USSU along with U of S students held a small rally on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)

By Brady Lang

“(They) don’t give a damn about the students:” students union holds rally to send a message to institution, province

Feb 28, 2020 | 1:46 PM

Affordability and accessibility were the driving force of a small rally by University of Saskatchewan (U of S) students Thursday.

Dozens gathered in front of the administration building overlooking the bowl to speak about their displeasure with both the U of S and the provincial government.

According to Regan Ratt-Misponas, president of the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union (USSU), tuition continues to climb for undergrad students and has since he began at University.

Ratt-Misponas told 650 CKOM the reason they gathered at the bowl Thursday.

“We wanted to ensure that students came together to really lobby on six points, six asks, six demands that we were making to the government of Saskatchewan, and as well as our institution, the University of Saskatchewan.”

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Those six demands included an increase in unrestricted institutional funding, having reasonable and predictable tuition policies and eliminating interest on student loans.

Ratt-Misponas began the position of the president of USSU on May 1, 2019. He said since the day he became president-elect, students voiced their concerns to him.

“Students were coming up to me, and sharing their stories,” he said. “People having to work two or three jobs just in order to make ends meet. In order to be able to come to school, afford rent, and being able to do the day-to-day stuff and the day-to-day bills that come with life.”

Ratt-Misponas said they had a meeting set up with Saskatchewan’s minister of advanced education, Tina Beaudry-Mellor Thursday night.

A number of students also voiced their opinions on the matter, including Nigel Hakeem, a fifth-year English student.

He was vocal in his frustrations towards the university and the province.

“Plainly, this institution has proven time and again that they actually don’t give a damn about the students. Our tuition rate keeps going up, the same time that the provincial government cuts,” he said.

“All that ends up happening is one side blames the other, and they’re the ones that make away with students money like bandits.”

Hakeem said he has struggled in the past, working during the summers to facilitate his schooling in the fall and winter. He said after seeing some of the salaries of those in a higher power at the U of S, it’s getting hard to continue as a student for anyone attending the institution.

“It’s not fair. This institution is for us to educate and prepare for the future. Not to pay the salaries of a president that’s making half a million dollars,” he said.

“I got ten bucks in my account, I think it’s bulls—.”

Hakeem was a big advocate as well of eliminating the interest that is compounded on student loans. He doesn’t believe that’s a fair ask.

“We’re already told that we have to pay back 20, 30, 40 grand in loans, and then to put interest rates to screw us even more.”