The Martlet

Marginalization doesn’t exist

The article in the Martlet of February 26 titled “Funding decisions imminent for UVic’s advocacy groups” is grossly misleading.

It calls four of these groups, the Native Students’ Union, The Women’s Collective, The Students of Colour Collective, and UVic Pride, “marginalized,” yet one group, the Native Students’ Union, is having a multimillion dollar building built to recognize their needs, and another, The Women’s Collective, by its own admission, serves approximately three-quarters of UVic’s student population.

This is hardly marginalization. The Students of Colour Collective represents students of colour — but against what? There is now law in place to protect them against discrimination. Finally, there is UVic Pride. While certainly a legitimate cause, why is it entitled to special funding and not, say, the Muslim Students Association (of which I am not, in any way, affiliated with)?

Both represent groups on campus, and both advocate for their respective groups interests — special interests, I might add, ones that are undoubtedly important, but do not necessarily matter to the general student body. Furthermore, why are “advocacy groups,” entitled to special funding, when other support groups are called clubs and must receive funding, often limited and sometimes denied, from the club fund? While the battles these advocacy groups are fighting are by no means over, other groups, under the club label, are fighting for equally important causes, sometimes receiving no funding at all due to political considerations by the UVSS. What gives these four groups, no longer representing repressed groups, but rather representing well-known political interests, special funding? I do not wish to pay more to these groups in an earmarked amount because they are considered, for political reasons, “marginalized.” I see no evidence of this marginalization.

Garrett E. S. Therrien UVic student

Obama fights climate change

During his last visit to Canada, U.S. President Barack Obama said the following about the climate crisis: “We can benefit by listening and sharing ideas, and my hope is that we emerge from this process firmly committed to dealing with an issue that, ultimately, the Prime Minister’s children and my children are going to have to live with for many years.”

From March 2 to 6, hundreds of professors and thousands of students are taking those words to heart as they share ideas on climate crisis. This week, professors participating in the second province-wide Teach-In will devote time from every class to discuss climate change with their students.

Why? Because, post-secondary institutions bring together diverse expertise, have a large economic impact, and are cradles of innovation. They have the potential catalyze change in their communities.

It should come as no surprise to find young people leading these discussions; after all, we have the most at stake. We will be forced to pay the debt created today. We will be forced to live in a world damaged by current negligence. The decisions being made at this crucial moment in our planet’s history will affect us more than anyone. We are the true stakeholders. We aren’t simply hoping that this issue is addressed; we are demanding that it be addressed by starting the process ourselves.

Christina Service UVic student

Thank you, UVic students

On behalf of Access UVic, the Association of Disabled Students, I would like to thank undergraduates for voting YES to our referendum question in last week’s election.

We deeply appreciate your generosity and support. All students are warmly invited to use our library, participate in our discussion series or sign language classes, access our advocacy services and attend our special events.

We invite you to share in our aspirations and take pride in our accomplishments. Thanks to you, Access now has sufficient confidence and funding to accomplish its goals. Please feel free to visit us whenever you are in the SUB.

Kyla Berry President

Access UVic

YPY vote should go to students

To the current UVSS Board: can we add the question of Youth Protecting Youth club funding to a board meeting agenda? Can we put the question of “to fund or not to fund” to a democratic student referendum?

The YPY have violated clubs policy and are determined to fight the issue of funding to the bitter end, which for them will only come when the UVSS is exhausted and bankrupt. Club Council is not democratically elected by the student body and should have no say in how student fees are allocated; leave this up to the fee-paying students or their elected representatives.

If the YPY is not satisfied with the UVSS decision to withhold funding to their rule-breaking club, let them be satisfied with a student body vote.

I for one will show up, as I did with 600 other students in 2005, to let YPY know where my feelings are in regards to this issue. Now that our money is at stake, let us decide where it should go.

Brittany Wiens UVic student

YPY doesn’t deserve funding

The Martlet failed to explain this reasoning for denying Youth Protecting Youth funding.

The clubs policy states that funding is granted by clubs council and the UVSS. The UVSS has a pro-choice policy which was decided by many undergrads at a UVSS AGM.

The activities of YPY have been shown to be anti-choice, not pro-life, because the activities include intimidating women away from abortions and labeling the choice to abort as an act of murder, instead of including support for pregnant mothers.

Clubs Council felt YPY had a right to organize and exercise “Freedom of speech” but not to alienate the membership. Board members had expressed concern for women on campus who have complained about this club’s activities.

Clubs Council decisions are not subject to the same constitutional frameworks that the board of directors’ decisions are; therefore, it is within the duties of the board to scrutinize the decisions made at council meetings to verify the extent to which decisions correspond with the UVSS constitution.

As per clubs policy, YPY has the right to appeal the decision of the board at a future date if it wishes. The UVSS does not deny the “freedom to speech.”

Christine Comrie Outgoing Director of Services

Elections scandal at Martlet

We were hired as the two Deputy Electoral Officers for the UVSS Elections that occurred last week here at UVic. Having seen what kind of drama, excitement, scandal and conspiracy these elections have created in past years, we were extremely content that all candidates decided to play the “game” fairly.

However, the Elections Office was not entirely pleased. Last week’s issue of the Martlet ran one story on the UVSS Elections, several letters, and a number of opinion pieces and editorials surrounding particular candidates that were running. After looking through the Martlet last Thursday and reading all of these articles regarding the elections, there was one issue that has sparked some heated debate around campus that we both feel also needs some rationalization and clarification.

What was the deal with the size of that crossword puzzle? Come on candidates, you could have used the Martlet to your campaigning advantage and we, as a campus, wouldn’t have had to suffer with an awkwardly large word game.

Shawn Slavin and Tim Hindmarch-Watson

Happy with referendum results

I came to UVic to meet new people and to have new experiences. I would never get involved with an organization for Asian males, because what would be the point?

I think it’s too bad that some of the advocacy groups have turned into exclusive clubs instead of embracing people of different backgrounds and trying to move forward.

I think Access UVic has done a good job including non-disabled students and advocating within the university for issues that affect students. I’m glad that was reflected in the results of the referendum.

Andrew Yao UVic student