News 1. Assoun evidence Last night, I wrote about “the long and absurdly strange journey I’ve taken to access what should be readily available public records” — the evidence presented at trial in 1999 to convict Glen Assoun of the murder of Brenda Way. Court evidence is typically public. But in the case of Assoun’s […]
It won’t be loading passengers any time soon, but the Alakai ferry has returned to Yarmouth
Morning File, Monday, June 24, 2019
News 1. Steve Craig “It is way too early to read anything of significance from a single constituency byelection in the muddling middle of any government’s mandate,” writes Stephen Kimber. “But let’s give it a shot…” Click here to read “The Sackville-Cobequid byelection: seeking meaning in the meaningless.” This article is for subscribers. Click here […]
Dal students and faculty oppose higher tuition fees
A proposal by Dalhousie’s Budget Advisory Committee to raise tuition next fall for the seventh year in a row drew criticism during a budget presentation to the Dalhousie Senate this week. “You can’t put all the burden on students because we just can’t take it anymore,” said Senator Masuma Khan, vice-president for Dal Student Union. […]
Masuma Khan and the question of free speech
University codes of conduct, which generically prohibit “unwelcome or persistent conduct that the student knows, or ought to know, would cause another person to feel demeaned, intimidated or harassed,” will inevitably smack up against the academy’s ultimately more fundamental role as protector of free speech and encourager of vigorous debate. The question is what were Khan's defenders defending?
Should the vice-president of the Dalhousie Student Union have faced even the whiff of disciplinary action from the university’s administration for a less than genteel Facebook exchange she had with some constituents? The short answer is no. The long answer is still no. But… Let’s circle back for some context. On June 28, 2017, the […]