Letter
At the strike General Assembly, we the students, passed a motion allowing for a strike without pickets. The rights of those who wanted to strike was supposed to be protected as well as those who did not want to.
On the first day of the strike, the Concordia Student Union executive broke this promise and promoted and supported the disruption of classrooms with drums, Venezuela’s, and screaming.
I’m in support of the right of students to boycott class as a protest against tuition hikes, but its important to remember that only 1,200 students came out to the GA, and that 35,000 is our student population. The minority should not hold the majority hostage and it is hypocritical to proclaim an education is a right, by denying that right to those who have paid for it and wish to attend class.
I find it concerning that Melanie Hotchkiss, presidential candidate for Concordia Could Be, is in full agreement with the current CSU that those who wish to go to the classes they paid for and are required to attend according to Concordia Administration don’t have that right. Apparently, its a tyranny of the minority. This is not democratic and definitely not effective in winning hearts and minds for the cause of accessible education.
The CSU is supposed to represent all students, regardless of the personal opinions or political views of those students. To disregard students rights simply because they do not coincide with their political positions, and to assume they know best, forcing their views upon the student body as a whole is neither respectful of the Concordia student bodies rights nor the role the Student Union is supposed to play.
Ms. Hotchkiss seems hell bent on continuing the current CSU’s ignoring of students will. Because of that I will not be voting for her and instead will be voting for A Better Concordia.
Christiano Fardella
Political Science Major
