Now is your chance to prove everyone correct, students. So don’t blow it.
Just last week, London police chief Brad Duncan disbanded the department’s ‘papers, please’ portion of the Project LEARN initiative and promised to destroy all records of its misguided efforts. Applause all around. That was not an easy moment. Most police officers don’t like microphones to begin with; they especially don’t like them when they stand in front of them and admit fault.
Some criticized Duncan for not directly apologizing for the invasive policy. But as someone who has covered police officers for more than two decades, I know what you saw amounts to a police apology. Accept it.
They were wrong; they are fixing it. You don’t need any more.
That said, the ball is in your court now, students. And the first test starts, well, right now.
Before I continue, let me go on record here: Placing the new Fall Break on Halloween weekend is a terrible idea. As if Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day were not challenge enough for those charged with students’ care; now we’re giving students a drinking-based holiday weekend off.
This decision shows zero situational awareness by refusing to acknowledge recent events in the city. No matter how today turns out, the date must change going forward; the odds will never be in the university’s favour. We are one good weather day away from a mess.
Oh, did I mention it might be 16 degrees today?
Halloween is the first big test for the University Students’ Council’s ‘Good Neighbour’ campaign, which stresses partnership over policing. Their protests struck a big blow against some of the most aggressive parts of the city’s Project LEARN initiative. I hope the positive momentum continues.
If their message gets out to students, and the parties are contained and respectful, that would be a huge step toward rebuilding town-gown relations. But let me warn you, if Halloween festivities turn ugly, the students will lose this entire city. Taking your name and address will be the least of your worries, as this city has had enough of postsecondary student shenanigans.
The city made a big concession on one of its marquee programs, one quite popular with most of us ‘townies.’ Don’t waste the opportunity. It’s time to rebuild trust.
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Shirley Merriam never made headlines in this newspaper. She never wrote a story, took a photo or sold an advertisement. Yet, she was as valued a member of the Western News family as any of us. And she predated the whole lot of us to boot.
Shirley, pictured above left, and her husband, Larry Merriam, middle, along with Bill Little, right, have been delivering the Western News across campus and around town for nearly a quarter century. Most of you don’t know them because they do their job well under cover of early morning darkness. This newspaper ‘appears’ in your building every week, without worry, because of them.
Sadly, Shirley died suddenly at the family home on Tuesday, Oct. 22. She was 67.
She was as hard a worker and as nice a woman as you would ever meet. She was a wife, mother of three, grandmother of five and great-grandmother of three and, even still, she always took time to ask you about your family when business was done.
Our team will miss her terribly. Our thoughts are with Larry and his family during this difficult time.