All Posts Tagged With: "Carleton University Students Association"
Carleton should keep the Canadian Federation of Students
It’s imperfect, but successfully fights oppression and tuition
CFS supporters protest in Toronto in 2012
The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is the best! By that I mean the CFS is the best thing students have on a national level. The CFS is the largest student association in Canada, representing more than 500,000 students in more than 80 colleges and universities.
The CFS isn’t perfect, but it more than deserves the membership fees our Carleton University Students’ Association currently provides. As students, it would be unwise to leave this nationwide organization, as could happen after a referendum that has been proposed. Here’s why I think we should remain united with the CFS.
After reading this argument, check out our piece from a student in favour of leaving the CFS.
In the early 1990s, the average undergraduate tuition in Canada was $1,464. In 2012, the average was $5,138. What’s my source? It’s an easy-to-read and informative publication from the CFS. Such accessible research and publications are one of the benefits of a dedicated national group.
Continue reading Carleton should keep the Canadian Federation of Students
Law school applicants, two-tier athletics & Arun Smith
What students are talking about today (February 4th)
Law school applications drop (Tulane/Flickr)
1. It’s not just teacher’s college where the number of applicants is falling. Law schools in the United States are in crisis mode after statistics from the Law School Admission Council show that the number of applicants dropped 20 per cent from last year after falling 14 per cent the year before. In Canada the number of applicants is down four per cent, which is certainly not a crisis and may even be good news considering there is a small shortage of articling positions. Bill Flanagan, president of the Canadian Council of Law Deans, offered Canadian Lawyer Magazine his assessment. “On average, tuition at Canadian law schools is much more affordable than many U.S. law schools,” he said, adding, “the job market for Canadian law grads is better in many Canadian legal markets than it is for U.S. law grads in many U.S. legal markets.”
Continue reading Law school applicants, two-tier athletics & Arun Smith
CUSA to consider Israeli boycott
Motion would call on Carleton to develop ‘Socially Responsible Investment’ policy
Carleton University Students’ Association will be voting on a motion this week to call on the university to adopt a “Socially Responsible Investment” policy to be applied to the institution’s pension fund. The motion is intended to endorse the Students’ Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) Divestment Campaign. Full motion is posted below.
Motion to encourage Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) of the Carleton University Pension Fund
Whereas Carleton University, through its pension fund, invests a total of $2,426,757.12 in BAE Systems, Motorola, Northrop-Grumman, and Tesco Supermarkets, equivalent to 0.35% of the total value of the pension fund;
Whereas each of these companies is potentially involved in significant violations of international humanitarian law, including grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention amounting to war crimes by contributing extensively to some or all of these violations by:
• Manufacturing weapons and weapons components that are used to kill and maim
Palestinian civilians;
• Materially supporting and economically developing the illegal Israeli settlements
in the occupied West Bank, thereby entrenching the occupation of Palestinian
land; and by
• Perpetuating Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza and its discriminatory practices and
policies against Palestinians, both in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT),
and within Israel;Whereas Carleton University currently has no binding socially responsible investment policy, thus allowing it to invest in and profit from corporations engaging in unethical behaviour;
Be it resolved that CUSA endorse the following three campaign recommendations put forward by the Students’ Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) Divestment Campaign, intended to encourage socially responsible investment of the Carleton University Pension Fund:
• That the Carleton University Board of Governors, via the Pension Fund Committee, immediately divest of the Pension Fund’s stock in BAE Systems, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, and Tesco;
• That Carleton University refrain from investing in other companies involved in violations of international law;
• That Carleton University work with the entire university community to develop, adopt, and implement a broader policy of Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) for its Pension Fund and other investments, through a transparent and effective process.Moved: Reem Buhaisi
Seconded: Alex Hunsberger
Playing favourites with ideology
Carleton student union upholds decision to ban anti-abortion group
The Carleton University Students Association (CUSA) has decided to uphold its judgment that Carleton Lifeline, an anti-abortion club on campus, is unworthy of group status.
CUSA threatened to strip the group of its status back in November, alleging that the club violated CUSA’s anti-discrimination policy. The policy states that “any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying, effort, display, event etc. that seeks to limit or remove a woman’s right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported.”
When the decision was being weighed, I argued that CUSA’s ban would amount to little more than discrimination based on religious and political belief. Yes, I used the “D” word. Here’s another word: humiliation. CUSA is no stranger to that one; it got plenty of it in 2008 after deciding to discontinue its Shinerama fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. Why? Well, members looked in their belly buttons and somehow landed upon the erroneous conclusion that the disease only affected “white people, and primarily men.” That little blunder cost CUSA some of its pride, and this one should too.
CUSA’s own constitution states its aim to uphold an “environment free from prejudice, exploitation, abuse or violence on the basis of, but not limited to, sex, race, language, religion, age, national or social status, political affiliation or belief, sexual orientation or marital status.” Indeed, on paper CUSA purports to defend a campus environment where prejudice based on political affiliation or belief is not tolerated. However, in practice, CUSA not only yields to such intolerance, but acts as perpetrator by denying club status based on the beliefs of its members. Ironic? (That creaking sound you hear is the collective twinge of CUSA’s decision-makers cocking their heads.)
Carleton Lifeline has been criticized for its methods—particularly its graphic displays and comparisons of abortion to Holocaust. I happen to agree with many of those criticisms. I really don’t see the need to invoke Hitler in the discussion of terminated pregnancies, especially when doing so is a pretty sure-fire way to shoot one’s self in the foot. But CUSA should not be the one to take away the gun. Pro-choice positions were once in the spot pro-life positions find themselves on campuses today; that is, in the minority. Imagine we forced those students silent for fear they would infringe on the rights of the religious majority? (Actually, that was often the case.) While Carleton Lifeline is not being silenced today, it is effectively being sent the same message by being denied club status.
The union needs to stand by its principle of defending the rights of all students, regardless of ideology. Or else, it should stand by none at all. While Carleton Lifeline’s message might make us feel a little uneasy, it does not infringe on a woman’s right to choose. CUSA should be ashamed of its blatant ideological favouritism, and lambasted for its discriminatory action towards its own students on campus.
Money, not free speech, at issue in Carleton pro-life dispute
Carleton students shouldn’t be forced to pay for a group they don’t support
Critics of the Carleton University Students’ Association’s threat to strip an anti-abortion group’s club status are missing the point.
“Carleton student association bans anti-abortion club,” screams the headline on the National Post’s religion blog. According to a press release from the Campaign Life Coalition: “Carleton University, that bastion of free-thought, has ordered some of its students to accept its pro-abortion policy or leave the University.”
The problem is that this just simply isn’t true.
What’s actually happening at Carleton is that the students’ association–not the university–has decided to suspend a group’s club status. What does this actually mean? It means the group won’t get student money and can’t use student space for their activities. That’s it.
This has nothing to do with freedom of speech and everything to do with a group of self-righteous whiners who feel that they’re entitled to funding from all students and are upset that the gravy train has been stopped.
This group hasn’t been “silenced” or any such nonsense, they’re just being forced to pay their own way.
Students shouldn’t be forced to financially support groups that they disagree with. As Thomas Jefferson said, “to compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
Yes, I am aware that students across the country are forced to pay for on-campus groups they may or may not support. I don’t think they should be.
Moreover, Carleton Lifeline’s views are particularly extreme. The group’s most recent protest involved the hosting of something called the “Genocide Awareness Project” a vile campaign which makes a mockery of the suffering of Holocaust victims.
The CUSA is a private corporation run by elected pseudo-politicians, they’re allowed to take stances on issues. One might even say that’s what they’re supposed to do.
If individual Carleton students want to pay for this group they can, and should, do it out of their own pockets.
Carleton should back off its students’ unions
Withholding funds while negotiations are ongoing is a sign of bad faith
Both the undergraduate and graduate students’ associations at Carleton University have called on a provincial judge to untangle a financial battle with their administration. On Oct. 25, the university’s board of governors decided to withhold the unions’ membership fees until a new funding agreement has been signed.
But, the students’ associations feel the university’s latest actions have been triggered by their traditionally critical opposition to issues on campus, including the current labour negotiations with campus faculty, and they’re using the funding agreement as an excuse to keep them quiet.
“This is about political interference plain and simple. They want to silence students’ voices on-campus,” graduate students’ union president Kimalee Phillip said in a statement on Nov. 11. “Students have decided to pay these fees for on-campus services and representation.
“Senior administrators think that they should decide where students’ money goes instead and are attempting to starve the students’ unions by withholding our only source of operating revenue.”
According to the university, though, it’s about accountability. The university wants to see audited account statements to prove that student money is being handled appropriately.
“The university has no interest in determining or directing how student associations at Carleton University spend their funds,” said spokesperson Jason MacDonald in an email to CBC. “The university is simply asking for CUSA and GSA to be transparent and accountable to the Carleton community with regard to how student fees are disbursed.”
This isn’t the first time a university has made that argument.
Back in 2005 and 2006, the administration of Quebec’s Dawson College withheld student fees from the Dawson Students’ Union over allegations that the DSU had not properly incorporated as a students’ society under Quebec law.
The issue of liability gets complicated, especially since nothing has been proven in court. But withholding funds while negotiations with the students’ unions are ongoing, is a sign of bad faith.
That results in the kinds of broad accusations that are now being hurled around.
While Carleton University might be uncomfortable with the way the students’ union is organized, it is a union elected and funded by the students of the university. That has to be taken into account. Elected officials screw up all the time. That’s nothing new. If funds are being mismanaged, it will be up to the electorate and the union’s oversight bodies to fix it.
If Carleton University has enough evidence that funds are being mismanaged, they should move through the courts or make their accusations known publicly. If they don’t, they need to back off and let students hold their own representatives accountable at their discretion.
Photo: Getty Images
Student who caused Shinerama-gate back in office
Northrup claimed cystic fibrosis only affects “white people, and primarily men”
According to the Ottawa Sun, a group of Carleton University students is trying to get a controversial student politician removed from office. Again.
Last November, Donnie Northrup came under fire when the Carleton University Students Assocation approved his motion to withdraw support from the annual cystic fibrosis fundraiser Shinerama. In the motion, Northrup said the disease only affected “white people, and primarily men,” which isn’t true.
Those five words caused a national uproar. Representatives from the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, along with parents whose white daughters had the disease, spoke out against the motion.
The council’s decision was ultimately reversed, and Northrup later admitted he was mistaken and resigned his council seat. However, this summer, the group acclaimed him, and two other students, to vacant council seats.
Students say they will launch a petition to have Northrup recalled in September if he isn’t removed before then.
CUSA president Erik Halliwell says council was just following procedure, and that no one on council had objections to the three candidates at the time. He says students who object to their appointments can petition for a recall.
More on the CUSA meeting
As noted, CUSA has voted to reinstate funding for Shinerama and Donnie Northrup has resigned. Another CUSA rep has also resigned, but I am not, as yet, sure which one. Here is a post from a Carleton student who attended the meeting. Additionally, the Ottawa Citizen (via the National Post) is reporting that the required [...]
As noted, CUSA has voted to reinstate funding for Shinerama and Donnie Northrup has resigned. Another CUSA rep has also resigned, but I am not, as yet, sure which one.
Here is a post from a Carleton student who attended the meeting.
Additionally, the Ottawa Citizen (via the National Post) is reporting that the required number of signatures required to have a recall election to replace CUSA president Brittany Smyth have been collected: “Petitions calling for the impeachment of council president Brittany Smyth and other council members were tabled.”
CUSA is unrepresentative. Oh well!
Another week, another student union controversy
Of all the complaints being levelled at the Carleton University Students’ Association, I take the most issue with the argument that CUSA is not representative of the student body.
Kevin Eller, a Carleton English student articulated this point in Carleton’s student newspaper The Charlatan:
Could someone please inform me on how CUSA year after year is able to determine what Carleton students want? Is giving former CUSA executive Isaac Cockburn (vice-president student issues) two years’ worth of salary when it seems like all he did was to plan an “All-Out Tuition Freeze Day” one of those ideas?
All I can say is: so what? Of course CUSA is not representative of the student body. It is true but it is also meaningless. In elections earlier this year, president Brittany Smyth was elected with the participation of around 15 per cent of Carleton undergrads (if someone has a more accurate number please let me know).
No organization with such low participation can claim to be democratic. Democracy refers to not just procedures and the holding of routine elections, but also to an electorate that actually participates. If you think CUSA could ever be representative, I have some pyrite to sell you.
But this isn’t just the situation at Carleton, nor is it necessarily reflective of the current executive. Student governments in nearly every Canadian school, since time immemorial, are elected routinely with 10 per cent of students voting, and rarely does participation rise above 20 per cent.
This is not indicative of an apathetic student electorate. Students are just passing through which means both that they don’t have the time to become truly knowledgeable of the union, and that their long term interests lie elsewhere.
The result is that student government tends to only be truly accountable to those who actually vote, which is often students who are highly interested in all forms of politics and who are often supportive of political activism. It is no wonder than that student executives tend to act as little more than full-time paid political activists.
Nearly every week a student government does or says something that causes onlookers to wonder how these people got into university in the first place, be it with comparing pro-life activists to the KKK, or telling students they are incapable of making their own choices regarding joining the military, or claiming that free tuition will cure cancer.
It is true, as it is with the current controversy regarding CUSA`s support for Shinearama, that students will sometimes organize to challenge the union leadership. Even in such cases, I would surprised if participation rises above 20 per cent.
That’s just the way it is.
Open-letter apology from CUSA president
Smyth set to propose Shinerama be reinstated as part of Carleton orientation week
Issued Nov. 27:
An open letter to all Carleton University students;
I want to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone who was offended by the motion passed at this week’s council meeting. It was never any of our councilors or my own intentions to imply that Cystic Fibrosis was not a worth while charity for Carleton to support. I also would like to apologize to anyone whose life has been touched by Cystic Fibrosis. I am sorry for any pain this motion has caused you.
It has been great to see so many students come out and voice their opinions and support for Shinerama and Cystic Fibrosis. Thanks again for everyone’s feedback. Now, I would like to move forward to rectifying this issue.
I would like to invite all students to attend the council meeting on Monday evening. It will be held at 6:30pm, location will be available on the CUSA website as soon as we secure a space.
At this meeting I will be putting forward a motion to reinstate Shinerama as part of our Orientation week.
Over the last 24 years through Orientation, we have been able to raise awareness about Cystic Fibrosis and over $1,000,000 for research and treatment of this terrible disease. I look forward to working with the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to clear up the incorrect facts caused by the motion about Cystic Fibrosis and who is affected by it.
Again, I would like to apologize. There are a lot of reasons to have pride in our school and I look forward to working with everyone in continuing to strengthen the Carleton community.
Sincerely,
Brittany Smyth
President
Carleton University Students’ Associatio
Finally, an apology
The president of the Carleton University Student Association, after days of public outrage and with a petition for her impeachment on its way, finally apologies for the blatant sexism and racism of the motion. The letter is online here: http://www.cusaonline.com/Downloads/shinerama_letter.pdf
The president of the Carleton University Student Association, after days of public outrage and with a petition for her impeachment on its way, finally apologies for the blatant sexism and racism of the motion.
The letter is online here: http://www.cusaonline.com/Downloads/shinerama_letter.pdf
Coleman on air: CHQR 770AM Calgary. Topic: CUSA
First it was off, then it was on. A discussion on “Shinegate”.
I will be live on The Rutherford Show at 10:30am Mountain Time. (12:30pm Eastern)
The topic will be the Carleton University Student Association situation.
You can listen to the live stream at http://www.qr77.com/ and click on the Listen Live link.
Why Dumb Things Happen Around Smart Students
What we can learn from the Carleton/Shinerama debacle
I don’t tend to blog on student politics. That’s Joey’s beat and I don’t have time to hunt up hard news stories. But I do have an extensive background in student politics and I maintain a strong interest in the subject. I really try hard not to be that old “student leader” who looks over everyone’s shoulders and goes on about how I used to do it better. That’s just obnoxious. But when I see things going off the rails as they did just recently in the whole CUSA/Shinerama debacle, I can’t help but think about why. So I’ll share a theory.
It’s too easy and reductive to suggest CUSA simply elected a board this year that’s stupid or ignorant. I don’t know anyone on that board but I’ve rarely met any student leader who is truly stupid or ignorant, much less twenty of them in a room together.
Sarcastically, people have been asking how university educated students could do anything so bone-headed. But that’s actually a good question. Rather than use it to imply these university students aren’t really as smart as you might expect, I’d rather assume they are pretty smart and try to answer the question from that perspective: Why do dumb things happen around smart students?
Student unions are big organizations and multi-million dollar corporations. Student media is also often quite large, as are some residence groups, athletic associations, and a variety of miscellaneous organizations that may develop into major players on campus. Students who step into leadership roles in these organizations may well not have a lot of experience doing similar things, and may be surprised at how quickly and easily they find they’ve occupied major positions. They may also lack a full sense of their real obligations – especially when they serve as directors of incorporated entities. But that’s another issue.
Despite the fact that these organizations count their membership in the thousands or tens of thousands, it typically requires only the support of a small minority to get voted into office – or hired or appointed or whatever. And over time, as organizations seem to be uninteresting or inactive or simply invisible, student participation tends to decline. Much as I might wish every student would care about their union, the fact is they don’t. As long as the union stays quiet most people won’t even notice it’s there. So participation declines, and the small minority it took to elect someone last year gets even smaller the next year.
In a small circle of opinions, all kinds of things may sound good that would never survive wider discussion. People get comfortable with their ideas and come to imagine they must be more widely held. Either that, or representative organizations lose sight of the fact that they contain thousands of members and not just the couple dozen people who are in the room.
Either way, once the circle of participants has shrunk the positions of the organization tend to become even more marginal, and divorced from the views of the majority. This contributes to a cycle of disengagement until something dramatic finally happens, that wakes people up and causes them to start paying attention again.
Carleton reverses course
Cystic fibrosis benefit back on; students aim to boot student gvt after “white people” controversy
In the face of national outrage, Carleton University Students’ Association says it will reverse its decision to cancel Shinerama, the school’s popular fundraiser for cystic fibrosis after it passed a motion saying the fatal disease is not “inclusive” enough.
The original 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 cancels Shinerama; says disease only affects “white people”
Jeff Rybak on Why Dumb Things Happen Around Smart Students
In an interview with Maclean’s OnCampus, Smyth distanced the council from the controversial sentence on race and gender. Because it was a “Whereas” clause, she says they had no power to modify the sentence.
“It’s how our council has always operated. Even if we had wanted to change it we couldn’t have,” she says.
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.
Immediately after the disputed vote, thousands of Carleton students flocked online in an effort to both organize and support grassroots rallies and fundraisers in support of the popular event.
“There will definitely be some resignations over this,” says graduate student Ashley Darch, who went to the school as an undergrad and is following, and participating in, the online controversy.
“Some people are saying we need a rally, some are saying that we need to make a very bold statement, and there is even an element that wants to impeach the CUSA executive.”
Darch says students are dismayed at how the media firestorm surrounding the issue has hurt the reputation of the university. A fundraising pub night is being held in Ottawa for tonight, and a “mini-Shinerama” rally is set to be held at the university tomorrow.
There have also been specific calls to impeach Donnie Northrup, the councilor who brought forward the motion in the first place. In an online statement, he says he still stands by the motion and CUSA’s decision to pass it.
Finally, a student union with sanity!
The following was posted on the official blog of the Bishop’s University student government: Rest assured that here at Bishop’s, we’ll continue supporting Shinerama during Frosh Week. The fight against cystic fibrosis is an important one, and we’ve been involved for years. While we may not have raised the millions Carleton has, we’ve been consistent [...]
The following was posted on the official blog of the Bishop’s University student government:
Rest assured that here at Bishop’s, we’ll continue supporting Shinerama during Frosh Week. The fight against cystic fibrosis is an important one, and we’ve been involved for years. While we may not have raised the millions Carleton has, we’ve been consistent contributors, combatting a disease that affects Canadians from all walks of life. We’ll continue to support this worthy cause, and look for new avenues to fundraise for cystic fibrosis, doing our small part to make up for the funds that will be missing in 2009, due to Carleton’s withdrawal.
Well said, I know I’ll be digging deeper into my pockets to support this cause next year.
CUSA is not actually sorry
The following news release was sent out by the Carleton University Students Association at 11:30 this morning: Attention News Editors: Carleton University Students’ Association moves to reverse decision on Shine-A-Rama OTTAWA, Nov. 26 /CNW Telbec/ – Carleton University Students’ Association President Brittany Smyth has indicated that CUSA council will revisit the motion to change the [...]
The following news release was sent out by the Carleton University Students Association at 11:30 this morning:
Attention News Editors:
Carleton University Students’ Association moves to reverse decision on Shine-A-Rama
OTTAWA, Nov. 26 /CNW Telbec/ – Carleton University Students’ Association President Brittany Smyth has indicated that CUSA council will revisit the motion to change the orientation program charity from Shine-A-Rama.
“It has become clear that there is not an appetite at Carleton to change from Shine-A-Rama” said Ms.Smyth “The responsible thing to do is to reverse the decision.”
While the motion merely stated the students’ association would investigate switching to another charity, students have made it clear that they do not want the change.
“I both respect and admire the students’ commitment to the cause of raising funds for cystic fibrosis.” stated Ms.Smyth “I believe this issue has been blown out of proportion but the motion was never meant to imply that raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis research was not a worthwhile cause. I do apologize for the negative attention Carleton has received”.
I’m not going to mince words here. This release is pathetic.
CUSA does not admit it is wrong, and instead blames others for ‘blowing their actions out of proportion.’
CUSA apology is half-hearted at best and insincere.
Ms. Smyth, you’re supposed to apologize for your actions, not just the “negative attention” they’ve resulted in. What you’re really saying is, “CUSA is sorry people found out how uninformed we are.”
If “[T]he motion was never meant to imply that raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis research was not a worthwhile cause,” then what did the motion actually mean?
Start giving people answers instead of spin. (Actually, the best thing to do at this point is shut up and resign)
CUSA states the motion merely stated they were looking at other charities. It was more specific than that, it stated CUSA would “select a new broad reaching charity for orientation week.”
The motion was clear: the position of Carleton students as represented by their student government is that Cystic Fibrosis is unworthy of support because, as a ‘white male disease, it is not broad and inclusive enough to be worthy of the support of the Carleton undergraduate student body.
I have yet to hear CUSA actually saying anything close to, “We were wrong and we’re sorry.”
Another thing that would be nice to hear: an apology for the claims made at CUSA council that students were pushing for this change in the first place.
Carleton University Students’ Association moves to reverse decision on Shinerama
Smyth doesn’t recant language used in motion, says student outrage has been heard
In a press release issued Nov. 26:
Carleton University Students’ Association President Brittany Smyth has indicated that CUSA council will revisit the motion to change the orientation program charity from Shinerama.
“It has become clear that there is not an appetite at Carleton to change from Shinerama” said Ms.Smyth “The responsible thing to do is to reverse the decision.”
While the motion merely stated the students’ association would investigate switching to another charity, students have made it clear that they do not want the change.
“I both respect and admire the students’ commitment to the cause of raising funds for cystic fibrosis.” stated Ms.Smyth “I believe this issue has been blown out of proportion but the motion was never meant to imply that raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis research was not a worthwhile cause. I do apologize for the negative attention Carleton has received”.
Carleton president asks CUSA to revisit Shinerama decision
Says motion concerning race was inappropriate, students will “do the right thing”
Dear Members of the Carleton Community,
I am writing to share with you my personal regret that the student association adopted a motion to discontinue support for the Shinerama program. This is a program to which Carleton students have contributed nearly a million dollars over the years. It has been very successful and I myself enjoyed volunteering with the students at the South Keys Mall this fall. It is, however, the students’ right to donate their time and funds to the charity of their choice. We have wonderful volunteers on campus and I am sure that they will continue their efforts to contribute to society and to those in need.
The motion which was approved by the student association contained language which was not appropriate and which has raised considerable concern. I know that Carleton students are fine young scholars who wish to be responsible and considerate. I am sure that they did not intend to offend by the preamble to their motion, but I also sure that they now understand the effects of that language. I understand that they will be revisiting this issue and that the President of the student association will be putting forward a motion to reconsider the matter. I am convinced that our students will do the right thing and take the appropriate course of action.
I thank you for your messages, your patience and understanding as well as your concern. I also wish everyone an excellent final week of the semester.
Sincerely yours,
Roseann O’Reilly Runte
President
Free advice to CUSA president and Carleton students (and other students as well)
I’ve covered a lot of student union embarrassments during my university career and my time with Maclean’s. The CUSA racist motion controversy is by far the worst. Most scandals only stain the students’ union and maybe, to a limited extent, the university. This one is completely destroying the reputation of Carleton and its students. I [...]
I’ve covered a lot of student union embarrassments during my university career and my time with Maclean’s. The CUSA racist motion controversy is by far the worst. Most scandals only stain the students’ union and maybe, to a limited extent, the university. This one is completely destroying the reputation of Carleton and its students.
I was riding on the Hamilton city bus earlier tonight and the topic of discussion was “how stupid Carleton students are.” I went to Tim Horton’s, and the topic of discussion was “how stupid Carleton students are.” I was at an arcade tonight and even gamers knew of CUSA’s stupidity. (Of course, they are not blaming CUSA, they are blaming you, the Carleton student and your university.)
I was reading my morning feeds from influential US blogs and the topic was “how stupid Carleton students are.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education blogged about the situation yesterday. Even Australian sites are picking up on the story. The reality is this story will be helping fill US 24hr cable news airtime today. The question is if the story will change or continue to get worse.
Here’s my free advice to the CUSA president. Please be quiet, stop talking, stop the doublespeak and resign. You’re making it worse.
Carleton students, please save yourselves. It’s time for a purge of CUSA. For too long, CUSA has been allowed to bunker themselves in the university centre and create an echo chamber of extreme viewpoints. Normally, their words stay inside the star chamber. This time, their words got out and you’re paying the price.
I’d hate to be a Carleton student planning a career in the United States.
Reputation is, unfortunately, a major factor in your degree getting you a job. By the time the cable news channels are done with this story in the early afternoon, Carleton degrees will be severely tarnished. I’ve been to Carleton a few times in recent years, I know your degrees don’t deserve this and I know CUSA is a radical minority that does not reflect the student population. The problem is that potential employers don’t know this. By 2 p.m. they will have learned from sources like FOXnews that your university is a hotbed of “radicial uninformed out-of-control liberal political correctness.”
The only way to put a stop to this is for people to hear one of two things. The CUSA president should resign after students collect enough signatures to impeach her or the CUSA president will soon find herself out of a job as Carleton students begin the process to fire her.
It can’t be that hard to gather the necessary signatures in time for the noon news cycle. Imagine how quickly the public sentiment about Carleton students will change if they show that CUSA doesn’t represent them.
At the very least, would somebody cut the microphone on the CUSA president. Listening to her talk about Robert’s Rules of Order, it’s clear she has no idea of what Robert’s Rules actually say.
The CUSA president’s doublespeak and spin is worse than Baghdad Bob’s. At least we could tell he didn’t believe what he was saying; the scary thing is CUSA actually believes their own BS.
Most importantly, after you clear out the current CUSA politicians, you must elect responsible mature students to represent you. The first order of business is implementing a proper culture and proper governance procedures. This problem could have been avoided if CUSA functioned properly in the first place. It was a train wreck waiting to happen, but nobody expected it would be this bad.
There is a message here for other universities with similarly disconnected-from-reality students’ unions: you may ignore them in the hopes they don’t interfere with you getting your degree. However, as CUSA as shown, your students’ union is very capable of ruining that degree while you’re busying studying in the library.
UPDATE: Just when I thought it could get any worse. Here’s CUSA councillor Donnie Northrup reportedly telling friends on Facebook that “I see no moral or cultural reasons to stick with Shinerama, to say because we’re been doing it for years, is the same mentality that kept slavery legal, and prevented the women’s vote.”
Past Carleton student leaders “horrified” by CUSA rationale
Letter encourages council to revisit issue with open mind, reinstate Shinerama
Dear Editor,
We are writing with respect to the recent decision by the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) to cancel the annual fundraising event during Frosh Week known as Shinerama, which raises money for Cystic Fibrosis. The apparent reason for doing so is even more shocking than the actual result. Apparently, Cystic Fibrosis according to CUSA, affects mostly white males and is therefore not a diverse enough charity for CUSA to raise money for. As former members of the executive, council, frosh week facilitators and volunteers of CUSA we are horrified that the domination of political correctness has now invaded the philanthropic arena.
We now have to decide which charities and diseases are politically correct enough for students to participate in them? What does this say about all of those who have participated in this event for all those years and its continued success? What about all of those who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis and have benefited from the money rose from this event? What about the camaraderie and friendship that takes place during frosh week and helps students begin their university life while learning to give back to their communities?
Isn’t it time that CUSA council give their heads a shake and cool off a bit and revisit this issue with an open mind? Saying Cystic Fibrosis or any other disease or charity associated with it is not diverse enough is just prejudice, pure and simple. It makes absolutely no sense. What gives them or anyone else the right to say that? This time honoured tradition means so much to the students who participated in it before you. It means so much to the people who have benefited from the money raised. Instead of changing it or cancelling it, why not add something new if you feel the need to diversify? There are so many worthwhile causes, why just pick one? We just do not see the point of putting down all of the people who suffer from Cystic Fibrosis and their benefactors who have put in their time and efforts into this worthy cause for the sake of political correctness.
Keep Shinerama and add another charity event! The more the merrier! Cancer research is a fantastic cause. So is AIDS research. There are numerous organizations which are looking for money in the area of mental health research. There are so are many deserving charities who would welcome additional support. Just think about what you are really doing and realize that it is in no way, shape or form politically correct. It is insulting and hurtful.
Sincerely,
Wendy Stewart
CUSA Finance Commissioner 1994-1995
Chair of CUSA Council 1995-1996
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Pierre Leduc
CUSA Councilor 1994-1995
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Shannon White
CUSA Shinerama Coordinator 1994
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Craig Watson
CUSA Shinerama Coordinator 1995
CUSA Director of Education 1997-1998
Cystic Fibrosis Recipient 1969-Present
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Elaine Flis
Chair of CUSA Council 1993-1994
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Chris Lennon
CUSA Director of External Affairs 1994-1995 Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Perry Simpson
CUSA Councilor 1993-1995
CUSA Peer Counsellor 1992-1994
Tom Golem
CUSA Councilor 1992-1995
CUSA Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Richard Stanton
CUSA President 1994-1995
Carleton Board of Governors 1994-1996
Carleton University Senate 1994-1995
Orientation Commissioner 1993-1994
RRRA President 1990-1991
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
John Woods
RRRA President 1993-1995
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Peter Nogalo
CUSA Director of External Affairs 1995-1996
Carleton University Orientation “Frosh” Week Volunteer
Marco D’Angelo
CUSA Director of Educational Affairs 2001-2002
