Issue 13, Vol 145, The Brunswickan

Page 1

arts | a cinema politica review

news | tenseengineeringmeeting opinion| where’s your food from sports| UNB comes from behind

Volume 145 · Issue 13 • November 30, 2011

www.thebruns.ca

brunswickan canada’s oldest official student publication.

New Wave Centre: Steering a small ship on a sea of possibilities Alex Kress Arts Editor Eleven high school students from St. Mary’s First Nation gathered in a circle on a Thursday morning. Likely they would not be in school at all if it wasn’t for one room squeezed between the O’Donnell Law office and Forces. ca on Cliffe St. The Wolokehkitimok Centre, or New Wave Centre, is home to these former Leo Hayes students because of a grant applied for by the Leo Hayes administration from the First Nations Enhancement Agreement. The centre exists to give another chance to St. Mary’s students who might have fallen through the cracks because of continued absences and struggles with social issues. Jaydene Brooks, a student who transferred from Leo Hayes, is the most outgoing in the group – at least on Friday – although, this wasn’t always the case. She said when she first arrived at the centre, she didn’t want to be there at all. But she came around. “Coming down here you just learn things more hands-on,” she said. “Up at Leo Hayes they expect you to do the work in that hour and five minutes [of class]. But here, you can just take your time and put more into it.” Alex Morrison, another student at the centre, added, “and you can work at you own pace.” It’s a unique quality all the students seem to agree upon. They each have specialized, individual programs to follow under the supervision of only two teachers – Kerry McGrath and

Lance Suppier and Jaydene Brooks are students at the Wolokehkitimok Centre at St. Mary’s First Nation. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Jessica Millier. Brandon Nash is the veteran of the group; he’s been around since the centre’s beginning in February of 2010. It’s Kerry and Jessica, he said, that make the centre what it is. “At Leo Hayes they’re always, like, straight up with it: ‘If you don’t do

this you’re outta here.’ But here, they give you a chance with what you want to do,” he said. “But here, you can get to know the teachers. You can talk to the teachers about personal things, and stuff. That’s what I like.” The alternative learning program is

based on a project called Big Picture Schools, which focuses on personalized and innovative learning with an emphasis on pushing conventional boundaries. The aim of Big Picture Schools and the Wolokehkitimok Centre is to tap into the students’ separate interests and to hone in on

their strengths. The centre makes an effort to improve practical skills by connecting students with the community through internships, co-op positions and

SEE CENTRE PAGE 3

NB students to pay highest tuition dollars in country Alanah Duffy News Reporter In January, New Brunswick will become the province with the highest tuition rate paid by students. This revelation comes on the heels of an announcement by the Ontario government that they will introduce a tax credit for Ontario students studying at Ontario post-secondary institutions. Beginning in January, students whose parents make less than $160,000 annually will receive a tuition credit of $1,600. The On-

tario government estimates that this will affect about 86 per cent of its post-secondary students. “It’s essentially acting as a sort of grant,” said Jordan Thompson, president of the University of New Br unsw ick Student Union. “It doesn’t reduce the tuition fee, but for students in Ontario, it reduces the amount of tuition paid.” According to Statistics Canada, Ontario has an average tuition rate of $6,640 per year. The new tax credit will bring the tuition for most students below the New Brunswick

average tuition rate of $5,853 per year. “What that means is that we’re still technically second in tuition, but there’s more financial aid provided to students in Ontario from their government,” explained Thompson. Students at New Brunswick universities and colleges are used to high tuition. Tuition rates have been more than $5,000 per year for the past five years, according to Statistics Canada. The previous Liberal government, which was in power from 20062010, put a cap on tuition, to last

five years. The Conservative government, which was elected on Sept. 27, 2010, removed that cap and raised tuition by $200 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The new government also reinstated parental contributions for student loan assessments, a decision which affected many students whose parents make good money on paper but don’t have any money set aside for their child’s tuition. Martine Coulombe, minister of post-secondary education, training and labour said in a phone inter-

view with the Brunswickan that a schedule for tuition fees for the next four years will be released in 2012. Coulombe required that a list of interview questions be sent prior to the interview. “The schedule will allow students to better budget their studies,” she said. “I think it is very important.” Coulombe said that the ministry has been working with New Brunswick’s publicly-funded universities to

SEE TUITION PAGE 4


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.