05:24 PM - The Endorsement
There is an ancient Chinese curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times." Why, you ask, would this be a curse? Because social change always means challenge. It means being subjected to things that we did not choose. Many people in the middle east are living this. The vast majority of people would not choose it, but we may be unwittingly about to do just that.
While many of our hearts may be with Israel (or with the Palestinians), most Concordia students do not want their day-to-day lives to be subjected to such upheaval. If you are working part-time to support yourself and put yourself through school, you don't need angry confrontations in the Hall Building or noisy demonstrations that show support for one of the many disenfranchised peoples of the world. Only one year ago, this was our student life.
The "New Evolution" Slate is not all new, of course. Brent Farrington has been a Vice President on the current executive. The current CSU has done a lot of things that may be taken for granted by the large number of new students we took in this year. Our orientation was by far the biggest and best in years. Elimination of the "TBA" designation now allows all students to see in advance which teacher will be giving each course.
I believe that the slate "CIA - Concordia In Action" are another group of people who want to hijack our student union in support of causes that have nothing to do with student life. Rebuild Palestinian homes! Fight for Aboriginal rights in Mexico! And all right here. With our money.
One year ago, the CSU of Sabine Friesinger shut down the offices of Hillel, without giving them their rights of appeal and due procedure under CSU and university regulations. This same CSU has given thousands to the Palestinian cause, all in your name. If you wanted to give to a charity, wouldn't you rather do it yourself? And after all, this money is supposed to go to issues that affect all students. The truth is, many of the "student" activists (like Friesinger - this year a Student Council representative - forced to leave her seat for this reason) are not even taking any courses.
In the movie, "Discordia," student activist Aaron Mate says, "every year the leftist slate says they're not really leftist, when of course they are." Leftist is not a bad word, but hijacking the student union for a particular cause, is.
Next year, as this year, I want a normal and healthy university experience. I am choosing not to live in interesting times. I am voting for Brent Farrington's "New Evolution" slate, and encourage you to do the same.