Electricity and plumbing, among services to be cut
Ontario’s proposed Student Choice Initiative has recently confirmed 178 University of Guelph services to be considered “non-essential.”
Students now have a much broader selection of services to opt out of come September, including: electricity, plumbing, heating, food services, and clothing.
To some, this might seem extreme, but in fact many U of G students are open to embracing the future changes and, to get the ball rolling early, many changes are currently being tested to monitor student response.
To start, students have opted not to pay fees for electricity. Classrooms are now engulfed in total darkness. The few students who opted in to the $1.53 fee have been given scented candles to provide light, which administration describes as “electricity adjacent.”
Students have also opted out of paying their plumbing fee. Washrooms no longer have toilets, but maintain a rustic outhouse aesthetic. Students now use a hole in the ground to go about their business, often using leaves as toilet paper. Guelph doesn’t have a green reputation for nothing.
The cost of heating U of G throughout the winter months has been enormous. Now, large bonfires crackle throughout the hallways to provide heating. Students are encouraged to bring their blankets from home to enhance the cozy atmosphere.
Some would say that food on campus has improved due to opted-out fees. Meals are now served on paper napkins and are comprised of bread and water, with some variation: tepid water, cold water, room temperature water, white bread, whole wheat bread, stale bread.
For many students the most welcomed change is the option to opt-out of clothing. Students now attend class naked, or nearly naked, comfortable in the thought that they’re saving “outfit-choosing decision time.” Opting-out of clothing has left students feeling “free” and “open.”
Despite the noticeable changes around campus, many students have described things as “business as usual” and “I enjoy the simplistic Middle Ages vibe going on.”
Of course, like any major transition, some students have expressed concern. U of G student Fairbanks Winklebottom has said of the changes: “it’s nice to have all this opting-out potential, and some, I would say, are fully justified, namely, door knobs. But what will happen if something really important is considered ‘non-essential’ in the future?”
Winklebottom’s fears may be justified. According to U of G administration and the provincial government, future proposed non-essential essentials include: walls, roofs, stairs, and Bob’s Dogs.
Photos obtained via Unsplash