The Fee Levies

Who Wants Your Money and Why?

NewsChristopher Curtis — Published March 29, 2011

CJLO 1690 AM

Asking for: $0.09 per credit (a total cost of $1.35 per semester on a full course load)

Since 2008, when CJLO took to the city’s AM airwaves, the student-run radio station has been named one of North America’s best by The Huffington Post. CJLO has continued to rack up national and international acclaim for its quality music programming and news coverage.

However, the acclaim has also come with a hefty price tag. The cost of purchasing an AM frequency antenna and renting land on which to install the antenna is considerable. And because CJLO is on an AM frequency, it’s difficult to catch the station’s signal from downtown Montreal.

CJLO will be using the funds to explore the possibility of moving to a stronger FM frequency.




The Void Magazine

Asking for: $0.02 per credit (a total cost of $0.30 a semester on a full course load)

The Void is Concordia’s only bilingual literary publication.

This quarterly magazine features a variety of work from the university’s writers—fiction, non-fiction and poetry—as well as work from Concordia’s visual artists.

It’s one of the only dedicated outlets on campus for Concordia’s wealth of creative writers.

The Void’s editorial staff and contributors work on a volunteer basis.

The money collected from this fee levy would go towards paying small stipends to the magazine’s editors and contributors, while helping with printing costs.




Banning Bottled Water on Campus

Asking for: Your Opinion

Okay, so it’s not a fee-levy question—but it will be on the ballot. Students will vote on whether they support a ban on the sale of bottled water on campus. The ban is being endorsed by both slates in this year’s elections because of the pollution and health risks associated with bottled water, among other concerns.

Bottled water and Concordia’s secret renewal of its multi-million dollar exclusive beverage contract with PepsiCo. were two issues at the centre of a protest and sit-in during Concordia’s fall semester. The university’s new contract with PepsiCo. includes a clause to remove bottled water from Concordia’s vending machines.




Queer Concordia

Asking for: $0.02 per credit (a total cost of $0.30 a semester on a full course load)
Queer Concordia is a valuable resource to the university’s queer community.

Providing safe sex kits, a health resource library, advocacy and outreach as well as tireless fundraising work for HIV/AIDS research and awareness, QC’s limited CSU clubs budget is stretched thin every year.

QC is looking to abandon its CSU club status and become a non-profit organization through the fee levy.

The club wants to use some of this money to expand the scope of its services by hiring a part-time employee to hold more office hours.

This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 28, published March 29, 2011.