So. Most of you may have noticed there is a student referendum going on on campus. It's kind of hard to miss, what with it being right in the joint entrance to the university and college. I'm going to assume most of you know what the referendum is about. Even the pictures out front will show you it's about the student centre. The general gist is this: NUSU and CSRC want control of money they claim the university should be giving them to do the expansion the way they want, but the university claims it is following protocol.
But there's no way to hide from this issue. We can't hide our heads in our books! And it's partly because no one will let us, which should be a good thing. But I have some quibbles with this situation which I am going to divulge, at the expense of potentially receiving some backlash for my opinions.
My first issue is the approach that NUSU and CSRC are taking to make students aware of what is going on. Yes, students need to be informed, but not harassed. If I would like to walk past the people handing out flyers without taking one, please let me walk casually by. I am aware of the politics and arguments. I have read the official Nipissing email, I have read the comments on the Facebook group, and I have developed opinions. I realize some people haven't, and I have always been a supporter of freedom of expression (e.g., Jesus Coke blog post from last year), but I also believe that I have a right to get to my class on time, and being blocked by those who inform us has infringed on that ability for me for much of the past week. In one instance, three spokespeople literally trapped me.
It's not just the general student populace who is feeling the brunt of this. I know that some students who are connected to NUSU in various ways have been pressured into wearing the referendum shirts, even without being fully educated on the topic.
So I voted. I shant say which way, I don't want to sway things, but when I showed my student card and got my voting paper, I was given an additional little bright yellow slip. It was *suspense* a coupon for a free fry at the Wall. Not only that, but it's only valid on voting days. This disturbed me. Voting should not have incentives attached to it. This is democracy. Democracy shouldn't be tainted by promises of fast food. It influences the votes. It may get more people to vote, but it can sway the votes that are given. This tactic bothers me. It's seems to verge on nepotism to me. The NUSU, CSRC, and Wall facebook walls all encourage students to vote and get free fries. For all we know, these are false promises built on free coffee, donuts, and french fries.
When I vote, I'd also like a little booth so I know my vote is confidential. The table is just that--a table with two boxes. There was someone behind me when I voted. It was awkward. This wouldn't be permitted in real elections. If the student unions are taking this as seriously as they claim, measures to ensure confidentiality should be a given.
We've received a biased perception. This is normal in politics, but I personally don't want to take for granted that the student unions are acting in my best interest. It's a difficult time, too, because the elected executive shifts over the summer, when most students aren't even here. It's hard enough figuring out what is going on when you're on campus. They have compared the university to a parent, controlling the money they feel they have a right to. But the university says they do give the money, on request. Perhaps, if the student unions are not behaving appropriately in their tactics, they do need a parent to keep them in check. As always with politics though, it is difficult to know which is the best option.
Either way, the student centre is going to be changed, no matter who is in control of those funds, and I think that is what is most important. We just want to know our money is not being misappropriated, but instead of hearing about where those funds are going, we hear who is in control of the money. That would be in the students' best interests. Apparently, in this case, money is power.
[Photo by author; no license infringement]
