Editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Opinions
      expressed
      in
      this
      column
      do
      not
      necessarily
     
     
      reflect
      those
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      this
      production,
      or
      of
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Anyone
      out
      there
      remember
      a
      little
      soirée
      called
      the
      French
     
     
      Revolution?
      A
      lot
      of
      people
      in
      France
      came
      to
      the
      joint
     
     
      conclusion
      that
      things
      were
      dangerously
      skewed
      within
      their
     
     
      system
      of
      authority,
      and
      so
      they
      set
      out
      to
      make
      some
     
     
      changes.
      People
      rallied
      around
      slogans
      of
      freedom
      and
     
     
      rather
      efficiently
      went
      about
      removing
      the
      head
      cheeses
     
     
      from
      positions
      of
      power.
      Before
      long,
      though,
      the
      idealistic
     
     
      rebels
      also
      started
      separating
      the
      head
      cheeses
      from
      their
     
     
      heads
      by
      means
      of
      the
      chopping
      block.
      People
      quickly
     
     
      became
      concerned
      less
      with
      reforming
      the
      system
      and
      more
     
     
      with
      purging
      it,
      cleaning
      out
     
     
      the
      old
      regime
      with
      a
      bloody
     
     
      broom
      and
      making
      the
      guys
      in
     
     
      charge
      suffer.
      What
      followed
     
     
      was
      several
      years
      not
      of
     
     
      constructive
      reform
      but
     
     
      instead
      of
      destructive
      terror,
     
     
      senseless
      death,
      and
      lost
     
     
      ideals.
      The
      point?
      U.P.E.I.
     
    

    
     
      is
      ripe
      for
      revolution
      itself
      at
     
     
      the
      moment,
      and
      it
      would
      bea
     
     
      good
      idea
      for
      the
      university
     
     
      community
      to
      give
      serious
     
     
      thought
      to
      what
      they’re
      doing
     
     
      before
      they
      do
      something
      they
      may
      regret,
      and
      before
      they
     
     
      forget
      what
      they’re
      fighting
      about.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      now,
      virtually
      anyone
      who
      reads
      this
      will
      know
      exactly
     
     
      what
      the
      controversy
      is
      about,
      the
      fact
      that
      something
     
     
      terrible
      happened
      on
      our
      campus
      and
      that
      the
      administra-
     
     
      tion’s
      handling
      of
      it
      was
      questionable
      at
      best.
      The
      terrible
     
     
      event
      in
      question
      is
      the
      alleged
      rape(ridiculous
      as
      it
      may
     
     
      seem,
      folks,
      that
      is
      the
      legal
      description
      of
      it
      at
      present)
      that
     
     
      took
      place
      on
      the
      night
      of
      Wednesday,
      September
      23
      in
      the
     
     
      Marion
      Hall
      men’s
      residence.
      By
      all
      accounts
      this
      was
      a
     
     
      brutal
      and
      sadistic
      crime
      for
      which
      the
      alleged
      offender(s)
     
     
      deserves
      the
      sternest
      possible
      punishment
      the
      law
     
     
      allows(castration
      comes
      to
      mind
      for
      starters
      but
      the
      courts
     
     
      probably
      have
      other
      ideas).
      At
      this
      writing
      there
      has
      been
      no
     
     
      one
      charged
      with
      the
      crime,
      but
      many
      concerned
      citizens
     
     
      have
      been
      saving
      their
      outrage
      for
      the
      administration
     
     
      anyway.
      There
      has
      been
      a
      flood
      of
      criticism
      for
      the
      various
     
     
      levels
      of
      administration
      at
      the
      university,
      most
      notably
      for
     
     
      the
      University
      President,
      the
      Student
      Council
      President,
      and
     
     
      the
      head
      of
      security.
      This
      criticism
      is
      not
      without
      justifica-
     
     
      tion.
      President
      Eliot
      has
      himself
      admitted
      that
      his
      handling
     
     
      of
      the
      matter
      was
      inadequate.
      In
      a
      combination
      of
      bad
      luck
     
     
      and
      bad
      judgement
      he
      left
      the
      Province
      as
      the
      news
      of
      the
     
     
      assault
      broke
      five
      days
      later
      because
      he
      had
      a
      prior
      engage-
     
     
      ment
      elsewhere,
      and
      many
      students
      and
      employees
      were
     
     
      Outraged
      by
      this
      apparent
      lack
      of
      concern
      for
      the
      issue,
      not
      to
     
     
      mention
      the
      confusion
      this
      left
      as
      to
      who
      was
      the
      universi
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ...a
      bloodthirsty
     
     
      student
      body
     
     
      looking
      for
     
     
      scapegoats.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ty’s
      spokesperson
      regarding
      the
      incident
      in
      Eliot’s
      absence.
     
     
      Similar
      criticism
      has
      been
      aimed
      at
      Student
      Union
      President
     
     
      Tracy
      Arsenault,
      who
      heard
      of
      the
      incident
      through
      the
     
     
      media
      on
      Monday
      and
      neglected
      to
      acknowledge
      the
      incident
     
     
      officially
      untillate
      Wednesday
      in
      a
      hastily
      composed
      press
     
     
      release.
      Arsenault
      has
      also
      been
      accused
      of
      ignoring
      inquir-
     
     
      ies
      from
      students
      and
      later
      denying
      it
      in
      public
      statements
     
     
      such
      as
      those
      made
      in
      a
      discussion
      on
      the
      topic
      on
      the
     
     
      television
      program
      Compass,
      and
      she
      has
      been
      less
      willing
     
     
      to
      admit
      blame
      in
      the
      matter
      than
      was
      Eliot;
      these
      and
      other
     
     
      factors
      have
      even
      led
      to
      calls
      for
      Arsenault’s
      resignation
      and
     
     
      a
      petition
      has
      been
      circulating
      to
      call
      for
      her
      impeachment,
     
     
      though
      the
      petition
      was
      recently
      ruled
      invalid
      by
      Student
     
     
      Council
      on
      a
      technicality.
      There
      have
      also
      been
      calls
      for
      the
     
     
      resignation
      of
      the
      head
      of
      security,
      A.J.
      MacLeod,
      since
      his
     
     
      department
      had
      the
      earliest
      knowledge
      of
      the
      incident
      while
     
     
      apparently
      accomplishing
      little
     
     
      or
      nothing
      apart
      from
      delaying
     
     
      the
      entry
      into
      the
      investigation
     
     
      by
      City
      Police,
      who
      were
      ini-
     
     
      tially
      satisfied
      to
      let
      our
      security
     
     
      force
      handle
      it
      as
      something
     
     
      within
      university
      jurisdiction.
     
     
      This
      all
      adds
      up
      to
      a
      rather
     
     
      bloodthirsty
      student
      body
      angry
     
     
      over
      being
      kept
      in
      the
      dark
      and
     
     
      looking
      for
      the
      first
      available
     
     
      scapegoat
      to
      take
      it
      out
      on.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mistakes
      were
      definitely
      made,
     
     
      but
      officials
      are
      as
      human
      as
      any
      of
      the
      rest
      of
      us,
      and
      in
     
     
      some
      cases
      the
      mistakes
      are
      understandable.
      President
      Eliot
     
     
      has
      made
      a
      step
      toward
      rebuilding
      trust
      with
      his
      earnest
     
     
      public
      apologies
      for
      his
      part
      in
      the
      mishandling
      of
      the
     
     
      matter,
      and
      there
      are
      many
      students
      who
      are
      willing
      to
     
     
      forgive
      the
      errors
      of
      their
      leader,
      Tracy
      Arsenault,
      as
      made
     
     
      evident
      by
      a
      new
      petition
      circulating
      in
      support
      of
      the
     
     
      student
      president.
      Student
      outrage
      over
      the
      handling
      of
      the
     
     
      incident
      is
      understandable,
      and
      there
      should
      definitely
      be
     
     
      investigation
      of
      security
      and
      the
      other
      bodies
      involved
      to
      see
     
     
      what
      went
      wrong
      and
      what
      should
      be
      done
      to
      prevent
      such
     
     
      mishandling
      of
      similar
      incidents
      in
      the
      future;
      however,
      we
     
     
      should
      not
      be
      too
      quick
      to
      condemn
      our
      authorities
      before
      we
     
     
      have
      all
      the
      facts,
      and
      we
      should
      also
      remember
      to
      concen-
     
     
      trate
      on
      the
      truly
      important
      questions
      that
      have
      arisen
      in
      the
     
     
      wake
      of
      this
      crisis:tending
      to
      the
      welfare
      of
      the
      victim
      and
     
     
      any
      others
      affected
      by
      this
      tragedy,
      and
      working
      to
      better
     
     
      protect
      students
      through
      such
      measures
      as
      the
      institution
      ofa
     
     
      safewalk
      program
      to
      escort
      students
      travelling
      on
      campus
      at
     
     
      night,
      the
      offering
      of
      self-defense
      courses,
      and
      improved
     
     
      lighting.
      Before
      we
      rush
      blindly
      to
      punish
      those
      who
      may
      be
     
     
      at
      fault,
      we
      should
      first
      work
      together
      to
      ensure
      the
      safety
     
     
      and
      well-being
      of
      the
      university
      community,
      and
      not
      lose
     
     
      sight
      of
      our
      common
      goals
      through
      useless
      bickering
      among
     
     
      ourselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid
     
     
      Editor-in-Chief
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      X-P
      RESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      8,
      1992
     
    
   
   
    
     
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