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Hampered Eysplit : ' . ._ , What-should AFSIbe doing? =
by Mark King, Atlantic Bureau Chief, Canadian University Press
Last week, a group of student union presidents from eight Maritime colleges met to ostensibly discuss matters they felt were pertinent to themselves as presidents and to student councils generally.
Rather than talking about issues that might be more relevant to such a group, such as entertainment, ser- .vices, and finances, the meeting dealt ' entirely with the Atlantic Federation of Students (AFS).
The meeting curiously encugh, produced little: after reviewing the entire proposed AFS constitution (AFS is still without one), they agreed on some minor changes concerning financial controls and paying the executive honoraria; perhaps the most significant out- come of the session, they agreed not to hire a staffperson unless they could “afford” it.
The meeting was not a random occurrence. Student union presidents at maritime universities have been corresponding regularly since July, largely through the in- itiation of Robert Sampson, the president of the Dalhousie Student Union;
Sampson’s original letter, sent to all council presidents in the Atlantic Region, suggested the presidents get together and “gather their thoughts" to deal with some of the major problems in the region, in par- ticular the direction of AFS and NUS.
The intention to consider'the larger problems and to get union presidents together to deal with
other matters that may not\
necessarily concern NUS and AFS,
is the kind of communication and exchange that can be valuable and help strengthen each individual union.
Questionable, though, is the at- titude Sampson seems to hold regarding the position of a student union president. As he put it in his
letter: “We as presidents are supposed to be one of the more if not most knowledgeable persons about our student union, campus and external affairs....However what I feel AFS-and each and every one of
our own student councils need is -
proper guidance, knowledge, etc."
leadership,
That a student union president consciously and willingly accepts his role, is the least that can be ex- pected and is admirable when done well. Yet the attitude that lies behind the words implies the presi- dent of the student union is the titular head of all students. That
sort of attitude verges on a brand of elitism that is all at once deplorable and amusing, distinctly reminiscent of the kind of attitude displayed by the condescending politicians who so often wield the power in this country. In a student context however, that sort of feeling is, above all else, patently unrealistic.
As various student council presidents and other elected of- ficials replied to Sampson it was ap- parent they were of like sentiment, particularly on the question of AFS. Most implied or openly stated they agreed with Sampson's assertion that the presidents sh0uld be the ones to decide AFS policy and not,
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as he saw it, the other way around. The positive response to the letter and some further communication eventually led to what is being re- ferred to as the "infamous presidents' meeting", held last weekend.
NbGibbon : ‘he attended
The question easny poséd here is whether the presidents are really concerned about the continued ex- istence of AFS, or are they trying to burrow into the organization for the purpose. of simply taking over the organization. ‘ .
Sampson, who constantly reap- pears as the chief antagonist in this whole affair, seems to believe AFS is facing serious problems, \ par- ticularly in three main areas: finances—financial statements were four months‘late; continuity- the staffperson resigned during the summer; and inaction—as far as he
is concerned, nothing is being
done. .
Don Soucy, SeCretary' Co- ordinator of AFS and by all ac- counts the chief protagonist in the current melee, is understandably
skeptical ab0ut Sampson’s “con-.
cern. He admits the financial statements were late and the books have yet to be seen. However, he
feels a certainamount of inex-
,perience and ineptness by the AFS
treasurer, combined with totally unrealistic standards set on finan- cial reporting were greatly to blame.
The staffperson, Susan Kenney, resigned in her own words “because l wasn't being paid and i knew I wasn't going to be paid".
Soucy Seems to feel that Samp- son, by leading “the other side". (they both agree on that point at least) is trying to create a personali- ty conflict to obscure the real issue: a political attack on the organiza- tion. Sampson, however, doesn’t seem to believe the difference is personalities, but like Soucy, he sees it as politics.
And politics it is; about as divergent as one would care to im- agine.
November 1976 was the turning point for AFS when student representatives from most Atlantic universities met and decided that the Federation, as it existed at that point was generally ineffective, and that the only future was to create a secure financial base, rent an of- fice, and hire a full-time staffperson.
Objectives for the Tregional,
federation were explicitly understood: with regional coordina- tion of policy decisions affecting
post-secondary education, and in- creasing government cutbacks in social services directly affecting higher education, a student federa- tion was necessary to lobby and organize students around the issues to ensure the student view was not ignored.
The per capita fee was the only real way to a stable financial base, and the ensuing continuity the organization would need to guarantee its effectiveness.
This year, f0r all intents and pur- poses, is the first year of operations for ,AFS. The money used to run referenda last winter was borrowed with the understanding the debt would be repaid from incoming stu- dent fees from the 12 member cam- puses.
Apparently no one has any real objections to the existence of a regional federation and its goals; thevsplit is a difference of opinion based on methods.
Soucy remains adamant. “The on- ly way to realize the objectives of the organization is through a grass roots coalition of interested and concerned students on the local campuses." Those students would examine the effects of the larger regional issues and organize students to constructive work and research; that local work would then be coordinated and compiled regionally.
Sampson on the other hand, believes direct, polite, and con- structive dialogue with bureaucrats is the best way to lobby for student concerns.
The difference ideally is inherent- ly ideological, but Soucy questions Sampson's real motives. The con- trast-between the two in politics and personality is dramatic. Soucy, a member of the National Union of Students Central Committee, Exter- nal Vice-president at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and the driving~force behind AFS, sees-the government educational bureaucracy creating an elitiSt system making higher education in-
'accessible to those without the
financial resources necessary to spend years in college.
At the other extreme is Sampson, a traditionalist with political affilia- tions that go beyond the student ~ arena, a successful entrepreneur with business interests in Cape
' Breton, a person who sees AFS and
with sincere concern for the in- terests of students but unfortunate- ly limited by a larger concern for the public interest;
The whole basis, however, of the major thrust to boost the federation last year was out, of a recognition of the necessity for action along the lines Soucy advocates.
Before last November AFS ex- isted for two years as an organiza-
tion without financial resources, structure, or policy, and tended to become an occasional gathering of . student council hacks whose most productive activity was socializing.
. Soucy quite credibly sees Samp- son’s position as a threat to. return the organization to that kind of status quo which would all but eliminate any semblance of political- effectiveness it ever had.
Students at over a dozen Atlantic universities pay a dollar a year to support AFS. Whatever their feeling on what AFS shOuld be doing, they should decide that, make sure the representatives know that, and then do it ' .