APRIL
      5,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      ©
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Continued
      from
      page
      8
     
    

    
     
      Essentially,
      the
      answer
      to
      a
     
     
      problem
      rooted
      in
      the
      concern
      for
      a
     
     
      political
      ideal
      (that
      of
      the
      SU),
      was
     
     
      rejected
      and
      justified
      through
      practical
     
     
      concerns.
      Yet
      whatever
      the
      practical
     
     
      costs,
      the
      democratic
      ideal
      should
      be
     
     
      upheld,
      as
      democracy
      is
      the
      supposed
     
     
      system
      upon
      which
      the
      SU
      is
      founded.
     
     
      When
      practical
      concerns
      act
      as
      a
      trump
     
     
      card
      to
      dismiss
      political
      ideals
      there
      is
     
     
      no
      longer
      balance
      in
      political
     
     
      responsibility.
      A
      purely
      practical
      or
     
     
      purely
      ideal
      political
      system
      is
     
     
      mediocre;
      mediocre
      in
      that
      it
      is
      feebly
     
     
      able,
      if
      that,
      to
      fulfill
      its
      function.
     
    

    
     
      (b)
      The
      second
      example
      I
      will
     
     
      discuss
      has
      been
      already
      been
      debated
     
     
      and
      outlined
      in
      the
      previous
      issues
      of
     
     
      The
      Cadre.
      This
      is
      the
      issue
      of
      Ryan
     
     
      Gallant
      running
      for
      SU
      president,
      while
     
     
      being
      both
      the
      current
      SU
      Arts
     
     
      Representative
      and
      The
      Cadre
     
     
      Managing
      Editor
      (the
      issue
      of
      his
     
     
      appointment
      as
      Cadre
      Managing
      Editor
     
     
      is
      also
      contentious,
      but
      will
      not
      be
     
     
      discussed
      in
      this
      article).
      Firstly,
      my
     
     
      qualm
      is
      not
      with
      Ryan
      Gallant,
      but
     
     
      rather
      with
      the
      institutions,
      individuals,
     
     
      and
      regulations
      that
      have
      allow
      him
      to
     
     
      retain
      his
      full
      position
      as
      Cadre
     
     
      Managing
      Editor
      (which
      included
     
     
      weekly
      rants
      on
      the
      2™
      page
      of
      the
     
     
      newspaper).
      In
      response
      to
      my
      queries
     
     
      Pat
      Curley
      stated,
      “during
      the
      election
     
     
      process
      I
      kept
      a
      very
      close
      eye
      on
      The
     
     
      Cadre
      and
      at
      no
      point
      did
      I
      feel
      Mr.
     
     
      Gallant
      said
      anything
      in
      The
      Cadre
      that
     
     
      supported
      his
      platform
      or
      went
      against
     
     
      any
      other
      candidates.
      I
      do
      not
      feel
      it
      is
     
     
      a
      conflict
      of
      interest
      for
      him
      to
      have
      run
     
     
      in
      the
      election
      and
      been
      working
      for
     
     
      The
      Cadre
      and
      there
      is
      no
      mention
      ofa
     
     
      by-law
      not
      permitting
      a
      person
      working
     
     
      for
      The
      Cadre
      from
      running
      in
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      election.”
      However,
      |
      fail
     
     
      to
      see
      how
      Mr.
      Curley’s
      scrutinizing
     
     
      addresses
      the
      fundamental
      underlying
     
     
      conflict
      at
      hand:
      the
      issue
      of
      unequal
     
     
      distribution
      of
      justice
      to
      all
      candidate
     
     
      of
      the
      election.
      ;
     
    

    
     
      Evenif
      Ryan
      Gallant’s
      editorials
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      were
      totally
      unrelated
      to
      his
      campaign,
     
     
      there
      is
      no
      way
      to
      measure
      the
      influence
     
     
      such
      editorials
      (including
      Gallant’s
     
     
      trademark
      use
      of
      the
      7
      symbol)
      had
     
     
      upon
      the
      student
      body.
      This
      fact,
      that
     
     
      of
      influence,
      is
      only
      of
      importance
      due
     
     
      to
      the
      emphasis
      placed
      upon
      this
      by
      the
     
     
      election
      rules
      and
      regulations
      themselves
     
     
      which
      there
      is
      an
      inconsistency
      in
     
     
      distribution.
      More
      simply,
      Ryan
      Gallant
     
     
      seems
      to
      be
      exempt
      from
      certain
      rules
     
     
      that
      other
      candidates
      are
      forced
      to
     
     
      adhere
      to
      in
      order
      to
      maintain
      the
     
     
      semblance
      of
      a
      legitimate
      campaign.
     
     
      For
      example,
      to
      minimize
      unfairly
     
     
      influencing
      voters,
      election
      candidates
     
     
      were
      restricted
      from
      accessing
     
     
      computer
      labs
      (apart
      from
      the
      one
     
     
      specifically
      designated
      in
      the
      SU
     
     
      Building,
      specifically
      for
      candidate
      use).
     
     
      On
      the
      other
      hand,
      Ryan
      Gallant
      is
     
     
      permitted
      express
      his
      opinions,
      photo,
     
     
      symbol,
      and
      general
      editorial
      judgment
     
     
      (selection/editing
      of
      articles)
      in
      The
     
     
      Cadre,
      a
      media
      outlet
      which
      other
     
     
      candidates
      explicitly
      cannot
      use
      as
      a
     
     
      means
      of
      political
      influence.
      The
     
     
      influence
      that
      Ryan
      has
      achieved
     
     
      through
      The
      Cadre
      is
      too
      wide
      in
      scope
     
     
      and
      subtle
      to
      measure
      or
      even
      estimate.
     
     
      In
      consequence,
      whatever
      the
      amount
     
     
      of
      influence
      Ryan
      has
      achieved
      through
     
     
      the
      Cadre,
      his
      potential
      influence
      would
     
     
      greatly
      dwarf
      the
      potential
      influence
      of
     
     
      other
      candidates
      in
      an
      unfair
      manner.
     
     
      This
      described
      inconsistency
      is
      so
     
     
      obvious
      that
      I
      am
      surprised
      nothing
      was
     
     
      done
      to
      pre-empt
      or
      correct
      the
     
     
      situation.
      For
      example,
      this
      could
      have
     
     
      easily
      been
      prevented
      by
      simply
     
     
      removing
      Ryan
      Gallant’s
      weekly
     
     
      editorials
      for
      a
      reasonably
      specified
     
     
      period
      or,
      perhaps
      more
      appropriately,
     
     
      allow
      another
      qualified
      person
      to
      edit
     
     
      The
      Cadre
      for
      the
      given
      period.
      In
      a
     
     
      practical
      sense,
      as
      Mr.
      Curley
      stated,
     
     
      there
      possibly
      could
      have
      been
      no
     
     
      impact
      by
      Ryan
      Gallant’s
      presence
      as
     
     
      Cadre
      Managing
      Editor,
      which
      I
      believe
     
     
      is
      doubtful.
      Despite
      this,
      the
      importance
     
     
      of
      maintaining/striving
      for
      the
      ideal
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      political,
      in
      this
      case
      an
      equal
      distribution
     
     
      of
      justice,
      should
      not
      be
      compensated
     
     
      for
      by
      a
      speculative
      practical
      intuition
     
     
      that
      the
      electoral
      process
      is
      fine.
     
    

    
     
      In
      conclusion,
      I
      wish
      to
      re-
     
     
      iterate
      the
      importance
      of
      balancing
     
     
      practical
      political
      concerns
      and
      ideal
     
     
      political
      concerns.
      If
      the
      practical
      is
     
     
      overemphasized,
      as
      exemplified
      in
      the
     
     
      above
      mentioned
      actions
      of
      the
      SU,
      the
     
     
      notion
      of
      a
      true
      democracy
      becomes
     
     
      unimportant.
      The
      mediocre
      win
      and
     
     
      mediocrity
      is
      established.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dominique
      Taylor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear
      Mr.
      Editor,
     
    

    
     
      I’m
      writing
      in
      response
      to
      the
     
     
      article,
      “UPEI
      Student
      Wins
      Award
      at
     
     
      Model
      UN
      Conference-
      Racism
     
     
      Allegations
      Just
      Hype:
      Essaigher”
      by
     
     
      Kimberley
      Johnston,
      published
      in
      the
     
     
      March
      30,
      2005
      edition
      of
      the
      Cadre.
     
     
      I'd
      like
      to
      straighten
      out
      a
      few
      things
     
     
      for
      Cadre
      readers.
      What
      was
     
     
      supposed
      to
      be
      an
      article
      focussed
      on
     
     
      Zain’s
      success
      at
      an
      internationally
     
     
      recognized
      conference,
      ended
      up
     
     
      continuously
      referring
      back
      to
      rumour-
     
     
      based
      comments
      regarding
      alleged
     
     
      “drug
      usage”
      and
      “visits
      by
      the
      police.”
     
     
      To
      begin
      with,
      the
      reason
      why
      few
     
     
      straight
      answers
      can
      be
      given
      at
      this
     
     
      point
      in
      time
      is
      not
      at
      all
      because
      myself
     
     
      and
      other
      delegates
      have
      anything
      to
     
     
      hide
      about
      what
      happened
      at
      the
     
     
      conference.
      The
      events
      that
      occurred
     
     
      during
      that
      week
      are
      still
      being
     
     
      discussed
      and
      looked
      at
      by
      the
     
     
      administration,
      and
      thus
      it
      would
      be
     
     
      inappropriate
      for
      us
      to
      make
      any
      further
     
     
      comments
      on
      the
      situation
      at
      this
      time.
     
     
      Secondly,
      there
      were
      no
      “racism
     
     
      charges.”
      Yes,
      there
      were
      racism
     
     
      allegations,
      and
      to
      echo
      what
      Zain
     
     
      said,
      “don’t
      believe
      the
      hype.”
      I
     
     
      personally
      know
      that
      there
      has
      been
     
     
      enough
      talk
      going
      on
      around
      campus
     
     
      regarding
      this
      trip,
      and
      I
      feel
      that
      it’s
     
     
      time
      that
      the
      reputations
      of
      the
      students,
     
     
      who
      attended
      this
      conference
      as
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      delegates,
      stop
      being
      tainted.
      To
     
     
      reiterate,
      this
      was
      not
      “A
      trip
      marred
     
     
      with
      police
      visits.”
      There
      was
      one
      call
     
     
      to
      the
      police
      regarding
      an
      isolated
     
     
      incident,
      which
      had
      absolutely
      nothing
     
     
      to
      do
      with
      any
      “drug
      usage,”
      bar
      fights
     
     
      or
      prison
      time-
      so
      don’t
      get
      too
      excited.
     
     
      Furthermore,
      the
      UPEI
      delegates
      who
     
     
      attended
      the
      conference
      this
      year
      are
     
     
      all
      but
      closed-minded.
      This
      was
      the
     
     
      largest
      UPEI
      delegation
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      International
      Model
      UN
      has
      ever
      seen,
     
     
      and
      I
      think
      I
      can
      say
      it
      was
      also
      the
      most
     
     
      diverse.
      Whether
      it
      is
      the
      various
     
     
      faculties
      we
      represent,
      or
      our
      varying
     
     
      cultural
      and
      ethnic
      backgrounds,
      we
     
     
      cover
      a
      broad
      spectrum
      of
      personalities.
     
     
      Spend
      five
      minutes
      with
      us,
      and
      you'll
     
     
      know.
     
    

    
     
      Every
      UPEI
      delegate
      who
     
     
      travelled
      to
      Ottawa
      this
      year
      did
      a
     
     
      fantastic
      job
      at
      the
      conference,
      and
      we
     
     
      all
      wore
      our
      UPEI
      pins
      proudly.
      This
     
     
      trip
      should
      be
      remembered
      for
      the
      great
     
     
      job
      we
      did
      representing
      our
      school
      and
     
     
      for
      the
      awesome
      experience
      we
      got
     
     
      from
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      a
      news
      report
      should
      be
     
     
      just
      that-
      a
      report
      on
      what
      actually
     
     
      happened,
      not
      a
      report
      on
      what
      the
     
     
      rumours
      say.
      ‘
     
    

    
     
      So,
      next
      time,
      you
      may
      want
      to
     
     
      leave
      your
      cheesy
      hyped
      up
      rumours
     
     
      and
      inaccurate
      comments
      behind,
      lest
     
     
      someone
      who
      knows
      the
      facts
      reads
     
     
      your
      article.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Shami
      Hariharan,
     
     
      UPEI
      Model
      UN
      Head
      Delegate
      and
     
     
      Organizer