At the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) council meeting Feb. 25, our vice-president (finance) and our vice-president (student issues) moved a motion to set up a funding committee for fraternities and sororities at Carleton. This is their way of following through on A Better Carleton’s campaign promise for Greek funding from CUSA. The Greek community is a vibrant and appreciated part of campus life at Carleton. In no way do I question the Greek contribution or commitment to the student experience.
What I do question however is Michael De Luca and Hayley Dobson’s commitment to a student union that best advocates for every single member of this association. Let’s take a quick look at other platform points then rethink why it might be that this specific point has come to be of such vital importance so soon after the election.
Dobson and Alexander Golovko ran on a platform which included looking to reduce ancillary fees for students, as well as increased student involvement in Orientation Week. There has been no public action on either of these platforms.
Our student fees, set by the administration, are finalized far before CUSA clubs funding is decided upon. Why is the Greek funding issue of such great importance that it needs to be publicly discussed this week instead of allowing the rest of the newly elected executive to fulfill their promises when they come into office in May?
It was suggested by multiple councillors at the meeting on Feb. 25 that this was an open and direct ploy to buy votes for De Luca’s election in another campaign on campus. While he told the council he was offended and shocked by these assumptions, I do not place blame on those students for jumping to that conclusion.
The A Better Carleton executive has a history of paying students to get what they want. A $20 cheque in my wallet, with our president’s face conceitedly spilled out over the top of it is all I need to tell me that. The difference now is that the campaign season never stops. This is one of many steps in the upcoming year that will try to buy your votes, quite literally, to support the same team year after year based on your Greek status, your club or society membership, or your other community involvements.
I implore you to look around at what is left of our once vibrant and vocal student union and see what it has become. The arrogance and intimidation that runs rampant in our offices, council, and elections will only stop when the students at Carleton decide that we have had enough. I was there on Feb. 25, and what I witnessed were students voicing legitimate concerns and instead of engaging in cordial discussion, were met with being yelled at with vulgar language by their vice-president (finance) or threatened by our president.
I believe in the power of united students and hope that members of CUSA can unite to work on real student issues while this team continues in their self-serving mission to campaign every day for the next election. There is work to be done at Carleton.
We deserve lower tuition fees. We deserve better food options on campus. We deserve real involvement in our own orientation week. We deserve to be heard.
Let’s take it back.
Join a club, host an event, and continue the conversation. They don’t care about us, they never have, and they never will. So unless you’ve come to the once welcoming and energetic community that is Carleton University to get a quick buck back from your student union for the promise of a vote, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves folks.
Let’s hit the ground, pick up the slack left behind by Golovko’s first term, and continue to fight for the things that matter most to us. θ
