All Posts Tagged With: "Donnie Northrup"
Northrup’s return is proof of a broken system
Bad decision is a small part of the bigger picture, as democratic deficit on Carleton’s campus grows
The student who proposed a controversial motion declaring cystic fibrosis only affects “white people, and primarily men” is back as a councillor with the Carleton University Students’ Association, bringing back memories of the scandal which tarnished the university’s reputation last year.
For those who don’t know, last year Donnie Northrup proposed a motion to replace a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis with one that is more “inclusive.”
The motion, despite being factually inaccurate and offensive to most, passed quite easily at council. The students’ association suffered through weeks of intense media coverage and public scrutiny as a result, deservedly so.
Northrup resigned at the next council meeting as students presented signatures to impeach him. It was quite clear that the students did not want him back.
Yet somehow, he finds himself sitting on CUSA council again, this time as a councillor for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
To me, this is an absolute proof of a democratic deficit that exists on many campuses today. The students would likely never support the man who embarrassed their school on an international scale.
But it wasn’t up to the students. After the last election, three seats remained vacant for Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences students. And instead of leaving them vacant until the majority of students returned to school and holding a by-election, the three seats were filled in the summer.
And what kind of fair, democratic method was there for selecting the students who would fill those seats?
Students were given 10 days to apply and collect enough signatures to get nominated, and council would vote. Well, students who walked by the CUSA office every day were given 10 days. Or those who checked obscure sections of the rarely updated CUSA website.
And funny enough, only four people applied for those three CUSA seats. Three of them, including Northrup, are CUSA employees. The other applicant was told their nomination papers were forged.
And sure enough, those three CUSA employees became CUSA councillors.
Sound fair to you? It gets worse.
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.
Carleton reinstates Shinerama, councillor resigns
Petition calling for president’s impeachment tabled at council meeting
The Carleton University Students’ Association has voted to reinstate support for the Shinerama campaign. CUSA sparked a storm of negative reaction from Carleton students and the media after the organization voted to withdraw support for the campaign.
Carson Jerema with More on the CUSA meeting
Also read: Carleton reverses course
The motion that saw support for the Cystic Fibrosis charity removed was premised by a controversial wheareas clause that claimed the disease only affects “white people.”
Donnie Northrup, the science councillor who wrote the motion, has resigned.
A campaign to impeach the executive started last week.
