Dear Editors,

I happened to be entering the Student Centre this morning at the same time as Trent staff drove up onto the walkway, washed off a chalk message, and then excessively salted the area. The chalk message was not offensive or inappropriate: it was urging Trent to be environmentally mindful regarding the current development of wetlands. When I questioned the staff if they were only removing these particular chalk messages because today was the open house, they said yes.

I am very concerned that Trent University would censor a student advocacy group and would like to see this issue made known and addressed. I am sick of seeing Trent overextend itself to compete with larger universities and attract more tuition dollars with things like the Bata library renovation and new development of Cleantech Commons/twin ice pad. I believe these attempts at rapid growth negatively affect the quality of current student’s education -- it certainly has impacted the environment negatively, and now student’s freedom of speech and right to protest has been called into question at Trent. Trent University has lost sight of the ideologies it used to take pride in.

Kind regards,

Carly Davenport