It is no secret that in our gloomy economic times, one of the first sectors to get hit is education. Due to these budget cuts, many universities, including our own, have resorted to tuition hikes. These tuition hikes are part of the dwindling spiral that is our economy.
You can open countless newspapers and read about the “generation of debt.” While our predecessors struggled from credit card debt, our generation is faced with crippling student loan debt far surpassing those of previous generations.
We are not only drowning in our debt, but our obstinate Congress couldn’t reach a decision on a bill that would keep down the current interest rate on our loans. Without an agreement, the current interest rate will double. This brings the average student further away from seeing the end of the debt-free tunnel.
Now we wonder, with so much talk regarding students and their future, where are the students?
Recently, our neighbors to the north passed their 100th day of protesting student fees. This past week, several thousand students in Montreal protested the rising tuition fees as well as a new bill meant to slow down the protests.
As a result, 518 demonstrators were arrested due to a bill prohibiting the freedom to publicly assemble without prior police approval (a planned route and a notice eight hours before the event).
Despite having one of the lowest tuitions in Canada, Quebec students still felt that the 82 percent tuition increase within five years was not fair. These students have not backed down from the fight and are defending their right to a cost-effective education.
With the inspiration of our spirited neighbors, why hasn’t the fight been brought forward at UF?
Barely a month ago the UF administration threatened to drastically cut the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) department due to budget concerns. CISE students came together and, with several protests, were able to pressure the administration to change the proposed plan.
The Architecture and Fine Arts Library has been operating under the threat of shutdown for two semesters. Yet, overwhelming student and faculty opposition has allowed the AFA library to survive another round of budget cuts.
However, the journalism and music libraries may not be as fortunate. Starting this fall, journalism and music majors might have to head over to the lovely and crowded Library West for pertinent materials.
UF has been hiking tuition since 2008. Still, Gator opposition has been pretty low. There’s no comparison to the outcry experienced in Canada to similar measures.
When a bill that would have allowed UF and Florida State University administration to raise tuition to an uncapped percentage (as opposed to the previous limit of 15 percent), passed through the Florida legislature, student opposition was very low.
Fortunately, our usually disappointing governor vetoed the bill, and we live to see another year of a probably “low” 15 percent tuition increase.
It saddens me that the Gator Nation is standing by as these tuition hikes occur. On top of the hikes, we face a 5 percent increase of student fees for the Reitz Union renovations.
Despite the extremely tough economic times, our school is valuing renovations over our libraries, departments and students.
Gators, it’s about time that we say, “No!” Let’s take back our education and become a leading example in the struggle for fair education.
Our time is now. Gators, fight back.
Michela Martinazzi is an art history junior at UF. Her column appears on Tuesdays. You can contact her at opinions@alligator.org.
