The Cadre -+

9 March 1999

National News 4

CASA director resigns amid speculation

By KRISHNA LALBIHARIE

WINNIPEG -- Canadian AlI- liance of Student Associa- tions (CASA) National Di- rector Hoops Harrison, an- nounced his resignation Wednesday, February 24 cit- ing “personal reasons.” Speculation from within the organization, however, cred- its Harrison’s early departure as indicative of his dissatis- faction with the association’s movement towards progres- sive lobbying.

“The organization is in fine shape. It’s in a transi- tional period for the organi- zation. The reasons why I’m leaving aren’t that important. It’s really insignificant in the big picture of things,” said Harrison.

“The new direction of the organization and the fact that I’m leaving have noth- ing to do with each other.”

While CASA’s estab- lished mandate provides for lobbying of issues exclu- sively germane to post-sec- ondary education (PSE) ac- cessibility and financing, the association, according to Harrison, has recently indi- cated a willingness to address issues from a “grass roots”

pective.

“If CASA chooses to lobby for things beyond PSE

or throu roots lobby- ing, atten CASA is con-

stantly changing and is re- flective of the ete con- cerns of students,” he said But according to Andrea Wenham, Vice- President External of the University of New Bruns- wick Students’ Union (UNBSU) -- a CASA-aligned school, Harrison’s resigna- tion may in be due to his disfavour of CASA’s shifting focus and potential structural “I don’t think that as a whole the organization is

moving towards addressing activist issues, but some ideas were raised at the last na- tional conference about de- veloping, what some may consider, a more activist ap- proach to lobbying, which we currently don’t do,” said Wenham.

“I think Hoops has a slightly different idea than what the majority of CASA now wants -- a more compre- hensive and broader view of how to lobby and who we should represent. There are certain people in CASA, he’s not the only one, who tend to dismiss ideas that aren’t ex- actly the same as theirs,” she added.

National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Elizabeth Carlyle notes that Harrison’s departure may evince a movement towards address- ing broader student issues, but is skeptical of CASA de- veloping an effective lobby- ing strategy.

“They can talk all they want about doing grass roots work, ~one. © demon- strations, etc., but their by- laws are very clear in stating their membership is com- prised of student councils and not the students themselves and so you can only get so close to the grass roots with that kind of structure,” she

said.

Considered rivals among student lobbyists, CFS and CASA have main- tained a tenuous relationship since the early 1990s, often a function of perceived politi- cal party alignments and their respective approaches to lob-

g.

“Students by and large are not interested in sucking up to Liberal politicians or pussyfooting around issues which is essentially what CASA does for students,”

Carlyle said.

CASA delegate and the Director of Student Relations for a central Canadian uni- versity, Andrea Pratt, disa- grees with Carlyle.

“CASA has done so much for students nationall this year, particularly with respect to needs assessment on student loans, tax-relief on student loans, as well as en- tering into discussions with the Social Union and the Council of Ministers on Edu- cation in Canada [CMEC],” she said adding that the suc- cess of CASA is due in large

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part to its national director. “If CASA is moving in a different direction now and

if that’s why H is leav- ng I think thet’s honorable of him . What could be bet- ter for an ization than for someone like that to step aside a make room for some- one else who likes the new direction,” Pratt said. Harrison has stated that he is returning to school in Alberta in the fall, but will assist the new national direc- tor, elected March 9, in transitioning as head of the

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“The whole of CASA is to make a difference in students’ lives and we have. So I'm happy to leave at this point,” he said.

“I'm really pleased with CASA, where it's sitting and the potential that it has. It does sadden me to think that even now, detractors and nay-sayers are looking for some Sinister spin on what is the most personal decision and in fact a very natural pro- gression in student politics.”

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