Editorial: On informed dissent

By Chris Tait

A flash of movement, a reflected gleam.

Out of the corner of an eye–youthful and unwrinkled, though its lid was stretched and beaming in a cheerful smile–the almost imperceptible bright spot shot down the nearby marble wall.

The victim began to turn, but it was too late.

At first, only on the semi-soft surface just below and inside from the shoulder blade, did the nerves register anything out of the ordinary. The following beat stretched on and punctuation became a silent phrase elongated. Period.

Pierced was the very core of his being. Cold, sharp and merciless, the steel tooth bit again and again, each time its removal leaving only brief emptiness, then the flood.

From his fingertips, he could feel the sticky wet pooling beneath him. Though there was naught but the sound of bubbly breath, alarm screamed from the man’s eyes, projecting louder and clearer than any herald or sophist ever could.

Et tu, Caesar?

Despite a well-documented and working relationship between its administration and Students’ Union, the University of Calgary received a swath of vocal reaction to the removal of credit cards as a method of paying tuition.

Amid the chaotic protests of students following the decision, with the SU still reeling from the suddenness of the new policy, administration attempted to persuade the student body that the benefits outweigh the inconveniences.

With the rejection announcement of the SU’s proposal to re-examine the issue with more student consultation, the administration has very successfully accumulated a hefty amount of disdain from students.

Though the issue seems to be incredibly muddled in the minds of U of C students–where they have focused on the shortsighted goal of reversing administration’s credit card decision instead of trying to see the big picture–at least they’ve woken up and finally become dissatisfied enough with the state of their education to shed the thick coat of apathy and sprung back with involved criticism of their academic environment.

The SU should be congratulated for finally taking a stance and organizing what hopefully will be a very visible, very vocal rally at the Board of Governors meeting Xxx., Apr. XX.