Re: “Our Picks: Referenda/Plebiscites,” Feb. 6, 2003.
We were deeply disappointed to find nearly unanimous rejection of the proposed Refugee Student levy increase among the Gauntlet editors. A $0.50 increase would raise the levy for full-time students to $1.00 per session, making it possible for the Student Refugee Program to continue operating. This levy allows students who have often fled civil war, genocide, torture, severe repression and persecution to resettle and continue their studies. In turn, these students enrich Canadian universities with unique insights and perspectives.
What is $1.00? It is a couple of cigarettes, a slurpee, a gulp of beer. Even working at crappy student wages, $1.00 is just a few minutes of work time. You can’t even park in lot 10 for $1.00. Chances are if it fell out of your wallet, you wouldn’t even know it was gone. It wouldn’t even be missed.
But I can guarantee that $1.00 would be missed by the student who is stuck in a squalid refugee camp, fighting for everything we take for granted, waiting and hoping for an opportunity to continue living and studying. If you doubt the value of the Student Refugee Program, talk to our two current students. Talk to their friends, peers, and professors. The value is immeasurable.
Vote "yes" in the Refugee Student referendum.