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.

oe

AAAAAARRRRARRRRRARRRRARRARRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 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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