ASSU and the GSU call for a #GreenWager on the Back Campus

The Arts and Science Students’ Union is joining the Graduate Students’ Union in the call for a referendum on whether or not to cover the Back Campus field in artificial turf.

 

 

An Open Letter to President David Naylor regarding Back Campus Field.

Dear President Naylor,

Recently, members of the University community came to Governing Council with a petition of over 3000 names requesting that the University reconsider its decision to convert Back Campus into two field hockey playing surfaces. They were backed by a decisive vote from the Graduate Student’s Unions’ 144 member Council.

However, in Governing Council you expressed the opinion that you could easily obtain more signatures for the project. That the petitioners were just a vocal minority. Furthermore, you then also asked two hand-picked students to speak on behalf of both undergraduate and graduate students rather than the students elected to represent those two communities that were also present. While we appreciate your lack of belief in the democratic structures of your University’s student governments, it seems like a poor alternative to hand pick two students to support your cause and call it a day.

As a result, we would challenge you to a simple wager:

Give each student the opportunity to vote for or against the proposed plan. With the question provide a link to a pro-plan website and a link to our anti-plan website. If students approve the plan then we will give it our full support. If they reject it, then you will help us kill it.

If this is truly about the students and what students want, then let the students decide. If the elected representatives aren’t legitimate, then lets ask them directly.

Yours,

The Graduate Students’ Union Executive
The Arts and Science Student Union Executive