Feature
The Gateway burns through the rhetoric with our annual Election Dissection and Poster Slam Inside
gateway March 7th, 2012
Issue No. 24
Volume 102
THE
TH E O F F IC IA L STUDE NT NE WS PA P E R AT TH E UN I V ER S I T Y OF A LBERTA
smoking ban
New policy may restrict smoking on campus April Hudson
staff reporter @april_hudson Students who smoke may find themselves limited to lighting up only on designated areas of campus, after Students’ Council passed the first reading of a smoking policy last Tuesday. The policy, which passed almost unanimously, would not be enforceable unless the Students’ Union advocated to the Board of Governors, who would then have to pass the policy. The policy indicates that students will be restricted to “appropriate, health-promoting” areas of campus, leading to some contention among councillors who smoke and those who feel this is an infringement on the rights of students. “What the policy intends is to have clean air, so there will be designated smoking zones and then areas where there won’t be smoking,” explained science councillor Kim Ferguson. “However, in the other sense, I feel like if (students) read political policies, they would be reading that the SU doesn’t believe they should smoke where the city and province tells them they should be able to smoke.”
PLEASE SEE smoking PAGE 6 also SEE opinion PAGE 13
athletics cutbacks
Athletics axes field hockey Rebecca Medel sports editor
After a hastily-called meeting, the Pandas field hockey players and coaches were informed last Thursday night that they are no longer part of a U of A funded team. Alberta athletics director, Dr. Ian Reade — who stepped into the job last April after a hiatus from holding the same title from 19932001 — announced the decision to a room full of shocked athletes who never imagined that this last-minute meeting would signal the end of their U of A athletic careers. “To be completely honest I’ve always been very proud to go to the U of A and be a Pandas athlete. However, I feel like I was definitely let down and betrayed,” said Kincso Santha, a midfielder and forward who’s been playing with the team for four years. “We believe that with everything we’ve sacrificed academically and with our social life and personal lives that we deserved more of a notice.”
PLEASE SEE hockey PAGE 32 also SEE commentary PAGE 33
matt hirji
Candidates deliver final speeches at Horowitz April Hudson
staff reporter @april_hudson The final forum for the Students’ Union elections came to a close on Monday at the Myer Horowitz theatre, which saw nearly 200 students in attendance at one point, a notable improvement from last year’s crowd of 60. The candidates all had the opportunity to present their platforms and cross-examine their opponents, after which there was a
general question period so students in the audience could ask questions. The forum culminated in the presidential debate, where the candidates gave vastly different platforms, beginning with candidate Colten Yamagishi. “I want to be the president so I can be the voice of the students,” Yamagishi said. “I want to be your president so I can tackle big issues, like fee increases and tuition hike. I am the best candidate for this position, not just be-
cause I care, but because I have the most experience, the most passion, and the most dedication to your Students’ Union.” Farid Iskandar’s platform discussed his plans for a Student Academic Centre and his desire to phase out the CoSSS fee, which was followed by a speech by Adi Rao concerning the need for social justice on campus and the unfairness of cuts to the institution.
PLEASE SEE horowitz PAGE 5