Letters to the editors

RWS unsuccessful

Dear Editors,

Re: “Farewell, RWS” (Journal, Mar. 27, 2009)

In response to your article, I was shocked to find that this year’s AMS executive thought they succeeded in their mandate. Talia claims that her executive succeeded in combating racism, part of which was through the persecution of ASUS President Jacob Mantle. I would advise Talia to browse Facebook for a group called “I Support Jacob Mantle as ASUS President.” She may be interested in the fact that there are still around 600 members. At its climax membership of the group was near 1,000. This group was in opposition to Talia’s decision and in support of Jake as president. It is safe to say that the actions of this administration were negligent enough to generate such dissent. Only two weeks ago Talia apologized to Jacob and the Queen’s community for the actions of her administration. The lack of professional conduct of this administration sent a wave of shock and appal throughout Queen’s campus: from our VP University affairs and Social Issues commissioner drunkenly harassing alumni at a prestigious fundraising dinner in Toronto, to Talia’s complete lack of tact in handling the “Mantle issue.” If this administration was to run for re-election they would not win. While there have been many poor decisions, not all of the executive are to blame. I commend Ken Wang on his job with the financial duties of VP Operations. As with most administrations the blame rolls uphill. Sorry Talia.

Daniel Salvatore ArtSci ’10

ASUS Senator

Link to autism discredited

Dear Editors,

Re: “A sure shot?” (Journal, Mar. 27, 2009)

In 1998, a paper was published in the U.K. outlining a correlation the authors had found between autism and the MMR vaccine that children typically receive around age one and again at age four. Subsequently, 10 of the 13 authors withdrew their support from the article, citing methodological concerns, but its publishing led directly to public fear of vaccinations. Since that time, the vaccination rate for MMR has dropped over 10 per cent in England alone. In 2007, 1,348 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales were reported, compared with 56 in 1998. Two children died of the disease.

The link between autism and vaccines has always been tenuous at best. None of the dozens of other studies on the subject have managed to replicate the findings of the first experiment, causing the scientific community to reject it almost unanimously. Just a few months ago, irrefutable proof of its falsehood was revealed: the main author, Andrew Wakefield, falsified his data. The data he reported and the data found in the medical histories of the children he worked with are completely incompatible. The MMR vaccine is a critical vaccine: between 1999 and 2004, vaccination programs by the World Health organization alone saved over 1.4 million lives. Through his lies, Wakefield is responsible for many deaths.

What prompted Andrew Wakefield to lie about his data is unknown; perhaps it was some desire for fame, irrespective of the cost. Regardless, the message is clear. We can say conclusively, without any doubt whatsoever, that there is no link between vaccines and autism. Dozens of studies have proven this to us. The tragedy is that the scientific illiteracy of the general population will cause many of them to reject this proof and hang on to their beliefs that vaccines, diet or other superstitions cause autism, and to deny their children critical, life-saving preventative medicine. A minority of conspiracy theorists will continue to refuse vaccinations and contribute to the spread of disease among our population.

Please, get yourself vaccinated.

James Hayward

ArtSci ’10

Open letter to Principal Williams

Dear Editors,

The following is an open letter to Principal Williams.

Dear Principal Williams,

We, the Students in Francophonie and our colleagues, are very concerned about the decision not to renew the contract of Eugène Nshimiyimana and also to eliminate the existing tenure position in Francophonie. This will result in nine current graduate students having no one able to supervise them in the completion of their programs. To date, we are not aware of any measures that have been taken to provide proper supervision for these students.

Furthermore, the administration has forbidden the department from recruiting students in the area of Francophonie. This decision is unethical as it dictates to the department what students may and may not study. Moreover, it will have the effect of greatly reducing the number of graduate students in the department. Given that finances are allocated based on enrollment, this puts the department at risk of undergoing further program and position cuts. Is that the administration’s intention?

Eliminating Francophonie as a discipline would also go against the University’s stated goals in its strategic plan (“Engaging the World”) and therefore demonstrates that there is a bias in the way it is implemented: How can you justify on the one hand claiming not to have sufficient funds to maintain a tenured position in an existing program while on the other hand creating a new tenure-track appointment in anti-racism/critical race studies in the Department of Women’s Studies? This amounts to robbing one marginalized group to pay another, as all nine of the graduate students in Francophonie are either students of colour or religious minorities, or both.

Times of economic hardship cause us to reflect on our priorities and ultimately we preserve the things we value and let the rest go. The issue at hand is fundamentally a priority problem and not a financial one. The administration claims to want to further diversity, yet it chooses not to invest in existing, successful programs which address this issue in the classroom.

It is worth noting that on Tuesday, March 24, the SGPS members at the SGPS Annual General Meeting voted unanimously to pass a motion in support of maintaining the tenure position in Francophonie. This demonstrates that, despite budget cuts throughout the University, graduate and professional students representing every program believe that this particular decision should be reconsidered.

Tracy Russell

Co-Spokesperson of the Students in Francophonie

Department of French Studies New athletics review needed

Dear Editors,

The passing of the recent increase to the Queen’s Athletics fee should allow for “club status” teams to again achieve “varsity status.” An apartheid funding regime from the late 1990s created a Cadillac level football program, a Chevy level for certain other major teams and a Rickshaw level for everything else. Most Queen’s teams had been funded at Chevy levels, under the very successful broad-based program developed by legendary leaders Donald McIntosh and Al Lenard. With millions in new student funding, and the glitzy new Queen’s Centre set to open in September, Queen’s Athletics should make significant and necessary progress on its stated goal of developing “the leading athletics and recreation program in Canada.” To achieve this, a comprehensive and open reassessment of the entire Gaels’ program must be performed, with input solicited and taken from all interested stakeholder groups, with multiple Town Hall meetings, and with open access to Athletics’ financial data and UCA minutes. The recent Principal’s Review on Athletics was an abject failure in this respect, leaving most major questions unanswered. Queen’s football has received untold millions in funding, but has not won even a conference championship during head coach Pat Sheahan’s nine seasons. Former head coach Doug Hargreaves’ first nine Queen’s seasons from 1976 saw six conference titles, one Vanier Cup, and one Vanier runner-up. With 10 OUA football teams, an average performance is one title per decade, and Sheahan hasn’t even done that. Sheahan’s teams have sometimes performed well in league seasons, but often collapsed in playoffs; the last two years, the Gaels squandered home-field advantage, losing to lower-seeded teams. As a season-ticket holder and longtime Queen’s football supporter, I am very disappointed with the recent performance of this historic flagship program. After the upcoming 2009 season, we must reassess the direction for Queen’s football with the comprehensive restructuring I advocate.

Frank Dixon

ArtSci ’90

A liquid lament

Dear Editors,

I wish to raise the issue of broken water fountains near cafeterias. I usually go to the cafe in the basement of Botterell hall and the cafe in Mac-Corry for lunch. After eating a sandwich or a wrap I would get thirsty and usually walk to the nearest water fountain for a drink. But every time I would find that the water fountain is broken at these two locations. I kept telling myself that it would be fixed before the next time I go there, but it’s been three years now and they are still broken.

I think there are at least three good reasons to drink from water fountains. One, drinking water is healthier than drinking Coke. Two, drinking from fountains reduces the stress on environment by reducing the number of water bottles we would throw out. Last, the bottled water served at these cafes are overpriced.

I hope someone can look into the issue of why these two fountains closest to these two cafes have been broken for so long. And I hope the that the correct personnel can be contacted to fix the problem, because I feel that it is not only my concern, but the shared concern of many other fellow students.

Mike Yang

ArtSci ’10

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

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