This past Tuesday was a historic (in a small way) moment. On this day the Peterborough Examiner leaped ahead of Arthur in covering student’s concerns, and Trent campus affairs. Further the Examiner continued to soar past Arthur in the count of interviews with member of the Trent community – students, faculty, administrators and the like. The Examiner has talked to more students than Arthur.
This small count doesn’t even begin to discuss questions to ‘effort’ or ‘research’.
I will use an example; the Ontario Government “tuition rebate” article published in issue 13. The article has a critical analysis – good! However the Examiner I feel did a better job talking about the consequences of the grant, which Arthur’s article absolutely fails to do. Arthur’s was critical, but it wasn’t a critique which informed or expanded the debate.
Where are the conversations about who receives this grant? Why? Or how is this grant being paid for. These are questions other media have been successful at exploring; not Arthur.
I will be the first to say, for students who receive this grant; this is a good grant, for them. The problem is the government has cut funding to every student to pay for a grant that will reach 30% of students.
Starting next year there will be no: Technology and Textbook Grant ($275, to some 95% of students), Queen Elizabeth Grant (~$2000, to first-generation students), and finally, the most problematic, the government is scrapping a funding formula which helps universities and colleges develop scholarships and bursaries for students based upon financial need. For example, if alumni were to donate $500, the government would match the same value to be used to help students in financial need.
These grants and programs have been cut, amongst others. This grant is so draconic, that former President of Trent University, Bonnie Patterson, current head of the Council of Ontario Universities, has spoken against the implementation. Rumours have it that she has even reached out to student organising across the province to help create a better program for students.
Now, I think it is important to mention who this grant doesn’t help, but only hurts. No part-time students, no graduate students, no mature students (older than 21 years of age), no students who are parents, no international students, or married students will see any help from this grant. These students will only get less from the government. This, alone, makes up 51% of Trent.
Further, students in professional programs (B.Sc in Nursing, Bachelor Education, Bachelor Forensic Sciences, Bachelor in Environmental Science, Bachelor in Business Administration) will not qualify.
I wish I could say that the above are the only restrictions, alas it is not true. Students who qualify for the Ontario Access Grant (students from the poorest 20%) will most likely not see a cent from the program, and again only see less support from the government. Any student who receives the Ontario Access grant will have that money deducted from the rebate. Most precipitants of the Access Grant receive ~$3000, meaning most will not see a cent.
I want, as a student unionist, Arthur to be the voice of campus, our communities, and those marginalised from main-stream media. But right now if we want to talk about, or find out, or engage with Trent through the media, it seems we have to go to the Examiner.
Maybe they should run a levy-campaign. They would probably win it.
Brea Hutchinson
