NO REST for WICCA Witch Can't Take Holy Days Off by Robert Cooley
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
H U IM B E R VOL.15 NO. n THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1986 NO REST FOR WICCA Witch can't take holy days off by Robert Cooley A college employee who says he is a witch has filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rigiiis Cuiiimission charging Humber College with religious discrimination. Last Thursday Charles Arnold, who works in the Equine Centre, lodged a formal complaint because the college refused to give him his religious holidays off with pay. Arnold is a priest of the \\(iccan • Recognition by Revenue faith, an order of witches dating Canada as a registered charity SAC closes back to pre-medieval times. • A declaration by an acknow- He says society is ignorant of ledged head of Wicca that believ- his religion, claiming it is a "vic- ers must not work religious days. its books tim of 500 years of bad press." At the hearing, Jim Davison, who has since retired as a college For example, he said: "Witches vice-president, cited a document to the public do not eat babies. Witches believe dated October 1983 he claimed in eating relatively healthy food. by Paul Bliss covered this type of request. It was The worst we will do is go to Access to SAC receipts and in- McDonald's." an agreement signed by Humber College and then-president of loc- voices was denied to Coven and Arnold began his quest in De- al 563, Don Stevens. students by SAC members who cember 1985, when he wrote let- The document said that for voted 5-3 against release at a Fi- ters to the Personnel Office and someone to get a religious holiday nance committee meeting last the acting dean of Hospitality, Eli- off with pay, he must belong to "a Tuesday. zabeth Ashton, asking that he not recognized religion" and must The validity of spending by work on the Wiccan holidays of have worked at the college for SAC executives has been ques- Beltane and Samhain. three years and have taken those tioned recently by some council Ashton wrote back saying days off every year, without pay. members. Arnold could have one of the days That agreement was not voted The request was voted down by off, without pay. She says that de- on but administration said it was vice-president Glenn Zembal, cision was made to maintain valid. Richard Simo, Ezio Fattore, Jim equality among employees. "I didn't know the college was Purdie and Sandy DiCresce. "We've made him the offer of in the business of recognizing reli- In an earlier meeting with being able to arrange the time that gions," said the current president Coven, Zembal said he would he can take off, but it is going to of local 563, Pat Jackson. agree to a request to make the re- have to be without pay," she said. She said the agreement is not ceipts public. But at the meeting, But Arnold then decided to recognized by the union because he voted against it. press his case further, demanding "apparently the past president In the interview, he said: "I've paid holidays. He filed a grie- signed a local agreement without got nothing against you guys vance with local 563 of the Ontar- the knowledge of anybody in the seeing the receipts ... but we have io Public Service Employees Un- general membership." other things on our agenda." ion, asking for the two days (May However, Stevens said that it But at the meeting he voted 1 and Nov. 1) off with pay. He doesn't matter if the agreement against, saying "We can't keep offered to work on Christian holi- had been voted on or not. Rather, spending all our time on this cer- days in exchange. he said, the issue is whether a local tain topic, there are many other But the college maintained at a union can negotiate local con- things of more importance for us PHOTO BY KARIN NII^SON grievance hearing it would not tracts. to get to." Before that vote, two Coven re- Tired of discrimination — Charles Arnold, an employee grant his request until he proved "The president is in power to the Wiccan faith met two of the make such a decision," he said. porters presented their concerns in the equine building, says he's tired of the treatment he gets following criteria: "I still stand behind it as being a and interest in clarifying questions of his non-conventional religion. because He says he converted to • Recognition by the Canadian practical decision, whether legal about SAC spending. Wicca because of he couldn't find contentment with Christianity. Council of Churches or illegal." President Bart Lobraico and Zembal were criticized recently by some SAC members who ques- School prepares to stop rebel smokers tion their use of SAC funds. "We're not out to get any- hy Glenn Law body," said Coven reporter He said teachers must set an ex- But even though the faculty un- Wayne Stefan. "We just want to Steps to create a no-smoking ample. "If one faculty ion has assured its support of the member help clear things up." policy may come into effect as then that's it, policy, concerns have been raised smokes the students Committee members argued the early as March 1987, according to will start smoking." over how it can be enforced. matters were internal and if the the director of the project. draft has already BOG's labor representive, A been made, receipts were public it would vice-president of Administration Marilyne White, raised hopes that cause more confusion. John Saso told a Board of Gov- both student and faculty can join Meanwhile, Council of Student ernors' meeting Monday. forces in "endorsing a non- Affairs member Rick Bendera, smoking policy for the college." INSIDE Faculty union spokesman head of an inquiry into possible Adrian Adamson spoke in support She added that it is important to misspending of SAC funds, will pg 3 BOG report of the policy, saying: "The facul- realize why this is such a major present a report at the next CSA ty union is supportive, and we're issue. meeting Dec. 4. pg6 Rags and pushing strongly for it." We need to take the policy and Although he refused to release A major stumbling block BOG take it to the faculty and to the his findings prior to that, he said students there will be recommendations ab- riches faces is what the penalty should be and make them under- procedures. for those who break the rule. stand why it's necessary." out SAC pg9 Garage Chairman of the board Burton She said the policy should be a "There is no intent of an inves- bands Napier said peer pressure may be a collective agreement between the tigation and if SAC wishes to seek solution. teachers and students where a counsel, we're here." **The rules and regulations they pg 10 Air Hawks College president Robert Gor- smoke-free environment can be don said it will be hard to enforce possible. students and faculty, and that it is operate by, they have made. And win because there are so many "I would rather maJce sure the fully endorsed by the students and the rules and regulations they con- smokers. policy is well known amongst the faculty." tinue to follow, they will set." " Page 2 Thursday, November 20. 1986 Coven NEWS Colleges may get more funds by Wayne Stefan honestly believe we're not able to Ontario colleges may receive a give them a decent education. A financial shot in the arm next year walk out would help," Gordon after extra funds were handed said. down to universities this year, But colleges received an in- according to Humber president crease of 17.7 per cent last year. Robert Gordon. Colleges and Universities minister The Ministry of Colleges and Gregory Sorbara said. Included in Universities announced Nov. 4 that increase is a $10 million fund, that universities would receive an intended for the purchase of new increase in funding of 11.5 per equipment. cent, or $148.7 million. Colleges "We (the college) got more received PHOTOS BY KAREN SMITH AND KEVIN McINTOSH an increase of 4.3 per money this summer to hire cent. teachers, to reduce class size and Nothing like the teSi thing — one hundred journalism students took part in Ontario ' 'Colleges can always use more some money for equipment. So I accident last Thursday.The annual drill, organized by journalism instructor Hydro's niocl( nuclear money because equipment is so can't say we haven't gotten any- Dick MacDonald and Hydro officials, was staged to test Hydro's ability to cope with a nuclear expensive these days, and you thing," Gordon said. disaster. Two first-year students stationed at the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station on Lake Huron, never have the most up-to-date "The future of our country re- equipment," Gordon said. lates to the application of technol- where the 'accident' took place, found themselves covering a real disaster in nearby Goderich. An Before the next provincial ogy. Not research or advanced in- explosion occured at the Domtar salt mine causing 60 workers to be evacuated. The pair raced to the budget is announced, Ontario's 22 ventions. to Press wire service. ' scene, where they filed reports The Canadian college presidents will have a 'Our future is not having one or strategy in place to raise funding, two people invent something and fiordon said. One part of this then take on i'ne Japanese or strategy is to get students in- Americans single handed, but volved.