Summer’s gone and its getting chilly. Frosh week is over and done with! “Back to school” ads and commercials take over the media. Yeah, we are all going back to school: the University of Toronto.
This is a very important year for all of us. Toronto was bowled over last year: SARS, West Nile and the Blackout. Elections have been called and all you see on television or hear on the radio are campaign ads by the three major parties in the running. Elections might not seem like they are very important to a lot of our students, yet we all have to understand that they are. The party that sits in the offices of Queen’s Park decides how much money the universities get in funding and in turn decides how much we should be paying in tuition. This should be the main compelling force for students to get to the polls this October and vote for whomever we think will bring us a bright debt-free future!
Last year was an incredible year for student politicians on campus. I am sure most people know that the motion to increase law tuition went through with a slim majority at Governing Council. This increase was a step towards the planned law school tuition of $22,000 a year. The lobbying was amazing and students came together and protested against the tuition increases in unison. But we lacked support from Queen’s Park. Now is the time when we get to choose the people who represent the student interest in the provincial government. Remember that every vote counts, and unless we use the opportunity that we have, we don’t count at all.
A university experience is not just academics; it is also developing your outlook in as many ways as possible. So, get involved with the student body through cultural groups or academic groups. Learn more about what is happening on campus. Volunteer with the student groups. Pick up the campus papers and read them. Try and drop in to the Governing Council chambers for one of their meetings. In these chambers numerous decisions are made that profoundly impact our lives.
My heartfelt congratulations to the new students of U of T and a great welcome back to the returning. If you have any questions about courses, petitions, appeals and any other rules that reign our lives on this campus do not hesitate to give the Arts and Science Students’ Union a call. We are there to help you and listen to you, so feel free to drop by. Good luck and best wishes for success in your future endeavours.
