RASER VALLEY'S STUDENT
NEWSPAPER
• SC u.8 No.6
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER
14, 2000
A students 'guide to voting in the upcoming federal election.
Page 6.
Development project in Vietnam
AG Mint erupts • pzng-pong tourney By Kris Lind Cascade writer
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UCFV TAKING LEAD IN VIETNAMESE By
Derrell
Alary
The University College of the Fraser Valley will be continuing educational development work in Vietnam as part of a Canadian International Development Agency-funded project. UCFV has already worked in Vietnam with Canadian partners Selkirk and Olds Colleges to implement an experimental/demonstration farm in partnership with Hong Due University, a small university 120 miles south of Hanoi. As an unexpected spinoff during the last project, UCFV representatives helped their Vietnamese partners with a transition as several junior colleges were amalgamated to become Hong Due University. "We received extra recognition from CIDA. for helping with that change, which UCFV could relate to as we'd recently undergone the transition from community college to university col-
lege," notes Stinson. This new project, for which UCFV is the lead partner, will focus on helping large research universities in Vietnam to transfer technology and knowledge to the smaller teaching universities and ultimately to farmers. "The two large Vietnamese universities we'll be working with do some very good research pertinent to the situation in Vietnam, but the whole educational system isn't that well integrated, so there are problems with sharing that research," notes UCFV International Education director Karola Stinson. "We'll be helping to set up advisory and steering committees, field trials, and other means of improving communication. Connecting with our communities is an important part of what we do at UCFV so I think we'll be able to be of some help there." There will be some visiting back and forth between Canadian and Vietnamese delegates,
Despite rudely interrupting the spirited ping pong tournament in the "A" building student loun·ge, the Student Union Society's (SUS) annual general meeting was informative. Main issues addressed were the Student Activity Center's (SAC) status, the SUS's budget for the 2000/2001 fiscal year, a new building on the Chiliwack campus, and the announcement of UCFV's ombudsmun, Patricia Mongey. Past SUS president Stephaine Martin raised several questions regarding the SAC: "Can the gym [floor] be used for activities other than athletic events such as dances and concerts?" SUS president Robin Litzenberger replied that the Student Activity Center Committee (SACC) investigated what type of floor would be best for a multi-purpose facility and determined that, "A wood floor would be most suitable for athletic events and it will accommodate other events." Martin inquired if the SAC's users contract would protect against student user fees and whether or not community groups would be able to rent the facility. Litzenberger stated that, "We cunently have no intention of implementing a users fee and the users contract will protect against the implementation such a fee. Litzenberger indicated that fitness center memberships and gym rental would be available to the community. See AGM page
2.
including students. UCFV agriculture instructor Rose Morrison will be involved in this project, as she was with the smaller Vietnam one. Other UCFV faculty will also be involved, as will some students. UCFV agriculture student Glenn Brubaker of Chilliwack spent six weeks in Vietnam as part of the last project in 1999, helping with the experimental farm, doing research, and making presentations. "The whole experience knocked my socks off!" he says. "Vietnam is a third-world country, especially since it was devastated by war, but it's a fascinating place. The people are very friendly, despite having been at war with western powers for so long. The experience helped me decide that I want to continue doing international development work." See Vietnam
page
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