Polarized principles cause schism within ASSU

U of T student unions are in turmoil. The University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) is being accused of apathy and unwarranted neutrality. At the same time, the Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU) is meeting allegations of taking politicking too far. On Wednesday, March 19th, few students gathered in the front room of the UTSU building in a protest labelled "Take Back Your Student Union". UTSU members were noticeably absent.

Students took the opportunity of non-supervision to paint a quote from Depression-era Brazilian liberal activist Paulo Freire: "Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be nuetral (sic)."

The afternoon consisted of a series of one-sided workshops which addressed police brutality, "realities" for students in Palestine, and the elimination of tuition fees, to name a few.

Every speaker was on the minority, "oppressed" side of things.

When Ryan Hayes, ASSU's President and organizer of the rally, was asked why the day was devoid of objectivity and did not once present two sides to any situation, he stated: "When people talk about balance, I think sometimes they try to hide the fact that there are power imbalances." He added that "You can't just say peace before justice."

The event was an attempt to compel UTSU to take positions on major political issues which affect students, both as members of the U of T community and as global citizens.

UTSU was largely absent that day, as execs were in B.C. in an unsuccessful attempt to help keep Simon Fraiser University students in the CFS. They did not reply to repeated e-mail requests to respond to the situation. Additionally, the office was empty until March 25th due to the Easter weekend. Thus, UTSU has yet to respond to the allegations of ineffectiveness made against them.

The controversy continues as UTSU Campus Life VP Camille Cendana had her computer privileges revoked. She was, essentially, removed from her position on the Student Union for reasons she explained in an open e-mail on March 21st:

"They are upset by my participation in student-led events at the Union office during the 'Take Back Your Student Union'."

While the aformentioned event was relatively low-key, frustrations escalated. The next day, Hayes gathered with a more rambunctious group for a sit-in at the office of Governing Council (Simcoe Hall). The same students arranged a second "Emergency Rally" on March 25th.

While these loud expressions of free speech are controversial in and of themselves, they bring up the more important issue of where a student council's governance lies.

Hayes and others (a collective which includes a handful of other ASSU executives, as well as members of AlwaysQuestion) have been protesting UTSU's ineffectiveness, and yet ASSU is faced with a fight of its own.

March 18th was supposed to be ASSU's elections for next year's executives. The meeting, which witnessed some exposing of mistruths, escalated into a screaming match.

A team of candidates, including the incumbent president Hayes, marched out. They claimed that an opposing presidential candidate had been pre-campaigning, while other individuals involved in ASSU found contempt in Hayes' bringing his position as ASSU President into political battles not approved by the Union.

"We were never consulted or asked to endorse anything of this nature," complained Tania Neogi in regards to the sit-in.

In response to Neogi, Melanie Spence of the Health Studies Student Union expressed that "it is reasonable for student representatives to use their union titles to defend worthy political causes."

Another member of ASSU reproached the union for not recording meeting minutes since August. Hayes responded to these allegations by asserting that minutes had been taken, and were simply not made public.

Student observers remain conflicted as to what role they think Student Unions should play, as too remain the Student Unions themselves.