LeTters to the Editor
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I’m confused
Dear Sir: On Friday, 11 January 2008, I picked up a copy of the 9 January 2008 edition of the The Manitoban. At the same time I also picked up a copy of the 10 January 2008 edition of The Bulletin. Note that both of these publications appeared within a day of each other, so in theory their respective editors and writers should have had access to the same pool of information.
These two papers are published at the same university, but it doesn’t always appear that they’re both talking about the same university.
The Manitoban writers, in their piece “2007 News in Review” (p. 4), render a verdict on the U of M, stating that “we lag behind in many areas.” They wonder out loud, “where’s the U of M’s International acclaim?
Maybe we’re talking apples and oranges here, but it seems to me that one answer to that question comes across loud and clear on p. 1 of The Bulletin that came out the following day. “On the World Stage,” screams the headline. The first paragraph reads, “A professional ranking of world universities by a European educational institution has found the University of Manitoba tied for second place in Canada at ‘preparing students adequately for professional activities.’ Concordia and Queen’s Universities were tied for first place, and the University of Toronto was tied with the University of Manitoba.” Only eleven Canadian universities even made the list at all. How’s that for international acclaim? Nor is this the only recent announcement declaring the very respectable profile of the U of M in international stranding and accomplishment; from time to time the mainstream media carries a piece in which a team from the U of M has won or scored highly in an international competition of some kind or other. The alumni journal OnManitoba also contains such items, not to mention articles on alumni who have made notable -- indeed outstanding --contributions on the international stage. The Manitoban writers feel that “the U of M is moving forward, but slowly,” and I suspect that that’s the case; like all institutions of its size and circumstances, the place has ample room for improvement. But that’s not the issue here. The question is one of international reputation, and the answers are readily at hand if you look in the right places.
As a U of M alumnus, I take a more than passing interest in the ongoing reputation of my alma mater. More importantly, students presently attending the school should be assured that the time, effort and money they’re devoting to their education are well-spent. On the surface of it, The Bulletin and The Manitoban aren’t always on the same page on matters that really shouldn’t be all that controversial. They’re like ships passing in the night. It may well be that I’m missing the point raised by the writers of the 9 January “News in Review” piece, and I for one would be most interested in seeing a response to this letter in a future issue of The Manitoban.
In the meantime, will the real U of M please stand up?
Leo Pettipas
