Trent Students Work Towards Victory - Promises Made by Administration

PETERBOROUGH, ONT. – April 7th, 2005 - Despite bad weather and end of year exam stress, about 25 Trent students gathered at Bata Library in support of student and public common space on campus.

The action was organized because a number of important issues remain unresolved as the end of the academic year approaches. The action was announced following the administration’s failure to adequately respond to a letter about the Gzowski College Cafeteria situation.

However, the day before the action, David Newhouse, Principal of Gzowski College, met with some of the students to update them on changes the administration was making to address the lack of student common space at Gzowski and the corporate take-over of campus. These included the conversion of Gzowski College seminar room 345 into common space and also the partial opening of Gzowski College cafeteria during non-meal hours.

Michael Porritt, Director of Housing Services, also recently wrote a letter to Trent Action, assuring that the installation of a glass security curtain around the food preparation area of Gzowski café, which will be finished by August 25, 2005, will allow the dinning hall to be open to the public during non-meal hours by next year.

Finally, students were also inspired by an email sent out by Shantel Ivits, the Trent Central Student Association’s Vice-President of University Affairs, drawing attention to some of the steps being taken in creating public space at Gzowski for next year and the recent decision to keep Starbucks off campus. These developments are all a reflection of what happens when student voices are heard.

Nevertheless, the college system and common space remain a central problem that needs to be addressed. Sarah Lamble, a Trent alumnus, spoke at the rally to demand a reaffirmation of the university’s commitment to the college system. “The fact that there is not a common space in Gzowski College is a prime example of how the very idea of a College is being dismantled and destroyed.”

Patrick Clark, member of OPIRG Fair Trade group, celebrated the student victory of keeping Starbucks off campus. Following a long battle this winter, students demonstrated the power of actions and active campaigning. “Students fought that, and now we have an unbranded coffee cart run by Aramark, which is not good enough but it’s better than importing another highly visible logo on campus for brand-based advertising.” The OPIRG working group will continue to work on the student-run coffee service initiative; the proposal will be reviewed in 2 years.

Following the rally, students presented a statement to Meri Kim Oliver, Senior Director of Student Affairs Office, which listed four demands: that the administration to reaffirm their commitment to the college system and begin to work to strengthen its presence at Trent; that the University stop inviting corporations on to the Trent campus and to develop a policy on public-private partnerships to ensure they follow ethical, environmental and labour standards; that the administration encourage and support student initiatives such as the one that was put forward as an alternative to a Starbucks or Aramark coffee cart; and that the university support and maintain public common space at Trent and recognize that there is a fundamental difference between public common space and corporate space.

Following up on the clear successes of the past year, students will continue to press the administration, to remind them that their obligation is to the university and not to corporations. If the changes they’ve promised to make are not made by September, the students promise a very active year next year.
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For more Information:
Patrick Clark - Email: patrickclark@trentu.ca
OPIRG Fair Trade Group Liaison and member of Trent Action

Sarah Lamble - Email: slamble@cogeco.ca
Trent Alumnus, Teaching Assistant, and member of Trent Action

Sarena Santilly - Email: sarenasantilly@trentu.ca
Concerned Gzowski Student and member of Trent Action

Outside the Bata Library at Trent University, Amardeep Kaur holds a megaphone to her mouth and yells, "Private space is not welcome here."

Ms. Kaur and other members of Trent Action gathered in front of the library Thursday afternoon to rally for public space and against corporatization.

"The only way you win anything is to work hard and keep the pressure on," said Patrick Clark, a Trent Action member.

Along with opposing corporatization and privatization, students also demanded the immediate opening of the Gzowski Cafeteria to all students and the public, the creation of a public and common space in Gzowksi College, and a reaffirmation to the university's commitment to the college system.

"Many of you are new students...the college system has been dismantled to a great extent since you've arrived," said former Trent student and Trent Action member Sarah Lamble.

"I ask you, is that what you came to Trent for?"

"This is your university and you should have a say on how it works," she yelled into the loud speaker.

Second-year Trent student Sarena Santilly says she's disturbed by the way the cafeteria at Gzowski College is currently run because, she says, it's not a public space. Only students who pay for the buffet meal are allowed to enter the cafeteria. She says that excludes a large number of students at the college who simply want to enter the cafeteria to study or read.

Since Gzowski College has no common room like Lady Eaton College, the students now have no common space where they can just hang out.

Mr Clark says the good news is Trent Action has stopped Starbucks from setting up shop in the basement of Gzowski College in an area called the Red Light atrium.

Susan Apostle-Clark, vice-president academics at Trent, says she feels administration has made considerable headway in addressing the concerns of Trent Action members.

"We're not moving in the direction of corporatization and no one has thought of dismantling the college system," she stated.

Ms Apostle-Clark said many of the colleges at Trent, like Lady Eaton, include residences, a dining hall, classrooms, faculty offices and "common space." She explains the original plans for Gzowski College had to be re-evaluated for financial reasons and because of that a common room like that at Lady Eaton was not constructed. She added the university is currently working on making the Red Light Atrium into a more comfortable place for students to meet and relax. She explained that a medium-sized room at Gzowski College will also be available for students on a part-time basis because it's also needed as a classroom.

Ms Apostle-Clark said students were consulted about what type of cafeteria they would like to see at Gzowski College and the students decided on a buffet-style cafeteria where they could pay a flat price for each meal and then eat as much as they like.

She said it's a problem when students want to just sit in the cafeteria and not eat because it make it difficult to determine who has paid and who hasn't.

Ms Apostle-Clark noted discussion occurred in the fall of 2004 regarding this issue and David Newhouse, head of the college, created a committee called the Gzowski Cafeteria Review Committee. The committee was formed to look into how the cafeteria could be more public. She said they agreed upon trying to block off the area where the food is served so both paying and non-paying students could enter. Ms Apostle-Clark said construction in the cafeteria will not begin until the summer when the students are gone.

Photo: Trent University student Amardeep Kaur rallied a group of concerned students before an information tour of the university's student spaces. The group was protesting the involvement of private corporations in what they see as student-owned space. (Kyle Griffin/This Week)