UNC Students for a Democratic Society host movie screening

Students for a Democratic Society has begun preparing for its Feb. 10 march to the UNC-system Board of Governors by hosting events to recruit and educate the student body about rising tuition.

On Wednesday, the organization hosted a screening of, “Default: the Student Loan Documentary,” before discussing the plans for its protest, in order to inform students about the dangers of being in debt.

“We want to have a discussion to get students talking,” said Steve Milder, a graduate student and member of SDS.

The board will be voting on tuition increases for system schools Feb. 10.

Members of the organization said that although the group has focused on national issues in the past, tuition is at the forefront right now.

“We’ve been working on tuition even before they announced huge increases because tuition had doubled since 2003,” Milder said.

The documentary showed those attending that student debt is the largest form of debt in the United States, and tuition hikes would only make that worse, said Eric Bost, co-chairman of SDS.

Following the screening, students involved in the Education Justice Alliance, a coalition of student groups that formed after the protest of the Board of Trustees meeting in November, discussed how to get other students to protest tuition increases with them.

“We want to broaden the struggle over tuition increases and get more people involved,” Bost said.

Milder said students have been given little say in the tuition debate, and that needs to change.

“No one was showing the students how the process works, how tuition is raised,” he said.

“We want students to have a forum to decide what action they need to take.”

Students spoke to one of the directors of the documentary, Aurora Meneghello, about the cost and benefits of higher education in the United States via Skype after the screening.

She said students often don’t think about how much money they will make in a future career compared with how much they spend on tuition in the U.S.

A few students expressed concern about being able to pay back the debt they might incur under tuition hikes.

Senior philosophy major Amanda Ellis said she is worried about finding a job.

“I’ve accepted that I’m not going to make money from this degree,” she said.

Another issue students expressed at the meeting was the constant uncertainty that the tuition hikes have left about how much money they will owe.

“Students should come into college knowing what they’re going to pay for four years,” said junior Joseph Terrell.

Members of the organization said they plan to arrange transportation for students from throughout the UNC system to attend the board Feb. 10 meeting.

“We still have a chance to speak up,” Milder said.

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