Language ban revisited
Alex Artful-Dodger overstepped her powers as acting elections committee chairperson by initiating a ban on the use of foreign languages on SAC campaign posters. The SAC elections committee came to its senses, albeit after overwhelming opposition, and rescinded the amendment to the election rules. However it should not have been an issue of debate to begin with as it clearly goes against municipal, provincial and federal election guidelines. Is Artful-Dodger saying that our elected government officials are wrong and are promoting “ghettoism and cliqueishness,” in the words of Aaron Winter, by campaigning in foreign languages?
The argument against the use of foreign languages on SAC posters is suspect and shaky at best. A simple survey of students for whom English is not their first language would undoubtedly find that their involvement in SAC elections is highly inconsistent with the demographics at U of T. Printing posters in foreign languages is meant to correct that inconsistency by drawing the attention of students who feel alienated by SAC and getting them involved with the student council that is supposedly representing them. As MPP Rosario Marchese put it, “there is an obligation for me to communicate with them in the best way possible.”
Don’t SAC representatives have that same obligation? Or are they content with having the large majority of non-native English speakers alienated from university affairs? We should be encouraging the use of foreign languages if it means more students who did not vote previously are now voting. Canada is supposed to be a mosaic of different cultures, not a melting pot like our American neighbours. And last time I checked, U of T was still part of Canada.
To those advocating the ban stating that they feel excluded if they see a poster in a language that they cannot read, I ask, after seeing dozens of posters in English, does it really offend you to see a small handful of the same posters in foreign languages? Come on, that is really weak. Justin Woong Kim has come under attack for his opposition to the ban. However he should be applauded for his stand against a rule that Governing Council member Mike Foderick called “Draconian, if not racist.”
Mr. Marchese’s statement, “they are afraid of a group of individuals that speak anything other than English or French-I’m troubled to see them afraid,” echoes my own thoughts. Is Artful-Dodger afraid of SAC representatives elected by students for whom English is not a first language?
Stephen Kwon
Community Relations Director of the Korean-Canadian University of Toronto Students Association
Security fence has a purpose
Re: Brick in the wall, Mar. 4
I read with great interest the article by Sarah Barmak on the protest to the security barrier being built in Israel. I found it amazing that in the entire article there was not one mention of the reason the security barrier is being built: the hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians that have been murdered by terrorists since the start of the conflict. I can only imagine that the presentation on the security fence at UTSC was just as biased and one sided.
Lia Katz
