WHEN I WENT to get my U-Pass this week, I was approached by a campaigner looking for signatures for an OC Transpo petition. The bus company is looking to raise the price by $50 next year, and the campaigner explained that we shouldn’t be paying more for less service (what with recent cuts). I asked her if she had heard that 95 per cent of riders wouldn’t be affected by the changes, and in fact, have increased service. She steered the conversation back to her points.
During this season, we are being told to get involved, join the cause, and stand up in the name of students, but should this really be the focus of our attention? Yes, tuition and transportation costs are high, but as university students there is a high probability that we can pay off our loans and debts (eventually). Thing is, we belong to one of the most privileged demographics in Canada and our issues aren’t as important as those that matter most—people trying to rebuild houses and lives, not students petitioning beer money.
Let’s look beyond our own self interests for a change and protest something that matters.
—Ryan Reed Mills
fourth-year theatre student
