Carson JeremaCarleton cancels Shinerama; says disease only affects “white people”
Students say decision is "disgusting" and "disappointing"
Carleton University Students’ Association is cancelling Shinerama, the school’s popular fundraiser for cystic fibrosis, after the council said the fatal disease is not “inclusive” enough.
The motion, which passed 17 to 2 at the association’s Nov. 24 meeting, read: “Whereas Cystic fibrosis has been recently revealed to only affect white people, and primarily men…Be it resolved that: CUSA discontinue its support of this campaign.”
Read: Carleton president calls on CUSA to revisit decision
Past Carleton student leaders “horrified” at Shinerama cancellation
Coleman’s free advice to CUSA and Carleton students
Vote: What do you think about Carleton’s recent decision to stop fundraising for Shinerama?
Shinerama fundraising takes place during orientation week and has been happening at Carleton University for nearly 25 years. As a result, the school has raised almost $1 million for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.Only one day after the controversial vote, hundreds of Carleton students have flocked online to protest the cancellation of an event they say is incredibly important to the charitable life of the school.
“Students are incredibly upset about this,” said Nick Bergamini, a third-year journalism student who sits on the council and also recently started a Facebook group protesting the move.
“The ones who are the most upset are the ones whose friends or family have cystic fibrosis. They’re upset that a group of small-minded individuals are playing politics at the expense of the charity.”
The website of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says the disease is most common in Caucasians but can affect all races. According to Wikipedia, “approximately 1 in 25 people of European descent and 1 in 22 people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent is a carrier of a cystic fibrosis mutation. Although CF is less common in these groups, approximately 1 in 46 Hispanics, 1 in 65 Africans and 1 in 90 Asians carry at least one abnormal CFTR gene.”
Wikipedia also notes that, “cystic fibrosis is diagnosed in males and females equally. For unclear reasons, males tend to have a longer life expectancy than females.” It is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians, with an estimated 3,500 people living with the condition.
Shinerama began in 1964 as a shoe-shining campaign and is now Canada’s largest post-secondary fundraiser. High-energy events are held at nearly 60 university and college campuses, where more than 35,000 student volunteers shine shoes, wash cars, run raffles and barbeques, and sing songs on street corners.
Since the event’s cancellation was announced, numerous online groups sprung up in protest, calling the move “disgraceful”, “disgusting”, and “disappointing”. Many expressed dismay at the lack of consultation of the student body regarding the decision.
“This is the weirdest day that I’ve ever had at Carleton,” says graduate student Ashley Darch, who also attended the school as an undergraduate.
She says the Ottawa campus is abuzz with news of Shinerama’s cancellation. “CUSA usually does all kinds of talking and then they never do anything. Now people are walking around campus saying, ‘Did this really just happen?’”
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Funny how there's always a video camera following this guy. It would seem that he's looking to provoke people ...
the officer was walking back to his car and he was harassed...he did his job...I wish people would stop saying ...
I would agree with Mr. Tennants statement that the colleges have nothing to lose. And this, in my opinion ...
Please see this report
http://uofowatch.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-vp-governance-diane-davidson-and.html
about the University of Ottawa's extensive COVER UP of its 2006-2008 covert surveillance campaign against me and ...
I didn't forget anything...Full-time faculty will have a new max. of $102,000. We have that thrown up to us ...
Comment by ABarlow on 26 November 2008:
There’s something that’s been really bothering me about this story… so what if CF only affected white people (primarily males)? It is a horrible, life-threatening, disease that affects thousands of Canadians, and likely millions world-wide. Why does it make sense to stop funding research for it because some people are, by virtue of their genetics, much less likely to be afflicted with it? Should we then also stop funding for sickle-cell anemia, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Tay-Sachs disease, Huntington’s disease, AIDS… because certain segments of the population cannot (or are unlikely to) be afflicted by them? Are these student leaders so selfish that the cannot understand that the purpose of charities is not to feel good about yourself, but to help those who are in need?
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Pingback by Shinerama fallout hits Carleton U : Macleans OnCampus on 26 November 2008:
[...] After the lightning-fast mobilization of Carleton’s student population, Smyth says the council will be holding an emergency council meeting to reverse their decision Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the school’s Porter Hall. Read: Carleton cancels Shinerama; says disease only affects “white people” [...]
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Pingback by CUSA & Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser « DIALOGIC Mediation Services on 27 November 2008:
[...] (CUSA) decision to drop its frosh week fundraiser for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation? The [Carleton University Students Association] motion, which passed 17 to 2 at the association’s Nov. 24 meeting, read: “Whereas Cystic [...]
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Pingback by “Decisions are made by those who show up”: The CUSA/Shinerama Affair « CYNICISM FALLS ASLEEP on 27 November 2008:
[...] the controversy around Shinerama and the Carleton University Students’ Association. Other blogs and newsmedia have covered the topic in great [...]
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Comment by Eli on 28 November 2008:
There are countless great causes out there to support. However, the ratinale to change the cause just because it has always been the same doesn’t make any sense to me. Why offend & disadvatage a great cause such as this? If it has always been the same, then it is a great tradition, and even more reason to leave it alone. To Donnie Northrop: the disease affects more than just white males, and last time I checked, the haven’t found the cure, so the continued support of Shinerama would really help.
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Comment by Real Socialjustice on 29 November 2008:
If anyone claims to be a democrat, one should find this decision viable, representative and an easy-to-swallow-a pill. A simple litmus test to one’s democratic integrity.
How often, if at all, do we hear the Canadian Public pushing the government to contribute to the discoverly of Malaria Vaccine. No one even talks about it. The assumption behind the silence, is: “Because it does not affect ‘us’” Canadians love hiding behind unstated premises and enjoying the good unearned reputation through media & propaganda.
The world is changing we snooz we lose, wake up! Decisions cannot always be made to satisfy our fragile yet unchanging appalling nature. Let’s face it. Nothing personal and no reason to neigh out loud!
Wake up Jeffs!!!
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Comment by mel on 1 December 2008:
*sigh*
How can even the commenters say that CF is a male disease when the article says it affects both genders equally but kills women much more quickly? (especially Jewish women apparently)
Like the commenter above me said, tackling malaria would be a good idea, especially since part of the reason why it’s ravaging Africa is because environmental radicals urged their first world governments to put pressure on 3rd world governments to stop using insecticides (to kill mosquito carriers).
I guess we’d rather see infants die of malaria than have them grow into old age and possibly contract cancer from exposure to insecticides (which are only significantly cancerous when farmers decide to carpet-bomb their crops with it, not when it’s sprayed lightly in your house to kill mosquitoes)
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Pingback by CUSA reinstates Shinerama campaign, Donnie Northrup resigns : Macleans OnCampus on 1 December 2008:
[...] after the organization voted to withdraw support for the campaign. The motion that saw support removed for the Cystic Fibrosis charity was premised by a controversial wheareas clause that claimed the [...]
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Pingback by White people are not discriminated against by Carleton University students. « Restructure! on 2 December 2008:
[...] (CUSA) cancelled a school fundraiser for cystic fibrosis (”Shinerama”) after the student council said that the disease only affects “white people, and primarily men” (via Stuff White People [...]
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Pingback by Back behind the mic … for a day « Nick Taylor-Vaisey on 17 December 2008:
[...] October’s federal election 2. SFUO referendum on CFS membership 3. CUSA cancelling and reinstating the Shinerama campaign 4. November’s parliamentary madness 5. Ottawa transit [...]
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Comment by alan brickman on 21 December 2008:
Why does Brittany Smyth still serve? Not only was she was not fired, she said the incident was “blown out of proportion?….” Very curious to see what would have happened if a man had canceled a breast cancer benefit?…
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