Part-time profs face full-time struggle

The lockout and strike at St. Thomas University in 2008 brought issues affecting part-time professors to the forefront of the debate. Photo courtesy of Acadia University Faculty Association.

brian campbell’s first experience as a part-time professor was not the happiest one. The University of New Brunswick offered Campbell a job to teach three courses during a summer intersession. He thought this would be the beginning of his teaching career – something he describes as being a long-term goal.

“I quit my job at Starbucks and started working on all this stuff and then no one signed up for my classes. And they all got cancelled and because I hadn’t been offered the contract unless there were enough students, I had nothing.”

Since his lease expired around the same time as the whole incident, Campbell and his wife decided to travel across the country to try and find a new city to make a new start. The couple eventually settled in Vancouver but only a couple weeks later Campbell got a call from Craig Proulx, an anthropology professor at St. Thomas University.

“He said they needed somebody to teach [a course] here in Fredericton,” says Campbell. “Of course I had to do the applications like anybody else. I got the job pretty fast and ended up moving back [to Fredericton] after two or three weeks in Vancouver.”

STU cross country blazes a trail

By: Stew Corbett

The STU cross country team kicked off their season on Saturday as they hosted the first of three meets.

Heavy winds and occasional rain did not stop the Tommies and runners from three other schools from tearing up the course in Odell Park. The women were racing five kilometres while the men raced eight. 

Lady Tommies hungry for title

By: Stew Corbett

 The lady Tommies basketball team is back and they’re ready to hit the hardwood for another exciting season.

After his team was crowned the champions of the ACAA last year while having a nearly flawless season, head coach Fred Connors knows it’s time to get back to work.

“We had a great season last year, but that is now history,” says Connors via e-mail. “We are now focusing on what we have this year, and we are excited about what the potential for this team is.”

Galvin sisters keep pace

By: Stew Corbett

Anna and Sarah Galvin

Runners find encouragement in a lot of different places. They have family and friends off on the sideline as well as their teammates running right beside them. But two runners on the STU cross country team have the best of both worlds.

Anna and Sarah Galvin are both wrapping up their second season as members of the STU cross country team. Anna has returned for a fifth year after completing her Bachelor of Arts and is currently enrolled in the social work programme. Sarah is in her second year and has not declared a major for her BA but wants to eventually go into education. Both sisters cite their mother as being the main reason for starting to run.

The job search saga

Note: For those of you who are looking for job ad websites or jobs in general, I personally suggest this website called jobrapido.ca. You can narrow your search in Canada by province as well as job title. -Stew

What? job title, skills, company, etc. Where? city, province or postal code Job search powered by Jobrapido

Kelly sits at her kitchen table with her morning coffee and crossword as the sun shines through her patio doors. After she feeds her dog, Molly, her morning duties are complete.

It’s a Saturday morning so Kelly’s youngest daughter Julia is home from school. Julia sits with her mother at the kitchen table and points out popular culture hints in the crossword and answers them.

“Times are changing I guess,” says Kelly. “I must be out of the loop.”

Freedom of speech vs. Freedom of the press

By: Stew Corbett

Editorial cartoons are a prime example of freedom of the press. Photo courtesy of Bruce MacKinnon.

In this generation everyone and their dog has a blog, Twitter page or what have you. This mass-communication phenomenon has stirred up a number of debates regarding freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It also seems to have inadvertently lumped these two terms together into one freedom-loving defense against defamation.

Despite what people may think there is a slight difference. If you type into your dictionary.com “free press” and “free speech”, there will be two separate definitions. In fact, they aren’t even listed as being synonymous with each other. Basically free speech is a right reserved for anyone to voice their opinion publicly and not get in trouble for it. Free press on the other hand is reserved for publishers of books, newspapers and other media outlets in regards to political matters and so on.

Lack of transparency leaves human rights out in the cold: Criminology chair

Dr. Paul Groarke. Endowed chair of criminology and criminal justice at St. Thomas University. Photo courtesy of STU faculty website.

Dr. Paul Groarke started the night off on a light note at his human rights lecture at St. Thomas University on Monday.

“The first thing I will do is remove my jacket which is something I never got to do in the courts,” says Groarke. “When I was on the tribunal they always insisted that the lawyers wear jackets. Now I get to indulge in the luxury of taking it off.”

Groarke is this year’s endowed chair for the criminology and criminal justice department at St. Thomas.  Prior to being appointed chair for the 2009 fall semester, Groarke taught at the university and served 11 years as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Monday was the first time he spoke publicly about his experiences since making his final ruling in 2006, and he didn’t have many good things to say about the system.

Dummie Dorge drums up awareness.

By: Stew Corbett

Mitch Dorge from the Crash Test Dummies listens to an up-and-coming drummer. (Photo by Stew Corbett.)

Mitch Dorge, drummer for the Canadian band Crash Test Dummies, was at Bliss Carman Middle School in Fredericton Thursday night giving a presentation on making responsible choices with different substances.

After the Crash Test Dummies went on hiatus in 2001, Dorge started building a program aimed at inspiring people to go out and pursue something they were interested in and he soon realized he had a knack for dealing with young kids. Other people noticed his abilities and asked him to spread the good word.

“People started coming to me and asking ‘Do you think you can incorporate some messaging about drinking and driving?’” said Dorge.

Dorge uses his unconventional and positive methods to inform youth of what drugs and alcohol are and what they can do. Dorge believes that youth being educated about such substances using death as an absolute will become confused when they face reality.