Having spent almost my entire life in Metro Vancouver, aside from a semester at the LLC and a few summers spent in the interior working at summer camps, I have seen much of the change Vancouver has gone through since receiving the Olympic bid. I remember when Vancouver first won the right to be Canada’s bid for the 2010 games – beating out Quebec City and Calgary. I was sitting in my computer class at Don Christian Elementary in Cloverdale when an announcement came over the PA system to notify all of us concerned 11-year olds. I remember letting out a gregarious eruption along with the rest of my grade 5 class.

There is a stir of emotions in Langley, as residents around the Lower Mainland and Trinity Western University discuss whether or not Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) property across from TWU will be built on in the future.

In September 2009, Trinity Western University welcomed the arrival of many new first-year students, as well as a new minor in gender studies.

In October 2009, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) released a report on academic freedom at Trinity Western. The report stated that TWU’s Statement of Faith, which is required to be signed by TWU professors, is in conflict with the notion of academic freedom. When referring to TWU’s official stance on academic freedom, the report stated “there is no question that Trinity Western University violates the commitment to academic freedom…”

In 2003, when Vancouver won the Winter Olympic bid, most students were not contemplating what they would be doing in 2010. Pia Antturi, however, a recent Trinity Western University grad, applied to volunteer for the Winter
Olympic Games.

Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti occurred, millions around the world have united to bring aid to Haiti. One way to help is by bringing a bag of rice and two dollars to campus.
Heart to Heart Haiti, a humanitarian relief effort organization, plans to ship 10 relief containers to Haiti and is off to an encouraging start so far. Five containers of food consisting of more than 100 tons of flour, oats, granola bars and Gatorade have been pledged and donated from corporate supporters
to date.
Trinity Western University has been working with Heart to Heart Haiti since the first TWU mission team went to Grand Goave in 1996.
John Neufeld, director of Heart to Heart Haiti, said it would be a great support if TWU would get involved since TWU has deep connections with the orphanage in Grand Goave, about 40 minutes from Port-au-Prince.
“The best way that TWU could get involved,” said Neufeld, “is to do the rice and a toonie fundraiser.”
When asking President John Raymond how students could fundraise for Haiti, he agreed with Heart to Heart Haiti’s purpose, and said, “let me look it over with our leadership team and we will think of
something.”
Now Raymond has agreed to allow TWU students to have rice drop off locations around campus. Students are asked, but not required, to drop off a bag of rice and tape a toonie to the top of it. The two dollars contribute to shipping costs and the rice helps feed the people of Haiti.
“With every dollar we raise we will be able to double our efforts. The cost to ship one container is $10,000 so a total of $100,000 is needed to send the additional aid,” said Neufeld.  

While Barack Obama’s healthcare initiative in the U.S. has taken over the news the past several months, Trinity Western is seeking its own healthcare proposal. Currently, TWUSA has opened an online forum on its website, www.twusa.ca, for students to respond a proposal for student healthcare beginning in the 2010-2011 school year.

As the entire Lower Mainland gets ready to greet the world for the Olympics, nursing students gathered at the atrium last week to talk about the world.
The Health Care Ethics Forum hosted by this year’s nursing graduation class addressed health issues both local and international, from a presentation on the nursing shortage to a discussion on Haiti and its post-quake
condition.