Febuary 4, 1992

the Other Press

 

Assault Forces Latent Racist Issues

WINNIPEG (CUP) — A threat to
“exterminate” an aboriginal student
at the University of Manitoba has
pushed the administration to estab-
lish a group to deal with campus
human rights violations.

King, a fourth-year stu-
dent and member of the U of M
NativeStudents Association, said she
was threatened after taking the park-
ing space of another car in a univer-
sity lot Jan. 10.

The man in the waiting car got
out and pounded on her window
calling her a “fucking bitch” and
“fucking Indian,” King said. She
stayed in her locked car with the
windows rolléd tip until he left.

She returned to.the car later in the

day and found a note which read, in

“Better look over your shoulder

itch, you never know what good
citizen might exterminate you.”

ing has filed a oainsbinind with

city police, who are looking for the

man.

Public jure since King’s har-
assment has forded the nual to
look into developing a human rights
policy, said David Murphy, vice
provost of student affairs. A work-
tg made up of students and
staff will develop the policy, he said.

Brian Fijal, head of the working
group, said the group will do educa-
tional work as well as hear griev-

ances. Currently, there is no
mechanism to deal with
complaints of racial harassment.
Since the on King was
publicized, the NSA has been
flooded withmailand phone calls.
Not all of the calls were support-
ive.
“One caller said because we
are a minority, we should be on
our best behaviour,” King said.
“A letter said I deserved it.”
Florence Bruyere, U of Mnative
student advisor, said incidents of
racism “go in cycles.”
“When the economy is down,
people goat us because they think
we get our education free.”

Seeping By-Products Undesirable at UBC

VANCOUVER (CUP) —Two large
piles of manure collected from barns
at the University of British Columbia
are leaching into a campus stream.
The Animal Science Departnienk
which operates the barns, can’t dis-
pose of the offending manure prop-
erly because it has no money, said
acting department head Jim Shelford.
“The department is so under-
funded by the university administra-
tion that it is unable to deal with the
manure at the present time,” he said.
Agricultural waste generated in
B.C.’s lower mainland —where the
university is located — cannot be
dumped into the Greater Vancouver

Regional District's sewage system.
The waste is supposed to be handled
in an environmentally-responsible

manner.

Usually, solid and liquid wastes
are separated. The solid matter is
composted with sawdust to produce
an organic fertilizer, while the liquid
wasteis stored in holding ponds and
latersprayed ontofields before plant-
ing. Both methods serve toreturn the
animal waste to the land.

Part of the problem at the univer-
sity is the leaching into the creek,
where contaminants from the ma-
nure end up in the stream and on
surrounding beaches. And, the ani-

mal waste could also be seeping into
UBC's storm drainage system, which
empties directly into the PacificOcean.

Solving the problem of the seeping
manure would give the university a
chance to show how ecologically
minded it can be, said UBC professor
Richard Beames.

“The university could demonstrate
how animal by-products could be
handled and converted into ecologi-
cally desirable end products,” hesaid.
“Acompost projectcould be designed
without bringing in outside consult-
ants, and it would cost the university
nothing.”

Token Policy Angers Womens Groups

 

by Kristen Hutchinson and Catherine
Jheon

MONTREAL (CUP)—Montreal po-
lice havea new sexualassault policy,
but many of the city’s women’s
groupsarecritical of it. The policy
requires Montreal police to publicize
cases ofsexualassaultagainstwomen
in their homes by men unknown to
them.

Police constable Angéle Joyal said
the policy hasn’t been implemented
yet because nosuch cases have been
reported in past months. The next
case that occurs will be publicized,
she said.

Women are criticizing the policy
foritsnarrowscope. “Toonly focus

 

on homes is stupid,” said Sylvia Di
lorioofthe McGill University’ssexual
assault centre. “Rapes also occur in
cars, parks, parking lots, shopping
centres, e' here.”

Eighty-seven per cent of assaults
occur between people who know
each other and 13 per cent occur on
the. street, said Kelly Gallagher-
Mackay of McGill’s Walk Safe Net-
work.

Joyal said the policy doesn’t mean
sexual assaults outside the home
won't be announced. While police
are only obliged to publicize assaults
occurring in the home, they may still
alert the public about others. Each

police station’s director will decide
which cases to publicize.

 

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TREVOR MACNEIL PHOTO

The policy was drafted following
a series of attacks in women’s homes
in Montreal’s West Island last year. A
public outcry resulted when police
failed-to issue warnings until several
more assaults had occurred.

“The policy is important, for the
first assault would be publicized in-
stead of waiting for two or three to
occur,” said Joyal. “This will help
women to protect themselves.”

Joyal said assault in a woman's
home would be more likely to be
premeditated than assault on the
street. In such cases, women should
be warned to take precautions, she
said.

Women agreed the police initiative

was in some ways positive and en-
couraging.
“Although the policy represents
sucha minuscule step for women, it’s
a big step for the police,” said
Gallagher-Mackay.

Joyal said the assaults would be
publicized through all local media,
including community newspapers, but
police will not poster in areas where
reported rapes have occurred.

A Toronto woman who was ra
is suing the Toronto police force for
failing to warn her she wasa potential
victim of a serial rapist. If her case is
successful, it will open the door for
other lawsuits of a similar nature.

«
~

CHylese
Next
YeAee!

 
  

 

 

E Manning Fund

OTTAWA (CUP) — Students will
get vouchers worth $3,000 toattend
the college or university of their
choice if the Reform Party forms
the next government, says Preston
Manning.

During a recent series of
speeches at Ontario universities,
Manning outlined his party’s policy
on federal funding for post-sec-
ondary education.

Instead of giving the prov-
inces the $2 billion they currently
receive for universitiesand colleges,
the federal government would is-
sue “advanced education vouch-
ers” to individual students.

“The effective choice and
bargaining power of students will
beincreased because they willnow
have the power to ‘spend’ their voucher wherever they get accepted,”

ing said.

He said students will feel empowered by actually possessing a tangible
piece of paper, instead of having other people shuffle it for them.
However, students will have to come up with the rest of the money to
cover books, rent and living ge Manning said.

Manning does not guarantee funding levels would increase to match
student enrolment.

Caryn Duncan, a researcher with the Canadian Federation of Stu-
dents, said marketing wars could erupt between schools competing for
students. -

“TheCFS has hada longstanding policy against vouchers,” Duncansaid.
She also noted federal post-secondary transfer payments to education
total $8 billion annually. Of that, only $2 billion funds colleges and
universities. The rest is given to the provincial government in the form of
tax points and student assistance subsidies, Duncan said.

The Reform Party has not outlined its plans for the other $6 billion.

 

Students Survive Off Of Food Banks

HALIFAX (CUP) — Higher tuition fees, dwindling loans and skyrock-
eting unemployment have forced more students to seek their daily bread
from local food banks.
Asa result, many student councils in Atlantic Canadian universities
are setting up ad hoc food banks.
At Dalhousie University, the mature students’ society has already
given the idea a test drive.
Society president Russ Pevlin said the service was informal, but its
success demonstrated a need for something more structured.
“Whatever food was dropped off was picked up and used by someone
else,” he said.
The student council at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish is

planning a permanent campus food bank.
Judge Reinforces Stereotyping Of Women

TORONTO (CUP) — Guelph university student Gwen Jacob is Boing to
fight a recent indecent exposure conviction for walking around topless
last summer.

Jacob, who was fined $75 and left with a criminal record after her case
wrapped up in January, said the judge invoked sexist community
standards to back up his decision.

“His decision legally reinforced the sexual stereotyping of women,
which is a dangerous precedent to set,” she said.

During the trial, Jacob argued women’s breasts are the same as
pate and treating them differently violates her constitutional rights to
“Teds Bruce Payne, however, said she wasn’t playing by community
rules, which discriminate between the sexes.

“Anyone who thinks that the male Breast and the female breast are the
same is not living in the real world,” he said.

“The female breast...is part of the female body that is sexually
stimulating to men, both by sight and touch, and is not therefore a part
of the body that ought to be flagrantly exposed to public view.”

Jacob said her constitutional rights are more important than social
standards. Her appeal will hinge on this issue, she added.

“Obviously men’s and women’s breasts aren’t exactly the same, but
I think there is a danger when the law is differentiating between the two

in terms of rights.”

Staff at BCIT Strike For Higher Wages

VANCOUVER (CUP) — Support staff at the British Columbia Institute
of Technology are striking for higher wages, charging theadministration
with discrimination against women.

The predominantly female support workers have been off the job
since Jan. 20. The British Columbia Government Employees Union,
which represents the gah workers, is demanding a 14 per cent wage
increase over two years. The hike would match the one given last year to
the predominantly male trade instructors, who are also represented by
the BCGEU. ;

The institute has offered the support staff a seven per cent increase in
the first year of a two-year contract. In the second year, pay increases
would be based on theaverage increase of the BCGEU masteragreement,

which regulates the wages of all BCGEU members.

Students Discuss University Teaching
TORONTO (CUP) — Students from across Canada got together in
Toronto to swap notes on ways to improve the quality of university
teaching.

Twenty-five delegates attended a conference sponsored by the Uni-
versity of Toronto's student council Jan. 25 and 26. They participated in
seminars on topics such as curriculum, course evaluations, teaching
appreciation and extracurricular activities. “It (was) an exchange of
ideas so the students can take back the ideas and put them into place.”

 

 

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