Student studies in library [Photo: Austin Jean]

On November 30, 2007, students from Business 430 presented the findings of a survey project on the Norma Marion Alloway Library to 12 of its staff. Students’ awareness of library services were measured through an online survey and focus groups. Their perceptions of the quality of those services were collected through a live survey of volunteer students in the library. Recommendations for improvement based on the research were also included in the presentation.

The research shows that approximately 86 per cent of the students had a good grasp of how to use the library’s website and could navigate the main stacks of books. A majority understood what the library staff does and how they are able to help.

Awareness of library services was weakest on interlibrary loans and several relatively new services, including the ability to chat with a librarian via an instant messenger on the website. Overall, students perceive the library staff as helpful.

Archivist and reference librarian Sylvia Stopforth said the library is taking the results of the project seriously. She called it a “reality check” that allowed the library to assess how well-founded their assumptions about students were.

She noted the class was instructed to take a “sky’s the limit” approach to the recommendations, which included suggestions to improve the online catalog, increase promotion of library services, extend hours and revise other library rules. Five of the librarians sat down with the recommendations after the presentation to evaluate what was feasible.

Some recommendations closely matched plans already in the works to improve the library. The main level microform room will be turned into a study area with tables for group work. There are also future plans to remove the upper level interior walls to create a more open and user-friendly environment.

Stopforth said it was encouraging to have recommendations affirm plans already under way. While other ideas were not currently possible, she said that with this project, the library has a “baseline” to work from.

Future surveys and research on student satisfaction with the library can use the project as a reference point and a resource of ideas about what students want from their library.

Overall, said Stopforth, “the project was a completely positive experience.”

For more information on upcoming changes, visit the TWU library website.

The Republicans

Rudolph Giuliani

The former New York City mayor who made his name known during the 9/11 crisis was last seen making a final stand to breathe life into a completely useless campaign in the most important state in America: Florida. Does he have a chance? Probably not. With a name like Rudy, no hair (when was the last time America had a bald president?), seven marriages (the only other leader to have that many wives was Solomon) and the fact that he doesn’t even like sour apple jolly ranchers, Giuliani has little chance of winning.

John McCain

Again, this man has no hair. Somebody really just needs to mention the hair thing, kind of an important thing when running for President. How are we as a country ever supposed to gain the respect of the world if our very own leader doesn’t have a full head of hair? The audacity is astounding. Although he was a Vietnam POW, that really has nothing to do with shaping who he is today; it’s not the capabilities of a man’s intellect, but the amount of hair-producing follicles that really counts.

Mitt Romney

Several words describing Mitt Romney: creepy, Mormon and exceptionally creepy. His Iowa campaign stressed the slogan “Ask Mitt Anything.” I would venture two questions: What is holy underwear and why are you so creepy? One other thing, “Mitt,” what’s with the name? Was it cold outside when your parents named you? C’mon, all American presidents have strong names like George or Abraham, get with it or get out.

Democrats

John Edwards

John Edwards is destined to always be second place, which never bodes well considering that he’s running for the highest office in America. He came in second to John Kerry, became number two to John Kerry, came in second in a coloring contest as a child, and probably was the second child. Do Americans really want man who could only muster second place in everything? Maybe, but this is highly unlikely. As the old adage goes “second place is the first loser” and America is about winners (and guns, at least in the south).

Barack Obama

Aesthetics, that’s a word that applies when looking at the presidency. Look at it this way: the last four presidents’ names were Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush, all of whose names are aesthetically pleasing. Just sound this out in your head. Clinton, Bush, Obama? Hell no. Not in my homeland. You probably thought this had to do with his middle name being Hussein and his being black. This has nothing to do with that; it’s his last name that doesn’t work. He needs an all-American name like Bush or Smith or maybe Johnson.

Hilary Clinton

Here are four words to define Hilary Rodham Clinton: woman, Bill Clinton, woman. All of which are also reasons why she should not be president. What really needs to be said about her? Anyone? Anything? I feel as though that is Mr. Clinton’s doing. For crying out loud, she’s a woman. ‘Nuff said.

Last May, I set out on an adventure with 10 other unexpecting, Trinity Western University girls that had a hunger for the same passion: loving people. We knew we were going to live in a mountain community for three weeks with Spanish-speaking families. We knew we would be helping in the community gardens and teach classes for the local Kid’s Club. We knew we were getting ourselves into situations never experienced before and we knew that we would be stretched far beyond a condition that would allow us to shrink once again into our pre-Dominican selves. But, oh, what we didn’t know.

I had taken seven years of Spanish, was working toward my Teaching English as a Second Language certificate and I enjoyed “roughing it.” I was prepared for the Spanish immersion, the English teaching, the lack of electricity and the high probability of contracting a parasite.

I saw, tasted, heard and experienced many new things. Some I wish I could rewind and erase and others I pray will be branded into my memory so that I can readily access them. Watching a cock fight (well, half watching through my hand-covered face), witnessing my dinner being slaughtered, de-feathered and boiled, and having my Dominican mom demonstrate the use of a bed pan are visuals that I wouldn’t mind fleeing my memory. I will never eat yucca or mais con dulce (made with five pounds of corn and five pounds of sugar) again. I actually wouldn’t mind being told that I look like Wonder Woman again, but I would willingly dismiss the opportunity of sharing a backyard with the most demonized donkey in the history of pack animals. I might rethink swimming in that river if I had known that the butcher’s shop upstream unashamedly mistook it as communal waste. Perhaps I would not have had to experience having an IV in my hand for three days in the missionary’s basement miles away from my team members.

Despite these events, I fell in love in the Dominican Republic – not with one of the many cat-calling men, but with something that to this day I cannot concisely put into words. An overwhelming compassion, perhaps, or an indescribable love affair with the human condition. To say the least, it was a transformation of the heart. The village of Los Higos, where we lived, was indeed impoverished and I was overcome with my inability to help with their situation. But that was just it. Their situation was, in many ways, much richer than my own culture. I realized that I was deeply impoverished and deprived within my understanding of humanity. Somewhere along the way, I overlooked the importance of deep relationships, simplicity and community; while I may be monetarily comfortable, I only hope that I can be as content in my skin as my friends in the Dominican. That is the meaning of rich.

I find myself talking with people a lot about what their dreams are for their future. Sometimes I get the response of “I don’t know,” which is completely acceptable (I go through phases of that answer, too). Other times, I get an incredible response from someone who is in tune with who they have been created to be and is not afraid to dream big. I believe God places specific hopes and dreams inside each person for a reason. What I would dream for might not be what you would dream for and vice versa. That is what is so awesome about a God who celebrates uniqueness.

It is as if the dreams God has for each person are like His heartbeat surrounding all people in the world, waiting to be heard by those who dare to hear it. It is a soft and steady heartbeat that impacts and transforms everyone who chooses to listen and live to the rhythm of it.

Personally, I love music and have even taught percussion workshops to young, aspiring musicians. I understand the importance of a cohesive-sounding rhythm and staying on a steady, set beat no matter what other rhythms people are playing. Every once in a while one of the young musicians I taught would get distracted or lose focus on the main beat, and cause others in the class to lose the beat as well. They would have to stop, listen and then begin playing their rhythm on beat again.

This reminds me of my life: I sometimes get off beat or simply do not fully listen to God’s heartbeat. I try to keep pounding out my own rhythm in life in order to make my dreams fit a certain beat. There would be an extra lake in this world if there were a drop of water for every time I have had to stop the off-beat rhythm I had been playing, listen closely again for God’s heartbeat, and then begin enjoying finding new rhythms to fit God’s set heartbeat.

God gives each person their own unique rhythms and dreams to live out and all of these somehow fit into His heartbeat and “big dream” for all people. Every individual has a choice each moment to either get off-beat and eventually give up playing altogether or to listen closely to God’s heartbeat and learn to play the unique rhythms that God has been dreaming-up specifically for them.

The Northwest Division may not be the closest division in terms of points – with the Atlantic and Southeast Divisions having only a seven point difference – but it is considered by many to be the toughest in the NHL. Home to Roberto Luongo’s Vancouver Canucks, Jarome Iglina’s Calgary Flames, Marian Gaborik’s Minnesota Wild and the injury ridden but ever dangerous Colorado Avalanche club, the Northwest is a notoriously strong division to play against. Only the Edmonton Oilers are removed from the playoff race, much to the delight of Calgary fans. However, one must wonder if they too will be able to close the gap and become playoff contenders. Regardless, one thing is almost for certain: the final positioning of teams within the Northwest Division will ultimately be decided by a single game.

Kirstiuk and Crozier came away from the meeting with a broader perspective of the AIDS epidemic in Africa, South East Asia, and Russia. Crozier said she realized that it is important to “do something to educate ourselves.” She also saw how necessary it is for the church to be involved in this epidemic in order to provide what she calls a “wider spread of arms.”

Universities can do the same thing by providing assistance for and awareness of AIDS and HIV on campus and around the world, said Crozier.

By forming this group, Kirstiuk hopes to “promote activism and advocate for people” with the deadly virus. “[We want to] get students that are passionate or interested in a wave on campus of awareness,” she said, adding that this group is “a calling on campus to act, [by becoming] advocates and activists for AIDS.”

The ISJC will also be helping to create awareness for AIDS and HIV. Plans for this include movie nights followed by discussion, an awareness night where time or money could be donated and having guest speakers come and speak on the problems caused by the AIDS epidemic.

The group will also participate in the familiar 30 Hour Famine this semester.

“[There] are lots of ways we can get involved; it’s just equipping people to figure out what they can contribute,” said Kirstiuk.

The ISJC has also been raising money for the cause through a year-round bottle drive on campus. All funds, according to Crozier, will go to clinics in Uganda and provide HIV and anti-malaria medications. Six pop cans are able to pay for malaria medication for one baby in Africa, she explained.

If you wish to get involved, email Alex or email Ashley for more information.

Between November 1-3, 2007, Anaya attended the International Leadership Conference in Vancouver, B.C. There, she began a series of meetings with Mansour Javidan, Director of the GLOBE Project. These meetings landed Anaya as part of a full research project under his direction, which will focus solely on the civil leadership sector of Kenya, namely in the fields of health and education.

Her research will be added to a global data bank and made accessible to researchers around the world. According to Anaya, the research will also have potential for citation in publications focused on African leadership.

Anaya had planned on using the GLOBE as a resource in her study, but did not expect the leadership conference to result in this merger.

“I had already concluded that my research instrument would be the GLOBE tools. [The meeting] was somewhat coincidental, but divine,” she said.

The ultimate goal of Anaya’s work is to help develop the effectiveness of Kenyan leadership. This research has been recognized by agencies such as the World Bank; she already communicated with John Davidson, senior public sector specialist of the World Bank, for funding for the project.

The GLOBE looks at leadership aspects such as attributes, behavioural patterns and organizational strategies. Anaya sees her work in Kenya as significant because it will be the first major culture study of an East African country. She refers to Javidan describing Africa as “a black hole,” void of civil sector studies.

Anaya notes that the continent is practically blank when it comes to research material for literature; she found few resources at the TWU library.

“When we’re looking at development in Africa, we’re looking largely at micromanagement,” she said, noting that what the world recognizes as Africa is actually from British leadership; Africans remain as the “little guys” who work in the big tea corporations.

“Why do we have failed projects?” she asks. “I’ve always maintained that we’ve put Africans into positions that we have groomed them for what the whole organization’s Western structure was for… we’ve basically cloned ourselves.”

Over the next three years, Anaya will work with Lize Booysen, professor at the University of South Africa and head researcher of GLOBE’s previous Africa research. The aim of their research is to document the civil sector, learn how to empower the African middle-class, and step back in order for the nationals to take the lead.

“We need to begin from a different starting point,” said Anaya, “from the perspective of the people and what they value as leadership.”

She says this approach consists of an outside group working with the local group and thus forming a “third culture” between the two.

“I like to think of ourselves as a catalyst. You’re the ingredient that makes things happen; you’re not the primary player.”

Anaya says she’s most excited about “the potential to make a long-term difference in Africa through its own leaders.” This potential gives her the chance to empower one of the many places she calls home.

“In one sense I see myself as a globalist because I love every part of the world, and I could talk about many parts of the world through my work or involvement there,” said Anaya. “But this is where the opportunity has been for me, so I’m going to seize it.”

Jonathan: My dad. He put in endless hours to teach me the basics of my two sports, hockey and baseball.

MH: If you could have chosen any other sport to pursue and play at the university level, what would it have been?

Jonathan: I did have a scholarship for baseball in Chicago, but that fell through. If I had to pick another sport it would probably be golf.

MH: Who are the biggest fair-weather fans of any professional sports team?

Jonathan: Vancouver Canucks fans are terrible.

MH: If you could win any individual player NHL award, what would it be?

Jonathan: The Selke Trophy for the top defensive forward in the league. I’m not a pure goal scorer but you can always go out and hit someone to be effective defensively.

MH: You’ll be travelling to Slovakia for a hockey-oriented mission’s trip this spring reading break; you must be pretty excited about that.

Jonathan: I’m really excited. I have a rare opportunity because my brother will be joining the team on the trip and we have never played hockey on the same team. This will be a thrill for me! Another aspect of the trip I am excited about is serving God in a place I never thought I would go, let alone play hockey.

MH: Who will win Super Bowl XLII?

Jonathan: New England.

Unfortunately, our potential future leaders are, for the most part, mired in apathy. In 2000, only about 25 per cent of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 exercised their given rights in the federal election, compared to the overall voter turnout of 61 per cent. Of those who did vote, many were merely choosing their candidate based on tradition, instead of an educated choice. When Elections Canada surveyed this age group, most of the reasons for not voting were due to discouragement in the choices of politicians, belief that their one vote didn’t count for anything, or simply a lack of belief in the political system and in its relevancy to their lives.

With predictions that yet another federal election is looming, this apathy isn’t receding. Life is generally good for Canadians. With a lack of important issues on the campaigning platforms, the elections are bound to pass with yet another record low turnout.
Statistics show that the voter turnout out has fallen in most industrialized countries. And yet, in other areas of the world, youth activism is increasing. In Costa Rica, for example, the debate surrounding CAFTA (a free trade agreement with the United States and other Central American countries) is centered in the universities. Protests and demonstrations are primarily led by students and the calls for its opposition are directed towards the young people.

The violence in the current Kenyan situation is attributed in part to the lack of opportunities for the younger generation in politics. Many are now calling the events a “generational revolution” as the veterans of the independence struggle are still the ones who maintain control of the governmental happenings.

One intriguing aspect of the Canadian parliamentary affairs, is the predominance of young faces. Many executive and administrative assistants, advisors to ministers, and parliamentarian staff are young people barely out of college. Dispel the myth of politics being completely hogged by white-bearded faces. Yet, this is hardly reflective of the larger Canadian community.

As the situation in Kenya shows, conflict leads to the desire for having one’s voice heard. Perhaps voter apathy is not a negative sign but a symbol for a strong economy and a competent (or at least acceptable) government.

However insignificant our vote might feel, the act of voting not only is our right as citizens but gives us the right to have a say in what the government is doing. If you didn’t vote in the last election and have no intention of voting in the next one, you have reneged your right to complain or opine on anything that the governing powers are doing.

As emerging young professionals, we are the ones who will decide the future political path of our country with the energy to make changes. If you don’t know who to vote for, make yourself aware of the issues surrounding the parties and the politicians. In owning your decision, you own the right to be a citizen.

The majority of the project is complete, but it ran into various obstacles that prevented it from reaching the originally projected finish of late Oct. 2007, according to director of Campus Services Paul Johnston.

The most significant aspect was discovering a First Nations archeological site in McMillan Park, located on Glover Road between the TWU entrance and the train tracks.

“The Township [was not] actually digging in the archeological site, but because the other land surrounding the site had not been thoroughly excavated to see if there were any artifacts in there, it obviously raised some flags with the Ministry [of Archeology],” said Johnston.

These “flags” led to an investigation of the land.

“The problem for us is that there are no legal maps… that gave any indication of there being any archeological site there in the first place,” he said.

Construction ceased for two weeks as the Township of Langley had to apply for permits from the Ministry, as well as working with the Kwantlen First Nations group.

“[Both groups] were absolutely fabulous and treated us really well,” said Johnston. “They did nothing but help expedite the process so that the project wouldn’t be held up any longer than it had to.”

While this development delayed the construction, another factor had to do with the performance of Directional Mining & Drilling (DM&D), the project’s contractor.

“To be quite honest, the reason why it has taken longer than it should have is due to the contractor basically not pulling through for us,” said Johnston. “That has been a frustration for us, for our engineers, and it’s been a huge frustration for the Township of Langley.”

Another upset was caused by DM&D when the contractor hit a gas line last semester. Glover Road was shut down while British Columbia fuel company Terasen Gas repaired the damage, according to Johnston. TWU’s gas supply was shut off for that time.

“Thankfully, it did not have a major impact on our community,” said Johnston, “but [it] was an absolute nightmare for our maintenance staff as they had to come back onto campus and physically restart every single gas boiler, heat pump and HVAC unit,” said Johnston.

Despite the delays, Johnston says the connection should be completed by the end of January.