Planet of the Arts, vol.4, no.3 GRIND Recently, many students at ECCAD have been organizing in an attempt to bring about increased access to the College facilities. Simply put, we want 24 hour access to the College for all registered students, from the time the College opens in September, until it closes in the Spring. We come to the struggle with separate motivations. Some of us need the College to be open late on weekend nights, and could care less about Christmas access (because they go to Tim- buktoo or something). Others never stay out past 9 pm but are annoyed when College facilities are closed on Thanksgiving. Almost everyone has felt the pinch of unnec- essary closure of the College. I’ve felt it for a number of different reasons during my college career. Early on, I was trying to learn how to do things like typeset the early issues of the Planet and there just were not enough hours in the day and every night I had the guard breathing down my neck as I waited for stuff to emerge from a proces- sor at 2:30 am. Last year, I was working almost full time, trying to support myself, and doing my artwork in the night. It seemed that every night I had to stop before I was ready. This year I find myself so excited with what I’m doing, and so © conscious of the preciousness of the resource here, that I have a hard time stopping art-work for anything. Early closing is just a boundary on my day that gets in my way and has no reason to be there. It pisses me off. It makes my life more stressful than it needs to be. On a different level, people just seem to expect a high quality art school to provide continu- ous access to its students. My teachers tell me that the colleges they were students at had 24 hour access. Outside people who are widely respected in art and education circles in Canada like Claude Breeze and Henry Elder have expressed shock that the College closes so much. Most other Art Col- leges in the country are open continuously. Even university students have continuous access to the sometimes why Mr. Campbell explained the difficulty of balancing individual, College, and student needs within a Provincially-funded budget which has not kept pace with inflation. The college budget is comprised of two distinct funds: the Capital Funds, slated specifically for facilities renovation, adminis- trative equipment and maintenance of curricular needs; and the Operating Fund, 77% of which goes toward salaries, with the rest being divided be- tween Facilities (heat, security, etc) Administra- tion, Student Services, and the Library. While wage increases aimed at achieving parity with other college rates and benefit packages for part-time workers were important aspects of the negotiations, not all problem areas were financially based. Unresolved until the end were such issues as hiring of temporary employees, reclassification procedures, external advertising for job postings, and the sharing of correspondence which in any way applies to the collective agreement. Such issues are complex and contract wording must be precise; numerous all-day negotiating sessions took place on the course of eight months to finally reach an agreement. For future reference, in the event of unresolv- able differences the Administration must be given 72 hours notice by a Negotiating Committee prior to any job action being taken. Happily, due to com- mitted efforts on both sides of the negotiating table, any such strike situation was avoided. The contract has been signed and ratified, cake has been shared, and, after the final clink of champagne glasses, the Board room is left in silence. A silence so complete, you could hear the sound of 50 “Gimme Five/five/ five” pins drop... Naomi Singer computer and lab facilities they need for their work. The reasons given to restrict the College hours do not seem strong to me. The main reason given is “financial restraint”. When pressed, the administration claims that it costs an average of $1,000 a day to keep the College open. Many think that even that cost is cheap to provide access to such a valuable facility. But no-one has ever said how much is saved when the College is closed. I'll bet it’s nothing like $1,000 a day saved when the college is closed because a huge part of the operat- ing costs are things like taxes, rent, heating, insurance and maintenance, which are paid whether the College is open or closed. By closing, the College deprives a guard who is paid $6 an hour of a day’s pay, and saves the cost of the lighting. We lose access to millions of dollars worth of facilities. In any case, it is clear from the administra- tion’s recent actions that they have money to burn. The administration can spend thousands of dollars on legal fees to fight it’s own faculty; can spend $900 to buy a dishwasher for their coffee cups; can devote the money represented by a van and driver to the ill-fated “shuttle-bus”; but cannot find the small amount of money needed to keep the College open continuously. I don’t think the administration is being straight with us about the costs and savings. Some I’ve talked to have wondered about a security problem. I confess that such talk leaves me feeling insulted. I’m insulted because it’s a kneejerk negative view of art-students that ignores the fact that we are already here almost all the time, working hard, and nat causing any security problems. Why should people expect us to behave differently at 4 a.m. than we do at 1 a.m? I have a similar reaction to people who wonder about students just living here. On the one hand, any student who's finances have collapsed so _ much that they haven’t a place to sleep needs our sympathy, not further hassles. On the other hand, if the guards can’t distinguish between students who fall asleep over their work once in a while and those who are camping in the College, then maybe we need smarter guards. Let me quote from the petition now circulat- ing for student signatures: We believe that continuous access is symbolic Of the dedication required to progress as artists Of our need to work Of the College’s expectation of exceptional dedication from us. The present policy is symbolic too Of a college that sees students As a source of money And as an expense to be minimized Of a college that really doesn’t expect much from us. For reasons known only to themselves, the Administration has committed itself to resisting the desire of students for continuous access. I can only speculate. One thought is that they really don’t appreciate how important this issue is to us. Maybe, if we all work together, we can get them to change their minds. Another thought is that maybe they are trying to change the College in some radical fashion, away from the studio-oriented program and towards more profitable job-training and education-is-fun type courses. If that’s the case, we may be among the last to even think of having continous access. Those who follow will have to be happy with access to studios during class hours. One way or the other, it seems that a change is in the air. We students will have to work to- gether to make sure that the change goes our way. Martin Hunt ih tt Dear Planet: It was with the greatest relief I read the Hotline the other day, which stated that the school will be closed like a tomb from December 22 to January 2. I was afraid that this phenomena, begun last year in the name of operative efficiency, would be scrapped this year in a petty spirit of popular democracy. Instead, innocuously, without muss, without fuss, it has become a New Tradition! Not only that, on reflection I realized that, in fact, it was an old tradition - the Twelve Days of Christmas! Such is my feeling of gratitude in these morally bankrupt times for this generous restitu- tion of popular customs, that I would humbly like to offer some suggestions for further improvements to the school calendar. In addition to closing on all religious holidays, no matter how obscure (so as not to offend anyone), the School should also shut its doors to the world on: October 23: Picasso’s Birthday; October 31: Hallowe’en (we must all agree - this is a scary place); November 21: P.C. Day (to commemorate the Conservative victory for generations to come); November 24: Thanksgiving (American, that is, for in the aforesaid spirit of free trade their holidays are now our holidays); January 25: Robbie Burns Day (haggis can be served the day before as a cafeteria special); February 14: Valentine’s Day (with discre tion); March 17: St. Patrick’s Day (preceded by a week-long pub nite); April 1: April Fools (the Administration needn’t tell the students about this closure.- it can be a surprise); May 1: May Day (a student revolt). Other holidays worth consideration can She knows that the first thing you have to sell in any business is yourself. include Groundhog Day, National Secretary Week, all Monday Night Football days, and all Hockey Nights in Canada days. In addition, there are a host of important holidays, such as Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, which unfortunately fall in the summer months, which the full-time students cannot enjoy. May I humbly suggest that a week - no, let’s be generous - two weeks - of honorary holidays be imposed sometime within the school calendar- perhaps just before the Grad Show? Tam certain that not only will the lazy students be grateful for their enforced idleness but that the benefits to the Administrative Budget would be tremendous. The reception area need not be doubled in size at excessive cost (as presently proposed), but now trebled, quadrupled, stacked, convoluted and cantilevered across the otherwise useless student Concourse. All Administration can have their salaries doubled. All Administration can be doubled. Departments, galleries, offices and officers can be created and destroyed at a whim. Because the School will now be closed at least half the year, the security, presently eroded, can just be done away with. So can the janitorial staff, for there will be little left to clean, except to empty waste baskets of interdepartmental memos. Those few students remaining can be equipped with smocks and berets to please those weekend strays from the Granville Market fairyland who lose their way past the now mysteriously jammed-open security doors into the studios where the students are ostensibly working. I hope these suggestions may prove of use. Too often the student body has forgotten that this is not only their own educational institution, but an important and lucrative outlet for the restless and creative energies of other ambitious souls as well. Russell Bateman Planet of the Arts, vol NO ACCESS TO GRIND Recently, many students at BCCAD have been organizing in an attempt to bring about Snereased access to the College facilities. Simply put, we want 24 hour access to the College forall registered students, from the time the College opens in September, until it closes in the Spring. ‘We come to the struggle with separate motivations. Some of us need the College to be ‘open late on weekend nights, and could care less about Christmas access (because they go to Tim- buktoo or something). Others never stay out past 9 1pm but are annoyed when College facilities are closed on Thanksgiving. ‘Almost everyone has fat the pinch of unnec- essary closure of the College. T've felt it for a ‘umber of different reasons during my college career. Early on, Iwas trying to learn how to do things like typeset the early issues ofthe Planet ‘and there just were not enough hours in the day and every night Ihad the guard breathing down my neck as Twaited for stuf to emerge from a proces- sor at 2:90 am. Last year, I was working almost full time, trying to support myself, and doing my artwork in the night. It seemed that every night I hhad to stop before Iwas ready. This year Ifind myself so excited with what I'm doing, and so conscious of the preciousness of the resource here, that Thave a hard time stopping art-work for anything. Early closing is just a boundary on my day that gets in my way and has no reason to be there. It pisses me off. It makes my life more stressful than it needs to be. Ona different level, people just seem to ‘expect a high quality art school to provide continu- ous access toits students. My teachers tell me that the colleges they were students at had 24 hour ‘access. Outside people who are widely respected in art and education circles in Canada like Claude Breeze and Henry Elder have expressed shock that ‘he College closes so much. Most other Art Col- Teges in the country are open continuously. ven university students have continuous access to the sometimes why Mr. Campbell explained the dificalty of balancing individual, College, and student neods within a Provincially nded budget which has not kept pace with inflation. The college budget is comprised of two distinct funds: the Capital Funds, Slated specifically fr facilities renovation, adzinis- trative equipment and maintenance of eutricular needs; and the Operating Fund, 77% of which goes toward salaries, with the rest boing divided be- tween Facilities (eat, security, eta) Administra- tion, Student Services, and the Library. ‘While wage increases aimed at achieving party with other college rates and benefit packages for parttime workers were important aspects of the negotiations, not all problem areas were financially based. Unresolved unt the end were such issues as hiring of temporary employees, reclasifeation procedures, external advertising for ob postings, land the sharing of correspondence which n any way applies to the collective agreement. uch {ues are complex and contract wording must be precise; nimerovs allday negotiating sessions tok Place on the eourse of eight months t finally reach tn agreement or future reference, in the event of unresolv- able differences the Administration must be given ‘T2hours notice by a Negotiating Committee prior to any job action being taken. Happily, due to com- mitted efforts on both sides ofthe negotiating table, any such strike situation was avoided. The contract ‘has been signed and ratified, ake has been shared, and, after the final clink of champagne glasses, the ‘Board room is eft in silence. A silence #o complete, you could hear the sound of 50 “Gimme Five/ive/ ‘Bve" pins drop. Naomi Singer ‘computer and lab facilities they need for their ‘work. ‘The reasons given to restrict the College hhours do not seem strong tome. ‘The main reason sivon is “financial restraint”. When pressed, the ‘administration claims that it costs an average of {$1,000 a day to keep the College open. Many think ‘that even that cost is cheap to provide access to ssuch a valuable facility. But no-one has ever said hhow much is saved when the College is closed. Tl bet it’s nothing like $1,000 a day saved when the college is closed because a huge part of the operat- ing costs are things like taxes, rent, heating, insurance and maintenance, which are paid ‘whether the College is open or closed. By closing, the College deprives a guard who is paid $6 an hour ‘of a day's pay, and saves the cost of the lighting. We lose access to millions of dollars worth of facilities. In any case, itis clear from the administra- tion’s recent actions that they have money to burn. ‘The administration ean spend thousands of dollars ‘on legal fees to fight it’s own faculty; can spend. ‘$900 to buy a dishwasher for their coffee cups; ean ‘devote the money represented by a van and driver to the il fated “shuttle-bus”; but cannot find the ‘small amount of money needed to keep the Collog: ‘open continuously. I don't think the administration is being straight with us about the costs and savings. Some I've talked to have wondered about a security problem. I confess that such talk leaves ‘me feeling insulted. Tm insulted because it's a Jneejerk negative view of art-students that ignores the fact that we are already here almost all the time, working hard, and not causing any security problems. Why should people expect us to behave differently at 4 a.m. than we do at 1 am? Thave a similar reaction to people who ‘wonder about students just living here. On the one hhand, any student who's finances have collapsed 80 ‘much that they haven't a place to sleep needs our sympathy, not further hassles. On the other hand, ifthe guards can’t distinguish between students who fall asleep over their work once in a while and those who are camping in the College, then maybe wwe need smarter guards, Let me quote from the petition now cireulat- We believe that continuous access is symbolic ‘Of the dedication required to progress as artists ‘Of our need to work ‘Of the College's expectation of ‘exceptional dedication from us. ‘The present policy is symbolic too Of.acollege that sees students ‘Asa source of money ‘And as an expense to be ‘minimized Of college that really doosn’t expect ‘much from us. For reasons known only to themselves, the ‘Administration has committed itself to resisting the desire of students for continuous access. T.can only speculate. One thought is that they really don't appreciate how important this issue isto us. “Maybe, if we all work together, we ean get them to change their minds. Another thought is that maybe they are trying to change the College in some radical fashion, away from the studio-oriented program and towards more profitable job-training and education-is-fun type courses. If that’s the ‘ease, we may bo among the last to even think of hhaving continous access. ‘Those who follow will hhave to be happy with access to studios during class hours. ‘One way or the other, it seems that-a change isin the air. We students will have to work to- gether to make sure that the change goes our way. Martin Hunt hel Te was with the greatest relief I read the Hotline the other day, which stated that the schoo! will be closed like a tomb from December 22 to January 2. Iwas afraid that this phenomena, begun last year in the name of operative efficiency, would be scrapped this year in a petty spirit of popular democracy. Instead, innocuously, without ‘aus, without fuss it has become a New Tradition! Not only that, on reflection I realized that, infact, ‘was an old tradition - the Twelve Days of Christmas! ‘Such is my feeling of gratitude in these ‘morally bankrupt times for this generous restitu tion of popular customs, that I would humbly like to offer some suggestions for further improvements to the school ealendar. In addition to closing on all religious holidays, no matter how obscure (so as not to offend anyone), the School should also shut its doors to the world on: October 28: Picasso's Birthday; October 81: Hallowe'en (we must all agree this is a scary place); ‘November 21: P.C. Day (to commemorate the Conservative victory for generations to come); November 24: Thanksgiving (American, that, is, for in the aforesaid spirit of free trade their holidays are now our holidays); ‘January 25: Robbie Burns Day (haggis ean be served the day before as a cafeteria special); February 14: Valentine's Day (with disere tion); March 17: St. Patrick's Day (preceded by a ‘week-long pub nite); ‘April: April Fools (the Administration needn't tell the students about this closure.-it can bea surprise); ‘May 1: May Day (a student revolt) ‘Other holidays worth consideration can ‘She known that the fir thingy have tomlin any busine youre include Groundhog Day, National Secretary Week, ‘ail Monday Night Football days, and all Hockey Nights in Canada days. In addition, there are a host of important holidays, such as Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, which unfortunately fall in the summer months, which the fulltime students cannot enjoy. May hhumbly suggest that a week - no, les be generous - 120 weeks - of honorary holidays be imposed sometime within the school calendar- perhaps just before the Grad Show? ‘Tam certain that not only will the lazy students be grateful for their enforced idleness but that the benefits tothe Administrative Budget ‘would be tremendous. The reception area need not be doubled in size at excessive cost (a presently proposed), but now trebled, quadrupled, stacked, convoluted and cantilevered aeroas the otherwise useless student Concourse. All Administration ean hhave their salaries doubled. All Administration can be doubled. Departments, galleries, offices and officers can be created and destroyed at a whim. Because the School will now be losed at least half the year, the security, presently eroded, can just be done away with. So can the janitorial staff, for ‘there will be little left to clean, except to empty ‘waste baskets of interdepartmental memos. ‘Those few students remaining can be equipped with ‘smocks and berets to please those weekend strays from the Granville Market fairyland who lose their ‘way past the now mysteriously jammed-open security doors into the studios where the students are ostensibly working. Thope these suggestions may prove of use. ‘Too often the student body has forgotten that this isnot only their own educational institution, but an {important and lucrative outlet for the restless and creative energies of other ambitious souls as well Russell Bateman