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Students Can’t Afford Scholarships

Ely Pittman
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Students Can’t Afford Scholarships

One of the most prominent causes of student stress is undoubtedly student debt. Between rent, tuition, basic living expenses, and transportation, students are consistently worried about the money they’re spending.

Yes, we get the option of scholarships, but for how many students is this actually an option? Between part-time jobs, building a resume, and dealing with heavy course-loads, who has the time?

First, let’s take a look at the average scholarship standing criteria:

“Scholarship standing for undergraduate students is defined as a 75% average at the end of two out of the last three semesters in the previous scholarship year and the successful completion of not less than 30 credit hours in those two semesters. Students who fail one or more courses during the scholarship year, regardless of the number of courses completed, will not be eligible for scholarships,” (MUN Official University Calendar).

Not less than 30 credit hours between two semesters = 5 courses a semester.

I took the liberty of asking a few students what their semesters consisted of, and whether or not it would allow them to take 5 courses while achieving the best possible grades. Along their reasons was a variety of student issues: mental health struggles, family obligations, lack of affordable and accessible transportation.

One third year student at Memorial was suggested, by their Doctor, to only take four courses, as five had her “constantly working at her frustration level”. A student who excels academically dropped from five to four courses and was no longer eligible for a scholarship despite her outstanding student reputation.

If life were simple and everybody was the same, then this would simply be a rat race to get the cheese. Sadly, life is nothing like a primitive experiment and there are real fundamental differences between people. Differences are not supposed to be forms of valuation, but it seems at Memorial, valuation based on output is happening.”

Anonymous

Let’s go through the day of a typical student.

For full-time students, it’s 2-3 classes a day, usually ending around 2:00 or 3:00.

Then, to get home, it ranges from 10 minutes to 30 minutes for most students.

By the time you feed yourself, do whatever household chores that’s required of you, and finish your piles of reading, it’s time to go to bed, or stay up all night completing the three 30-page scholarly articles that you have to complete by the next class.

This summary, for the most part, is for students who may not struggle with mental or physical health issues. If a student is taking five courses, working part-time to afford those five courses, their mental health is going to suffer immensely.

According to research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

  • One in four students have a diagnosable illness
  • 80% of students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities
  • 50% have become so anxious that they struggle in school.

When it comes to students with disabilities, five courses can be challenging not only mentally but physically. If your disability causes fatigue or mobility issues, moving from classroom to classroom can be quite exhausting. When talking about this issue, one student said:

“When you add disability to an impairment like fatigue and subsequently add stairways or navigation through superfluous underground tunnel infrastructure, an impairment becomes a disadvantage.”

Anonymous

Of course, to those who are not struggling with this problem, we seem like a bunch of lazy, complaining students who do nothing to help themselves get ahead.

Let’s address the typical questions:

 “But what about student loans?”
Most of us have them. Most of us wish we didn’t need them. For many students, though, it is the only way to get an education. Even then, the loans given out do not cover all expenses that come with being a student.

“Get a job then!”
A part-time job is on average 20 hours a week. For someone doing five courses a semester, this is almost impossible.

“You just need time management!”
We have no time to manage.

Scholarships with the requirement of 5 courses a semester are completely unreachable for many students.

This chart says it all. In an ideal world, students would be able to prosper without feeling immense stress and unhappiness. However, with growing interest on student loans, struggling to make time for a part time job, and building your “outstanding student” reputation, being a university student continues to become more difficult.

Making scholarships easier to attain would drastically improve the lives of university students, lessening the stress of paying back astronomical loans and decreasing the financial burden of students.

Sources:

https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/top-5-mental-health-problems-facing-college-students/

https://www.mun.ca/regoff/calendar/2017_2018/sectionNo=SCHO-1240)

Review: “Joker”

Guest
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Review: “Joker”

Reporter: Joshua Brown, The Muse

Don’t let the clown on the cover fool you, this film is anything but a laugh. A slow-paced, harrowing story of a sympathetic character’s downward spiral into insanity with close to no comedic relief; a sharp change of pace from the numerous action-comedies that the comic book genre has become known for.

Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a clown-for-hire struggling to cope with mental illness as well as a unique condition that forces him to laugh in times of emotional stress. Unlike other R-rated comic book movies, such as Deadpool and Judge Dredd, Joker features relatively few acts of on-screen violence, which increases the raw shock and horror I felt when they do happen. Even scenes where something as little as having a gun on screen, are given such tension that it’s uniquely unsettling. The film’s uncomfortable tone is accompanied by an amazing performance by Phoenix who easily stands among the other great Joker actors such as Heath Ledger, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Hamill.

The film is not entirely without flaw however, as there is an attempt at a romance in Joker but it is incredibly short-lived and not at all believable. The soundtrack makes frequent use of Frank Sinatra’s, “That’s Life,” to the point where it’s the only song in the soundtrack that I remember through sheer repetition. Although it is a great song, its use as an obvious metaphor for Arthur’s life whenever the going gets rough is about as subtle as a brick, and the same can be said for a lot of the film’s symbolism.

Although some sub-plots seem a bit clumsily written and the soundtrack is not incredibly memorable, the film is a welcome change of pace compared to the already-done, action gore-fests one would expect when they think of a comic book movie. Joker doesn’t desensitize its audience to violence, and an amazing performance by Phoenix keeps tensions high throughout this uncomfortable film.  I give Joker an 8/10.

Review: ‘Voices,’ A Poignant Portrayal of Misunderstanding and Mental Illness

Allison Mills
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Review: ‘Voices,’ A Poignant Portrayal of Misunderstanding and Mental Illness

There wasn’t an unplucked heart-string in the theatre at the LSPU, following MUN Drama’s presentation of ‘Voices,’ a short play that closed out the St. John’s Short Play Festival on September 19th, 21st, and 22nd. The play demonstrates the struggle of a young woman and those who love her with her undisclosed mental illness.

This student-run production by MUN Drama, co-directed by Kyle Saunders and Kelly Lewis, is a heartbreaking depiction of the struggles that are so often pushed aside by those unaffected by mental illness. The sensitive subject-matter may want to make people shy away, but instead easily leaves the audience able to fill in indeterminate details to make it relatable to personal experience. The play evolved from a short story written by Kyle Saunders to the production it became through a series of contributions from the cast, personal past experiences, and all-around hard work.

The set is sparsely decorated with props – a simple dining room table and chairs on one side and an even meager two chairs opposing it. Using a back-lit screen to indicate the setting and using smart lighting to highlight the transition from place to place, the production invites an universality to further encourage the audience’s personal interpretation.

The timing for a piece like ‘Voices,’ couldn’t be more contemporary, with the fight for mental illness awareness a forefront societal issue for many people around the world. In a following interview with the cast and crew, co-director Kelly Lewis stated “There seem to be two portrayals of mental illness in popular media; first, that fitting for the plot of a horror movie, featuring people whose mental health have driven them to do evil and vile things. Secondly, the person who suffered from a mental illness but in the end is ‘all better’ and can carry on as though nothing ever happened to them.” This is not the case at all for ‘Voices.’

While the play begins in media res with a fight between the lead, Alyssa (Alyssa Fradsham) and her father (Ches Petten), it ends with the promise between father and daughter to try and do better for each other, but there is no conceivable cure for her illness in the end. On the contrary, it appears that her illness has only changed – with the help of the new-found support from those closest to her and her acceptance of medication prescribed to her by her therapist (Kusal Tennekoon). The evolution of her illness attests to the fight that so many people face today and that there isn’t a simple catch-all solution.

As with anything portraying the level of serious subject-matter that is presented in ‘Voices,’ there is always the question of how the play will be received from the audience, as well as the actors who worked on the production. The central plot is the relationship between the father-daughter duo is a work of “collective experience and wishful thinking” from the consensus of the cast, indicative of a popular issue plaguing parents and their children in society today.

Overall, the play was a masterful addition to the St. John’s Short Play Festival, and even more so a proponent for the struggle to find and maintain a personal care regime, as well as bringing to light how people can come to be of assistance for those who suffer.

Cast and Crew
Co-Director/ Producer Kyle Saunders
Co-Director/ Producer Kelly Lewis
Writer Kyle Saunders
Stage Manager Kelly Lewis
Alyssa Alyssa Fradsham
Voice One Nick Gushue
Voice Two Kyle Saunders
Father Ches Petten
Nicole Nicole Obiodiaka
Therapist Kusal Tennekoon

For More Information on MUN Drama Society:
Find Them on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mundramasociety/
Via Email
societymundrama@gmail.com
Or In-Person
MUN University Centre, UC- 6008

Students Hit the Polls on the Last Day of Campus Voting

Announcements
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Students Hit the Polls on the Last Day of Campus Voting

Today is the last day to vote on campus in this federal election. For the second election in a row Election Canada’s campus voting initiative has allowed students to vote on campus in any riding throughout Canada. 

“It’s so exciting to see students showing up to vote,” said Bailey Howard Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students – Newfoundland and Labrador. “Students have been unfairly labelled as being apathetic,” said Howard “but students and youth are the largest voting block in this election and we are ready to be bold at the polls” 

“Most students I talked to this week were planning on using the advanced polling station on campus in between classes and remarked on the ease of the process. We have also set up a symbolic polling station for those unable to vote in this election, including international students because everyone should have a chance to participate in this election” noted Howard.

The CFS worked with Elections Canada in 2015 to launch on-campus polling as a pilot project and had 40 on campus polling stations where 70,000 people voted. This year Elections Canada expanded the project to include 115 on campus polls. 

On campus polls on Memorial University in the University Centre close at 10:30 pm tonight.

 The Canadian Federation of Students is the oldest and largest national student organization in Canada, representing over 500,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students across the country.

The Death of Brick & Mortar Stores and the Rise of E-Commerce

Allison Mills
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The Death of Brick & Mortar Stores and the Rise of E-Commerce

On Monday, Forever21 announced that they will shut down all business operations in Canada and re-structure their remaining assets in the US and abroad by declaring bankruptcy. They have filed to shut down their 44 stores in Canada with liquidation effective immediately and a full withdrawal by the end of December 2019. Forever21 is just the latest in a slew of companies to announce either withdrawal from the Canadian market or all-around dissolution of assets. Other recent closures include GAP, Payless ShoeSource and department store giant Sears.

This causes us to question the state of the Canadian economy as a whole – but also calls into question the changes that are happening for consumers themselves. Statistics Canada releases the figures for all retail-earnings each quarter, tracking them against previous years and creating future predictions for the upcoming quarter.

Retail statistics from Statistics Canada are divided into three categories; food and drug, store merchandise, and automotive and related – and are further sub-divided by class. These sub-categories, however, have become projections based on previous sales due to the fact that Statistics Canada is now suppressing the breakdown due to confidentiality reasons. They also track the sales from E-Commerce parties; however, these figures are limited to only Canadian operations – any e-commerce orders from foreign parties are not included in their published features.

For the last 12-month trend, Location-based Retailers from all three categories made 610.8 billion dollars, with a dismally low growth-rate of only 1.5%. Comparatively, the statistics for local e-commerce represent only 3.2% of Canadian retail purchases but show a positive 24% growth rate for the last twelve months.

Brick and mortar stores are also included in the e-commerce category for all their online operations, but it is generally an unprecedented trend in the business world and many businesses are facing difficulties in managing the transition. Even in the last ten years, entire lines of businesses have become obsolete, and it doesn’t seem to change anytime soon. Video and music stores were the first line of retail operations to be decimated by the introduction of online business. Now, we see the same effects happening to department stores and general mall-based businesses.

But why is this happening? Because people are changing the way that they want to spend their money. There is an urgency to the way consumers shop, and therefore the general shop-around in various department stores and malls are less of a priority and more of a hindrance. People seem to be driven by direct-marketing for one line of product where they can get in and get out. This change of attitude is what will be the downfall of these institutions.

For More Information on Statistics Canada NAICS: http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3VD.pl?Function=getVD&TVD=118464&CVD=118465&CPV=44-45&CST=01012012&CLV=1&MLV=5

Student Profiles – How We Deal with Stress

Haylee Freake
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Student Profiles – How We Deal with Stress

By Tim Parsons, Haylee Freake and Alanna Harriot

Post-secondary students aren’t rookies when it comes to dealing with stress. With looming deadlines, work and extracurricular activities, we often have our plates piled high with commitments and not enough hours in the day to complete them. So, how do we cope with the stress?

We asked ten students how they deal with their stress, and this is what they had to say.

Hannah is a third-year physics major, and is currently working part-time. She is completing four courses this semester and finds her math and science based courses very difficult. When Hannah is stressed, she prefers to be alone and finds taking a nap helps her. Her advice for anyone going through university and feeling overwhelmed would be to not feel obligated to take 5 courses every semester.

Jake is a first-year student completing a semester of general studies while he tries to determine what program he wants to do. Jake doesn’t work outside of his 5 courses and finds that his course load isn’t very difficult. Though when he does experience stress, Jake finds smoking weed, hanging out with his friends and listening to music very beneficial.

Sanjna is a third year student working towards a major in English and a minor in Business. She is currently doing 4 courses and is seeking employment. While her course load can sometimes be too strenuous, Sanjna dislikes online courses. Even though professors do a good job of making sure they provide you with the resources to pass the courses, there’s an extra element that you need to teach yourself. Sanja doesn’t have many extracurricular activities due to her academics. When dealing with stress, Sanja listens to music to help her plan what she has to do and how long she can procrastinate. She’ll often clean her room so she’ll have less distractions, or go for a walk around downtown St. John’s on a sunny day.

Samiha is a second-year student, majoring in chemistry and is not currently employed. She says the course load can be overwhelming, each semester completing 3-4 chemistry courses and 1-2 electives. Samiha would like to be more active, although her academic requirements often get in the way of this. When dealing with stress, Samiha finds herself ignoring her stressors or begins to worry.

Becky is a second year math major completing her BA, she works very hard to finish her course material, and is determined to not let her difficult courses get the best of her. Becky works part-time along with her four classes, which she attends regularly. When she is stressed, Becky likes to listen to music, her favourite band is the Chainsmokers. Like anyone, Becky strongly believes that you shouldn’t let anyone define who you are, and that you shouldn’t let anyone tell you what you’re capable of.

Kate Peterson is a fourth-year Computer Science student. While she is not working, Kate has a full course-load and volunteers with the non-profit organisation, Sandbox Gaming. When asked about dealing with stress, she says cuddling a loved one is her go-to. She also tries her best to prioritise her health over school.

Ryan is a first-year student starting his Bachelor of Science, though he is hoping to switch to engineering in the future. Ryan doesn’t have the time for work outside his four courses and while he doesn’t find the classes very hard, the amount of coursework due all at once can be stressful. When stressed, Ryan finds playing video games and hanging out with his girlfriend to be the best ways to unwind.

Fatema is a third-year Computer Science student and is courageously doing six courses this semester. Fatema says her course load isn’t too intense, and still finds time to work part-time while she’s not in school. When she’s stressed, Fatema finds venting to her significant other helps her find resolutions to her problems. She also reminds herself that she isn’t the only one who feels confused or stressed at MUN, and that there’s usually someone she can turn to for help.

Breah is a third year BBA student, and is currently working in a restaurant. She is taking four courses, and finds it challenging to manage time effectively. She often doesn’t have time for activities but tries to stay active with hiking, hula hooping, and swimming. Whenever she feels overwhelmed, she finds the sounds of waves calming, comforted by the constant rise and fall of the tide. Meditating is also a pastime she uses to deal with stress.

Alexis is completing her second year of general studies and is doing four courses this semester. Outside of school, Alexis works part-time, volunteers on a monthly basis and still finds time for dance and pole classes. Alexis finds that playing with make-up, dancing and being social helps take the edge off her stressors and keeps her mind occupied so she doesn’t excessively worry.

Everyone experiences some sort of stress throughout their post-secondary careers. However, if it’s handled the right way your stresses won’t prevent you from excelling at everything you put your mind to!

You’ve heard from your peers, now we want to hear from you — what do you do to handle stress?

E. coli Strikes MUN, is Aramark Connected?

Jacob Laybolt
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E. coli Strikes MUN, is Aramark Connected?

Only months after tensions between MUN’s residence dining services, administrators have been faced with yet another food scandal. This is in the wake of a Change.org petition aimed at improving the quality of services, signed by over three thousand individuals , started during the winter of 2019. However, issues with the dining service date back to 2015, (as reported by CBC), and the company itself has been subject to criticism beyond operations at Memorial. Issues have included feeding prisoner’s inedible food, firing and penalizing would-be whistleblowers, and near complete impunity from state or university investigations.

In spite of this, it should be noted that when MUN conducted a private investigation of a Newfoundland E. coli outbreak, they were unable to detect any “major problems”. This is found in direct contradiction to experiences had by students which has seen fragments of plastic, steel wool, and cigarette butts in their meals.

As stated in their third follow up alert to students on the matter: “Memorial’s Environmental Health and Safety department accompanied Service NL on an inspection of Gushue Hall on Sept. 30. There were no major issues identified. The inspector stated that there is no obvious cause for concern at this time and it appears there are processes in place for food safety.” 

MUN appears ignorant to ongoing reports in Ontario concerning Aramark’s connection to another E. coli outbreak at Loyalist College involving romaine lettuce. 

As the tally of students potentially afflicted reaches twenty-two, individuals exhibiting symptoms of E. coli are urged to seek consultation from their family physicians. As Service Newfoundland and Eastern Health continue their investigation with Memorial, the true extent and severity of the outbreak remains “unknown”. What might be an attempt at de-escalation, was the observation that only eleven of the twenty-one students with symptoms are living on residence (and by proxy, mandatory patrons at Dining Hall.) While this does not address the crisis faced by the remaining ten patients, it is likely not a concern to sick students who spoke with CBC this week. Like many students who are faced with the compulsory cost of Gushue’s food plans (approximately $2600 per semester), many students have no choice but to continue eating at the cafeteria by sheer financial necessity.

“I hadn’t eaten anywhere, besides the dining hall, since the beginning of September. Other people that have presented themselves with the same symptoms that I have, have only been eating at the dining hall too. They all stay on campus.” 

– Brooke Shiner, a residence student at Memorial, currently facing treatment for E. coli, was interviewed by CBC:

This further eliminates the chances of an external cause for the epidemic, and furthers the likelihood of student agitation. The only question is will Aramark take the heat or get out of the kitchen?

Campus Safety Tips from a True Crime Junkie

Haylee Freake
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Campus Safety Tips from a True Crime Junkie

There has been an insurgence of true crime media throughout the last year or so. Not only do we have classic crime-solving television shows like Criminal Minds, NCIS, CSI, but now we’re seeing Netflix content like Making a Murderer, Mind Hunter and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile that dive deeper into the minds of serial killers and criminals. These programs constantly remind us that you really never know someone, and you can never really be too safe.

One of my favourite series that not only sets my teeth on edge but reinforces the idea of being safe and aware of my surroundings is the podcast Crime Junkies. This podcast has kept me up at night with their chilling tales of true crime, but their content has definitely ensured that I follow the tips I pick up from their episodes to stay safe and stay alive. These tips that I learned, that I am going to share with you, are ways to remain safe on campus and the information you should have readily available in the case that something were to happen to you.

Be alert and be proactive

If you find yourself in a situation you’re uncomfortable with or you cross paths with someone that makes you feel uneasy, don’t feel the need to be polite. Avoid the situation, move into a well-lit area or an area with a higher volume of traffic, even call campus enforcement or 911. Don’t be afraid of causing a scene or being over-dramatic, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. It’s the job of law enforcement to ensure people’s safety, so trust your gut and call if necessary.

Download the MUN SAFE app

This app has several features that I love. On the homepage of the application, you’ll be able to choose which campus you’re located in and then under emergency contacts, it will list the services readily available in case you need them (campus enforcement or 911). There is a work alone feature that allows you to set an emergency contact; the application checks in on you intermittently throughout your shift, if you don’t respond within 5 minutes of your check-in, a message will be sent to your emergency contact. They will then have the option to call you, or call emergency services. The second feature I love is the friend walk– with this, you can send your location to one of your contacts (parent, friend, roommate, etc.). They can then open the link and follow your location throughout your walk. If you find yourself in a dangerous situation you hit the distress button and a notification will be sent to your contact. This application gives me peace of mind when I’m walking through campus alone after a night class.

Have an “if I go missing” file

This is one of the tips I picked up from Crime Junkie. What you do is compile all the information someone would need if you were to disappear and give one or two people access to it. In the event that something was to happen to you, your loved ones and the police would have access to your information without having to wait for clearance from your service providers. The essentials to have in your “if I go missing” file would be your bank account information (card numbers and passwords to see when your last transactions were), logins to your social media accounts (to see who it was you were last speaking with), your cellphone information (service providers, username, password, phone number to track cell phone tower pings), and your daily/weekly schedules (class times, work shifts, volunteer hours etc.). Having this information readily available could save so much time and allow police to locate you a lot faster.

I know this all seems very drastic and you’re probably thinking “well I don’t have to do this, this will never happen to me” but it does happen, and it just might happen to you. In 2017, there were 78,035 persons reported to police as missing (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), and 88% were found within the first week of their disappearing. If something were to happen to you, be smart, be safe, be a part of that 88%, make sure the people looking for you have every resource accessible to them.

Sources:

  •     Flowers, Ashley, and Brit Prawat. “Episodes.” Crime Junkie Podcast, https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/blog/.
  •     Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “Missing Persons.” Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 15 Feb. 2017, http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/missing-persons.

#ClimateStrikeNL: The Fight Comes Home

Allison Mills
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#ClimateStrikeNL: The Fight Comes Home

On Friday September 27th, approximately four thousand protesters amassed in front of the Memorial University’s clock tower to stand in solidarity with all those around the world who are protesting the lack of preventive measures regarding climate change. 

Speeches were delivered on the steps of the University Centre by various organisations’ representatives, outlining the immediacy of policy needed for an issue that is not just global but also very close to the heart of many Newfoundlanders. Findings brought forth by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s and the Fridays for Future campaign highlight this urgent necessity if there is to be any restorative action for our planet. Closing down the eastbound lanes of Prince Phillip Drive, protesters marched to the steps of the Confederation Building for further demonstration.

With the impending federal election happening in the background of the strike, various politicians representing different ridings in the St. John’s and surrounding area were asked to present their individual stances on the problem of climate change. The audience called for action plans – not pleasantries but were let down when all parties failed to deliver any concrete climate action plan.

Noticeably absent was Newfoundland and Labrador’s Premier, Dwight Ball. The current Premier has faced many accusations of his lack of authenticity and dedication to any sustainable climate change plan. Organisers prepared a mass-email to be sent to the Premier, calling on him to take action and declare a climate emergency. This declaration will be used as the first step in terms of establishing a sustainable living action plan. While the crowd was eager to hear from the Premier on this front, the Mayor of St. John’s, Danny Breen later announced that he is going to put forth the notion to declare a climate emergency in municipal chambers.

While the stage is set for the strike to be enacted as a political adversary, what has now become the Climate Action Coalition has been working against Memorial University, for them as an institution to also make changes to combat the climate change crisis. Following federal legislation brought forward in 2008, by 2009, universities across the country were charged with creating Sustainability Action Plans. MUN’s Sustainability Office works to ensure that the procedures that were set up in this plan are followed and to encourage innovation and research in creating new ways to help the university become more environment-friendly.

However, this has proved to be insufficient so far. A pledge has been set forth by MUN student, faculty, and staff unions, calling on the University to agree to the following terms; first, declare a climate emergency, and second, to work with the Climate Action Coalition “to take meaningful action to meet IPCC targets.”

One of the faces behind the Climate Action Coalition, Simon Hofman, is a Marine Engineering student at Marine Institute. He has been advocating the enactment of a better sustainability policy but realises that all of his work is an unfortunate circumstance of the ignorance surrounding climate change. “We are at a critical point if we want our world to survive, and it’s sad that we have to be doing all of this work now in haste, when it should have been decades ago,” Hofman said. Thankfully, he says they know how to reach the solution – but it isn’t without help. “The only way to combat a problem as monstrous as climate change is to work through collective action. No one can do this alone, and we need to act like it.” The process will be long, and there is no simple pathway to success – but it can be achieved.

Created by Simon Hofman

On Wednesday September 25th, the pledge was signed by University Leadership, along with the aforementioned unions but it still has a long way to go. It needs to be approved by the Board of Regents, and after that, the University Senate. With the enactment of the terms of the pledge, they are hoping it will influence politicians in the province to follow suit. A follow-up pledge is scheduled for November 1st, 2019.

For More Information on the Climate Action Coalition Email:
climatemun@gmail.com

Tuition hike speculated in MUN attendance debate

Jacob Laybolt
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Tuition hike speculated in MUN attendance debate

While some rumours are pointing towards an increase in tuition fees, some Newfoundlanders are claiming it may actually be a solution to the low attendance issue. In discussion of a viral CBC article interviewing MUN faculty and alumni concerned about empty classrooms, Anthony Germaine, host of CBC show ‘Here & Now’, speculated on Twitter that the solution to low attendance rates could be a spike in tuition costs.

“…if I’m paying to go to school but don’t go to class, that tells me the price (tuition) is too low. Be interesting to compare attendance where students/parents have to pay more.” (https://twitter.com/andrewsampson_/status/1171065788238913536)

“Some students who are enrolled probably shouldn’t be. Low cost is a factor.” (https://twitter.com/AnthonyGermain/status/1171075123895590912)

The series of tweets backing up his argument were liked by a small contingent which was dominated by tens of responses criticizing the statement. Former students and even professors were quick to respond in defence against a tuition hike.

International students learning at Memorial have every reason to be upset about this idea. Imagine a student traveling approximately 7000 to 10 000 kilometres to get from their home to come to Memorial and finding out that after paying for that flight ticket, all their textbooks and accommodation that the tuition fees are to be increased.

As an international student myself, not only can I imagine it, I have lived through it and this isn’t just about us. I am not trying to draw out sympathy for international students, however, this action would heavily cripple us financially. I am almost certain that even the local students would be angered by this development because the reason behind it is not the most convincing to most people. We must acknowledge the fact that low class attendance may be a result of a variety of factors. Having a part time job may not be a valid excuse for missing class but there are many other scenarios which could cause this, such as being sick, having family emergencies or transport difficulties. The bottom line is that low attendance is not simply a matter of a student deciding not to go for a class.

The logic involving raising the tuition fees as to increase class attendance is not an irrelevant point to make. This is because services or items of higher value are viewed as being more important or of a higher quality than those with a lower quality. This could possibly lead to students at Memorial believing that the quality of classes provided is not of a high level, thus they would not take class attendance seriously. However, this viewpoint is problematic because the standards of the University itself regarding academic excellence contradict this notion since Memorial is ranked 501 according to the World University Rankings in 2019, even though it is the cheapest post-secondary institution in Canada.

I strongly believe that education itself is a right that every person is entitled to, even though we live in a world where people do not all get the same opportunities. Because of this, it is up to institutions like Memorial to research into finding effective ways to increase overall class attendance instead of simply turning to the tuition fees to solve the problem. The Canadian Federation of Students summarizes this point, responding to Germaine, “Comparing low tuition with low attendance is not only continuing to commodify education, which should be seen as a right – but distracts from larger systemic and structural issues.”

My suggestion would be to conduct a mass questionnaire asking the students of Memorial why the overall class attendance in most classes is low and then from there we would be able to all find a solution to the problem collectively.

My name is Tashinga Mudimu and I’m an international student and you can reach me at tdmudimu@mun.ca.

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