Christina VarvisAPIRG (Yes) Plebiscite, Laura Kruse
The Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG) will be asking students whether they support paying $3.50 per term in the Fall and Winter semesters (for full-time students) and $1.75 per part-time students. Because this is a plebiscite question, Students’ Council will hold the final say on continuing the APIRG fee if it fails at the polls.
The Gateway: What is the plebiscite trying to accomplish?
Laura Kruse: The goal of the plebiscite is to test for student support of continuing to fund the Alberta Public Interest Research Group with a small optional fee that’s included in student fees.
For people who may not know, what does APIRG do?
Kruse: The Alberta Public Interest Research Group, or APIRG, works to create a more just and equitable campus. The way we do this is through funding of grassroots initiatives; students can apply for their projects to be funded if they’re working on projects in the public interest. We also do free equipment rentals, audio-visual, projectors, video recording, that kind of thing. We have an alternative resource library full of books, scenes, and films that are not really found in other libraries in Edmonton. We also partner with community members and students to form working groups, which are coalitions or organizations that work on specific issues.
Why is this issue important to you?
Kruse: I would say that it’s important because APIRG has been working for the last 15 years to fight inequality and hatred in this city. We find ourselves in a province that has the highest income disparity, has issues with violence, bigotry, and reserves. People on reserves are living in third-world conditions. For folks that want to get involved in their community and make the world a better place, APIRG has people that are working on these things. We will respond to student needs, help people organize, and give them the tools to transform their communities. The second aspect of the plebiscite is that the fee is optional; folks can opt out if they do not support APIRG for whatever reason, or if they cannot afford the fee. Voting “yes” enables people who want to access the services to be able to, while if you don’t, you can still get your fee back.
APIRG (No) Plebiscite, Alexander Rodd
The Gateway: What is the plebiscite trying to accomplish?
Alexander Rodd: I just want to inform students what APIRG is doing, the way they’re using their money for 15 years since they were voted in by the student body in a referendum. I feel they’ve lost their mandate since then, considering the Students’ Union has gone through rule changes requiring votes every five years, twice. Of course, they got caught in the changeover, so this is their first vote. I also feel that the way they’re using the money isn’t really respecting the values of most students — most of their money goes to local chapters of international organizations and I especially think that doesn’t really benefit the student body at the University of Alberta. That money could be going to independent groups.
Why is this issue important to you?
Rodd: I just don’t appreciate my money being wasted. I feel that $7 a year may not be a lot, but that’s still almost $30 over a typical degree. If you’re taking a longer degree like me, then it’s even more. And then multiply that by 30,000 undergraduate students and it suddenly adds up to a lot of money not going to a very good cause, in my opinion.
UPass (Yes) Referendum
The Students’ Union will be asking students if they support paying for the UPass as follows: $145.00 in 2017-18, $148.00 in 2018-19, $153.00 in 2019-20 and $158.00 in 2020-21. Because this is a referendum, the vote will be the final deciding factor on whether this initiative can move forward.
The Gateway: What is this referendum trying to accomplish?
Fahim Rahman: This referendum is trying to accomplish the fact that students can continue to benefit from the UPass for the next four years. We negotiate the UPass in four-year cycles with the City of Edmonton; if students don’t vote “yes” for the UPass, that unfortunately means we won’t have a UPass next year, which is the students’ decision.
How were the costs for future UPasses determined?
Rahman: They’re determined in collaboration with the City of Edmonton in terms of what their budget allows. They’re actually proposing changes that are just under inflation. They’re going up by in between $3 to $5 in the next four years, in my opinion it’s quite affordable for students because it’s just under inflation.
Why should students care about the UPass?
Rahman: I think students should care about the UPass because regardless of whether they take public transit or not, if their peers are using the UPass to take public transit it reduces traffic congestion for many people who commute to campus. I know if you’ve got early classes, it’s nice to know you don’t have to spend 30 minutes waiting in traffic. In addition, I know a lot of students use the UPass for non-student activities like picking up groceries or going to West Edmonton Mall to shop. Students should care about it because it lets them get around the city pretty easily.
Anyone else?
Campus Food Bank (Yes) Referendum
There will be a referendum on the ballot asking students whether they support a $1 semesterly fee for the Campus Food Bank. If this passes, the Campus Food Bank would become a Dedicated Fee Unit under the Students’ Union. Because this is a referendum, the vote will be the final deciding factor on whether this initiative can move forward. A spokesperson for the Campus Food Bank referendum did not make themselves available for an interview about their campaign.
World University Services of Canada (WUSC) (Yes) Plebiscite
There will be a plebiscite question on the ballot asking students whether they support a $0.48 semesterly fee for WUSC. The funding will go towards supporting one student refugee per year. A representative from WUSC did not fill out a nomination package for the Students’ Union elections, so they will not be campaigning but will still appear on the ballot.
