Letter: UBC Alright

In regard to the recent UBC/OUC takeover, as a first year OUC student, I would like it to be known that the opinions of some OUC students that have been portrayed in the media do not necessarily represent the opinions of a large amount of the student body.

I believe that a great deal of attention has been given to those students who are anti-UBC, and feel it imperative people know that there is a vast population of students that support OUC becoming UBC-Okanagan.

I, for one, believe that the possible negatives will be greatly outweighed by the many positives UBC will bring, not only to my education, but to the community as well. This merger gives students the chance to stay in the interior and obtain a degree from a highly accredited and prestigious institution, rather than have to leave to the coast or go out-of- province. Many OUC students leave the Okanagan after their second year of study because they seek a degree from an institution, such as UBC, that has a world-wide reputation among firms/employers.

I understand the apprehensive feelings many students have towards the UBC takeover, I am one of them. However The following website is very helpful : (http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/q_and_a/index.html).

On the contrary, our current Student Association, who outwardly ran against the UBC takeover, was democratically voted onto every seat of the executive and council on March 12/04. Unfortunately, OUC students seem to have the same problem most Kelowna residents have: we tend not to vote. I suppose it is no one's fault but our own that we are now stuck with student representatives that apparently resent the very school they have are part of.

-Kara Radley & Brady Bloomer