Students Fight Cutbacks
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.«:«. ^ Students fight cutbacks by Katherine Jackson OSAP next year. Krystal Ann Kraus, a second-\ear "It's a private university scam - it's not the bright- Social Work student at Ryerson University, was one of est minds, but the biggest pockets,"" he said. and Kelly Wright many students protesting. About $60 million in savings accumulated b\ Arally held to protest the proposed $800 million "Being the best you can be in life shouldn't depend Ottawa's Millennium Scholarship fund could go down in education cuts by the Harris government on the size of your pocket book."" she said. the tubes. Trace) Bover, former SAC president and stopped traffic at College Street and Universities and colleges are said to bear most of current Executive Director of Ontario Community University Avenue on Tuesday. the proposed cuts. Targeted areas include students College Student's Parliamentary Association (OCC- "Education is a right. We will not give up the who receive assistance from the government. About SP.A), said the government isn't going to invest monev fight,"" was among several chants shouted b\ students, $41.3 million could be taken from student aid uith into the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Fund. educators, union members and parents making up over interest rates on the rise. On Nov. 18 the government "Thev said this after promising to invest monev 1 00 people who marched through the streets. announced three actions to make OSAP a more effi- into the scholarship fund. This is a major issue." Joel Harden, chair of the Canadian Federation of cienl program. Tighter credit, screening criteria, an Boser said. Students of Ontario, asked who the real education improved income verification s> stem so students don"t Other cuts include S400.000 from plans for a minister is. receive more than they're entitled to, and encouraging pro\ince-uide digital librarv. $11.6 million from an "Who is the real Dianne Cunningham? Will she institutions to take further steps to reduce defaults b\ alread_\ delased plan to require university degrees for please stand up?" Harden asked. "One Cunningham is lowering the default-rate threshold are part of the registered nurses and $2.9 million in grants to saying 'give students opportunity ". the other is saying action plan. unnamed universities. It was also revealed that 'students are cheating OSAP". She told students over Harden told the crowd of protesters the' govern- Toronto and Ottawa universities w ill face an addition- the summer the worst was over." ment is out to criminalize people and crack down on al impact. Harden said over 2,000 students could go w ithout those w ho are poor. - see protest page 2 Photo of the week $700 million not enough for homeless between the Feds and the Tories; a ^1/ Mark Bennett higher moral responsibility exists The proposed $700 million — and the Federal government being coiisidered by the Federal will be duly recognized for that." government to address homeless- Omar Karimi, a social worker ness in Canada over the next three at School House, an emergency years is seen as Just a 'drop in the shelter for men, said they are bucket'. already feeling the crunch of pro- Toronto councillor. Jack viding space for people this win- Layton, thinks the proposal fails to ter, but they welcome the idea of look at the real issue. "It's a start, more money even though they feel but it doesn't capture the magni- the proposal doesn't go far tude of the problem," he said. enough. "We need even more money to "There are more and more peo- create new, affordable housing." ple living on the streets of In a leaked document reported loronto. We have only 25 beds at in the Toronto Star, the push for School House, but every night we increased spending on the home- have more than 50 men coming lessness plight, is being spear- for shelter," he said. "The govern- headed by the Minister responsi- ment's cuts to our budget means ble for homelessness, Claudette we have less money for staff. I'm Bradshaw and Public Works doing three jobs right now: a Minister, Alfonso Gagliano. social worker, housing support Bradshaw, who recently toured worker and program assistant,'" the country to meet homeless peo- said Karimi. activists, is Peter Shand, 4 , who has been ple and proposing an 1 increase of $500 million over the living on the streets for two years next three years to go towards and has seen numerous shelters implementing recommendations come and go, said it's time the from the Anne Golden Report Federal government does some- which urges Ottawa to spend more thing to help homeless people. on housing for the poor. Gagliano "There was a time when "My Nuts" is requesting an additional $200 Canada's government cared about million to provide grants and loans people. Thereare women and kids by Ricardo Lima, first-year Creative Photography student for renovating buildings to create living on these streets, and it's by shelters. the mercy of God why most of Peter Zimmerman, executive them are surviving," he said. traffic for a few minutes before professional it was» It was organized assistant to Toronto councillor Kamiri said he can't under Guts Protest marching to Queen's Park and down well and the message was clear: we Jack Layton said the current stand the government's lack of side streets, ending up at the Ministry don't wajit our education to suffer at homeless crisis is a result of the urgency on the homeless issue. He - con'd from front of Education in Training building, tl)c hands of the government." Federal government's neglect. said money is needed to help pro- It's not just university and college Erin George, SAC President of number's SAC vice-president "It's a failure of the govern- vide adequate shelters for the students who are concerned about Ryerson University, tiranked the pro- Chuck Decker said he doesn't really ment over the last eight years that more than 5000 homeless people their futures. High school students testers for holding a 'peaceful rally', like the proposed cuts.'They ke«^ has resulted in this situation. in Toronto. shared llieir feelings at tlie demon- though it was reported on the saying they'll jMit mwe rawiey intd That's how long the Federal gov- "Lots of shelters can't even stration as wdl. Lindsay Reiniers, a evening news that two people were educaticm, but they're screwing the ernment has steadily downloaded operate — they've been closed Grade 12 student at Ursula FrankJin arrested for disordeily conduct future," he said. "They're not liiink' all social spending responsibility down because of the cuts, but that Academy said nothing is possible in Emphasis was placed on Access ing that these peqile are fte ones to the provinces," he said. "Since doesn't stop the number of people our society without education. 2000, a demonstration to be heU on who will be tsking care of feem in 1992, the government has stalled who still need a place to sleep," "I think it's a travesty tftat we February 2, 2000 at Cadeton the ftjtoe," Decker added fte gov- housing development and that's Kamiri said. can't rely on our education system," University. George told the crowd it ernment is just trying to "balance the created an inertia in that area The Golden Report recom- she said. could be 'the biggest protest in bucket any way they caa" because provinces don't have the mended $300 million in federal Liz Kesten, a Grade 12 student at Canadian history', where the imple- SAC North President money to address this need." and provincial funding to fight Inglewood Community Hi^ School mentation of tl^ proposed cuts will Muhammad Virk and SAC Zimmerman said there is spec- homelessness in Toronto. It's not was one of the first few to anive at be tajg«*ed. Lakeshore ftesid«it Toby Wamell ulation that the Federal govern- known however how much of the the steps of the Educ^cm Centre. Sarah Barton, a second-ye^ were unavailable for comm«it ment is reluctant to give the Harris $700 million, if approved, would "The government has marfe such Nursing student at Humber, partici- Only time will tell what Ae gov- Tories funding for the homeless be embarked for Toronto's home- enormous cutbacks, they expect us to pated in the proieA and said she was €«im«it will do with education's situation. less. overreact," she said. "With the cut- impi^ssed with how CHganized it fiiture. Harden said ^dcnts know "It's been said openly by the Ottawa will rule on the proposed backs, they're limiting our chokes was. there's going to be a knock-out Feds that they shouldn't have to spending within two weeks, and with raised tuition." "It was peaceful and I think we punch fix)m the government pay for Mike Harris' tax cuts," he Finance Minister Paul Martin is The protesters made their way to really got a message across," she "Students won't be cau^t flat- said. "But people on the street expected to announce the amount College and University, stopping said. "I was really impressed at how footed," he said. don't care about the relationship in the 2000 budget. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. November 2 5, 1999 New chapter for bookstore Security questioned by Melanie justason menl is still in its early planning The North Campus bookstore stages, the renovations should start will be opening a new chap- in either April or May and be done hy Lara Rizzo biggest guy a mighty shove and otTicials were not prompt with tak- ter with a new look.