It was an ordinary day when I awoke to the scream of my alarm. Ripped from the depths of a dreamy haze, I sat up in my bed. It was an early morning, crispy and threatening with its whisper of cold, an unholy hour for any person to rise. Unholy as it is, ten AM always comes earlier then it should. With a heavy fist I mash the sleep button, commanding submission from the screeching alarm. For a moment I fall back onto my pillow and my eyes flicker. Justification for why I should stay in bed swirls through the sleep induced laziness of my mind. The wind scratches at my bedroom window moaning out the word, “Lethbridge”, in its droning voice—like a zombie at a boarded up door.
My eyes closing, I convince myself that I could drift off for just moments more and still make it on time. With sudden surge of panic I awaken fully, with the inherent knowledge that more than just a few moments have passed. Springing from bed I cross the room into a pair of dirty pants from the floor in a single motion. The shirt I wore to bed will do fine if only I can find, in the pile near the door, a pair of shoes that are mine. A jacket slings around my shoulders and my pack back fills in record time, I just might make it. Dirty looks and a frowning professor, the images play in my head as I rush toward the door. Wait! “Why are you still here?” I ask of the blanket shrouded figure on the couch. Pajama clad and adorned with slippers my roommate sits on the couch. The remnants of readying for the day clinging to him, in his washed and styled hair. This person is never late for a class that starts more than an hour before mine; nonetheless they sit on the couch watching terrible morning TV. He cocks his head to the side and with a menacing smile says, “It’s poo day! Don’t you know?” The moments that follow fill my heart with joy as I learn of the happenings of NOV 5th. The University has flowed forth with filth, and the halls have been shut down. With classes cancelled I return to swear pants and settle on the couch next to him. A snow day framed in brown has turned my frown upside down. Later that day a group of us go to Oshos to enjoy food and beverage, the puns swirl like the leaves outside in the Lethbridge wind. A new holiday is born—Nov 5th is the first year anniversary of Poo-Day.
A day down the toilet
Post-secondary education is not always easy to obtain, especially when students are struggling financially. Alleviating some of the pressures placed on students is the purpose of the ULSU Food Bank. Being able to put food on the table is one less thing students have to worry about, so they are able to focus on their studies. Sodexo, the corporation that operates the Food Services on-campus, announced it will be making a very generous contribution to the ULSU Food Bank. John-Barry DeYoung, Sodexo Executive Director at the University of Lethbridge declared that the Company would be making a donation of $1000 to the ULSU Food Bank, on Friday October 23, 2009 at 2pm in the Students’ Union Office. The ULSU Food Bank was established in 2004 to deal with the increasing awareness of hunger and poverty on campus. “Our Food Bank is a program that distributes emergency food hampers to students, faculty or staff at the University that are in need of assistance,” said Allan Hall, ULSU Vice-President Administration. The Food Bank relies on generous donations like this, and Needs-Based Funding from the Quality Initiatives Program. Students who are in need of a hamper can email food.bank@uleth.ca or stop by SU180 and a hamper will be ready and waiting for pick up the day after the request is made. Food Bank users can request a hamper every two weeks and all information is kept confidential.
For more information contact:
Cole Lehto ULSU VP Internal
403-329-5155
su.internal@uleth.ca
Winter is here. If you’re an otherwise-all-too-busy bibliophile like me, you may want to grab your slippers, steep yourself some tea and curl up with one of the following tomes:
The Selfish Gene
By Richard Dawkins
Want to understand the mysteries of life? Start with this book.
First released in 1976, this was the first book to provide a very readable account how evolution actually works. The book contained no original research. What it contained was a new worldview. That new worldview is based on the Selfish Gene Theory.
Crudely put, the Selfish Gene Theory stipulates that evolution does not progress toward the improvement of species or even individual organisms. All evolution does –all it can do – is work in the interest of genes. Like all other living creatures, you and I came to be only because our ancestors happened to be useful tools for the propagation of the genes that created us.
It’s hard to even begin expanding upon the ramifications the theory. What I will say is that this is by far the most important book I’ve ever read. It has given me more relevant insights on politics than the entire four years I’ve spent in Political Science. It has taught me more about morality than the sum of every novel, proverb and fairy tale I’ve ever encountered.
The Upside of Down
By Thomas Homer-Dixon
This book is the antidote for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the doom and gloom that we’re all confronted with on a daily basis but who, rather than losing themselves in the bliss of willful ignorance, chooses to make sense of that doom and gloom and to confront it accordingly.
Homer-Dixon begins with an absolutely fascinating account of the fall of the Roman Empire that puts to shame all of the profoundly unsatisfying explanations you may have heard in history class. He goes on the draw some disturbing parallels between the stresses that faced Rome in its day and the ones that confront the whole of human civilization today.
Homer-Dixon pulls together a number of major stresses on human civilization – peak oil, climate change, pollution, massive wealth gaps and frightening demographic trends – and paints them all into a big picture that, while dark at first, contains a glimmer of hope on the horizon.
The Prince
Niccolo Machiavelli
This book is accorded a special place in Western intellectual history for being the first known book to provide a useful and practical account of how politics actually works. Modern-day politics are much less focused on murder and conquest, but the advice set forth by Machiavelli remains as applicable today as it was back then.
Machiavelli deserves some of his modern-day notoriety. He’s cold, manipulative, and straight-up ruthless. He will stab your bleeding-heart naїveté with a cold blade of sound counsel. In a recent exchange with a friend, he described the book as dehumanizing. I told him that I would describe it as invigorating. I am now of the firm opinion that it is both.
The historical examples are hard to follow at times, but the lessons nestled within and between them are worth the wait. Another advantage of this book is that you can read over the course of a single cold Saturday.
Author’s note: This article was originally published on the Students’ Union page of The Meliorist on October 15th, 1009.
global justice week needs you!
Global Justice Week: Coming soon to the University of Lethbridge!
The ULSU’s Global Justice Week is only days away and the hallowed halls of the University of Lethbridge are littered with posters like this one. This is only the start to what promises to be a year chock full of world-class extra-curricular education. Some people groan when you talk to them about extra-curricular education, but the events the ULSU is putting on this year have a few distinct advantages: they’re way more fun than class and they’re free!
The University of Lethbridge has been host to so much excellent academic programming over the past few years that to take it all in would almost be a full-time job, and too many students already have to have full-time jobs (or something close) just to be here. That partly explains the acute – nay! - severe lack of undergraduate students at most academic events.
Then again, some things are just so jam-packed with educational radness that one would be foolish not to attend. I hope (and fully expect) that Global Justice Week will be one of those things, and I hope to see you there!
don’t cut us out: Herald Article
Yesterday, the ULSU held a press conference to encourage the provincial government to invest in a strong post-secondary system in order to secure Alberta’s future prosperity, adaptiveness and social health. The event received great coverage from the local media. Here’s the Page 3 story in The Lethbridge Herald:
“University could be hit hard
Written by Caroline Zentner LETHBRIDGE HERALD
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Student and faculty groups at the University of Lethbridge say the Alberta government is being short-sighted by making funding cuts to post-secondary education because the province’s future prosperity and competitiveness depends on a well-educated workforce.”
Here’s the newest press release from CASA:
Students Meet with Justin Trudeau to Discuss Unemployment
Ottawa, ON – Today, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations met with Justin Trudeau, Member of Parliament for Papineau, to discuss the immediate needs for students suffering from alarmingly high unemployment rates.
In August 2009, there were 128,000 less jobs for students compared with August 2008. This means that post-secondary students are lacking over $500 million of income from summer employment.
“More students will be relying on financial assistance this fall in order to pursue a post-secondary education,” said Arati Sharma, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). “Drastic unemployment rates and as a result much higher need for financial assistance, is not something that the current system is prepared to support.”
During the needs assessment for student loans, the current system for financial aid does not account for possible unemployment or under-employment; rather, the system deducts loan amounts based on the expectation that a student will make money throughout the summer. Further, if a student works throughout the school year, the government reduces a student’s loan by every dollar earned above $50 per week. CASA is proposing that these employment restrictions be lifted for one year.
“These claw backs are increasing the burden for students who need financial assistance the most,” said Sharma. “If removing these requirements is not immediate, students will be forced to take on more private debt, and for some, it will be a choice of whether or not to complete their education.”
“Students are grateful for the opportunity to talk about these issues with Mr. Trudeau,” said Sharma. “It is crucial for all our leaders to recognize the urgent need for changes to the post-secondary education system in Canada and we welcome any opportunity to discuss these concerns.”
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The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 24 student associations, representing 400,000 students from coast to coast.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Jillian Flake
Public Relations and Communications Officer
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Tel.: 613-236-3457 ext. 224 (c) 613-868-6605
Email: casacomm@casa.ca
Don’t Cut Us Out!
Students, Staff and Faculty Speak Out Against Cuts to Post-Secondary Education
Alberta’s future depends on post-secondary education; it will enrich our economy, make our society healthier and more vibrant and it will help to solve the problems affecting our environment. Investing in Post-Secondary Education will make Alberta strong and prosperous.
“The Government of Alberta has a great opportunity to boost Alberta’s economic and social development through post-secondary education,” said Alex Massé, Vice President of the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union. “We are deeply concerned that recent provincial funding decisions will jeopardize that development by forcing our post-secondaries to sacrifice either access or quality.
Although the need for post-secondary is greater than ever, provincial funding for the University of Lethbridge will see, at best, a zero per cent increase in 2010 to 2012; this will be felt all around the institution, it has forced the University to consider eliminating staff, faculty and services. The Alberta Government has the power to increase post-secondary education funding by prioritizing this grand investment.
Public Interest Alberta has launched “Don’t Cut Us Out,” a province-wide campaign that will visit the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union Office on September 15, 2009 at noon. There will be speakers representing the Students’ Union, the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association, the Graduate Students’ Association and the University of Lethbridge.
For more information Contact:
Alex Massé
VP Academic
University of Lethbridge Students’
403-329-2222
su.academic@uleth.ca
I remember my jaw dropping the first time I saw the prices for my university textbooks. Textbooks are one of the most frustrating expenses for an undergraduate student. According to the Canadian Roundtable on Academic Materials (CRAM), from 1997-2005, textbook prices have increased approximately by 280%. Over the same period, the Canadian Price Index (CPI) has only increased by 22%. Annette Bright, the manager of the University of Lethbridge Book Store, says that the average full time student should budget around $2000 for textbooks for each academic year. This represents more than 12% of tuition for a sizable portion of the student body.
Many students blame campus bookstores for these high costs but a more appropriate body to criticize would be the textbook publishers/distributors.
The market for textbooks for undergraduate students is very unique when compared to most traditional markets. The individuals that are responsible for deciding what textbooks are used for a course (the instructors) are not the same individuals that are paying for them. For many professors, content and quality are the main deciding factors for deciding what textbooks should be used for a class. While content and quality are important factors, this means that textbook publishers are under less pressure to keep textbook prices low.
Another factor that is driving up the cost of textbooks is the high frequency of new editions. Over the past decade the frequency of new editions for textbooks has increased significantly. According to Bright, it is now customary for a textbook publisher to issue a new edition approximately every two years. This is typically the industry standard regardless of how much change has occurred in the subject matter since the previous edition. According to Jim Corven, a professor from Bristol Community College, “while updates are useful and necessary, the real differences from edition to edition are often insignificant and do not justify the publication of an expensive new edition”.
The inflow of new editions of textbooks also hurts the used textbook market. A new edition of a textbook may result in students being unable to resell a recently purchased textbook. The shorter shelf life of textbooks results in a lessened opportunity to sell a textbook. For many students, the used textbook market is the most functional medium of accessing lower cost academic materials.
Another item that is contributing to the high costs of textbooks is the increased practice of bundling. Bundling is the practice of shrink-wrapping additional materials such as CDs, study guides, activation codes for websites and foldouts with textbooks. This practice results in an increased price for the textbooks. The main issue with bundling is that instructors rarely include bundled materials in their curriculum. According to the State PIRG study, only 24% of instructors estimate that they “always” or “usually” use the additional bundled materials.
The high cost of textbooks for Canadian post-secondary students is also heavily influenced by Canadian importation regulations. In 1999, the federal government implemented importation regulations in the Canadian Copyright Act in an attempt to protect the Canadian publishing industry. This regulation requires Canadian bookstores to purchase from Canadian distributors as long as the distributor is selling within 10 percent of the American price or 15 percent of the international price. This allows Canadian publishers to sell their products above market price and pass the increased costs on to students. The proceeds from the imported mark-up go directly to the textbook publishers and not to the authors of the text. Also, the American branch for many book distributors will not do business with Canadian bookstores because of internal agreements with the Canadian branch of the organization.
The actions of textbook publishers have caused several groups to react. In 2008, the Canadian Roundtable on Academic Materials (CRAM), a group comprising of several student associations/unions and campus bookstores, was formed to create a national dialogue on academic materials. In addition to this, several organizations such as the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), Campus Stores Canada, the Canadian Booksellers Associations and CRAM have lobbied to the federal government about issues relating to academic materials.
While the textbook industry may be inherently flawed, there are many things that students can do to reduce their expenses.
- Buy used textbooks- Used textbooks are noticeably cheaper than their unused counterparts. Sometimes they even have helpful highlighted portions.
- Talk to your instructor- Before you purchase a textbook you should always ask your instructor if the textbook is necessary and if you can use an older edition.
- Look at bulletin boards- The hallways are usually filled with flyers from students trying to sell textbooks. You can end up getting a good deal and help out a fellow student at the same time.
- Ask friends- A really easy way to save some money is to borrow or buy books from friends who have taken the class already.
- Share a textbook- If you have a friend in the same class you can possibly consider this option. The main downside to this is organizing when each of you gets the textbook.
- See if the library has a reserve copy- In some instances, the library will have a reserve copy of the text on hand.
- Visit local used book stores- If you are purchasing literature, a good option would be to visit local used book stores. If it’s a fairly common text (e.g. Hamlet) it should be fairly cheap and easy to find.
- www.thothle.ca – This is a free web service that searches through several online bookstores to find the best possible deals. The main issue with purchasing online would be waiting for the text to ship.
- eBooks- eBooks are becoming a more viable textbook medium. They are paperless and typically cheaper than physical copies. The only downside is that some are sold on a subscription basis.
- Online Databases- Free online databases in recent years have become a more viable option for students. Some really good databases are Bibliomania, the Guttenberg Project, Open Courseware Consortium and Connexions.
The third and last author to be featured in “Perspectives on Education” today is H.L. Mencken, a bitterly incisive journalist, social commentator and devastating critic of all things sub-par. Mencken was a powerful opponent of the social repression that dominted America in the first half of the twentieth century. Here are a few of his choicest words on education:
From The Public-School
“Education in the highest (and rarest) sense – education directed toward awakening a capacity to differentiate between fact and appearance – is and always will be a more or less furtive and illicit thing, for its chief purpose is the controversion and destruction of the very ideas that the majority of men – and particularly the majority of official and powerful men – regard as incontrovertibly true.[...] Progress consists precisely in attacking and and disposing of these ordinary beliefs. It is thus opposed to education as the thing is now managed, and so there should be no surprise in the fact that the generality of pedagogues in the public-schools, like the generality of policemen and saloon-keepers, are bitter enemies to all new ideas.
Think of what the average schoolboy is taught today, say in history or economics.[...] Surely no sane man would argue that the assimilation of such a mess of evasions and mendacities will make the boy of today a well-informed and quick-minded citizen tomorrow, alert to error and wary of propaganda. This plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda – a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with a capacity to weigh ideas, but with a simple appetite for gulping ideas ready-made. The idea is to make “good” citizens, which is to say, docile and uninquisitive citizens.”
From The Golden Age of Pedagogy
“I can’t imagine a genuinely intelligent boy getting much out of college, even out of a good college, save it be a cynical habit of mind. For even the good ones are manned chiefly by third-rate men, and any boy of sharp wits is sure to penetrate to their inferiority almost instantly. Men can fool other men, but they can seldom fool boys.”
From the same:
“In addition to the prestige, [college graduates] carry home certain cultural (as opposed to intellectual) gains. They have learned the rules of basket-ball, football, high-jumping, pole-vaulting and maybe lawn tennis. They have become privy to the facts that a dress coat is not work in the morning or with plus-fours, that an Episcopalian has something on a Baptist and even on a Presbytarian, that smoking cigarettes is not immediately followed by general paralysis, that a girl may both believe the literal accuracy of Genesis, and neck. They have become, in a sense, house-broken, and learned how to trip over the rug gracefully, without upsetting the piano.”
The interested reader can find both works in A Second Mencken Chrestomathy, ed. Terry Teachout (New York: Vintage Books, 1995).
Today’s second installment of “Perspectives on Education” features the unparalleled Thomas Henry Huxley. Anatomist extraordinaire, eminent social critic, navy surgeon, college principal, university rector, chief defender of evolution and the inventor of the term ‘agnostic,’ Huxley is one of the most underrated figures in Western intellectual history. The following excerpt is taken from the speech A Liberal Education; and Where to Find It, which Huxley delivered to his students while serving as Principal of the South London Working Men’s College in 1868:
“Those who take honours in Nature’s university, who learn the laws which govern men and things and obey them, are the really great and successful men in this world. The great mass of mankind are the “Poll,” who pick up just enough to go through without much discredit. Those who won’t learn at all are plucked; and then you can’t come up again. Nature’s pluck means extermination.
Thus the question of compulsory education is settled so far as Nature is concerned. Her bill on that question was framed and passed a long ago. But, like all compulsory legislation, that of Nature is harsh and wasteful in its operation. Ignorance is visited as sharply as wilful disobedience–incapacity meets with the same punishment as crime. Nature’s discipline is not even a word and a blow and the blow first; but the blow without the word. It is left to you to find out why your ears are boxed.”
