THUNDER BAY -- Lakehead University Student Union President Ian Kaufman says he’s asking candidates to sign a pledge not to raise tuition fees if elected and chosen to serve on the school’s board of governors.
Council gets one seat on the board and Kaufman said the representative has voted in favour of increases for the past nine years or so.
It’s all about making sure post-secondary school is more affordable to the masses, he said.
“It’s a stand against tuition fees and a lot of people have signed it already,” Kaufman said.
The pledge also promises more engagement with youth and students in local issues, though Kaufman admitted students themselves have to show an interest in the system in order for it to work.
“That’s a two-way street and we’re encouraging students to get involved,” Kaufman said.
To aid in that prospect, LUSU is hosting a pair of election-related events on Tuesday and Wednesday, a way to let students talk to and ask questions of potential candidates.
The university will also host an advanced poll, as all students 18 and older are eligible to vote in the Thunder Bay election, regardless of where they’re originally from.
“Next week we’re doing a candidate open house that’s city-wide so we’ll have all the candidates, including (Ken) Boshcoff and Keith Hobbs and some of the other mayoral candidates setting up here,” Kaufman said.
“Students can come and talk to them informally, ask them about their platforms.”
The following day, on Wednesday, LUSU will host a Red River Ward discussion, with three of the four candidates confirming their attendance.
James Marsh has declined the invitation.
“It’s the only Red River Ward-specific debate that’s going to be happening,” Kaufman said.
“The next day we’re going to be having on campus and encouraging as many students as possible to come out and vote.”
Kaufman said it’s important that students have a say. Many have asked them if the municipal election is even relevant to them.
The LUSU president answers an unequivocal yes every time.
“We definitely think it is. We’ve had a lot of discussions at the student union over the last few months about the ways these issues impact students. Transportation, public transit is obviously huge,” he said. “A lot of students use the bus to get back and forth to campus. Having it be affordable and having it be adequate for their needs so they can study and get back to their houses is huge.”
Affordable housing and quality of life issues, including anti-racism effort, that are also important to students.
