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CANTA COLUMNS
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The F-word
Episode 1
Welcome to our column! In this space the
FemSoc exec will write about all things
feminist and what happens on campus
here at UC.
For this first one, we thought we’d start
with the most basic -- and maybe also the
hardest -- question about feminism:
What is feminism?
Feminism questions taken-for-granted
social notions that affect men, women,
trans-people, gay people, intersex
individuals, asexual people, racial &
religious groups etc. Feminism stands for
creating a more just society by critiquing
existing social structures that benefit
only a certain section of the society. For
instance, why are the suicide rates of men
so high? Why do young women fall into
eating disorders more than men?
Why do we need it at UC?
At FemSoc, we believe that UC should
be as equitable and safe a space as
possible -- and we think most people will
agree with us on that. Unfortunately like
on other campuses around the world,
sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia
and other forms of oppression sometimes
happen on our campus as well. We would
like to open discussions on these issues
rather than hush them down so that we
can find solutions and work toward a
better, safer campus for all.
Cutting Out the
Middle-Man
By Ollie O’Connell
One of the seven holy sacraments,
reconciliation causes much discomfort
for the increasingly individualistic
Catholic youth of today. The concept
of telling your sins to a much older
man who you rarely know, is difficult
for privacy obsessed teenagers already
genetically determined to defy authority.
Why can’t they repent directly to God?
Throughout my Catholic education I was
persuaded, by either social pressure or
teacher’s encouragement, to partake in
the honest exercise. With acoustic music
playing in the background, and the smell
of incense in the air, tense students
one-by-one entered hidden rooms where
priests they had never met waited. It was
awkward. I didn’t want to do it.
Why can’t I confess in my bedroom? God
is omniscient; it is declared in both the
Old Testament – “Even before I speak,
you already know what I will say” (Psalms
139:4) – and the New Testament – “God
is greater than our conscience, and
he knows everything” (1 John 3:20).
Therefore, whether or not I’m truly
remorseful is already known by God,
and if he is infinitely benevolent, he
will forgive me regardless of a priest’s
participation in the process.
Biblical evidence supporting
reconciliation is weak. When James says,
“confess your sins to each other” (5:16),
the ‘other’ is never defined. Earlier in
John, when Jesus tells his disciples that
“If you forgive people’s sins, they are
forgiven” (20:23), he doesn’t specify that
this truth refers to all following priests.
The modern Catholic Church has a
perception problem among youth;
letting sinful children and blasphemous
teenagers to connect personally with
God at their own speed, during their own
time, in their own space, consequently
eliminating the middle-man, would help
bridge that gap.
Zimmer-frame
By Anon
I remember when I first arrived here and
I felt very alien – it didn’t help that I was
an older student, walking around with a
zimmerframe at the ripe old age of 26.
.The good thing is, no one cares. The bad
thing is, no one cares.
Sometimes this place is overwhelming.
It can be a lonely existence, where you
go through the motions, in and out of
lecture theatres and eating lunch alone.
In my opinion it’s nothing like any other
social construct we’re fed throughout life.
Uni really is a place where you need
to step out a little and do something
different.
It really helped me joining a society in my
first week in campus. To be honest, there
were only a few people I felt were normal
in my club but hey, I was out of my
comfort zone and meeting new people.
This might seem basic, but make sure you
attend tutorials too – it’s a chance to get
to a different level with other people.
At the end of it all, we’re all here for a
similar reason; higher level learning
and an outcome that betters our life.
That’s a good enough reason to make a
connection with someone!
Issue 1.