Jill Britton 1944-2016
On February 29, 2016, former Camosun College math instructor Jill Britton, who retired last year, passed away. Britton taught math for over 50 years. She has an education fund—the Jill Britton Elementary Education Mathematics Award—at the college; donations can be given via the Camosun Foundation.
Camosun students kick butt, take names
A group of four Camosun College Business students recently won first prize at the HRC West Case Competition, hosted at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. The winning team, who called themselves 4-Js Consulting, consisted of students Aidan Love, Hannah Dougherty, Rebecca Verwolf, and Marcelle Santana Lima. According to a Camosun press release, they won for their ability to apply practical human-resource principles to a complex case and for keeping their presentation simple, clear, and focused on the issue.
Chargers take home medals
The Camosun Chargers men’s volleyball team recently won the PACWEST provincial championship gold medal. As well, six players from the men’s and women’s teams were recipients of the 2015-16 PACWEST volleyball awards. Katie Feting, Michelle Zygmunt, Vitor Macedo, and Savana Walkingbear all won First Team All-Stars; Morgan Monkman won the All Rookie Team award; and Chris Dahl won Coach of the Year. Over in the world of basketball, the Chargers men’s team won silver in the PACWEST provincial championships.
Students call for more late-night bus service
Camosun College and University of Victoria students delivered 2,200 postcards to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission on February 23; the postcards called on the commission and BC Transit to expand late-night bus service.
International Women’s Day demonstrations at UVic
Student activists at the University of Victoria chose International Women’s Day to bring up the lack of a sexual-assault policy at the institution. Spray-painted plastic wrap that read “2016 no sexual assault policy? Shame” was put up around UVic’s main entrance sign. The message was put up in response to nine reported sexual assaults this year at UVic and what some students are calling a stalled process in BC and on campus toward creating a policy centred on the victims of sexual assault.
Substance use programs get funding
The BC Ministry of Health has joined forces with the Ministry of Advanced Education to address the not-so-healthy culture of drinking seen in postsecondary institutions. Thanks to a $400,000 investment by the province, a project co-led by the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research and the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division will work towards shifting the culture to a more moderate use of alcoholic substances.
Elsewhere in Canada…
Changes to student aid occurred recently in Ontario, no doubt to the delight of student groups there. The province aims to, by 2018, get more people from low-income families into postsecondary institutions by covering tuition for students who come from families who make less than $50,000 a year. According to the government, the changes roll multiple loan and grant programs into one and will cost Ontario roughly the same as the current level of $1.3 billion in aid.
Student voters boosted federal election turnout
According to the Canadian Federation of Students-British Columbia, Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 turned out in record numbers for the federal election in 2015, and helped increase the overall voter turnout to the highest level in 25 years.
STD testing gone online?
The BC Centre for Disease Control, in collaboration with Island Health and LifeLabs, are expanding their pilot project of GetCheckedOnline. This is the first online service in Canada offering confidential testing for STIs, HIV, and hepatitis C. This is a convenient alternative for those who would like to get tested more often or who find it difficult to visit a clinic for testing. For more information, visit getcheckedonline.com.