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THE EDITOR'S VOICE | LETTERS | ASK THE EXPERT | ASSOCIATION NEWS | CLASS ACTS | LAST WORD
LET THE GAMES BEGIN | ALUMNI PROFILE . OPENING BEDROOM DOORS | COLLECTOR'S ITEMS
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Last issue we began including at the end of our features an invitation to contact me with questions or comments. The strategy seems to be working. Aside from the letters which appear on page 5, I received a number of positive phone calls and e-mails as well as several inquiries, mainly about Concordia’s genocide studies. The callers included a grad who works for the RCMP’s war crimes division and a grade 11 student, the son of an alumnus, researching a homework assignment. I gladly referred them both to the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies at Concordia.
I don’t expect nor do I want all feedback to be approving. It’s your right as a reader to criticize the magazine for any misstatement or if you think we’re doing a poor job. One of the things I cherish about Concordia is its openness towards allowing disparate viewpoints to be espoused and debated, and this magazine’s “Editor’s Voice” and “Last Word” are part of that forum. I urge readers to let me know your thoughts of the opinions expressed herein. I must admit being baffled, however, by Mr. Rick Bujnowicz, BSc 76, of Calgary. He took offence to my negative remarks about the Alliance Party in last issue’s “Editor’s Voice.” I’m gladly reprinting Mr. Bujnowicz’s letter (see p. 5), thereby promoting an open dialogue, but he alas does not want to participate because he has requested we stop sending him the magazine. Paradoxically, he wrote, “Universities were created as a vehicle for the free flow of ideas.” But he seems to feel that the flow of ideas should run only in one direction. In a later e-mail to me, he explained his vehemence: “It is my tax money that supports the university; it is my tax money that you hijacked to heap scorn on my political party.” Actually, our funding derives mostly from Quebec tax revenue. Would Mr. Bujnowicz be equally upset if I denounced the PQ government? And what about the many Concordia professors with political ties and views, also supported by taxes: should they be censored too?
I write this piece on the day of the funeral of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, arguably the greatest Canadian of our time. While prime minister, Trudeau was disdained by Western Canada and Quebec nationalists alike because he dared envision a united, bilingual and just society held together by a powerful central body. While Trudeau’s policies did not always succeed, he continually fought for what he was certain was best for Canada in the long run, critics be damned. The Alliance Party, like the Conservatives before them, have flirted with the idea of joining Quebec separatists to achieve their common goal, to curtail the role of the federal government. If I take the side of Pierre Trudeau and am criticized for it, I can live with that.
Changing topics: Concordia’s offices of Alumni Affairs and Advancement recently merged to form the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations (see p. 23). We welcome some new members to our team, and we say goodbye to others. I’d like to send a special farewell to three friends and colleagues who gave years of dedicated service to Concordia and its alumni: Gabrielle Korn, Leisha LeCouvie and Maria Ponte. Bonne chance.
