T u e s d ay , J a n u a r y 3 1 , 2 0 1 2 — I s s u e 2 9
the journal Queen’s University — Since 1873
ACTIVISM
NOPIRG plans to stop student fee
Opt-outable $4 fee makes up almost half of organization’s revenue, says co-ordinator B y K atherine Fernandez -B lance News Editor A ‘no’ campaign has been launched against the Ontario Public Interest Research Group’s opt-outable student fee. It’s the first time in the organization’s history at Queen’s. The $4 fee has been in place since OPIRG was started at
Queen’s in 1992. AMS student fees official ‘no’ campaign. go up for renewal every three years. According to AMS policy, a ‘no’ “The chief motive behind the campaign can be organized against campaign is the use of student a student fee referendum question. dollars or more precisely the ‘No’ campaigns are entitled to a $50 misuse of them,” said Stuart budget and a maximum amount Clark, chief organizer of the of 25 posters in accordance with NOPIRG campaign. AMS policy. On Jan. 24, Clark, ArtSci ’14, The campaign started last submitted a letter of intent to the Tuesday under the Facebook AMS to register NOPIRG as an page QSAFE.
Arkells come back
Clark said around 24 volunteers have become involved with NOPIRG and have helped put up posters and deliver class talks for the campaign. “Any contact that we’ve had with OPIRG has been largely confrontational unfortunately,” he said. “At the [cafeterias] we’ve had certain OPIRG sympathizers surround and yell at our volunteers.” Clark said the volunteers have been called “fascist” and “racist.” Kavita Bissoondial, OPIRG Kingston coordinator wasn’t present during the incident and said she was unable to provide comment. “This event lead to the adoption of student constables,” he said. Patrick Allin, AMS speaker and chief electoral officer, said a student constable was offered to each group during the campaigning due to increasing hostilities. Only NOPIRG has utilized this thus far. Allin, ArtSci ’13, said the AMS has been in regular contact with both parties and neither has violated the rules of AMS referendum, though supporters
of both groups have “publically harassed and defamed members,” of the other group. According to an AMS press release issued yesterday, those responsible will be held accountable under the non-academic discipline system. Clark said NOPIRG doesn’t take much issue with OPIRG as a whole. “The issue that we have is about the use of publically available funds for certain activities that don’t reflect the values of the entire community,” he said. Clark said right now QSAFE is committed to stopping OPIRG’s student fee. “Even if they lose the ability to opt out, no student is prevented from making an individual contribution to the $30,000 salary of the co-ordinator,” he said. Bissoondial said her salary becomes $24,000 after tax. “I definitely do think that [NOPIRG] is personal,” she said. “The campaign about my salary is absurd.” See Harassment on page 5
POLITICS
Elizabeth May comes to campus B y J anina E nrile Assistant Features Editor
Room as part of Ban Righ Centre’s special speaker series. “It’s her analysis of environmental issues and how everything is interconnected: the economy, the political parts of things, the policy, the environment, the choices we make in our daily lives,” Webb said. “She can interweave all of those things and come out with a clear idea of what action is required.” May, who recently attended the UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa, was on her way to catch a 2:30 p.m. train to Windsor when she sat down with the Journal to talk about student voting, environmental activism and the Green Party’s future.
The campaign to bring Elizabeth May to Queen’s started after the Green Party leader was elected as photo by justin chin The Arkells played a sold-out show at Ale House on Friday night, playing hits including “Kiss Cam” an MP in the Spring. “We wanted to focus our and “Book Club” from their new album Michigan Left. For full story see page 8. attention on the connection between human beings and the Shafia trial natural world this year,” said Lisa Webb, an organizer of the event. May is a former Queen’s School of Policy Studies professor and is the sole Green Party representative in Ottawa, representing the riding take issue … is sort of branding all Sunday’s conviction. B y J ustin C hin of Saanich-Gulf Islands in B.C. Superior Court Justice Robert Afghans, or branding all Muslims Assistant Photo Editor (Video) She spoke to a crowded room as barbaric, as the otherness people Maranger described the crime to of students and Kingston residents Queen’s student Irfan Tahiri stood who don’t really have the shared See Three on page 4 on Friday in the Ban Righ Fireside See Green on page 4 outside the Frontenac County values that we do.” A crowd of over 50 people Courthouse on Sunday to hear the gathered to watch the handcuffed Shafia trial’s verdict. Tahiri is Canadian-born , with Shafias leave the courthouse. The Afghan roots and has followed the crowd cheered and applauded as three-month trial surrounding the the Crown attorney walked out of honour killings. the courthouse after the trial. According to the United Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Mohammad Yahya and Nations news release on domestic son Hamed plead not guilty violence in Mar. 4, 2010, there are to killing four female family as many as 5,000 honour killings a members in 2009. Shortly after year globally. Most of them aren’t 1 p.m. on Sunday, all three were reported by the media at all. found guilty of four counts of The Vancouver Sun reported in first-degree murder. Jan. 29 that since 2005 there have for the Journal’s AMS “I think the verdict is true. I think been 11 victims of honour killings election endorsement they were guilty,” Tahiri, ArtSci ’14, in Canada and eight convictions See page 6 said. “The one thing that I really have been made. This includes
Student speaks on verdict