speak out: Take a hike, Peak
Leah Muirhead, Special to The Peak

After reading the Oct 22 issue of the Peak entitled 'Take a hike, Mike' I was appalled at the lack of journalistic integrity of the so-called 'Simon Fraser University's Student Newspaper.' This newspaper is supposed to be an informative representation of the views of all students at SFU, yet in my opinion it is a socialistic propaganda tabloid that pushes a Communist-Marxist agenda on the students that it is supposed to be representing and educating.

To devote an entire issue to the resignation of Ontario Premier Mike Harris and to glorify the protests that marked them is but one example of the Peak failing to show all sides of a story.

What the Peak neglects to mention is the remarkable performance of Ontario's economy since Mike Harris became premier in 1995.

It hasn't been perfect by any account, but what they fail to mention is that Ontario's economy has grown by almost 25 per cent since 1995, (11.9 per cent in 1999 and 2000). Compare that with British Columbia having the lowest rate of per capita GDP growth in Canada due to our former government's mismanagement.

Nowhere is it stated that Ontario has created a record-breaking 550,000 plus new jobs in the past two years, nor does it mention that Ontario's debt was significantly reduced or that for the third consecutive year the Harris Tories have balanced their budget.

Did the Peak mention that the Ontario government has created 73,000 new spaces and increased funding substantially for post-secondary schooling and will continue to do so? Yet the Peak thinks that this is, 'a government gone bad'.... I say 'Way to go Mike.'

There is a need for a balanced argument.

Take the letters entitled Boo Gordo I and Boo Gordo II (Letters, Oct. 22) which condemned students supporting the B.C. Liberals who write articles to The Peak. I believe that any articles written to the Peak by B.C. Liberal supporters, or SFU B.C. Young Liberal members, are simply attempts to provide a balance of views.

As Robert Lawson (Boo Gordo II) states "... the students of SFU can form their own opinion of the B.C. Liberal government." I certainly agree with this statement, yet presently students are being manipulated by the extreme media bias in the Peak.

I believe that by educating the public the B.C. Young Liberals are not 'self congratulating' but stating facts and opinions and in no way should they be faulted for it. As the SFU BC Young Liberals is one of the largest clubs on campus, it is apparent that there are many students who wish to be informed and presented with information of this sort. Let's not forget that the B.C. Liberals won an overwhelming 97 per cent of the seats in the provincial election.

Jai Singh Mangat (Boo Gordo I) states, "I haven't noticed any difference in the quality of education." Well even SFU has noticed its own failing standards; the following is from an SFU Analytical Studies survey (page 6) which stated that the proportion of students able to register in either the number of courses or in every specific course they wanted has declined rapidly.

When asked for the single most important reason for prolonged degree completion, the most common was full courses (20 per cent), other reasons were attributed to "full courses" and "courses not offered in desired semester." Perhaps our MacLean's magazine ratings haven't fallen yet but when reading the above information one wonders how soon SFU's ranking will drop.

It is the responsibility of the editors of the Peak to ensure that there is a balance of opinions in their newspaper. As they claim to be the 'student newspaper' and are partly subsidised by the students, they have an obligation to represent all students. I think that it's about time they did this. Until then 'Take a Hike, Peak ...and Way to Go, Gordo and Mike!'

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