TANSTAAFL. If you’ve never seen that before, it stands for “There Ain’t No Such Thing A Free Lunch.” Last week, I went on about the benefits of Ontario’s new policy of making tuition free for lower income students. This week, Barb L. comes back with the other side of the story, as she digs into where that money is coming from. Turns out, the majority of it is coming right back out of students’ wallets. The differences are more in who is getting the money and when they get it.
That said, even after her story, I still feel that on the balance the move by Ontario is a good thing?provided, as Barb mentions, they follow through. But the idea that It’s coming back out of the students anyway certainly puts a damper on the whole celebration. I had thought that a provincial government was finally understanding that post-secondary education is an investment into the future of the province, not a service that is provided to assuage the public. It seems that wasn’t the case, however.
Also this week, we have our feature interview with BC student Tania Parker who found out about AU through the actions of our former Premier, Ralph Klein. For me, my memories of Premier Klein being in the news with AU come from when he submitted a paper he’d written for a course to the Alberta Legislature and it was discovered that there were some serious problems in his lack of citations?so much so that some were calling it flat out plagiarism. Not the best reason for AU to get in the news, but if That’s what brought Tania to Athabasca, perhaps the adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity really is true.
Additionally, we have the conclusion of our interview with interim AU President, Mr. Peter MacKinnon, and one with Environmental Studies professor, Dr. Lorelei Hanson. Continuing with the interview theme, the group Fable Cry, whose music The Voice Magazine has reviewed in earlier issues, has given an interview to Wanda Waterman that is as unusual as the band itself.
Aside from the interviews, we have our usual selection of advice this week, whether It’s on writing, living, creating a thesis, or even where you might go to pick up that appliance you’ve been needing in Carla Knipe’s “The Library of Things”
And all this despite me being very ill today. Honestly, had this been any other day, I probably would have spent it curled up in bed whining for chicken soup, but, as they say, TANSTAAFL. If I want there to be a Voice Magazine put out each week, then, for better or worse, in sickness or health, there’s little choice but to sit down and do it. On the bright side, when I’m sick at work, it doesn’t risk getting anybody else sick. The advantages of a distance organization, folks. Enjoy the read.
