THE ISSUE 07 THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG STUDENT WEEKLY 2005/10/20 VOLUME 60 » INSIDE 02 News 06 Comments 09 Diversions 10 UWSA Election uniter.ca 12 Features » 15 Arts & Culture 18 Listings 22 Sports ON THE WEB [email protected] » E-MAIL VOL. 60 ISSUE 07 ISSUE 60 VOL. OCTOBER 20, 2005 20, OCTOBER MADELEINE MATTERS UWSA PROTESTS FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT DID THEY 02 WAG THE DOG ON HONOURARY DOCTORATES? PICK YOUR LEADERS 10 UWSA BY- ELECTION MATERIAL NEEDLES ON THE STREET 12 THE POLITICS OF CLEAN JUNK FREEING THE FIVE 15 FILMMAKERS SHED LIGHT ON CUBAN-AMERICAN TERRORISM THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG STUDENT WEEKLY WEEKLY STUDENT WINNIPEG OF UNIVERSITY THE ♼ October 20, 2005 The Uniter 20 02 VOL.60 ISS.07 CONTACT: [email protected] October 2005 NEWS EDITOR: VIVIAN BELIK SENIOR EDITOR: LEIGHTON KLASSEN NEWS EDITOR: DEREK LESCHASIN UNITER STAFF UNITER NEWS E-MAIL: [email protected] E-MAIL: [email protected] E-MAIL: [email protected] Managing Editor » Jo Snyder 01 [email protected] Business Coordinator & Offi ce Manager 02 » James D. Patterson [email protected] Honorary Degree Creates Firestorm of Controversy Between NEWS EDITOR » Vivian Belik 03 [email protected] University Administration and Studentsʼ Association NEWS PRODUCTION EDITOR » Opposing Camps Cast Madeleine Albright as both Sinner and Saint 04 Derek Leschasin [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR » Leighton Klassen By Vivian Belik 05 [email protected] Sarah Amyot (2004/2005 UWSA president by stating that “the decision on honorary BEAT REPORTER » Whitney Light and current UWSA general coordinator) and degrees is made by the entire university.” 06 [email protected] n an open letter addressed to University of John Forrest, were involved in the Senate Reiterating what had been written in Harrod’s Winnipeg President Lloyd Axworthy on October BEAT REPORTER » Alan MacKenzie meeting and Derek Palson participated in letter, Axworthy emphasized the fact that 07 [email protected] I13, UWSA president Kate Sjoberg outwardly the Coommittee meeting,” the letter reads. the decision to nominate Albright “was a “Our records further indicate no objections unanimous decision [by those in attendance at FEATURES EDITOR Lori Ebbitt denounced the University administration for its » were raised by students or faculty at that time. the committee and Senate meetings] including 08 [email protected] decision to award former US secretary of state, Indeed our records show unanimous support.” students.” Axworthy then continued by saying 09 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR » Mike Lewis Madeleine Albright an honorary degree at this past When asked why the UWSA would have that Albright is a person “who has made [email protected] Sunday’s fall convocation. allowed such a nomination to pass only to an important difference in the world” and demand that it be rescinded a short while that “she led a lot of us [in the international SPORTS EDITOR » Mike Pyl 10 [email protected] later, Andriy Michalchyshyn, Vice President community] to stop a lot of suffering and a Sjoberg was direct in stating in the letter of Student Services for the UWSA , who spoke lot of authoritarian actions on the part of COMMENTS EDITOR » Daniel Blaikie that Madeleine Albright was not worthy of on behalf of the UWSA, made it clear that other governments.” He also added that as a 11 [email protected] receiving the degree because “as Secretary those in attendance at the Senate meeting last woman, Albright’s highly respected position HUMOUR EDITOR » Matt Cohen of State in the administration of President year “didn’t actually vote on [the Albright] as US Secretary of State emphasized the need 12 [email protected] Clinton, Albright was responsible for serious decision– they were at the meeting but didn’t for women to be involved in global decision crimes against humanity and for upholding an stick their hands up in favour.” making processes. PHOTO EDITOR Wade Andrew » unjust and brutal foreign policy.” In regards to the abstention made by When asked why he thought certain 13 [email protected] In her letter which speaks on behalf of Amyot and Gagne, Michilchyshyn stated that students were opposing the degree, Axworthy LISTINGS COORDINATOR » the UWSA, Sjoberg points to three specifi c at the time of the meeting, neither Amyot or said that “everybody has a right to express 14 Nick Weigeldt [email protected] instances to illustrate her point; namely, “the Gagne were suffi ciently knowledgeable about their opinion and therefore those who want to US-led sanctions campaign against Iraq”; the situation to voice their opposition. oppose [the awarding of the degree are] given COPY & STYLE EDITOR » 15 Melody Rogan [email protected] the US’s “illegal, unprovoked and unjust war “When Albright was Secretary of State their full right to do so.” Axworthy did not against the Republic of Yugoslavia; and the US’s for the United States, we [the executive of the refer to any of Albright’s much contested track DISTRIBUTION MANAGER » support for President Suharto’s dictatorship UWSA] were in high school – we were not record as Secretary of State when answering 16 Scott McArthur whose brutal regime was responsible for “the 100 per cent informed about who this person the question but instead directed his thoughts PRODUCTION MANAGER & killing of tens of thousands of East Timorese [Madeleine Albright] was”. back to the UWSA’s role in the nomination 17 GRAPHICS EDITOR » David C. Tan civilians”. When asked whether it is the responsibility process. [email protected] Calling the administration’s move of members of the Senate to adequately inform “The only thing that I found a little ironic “appalling”, Sjoberg asked the university to themselves about issues on the agenda before [in regards to students opposing the degree] is ADVERTISING MANAGER 18 » Ted Turner [email protected] rescind its decision to grant Madeleine Albright attending Senate meetings, Michilchyshyn that the Students Association, which is leading 786-9779 an honourary degree. speaking on behalf of Amyot who would not this, was in fact part of the decision to award In addition to sending the letter, the comment on the issue, revealed that it is indeed the degree to Secretary Albright both at the executive members of the UWSA agreed to “everybody’s responsibility to do their research committee and the senate [meetings]. If there THIS WEEKS CONTRIBUTORS spearhead a protest outside of Duckworth [before meetings]” and perhaps the UWSA were objections at the time they should have Ben Wickström, Ksenia Prints, Chris Webb, Centre on the day of the University’s 80th “dropped the ball” by not having done so. been raised properly when the opportunity Justin Geisheimer, Sheri Lamb, Kalen Qualley, convocation, in which Albright was set to Even though the protest and letter was there. They were part of the unanimous Jon Symons, Thomas Assenlin, Renee Massicotte, Daniel Falloon, Maika Prokosh, Ben receive her degree. Acting quickly, the UWSA were seen as actions done after the fact, decision making.” MacPhee-Sigurdson, Kenton Smith, Stephen blanketed the university with posters and Michilchyshyn believes that nonetheless “it is Axworthy may not have addressed the Grandpre, Jill Johnson, William O’Donnell, gave out handbills depicting a photo of a sick never a bad time to speak out about an issue.” supposed “serious crimes against humanity” Matthew Sawatzky, Iain Ramsey, Woody Hearn, Iraqi baby in an attempt to urge students and The UWSA believes that the letter sent that Sjoberg spoke of in her letter to the Matt Urban community members to protest against the by the administration on October 14 does not University, however, the question was put The Uniter is the offi cial student newspaper of the University university. at all address the issue of student opposition forward by the media for Albright to answer of Winnipeg and is published by the University of Winnipeg On October 14, two days prior to the to the honorary degree and the the reasons herself. Students’ Association. The Uniter is editorially autonomous and the opinions expressed within do not necessarily refl ect convocation, the University released an offi cial behind it. According to Michilchyshyn, the When asked how Albright felt about a those of the UWSA. The Uniter is a member of the Canadian University Press and Campus Plus Media Services. statement in response to the UWSA’s letter. letter was nothing more than a “bullying tactic statement that she had made nine years earlier In addressing the UWSA, Pamela Harrod, to suppress dissent at the university.” in which she said that the deaths of 500,000 SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES, LETTERS, PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS ARE WELCOME Articles should be submitted the corporate secretary and general counsel The letter, Michilchyshyn believes, is Iraqi children due to sanctions was “worth it”, in text or Microsoft Word format to uniter@uwinnipeg. ca. Deadline for submissions is noon Friday (contact to the University of Winnipeg, implicitly part of a larger issue that has been brewing Albright quickly and adamantly stated that it the section’s editor for more information). Deadline for indicated that the UWSA had no grounds to between the UWSA and the administration was “the stupidest thing [she] ever said”. advertisements is noon Friday, six days prior to publication. The Uniter reserves the right to refuse to print submitted contradict the presentation of the honorary for some time. Albright felt compelled to clear up certain material. The Uniter will not print submissions that are homophobic, misogynistic, racist or libelous. We also degree to Albright because there was student “[the UWSA] feel[s] that the atmosphere misconceptions related to the statement which reserve the right to edit for length or style. representation throughout Albright’s entire in the university ever since President Axworthy she feels have been blown out of proportion.