our campus be more active in the community and would like to see more relations with our neighbors at NBCC. These are just two of the many ideas I have.

How do you feel you can improve student morale and student involvement on campus?

I believe the by being friendly to everyone and letting people know a head of time what is happening will definitely increase involvement. I feel that our social director Anthony Enmen has done a great job in doing so this year. And in order to get student moral up there needs to be a diverse selection of thing to do for all types of people from the party student all the way on the other side of the spectrum, the highly academic student.

How do you plan to effectively communicate the needs of the students to government or any officials you may deal with?

I feel that the most effective way to communicate to any one is face to face. I feel I can speak with authority when needed as well as connect with anyone no matter what their background.

If you could add anything to the UNBSJ Campus, what would it be?

I love this Campus and almost everything about it. That being said there are a few changes that could be done, I would try and change some people’s feelings that we are a satellite campus of UNBF.

What is your favorite book?

My favorite book… If I had time to read… it would have to be Stephen Colbert’s book I Am America and so Can you, I found this book a great political satire on American politics.

Is there anything else you would like to let Baron Readers know?

Keep reading UNBSJ’s great paper. And don’t forget to vote Feb 22-24.

By: Nikicia Phillips — The Cord

WATERLOO, Ont. (CUP) — People in China might want to reconsider next time they decide to engage in “sexting.”

According to the government-owned newspaper *China Daily*, authorities will now be monitoring text messages.

Mobile phone companies such as China Mobile and China Unicom have been ordered by Beijing to be on the lookout for “unhealthy” words and phrases.

Although there is no official statement on what language is deemed unhealthy, China Mobile stated that it is required to flag any inferences to pornography, violence, fraud, terrorism, instigations to crime and gambling.

China’s other state-run media outlet, *Xinhua News*, reports that the government is pursuing a nationwide crackdown on sexually explicit text messages, including “expressed or obscure sexual behaviour,” “teasing or insulting content,” “descriptions of some specific parts of the human body” and anything “that could provoke people’s imagination about sex.”

The exact repercussions for being caught sending such messages remain ambiguous, though they include at least the suspension of the ability to send text messages, and possibly the permanent disabling of a person’s phone number.

China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile network, has reported that if an unhealthy message is detected, the company must immediately disable the text-messaging feature and send a report to the authorities.

The mobile provider must wait to hear back from the police before they can re-activate the instant messaging feature again.

There are many concerns over this new policy.

The 700 million cell phone users in China are increasingly worried about getting in trouble for sending a harmless dirty joke or sending sexually implicit text messages to their spouses. Many users feel that their privacy has been violated.

The Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of correspondence — “except in cases where, to meet the needs of state security or of criminal investigation, public security or procuratorial organs are permitted to censor correspondence in accordance with procedures prescribed by law.”

Monitoring text messaging is part of the government’s campaign to censor the Internet, as many use their mobile devices to access the Internet.

Chinese efforts to censor communications have encountered some difficulty this year. In January, Google announced that it will not hand over the content of personal e-mail accounts to government officials and threatened to withdraw its Chinese search engine.

By: Lee Larrett — The Brunswickan

FREDERICTON (CUP) — Community colleges in New Brunswick are on the verge of moving away from government control and into the hands of autonomous boards that will give students a voice in the way they’re run.

The provincial government introduced legislation on Feb. 9 that would create two separate boards of governors to run its English and French community college systems. Like the province’s universities, each board will have to work with five-year strategic plans that must get government approval.

New Brunswick’s are the only remaining government-run community colleges in the country.

Donald Arseneault, the province’s post-secondary education minister, said the legislation was a long time coming.

“This new structure has been talked about for over 20 years . . . It’s about time the community college system in New Brunswick enters the 21st century,” he said.

He called the move to a government-independent system important.

“By having the community college system managed by a board of governors from throughout the regions of the province, you have individuals on those boards that represent the community, and that speaks volumes compared to what it is now when it’s just an arm’s length division of government.”

The revamped boards of governors will see a student representative on each board because, Arseneault said, “from day one . . . my priority is the student.”

Arseneault was appointed to handle the post-secondary education portfolio in November 2008.

This new structure will bring more opportunities to colleges that may not have existed under the previous system by allowing them to “develop new partnerships with other levels of government or try to look at more private sector investment, more opportunities in research and development.”

The first boards will be filled through government appointments, but the minister said that would only be temporary. When they hit full swing, the government and board will each appoint three to six members who will be joined by a voted-in academic staff member, a non-academic staff member and a student representative. Both of the nine-to-15 member boards will be responsible to hire a CEO for the organizations.

Arseneault said that while this system is new to New Brunswick colleges, it aligns them with the province’s universities, making it easier for them to build partnerships — an important step for post-secondary education in the province.

“We’ve come a long way in a year. We see that there’s more that unites the university and colleges than divides us, and we’re working on common themes such as foreign recruitment and course transfers and other initiatives that we feel will be to the benefit of students in New Brunswick,” he said.

The community colleges act was introduced to the New Brunswick legislature on Feb. 9. It will need to pass before the new system can launch, but the Opposition Progressive Conservatives have noted their support for the bill in its efforts to make the college system more efficient. If passed, the new boards could be in place as soon as April.

By: Emma Godmere — CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

OTTAWA (CUP) — Move over, students and youth. Canada’s aging population is set to be the government’s top priority in the next few decades, according to a new report released by Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page.

Released Feb. 18, the independent and first-ever “Fiscal Sustainability Report” suggests that the long-predicted demographic shift of baby boomers moving from working age to retirement age is right around the corner, and it’s up to the government to take action sooner than later in order to ensure the country’s economy remains sustainable.

The report details the demographic issue is two-fold: not only will there be more pressure on the government to provide more funding for health care and elderly benefits and programs as Canadians hit retirement age, but the labour force will be effectively smaller — and so will the population from which the government collects its taxes.

“Although it is important to acknowledge that many elements of a long-term projection are uncertain, the demographic transition underway in Canada is not,” reads the report.

According to the budget officer, as of 2008, there were about five prime working-age Canadians (aged 15–64) for every individual aged 65 and over. This ratio is expected to drop to just under four-to-one by 2019 and 2.5-to-1 by 2033 — a considerable decline, yet one that has been present for decades: in 1971, there were approximately 7.8 workers for every retiree, according to the report.

Page is also projecting a decline in GDP growth — while the gross domestic product per capita has normally been growing by 2.1 per cent since the 1960s, the report suggests that going forward, Canadians will likely be seeing an average growth rate of only 0.9 per cent, until 2059.

The report states outright that the government’s current financial structure is not sustainable, as the national debt — more specifically, Canada’s debt-to-GDP ratio — is expected to increase substantially if the government continues to function as they are now. To achieve long-term financial sustainability, the report recommends “permanent fiscal actions” by way of increasing taxes, reducing program spending, or a combination of both to equal an amount between 1 and 1.9 per cent of GDP — a goal that, despite amounting to billions, the PBO emphasized is reachable.

“The fiscal action required to achieve sustainability does not need to be taken immediately . . . however, a significant delay in implementing fiscal actions substantially increases the required amount of corrective measures,” the report warns.

Page indicated that plans and transparent measures are necessary to get the country on the right track toward a sustainable economy.

“We do not have a fiscal plan with targets . . . With no targets, we have effectively no budget constraints and that encourages the government to balance and re-balance political priorities,” he noted at a public pre-budget debate on Feb. 3.

“The bottom line is, Canada has a fiscal gap. It is prudent to deal with it sooner rather than later.”

While the report provided extensive data to back up its financial and demographic projections, the budget officer stresses in its pages that it, “should not be interpreted as predictions of the most likely future outcomes. Rather, they are simply a set of ‘what if’ scenarios that attempt to illustrate and quantify the implications of leaving the government’s current fiscal structure unchanged over time.”

Canadians will see what financial plans the government has in store on March 4, when the 2010 federal budget is presented in Ottawa.

Wayne Hansen discusses the latest changes to the UNB website with IT Publications and Communications Coordinator Melissa Hannah

The UNB website has undergone major reconstruction over the past while. Many of you may have noticed a new look and feel to the UNB website while hopefully becoming acquainted with a temporary myUNB at the same time. On Monday, February 1^st, the official myUNB website launched (http://my.unb.ca) with a distinct new look. I thought this would be a great time to investigate the recent developments with UNB’s Web presence, discuss what myUNB is now and what the plans are for the future, and to talk about what this all means for students on both the UNB Saint John and Fredericton Campus.

To answer all these questions and more I recently sat down with Melissa Hannah, Publications and Communications Coordinator for Integrated Technology Services (ITS) at UNB Fredericton. Melissa has taken time out of her normal schedule to work on the communications, focus groups and surveys associated with the myUNB project. The goal is to design the website with wants and needs of the UNB community as central priorities.

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Wayne: Well I guess we should begin with the basics. What exactly is myUNB?

Melissa: myUNB is multi-phase project, executed by Integrated Technology Services and Communications and Marketing, for the internal UNB community. It is starting as a web page that will provide easy access to UNB services, faculties, departments and service units on both campuses. During this phase of the project we also worked on providing a new design and new features to improve usability. We feel that this represents significant improvement for all users of UNB web services.

Wayne: Is the myUNB page, going to be much different than the UNB home page that I currently use?

Melissa: Yes. It will be very different. The previous iteration of myUNB was simply meant to be a temporary page to house all the links the internal UNB community would need and want. It was a short-term solution to use while we concentrated on the UNB.ca web pages that were focused for our external audience. Now, we have turned our attention to our students, faculty, and staff with the myUNB project. One of the next items we will be working on is a portal that will provide single sign on, this means you will simply have to log in ONCE to access your WebMail, Blackboard, financial information, etc.

Wayne: So the main difference is that UNB.ca has a focus on clients external to UNB while myUNB is focused on those who already have an established relationship with the University?

Melissa: Exactly. UNB.ca has an external focus — potential students, donors, etc. However, myUNB has an internal focus on anyone that has a current affiliation with UNB.

Wayne: Can you tell me more about the myUNB portal?

Melissa: The myUNB portal will replace eServices and more. It will be a space that you can customize to fit your needs. For example there may be an area where you can choose the top UNB links you use, such as viewing your course timetable or buying print credits – these are all items within eServices but the new portal won’t only contain items within eServices.

Wayne: This project seems to have a significant impact on all users of the UNB website. Have faculty, staff and students have input on the design?

Melissa: This project will have an impact on everyone at UNB and we have made sure to approach this project from their perspective, i.e. what they would find useful and what they would want. That is why we have been diligent with surveys and focus groups – to make sure we get their input and provide feedback from the beginning.

Wayne: If there are people that are interested in contributing still – is it too late?

Melissa: No, it is not too late at all to be involved. Firstly, everyone is welcome to visit my.unb.ca/redesign to stay informed of the progress and to get involved. We would love to hear what students, faculty and staff think of the new myUNB as well as their ideas for future developments. If you have an idea, email myunb@unb.ca

Wayne: Thanks for taking the time to discuss myUNB with us today.

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If you have not yet had a chance to check out the myUNB page yet you should really take some time to do so. Either link to it from the UNB home page or point your browser directly to my.unb.ca. As discussed with Melissa, this new page is only the first step in the development of a customizable portal that will deliver all the functionality of eServices and more through a single sign on system. When completed, this project will fundamentally alter the way we all access UNB web services and will offer a significant improvement over the current edition.

Wayne Hansen is UNBSJ’s Student Technology Centre Manager.