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Fundraiser canned on claims disease affects only whites


Carleton University won't be holding a popular fundraiser to benefit cystic fibrosis, it was confirmed Tuesday, after the student council passed a motion claiming the disease affects only white men.


In what journalism councillor Nick Bergamini calls an "incredibly divisive" move, the Council of Carleton University Students Association (CUSA) passed a motion at a meeting late Monday night that effectively cancelled the annual Shinerama fundraising campaign.

Shinerama events occur during the school's orientation week and proceeds go to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF).

The association raised the motion based on information it received from one of its former executive members that the disease affects only white people and mostly males, Bergamini told CTV.ca.

"I don't believe that you should be playing politics with a charity," Bergamini said during a phone interview from Ottawa. "It's the most un-political thing. It's something that's supposed to bring people together and now they've done something that's incredibly divisive."

It is correct to say that cystic fibrosis "does affect Caucasian populations primarily," according to Cathleen Morrison, CEO of the CCFF.

However, the term Caucasian includes people from South Asia, North Africa, the Persian Gulf and Israel, Morrison said.

"These are Caucasian populations," Morrison told CTV.ca. "These people do not have white skin. They have CF, it now seems, in the same ratios as other Caucasian people who do have white skin."

Cystic fibrosis, which is the most common genetic fatal disease in young people in Canada, affects just as many young girls as boys, Morrison added.

It is a chronic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. Only about half of patients live into their thirties and beyond.

According to Bergamini, the motion read that orientation week strives to be inclusive and volunteers should feel like their fundraising efforts are serving a diverse community.

However, the motion went on to say that "and whereas cystic fibrosis has been recently revealed to only affect white people and primarily men, be it resolved that: CUSA discontinue its support of this campaign."

CUSA president Brittany Smyth said the idea of changing next year's orientation fundraiser to focus on a different charity, perhaps a local cause, first came up about a year ago.

She said that the part of the motion that refers to why Shinerama has been cancelled is irrelevant, not part of the official meeting record and simply reflects the rationale of the councillor who raised the motion.

"It completely depends on the individual," Smyth told CTV.ca. "It's 100 per cent their opinion. Their opinion doesn't have to be fact or anything really. It's just how this individual felt."

Only the resolution is important, Smyth said, even though it appears councillors are endorsing the idea that support of cystic fibrosis be stopped because it is a white-man's disease.

"Speaking from the council perspective, the whereas motions weren't actually overly relevant when people were making a decision on what they wanted to do," Smyth said.

She also pointed out that the whereas clauses cannot be amended, and said if a resolution to drop Shinerama had been rejected, the issue could not have been raised again.

Calls to the Carleton University spokespeople have not been returned.

Shinerama began in 1964, and events are held at nearly 60 Canadian university and college campuses. Students shine shoes, wash cars and hold other fundraising events as part of the campaign. The program has raised nearly $19 million for the CCFF.

Carleton students have participated in Shinerama for 24 years and have raised nearly $1 million for the cause.

Morrison said the CCFF has valued past contributions from Carleton students and hopes to speak with members of the association about their decision.

"We're hoping that when the facts are before them that they will feel more comfortable," Morrison said.

Bergamini said he will try to raise a motion to reverse the decision at the CUSA's next meeting. However, the council is the highest decision-making body and is the primary organizer of orientation week events and so he, and even the university, have little recourse, he said.

"So unfortunately this appears to be a final decision."

 
I am related to someone who has CF, and who, according to the definition in this article, is not genetically caucasian.

The reason they gave for cancelling the fundraiser is truly a joke, it's a fundraiser, meant to help people in need, not helping CF because it affects whites is like not donating to charities who help african children because theyre black, both cases are prejudice and racist and are intended to bar help from those who need it.

I have some friends at carleton U, I'll see what they think about this cause it disgusts me.
 
The Council is made up of University students?  Stupidiots. 
 
What's next??? No fundraisers for breast cancers  or cervical cancer for that matter?  

Ridiculous.  
 
SupersonicMax said:
What's next??? No fundraisers for breast cancers  or cervical cancer for that matter?  

No, because women are still considered a "minority" even though they make up 50.2% of the human population.

There will be no further fundraisers for Prostate Cancer research, because only naturally born males get it, and that would not be gender inclusive.
 
Anyone surprised by this knows nothing of university students associations, and is not familiar with "Cartoon U" or "Hogsback High", the local names for that august educational institution...
 
For the record, "Caucasians" have spread themselves, thanks to the likes of Alexander and Ceasar, to a large portion of Europe, N Africa and S. Western Asia. Due to a wide range of tone, actual colour of skin is not indicitive of Caucasian (Persians, and true Arabs, are also, by genetic definition Caucasian).
 
That is just bloody ridiculous. Wow.  I don't even know what to say.
 
Wow, I have to say, I'm incredibly embarassed to be studying with this university.  The CUSA president acknowledges this was someone's opinion, so how this got into the Association's mindset and even passed is beyond me.  Even if this was entirely true - that CF affects only white men - should we stop fundraising for it?  Should we stop fundraising for breast cancer because it only affects women?  Ridiculous.

Unfortunately this reflects very badly upon the administration and students of Carleton, but I'd like to stray away from insults and attacks against the university, if possible.  This was obviously a rash, uninformed, shallow decision that was made without the consultation of the student body, and it should not be one to represent our university.
 
ARMY_101 said:
Should we stop fundraising for breast cancer because it only affects women? 

Breast cancer affects men, too. My father has it.

And no, this incident should not be a (negative) reflection on all students and faculty at your institution, but alas, I'm sure it will be for many people, especially those who have CF or have loved ones afflicted with it.
 
Hopefully the cause they back in lieu of Shinerama is a cure for stupidity.
 
Outragous!

I had a schoolfriend die of this at 28.

This university should hang its head in shame.
 
I'm not surprised, really.

I've got two more years left at Carleton to finish my degree once I get home from tour. I've come to the conclusion that I'm gonna need to go on and do a Master's elsewhere just so I can take myself seriously.

And people at school seem outraged when I tell them I have no desire or intent to vote in student council elections... So many people at university have their heads so far up their asses it would take a winch to pull it out.

I'm so glad I took a break to spend some time in the real world. I shudder to think of what four uninterrupted years at Carleton might have done to me.
 
Hey, another Carleton person :)  Were you ever consulted on this matter?  I was under the impression CUSA represented us - the students - and not their own personal interests.
 
Pulse U strikes again.  [sarcasm]I'm so proud of my former alma mater[/quote]

This is the final result of white mans guilt, and stupidity...
 
Funny, I just came from this cbc article and the first thing I find here is the same thing.

Not surprised in the least.  Uni politics are quite comical at times.
 
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