THE INFORMER PAGE 2

OCTOBER 29, 1991 ,

First Nations Advisor
Peggy Shannon

Peggy Shannon opens doors with beads.

“My hobby has got me a lot of attention,” admits
Cap’s First Nations Advisor.

A graduate of UBC’s M.Ed. program and longtime
student of native culture, arts and dance, Peggy doesn’t
really need a hobby to impress people, but the colorful,
intricately designed necklaces and earrings she fashions
make a great ice-breaker.

Peggy got her job at Cap through a first-time Minis-
try of Education grant, designed to ease access for First
Nations students. The grants have funded several
similar positions and programs throughout the
province. Cap was chosen as a Transition Education
area, and Peggy’s job is to liaise between College
students and local bands. She aids students in applying
for Department of Indian Affairs grants, advises them
in choosing courses and informs bands of College
programs.

Since she began in mid-July, her work has focused
on students, but she is also getting involved in different
college programs. She hopes eventually to develop some
cross-cultural programs that would interest the greater
College population and is pursuing the concept of a
speakers’ series. A recent Native Awareness Day at the
College drew some young native speakers from outside
the College community, and Peggy was impressed by
what they had to say about native issues. She will be

working with students to host a second awareness day
in the Spring term.

“Cap is a nice and friendly place to work,” says the
former outreach worker.

Having spent three years working on native educa-
tion programs in North Van and then Surrey , she
enjoys the College’s wooded campus and looks forward
to meeting more of its inhabitants.

I’m trying to get myself known around the college,
she says.

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sunlight pour through the study area.

Construction on the building will involve remodel-
ling the adjoining grounds, so another striking feature
will emerge: a stepped, landscaped plaza between the
new building and the C Building. “It will be a bit like a
little Robson Square,” Alan said.

The $12 project went to tender this week. Construc-
tion will start around mid-December, and in January
“they'll be digging the big hole,” said Alan.

He said the College has been in great need of the
facility for many years. Out of B.C. colleges, Cap has the
largest proportion of students (about 56 per cent) en-
rolled in the Academic program. Its actual number of
Academic students is about second among colleges in
the province.

“The case was made to the Ministry that a library is
like a support laboratory for people in the University
Transfer program. Therefore the College should have a
good sized, up-to-date library. What we had was the
second smallest (for a community college) in the prov-
ince.” The new Library will rival the largest.

Frieda said the current Library area is extremely

* cramped. The new building will be particularly benefi-

cial to students, because almost all library space will be
devoted to users.

Staff may have a few problems shelving books in the
Library’s circular reference area, she said, but the
unusual shape will give it “a really good atmosphere for
users.”

The main part of the Library should be finished in
the spring of 1993. Renovations to B Building and
construction on the Over-Building should be finished
that fall.

Ground breaking on the Library is likely to take
place close to Christmas. It may coincide with the
official opening of C Building, which is already in use.
Faculty had moved into 62 office spaces in the C Build-
ing in August, and on Oct. 21 about 125 classes moved
there from C Portable and the L, P and G Buildings.