Re: Student centre
Some arguments heard on campus make it seem as if this project is pulling the wool over the eyes of students. I understand that a location cannot be defined at this date to avoid unwanted price hikes, a fundamental of negotiation. I trust my CSU councillors and executives, and my university, to act in my best interest as a student. The question on the ballot is an incremental fee levy to finalize the creation of student centre, a gathering
place for students by students.
A student centre would be an amazing legacy to leave behind for years to come for future students. Our SGW campus is a very scattered campus, and the introduction of a centralized building for students to congregate and form a community in my mind would be fantastic. Maclean’s magazine each year evaluates the many different aspects of Canadian universities to form a ranking, where reputation and the amount of student services play as factors. Undoubtedly the creation of a student centre at Concordia would, in the long run, increase the value of our school.
Recently, space has been revoked by the administration for three CSU clubs, and many more are already without a place to call their own. I feel as though fighting for student space is a crucial task we as student must undertake, and that the enhancing upon existing space with a space we can control and actually call our own is the next step.
When I hear counter-arguments concerning student control of the building, I do see both points of view. That being said, I feel as though we as students DO in fact have the power to influence our new building to be a proper student space. If in fact our rights of control of this building were to be encroached upon, I trust that students as a community would make a stand, similar to the student strike of 1999 when student space was under attack. But that’s just it, we need to stand as a united community of students, as previous years have done, to gain and regain student rights and space from the university.
A common area such as a student centre could provide such a place to congregate, socialize, politicize and if necessary mobilize. I will vote yes to the student centre because I believe in my peers and my university.
Alex Gordon
CSU councillor
