February 11, 2002 Over The Edge Page 9

Rant and Rave About Taition Hikes Continued from page 8

granted. Another student
stated, as a father he is will-
ing pay higher tuition and
taxes now, for future benefits
for his children.

It is easy to look the other
way when we have it so easy.
The cost of this apathy is
cumulative and erodes any
cohesive strength that may
be garnered through cooper-
ation and solidarity. Our uni-
versity education should
afford us this basic under-
standing- we should be com-
passionate towards those
less fortunate. Similarly, even
though there may be access
to equal opportunity of edu-
cation, not all of us begin at
the same place. Students
need to be aware that much
of the province’s fiscal agen-
da is run from the premier’s
cabinet. Recommendations
such as tuition hikes made in
order to meet the budget,
have little to do with protect-
ing marginalized populations.
The considerations are pri-
marily monetary, not social.
These actions are justified by
ethics that see the greater
good being served. We as
students have to ask our-
selves whose greater good is
being served. Where do we
draw the line when it comes
to raising tuition costs—when
education becomes class
based?! Believe me a great
deal of inequalities and injus-
tice is present in our system.
There are diverse popula-
tions being discriminated
against and impeded from
fully accessing educational
opportunities. The problem is
systemic and divided along
race, culture and socio-eco-
nomic class.

We need to find consensus
on how to take action and
protest. We need to work on
the margin of acceptable lim-
its to get our point across.
Partnerships and alliances
need to be formed between
students and the general
public. There is a need for
people in organized protest
who are willing to take direct
action. It is surprising in a
school of this arena and
diversity, that more students
are not responding to the
dominant discourse. This
discorse should effect struc-

tural change and to seek]; :
empowerment for those who | \\s

face systemic inequalities.
The conservative ethos in
Canadian culture quenched
the fervor of the general
public and student bodies
from feeling that they can
make a difference. If we as
UNBC students continue to
capitulate quietly in our cor-
ner of the green forest, we
may soon find our school
environment barren. It will be
inaccessible to those who
are distant from the hard-
ship, that students from less
fortunate social backgrounds
face—students that bring
perspective and enrichment
to our university setting.
Without their interaction it
would leave us all in a state
of intolerance and igno-
rance.

| fear education cost, in
addition to our living cost will
rise as we passively sit and
accept the status quo as a
matter of tradition. We as
students will just continue to
settle for social venting ses-
sions (which do serve an
important function) to ease

the nagging voice in our
heads. It doesn’t get any eas-
ier when you get out in the
real world to speak your con-
science and stand up for prin-
ciple. UNBC students need to
use the opportunity that our
presented by student orga-
nizers to do something in the

PRIZES TO
BE WON!

MORE INFO:

Drop by Student

Services reception
or call 960-5870 ©
for more infomation.

form of real protest that gets
the attention of the govern-
mental bureaucracies to turn
their attention to us. If our
government __ irresponsibly
fails to consult with us on
decisions that affect us, what
should our response be? This
government is banking on our

|\UNBC FACULTY/STUDENT
LOONIE BREAKFAST

Sponsored by:

-UNBC Counselling Center
Where: Upstairs Cafeteria
When: Thurs March 7th 2002
Time: 8:00- 10:00 A.M.

apathy, divisive viewpoints,
and our ignorance to so arbi-
trary an act with such caprice.
If you are attending UNBC
and are going to profess
higher learning then you must
accept the responsibility that
comes with that and take a
stand to affect change. ©

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Over The Edge reserves the right to edit submissions for

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Please drop off you submission at our office or e-mail at over-
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