RE: “Lowering tuition must be a focus of CUSA Election” Jan. 29-Feb.4
When I came to Carleton two years ago, I was overwhelmed with the cynicism and negativity that surrounded student politics. The majority of students I interacted with, the articles I read, and the general vibe was one of apathy and disinterest.
In the Jan. 29-Feb. 4 issue of the Charlatan, an editorial called for a focus on the issue of rising tuition fees. It argued tuition should have been the key student issue in the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) election. As somebody who works part-time to help pay for tuition, I could not agree more.
Currently, there are existing campaigns that educate and promote awareness around high tuition and student debt. The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and the CFS-Ontario (CFS-O) produce and update campaigns annually. In the Charlatan editorial, the editors proposed our student association could manufacture, run, and advocate local campaigns.
This is an excellent idea. The lower-tuition group Carleton University Student Action Movement (CUSAM) itself uses nationally and provincially produced CFS and CFS-O materials and campaigns, while also mixing in local materials and strategies to address issues specific to Carleton students.
However, tuition is an issue that affects all students. No matter where students go to school, on the issue of rising tuition, it is essential our students’ association and student leaders increase their involvement in any and every capacity. I am hopeful to see official executive and council involvement in any subsequent campaign to try and lower tuition.
In my experience at Carleton, this student election has seen the most talk and focus around tuition fees.
Let’s review the slates that ran in the student election: two out of three slates that ran put tuition as a major campaign point in their platform. Both Change CUSA and ACT Now had members involved in the only lower-tuition club on campus—CUSAM. Both of these slates promised to get involved in local, provincial, and national campaigns to redress students concerns.
At the executive debates on Jan. 27, both the vice-president (internal) candidate for ACT Now and the Change CUSA presidential candidate brought up tuition as being a long-neglected student concern. CUSA’s new vice-president (student life), Sean Smith, is one of the founding members of this lower-tuition organization. I have never seen this happen before in my time at Carleton.
Additionally, this universal issue of tuition became so popular that even the third slate began to campaign on it even though it was not in their official policy.
This election, tuition was an issue every side considered and championed. All in all, this year’s student election has seen the most talk, action, and buzz surrounding too-high tuition fees.
This shift in attitudes and perspectives is no accident.
Over the past year at Carleton, students have been coming together to build a movement of positivity and action. Tuition is indeed an issue that affects all students, but the only way to effectively combat it is to realize that collectively we have the strength, the motivation, and the power to stand up to fight for what we believe in.
When students unite under a common interest, we get results. The student movement is only as strong as its most passionate members, and I think that passion is growing.
I urge everybody to continue to look forward and up, and see this student election as a sign of changing times for undergraduate activism for lower tuition.
