February 26, 1990 by Tim Crumley Douglas College Ombudsper- son, Keith Olstrum, has accused the Douglas College Student Society of ineptitude and fiscal irrespon- sibility in an interim report due to be released today. Broken into two main categories, findings and recom- mendations, the report alleges serious misconduct on the part of DCSS membefs. ~ Olstrum alleges that the Stu- dent Society violated their constitu- tion on "numerous occasions", including operating without a speaker, not filing a budget, and granting a Maple Ridge member signing authority on the DCSS ac- count. If the Society has violated their constitution, they are in a position to be shut down by the Societies Commission of the B.C. Govern- ment. Olstrum has also stated his concerns about the Student Society’s position during November’s faculty strike. "It has been noted that the society did not act in the best inter- est of the student body in respect to their position of the strike and the closing of the D.C.S.S. campus of- fice was detrimental to the students and in violation of D.C.S.S. presidencies (sic)," the report stated. Olstrum has also alleged that certain members of the DCSS - Aias Perez, President; Norman Gludovatz, Speaker; and employee Jennifer Whiteside, Resource Co- ordinator of the Society - have all breached the constitution. Perez has allegedly not kept his office hours, and has not kept up his grade point average. By not keeping his office hours, Perez would be in violation of the Con- stitution. Gludovatz is being accused of making motions while being the Speaker which is a breech of the constitution. Gludovatz was also accused of breaching Robert’s Rules of Order, the system upon which order is kept at meetings, on a number of occasions. Whiteside allegedly booked unapproved overtime, and failed to advise the Society of "constitution- al infractions, which is a violation of the job description". Olstrum states she has breached her contract with the Society. The report also alleges finan- cial mismanagement. "It has been noted that the ex- penditures of the Society have not had proper or adequate due process and that the fiscal mismanagement _ of this society is detrimental to the students of this College," the report _ states. Olstrum’s recommendations seek to change the structure of the society. Among them is a recommen- — dation to create a separate Finance — Committee which would be elected separately and would have veto — powers over the Representative Committee. Olstrum also recommends that the Ombudsoffice have the power to set up separate committees, inde- pendent of the Society, to inves- tigate the Society. He further states that grade point average, as well as other stipulations, should be included in a job description for executive members. Olstrum will bring his report before the Representative Commit- tee meeting today. Olstrum was hired as Om- budsperson in December. The report was leaked to the Other Press Wednesday by an anonymous source. Ombudsperson Offends Society Members by Use of Language in Report by Tim Crumley The impartiality of the Om- budsoffice is in question following sexist statements made by the Om- budsperson, Keith Olstrum. At least one instance of sexist photo by Marion Drakos Vp External a Fanatic? language can be cited in his report to the Representative Committee. The statement reads: "The office of the Ombudsperson is historically neutral and is appointed to be a voice for the common man [em- phasis ours]." Responding to the accusations of sexism, Olstrum stated, "when I was researching to see exactly what the Ombudsman’s... or an Ombudsperson’s power is sup- posed to be, that quote came direct- ly out of the Swedish Ombudsperson’s position." Responding to reports that he insisted on being called the *ombudsman’, Olstrum explained, "there is a debate, or an unofficial debate, or a joke, or whatever in the Student Society among a few of us that it’s the Ombudsoffice, the position is posted as ’Ombudsperson’."” "I feel comfortable as an Om- budsperson or as an Ombudsman," he said. Christina Steinmann, Vice- - President External and member of the Women’s Organizing Commit- tee, stated that she takes offence at his remark. "When is being sexist a joke? It’s not a joke at all, and it really offends a lot of the women who he speaks with. And they really don’t interpret it as a joke at all." Olstrum says he isn’t worried about his use of the term *ombudsman’ at all. "The only people who might be offended by it, and if they are then I apologize, but the only people who might be offended are fanatics, and generally fanatics can take care of themselves." Steinmann’ was livid. "Fanatics? That’s an outrageous statement. Does that mean that all women are fanatics, that all feminist men are fanatics? "He’s an Ombudsperson who is supposed to stay neutral and not offend anyone in anything that he says and is supposed to represent all bodies. If he is using language like that and if he continues to rep- resent himself like that... the Stu- dent Society is going to have to do something really serious about it.” "If this is the way he is present- ing himself, how approachable is he to the general population of this college? There are thousands of women on this campus. Why would they go down to him if they know he’s going to be sexist towards them?" President Aias Perez said he wasn’t surprised by Keith’s state- ments. "His response was, first of all callous, and ignorant. And I think it is a very clear reflection of who he is.” In addition, DCSS Resource Co-ordinator Jennifer Whiteside has stated she has felt pressured by Olstrum in the past. "There was one instance when he made an information inquiry, a request of me, and I felt in- timidated, almost to the point of harassment," Whiteside asserts. Olstrum says he has done nothing wrong. "If they look at the Policy Handbook, if they look at the legal definition of harassment, Then I did not harass anybody. If she was intimidated... that’s too bad." "If she felt harassed by that, then she personally felt harassed by that," Steinmann retorted. "By the legal terms and by the policy terms, she may not have been. But in human being terms, she was. Isn’t that more important?" Olstrum brings his report to the Representative Committee today. Ombudsperson Kieth Olstrum Grassmann by Christine Heal. Rose Grassmann, Treasurer of the Douglas College Student Society is staying. Grassmann earlier announced her intention to resign at the end of February, but she has decided to "give it another semester." Grassmann stated there are problems within the Student Society, but her resignation would not change anything. "I wish there would be changes," Grassmann said. With the recent resignation of Vice President Internal, Laura Zieglar, Grassmann thought it would not be responsible for her to leave also. It would be very dif- ficult to start someone in the posi- tion in mid-semester. Grassmann has projects to finish and felt obligated to com- plete them. The position of Treasurer requires 10-15 hours per week and Grassmann’s studies have been suffering. "It was so dif- ficult I couldn’t do my homework"; U.T. Rep. Andrew Burton is now assisting with her duties. "I’d rather divide the work and get it done," Grassmann said, "the main part [is] to do a good job for the students." Grassmann believes that the student body should be informed how their money - $19 per student each semester - is being used. For some, $19 may mean financially surviving through another week. Ombudsperson Slams Student Society photo by Marion Drakos Stays On Many of us "struggle through our semester to get by," especially if we have student loans, Grassmann said. "The college collected it and lets [the Student Society] play with it." The Student Society should be accountable for the approximate $200,000 that has accumulated over previous semesters. Grassmann suggested a list of ex- penditures be made available by the Student Society, perhaps through the paper. Presently, "Student Society is not accountable for any- thing,” Grassmann stated. "I believe that politicians must have a ‘knowledge of money." " I learned so many skills,” Grassmann said; she was forced to improve her English. "I forgot English was my second language and [that] most people didn’t un- derstand me," she commented. "And I never thought I would have the courage" to do something like speaking freely and comfortably with Administration, "but the ur- gency, the students" and the job forced me to do it. But Grassmann is happy with her decision to stay. ’I have to say with a smile, "thank you for a dif- ficult time"; I made the best out of it.’ "If I wrap it up all together, it was a good year and I got a good education. And I have my own of- fice!" Survey Results by Marion Drakos After weeks of expectant waiting the results are in! Yes, we mean the results of THE OFFICIAL END OF THE DECADE OTHER PRESS SURVEY! According to the polls that were returned 26% of you always read the Other Press, 33% read every other issue, 26% read us every now and then and 13% never read their student paper ( and we won’t ask how those who never read it answered the poll). Most people (66%) say that when they read the paper they read the news. The secound most read section is editorials with 60% of people reading them. The least read section is a three way tie between entertain- ment, letters and features. 33.3% say they read the entire paper. More results on page 65.....