News In Brief


2010 Olympic Backer Tired of How Much People Hate Children

John Prespow, local business owner and 2010 Olympic backer, voiced his frustration today with people who are against Vancouver hosting the Olympics.
"The Olympics will provide countless opportunities for our young athletes to grow. It pains me how many people hate children in this community." When asked about the billion dollar deficits that have plagued recent Olympics, Mr. Prespow replied:
"I really thought that Vancouver was a city that cared about its children. I guess I was wrong."
Mr. Prespow also showed surprise at the number of people who seem to hate amateur sports, local businesses, and having fun.


Local Street Racers Lobby for Sanctioning Body

Michael Chan, local street racer and high school student, feels that street racers wouldn't be persecuted if they had a sanctioning body to protect them.
"Look at the NBA, NFL, NHL, and even MLB - they all protect their players from legal harassment." Chan is trying to organize a committee to look into forming an organization along the lines of NASCAR or CART. Some racers are skeptical.
"Even with a sanctioning body, the police will still find reasons to hassle us," William Akkert said from the hospital, where he is currently recovering from a 150 km/h collision. "The people who were in my way - the police didn't even talk to them." Still others remain hopeful. Jaz Ait-Ouazzou, a rising young star, says that a sanctioning body would give the sport the profile it needs.
"I'm looking forward to the possibility. I just hope that it won't get all sponsorship crazy like snowboarding, and lose its spontaneity."

Students Question Necessity of Math, Science - Probe Launched

High school student Melanie Serl is tired of looking at numbers. "Math and science have nothing to do with me or my future career. I don't see the point in taking them." Her sentiments were echoed by many of her classmates.
"I've been in math for, what, two, three years now," said Dylan Kuan, "and I have yet to use a single theorem or equation in real life." Many of the students voiced concern that neither math or science will prepare them for the real world.
"Every day I'm out there, living the life, and I can safely report that science and math have nothing to do with keeping it real," Kuan went on to say.
Principal Matthew Fainberg of Brown Middle School said the students' doubts were being investigated.
"Several students have approached me personally with these concerns, and I want them to know that their views are important. It is a mandate of the school not to ignore the concerns of our students."
Other courses that will be examined include English, French, and History.


Liberals Cancel Plan to Privatize Post-Secondary Education - It Already Is, They Say

BC Premier Gordon Campbell announced today that the Liberals will not pursue a plan to privatize post-secondary education in British Columbia.
"It has come to our attention that the universities and colleges of BC are already private institutions. Therefore we are cancelling our plan to privatize them." Campbell went on to say that this change will require further cuts to the Education budget. "It was an unforeseen development."
Minister Christy Clark originally tabled the plan early last year, after she commented that post-secondary education is irrelevant to 80-90% of high school graduates.
"It does not make good fiscal sense for us to continue to fund programs that reach a tiny minority of British Columbians. The private sector can do a better job." When asked for comment today she replied:
"It's unfortunate that people continually bring politics into this discussion. This is not about politics. It's about how we organize ourselves and make decisions about our lives."
Finance Minister Gary Collins did not rule out the option of buying an institution and then selling it to private investors.
"That plan has not been shelved completely, as it would allow the government to carry out its stated mandate of a year ago."