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Thank you again for publishing the articles on convocation. After reading it makes me want to attend more upon my own graduation.

I found it interesting when Debbie Jabbour talked about bringing Athabasca home to Athabasca, and that this might have had an effect on Athabasca’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. When I originally investigated attending AU, the fact that it was in such a remote location actually enticed me to attend.(I live in Ontario) I figured if these people are in such a remote location then they’re going to have a better sense of distance education. Had it been in Calgary or Edmonton my thoughts would have been it’s just another University.

Arthur Setka

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Response to Editoral, December 15, 2004 (v12 I 48)
http://www.ausu.org/voice/articles/featuredisplay.php?ART=3413

Dear Ms Editor,

Although I don’t hold the same level of animosity for gay marriage as I would say Stephen Harper and his crew do. I have to admit that in a referendum I would vote against gay marriage if the word “marriage” was used to define it. “Oh my God you’re Homophobic!” The constant rebuttal of any gay activist or supporter which in turn is really due to their inability to form any meaningful argument on the subject. My response is simple: my wife and I have been married for 5 years and we have one daughter (3 years old) and one on the way (due in Apr.) As far as I am concerned and last time I checked two men or two women cannot produce the same type of relationship as my wife and I can. Our marriage is unique and our children are a creation of the two of us.

That being said, I don’t feel threatened by gay marriage enough to tell my MP not to vote in support of it in the House of Commons. Like the Editor I believe there are many more important things we could be talking about. As the Editor states in her letter to Alberta MP Mr. Obhrai: “With all of the other very important concerns affecting Canadians today (prohibitively high post-secondary tuition; rampant poverty and homelessness; the frequency of child and animal abuse; high taxes [Note: Taxes are not too high in my opinion for some they’re not high enough!]; environmental concerns; air quality and food quality concerns… the list goes on), you chose to focus instead on this one moral issue, and make it the forefront of your campaign?”

Homosexuality has been around long before I came onto this planet and in the brief estimated 80 years that I will be on it I highly doubt that it will stop before I exit. So within my own walls if two men were to say they were married I would simply respond, “Thats nice…” Marriage isn’t something between you and the government it’s between you and your wife and your children. Government appointed marriage really means nothing to me. To get up in front of some guy I don’t know and ask if he will marry me and if he will okay it is pointless part of the ceremony. I was already married in my mind and “the type” of wedding I had solidified this!

I don’t feel threatened by gay marriage because I know they cannot have what my wife and I have. I believe in “civil unions” and I believe they should receive spousal benefits. But, I don’t believe they can have what my wife and I have. So, it cannot be marriage. That’s why I would vote against it. Their right to marry in my opinion is not a Human Rights issue. The inability to be recognized as a couple and receive spousal benefits is a Human Rights issue. However like the Editor, I’m more interested in asking my local MP why after being our Liberal MP for some 12 years our local Health Unit says that 1 in 5 children live below the poverty line in Peterborough.

Arthur Setka
Peterborough, ON

Thanks for the very detailed response, Arthur. It’s interesting that by your definition I may not be married because my husband and I have chosen to not create children. The assertion that marriage is between “you and your wife and your children” leaves a large percentage of heterosexual married couples out. Is your definition one of marriage, or of family? After all, your children would continue to be your children if the marriage dissolved and children are often born outside of marriage. Also, this begs the question: what about couples who are infertile or who adopt children? What about step-parents, who are raising children that were not “created” with their spouse? And what about gay couples who adopt, or who are raising the genetic offspring of one of the partners? If children are a factor in the definition of marriage, then perhaps only couples with children — gay or straight — should be permitted to marry, while those without children should be relegated to civil unions.

Regarding the 1 in 5 children who live in poverty in your local area (I suspect the numbers are similar across Canada) – I’d love to hear the government answer that question as well, and explain why our country is more interested in the starving children in third world countries than the ones in our own back yard.!

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Dear Ms. Editor

With just some 80 people out of a possible 33 000 students voting in this election a clear message has been sent to our Student Union! That message is “change must occur”! It is quite obvious that not enough students view AUSU as a viable organization that is reflective of their needs. So whatever AUSU’s newly elected councillors had in mind must clearly be put on hold. A complete change in the AUSU organization must ring in every corridor, every Internet conduit and in every councillor’s ears.

My first suggestion is that this council have only one goal and that goal is to vote the current structure of their own organization out of existence. My second suggestion is that AUSU realize that they are not like most Universities and begin to gear up to a new system where there is a single president and “regional” councillors. This would be reflected based on how many students AU has in each region of the country the year before and even a councillor representing overseas students. Thirdly, council must take a more aggressive position with AU. They must demand and assume complete management control of all course evaluations of AU and AU faculty. Course evaluations are the only single tool that students have as a voice of protest at AU. They unite students and allow for a vocal united student voice. Councillors must demand that this evaluations change as well. They must not simply be AU propaganda tools they must contain questions that are relevant to students. One question should be whether they thought tuition costs/increases were justified!

Whatever inventive idea any AUSU councillor has in mind they now must realize that they have no mandate for it. That the only mandate that students have given them is that of “change” and councillors should heed that call because we aren’t talking about reform were talking about survival. With AUSU’s new website the infrastructure is in place but they system is clearly broken!

Arthur Setka
Peterborough, Ontario

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Dear Ms Editor,

In the past, I have written to my fellow students at AU about the importance of voting and the price of tuition. It should be known to students at AU that after the Provincial Liberal Party of Ontario won Ontario Provincial Election that they immediately enforced their election promise and froze tuition at Ontario Colleges and Universities for 2 years. During this time they will conduct a full review of tuition and work towards finding solutions. It shows now quite clearly that your tuition bill is not just a budgetary issue its a political issue as well. As a student you can not afford not to vote!

Arthur Setka
Peterborough, Ontario

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Dear Ms Editor of the Voice;

First let’s start out by saying that I really like the new website. Well done!
I read Ms Jabbour’s article on the Tuition Hikes. I have to say that I agree with the Board that AU should cut all tuition for all students. Information Technology does make it cheaper to deliver their education. However, the comments made by the University regarding: “That we are already competitively priced in Alberta, and lowering fees in this province would be harmful to our positioning – underpricing distance education would damage our credibility.”

This is a weak position. If it’s cheaper then lower tuition and AU should have more confidence in their curriculum than that. I believe in AU why doesn’t AU? If the University of Toronto raises its tuition to $22,000 does that mean that AU will too? Maybe AU should be using the power of information technology to lower its tuitions and attracting more Ontario students.

BUT! and a big but is that tuition is not the same for all students. One thing that the report didn’t take into account is the cost for writing tests. I don’t have a AU testing centre in Ontario like most people in Alberta. I have to pay $25 per test! So this is something that I think should also be taken into consideration.

Here in Ontario the Ernie Eves government is hanging on! Like in Quebec there will be a change in government. A Ontario Liberal government will freeze all tuition for the next 2 years. I want to stress to students again and if possible if this could be passed on to Ms Jabbour “You get the government you elect you get the government you deserve.” Albertans gave the Klein government an overwhelming large majority. What you pay in tuition is your problem not mine. I can’t vote that redneck out so he is your problem.

The board that represents students does not reflect the student body. This should be very strongly noted. Minutes could be sent to out of province students for feedback like I am doing now.

Tuition has to be competitive for me as compared with Ontario. Raising tuition is a big issue for me. I will look for other avenues if I don’t get a fair deal as compared with other Ontario Universities. Unlike Alberta I am working very hard to vote this neo-right redneck out of office!

Arthur Setka
Peterborough, Ontario

Arthur,
You make a good point about testing costs. I don’t know how much AU takes this into consideration, but I’m sure for many students it is a factor. If tuition for a course is, say, $500 and someone pays another $50 for exams, then their tuition is effectively 10% higher. It may also affect how students select courses. Some AU courses don’t have invigilated exams, while others have two invigilated exams in a single semester. It would be great if AU could work out agreements with other schools to provide low-cost testing space for AU students.

Regarding AUSU: Anyone who wishes to attend a council meeting may contact ausu@ausu.org and ask them to book you a teleconference line. You can do this from anywhere in the world. If you are interested in receiving minutes of the meetings, you may contact the office about that as well.

Regarding Mr. Klein: Albertans must consider many issues, including education funding, when voting for Premier, whereas out-of-province AU students may judge the Alberta government on this one issue alone. We don’t have they luxury of simply voting for the candidate with the best education policy.

That said, I’m as baffled as anyone as to who is voting for Mr. Klein. I’m glad you like the new website!