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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 VOL. 84 NO. 7
BUYER’S GUIDE TO THE FARMSTAND
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ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS Julia Redmond News Editor After paying tuition, many students may not know what happens to their money. But organizers within the McMaster Students Union are working to see that changed, and show students what happens to their fees. The finance committee of the MSU has proposed changes to a bylaw that would see student groups have their levies put up to referendum on a regular basis. The bylaw in question deals specifically with the five non-MSU, non-university organizations that currently receive a portion of student funding. “What this bylaw essentially does is give [students] more information on where their money is going,” said Daniel D’Angela, MSU Finance Commissioner and Social Science SRA representative. The groups that fall under this category are Ontario Public Interest Research Group, McMaster, Engineers Without Borders, Incite Magazine, the McMaster Solar Car, and the McMaster Marching Band. The money these five groups collect from the student body amounts to $10.86 for each full-time student. And despite the enthusiasm of key players within the MSU, the groups affected have come out in vocal opposition of the motion. “It’s an inefficient way to consult students,” said Lexi Sproule, co-president of the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders of the proposed system. Under the changes, EWB and the other four organizations would have their levy put on the presidential ballot as a referen-
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dum for students to vote on every roots organizing and through the three years. funding of student and communi“It’s not very in-depth feedty-led working groups. back,” said Sproule. “Even if you Of the five affected groups, get approved, you don’t know OPIRG currently collects the if students have any issues with largest fee, at $7.57 per student. how you run things. It’s so much However, the fee is refundable energy for feedback that’s kind of within three weeks of the drop superficial.” and adds date in September. Proponents of the referen“We give students the oppordums disagree. tunity to take that money if they “I don’t think that once every need it or if they don’t support three years having to spend two the work we do,” explained Kojo weeks going out and telling stuDamptey, also on the OPIRG dents about what you do, I don’t Board. think it’s that taxing,” said Jeff ”We’re the only organization Doucet, on campus that does that.” EWB currently collects 37 The threat of OPIRG McMascents from every full-time underter losing its funding is not ungraduate student. While not makheard of; other OPIRG chapters ing up their across Ontario, entire budget, including those the approxiat the Univermately $7700 sity of Toronto it receives goes and at Queen’s “[Without the levy] I directly to don’t think we’d be able Univerfunding stusity, have come to operate - that’s what dents particiunder scrupating in the tiny through keeps us going.” Junior FellowNOPIRG camship Program, paigns, which Yuvreet Kaur, OPIRG board a four-month aim to abolish member volunteer the system of placement contributing overseas. student fees to While the dollar amount per the organization. student is small, the effect the In the case of Queen’s, potential loss is on some of the NOPIRG organizer Stuart Clark organizations is significant. told the Queen’s Journal he was “[Without the levy] I don’t opposed to the levy because of think we’d be able to operate— “the use of publically available that’s what keeps us going,” said funds for certain activities that Yuvreet Kaur, one of eight student don’t reflect the values of the board members of OPIRG Mcentire community.” Master. Mac’s chapter, however, feels OPIRG McMaster is one of a that its values align very well with network of organizations across the university. the province, which promotes social justice issues through grassSRA TO VOTE, A3
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INCITE MAGAZINE *Tuition figures are based on faculty-wide averages. BEN BARRETT-FORREST / MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
MSU lobbies for better HSR service Stephen Clare Features Editor Bus service changes were part of President David Campbell’s platform during the election race last January, and now he’s set to make good on those promises. “The HSR bus pass fee is triannual, so every three years we renew it with the HSR,” said Campbell. “Our current agreement is expiring in April, so it was already going to come to referendum in January. That’s what inspired me as part of my platform to say ‘there are a lot of improvements to service we could think about here.’” The improvements Campbell is seeking give this year’s negotiations a different level of importance. “In the past, when it was getting renewed, it was a lot of ‘let’s just renegotiate the cost for similar levels of service.’ But now we’ve taken a more aggressive approach in the sense of early on in the year we wanted to make contact with the HSR and say ‘we obviously want to renegotiate our current agreement, and where can we make some improvements,’” said Jeff Doucet, VP Finance. The MSU has prioritized what it hopes to accomplish, and an agreement regarding bus service for summer students tops
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LOSS IN ROYAL CITY
MSU committee pushes bylaw changes that would see student groups put to referendum
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that list. A Facebook poll found that students, too, overwhelmingly regard it as a chief concern. Thousands of students remain on campus in the summer taking classes or working, but currently the bus pass included in tuition expires at the end of April. Students taking classes can purchase a slightly discounted summer pass at Compass, but the rate it is significantly more expensive at $72 per month than the $63.08 students pay per semester in the Fall and Winter. Also among the MSU’s priorities is extending bus service later into the night. That’s a concern that the HSR says it has heard from other groups in the community. “We were surprised,” said Doucet. “We’re not the only people saying the buses aren’t running late enough. One o’clock, 1:20 is pretty early to stop the buses in a major city.” “It’s a safety thing, too, right? It’s adequate provision of service,” added Campbell. “It’s not just drunk people getting home, it’s people getting home safely from the bars, from work, from wherever they might be.”
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