James Weliver/Collegian
In an attempt to bring attention and spur action against the vote to increase fees next semester, several University of Massachusetts graduate students have decided to take a walk ‘- all the way from Amherst to Dartmouth, Mass.
The group is protesting the proposal that would raise undergraduate fees at UMass by $1,500 and graduate fees by $1,020 for next fiscal year. The proposal is being voted on this Friday, Feb. 27, in
‘ ‘We are walking 107 miles in four days,’ said Scott Salus, vice president of the Graduate Student Senate (GSS). ‘We will get there by Friday morning. Our hope is to get the attention of the trustees. [The walk] is a physical representation of the struggle that they are putting the graduate students and undergraduates through.’
Composed of five graduate student senators and officers, the group, who have entitled their expedition ‘Ready to Walk: Against the Fee Increase’ departed on Monday from the Haigis Mall at 9 a.m. They plan to stay over at different locations each night.
‘ ‘There are five of us, with people joining along the way. We are also trying to get as many people on the bus as possible,’ said Salus.
Group members will also update their blogs, Facebook accounts and Twitter each night let others know about their trip and about the protest.
In addition, the GSS, along with the Student Government Association (SGA), Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) and other organizations are providing a free bus ride for students to take to
Nahir Otono Garcia, president of the GSS, explained that she is walking in protest of fee hikes that could potentially stop students from being able to afford to attend UMass, a public university whose tuition and fees are designed to be more accessible to those with financial difficulties.
‘I am walking to support graduate and undergraduate students, to avoid the rise in fees. For people like me, international students, who can’t get a second job, and are not eligible for more financial aid. We are the working poor,’ said Otano Garcia.
Antonia Carcelen, another walker, criticized the administration’s choice to vote on raising fees, adding ‘[the trustees] are just looking for easy decisions. They are not willing to give up anything from an administrative point of view.’
For Salus, the most important aspect of the walk is to gain the attention of all UMass students, both graduate and undergraduate.
Lisa DeBenedictis can be reached at ldebenedictis@dailycollegian.com.
