Strike stresses students

Posted on 03. Feb, 2010 by David White in Life

EMILY ENGLISH
LIFE REPORTER

Students deal with the uncertainty surrounding a strike in different ways, said two Humber advisers.
Svetlana Lilova, counsellor with student services, said it could affect students’ motivation.
“Living with uncertainty makes them anxious,” said Lilova. “Something being unpredictable can be undermining, unsettling and distracting.”
Director of student success and engagement, Mike Kopinak, said he understands how students feel.
“I can only presume that it is probably stressful on people, when you don’t know if something’s going to happen,” said Kopinak.
He recalls how the 2006 college strike affected students’ learning.
“People thought ‘Oh well, strike’s going to happen so why worry about these tests and assignments,’ and then they get behind,” said Kopinak.
Josh Lagachu, second-year computer engineering student, said he’s worried about how it could set back his plans to apply for universities in September.
“I want to get through school as quickly as possible,” said Lagachu.
Yesterday at press time, the Ontario Labour Relations Board set Wed. Feb. 10 as the date for faculty to vote on the college’s latest offer. The union pushed its strike deadline to Feb. 17.