Letter
      to
      the
      Editor
      [of
      the]
      X-Press:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      the
      past
      number
      of
      years,
      our
      University
      campus
      has
      not
     
     
      been
      a
      safe
      place
      for
      women.
      During
      the
      91-92
      term,
      incidents
     
     
      of
      hostility
      towards
      women
      increased
      with
      little
      or
      no
      reaction
     
     
      from
      the
      University
      Administration.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      May
      of
      1992,
      representatives
      from
      eleven
      women’s
      organiza-
     
     
      tions
      represented
      on
      the
      Island
      met
      with
      UPEI
      President
      Willie
     
     
      Eliot,
      Dean
      of
      Arts
      Vern
      Smitheram,
      and
      Ian
      MacDonald,
     
     
      Director
      of
      External
      Services
      and
      Extension
      on
      May
      29,
      1992
      to
     
     
      express
      our
      concerns.
      We
      asked
      that
      the
      University
      publicly
     
     
      address
      the
      issue
      of
      safety
      for
      women
      on
      campus.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      aresult
      of
      the
      violent
      incident
      in
      September,
      the
      University
     
     
      is
      beginning
      to
      address
      the
      issue
      of
      violence
      against
      women.
     
     
      There
      has
      been
      approval
      in
      principle
      by
      the
      Board
      of
      Governors
     
     
      for
      a
      Task
      Force
      on
      violence
      against
      women
      and
      a
      review
      of
      the
     
     
      security
      needs
      of
      the
      University.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      arepresentative
      of
      the
      Women’s
      Coalition
      anda
      graduate
      of
     
     
      UPEI,
      Iam
      pleased
      to
      see
      the
      University
      finally
      taking
      action
     
     
      ona
      serious
      issue
      that
      has
      been
      a
      problem
      on
      campus
      for
      many
     
     
      years.
      By
      admitting
      there
      is
      a
      chilly
      climate
      for
      women
      on
     
     
      campus
      and
      the
      commitment
      to
      students,
      staff,
      faculty,
      and
     
     
      visitors
      by
      President
      Eliot
      to
      seriously
      to
      address
      the
      safety
      of
     
     
      women,
      the
      University
      has
      the
      opportunity
      to
      establish
      itselfas
     
     
      a
      responsive
      and
      caring
      institution.
      My
      regret
      is
      that
      it
      took
      a
     
     
      reported
      sexual
      assault
      of
      a
      student
      to
      move
      the
      University
      into
     
     
      action.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Our
      society
      and
      our
      University
      is
      not
      a
      safe
      place
      for
      women
      --
     
     
      that
      is
      now
      a
      proven
      fact
      and
      violence
      is
      expressed
      in
      a
      number
     
     
      of
      ways,
      not
      just
      through
      sexual
      or
      physical
      assault.
      What
      we
      say
     
     
      and
      what
      we
      do
      to
      women
      in
      non-physical
      ways
      is
      often
      more
     
     
      damaging
      and
      serious
      than
      a
      physical
      attack.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      recent
      disagreement
      of
      student
      groups
      over
      the
      proposed
     
     
      showing
      of
      the
      movie
      ‘‘Cannibal
      Women
      in
      the
      Avocado
      Jungle
     
     
      of
      Death’’
      isacasein
      point.
      We
      all
      havea
      right
      to
      say
      and
      act
     
     
      on
      what
      we
      believe
      in;
      but
      with
      that
      right
      comes
      a
      responsibil-
     
     
      ity
      for
      the
      actions
      or
      reactions
      resulting
      from
      the
      expression
      of
     
     
      that
      right.
      It
      is
      atime
      to
      be
      sensitive
      and
      respectful
      of
      the
      rights
     
     
      ofall.
      The
      right
      of
      ‘‘Academic
      Freedom’’
      cannot
      be
      used
      to
     
     
      circumvent
      what
      the
      University
      Administration
      and
      the
      Uni-
     
     
      versity
      Community
      have
      committed
      themselves
      to
      addressing
     
     
      and
      changing
      on
      our
      campus.
      There
      is
      the
      responsibility
      of
     
     
      perpetuating
      the
      fear
      and
      lack
      of
      respect
      for
      others.
      Whether
      or
     
     
      not
      the
      film
      is
      shown,
      every
      p
      g
     
    
   
   
    
     
      responsibility
      and
      consequences
      of
      their
      actions.
     
    

    
     
      But
      we
      can
      and
      ought
      to
      challenge
      what
      others
      think.
      The
     
     
      encouragement
      of
      differing
      opinions
      is
      the
      base
      of
      the
      philo-
     
     
      sophical
      existence
      ofa
      university.
      Baiting
      the
      opposition
      and
     
     
      hidden
      adversaries
      are
      not
      the
      methods
      a
      university
      teaches
      or
     
     
      ought
      to
      condone
      to
      encourage
      debate
      among
      those
      with
      differ-
     
     
      ing
      points
      of
      view.
      Those
      who
      will
      not
      speak
      for
      themselves
      but
     
     
      manipulate
      others
      to
      speak
      for
      them
      are
      unworthy
      of
      academic
     
     
      or
      any
      respect
      and
      have
      no
      right
      to
      claim
      **Academic
      Freedom’’
     
     
      through
      their
      right
      of
      position.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      isa
      role
      for
      everyone
      to
      play
      atthis
      point
      in
      time,
      whether
     
     
      or
      not
      one
      believes
      in
      or
      agrees
      with
      the
      issue
      of
      violence
      on
     
     
      campus.
      Respecting
      the
      action
      taken
      by
      a
      large
      number
      of
     
     
      students,
      faculty,
      and
      staff
      during
      the
      crisis
      in
      September
      is
      one
     
     
      thing
      everyone
      can
      do
      through
      word
      and
      deed.
      All
      members
      of
     
     
      the
      University
      Community
      have
      the
      responsibility
      to
      ensure
     
     
      that
      each
      of
      its
      members
      feels
      safe
      and
      is
      not
      threatened
      by
      the
     
     
      actions
      of
      others.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      December
      6,
      1992,
      is
      the
      third
      anniversary
      of
      the
      Montreal
     
     
      Massacre.
      Let
      us
      honour
      those
      young
      women
      through
      OUR
     
     
      actions
      and
      commitment
      to
      making
      our
      campus
      a
      safe
      and
     
     
      respectful
      place.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Yours
      truly,
     
    

    
     
      Joanne
      Ings’75,’81
     
    

    
     
      and
      on
      behalf
      of
      the
     
    

    
     
      Women’s
      Community
      Coalition
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SUMMER
      JOBS
     
     
      Applications
      are
      now
      being
      accepted
      for
     
     
      summer
      jobs
      on
      cruiseships,
      airlines
     
     
      and
      resorts.
      No
      experience
      necessary.
     
     
      For
      more
      information
      send
      $2
      and
      a
     
     
      self-addressed
      stamped
      envelope
      to:
     
     
      World
      Wide
      Travel
      Club
     
     
      5334
      Yonge
      Street
     
     
      Suite
      1407
      \
     
     
      Toronto,
      Ontario
     
     
      M2N
      6M2_
      ,