Mitch Hendry and Stynn Furness
The students of Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute (OSCVI) have decided to fight back against an abrupt decision last week to close their school. The campaign to SAVE OSCVI was released on Saturday morning and their petition had 967 signatures by Sunday evening.
The Board plans on putting more than a million dollars into converting the purpose-built secondary school into an elementary school, and crowding the OSCVI students into the aging West Hill site: using portables for the overflow. The decision would end the 160-year history of "the OSCVI": a school with some illustriousalumni, including Billy Bishop, Agnes Macphail and Norman Bethune.
The students and parents of OSCVI were shocked to learn last Wednesday morning that their beloved school was scheduled to close for good in only a few weeks. By Thursday, they had decided to fight back: protesting a process that took the students, the community and the Owen Sound city council by surprise. Students set up a booth at the Owen Sound Farmer's Market to explain their position and gather signatures for a community petition requesting a one-year delay to ensure thorough consultation on the proposal to close OSCVI: an idea that was introduced to the public on March 1, after the period for public comment was already closed.
Across town, the OSCVI Alumni group were gathering more signatures at the Home and Cottage Show. By end of day on Sunday, the students had 967 signatures on their petition.
The slogan for the SAVE OSCVI campaign is "Falcon spirit and community support". Student organizer Mitch Hendry was pleased with what he saw this weekend.
"We saw a lot of support for the OSCVI specifically today," said Hendry. "But more importantly we saw and took part in a lot of discussion about the decision and the process itself. That discussion is something that I
haven't seen a lot of until now, and is really why we're here today."
The OSCVI Alumni donated almost $900,000 to the construction of the new OSCVI auditorium when the new school was built just 15 years ago. That group was not notified or consulted about the idea of closing the school, according to Alumni President, Styn Furness, whose late husband Fred was one of the organizers of that fundraising initiative. Furness was one of several alumni working at the Home and Cottage Show this weekend.
"We were thrilled with the support this weekend," says Furness. "It was overwhelming. People here were shocked that the Board would consider this without a broad consultation with students and the community about the impact. It is not just the students who are upset about this decision."
The SAVE OSCVI banner displayed at the market is now hanging in front of the Pinecrest Motel, and the community petition is available to sign in the motel's office and at various other locations in Owen Sound.
Mitch Hendry Student, Past Co-President OSCVI
