By Eunice Soriano

A banner protesting Bill 33 was dropped in the Sheldon & Tracy Levy Student Learning Centre (SLC) on Oct. 21.

At a public painting session in front of the Student Campus Centre (SCC) a week prior, numerous associations, course unions and students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) designed the banner that read “Hands Off Our Education” and “Stop Bill 33” adorned with brightly-coloured etches of the students’ handprints.

Bill 33, the Supporting Children and Students Act, would wield government authority over post-secondary institutions by regulating ancillary student fees and tracking ‘merit’ based admissions.

The implementation of Bill 33 has raised multiple concerns among the TMU student population. Some students are working with the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-Ontario) through the “Hands Off Our Education” campaign to fight against the bill.

Performance Student Union (PSU) president Trudy Kuropatwa Trent explained that the idea for a banner painting project was decided at a meeting two weeks earlier with the Toronto Metropolitan Association of Part-time Students (TMAPS), Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union and the PSU.

She said they wanted to make something that people could interact with and a banner would accomplish that as students could participate in painting and view it once it’s dropped.

“I love that we’re bringing the community together through something that’s tactile, that’s visual,” said Kuropatwa Trent.

TMAPS vice president of equity and campaigns Hermela Geremew said the way the bill is presented is abstract but the banner allows it to become more visible and “pulls people in and helps them understand what [the bill] is.”

In an emailed statement to The Eyeopener, chairperson of CFS-Ontario Cyrielle Ngeleka said, “Bill 33 is a dangerous piece of legislation that not only seeks to increase oversight on democratic structures – but one that attacks the conditions that allow critical thought and creative expression to exist.”

She added that the bill undermines spaces for radical thought, creative freedom and public accountability that students and faculties have built.

Geremew said she wanted the banner to grab as much attention as possible to remind students of what is at stake, “which is more than just their services but also just student power and our voices.”

Many course unions have actively endorsed the “Hands Off Our Education” campaign.

As an artist herself, Kuropatwa Trent expressed that artistic political initiatives like the banner bring awareness to the underfunding that creative programs undergo.

“The value of artists in the political realm can’t really be understated. In situations like these, it’s arts programs that close their doors first,” said Kuropatwa Trent. “We have the tools as young artists to come together and fight back against that in a really unique and beautiful way.”

Vaasavi Karunathasan, president of the Professional Communication Course Union (PCCU), said that collaborating with other student organizations on this project has made her more appreciative of the diversity of TMU’s student body.
But she said it also acts as a reminder of what each of these student groups could lose.

“We love being a part of student groups and course unions…[PCCU has] been a very community-oriented place for me and the thought of it just disappearing isn’t something that I even want to think about,” said Karunathasan.

While students on campus work earnestly to fight against Bill 33, CFS-Ontario also remains steadfast in uplifting the creatives who are amplifying their political autonomy.

In the emailed statement, Ngeleka said, “Whether through banner paintings, posters or performance, art provides a platform to express dissent in bold and emotionally resonant ways, all while keeping organizing visible.”

She added, “Visibility is power, and every creative protest on our campuses is part of a long legacy of students refusing to succumb to privatization or austerity.”

As people constantly flow in and out of the bustling lobby of the SLC, Kuropatwa Trent said that the banner is a reflection that “all art is political.” She hopes it will raise awareness about Bill 33 and its impact on Ontario students.

A second banner also currently hangs beside the staircase in the SCC.