Lazy sherpas unemployed

   Right now, 1 in 5 students in Canada are unemployed. And not because they are content to be lazy on their parents couch this summer, but rather, the largely seasonal nature of student employment has not been favourable in this economic climate. A recent report released by Statistics Canada says that the unemployment rate for students aged 19-24 is higher than it has been since 1977, at 21%.

  

 Jillian Flake, the Public Relations and Communications Officer for CASA reports:

 

“Students who are unable to find work this summer will have a much harder time paying for their education this fall, and might not be able to return to school in September ” said Arati Sharma, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).  

“There are government resources available to students to assist them during these difficult times,” continued Sharma. “But we are concerned that very few students are aware of them.”

Despite having invested in significant new programs such as the Repayment Assistance Plan and the Canada Student Grant Program, as well as increasing student loan limits, the federal government has not been successful in promoting awareness and information regarding these programs.

“We’ve told the government they need to do a better job of telling students about the financial aid available to them. It’s even more important for unemployed students so they can continue going to school,” said Sharma.

 

 

   With such a hard environment to find a job, many students are becoming creative with the way they earn money. CASA is looking for these creative students to tell their story to the media. Beverly Eastham, Chair of CAUS and Vice-President External at the Univeristy of Alberta Students’ Union tweets:

 

Are you a student who has had to take unusual employment/’odd’ job due to economy? Willing to talk to the media? Tweet @uasuadvocacy asap!

8:30 PM Jul 31st from web

   Or, you can email CASA’s digital technology officer Sharif Virani at dto@casa.ca

   So, have you learned how to spin wool? Perhaps you’ve taken to becoming a sherpa? Maybe you’ve transfered your biochemistry skills to creating heroin in the basement of a Hell’s Angel’s roadside bar?

 

 

 

   Or maybe you remembered when Bedouin Soundclash played in a sold out U of L Zoo Campus Pub and then saw them last night at the Blarney Stone and managed to become a roadie?

 

 

 

   In any case, shoot me a wall post, tweet, email, phone call, text, or otherwise if you have a good story to tell. And for all those unfortunate souls jobless and hopeless for going back to school, remember your financial options are open. Student Loans are always available, and with the government’s new Repayment Assistance Program, paying back that student loan is getting easier.

 

Happy Sherpa-ing,

 

Jeremy G

CAUS: Budget 2009 Gives Students More of the Same

Budget 2009 gives students more of the same

Edmonton, AB – The Alberta 2009 budget puts the government into the red, but avoids passing down cuts into post-secondary education. Minister of Finance and Enterprise Iris Evans announced that Government of Alberta would be continuing their previous commitments in post-secondary education but unveiled little in the way of new spending or programs that were not previously announced.

“There is a missed opportunity to make post-secondary education the key to our economic recovery,” said Beverly Eastham, chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS). “But students are relieved to see that the government is not reversing the many gains that have been made in the last few years.”

Included in yesterday’s budget is a 6% increase to the base operating grants for universities. This will ensure that tuition does not go up past inflation and that Alberta’s universities do not face cuts similar to the early 1990’s. However, students and universities will continue to face serious challenges next year and throughout the duration of the economic downturn, as no new funding was announced within the student financial aid program despite rising costs in getting a degree.

“We are still far from having the most affordable universities in Canada or meeting the challenges in providing a higher quality education-but it is good that the province is not looking to put more of the cost onto students this budget,” concluded Eastham. “We wanted to see more funding and lower tuition, but this is fortunately not a step backwards.”

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The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of students at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge.

For more information contact:
Beverly Eastham
CAUS Chair
tel: 780-492-4236
cell: 780-237-1707

Funk the System: November 17th to 21st

“Funk the System” – A political action week:

Politics not your dig? Think parties are squarer than trig assignments?

Politics is about more than belonging to a party or voting in an election. Politics is in everything you do, like it or not. In every dollar you spend and every cause you support and is fundamental to every service you access.

Marijuana legalization, funding for the arts, a university education, the ability to travel world wide…All of these are political and everyone of these takes individuals who care enough to say something.

Want to smoke pot anywhere legally? Want to know that this campus is being supported through YOUR taxes? Want free and fair DEMOCRATIC elections?

Look no further than yourself.

November 17th-21st, here on the UofL campus the ULSU is hosting a week of getting to know how YOU can funk the system. Look out all around campus for information on politics and why it’s relevant to your life.

ULSU rep’s and rep’s from other on-campus organizations will be outside the bookstore in the Student Union Building all week to talk about the different causes and how YOU can get involved and enact change! Stop by, grab a ribbon and some information on how to funk the system your way.

C’mon, the system is just begging to get funked, show us how you want to do it.

Gorgon Bills and the Canadian Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA)

Well, strike one for personal freedom and electronic media in Canada.

Today, the Conservative government re-introduced and finally tabled Bill C-61, detailing amendments to the Copyright Act in Canada.

Initially, Minister of Industry, Jim Prentice, had tried to introduce this legislation back in December 2007. It was quickly and vocally derided by opposition party MPs, University professors, and the public. The Facebook group set up against the Bill had over 20, 000 members. As a result, Bill C-61 was not tabled at that time.

Well, the Bill once again reared it’s ugly head to unleash its Medusa-like effects on the freedom of personal electronic media.

The new amendments also have some serious implications for freedom of educational materials e.g. Digital inter-library loans. The proposed changes would see a crack- down on “digital pirates”, actually making the penalty for shoplifting a CD less severe than downloading and sharing it digitally.

Micheal Geist, a digital law professor at the University of Ottawa, does a much better job in explaining and dissecting what this means for the normal, law-abiding citizens and students.

Now, keep in mind that these are “Proposed Amendments”. They are not law yet. The Bill still must pass through the House. Hopefully MPs will realize that many of the proposed amendments will do more harm than good.

If you are feeling particularly enraged and engaged, give you Member of Parliament a call. They, much like the Students’ Union, are there to listen to you. Read the Bill over, do some research, and be heard.

Find your Member of Parliament

Current List of MPs

If you are unaware of what the big deal is about Canadian digital copyright laws is, educate yourself:

Copyright Reform Process- Details the amendments to the Copyright Act

Micheal Geist’s Blog- Critique of the proposed amendments

Slashdot- Interesting and colorful Forum on the Canadian DMCA

Canadian Parliamentary System- for those of you who mostly forgot Grade 8

Until the future,

Adam Vossepoel

President

CASA and the Home of the Haligonians

As I type this, Brodie and I am, in fact, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is humid (my hair is fine), but we are not just here having a good time and seeing the sights.

Our primary reason for being here in the home of the Haligonians (yes, that is what natives of Halifax are called), is actually the Policy and Strategy Conference for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA). This is the first Annual Meeting of the General Assembly of CASA, and boys at Saint Mary’s University Student Association have done a great job hosting us.

Now many of you readers may wonder what CASA is (other than a snappy acronym), and what we are doing here here in Halifax.

CASA is, simply put, a lobby organization that represents the interests of post secondary students to the Federal government. However, despite that one sentence summary, the importance of the work that this organization engages in cannot be understated.

CASA is composed of 24 student associations from across the country. These Student Associations are from all types of post-secondary institutions; universities, technical institutes, and colleges. And although all of these organizations may be different in type, size, funding, or structure, they all come together to advocate for students in Canada.

CASA is does not conform to the stereotype when one thinks of a typical student advocacy group. We do not wave picket signs, we do not pull public pranks, we do not scream and shout until someone pays attention to us. Rather, CASA focuses on developing intelligent and pragmatic policies that will ultimately benefit students completing their degrees, diplomas, or certificates in Canada.

As short and succinctly as possible, CASA advocates and develops policy based on four main principles:

1. Accessibility: CASA believes that any academically successful student with the desire to pursue post-secondary education should not face a barrier, financial or otherwise.

2. Affordability: CASA believes that students should not accumulate an unreasonable or insupportable amount of debt in the pursuit of a post-secondary education or in continuing such an education.

3. Quality: CASA believes in a quality public post-secondary education system that is properly funded, effective and accountable; cooperatively maintained and enhanced by the federal and provincial governments.

4. Innovation: CASA believes that post-secondary education should have sustainable research programs across all disciplines, with the benefits of such research shared across all levels of the student body.

The Policy and Strategy is one of three annual conferences that CASA holds. This conference is where the group develops its advocacy goals, policy goals, and other goals related to the future of the organization.

I could write pages on CASA; how it works, why it works, and why it is valuable for the ULSU to continue to play a strong role in the organization. But, since most people don’t geek out about lobbying and policy development, I will cease.

Watch out for future posts on this topic, or stop by and talk to me about it if government policy gets you excited.

Adam Vossepoel

President

P.S. For all you student advocacy nerds out there, if you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out www.studentunion.ca