It is impossible to turn a blind eye to the numbers. On average, a student in Canada graduates with $27,000 of public debt. Collectively, students owe the federal government over $15 billion and much more in provincial and private loans such as bank loans or credit cards. Loans given out by the federal government increase by roughly $1 million a day and students are taking on more debt than ever before.

Mayor Watson proclaimed last week to be Bullying Awareness Week, but I don't think Transit Commissioners received the message. The province of Ontario defines bullying as "a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour... in a context where there is a real or perceived power imbalance." On Wednesday, November 16 at the Transit Commission meeting, commissioners patronized, bullied, and insulted students who had the audacity to suggest the city and OC Transpo may be wrong in calculating the UPass as revenue-neutral at $180 per semester.

A Word: Un Mot:

On Nov. 10, The Link, The McGill Daily, and Le Délit will come together and take to the streets in solidarity with thousands of university students across Quebec to distribute a copy of the special insert you're holding.

It's not the first time our student papers have been compelled to put out a joint paper. Our last collaboration was in 1989, after the Montreal Massacre at the École Polytechnique, when students "came together to put their thoughts and feelings on paper."

This week, we're joining forces as Quebec students are facing yet another historic moment in the ongoing fight to keep education accessible.

Last month, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) released a document entitled Public Education for the Public Good: A National Vision for Canada's Post-Secondary Education System. I found the document to be quite informative, filled with a lot of useful statistics. For example:

- Enrolment is rising in colleges and universities across Canada. Since the late 1990s, full-time enrolment has increased by 25 per cent. Enrolment in graduate studies (i.e. master's and PhD programs) alone increased by a whopping 42 per cent between 1998 and 2008.

Concordia University's recent announcement that it will be forming the Azrieli Institute of Israel Studies -- courtesy of a $5 million donation from the Azrieli Foundation -- raises some interesting questions.
Specifically, it raises questions pertaining to the idea of the university being bought by those with personal wealth and an interest in backing their favourite cause.

Supporters of this Institute argue that it will be politically neutral and judge projects, speakers and visiting professorships exclusively on academic merit.

Every year the cost of education continues to rise, but when you take into account transportation, books, food and entertainment, you quickly realize that it can be a challenge managing your finances while attending a post-secondary institution. Here are some practical ways students can save money when buying their college and university textbooks.

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On Tuesday night, Peterborough city council approved a plan for a for-profit corporation to own and operate a new student residence at Trent University. I'm concerned that this may signal a new trend at Canadian universities; about a year ago, I blogged about a similar plan at the University of Toronto.