dear readers: i was wondering if anyone noticed some of the following occurrences of the past two weeks and if so what you might have to say: 1. that 4 out of the 5 women that attended the first meeting for the art in activism show pulled out after that first meeting. (one woman later included an invisible piece commenting on the position of mothers.) 2. that 4 out of (by my count) a total of 17 performers and speakers at the politicafe coffee night were women. 3. that only one of the above performers was paid. 4. that there was (surprise) no daycare provided at the coffee night. 5. that the so-named “fuck poem” performed at this coffee night by two men was received by myself and some other women as a rape poem. (here iam not wondering if you noticed our — reactions, but what was your reaction, iam especially interested in what other men felt about this performance. 6. did anyone notice that simultaneous with the art in activism show an administrative directed program called “personal safety” was occurring at lunch hours. that the workshops and forum were mostly attended by administration and support staff. 7. or that one of the workshops on sexual harrassment focussed exclusively on how the woman could change things, what the woman was doing right or wrong and the session was concluded by one of our administration declaring that the woman should go to the authorities! Get Thee To The Authorities Woman!!! 8. or that the policewoman was telling the assembled group that all a woman needs is confidence and she'll be ok. (a gun helps too). 9. what about the fact that the woman from the rape crisis and women’s shelter were organized to speak here not by the “personal safety” committee but by a student. which meant the only time slot open to them was 8pm on tuesday night. which further meant that their clear and informed talk was not attended by any administration or faculty members and but one support staff member. basically i found these weeks more surreal than usual. my reality is that iam not safe here; that i experience much separation here-in the ways we are divided and the ways we divide ourselves. these conditions lead to inaction, misinformation, miscommunication, and pain. this is not ok. that almost all of the women dropped out.of the show after one meeting is not ok. | wonder what you think of this. maureen gaffney dear readers dear readers; i was wondering If anyone noticed (or heard about) some of the following occurrences in the past two weeks and if so what they might have to say (about it). 1. that most of the people who were originally invited to do work for the art in activism show had a strong consensus that this show could have been be a good opportunity for “activists” to focus on local (school) issues. but unfortunately this idea ~ was rejected by the curator of the show in favour of a ‘real man’ approach to activism, one that tries to beat up multi national pigs and the us government (old modernist fantasy of the overnight revolution). also throughout the week a machine was shredding paper in the middle of the concourse, but the organizers of the show never stopped making more junk mail that overflew the mail boxes (video toll box or politicafe or whatever). if this is not hypocrisy, then what is it? 2. that the student union fully sponsored this show (by the chance the curator happened to be the student union’s president). there were (brand new) books and magazine bought specifically for the show, when all the other show-opening requests has to pass though boring student union meetings in order to be funded. 3. that the student union “sort of “ decided to serve notice for a referendum to pull out of canadian federation of students (the only national and provincial organization that represents students on both federal and provincial levels), only because our beloved president doesn't trust the cfs “guys” (never mind that currently the president of cfs-bc is a woman and there are more women, more people of other cultures on cfs-bc executive than many other student organizations including our own activist student union where two euro-centric men dominate/occupy the whole space every time the executive meets. never mind that one of these fellows is not even an elected or ratified member of the executive and he is just there because he is a friend of our president. 4. that despite its obligation in distributing the part-time students handbooks in the beginning of the winter semester, the student union's executice never fulfilled its obligation and instead left the boxed handbooks in the hallway with anti-cfs propaganda so people would think the waste is caused by their big union and not by the irresponsibility of the local executive. 5, that in the so called “ politicafe coffee night” only the “professional performers who were accidentally friends of the curator were paid and the rest were not. never mind that those out-sider professionals occupied most of the performance time that belonged to the students of the college (no matter how good their music was). 6. that the student union executive has decided to hire a part- time coordinator and pay honorarium to five of the executive members to fulfil the jobs that (up until now) were traditionally done by volunteers who were interested in helping students. (more bureaucracy, this is real activism isn’t it?) ° (by the way, you have a chance to oppose these decisions in the upcoming general meeting in the first week of april. and for finding out about cfs you can attend next week's all day workshop in front of the cafeteria. you can also contact me, since i am eccad's representative on the cfs-bc executive board) and also, 7. that the administration has decided to not re-hire the popular art history teacher ann morrison because being ‘an excellent ~ teacher that most of the students love’ is not enough, anda piece of paper called ph.d. worth more than all of those good evaluations that ann has received (check the women's washroom as well). do you remeber cilia, she had a ph.d. | wonder what happened to her? since last year ann réplaced art perry because of his falling down of the ladder (or whatever), | wonder for whom should we wish a plague,so next year, we can have a chance of getting another excellent sessional teacher. (maybe they can re-hire ann again) 8. that based on the 1993 provincial budget , next year we will see huge cuts and tuition increases. (the provincial government has announced a 0 increase in Its fundings for eccad). get ready for the next board meeting in april if you care for your money or programs. 9. that despite filling the student mail boxes with seven hundred yellow papers, our beloved college president couldn't attract more than one student (that happened to be the curious planet editor) to the forum on violence against women. | ‘wonder this has something to say about how much we love and trust our administration, when it comes down to dealing with the real issues. 10. that someone with the same first and last name as me was charged (and arrested) in new york for the bombing of the world trade buildings. this led to a joyful moment for some of my euro-centric colleagues (staff, faculty and students) to confirm their stereotypical image of “mohammad as the terrorist” and unfortunately allowed them to (joyfully and countlessly) harass me about it in the hallways and the cafeteria. for people who have not already reminded me of this name-similarity: i heard it and i got it. what a weird two weeks eh? mohammad salem (not ‘eh' as the arrested man's name Spells) (i spent half an hour writing this. if it doesn’t stand up to your english standards too bad, remember i am not english and i don't try to be one. also i'm sick and tired of people who constantly remind me that my english is not appropriate, forgetting that language, same as any other representation form is a construct. and! don't want to subscribe to other people's constructs. as long as my english (kind of) make sense i don't care if my grammer sounds weird. get it, got it, good.) doar readers: i wes wondering if anyone noticed some of the following ‘occurences ofthe past two weeks and if so what you might have to say: ‘that 4 out ofthe 5 women tht attended the first meeting for the arin activism show pulled out after that first meeting (one woman later included an invisible piece commenting on the position of mothers.) 2, that 4 out of foy my count) total of 17 performers and speaker at the polticae coffee night were women. 3, that only one ofthe above performers wes pad 4, that there was (suprise) no daycare provided atthe coffee ight. 5, that the sonamed “fuck poem” performed at this coffee ight by two men was received by myself and some other women 128 ape poem. {here iam not wondering if you noticed our reactions, but what was_your reaction, iam especially interested in what other men fet about this performance. 6, di anyone noice that simultaneous with the atin activism show an administrative directed program called “personal safety” was occurring at lunch hous. thatthe workshops and forum were mostly attended by administration and support staf. 7. orthat one of the workshops on sexual harassment focussed exclusively on how the wornan could change things, ‘what the woman was doing right or wrong and the session was concluded by one of our administration decking thatthe ‘woman shotid go tothe authorities! Get Thee To The Authorities Woman! ‘8, or that the policewoman was teling the assembled group that alla women needs is confidence and she'llbe ok (a gun helps too). 8, what about the fact thatthe woman from the rpe crisis ‘and women's shelter were organized to speak here not bythe “personal safety” committee but by student. which meant the only timeslot open to them was Bpm on tuesday night hich further meant that their cler and informed talk was not attended by any administration or facuty members ‘and but one suppont staff member. basicaly found these weeks more surreal than usual. my realty is that iam not safe here; that experience much separation herein the ways we are divided and the ways we vide ourselves. these conditions lead to inaction, misinformation, miscommunication, and pain. this isnot ‘ok. that almost al of the women dropped out ofthe show alter one meeting isnot ok. i wonder whet you tink ofthis. ren gate — cm dear readers dear readers; i was wondering if anyone noticed (or heard about) some of the folowing occurrences inthe past two weeks and if so what ‘they might have to say about. 1. that most ofthe people who were criginall invited to do ‘work forthe art in activism show had a strong consensus that this show could have been be a good opportunity for “activists to focus on focal school issues. but unfortunately this idea was ejected by the curator ofthe show in favour ofa ‘real ‘man’ approach o activism, one that resto beat up mut ‘rational pigs andthe us government fold modemist fantasy of thé overnight revolution). also throughout the week a machine ‘was shredding paper inthe middle ofthe concourse, but the ‘organizers ofthe show never stopped making more junk mail that overlew the mailboxes (video tll box or politicafe or whatever. if this is not hypocrisy then what iit? 2, that the student unin fly sponsored this show by the chance the curator happened tobe the student union's president) there were (rand new) books and magazine bought specifically forthe show, when al the other show-opening requests has to pass though boring student union meetings in ‘order tobe funded 4, that the student union “sor of * decided to serve notice for ‘2 referendum to pul out of canadian federation of students (the only national and provincial organization that represents students on both federal and provincial eves), only because our beloved president doesn't trust the cfs “guys” (never mind that currently the president of ofsibcis a woman and there are more women, more people of other cultures on efs-be executive than ‘many other student organizations including our own activist student union where two euro-entrc men dominate/occupy the whole space every time the executive meets. never mind that one ofthese flows isnot even an elected or aified ‘member ofthe executive and eis just there because he isa friend of our president. ‘4. that despite its obligation in dstibuting the parttime students handbooks in the beginning ofthe winter semester, the student union's executice never fulfil its obligation and instead let the boxed handbooks inthe hallway with anticfs propaganda so people would thnk the waste is caused by their big union and not by the irresponsibility ofthe local executive. 5. thatn the 30 called “polticae coffee night” only the “professional performers who were accidentally fiends of the ‘curator were paid and the rest were not. never mind that those ‘ut-sider professionals occupied most ofthe performance time that belonged tothe students ofthe colege (no matter how 00d their music was) 6. thatthe student union executive as decided to hire a part- time coordinator and pay honorarium to five of the executive ‘members to fli the jobs that (up unt now were traditionally one by volunteers who were interested in helping students. (rmore bureaucracy, thsi eal activism srt it?) | = (by the way, you have 9 chance to oppose these deci in the upcoming general meeting inthe first week of. ‘and for finding out about efs you can attend next week's all ‘day workshop in front of the cafeteria, you can also contact me, since iam eccad's representative on the cs-be ‘executive board) iy and also, 7. thatthe administration has decided to not retire the popular art histor) teacher ann morrison because being ‘an excellent teacher that most ofthe students love'is not enough, and a piece of paper called phd, worth more than all of those good ‘evaluations that ann hes received check the women's ‘washroom as well. do you remeber cia, she had a phi ‘wonder what happened to her? since ast year ann replaced art perry because ofhis fling dawn ofthe ladder (or whatever, ‘wender for whom should we wish a plague,so next year, we ‘an have a chance of getting another excellent sessional teacher. (maybe they can retire ann again) £8. that based on the 1993 provincial budget , next year we will see huge cuts and tution increases. {the provincial ‘government has announced a O increase in its fundings for ecead). get ready forthe next board meeting in ap if you care for your money or programs. 9. that despite filing the student mail boxes with seven hundred yellow papers, our beloved college president couldn't attract more than one student (thet happened tobe the curious ‘planet editor to the forum on violence against women. i _wonde this has something to say about how much we love ‘and trust our administration, when it comes downto dealing ith the ralissves. 10. that someone with the same first and last name as me was charged {and arrested in new york forthe bombing ofthe world trade buildings. this led toa joyful moment for some of my euro-centric colleagues (staf, faculty and students) to confirm their stereotypical image of “mohammad as the terrorist” and Unfortunately alowed them to (oyfuly and countlessh) harass ‘me about nthe hallways and the cafeteria. for people who have not aeady reminded me of this neme-similenty: thearditand i got what a weird two weeks eh? nchanmedsenY (na 2h the arrested man's name spels) (i sponthalf an hou wing ths, itt casn't standup to you engish funda too ba, remember am not english and don't tobe one. som sick and ted of people who constant remind me that my ‘engish snot appropiate, frgeting that language, same as anyother representation form i construct. andi don't want to subscribe 0 ‘other people's constets. as long as my engish kind ofl make sense on'tcareif my grammer sounds word. ett got goad)