Students
      Deliver
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      rallied
      across
     
     
      Canada
      on
      Wednesday,
      Feb
      05
     
     
      2004,
      to
      protest
      high
      debt
      loads,
      and
     
     
      rising
      tuition.
      Student
      debt
      and
     
     
      tuition
      have
      been
      accumulating
     
     
      over
      the
      last
      few
      decades
      to
      the
     
     
      point
      where
      they
      now
      jeopardize
     
     
      our
      future,
      and
      the
      future
      of
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      yet
      to
      come.
     
    

    
     
      At
      UPEI
      a
      dedicated
      group
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      individuals
      met
      at
      our
      SUB
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      make
      good
      on
      our
      duty
      as
      students,
     
     
      and
      on
      our
      attitudes
      toward
      tuition
     
     
      costs.
      We
      were
      escorted
      via
      bus
      to
     
     
      Victoria
      Park
      where
      our
      march
     
     
      toward
      the
      Sullivan
      Building
      (and
     
     
      lower
      tuition)
      began.
      With
      a
      large
     
     
      banner
      stating
      our
      cause,
      we
      walked
     
     
      50
      strong
      down
      Euston
      St.
      disabling
     
     
      traffic,
      and
      chanting
      such
      slogans
     
     
      as,
      "Freeze
      tuition
      NOW!"
      And,
     
     
      "Yada
      Yada
      Yada
      Yo,
      Mildred
     
     
      Dovers
      needs
      to
      know,
      high
      tuition
     
     
      has
      to
      go!"
      Followed
      by
      the
      ever
     
     
      popular,
      "Yada
      Yada
      Yada
      Yo,
      UPEI
     
     
      students
      know,
      Mildred
      Dover
     
     
      needs
      to
      go!"
      and
      so
      on.
      We
      cut
     
     
      across
      a
      little
      path
      that
      leads
      to
      the
     
     
      parking
      lot,
      and
      from
      there
      we
      con-
     
     
      tinued
      on
      to
      the
      courtyard
      where
      we
     
     
      began
      our
      demonstration.
      For
      those
     
     
      of
      you
      who
      don't
      know,
      the
      court-
     
     
      yard
      is
      central
      to
      the
      government
     
     
      buildings
      on
      Euston
      St.,
      and
      is
     
     
      prime
      real-estate
      when
      you're
      host-
     
     
      ing
      a
      protest.
      With
      employees
      seem-
     
     
      ingly
      enjoying
      their
      afternoon
      show,
     
     
      we
      began
      clarifying
      our
      plan,
      going
     
     
      over
      our
      rights
      as
      protesters,
      and
     
     
      making
      clear
      our
      strategy
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      objectives.
      However,
      this
      was
      just
      a
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      distraction
      from
      our
      real
      intent.
      You
     
     
      see,
      being
      students,
      we
      were
      quite
     
     
      clever.
      We
      had
      already
      planned
      our
     
     
      route
      right
      up
      to
      the
      office
      of
      the
     
     
      Minister
      of
      Education.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      course
      com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      That's
      right,
      with
      a
      loud
     
     
      cheer
      as
      a
      signal
      of
      our
      consent,
      we
     
     
      stormed
      the
      building
      and
      headed
      up
     
     
      the
      stairway
      to
      the
      first
      floor.
      As
      we
     
     
      exited
      from
      the
      stairway
      and
      into
     
     
      the
      working
      area,
      the
      looks
      on
      the
     
     
      employees’
      faces
      were
      priceless,
     
     
      they
      had
      no
      clue!
      The
      route
      we
      took
     
     
      couldn't
      have
      been
     
     
      better;
      we
      were
     
     
      interrupting
      meet-
     
     
      ings,
      telephone
     
     
      calls,
      and
      anybody
      who
      was
      in
      our
     
     
      way.
      Being
      the
      good
      mannered
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      that
      Sg
     
     
      we
      are,
      we
     
     
      tried
      to
      prac-
     
     
      tice
      a
      bit
      of
     
     
      refrain
      like,
     
     
      being
      clean
     
     
      and
      good-
     
     
      natured,
      not
      —
     
     
      swearing,
     
     
      and
      of
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
       
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mitting
      no
     
     
      violent
      acts,
     
     
      but
      it's
      hard
     
     
      to
      be
      polite
     
     
      when
      you're
     
     
      protesting.
      People
      were
      stopped
      in
     
     
      halls
      and
      doorways
      like
      cars
      at
      train
     
     
      crossings,
      wondering
      if
      the
      end
     
     
      would
      ever
      come.
      We
      cruised
      down
     
     
      the
      halls
      meeting
      them
      with
      our
     
     
      signs,
      sleeping
      bags,
      slogans,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our
      sense
      of
      riotousness,
      and
      left
     
    
   
   
    
     
      them
      with
      a
      feeling
      of
      irritable
      awe,
     
     
      and
      a
      ringing
      sensation
      in
      their
      ears
     
     
      from
      our
      crazy
      noise.
     
    

    
     
      We
      entered
      a
      second
      stair-
     
     
      way
      where
      we
      climbed
      two
      stories
     
     
      and
      emerged
      onto
      the
      floor
      of
      our
     
     
      beloved
      minister.
      Here
      we
      sat
      and
     
     
      made
      ourselves
      comfortable.
      The
     
     
      sleeping
      bags,
      you
      see,
      were
      a
      testa-
     
     
      ment
      to
      our
      dedication.
      Our
      catchy
     
     
      chants
      continued
      until
      Mildred
     
     
      Dover
      came
      to
      the
      door
      to
      speak
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “You
      see,
      being
     
     
      students,
     
     
      quite
      clever.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      us.
      If
      you
      watched
      the
      episode
     
     
      of
      Compass
      that
      aired
      that
     
    

    
     
      Thursday,
      you
      caught
      a
      little
      bit
      of
     
     
      the
      action
      that
      ensued.
      Although
     
     
      Mrs.
      Dover
      did
      give
      us
      a
      good
      por-
     
     
      tion
      of
      her
      time,
      halfway
      through
     
     
      she
      tried
      to
      duck
      out
      saying
      she
      had
     
     
      a
      very
      important
      meeting,
      and
      that
     
     
      people
      were
      waiting
     
     
      to
      see
      her.
      I
      assumed
     
     
      from
      her
      speech
      that
     
     
      she
      had
      meant
      they
     
     
      were
      there,
      in
      the
      building
      waiting.
     
     
      However,
      10
      minutes
      later
      her
     
    

    
     
      m
      secretary
     
     
      appeared
      at
     
     
      the
      door
      with
     
     
      her
      purse
      and
     
     
      jacket.
      It
      all
     
     
      seemed
      very
     
     
      rehearsed
      to
     
    

    
     
      me,
      but
      it
      did
     
     
      not
      matter,
     
     
      for
      we
      kept
     
     
      &
      asking
      ques-
     
     
      tions,
      and
     
     
      half
      an
      hour
     
     
      later
      her
      sec-
     
     
      retary
      was
     
     
      still
      waiting
     
     
      in
      the
      doorway
      with
      the
      coat.
     
    

    
     
      Mrs.
      Dover
      did
      seem
      to
      be
      sincere,
     
     
      and
      I
      believe
      she
      does
      care
      about
     
     
      students,
      but
      I
      got
      the
      impression
     
     
      that
      our
      problem
      was
     
     
      not
      a
      problem
      for
      her
     
     
      government.
      When
     
     
      she
      left,
      she
      had
      happen,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      we
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      agreed
      to
      two
      of
      our
      Make
      it
      happen.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      three
      requests.
     
    

    
     
      First,
      she
      agreed
      to
      write
      a
     
     
      letter
      to
      all
      UPEI
      students
      address-
     
     
      ing
      student
      tuition
      and
      student
      debt,
     
     
      and
      enclosed
      in
      this
      letter
      would
      be
     
     
      a
      list
      of
      organizations
      which
      pre-
     
     
      cede
      the
      university
      in
      terms
      of
      fund-
     
     
      ing
      priority.
      Second,
      she
      agreed
      that
     
     
      she
      would
      recognize
      student
      debt
     
     
      and
      rising
      tuition
      as
      concerns
      for
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      February
      24,
      2004
      page
      9
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “,..1£
      we
      want
     
     
      something
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Conservative
      party
      in
      front
      of
      all
     
     
      opposing,
      and
      honourable
      members
     
     
      seated
      in
      the
      legislature
      .
      So
      with
      a
     
     
      hallway
      of
      students
      still
      unim-
     
     
      pressed
      with
      the
      government’s
      ded-
     
     
      ication
      to
      this
      issue,
      Mrs.
      Dover
      left
     
     
      to
      go
      to
      her
      conveniently
      scheduled
     
     
      meeting.
     
    

    
     
      Now,
      about
      our
      third
      and
     
    

    
     
      final
      demand.
      We
      had
      demanded
      to
     
     
      meet
      with
      the
      government
      to
      dis-
     
     
      cuss
      action
      plans
      for
      student
      debt
     
     
      reduction
      and
      lowering
      tuition,
      but
     
     
      Dover
      did
      not
      agree,
      saying
      that
      she
     
     
      could
      not
      make
      that
      decision
      on
     
     
      behalf
      of
      the
      remaining
      members.
     
     
      On
      a
      tip
      from
      "a
      nice
      lady
      named
     
     
      Nancy,"
      we
      were
      made
      aware
      that
     
     
      Mitch
      Murphy,
      the
      finance
      minister,
     
     
      was
      in
      office
      that
      day,
      and
      that
      he
     
     
      might
      be
      able
      to
      satisfy
      our
      third
     
     
      demand.
      We
      had
      all
      settled
      in
      for
      a
     
     
      long
      night,
      that
      was
      for
      sure.
     
     
      However,
      location
      didn't
      matter
      --
      if
     
     
      we
      had
      to
      stay
      in
      Mitch's
      hallway
     
     
      for
      the
      night,
      so
      be
      it.
      But
      being
      the
     
     
      clever
      students
      we
      are,
      we
      decided
     
     
      to
      call
      first.
      Mitch
      returned
      our
      call
     
     
      in
      a
      very
      timely
      fashion,
      and
      agreed
     
     
      to
      meet
      with
      us.
      Wow!
      In
      a
      protest
     
     
      that
      was
      prepared
      to
      pull
      an
      all
     
     
      nighter,
      we
      finished
      up
      in
      a
      mere
     
     
      three
      hours.
      And
      then
      I
      knew
      that
      it
     
     
      worked,
      or
      that
      it
      could
      work,
      that
      if
     
     
      we
      want
      something
      to
     
     
      happen,
      we
      can
      make
     
     
      it
      happen.
      And
      in
     
     
      knowing...
      it
      felt
     
     
      good.
     
     
      With
      that,
      we
      left
      the
     
     
      building
      a
      little
      ruffled,
      but
      in
      the
     
     
      same
      peace
      we
      had
      found
      it
      in
      earli-
     
     
      er
      that
      day.
      All
      in
      all,
      it
      was
      a
      good
     
     
      first
      step,
      but
      we
      are
      looking
      for
     
     
      results,
      and
      the
      harder
      we
      look
      the
     
     
      more
      we
      will
      find,
      so
      support
      your
     
     
      student
      body,
      and
      our
      representa-
     
     
      tives
      in
      reducing
      our
      debt
      and
      our
     
     
      tuition.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      we
      can