On Campus

CUSA is not actually sorry

The following news release was sent out by the Carleton University Students Association at 11:30 this morning:

Attention News Editors:

Carleton University Students’ Association moves to reverse decision on Shine-A-Rama

OTTAWA, Nov. 26 /CNW Telbec/ – Carleton University Students’ Association President Brittany Smyth has indicated that CUSA council will revisit the motion to change the orientation program charity from Shine-A-Rama.

“It has become clear that there is not an appetite at Carleton to change from Shine-A-Rama” said Ms.Smyth “The responsible thing to do is to reverse the decision.”

While the motion merely stated the students’ association would investigate switching to another charity, students have made it clear that they do not want the change.

“I both respect and admire the students’ commitment to the cause of raising funds for cystic fibrosis.” stated Ms.Smyth “I believe this issue has been blown out of proportion but the motion was never meant to imply that raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis research was not a worthwhile cause. I do apologize for the negative attention Carleton has received”.

I’m not going to mince words here. This release is pathetic.

CUSA does not admit it is wrong, and instead blames others for ‘blowing their actions out of proportion.’

CUSA apology is half-hearted at best and insincere.

Ms. Smyth, you’re supposed to apologize for your actions, not just the “negative attention” they’ve resulted in. What you’re really saying is, “CUSA is sorry people found out how uninformed we are.”

If “[T]he motion was never meant to imply that raising funds for Cystic Fibrosis research was not a worthwhile cause,” then what did the motion actually mean?

Start giving people answers instead of spin. (Actually, the best thing to do at this point is shut up and resign)

CUSA states the motion merely stated they were looking at other charities. It was more specific than that, it stated CUSA would “select a new broad reaching charity for orientation week.”

The motion was clear: the position of Carleton students as represented by their student government is that Cystic Fibrosis is unworthy of support because, as a ‘white male disease, it is not broad and inclusive enough to be worthy of the support of the Carleton undergraduate student body.

I have yet to hear CUSA actually saying anything close to, “We were wrong and we’re sorry.”

Another thing that would be nice to hear: an apology for the claims made at CUSA council that students were pushing for this change in the first place.

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