Editorial

In All (Post-Orientation) Seriousness

Graphic Eric Bent

Whether you did so by dragging your feet, scurrying in confusedly or eagerly rushing through the doors, when you returned to school two weeks ago you were welcomed to (or back to) Concordia with barbeques, tabling fairs, music, food, free-flowing booze and friendly faces. And you have your student union to thank for that.

Props go out to the hard-working councillors and executives who devoted an immense amount of time and energy to starting this semester off in an informative yet exciting way. And while their efforts have not gone unnoticed, the time has come for us to remind ourselves that we didn’t elect them on the promise of a good party.

We can expect big things to happen this year. Many of last year’s issues have carried over to this semester, and are on the brink of being settled—finally. Now, students and our union need to keep each other informed, be alert and stay active to ensure that these problems get solved in ways that benefit us all.

We need to get serious about student issues. If we don’t, shit could really hit the fan: I’m talking about getting stuck with the Faubourg as our student centre. I’m talking about the risk of losing our representation on the Board of Governors. I’m talking about the impending rise of our tuition.

With regards to the Faubourg, last year students resoundingly said “no” to further investment in a contract that still hasn’t disappeared or improved. Our union now has about $6.7 million of student money sitting in the bank that could be profitably invested into student space on both campuses.

We deserve better than a decrepit building with a flooded basement and necessary retail space to pay our $3 million-a-year student centre rent. Oh, and ideally “student-run space” wouldn’t be split 40/60 with the administration.

Last spring, the Your Concordia slate that won the executive race and a large majority of Council positions ran a campaign that promised to create, protect and invest in student space, and this year we need to hold them to it.

The students have already spoken on the Faubourg, and now its time for the union to finally say that the contract is a bad deal, once and for all—and then to start figuring out what students want $6.7 million worth of student space to look like.

Last year, we saw our school’s upper administration crumble into a cloud of its own corruption and overreach. This year we are seeing it restructured completely, and need to ensure that our representation is not lost in the shuffle.

While undergraduate students may not be the school’s highest governing body, we are the largest—and whether we are given the opportunity to speak or not, if we work together we can make our voices heard. No one’s calling for a Computer Riot Redux, but time and again since the ‘60s, coordinated peaceful protest coupled with open and honest dialogue and clearly outlined demands have achieved amazing things—particularly in universities.

Finally, we are now just over two months away from the province-wide demonstration against tuition hikes, slotted for Nov. 10 in downtown Montreal. Sitting around and waiting until that day isn’t going to cut it (but, by all means, mark your calendars!) or do anything meaningful to make our fees stay where they are.

We need to start applying strategic pressure now, and we need our student leaders to be at the forefront.

On an individual level, we can do things like give Education Minister Line Beauchamp a piece of our minds via email. But the real differences will be made with mass mobilization, and who better to do that than the organization whose leaders we elect, and to whom we pay a fee levy?

With all of the above at stake, students this year need to be alert, informed and vocal as hell. We can’t afford to be asleep at the wheel, and neither can our union.

This Wednesday is the CSU’s first Council meeting and all are welcome to attend. Your current executive was elected on a campaign that promised to represent students by listening first and speaking second, but you need to have something to tell them for that strategy to work. If you can’t be there in person, at least tune in to the online stream via CUTV’s website.

Last year, Your Concordia posted and responded to the feedback they received online through their tumblr blog, at blog.yourconcordia.ca . Check it out, and keep it active. This is an invaluable resource. Use it.
If this year shapes up to be anything like the last, the channels of communication are going to need to stay wide open.