Carleton cancels Shinerama; says disease only affects “white people”
Students say decision is "disgusting" and "disappointing"
She says the decision came out of nowhere, which was a surprise coming from the typically vocal association. “People are angry that the tradition of Shinerama was scrapped without any consultation,” she says. “But it’s the whole white male preamble thing that has thrown everyone off.”
On the Facebook group set up by Bergamini, Meera Chander, the CUSA public affairs councilor who seconded the motion, defends the council’s actions and distances herself from the controversial sentence regarding race.
“I do not support the whereas clauses involved in the motion. I do however support the spirit of the motion, in that we should be able to give back to other charities as well,” she writes. “There is no reason to blow the situation out of proportion.”
Other angry Carleton students who are posting on the same online board say they hope CUSA is getting the signal that their constituents need to be fairly represented.
“The motion had no notice, most councilors had no time to consult with any of their constituents and yet they wholeheartedly passed it,” writes student Andrew Monkhouse. “The motion could have been tabled…to allow for consultations but they chose not to.”
The online back-and-forth has reached such a fever pitch that one CUSA councilor wrote an apology to Bergamini’s Facebook group, saying that he knows of six councilors who would be willing to support an emergency meeting of the council in order to assuage student outrage.
“I am really and truly sorry,” writes Michael Monks, councillor for business on CUSA. “I was at the meeting that night and I voted for this motion…information suggested that the orientation volunteers desired to select an alternative charity. After reading this groups discussion I can see that this was not the case.”
Former CUSA president James Pratt commented on the situation as well, saying that race had nothing to do with the association’s move to support another charity.
“There have been discussions about changing charities because it has been over 20 years and a million dollars raised,” he says. Pratt says it was unfortunate that Donnie Northrop, the councilor who wrote the sentence concerning race, phrased the sentence the way he did, but that it should not rule out the possibility of switching charities.
Badly phrased or not, Darch says she’s concerned at the effect this imbroglio will have on the school.
“I think there’s going to be some backlash from the public,” she says. “It’s an example of reverse discrimination but it’s also just in really bad taste.”
What should be done about hazing on campus?
- It should be banned outright (44%)
- If students want to join a frat, that's their choice (39%)
- It should be monitored and regulated (17%)
Loading ...page 1 page 2
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?
[...] 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” [...]
[...] (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 [...]
[...] the controversy around Shinerama and the Carleton University Students’ Association. Other blogs and newsmedia have covered the topic in great [...]
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.
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!!!
*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)
[...] 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 [...]
[...] (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 [...]
[...] 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 [...]
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?…
Hi, I can’t even believe this article is out there somewhere, and people are reading them now. This is sexist and racist, no doubt. Sorry to burst their bubble, but according to a Childwiki article, indeed, almost 1 out of 3600 Caucasian infants are born with this condition. However there are still risks because 1 out of 17000 African-Americans babies also have this disease.
I hope I highlighted the most important words enough. People can be so unfair sometimes.