The Langara Two: Langara Student Union Bans Activists

Brent Morley, OP Contributor

Photo by Brent Morley

mid a power struggle within the

Langara Students’ Union (LSU),

allegations of sexism, racism, fascism, and photocopier abuse led to the banning of two students from LSU prop- erty.

The Langara Two, Kira Daley and Nicole Burton, have been banned from the union despite being members in good standing. After a 90-minute meeting last week, the LSU decided to unilaterally express its might, expunging the two anti- war activists and any activity by the Mobilization Against War and Occupation group (MAWO).

The two students have been accused of misappropriating funds that were paid out to guest speakers during Langara’s education week on war and occupation. The guest speakers were affiliated with

concern over the speakers’ credentials. As members of the Peace and Social Justice Committee, Daley and Burton made but- tons with LSU funds that did not bare the student union’s logo, but rather the MAWO logo.

Student-union executives expressed outrage that the funding was used for the creation of buttons to promote an outside anti-war group. The Langara Two do not deny this fact, but claim that the two organizations share common goals.

On Wednesday, November 8th, Daley and Burton hosted a forum to address alleged sexism on the part of LSU staffer Richard Bell. Bell has been a staffer at Langara College for over two decades, and is currently in the process of paying back a $3,000 loan from the LSU to cover legal expenses incurred from a trial relat- ed to the assault of a student. Charges were dropped when Bell pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

The Forum—which was set up to dis- cuss issues of sexism, banning the two students, and the role of political organi- zations—treportedly turned into an inquisition of the Langara Two.

Students and executive members of LSU asked questions and demanded answers. Daley fielded the questions artic- ulately and intelligently but the room remained hostile. Tanya West, of the stu- dent-union paper, The Gkaner, stormed out claiming that she had been deeply offended and was feeling abused by the forum chair. Physics’ lab-tech and forum chair, mild-mannered Victor Finn, retort- ed from behind thick glasses that he was aware of what it is like to be abused.

Following West was executive member Erin Sikora, the University Transfer Course representative. Sikora claimed that Burton and Daley were “insidious, manip- ulative, and have the ability to make executive members close their doors upon entering a room.” Sikora further explained how the two students are especially clever at circumventing rules. “They continue to

distribute flyers, handbills, and other anti- war information just off the LSU property line,” she said.

LSU members said that although they considered disbanding the Peace and Social Justice Committee, this alone would not prevent the Langara Two from reentering LSU property. The fear is that the two will continue to infiltrate other committees and take them over.

LSU executives felt that they couldn’t continue to quash committees, so the best way to be rid of the Langara Two was to ban them from the property, since that is where most of the committees meet. There was also concern expressed that the two might pillage the student-union pho- tocopy machine.

Daley and Burton have not been pre- sented with any actual evidence so far, and the ban seems to have only been a verbal one.

The LSU has taken to defaming Daley and Burton in their own paper, The Gleaner, while The Voice, Langara’s other paper, has attempted to remain objective

while exploring the story. However, The Voice has been unable to determine the truth of the situation due to the restrictive LSU requirement that media present all questions in written form prior to con- ducting interviews. The LSU has been less than forthcoming.

What remains most distressing to Daley and Burton is the lack of documen- tation in the process—the two have been given no letter of reprimand or warnings subsequent to the ban.

The LSU from its property. It has also outlawed an

has banned two students organization whose biggest issue is justice for war resisters—American troops who are deserting and claiming political refugee status in Canada. The Langara Two, a couple of motivated and energetic anti-war activists, are the first students in recent memory to have been banned from school property. The LSU is setting a dan- gerous precedent by summarily banning the two women and outlawing an estab- lished anti-war organization’s activities on

its property.

Vanessa Simpson, OP Contributor

ts been two weeks since the US presidential election and Canada s Bush

elected? “It’s a complicated question,”

may be wondering: Why w

says Shaun Tyakoff, a Douglas College political science instructor.

According to Tyakoff, there were a number of factors which put Bush back into the White House for another four years. Foremost was the lack of focus in John Kerry’s bid for the presidency. After a well-received start to his campaign, Kerry soon found himself on the defen- sive. He dodged negative allegations aimed at his military service, he was con- stantly plagued by the sharp tongue and ill-advised commentary of his wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry, and he was unable to provide a concrete agenda that would resonate with rural American voters.

Democratic supporters above and below the 49th parallel were hoping the second war in Iraq would put another Democrat in the White House. But Kerry’s Iraq agenda mirrored that of his opponent’s, mainly because he was over-

ly cautious to not be seen as undermining

Another Four Years of Bush: Why he Won and What it Means for Canada

the ground _ troops. Domestic issues, such as the economy and health care, didn’t generate the needed attention in

opinion polls. Kerry was the proverbial underdog.

Even though Bush racked up a debt for the Iraq War almost equivalent to Canada’s national debt, Kerry could not mount a definitive attack on Bush. Why was this so? According to Tyakoff, “Americans tend to support sitting presi- dents when at war. The Iraq war is so recent that, despite growing opposition, many Americans may have felt that Kerry’s critique was too opportunist and inappropriate.”

The election was about more than Iraq. Evidently, Kerry did not have enough substance in his campaign to pry Bush from his presidential seat. Tyakoff said that, “Since the decline of the dem- ocratic south in the 1960s, only democratic candidates from the South, such as (Bill) Clinton and (Jimmy) Carter, have been capable of carrying Southern voters.” University of Michigan researchers analyzing the presidential election found that many counties voted Republican by the narrowest of majori- ties. But Bush was able to rely on his core supporters—the religious right—to secure his re-election. “We may not

understand in Canada,” Tyakoff said, “that far more Americans see religion as a defining element in their personal world view, and they look to a presiden- tial candidate that reflects this.”

Although there is a deep cultural divide between the urban and rural pop- ulation in the US, many rural voters found Bush’s view of America comfort- ing. “The Republicans skillfully played on the fears of the ‘other,” Tyakoff says. By ‘other,’ she is referring to disenfranchised groups like the gay community. Eleven states voted to ban gay marriages. Issues such as gay marriage have a polarizing effect in the US and seem to benefit Republican campaigns.

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