The 2010-2011 Budget Disaster.

When rumors emerged of the $59-60-million deficit emerged the first thing that came to mind was how much student fees would rise.  First of all “the University has proposed a Common Student Space, Sustainability, and Safety Fee that could be as large as $550 per year for all students.” (University of Alberta Students' Union, 2009) This type of fee system is starting to get out of hand. They are able to put into place non-academic fees, so the students are paying this $550 as a usage of space fee. This fee, if alone would not be that bad but sadly charging $550 per student is not enough to release the university from the grasp of a deficit this large.  How after all did the University land in such a large deficit?

"Several factors contributed to this total:

- The Provincial Operating Grant is $30 million less than originally forecasted

 -Investment income is $10.3 million less than forecasted

 -The University faces a $12 million increase for one pension fund contribution

-Tuition fee increases (which are capped by legislation and based on the CPI increase) were $2.6 million less than forecasted

-Other provincial grants were reduced by $6 million." (University of Alberta Budget 2010‐2011 Questions and Answers, 2010) The first bullet under these factors is the provincial Operating Grant. "In each of the past 4 years, the Province has demonstrated a commitment to higher education through operating grant increases of 6%. Through the Provincial Budget 2009, the government confirmed a 6% increase to the University’s base operating grant for 2009-10. With the sharp decline in Provincial revenues, largely due to energy prices, no funding increases to the grant are expected in 2010-11 or 2011-12. This will place significant financial pressures on the University as each 1% reduction to the base grant represents approximately $5 million." (University of Alberta Budget Planning Document 2010-11, 2009) Therefore, for the 2010-11 school years there will be a 0% increase which in reality is a decrease. One budget cut being announced after another really starts to add up. These proposed fee increase will affect everyone, and those students who are barely making it down will most likely be drowned out by these new massive increases. Even looking at how the mark ups will be distributed is in an uneven manner. They are being discriminatory on certain faculties, and some of those faculties are already shelling out tones of cash. Personally, I believe that everyone should have the right to higher education and these increases in fees are causing many to be unable to further their education.

                Overall, I do not believe it is the students’ responsibility to save the university from these massive gaps in funding. The government should not be allowed to simply cut multiple sections of funding so close to the upcoming year that they are cutting. It leaves the university in an awful position and leaves many students’ questioning their decision in furthering their education.

Bibliography

(2009). Retrieved 03 23, 2010, from University of Alberta Students' Union: 

http://www.su.ualberta.ca/student_government/advocacy/mind_the_gap

University of Alberta Budget 2010‐2011 Questions and Answers. (2010, 03). Retrieved 03 23, 2010, from http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/vpfinance/pdfs/Budget%20Q%20and%20A%20March%202010%20Final.pdf

University of Alberta Budget Planning Document 2010-11. (2009, 10 28). Retrieved 03 23, 2010, from http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/vpfinancerp/pdfs/Budget%20Plan%20Doc%2010-11%20_FINAL,%20Oct%2028_.pdf

The Tenant - Bharati Mukherjee

When reading The Tenant for the first time when I approached the last page I began to expect a wonderfully unexpected ending. In a way I got exactly what I thought I would, but not the way I wanted it. It just abruptly ends, leaving one questioning the entire piece of literature. To be asked what I believe the ending is about or what Ashoke Mehta means when he says, "You also have a problem," really caused one to think about how he was presented throughout the entire story. When we first meet this strange character it is from an ad in a newspaper where this seemingly well-off, good-looking man comes into play. How can this dreamy man still be single with no strings attached? Well the first alarm to his 'problem' is apparent in his ad where it states, "Write with recent photo." This is my first clue to what I believe he means by 'problem' at the end. Perhaps all he wants is sex, after all that is what their first encounter was. He could potentially be a very shallow, self-centered sex seeking monster. Wanting only something brief, with no stings attached, meeting in a neutral zone; it seems so obvious. To me, at the end when Ashoke tells Maya that she too has a problem, I believe he is speaking of Fred who he can hear talking in the background. To him Maya is tied down, for him to have her she needs to part with Fred. With the "you also" indicates to me that he had or still has a problem, maybe a wife he is trying to divorce, maybe a family somewhere he is floating away from. It could possibly even be a love child here or there since he can so casually meets with women for sex. Any of these could explain his lack of contact with Maya for months. This so called 'problem' could also be his addiction to sex, and he wants Maya to be his to have whenever he desires and Fred is the last roadblock in his path. The last sentence of this piece provides some evidence for my theory when the audience learns that Maya moves out, leaving Fred and agrees to go to Hartford where Ashoke resides. For me that verifies that Fred was indeed Mayas problem and even in her last opportunity of the piece Maya is not honest. “She tells herself, it will not be the end of Fred’s world. “ I beg to differ, this arm-less man has grown to love Maya and as soon as her lover called upon her she up and left poor Fred. I believe this act of leaving is crushing Fred’s world.

The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets

Looking through the collection of Poetry in this Anthology, on page seventy-four there is a Poem by Srinivas Rayaprol called Middle Age that struck me as different. At first, the title is very simple which once you read the poem you understand the meaning of the simplicity. The author speaks of growing old and the changes that take place, how the reflection in the mirror will change although the person will stay the same. Many connotations can be found. For me, the phrase, "and the eyes hardened with age", may suggest that in his life many things have been witnessed that potentially would cause a 'hardening' of the eyes, or soul. Hardening to me would mean a toughening, or a loss of innocence. With that, the attitude of the poem changes from beginning to end. It goes from describing all the physical changes that come with the aging of a body, which could be considered as being ' glass half full' because it can be read in a positive tone. It then changes to a 'glass half empty' because it shifts to how the beauty of the youth is being lost and how even with all the good experiences every day is a day closer to death. Continuing with the attitude, the last two lines don't quite 'flow' or 'fit' with the rest of the poem. It is almost as if the author is telling the audience what he is in his life, as though it is his direct voice speaking out. The last word of the poem being 'I' suggests that it is him speaking of his life. This is not suggested until the last word, it begins on a happier note describing the changes and shifts to a darker version of aging by saying that with age comes dead and the loss of beauty and then it almost awkwardly goes to Srinivas telling the reader what he is. The theme of the poem is pretty straight forward, being that of aging and what links together with it. I found the shifts in perspective very interesting and how he explored the positive and the negative views of being middle aged. After reading the poem I believe it is important to revisit the title, to see how its simplicity prepares the reader for the somewhat simple message behind the poem. Overall this poem is quite interesting and I highly recommend you to visit it in the Anthology. (Page 74) It will only take a minute!