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.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Take
      Control
      Of
     
     
      Your
      Career
     
    
   
   
    
     
      if
      you're
      a
      student
      or
      recent
      graduate,
      Campus
      WorkLink
      :
      NGR
      can
     
     
      help
      you
      with
      your
      job
      search.
      Hundreds
      of
      part-time,
      full-time,
      summer
     
     
      and
      intemship
      opportunities
      are
      advertised
      on
      our
      websites
      each
      month.
     
     
      With
      Campus
      WorkLink
      :
      NGR,
      you
      can
      post
      your
      résumé
      online
      for
     
     
      employers
      to
      see,
      search
      through
      job
      listings,
      research
      employer
     
     
      information
      and
      read
      up
      on
      the
      latest
      career
      tips
      —
      24
      hours
     
     
      a
      day,
      7
      days
      a
      week.
      And
      best
      of
      all,
      the
      service
      is
     
     
      absolutely
      free.
      So
      don't
      wait
      any
      longer.
      Take
      control.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Connect
      FREE
      via
      the
      Internet
      to
     
     
      Campus
      WorkLink
      :
      NGR.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
        
     
     
        
       
     
     
       
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EQ
     
    
   
   
    
     
      <
      connecting.
      canadians
     
    
   
   
    
     
      it
      oc
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http//:www.worklinkngr.com
     
     
      or
      call
      us
      at
      1-800-930-9643
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fs»
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Seek
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Gouvernement
     
     
      du
      Canada
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canada
     
    
   
   
    
     
      omen