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Here’s looking at Trampoline Hall page 4
Moyse, U of T’s golden girl
the newspaper University of Toronto’s Independent Weekly
Vol. XXXIII N0. 2
Rotberg’s first degree burn
The da GC code
Alum returns degree to Naylor: thinks Israeli Apartheid weak aLan jOneS
Code of Student Conduct called into controversy
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ALEX NURSALL
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Women’s groups from around Toronto protested outside of OISE on Saturday as part of International Women’s Day.
“As I looked at my degrees on the wall, it became clear to me that I was ashamed to be associated with a university that permitted something that was ideologically perverse, historically inaccurate, and clearly did not meet the minimum standards for taking place on a university campus.” So says Howard Rotberg, a lawyer, community worker, and U of T graduate who announced on his blog last week that he would be returning both of his degrees (in History and Law) to President David Naylor. “I am giving back to the University of Toronto what they are ‘gifting’ to the Jewish State by allowing Israel Apartheid (sic) Week to take place - the university is allowing antiSemitism by allowing the demonization, application of double-standards, and the delegitimization of the State of Israel,” he wrote. Rotberg, an outspoken defender of the Israeli state, corresponded with the newspaper via email this week. He does not believe that
freedom of speech in its absolute form should extend to the university grounds. “The arguments by Naylor that the university is just permitting freedom of respect and diversity, are, at the least, disingenuous, and at any rate are too shallow and simplistic to be those of a representative of a great university,” he told the newspaper. “The university has no duty to host on its property, for pay or for free, every nonsensical organization on the face of the earth. There are other forums available for groups that do not meet the intellectual standard of the university.” Rotberg maintains that he does not harbour any ill-will towards the current students of the university. “I hope you are not insulted by my actions; I hope you realize that I am motivated by a wish to preserve our liberal freedoms and to maintain U. of T’s standing as a serious and outstanding university that gave so much to me in the 70s.” The Office of the President was contacted, but did not respond by press time.
Palestine takes podium UTSU slates debate not clean for Israeli Apartheid Week aSchiLLe cLark-menDeS & kim Saka Campus activists tried to turn heads towards Palestine’s cause this past week, as U of T hosted the sixth annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW). The week focused on the strategy of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) to pressure Israel about the seizure of Palestinian lands and the imprisonment of the West Bank populace behind an eight-foot concrete wall. Thirty Ontario MPPs passed a motion on February 25 to condemn the week and its activities. The motion presented the opinion that its commemoration serves to incite hatred towards Israel as a democratic state. Furthermore, the motion stated, “‘apartheid’ in this context diminishes the suffering of those who were victims of a true apartheid regime in South Africa.” The BDS campaign, born in 2005 and inspired by the struggle of South Africans against apartheid, sounds a worldwide call for nations to pressure their respective
governments to impose embargoes and sanctions against Israel. “These non-violent measures,” the call declares, “should be maintained until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law.” Over 500 organizations currently endorse BDS. IAW was observed in 40 cities this year. The percept it refers to is “Resolution 194,” passed shortly after the 1948 Israeli War of Independence (known to Palestinians as “Al Nakba” – “The Disaster”) by the United Nations General Assembly. This calls for Palestinians’ Right to Return and right for compensation of lost property. In Toronto, IAW included events every evening, culminating in a sold-out rap show, “Hip Hop for Palestine – Won’t Stop ‘till da Wall Drops,” featuring Palestinian hiphop artist Abeer Alzinaty (a.k.a Continued on page 3
TOM CORDOSO
Attendees at the Governing Council Town Hall on March 1 voiced a great deal of criticism about the U of T’s Code of Student Conduct. U of T administration’s recent usage of the code has raised concerns among student leaders and activists. Established in 1992 (and most recently revised in 2002), the Code of Student Conduct outlines accepted student behaviour. It lists non-academic offenses and the procedures and sanctions used when those offenses arise. The code has faced criticism since its inception, but the recent surge of attention is the result of a planned administrative update of the code. Joeita Gupta, a current member of Governing Council and Vice President External for the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students (APUS), and Oriel Varga, a previous Uof T governor (2004-05) and Executive Director of APUS, have been especially vocal in stressing the update as a “cause of concern for student activists, student leaders and the student community broadly speaking.” Gupta and Varga advocate abolishing the code altogether. They argue that the contents of the code and the recent history of its usage demonstrate that it is a “political tool” of repression, a means to “silence dissent and stifle activism.” Gupta believes that a perfunctory examination of the code reveals a sense of “redundancy” in comparison to other existing university policies. She points out that the university already has policies in place for many of the areas addressed in the code (sexual harassment, residence misconduct, etc.). Members of the university community
March 11, 2010
James Finlay of Change U of T awaits his turn at slate debate Semra eYLuL SeVi After years of uncontested UTSU elections, this year sees two full
slates facing off: Change U of T and Stronger Together. Continued on page 3