Imprint welcomes have the author’s or articles which
Letters to the Editor
letters to the editor from students and all members of the community. Letters should be 500 words or less, typed and double-spaced or in electronic form, and name, signature, address and phone number for verification. All material is subject to editing for brevity. The editor reserves the right to refuse to publish letters are judged to be libellous or discriminatory on the basis of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. Opinions expressed are those of the individuals and not of
Imprint.
Nice guy hard to believe To the Editor, While I was walking home the other day, some guy handed me a bouquet as he rode past me on his bike, Getting flowers was the most wonderful thing that happened to me all week and 1 was hoping you could print this as an open letter to the stranger who gave me flowers. I never believed anything like that could actually happen. Thank you. Tanya
Darisi
Croatians okay, bigots not okay To the Editur, If I cried racism across campus most of you would assume that I am a minority. The facts are that I am a white, Christian female who was born in this country, The only difference between me and most of you is that my parents were born in Croatia, My mother is proud of her Croatian heritage and
m
High W
Tuition:
e all know what’s coming, and coming soon: massive tuition hikes. Understandably, this is of great concern to students, and has caused much uproar. Unfortunately, there is an excessive amount hysteria and bickering surrounding tuition increases, so one must take a step back and examine what the truly important issues are. A Canadian university degree is currently one of the cheapest deals in the world. The tuition cost is negligible compared to a university education in many other countries, and to the titure earnings that one can provide. Graduated and soon-to-be graduating students have been very fortunate to pay SOlittle for so much. However, the harsh reality of the Canadian governments’ fiscal mess can no longer be ignored. Government university funding has been and will continue to decrease; tuition fees will continue to increase. This is an unavoidable fact. However, contrary to the hysterical claims of student special-interest groups, tuition increases will not “seriously damage the post-secondary education system in Canada.” Rather than bemoan a grim future ofincreased fees, student groups should be working with the government to devise a new system to replace the disappearing status quo. Nothing these groups can do will stop or even slow the decrease in government tiding. Although tuition will necessarily rise, it is absoltctely critical that access to a university education increases rather than decreases.
The latter argument
thus she has hung a small version of the Croatian flag from the rearview mirror of our car. On Thursday October 13 someone happened to notice this object in my car, that I parked in Lot C on Campus. They were obviously displeased with seeing this symbol of pride for my family so visibly exposed. They decided to display their displeasure by sticking two notes on my car. The first piece of paper they stuck on the driver side window and thus I saw it first. It proclaimed “KRV-RAT%.A? You’re in Canada looser; take the Nazi flag off! Never Again!” For those of you who do not understand, the first word is the spelling of Croatia misprinted so that it reads “blood” and “war.” The second sticker was of a no smoking symbol and was placed on the opening of my gas tank with the words “NEVER AGAIN!” and “NO USTASHI!” written on it. Again Ustashi is a word that many of you probably don’t know and arises out of past history. It was the term that people gave Croatians who rebelled against communism and sought democracy in World War II. Just because I am Croatian does not mean that T have a hatred to Serbiansoranyoneofanotherbackground. If I was German would you make the assumption that I must be racist to Jewish people as a result of W.W. II? The problems that are happening over seas in the former Yugoslavia are there -not here. Serbians are killing Croatians and Croatians are killing Serbians. It is a war and no one will come out the winner. I could claim that I have a right to be racist because my family back
is
based simply on the fact that reducing access to university will greatly harm our titure society through increased unemployment and decreased growth due to lack of skilled labour. Tomorrow’s economy will de-
pendon
individuals with college and university degrees: those who Iackthem will be unemployed, save for the few who manage to find career jobs at Taco Bell or Zehrs. All jobs that don’t require will be replaced by machines. The bank teller of today will be replaced by the ATM designers and service people of tomorrow. Consequently one can draw a direct connection between the enrolment at colleges and universities now with the employment rate years down the road. Access to post-secondary education can be provided with an improved student loans program, which must guarantee money to any student accepted to an institution. Loans cannot be based on other factors, such as sex, race, or the relative wealth of one’s parents: access must be completely equal. To do otherwise would put groups at a disadvantage and alter the demographics of the f&ure labour force. Obviously special cases which affect the costs of living, such as disabilities, would be taken into account. Most opponents of the “increased loans” solution to the tuition problem claim that one cannot expect students to suffer “lifelong debt” for their education. However, students can afford to go into debt, or further into debt than they do currently, for the purpose of attaining a degree. Such debts are hardly “lifelong.” When one considers the tremendous earnings potential that a post-secondary degree offers, one not only realizes that paying a debt won’t be a tremendous problem, but that perhaps the student shodd face more financial burden that he currently does. Since when is an Actuarial Science or Engineering graduate unable to afford loan repayment? Currently they t&e their governmerit-funded education and make them-
home is being tortured, killed, raped, and losing everything they had before the war started; but then you could tell me that the same is happening to your family on the other side. Yes. We are in Canada my friend and thus I have the right to display my flag without getting harassed by you! If I had hung an Italian flag up, would you have still called me a Nazi? Who does the real Nazi appear to be here? Who is making threats to who? I will continue to be proud of my heritage and so should you --just don’t hurt others in the process. Incidents like this do not cause the flag to come down but only to fly higher. So, to the bigot who vandalized my car: thank you for reminding me that racism still exists, and that even at a University, where individuals are supposed to be open minded and intelligent, a few of you losers still get in. Name
withheld
because
A-
by request
Parking #lo
Lot
To the Editor, Regarding your cartoon, “The Parking Lot is Full” (Sept. 23), and the subsequent feedback and flak you took for it. I am surprised that in a University community, people are so unwilling to have a diversity of views expressed. Surely the way to eradicate hurtful ideas and behaviours from our society is not
Good selves wealthy with it. Graduates can afford to pay off increased debts; they merely don’twant to. It may mean buying a new car five rather than three years after graduation. It does not mean a lifetime of debt and poverty. income contingent loan repayment insures that one will not suffer real hardship but rather merely a ternporary reduction in luxuries. The immediate student reaction to tuition hikes is Hell No! I personally don’t relish the thought of spending more money. However, one must examine the situation rationally, and observe: tuition must rise, access must be maintained for the sake of our Future economy, and tuition debts do not spell the end of the world. Increased debt load for education should not be seen as a new, cruel hardship, but rather as the end to a long, unsustainable free ride that previous graduates enjoyed. Some believe that professionals are rendering a benefit to society, by paying taxes on their income and generally improving the quality of life with their services, and that therefore society should subsidize their education. However, I would argue that professionals pursue their degrees for their personal benefit and wealth rather than society’s, Furthermore, if somebody truly wishes to be a doctor, lawyer, or accountant to benefit society, surely they wouldn’t object to forgoing some luxuries to be less of a drain on public spending. One can be optimistic about tuition increases, if they are to be implemented correctly, If students contribute more of the university’s budget, theoretically the school will be more accountable to us. We are the university’s clients and as such should play a more active role in its administrative affairs and decision-making. When students
to stifle them so they go underground, but to let them be expressed and debated openly, so that facts may be presented. Having said that, I don’t even think the so called “harmful” cartoon is so terrible. Nowhere do I see any depiction of a woman in any way persecuted in the cartoon. Therefore, I think it rather presumptuous for everyone to assume the cartoon is advocating violence against women. Also, the cartoon clearly mocks the man’s ignorance. One letter printed in your paper suggested that things which display ig-
for
norance or naivietC should not appear in a campus paper (or any paper for that matter?). However, if those attitudes are present, they are merely a reflection of the campus population, and it is unlikely that censorship would be effective in destroying them. As an editor of another campus paper, I certainly do not share the view of Matt Wood and I do not believe a printed apology was necessary. Juliet Williams, Editor-in-ChieJ The University of Alberta
Gateway,
the soul
are unsatisfied with a service that the university provides, we can say “we are your customers and we demand that you satisfactorily meet our desires.” Perhaps tuition increases spell a dramatic shift in the role universities will play in the future. Rather than as
autonomous, government-funded units which teach students out of necessity, they will become learningcentres; businesses which sell a service, education, to discriminating and paying customers. - Stephen Younge
by Jeff COUC~U% Pete Nesbitt, and Pat Spacek
1
“You
must be new here.”