Letter to the Editor: We are Not an Idle Part of the AUC Community
By: Bassant Zein Aldin
At the second student forum on November 9, I was sitting in the first rows of Bassily Hall, waiting for President Francis Ricciardone to discuss the short-term solutions to the increase in tuition fees following the floating of the Egyptian pound.
I saw one of my colleagues, who knows that I’ve been a full-scholarship student for two years, suddenly blurt out: “Why are you even here?”, drawing a humble smile on her face.
I answered: “Everyone must understand that the increase in tuition fees may not be affordable to many families.” She seemed unconvinced, but I didn’t care that much until I got back home.
I was then shocked to find that on some of the AUC Facebook groups that there were a lot of sarcastic posts about how full-scholarship students are playing an idle part in the strike.
Their point was that many of us are not participating either because we don’t care or because we are not directly affected by the increase in tuition fees, or perhaps we are too afraid to do so because of the stakes involved.
This perception angered me, because I was among those in the student body that supported the right in calling for clear policies regarding the fees.
Was I afraid? No, because as outlined in AUC’s policy on freedom of expression, we are fully permitted, granted and encouraged to this right without impinging on the rights of others, damaging or defacing property, disrupting classes or blocking access to the university.
As a Youssef Jameel Fellow in the Public Leadership Program of AUC, it’s one of my basic principles to stand with others in demanding their rights, so long as they’re valid, regardless of whether it would be directly beneficial for me or not.
This is why I was deeply saddened by this hollow image about us.
I know that the rise of tuition fees may not be affecting us directly, but the whole student body must stand united with the majority that are.
Yet, my main message to our AUC community is to be sure that scholarship students are an integral part of the student body, and the impression of us as “luxury students” is hurting us, because simply it’s not the case.
We labored to get here. We are obliged to maintain consistent grades in every course to sustain our scholarship funding with different time constraints to finish our degrees and not to forget the series of exams and committee interviews it took to secure our place.
And even if that weren’t the case, AUC’s freedom of expression policy means that this is a place where my ideas may be expressed freely both inside and outside the classroom.
