Page 6 September 8, 2008 OPINION

UPEI Cadre

The face of student journalism needs to change

TORONTO (CUP) -- One of the unofficial mottoes of all university students is to be “The change you wish to see in the world” - a phrase coined by Gandhi.

But in giving the future of student journalism this responsibility, it seems we aren't taking this mantra to heart.

And all it takes is one glance at student politics to see who we're learning our new lessons from. Instead of questioning the real

issues and seeking the answers we have a right to, we've developed the same attitude most student elec- torates have when they give their votes to friends or use them to get someone they don't like out of office. Just like them, we've become more sordid than the real world we imitate and we don't care how cutthroat it gets.

One issue that's always bandied about is the lack ethnic diversity in the news-

room. In the beginning, this was a white man's trade, but the seemingly unbeatable unions protecting that past still exist. If ethnic diversi- ty, multiculturalism, and reflecting Canada’s mixed races is so important, how come this country's student journalists can't stand up and address these issues? And when the future lead- ers of this craft are put on the spot to address ‘real - world’ issues, why do they squirm and take deep

Ya know what really Grinds My Gears?

Cadre reporter, Jarrod Yeo, has a beef with

By Jarrod Yeo The Cadre

A small fortune. That's what the registrar's office here at good old UPEI says I owe them for summer courses I never attended, and until I pay them the sum of $831, my future here is uncertain. So why are they saying this? Allow me to explain.

Summer classes, I thought, would be a great way to lighten the load in the fall and spring semesters. So in mid-July, I registered for Spanish101 and Psy102 (why those two, I may never know). However, these classes had already begun over two weeks prior. After speaking with friends of mine who were taking other summer courses, I learned how intense and

condensed summer courses actually are. I was also told that after missing so much time, my chances of suc- ceeding were slim. So I thought rather than waste time going to a class I could very well fail, I'd continue to work. And that's what I did.

Fast forward to over a month later. As I'm trying to work out the kinks in my fall schedule and register for a mandatory English course, I find out I can't because the registrar is under the impression I can now speak Spanish. Sorry, but that simply isn't true. I haven't so much as set foot in a classroom since April and a quick consultation with the instructors of these courses would certainly prove this.

However, that isn't to say I can't see the university's

UPEI’s Registrar's Office

point of view. Suppose I registered for a course in May that began in July. And suppose a student tried to register for that same class in June, but couldn't because I had filled it. In that scenario, UPEI would be losing out on money by people simply not showing up.

But because I was able to register a full two weeks after classes started, it-just goes to show that these classes were far from full and that Spanish isn't as cool here as it may be south of the border. And it begs the question: why does this school allow students to register for classes at a point in time when they have very little chance of passing?

All this nonsense makes me wonder: what does UPEI need this registration

breaths like what I saw at a conference two months ago:

“What is your stance on diversity within [this organ- ization]?”

“T don’t think [this organi- zation] can get away from diversity, I think we have a lot of it at this conference and in this room."

Of the 60 people in the room to hear that answer, only five were visible

minorities. Editorial by Laura Redpath, The

Underground (University of Toronto, Scarborough)

UNIVE!

RITY of

Letters to the editor and guest opinions must bear the signa- ture and class of the author. The author’s name will be published. Letters must be 350 words or less.

The editor will edit for length and reserves the right of edito- rial discretion in the publica- tion of letters. Letters should be sent to upeicadre@gmail.com. Copyright in letters and other materials submitted to The Cadre and acceptewd for pub- lication remains with the author, but The Cadre and its licensees may freely repro- duce them in print, electronic. or other forms.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

money for anyways? Don't they make enough money off of updated textbooks each year, where the differ- ences between the current version and its predecessor are in most cases insignifi- cant and inconsequential? The price of everything in the UPEI bookstore is enough for anyone whose last name isn't Gates or Rockafeller to only dream about owning.

And on the flipside, how would it be if students demanded a cheque every time they dragged their butt

out of bed to go to class, only find it cancelled?

Or anytime they weren't able to hear a prof's lecture because of the god-dang construction noise right out- side the window? But that . isn't likely to happen any- time soon. As long as UPEI remains a monopoly market here on the Island, expect to pay top dollar for every- thing from courses to park- ing. |

P.S. To those who say UPEI is cheaper than other Maritime region universi- ties......] agree!