EDITOR,
A disconnect between the university and the community? No, really? Here's my experience: Last summer I attended a weeklong workshop at Quest U. (guitarworkshopplus.com). It was amazing - approximately 60 students from literally everywhere. I found out about it at an event in Vancouver, despite the fact that I believe this was their third year at Quest, and, I was living a "stone's throw" from campus. It appeared that I was the one and only local student, and after learning that they really needed about 100 students, I volunteered to assist in increasing local awareness, and hopefully local enrolment for this year's session. They sent me some very nice posters to place around town. Everywhere I went, "Quest U? No problema, put that poster up here." And then, I went to the district's own Adventure Centre and received a very different response: "Mmmmm, let me see, is somebody making money on this? Oh, OK maybe we'll put it up." Nothing happened. On my second request, "Oh yeah, I'll look into that." So, weeks later, after realizing that several other posters were managing their own advertising, I took the bull by the horns and put one up myself. There was lots of room on the "community" board at that time. Twenty-four hours later it had been removed! Funny, I thought the Adventure Centre's mandate was to promote local events? Maybe they do, unless you happen to be running a workshop at Quest U. Oh man, do you think that all the local shredders would have been stoked to hang out with Mike Stern and Steve Vai, performing live, to a private audience of 60, in Squamish?! I think so.
Russell Couchman
Squamish
