An unfounded ‘racist university’ crusade
Dear Nouse,
I used to have a lot of respect for your newspaper, but your last issue left me exasperated. Your editorial attacked the ’sensationalism’ of a certain rival publication regarding their story about disappearing, potentially fraudulent international students who had used enrollment at the University as an excuse to be allowed into our country. Yet you proclaimed on your own front page that a poll—which stated simply that half of international students felt excluded from the home student community, and that a minority had experienced some form of discrimination—implied that our institution is a racist establishment!
However, you went on to concede that nine out of 10 foreign students enjoy their time here. The reason for this apparent contradiction is that international students, particularly where English is not their first language, often gather in their own separate communities and live happily as a consequence.
Is there any wonder that divisions - if indeed there are any - exist when your newspaper so crudely implies that the presence of several separate, perfectly happy communities is a negative thing?
You also bemoaned the ‘disenfranchisement’ of a massive group of 50 students in the recent local council elections. Leaving aside the issue of the admittedly convincing emails which led those students to believe they had been registered, if these elections were of such high importance that such an error was the scandal you reported it to be, why were the results only printed on pages 12 and 13 of the 16-page newspaper, separated from the back by only the sports pages?
Surely it is issues exactly like elections, as well as the University’s latest slip down the rankings that deserve top billing, and not your unfounded “racist university” crusade.
Joe
Politics Student
