THE
      CADRE
      @
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      letter
      is
      in
      reply
      to
      a
      letter
      to
     
     
      the
      editor
      written
      by
      Zain
      Esseghaier
     
     
      and
      published
      on
      October
      24",
      and
     
     
      which
      concerns
      the
      Student
      Union’s
     
     
      refusal
      to
      allow
      him
      to
      obtain
      a
      copy
      of
     
     
      the
      UPEISU
      budget
      for
      this
      year.
     
     
      Instead,
      VP
      Finance,
      Dennis
      Cahill,
     
     
      suggested
      that
      he
      come
      in
      and
      they
     
     
      discuss
      it
      together,
      and
      that
      he
      then
     
     
      leave
      without
      a
      copy
      of
      his
      own.
     
     
      Esseghaier
      explains
      that
      two
      reasons
     
     
      have
      been
      given
      for
      this
      refusal,
      which
     
     
      we
      will
      first
      go
      through,
      before
      moving
     
     
      onto
      the
      larger
      issue
      of
      our
      inability
      as
     
     
      students
      to
      become
      critically
      involved
     
     
      in
      issues
      pertaining
      directly
      to
      us.
      This
     
     
      is
      also
      a
      point
      that
      Esseghaier
      brings
      up
     
     
      and
      with
      which
      I
      fully
      agree.
      Let
      us
      then
     
     
      begin:
     
    

    
     
      The
      first
      reason
      given
      for
      not
     
     
      allowing
      Esseghaier,
      as
      well
      as
      any
      other
     
     
      student,
      to
      obtain
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      budget,
     
     
      is
      that
      students
      do
      not
      have
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      necessary
      background
      information
      in
      |_
     
    
   
   
    
     
      order
      to
      understand
      it,
      and
      are
      thus
     
     
      improper
      candidates
      for
      a
      critical
     
     
      analysis
      of
      the
      text.
      The
      simple
      solution
     
     
      then,
      would
      be
      to
      include
      this
     
     
      background
      information
      with
      the
      actual
     
     
      budget.
      This
      would
      allow
      students
      the
     
     
      capacity
      for
      an
      informed
      and
      critical
     
     
      analysis
      of
      the
      budget,
      as
      well
      as
      for
     
     
      further
      inquiry
      into
      any
      aspects
      which
     
     
      might,
      up
      to
      that
      point,
      remain
      unclear.
     
     
      This
      then,
      would
      seem
      to
      solve
      the
     
     
      problem.
     
    

    
     
      However,
      a
      more
      fundamental
     
     
      problem
      will
      still
      exist
      in
      the
      viewpoint
     
     
      of
      the
      Student
      Union
      in
      its
      relation
      to
     
     
      the
      student
      body.
      The
      stance
      taken
      by
     
     
      the
      SU
      is
      based
      on
      the
      presumption
      that
     
     
      students
      lack
      even
      the
      critical
      skills
      to
     
     
      understand
      that
      having
      the
      background
     
     
      information
      is
      also
      important
      in
     
     
      understanding
      a
      budget.
      As
      a
      result,
      the
     
     
      SU
      is
      replacing
      the
      proper
      intelligence
     
     
      of
      the
      students
      with
      incompetent
     
     
      reasoning,
      in
      which
      case
      all
      drawn
     
     
      conclusions
      would
      inevitably
      be
      false
     
     
      (for
      more
      see
      Marx’s
      ‘False
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      LETTERS
      TO
      THE
      EDITOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Consciousness’).
      In
      this
      respect,
      the
      SU
     
     
      councilors
      see
      their
      obvious
      relationship
     
     
      to
      the
      students
      as
      analogous
      to
      that
      of
     
     
      parent
      and
      child.
     
    

    
     
      The
      second
      reason
      given
      for
      not
     
     
      allowing
      students
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      budget
     
     
      suggests
      that
      students
      do
      not
      actually
     
     
      need
      this
      option,
      and
      as
      such
      it
      can
      be
     
     
      withheld*.
      This
      is
      on
      the
      basis
      that
      since
     
     
      the
      budget
      is
      ratified
      by
      the
      SU,
      and
     
     
      the
      SU
      is
      itself
      elected
      by
      the
      student
     
     
      body,
      the
      student
      body
      has
      already
     
     
      approved
      of
      the
      budget.
      The
      logical
     
     
      conclusions
      of
      this
      argument,
      however,
     
     
      suggest
      that
      no
      actions
      could
      possibly
     
     
      be
      taken
      by
      the
      SU
      which
      have
      not
      been
     
     
      approved
      by
      the
      student
      body,
      simply
     
     
      by
      virtue
      of
      having
      been
      taken
      by
      the
     
     
      SU.
      This
      runs
      into
      the
      problem
      of
     
     
      circular
      logic,
      in
      which
      students
      approve
     
     
      of
      decisions
      made
      by
      SU
      councilors
     
     
      because
      they
      are
      made
      by
      SU
     
     
      councilors.
     
    

    
     
      There
      is,
      however,
      an
      even
      more
     
     
      absurd
      suggestion
      we
      can
      inference
     
     
      from
      the
      position
      taken
      up
      by
      the
      SU
      -
     
     
      that
      this
      year’s
      SU
      budget
      had
      been
     
     
      approved
      by
      the
      student
      body
      even
     
     
      before
      it
      had
      ever
      been
      created.
      This
      is
     
     
      because
      this
      year’s
      council
      members
     
     
      were
      elected
      at
      the
      end
      of
      the
      last
     
     
      school
      year,
      prior
      to
      the
      creation
      of
      this
     
     
      year’s
      budget.
      In
      this
      case,
      any
      budget
     
     
      which
      might
      possibly
      ever
      exist
      would
     
     
      be
      approved
      of
      by
      the
      students
      before
     
     
      this
      actual
      existence,
      regardless
      of
      its
     
     
      possible
      contents
      and
      before
      the
      SU
     
     
      itself
      has
      any
      idea
      of
      what
      this
      may
      be.
     
     
      This
      second
      argument
      only
      works
      to
     
     
      strengthen
      the
      parent/child
      analogy
     
     
      made
      obvious
      in
      their
      first.
     
    

    
     
      We
      have
      now
      looked
      at
      the
     
     
      problems
      existing
      with
      the
      reasons
      given
     
     
      Esseghaier
      by
      the
      SU
      for
      not
      allowing
     
     
      students
      to
      obtain
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      SU
     
     
      budget,
      and
      why
      they
      remain
     
     
      inadequate
      as
      reasonable
      and
      logical
     
     
      explanations.
      This
      also
      comes
      at
      a
      time
     
     
      when
      SU
      fees
      have
      risen
      significantly
     
     
      since
      previous
      years,
      which
      is
      directly
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      funded
      by
      the
      student
      body,
      and
      without
     
     
      either
      prior
      notification
      or
      explanation
     
     
      concerning
      this
      significant
      rise
      to
      this
     
     
      same
      student
      body.
      More
      to
      the
      point,
     
     
      we
      can
      also
      see
      that
      from
      the
      reasons
     
     
      given
      by
      the
      SU
      not
      to
      allow
      Esseghaier
     
     
      to
      obtain
      a
      copy
      of
      this
      budget,
      that
     
     
      actually
      seeking
      input
      from
      the
      students
     
     
      themselves,
      is
      by
      no
      means
      necessary,
     
     
      or
      for
      that
      matter,
      helpful
      at
      all.
     
    

    
     
      In
      concluding
      then,
      I
      would
      like
     
     
      to
      ask:
      What
      kind
      of
      possibility
      does
     
     
      this
      allows
      for
      us,
      the
      student
      body,
      to
     
     
      become
      critically
      involved
      with
      issues
     
     
      pertaining
      directly
      to
      us
      as
      students,
      and
     
     
      whose
      actions
      affect
      us?
      The
     
     
      relationship
      between
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      and
      the
      Student
      Body,
      as
      perceived
      by
     
     
      the
      SU
      itself,
      is
      one
      in
      which
      the
      SU
     
     
      remains
      the
      more
      knowledgeable
     
    
   
   
    
     
      authority
      to
      a
      body
      of
      naive
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      who
      unsure
      of
      how
      to
      interpret
     
     
      information
      for
      themselves.
      With
      such
     
     
      an
      outlook,
      the
      SU
      will
      never
      treat
      the
     
     
      students
      with
      equal
      respect,
      nor
      fulfill
     
     
      their
      duty
      to
      representatives
      the
      needs
     
     
      of
      these
      students.
      This
      representation,
     
     
      and
      these
      needs
      as
      such,
      are
      flatly
      being
     
     
      denied.
     
    

    
     
      *
      Two
      weeks
      ago
      at
      Hunter’s
      Alehouse
     
     
      I
      witnessed
      an
      intoxicated
      old
      man
     
     
      attack
      a
      drummer
      on
      the
      grounds
      that
     
     
      he
      was
      wearing
      a
      backpack
      while
     
     
      playing.
      He
      continued
      to
      wrestle
      at
      the
     
     
      musician,
      exclaiming
      to
      him
      that
      he
     
     
      “don’t
      need
      it!”
      It
      was
      sad,
      but
      also
     
     
      slightly
      comical
      at
      the
      same
      time
      -
      he
     
     
      had
      begun
      a
      highly
      unnecessary
      conflict
     
     
      over
      something
      quite
      absurd.
     
    

    
     
      Thank
      you,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Brad
      Deighan,
     
     
      5"
      Year
      Philosophy
     
     
      bdeighan@upei.ca
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Editor,
     
    

    
     
      I
      would
      like
      to
      follow
      up
      on
      the
      editorial
     
     
      I
      posted
      in
      last
      week’s
      edition
      of
      the
     
     
      Cadre
      about
      the
      status
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      budget.
      In
      my
      letter
      I
      explained
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      how
      I
      attempted
      to
      obtain
      a
      copy
      of
     
     
      this
      year’s
      Student
      Union
      budget
      from
     
     
      the
      SU
      and
      the
      reasons
      that
      were
      given
     
     
      tome
      by
      the
      VP
      of
      Finance
      and
      General
     
     
      Manager
      for
      not
      turning
      it
      over.
     
    

    
     
      I’ve
      received
      a
      lot
      of
      positive
     
     
      feedback
      concerning
      this
      particular
     
     
      issue.
      I’ve
      been
      in
      contact
      with
      several
     
     
      Arts
      Representatives
      about
      this
      and
     
     
      they
      have
      been
      extremely
      helpful
      to
      me
     
     
      which
      I
      greatly
      appreciate.
      However
     
     
      some
      questions
      still
      remain,
      which
      I
      will
     
     
      try
      to
      address
      here.
      A
      couple
      questions
     
     
      I’ve
      been
      asked
      is
      what
      is
      my
      reason
     
     
      for
      wanting
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      budget
      and
     
     
      what
      problem
      do
      I
      have
      with
      this
      years
     
     
      budget.
     
    

    
     
      With
      respect
      to
      the
      second
     
     
      question,
      I
      don’t
      necessarily
      have
      a
     
     
      problem
      with
      the
      budget,
      to
      be
      honest,
     
     
      aside
      from
      some
      of
      the
      obvious
     
     
      expenses
      and
      incomes,
      |
      really
      don’t
     
     
      know
      its
      contents,
      or
      how
      much
      money
     
     
      goes
      where.
      That
      being
      said
      my
      reason
     
     
      for
      wanting
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      budgetis
      clear,
     
     
      to
      find
      out
      exactly
      what
      makes
      up
      the
     
     
      SU
      budget,
      something
      which
      all
     
     
      students
      have
      every
      right
      to
      do.
     
    

    
     
      Now
      it
      must
      be
      noted
      that
      the
     
     
      SU
      will
      allow
      students
      to
      see
      the
     
     
      budget,
      line
      by
      line,
      but
      are
      prevented
     
     
      from
      having
      a
      copy
      their
      own
      and
      must
     
     
      view
      it
      with
      amember
      of
      the
      executive,
     
     
      probably
      the
      VP
      of
      Finance.
      This
      is
     
     
      where
      the
      problem
      lies.
      The
      SU
     
     
      executive,
      with
      the
      General
      Manager,
     
     
      base
      their
      reason
      for
      not
      releasing
      the
     
     
      budget
      on
      the
      grounds
      that
      the
     
     
      information
      required
      for
      a
      proper
     
     
      understanding
      of
      the
      document
      would
     
     
      not
      be
      available.
      So
      if
      a
      student
      is
     
     
      interested
      in
      knowing
      the
      contents
      of
     
     
      the
      budget,
      or
      has
      a
      question
      about
      it,
     
     
      they
      need
      only
      contact
      the
      VP
      of
     
     
      Finance,
      who
      will
      then
      show
      it
      to
      them
     
     
      and
      provide
      for
      them
      the
      “right”
     
     
      information
      required
      for
      a
      proper
     
     
      understanding.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      This
      leads
      to
      a
      monopoly
      on
     
     
      information,
      and
      as
      they
      say,
     
     
      information
      is
      power.
      If
      the
      SU
     
     
      Executive
      are
      in
      possession
      of
      this
     
     
      information
      and
      background
     
     
      knowledge
      why
      can’t
      they
      make
      it
     
    

    
     
      Continued
      on
      page
      18