The Cadre -+

By SHERI BLOCK

REGINA (CUP) -— A Univer- sity of Regina student wants to establish a men’s centre on campus, and while he’s al- ready received the blessing of the women’s centre in his un- conventional endeavour, crit- ics say the idea stinks.

Karry Schmidt says the idea for a men’s centre came to him as he was writ- ing an essay about the neces- sity of a campus women’s centre. When he questioned why there‘isn’t a comparable meeting and educational space on campus for men, he says, he was upset by the re- sponse he received.

“The director of the women’s centre was telling me about the services they offer, and apparently they do a lot of good for the women in the university,” said Schmidt.

But when Schmidt asked why there isn’t amen’s centre on campus, he was told there’s no need for one be- cause every campus bar is a men’s centre.

“That kind of made me upset,” said Schmidt. “In fact, places like that aren’t really a men’s centre and that sort of stereotypes every male of going to the bar and acting like an idiot.”

So the student decided to try to drum up support for a campus men’s centre — or at least, a centre that would apply to both men and women equally.

Tammy Wagner, co- ordinator of U of R’s wom- en’s centre, says she supports the initiative.

“If they feel there’s a need for it and they can find support, if it’s not just a back- lash against the women’s centre, I’m all in support of

23 March 1999

men’s centre at U

it and I think everyone else is too,” Wagner said.

But Wagner says men’s needs could be met by her centre. “I’m in favour of men having support services but I think this support can be met at the women’s cen- tre.”

Schmidt says the pro- posed men’s centre would offer the same sort of serv- ices as the women’s centre, including a space where male students can simply come and talk.

“Men do have issues as well, it’s just that they'd be different than women’s issues,” Schmidt said. “There’s a big stereotype that men are seen to be feminine if they talk about their prob- lems [but] it actually strengthens their masculinity to realize that they do have problems,” he added.

The centre would also be open to women so that both sexes could work to- gether to improve gender re- lations, Schmidt said.

“One of the big things we’d support is men and women actively working to achieve equality,” said Schmidt. “The real vision that we have is to convert the Women’s Centre into a uni- versity centre.”

But while Schmidt es- pouses equality between the sexes, he also insists women are taking away rights from men.

“The feminists of this age have gotten pretty much all that they’ve asked for po- litically, now when they fight for things all they are [doing] is taking away more rights from men,” he said.

Education issues co- ordinator Jaime disa- grees, and says she doesn’t see a need for a men’s centre

on campus.

“It kind of degrades the many reasons why we need a women’s centre,” Reban said. “It diminishes the problem, the specific is- sues that women have to deal with as women.

“Men aren't fightin for things like pay a an men on the whole don’t have to deal with being victims of

NATIONAL NEws °

Critics denounce proposed

of R

domestic violence or issues like body image,” she added.

Reban says men, not women, are in a dominant position in society.

“It is the white males who have all the power... . They still earn the most money, it's women who are in poverty, it's women who have to suffer all the differ- ent kinds of violence against

them. A men’s centre kind of spits in the face of all those issues and demeans them.”

Schmidt says this is not his intent.

“I'm not woman-bash- ing in any way,” said Schmidt. “The last thing | want to do is hurt women’s rights, | just want it to be equal.”

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