With people’s wallets weighing less than they did a year ago, many don’t have the extra income they once did to make donations. Queen’s alumni are no exception.

When the Society of Graduate and Professional Students absorbs the Education Students’ Society, SGPS President Jeff Welsh said reducing education students’ student fee is both feasible and fair. Welsh, PhD ’09, said SGPS council will vote on Mar. 24 at their annual general meeting on whether or not to support a reduced student fee of $30 for education students.

The University has moved to immediately terminate the Intergroup Dialogue Program following a recommendation from a report assessing its usefulness in residences. The program, created by Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Arig Girgrah, consisted of six trained student intergroup facilitators who lived in residence and whose mandate was to engage students living in residence in discussions and activities related to diversity.

The African and Caribbean Students’ Association, together with CultureSHOCK, is hosting a visual timeline, “A Walk Through the Times: the Story of Black Canadians,” as part of the Black History Month events.
ACSA President Vanessa Denny, ArtSci ’09, said the ACSA executive decided to create the timeline as a way of bringing attention to eminent and little-known black Canadians and their contributions to the nation’s history.

On Sunday night, incoming AMS executive—president Michael Ceci, vice-president (operations) Leslie Yun and vice-president (university affairs) Adam Zabrodski—hired next year’s AMS council.
Ceci, ArtSci ’ 09, said he’s looking forward to next year.

This weekend, Queen’s students are learning more about the compromises and backroom negotiations behind the global fight against climate change.
Feb. 6, 7 and 8 will mark the first Queen’s Interactive Crisis Simulation (QICSim), hosted by the Queen’s International Affairs Association (QIAA).

History professor Ana Siljak has spent the last eight years trying to get inside the mind of an assassin.
Luckily, Siljak said she couldn’t identify with her subject.

According to a new report by a Queen’s law professor, the 2009 federal budget is leaving women financially vulnerable.
In her report Budget 2009: Designed to Leave Women Behind—Again, professor Kathleen Lahey explains how the federal budget is unequal.

At a town hall meeting last night, the Queen’s Centre project team presented the student working group and other students with two options for going forward.
David Dymecki, a principal partner from Sasaki Associates Ltd., the architectural firm which designed the Queen’s Centre, gave a presentation.
Dymecki outlined the two options the Queen’s Centre project team is taking into consideration.
The first option is to build the fieldhouse before the Student Life Centre and the second option is to commence the construction of the Student Life Centre before the fieldhouse.

Associate-Vice Principal and Dean of Student Affairs Jason Laker said he aims to preserve the Student Initiative Fund despite the budget cuts his office is facing.
“We’re doing everything we can to protect it in terms of budget cuts.”

Eric Hatlelid will be remembered as a quick-witted, exceptionally talented student who loved sports and classic rock.
Hatlelid, ArtSci ’11, was found dead by his housemates at their home on Saturday.

On Thursday night, AMS Assembly voted unanimously in favour of joining federal lobbying group Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) in an associate membership role for a one-year trial period. AMS Academic Affairs Commissioner Matthew Lombardi said the decision comes as a result of personal lobbying and positive student feedback.

The immediate reporting of sexual assault crimes is crucial to ensuring the victim’s health and to building a legal case, said Donna Joyce, manager of the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Program at Kingston General Hospital (KGH).
“A lot of the support that we offer to patients has to be done within the first 72 hours after the act has been committed,” she said.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presented a 2009 Federal Budget this past Tuesday that includes up to $2 billion in new infrastructure funds for Canada’s post-secondary institutions.
According to the budget, 70 per cent of the money will be set aside for deferred maintenance and repair projects at universities.