Students divided on paying for services
By Xavine Bryan
If the opinions of the students The Eyeopener informally surveyed is any indication, the October 25 student services referendum will be a close vote.
If students vote No, services offered by the Career Centre, housing registry, financial aid and awards, athletics and the Access Centre will be affected. Employees may lose their jobs, students may face longer lineups for OSAP and services such as easy access to on-campus job recruitment opportunities may disappear.
“If students want to use the services, they’re going to have to pay for them – there are no easy answers,” said RyeSAC President Paul Cheevers.
Despite the possible consequences, students are divided on the issue. When asked if they would support the hike, some said no.
“I can’t afford it,” said Lisa Skinner, a 21-year-old Public Administration student. “Tuition (is) high enough-take it out of that.”
“If it was included with the tuition before-hand, maybe, but not now,” said Paul Watabe, a photography student.
“No…because it’s bullshit,” said Gino Guercio, a student who works part-time for CopyRite.
Other students, like Derek Wilson, 26, support the tuition hike. “It’s my last year here — but I find that the Career Centre is a useful service…I think for $50 it’s one if the most useful ways I can spend my money as opposed to the health plan (for $127) which I haven’t really used.”
Heather Rayment, a Fashion Merchandising student, said “I would pay $50 more because if I had to use these (services) I would expect them to have their full facilities and resources in order to help me.”
“I prefer not to,” said Leslie Vincent, a first-year Microcomputer Studies student, “but…where else is the money going to come from?”
Ricardo Tomlinson, a third-year Business Management student, said the extra $50 is not too much to ask. “It becomes an individual issue…Sometimes you have to sacrifice something to get something in return.”
Fellow Business Management student, Florence Gee, disagrees.
“Why are they charging us more? Tuition is going up anyway. It’s ridiculous to charge us $50…They charge us enough for all of these facilities and they want us to pay more…It’s not right!”
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