Mount Allison paper has near death-experience
The Argosy, Mount Allison University’s student newspaper, was on the brink last week after printing just one issue. The Sackville, N.B. university had requested that the paper acquire $5 million worth of libel insurance in January 2004, lowered in August to $2 million. Turned down by more than 20 insurance companies, the paper got permission to print one trial issue which was distributed August 27.
Just as the paper’s staff was considering printing without Mount A’s blessing or permission, a CBC Radio story on the embattled paper pushed the right button with university administrators, who suddenly appeared at the end of the week with a contract from an unnamed insurance provider for $1 million in libel insurance, ready to sign.
The Argosy will resume publishing next week.
-GFS
Half of University grads debt-free; one third owe more than $10K: StatsCan
Roughly half of Canadian students graduate with debt, Statistics Canada announced last week. StatsCan has been following students who graduated from college and university programs in 2000, evaluating employment prospects, debt levels, and other factors. 270,000 students graduated from a college or university in 2000.
Among the study’s findings were that 14 percent of students have debt greater than $25,000, while 55 percent had no debt within two years of graduating. Students who borrowed from other sources along with government loans were found to have the largest debts of any category: while those who took on only government debt owed on average $19,500, those who had multiple sources of debt owed, on average, $32,200.
The study also noted that certain fields of study-notably medicine-produced the highest debt levels.
Despite the fact that med-school graduates had higher incomes, the study authors wrote, “they were more likely to report difficulties repaying their loans.
-GFS
