Roughly 30 students gathered outside the Board of Governors meeting in the Minto Centre April 20 to protest administration's decision to take control of Frosh Week.
Students from Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) and the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) were not let into the meeting, so the crowd chanted Frosh Week cheers, booed board members as they entered the meeting and wore their “Save [Carleton University Students' Association/Rideau River Residence Association] Frosh Week” shirts in support.
“Enough with your shenanigans, Flannagan,” the crowd said to Ryan Flannagan, Carleton’s director of student affairs, who has been adamant about the university’s decision to take control of the execution and organization of Frosh Week.
“The administration are out of touch with students,” said Ian Kaufman, a fourth-year public affairs and policy management student.
Kaufman said he hoped the protest will make the administration realize Frosh Week is something students look forward to all year,
Halfway into the meeting, a large poster with signatures gathered from students over the course of the week in support of a CUSA/RRRA-run Frosh Week made its way into the meeting to be presented to the board.
According to incoming CUSA president Alex Sirois, the Board of Governors required a two-thirds majority in order to discuss an item on the agenda and the issue of Frosh Week was not discussed at all.
However, when the crowd discovered that the issue had not been discussed, Nick Curtis, the head of sponsorship and advertising of orientation week, pressed the megaphone against the boardroom window and said, “We’ve been trying to work with you, but you haven’t listened, administration. Shame.”
RRRA president Chris Infantry said president Roseann Runte is spewing a lot of rhetoric about working with students. He said with 5 per cent cuts across the board, it doesn’t make sense for the administration to duplicate services CUSA and RRRA already provide.
CUSA president-elect Alex Sirois said the administration would like to see a weeklong academic-focused week with CUSA and RRRA in charge of the evening events such as the concert.
Later that day, messages were sent on Facebook from frosh heads stating there would be a separate frosh.
Eli Cymet, a third-year film studies student, said if there were a separate frosh, the goal is not to do whatever the facils want, but to stick to the terms in the contract and make students feel welcome.
“Unfortunately today’s protest will not reverse the administration’s decision," Cymet said. “But students are not taking this lying down.”