| Students rally against proposed tuition hikes |
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Tanner Holthe |
| Friday, 05 February 2010 17:30 |
Planned as a conference on tuition increase, the event turns into a protest
University of Calgary students came looking for answers Tuesday night regarding proposed tuition increases, but some merely wanted to make a point. Some students showed up to the event in their underwear holding signs stating that they couldn’t afford clothes if the tuition rose. Others wore garbage bags to signify that the proposed tuition hike would leave them homeless. An estimated 500 students showed up to question the proposal. The videoconference took place in MacEwan Hall and was hosted by the Students’ Union. Provost and vice president, Alan Harrison was the primary speaker who defended U of C against heavy criticisms as tensions grew throughout the evening. 
Angela Mulvey(Left) , Helle Aagaard(Right), and Julie Maimes (Center) demonstrate in protest of proposed tuition hikes at the University of Calgary.
Photo: Tanner Holthe/ Calgary Journal
Students' Union member Carmen Tsang asked, “What will I get for an extra $2,000 in tuition that I couldn’t get at Mount Royal University?” to which Harrison sternly responded, “The same great education you always have.” The proposed tuition increase would target those enrolled in business, law, medicine, graduate-level education and engineering. Business students could see up to a 47-per-cent increase in tuition this fall if the proposal passes. First-year business student Julie Maimes sported a garbage bag for the evening to protest the increase. “I am in my first year. The tuition increase would be huge for me. I think it is really important for me to be here tonight,” Maimes said. Students were given the chance to ask questions but the audience roared with applause so loudly that it usually cut off most of Harrison’s answer. The event lost its educational value rather quickly as the speakers became too muffled and distorted to understand. Despite the technical and behavioural setbacks, U of C events commissioner, Dylan Jones, saw this as an important event. “When you see the amount of people coming out for an event like this - filling the top level, filling the bottom level and chanting at the levels we just were - it shows that we will not just let this happen,” Jones said. “We are becoming aware and educating ourselves about what is happening with our education.” |
