The Silhouette - June 7

Marauders at large

Fighting the good fight

Maroon and Grey vet Jason Medeiros is preparing to don the black and gold as he returns from a recent Hamilton Tiger-Cats training camp.

Mac student Samira SayedRahman was in Chicago last month during the NATO Summit, leading thousands in an emotional anti-war demonstration. Read more in InsideOut, 9

Read more in Sports, 7

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Pots and pans of the Steel City McMaster students key figures in Hamilton solidarity protests

Copyright student fees on horizon Sam Colbert Executive Editor

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Aissa Boodhoo-Leegsma Senior News Editor

Of the protests that have been held in downtown Hamilton, this was certainly one of the noisiest. In a show of solidarity with Quebec students, downtown Hamilton hosted a “pots and pans� or casseroles demonstration at Gore Park on May 30. Demonstrators joined an international movement of solidarity that spans more than 70 cities across the world and continues to grow. “The issues we’re dealing with in Quebec are part of a broader struggle,� said Ethan Cox, the Montreal journalist whose May 27 article for Rabble.ca set in motion the wave of solidarity casserole protests last Wednesday. Students in Quebec initially mobilized to protest the tuition increase being imposed by the provincial Liberal government, led by Jean Charest. However, with the advent of Bill 78, which limits the rights of protesters to assemble, the protest movement has evolved to encompass concerned community members from all walks of life. “Economic systems that promote lower corporate taxes at the expense of social pro-

grams ‌ are systems that are broken. And this stronger response from McMaster students and is the unifying thread, fighting against these students across Ontario. broken systems,â€? said Cox. “Students have said, ‘Well why should they The casseroles protest complain, our tuition is concept, which involves already expensive.’ Ques“As education becomes more protesters taking to the tion is: why aren’t we comand more inaccessible, the streets banging pots and plaining?â€? quality is also decreased. The pans, was taken from The SRA brought reality of the situation is that the Chilean Cacerolazos forth a motion in Noif Quebec students lose, we all movement, which protestvember that declared the lose.â€? ed the repressive rule of MSU to be in solidarity dictator Augusto Pinochet with Quebec student bodRodney Diverlus Ryerson Students’ Union President in the 1970s. ies. The motion did not Cox explained that prescribe any particular each city has now created their own unique action, intending to leave room for students to movement that represents their own voices. take individual action. The Hamilton event attracted about 150 The MSU is a member of the Canadian Alattendees, comprised of students, community liance of Student Associations (CASA), one of members and union members. It was organized the two major national bodies that represents by humanities student Dorian Batycka. students. The other, the Canadian Federation Hamiltonians and McMaster students alike of Students (CFS), is typically more involved in have been pulled together by the cause. Ryan direct student action campaigns, while CASA Sparrow, a labour studies student and a former takes a political lobbying approach. member of the SRA, noted that a majority of Schools in the GTA, such as Ryerson and the attendees at the Gore Park event were, in York, which are members of CFS, have been exfact, students. tremely active in mobilizing students. Sparrow and many other students believe that the solidarity casseroles should spur a SEE PROTESTING, 3

An agreement is in the works that would likely see an increase in student fees for Access Copyright, which licenses universities for copyrighted works, including course materials. Although McMaster faculty and staff would also fall under the agreement, students would likely be absorbing the cost. The agreement might also be redundant, given that court case precedent and the new federal Copyright Bill (Bill C-11) already offer similar protections. “It is the University’s responsibility to provide academic materials,� said Huzaifa Saeed, McMaster Students Union’s VP (Education). He has been challenging University administration on the deal. Under the previous agreement with Access Copyright, which expired in December of 2010, students were charged $3.80 each, plus $0.10 per courseware page. The new agreement would charge $26 a student and no per-page fee. The elimination of the $0.10 per-page fee, though, does not necessarily mean a decrease in courseware prices, as the University could continue charging the same amount for course materials. The agreement would also add restrictions on how students can save and share academic materials. It appears clear at this point that the University intends to sign the deal, but the details are unclear. Other universities have chosen different options. Some are choosing not to download the extra cost onto students, while others have refused an agreement altogether, setting up individual agreements with publishers directly, which has been much cheaper for them. Peter Smith, McMaster’s VicePresident (Academic) and acting Provost, was unavailable for comment.