Cola wars come to Laurier
Katherine Harding

Will it "Always" be Coca-Cola or will Pepsi become "The Choice of the Next Generation" for Laurier students?

Students' Union President Gareth Cunningham informed the board of directors a cold beverage exclusivity deal could be in place at WLU by the summer of 1999.

WLUSU has partnered with the University and the Graduate Students Association to investigate the possibility of signing an exclusivity deal with a soft drink corporation.

The tripartite have acquired the services of Spectrum Marketing, a firm that has facilitated similar deals at 22 Canadian post-secondary institutions, to help with the investigation.

"I want to make it clear the University, GSA and the Students' Union are just assessing the campus right now," Cunningham told the board. "We are not at the stage of talking to a specific company and we do not know if we will get to that stage."

He said that the current assessment stage will involve garnering student opinion and looking at student culture.

"I'd appreciate input so we can get a full understanding of what students want," said Cunningham.

"This deal is more than a supplier relationship, it is more of a partnership," he said. "The primary pro is cash. The cons include the issue of choice and the slippery slope debate."

Cunningham said that if the group investigating exclusivity makes it to stage two, proposals will be solicited.

"If a decision is made towards the end of this fiscal year, the exclusivity deal could be implemented in the summer when less people are on campus."

Director Kevin Nasir recommended to Cunningham that the question of cold beverage exclusivity be posed as a referendum question during the WLUSU election in February.

Motions, Motions, Motions

A slew of motions including one to adopt recommendations on guidelines for motions affecting policy and operations (Yawn!) were tabled from three standing committees of the board.
Correction: Last week it was incorrectly reported that WLUSU collected a surplus of $6,020 in Student Activity fees than originally budgeted. The actual surplus figure is $11,202.06. That figure makes Vice President Finance Devin Grady giddier than a school girl.