The vaccine for the H1N1 virus is now available to the public in Ottawa and across Canada, but is only being distributed to high priority groups.

The high-priority groups identified by Ottawa Public Health are pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions, children between six months and five years old, healthcare workers, people living in isolated communities, and caretakers of infants and people with compromised immune systems.

Persistent petitioners are not unique to Carleton University. This year, students at several universities have been petitioning to hold a referendum concerning continued membership in the Canadian Federation of Students.

The CFS, formed in 1981, is a student lobby organization that works at federal and provincial levels of government in the interest of post-secondary students.

Last February, engineering students at the University of British Columbia attempted to suspend a Volkswagen Beetle from the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge in Vancouver as part of an annual Beetle-related prank to mark the start of engineering week at the university. This year, the public should not have to worry about discovering a small car somewhere it should not be because students have decided to utilize a Beetle in a more practical way.

On Nov. 2, more than 2,500 teaching and research assistants at McMaster University went on strike after negotiations broke down Oct. 31.

Andrea Farquhar, director of public and government relations at Mac, said classes are continuing and the university remains open though some labs and tutorials are cancelled.

“It is important to [understand the university is still open], because people may have an assumption that because York closed during its strike [we would close],” she said. 

Now two months into the school year, Mount Allison University still does not have a student council president.  Students of the small New Brunswick institution are being drawn into yet another election after three rounds of voting have failed to produce a winner who wants the job. 

The trouble started when Paul Rasbach, winner of the first election last spring resigned suddenly in April for personal reasons.