You don’t need to look just at Yale to see that the current pandemic is disproportionately impacting minority and lower income populations. When we get back to school there’s no doubt that this result will only deepen inequity among students. Measures like the elimination of the SIC are just some of the most basic steps the university can take to address this issue. In my experience, not having to contribute to the SIC freed me to pursue the extracurricular activities I was passionate about, like rock climbing and Splash, and gave me breathing room in my schedule to get my schoolwork done and excel in my classes. Even before the pandemic, the fact that some students are required to spend 10 or more hours per week working a job means they don’t have access to the same opportunities I am grateful for. I am disappointed to see a respected institution like Yale perpetuating the systemic inequalities found throughout our nation. Though I may not pay the SIC, I see how it is affecting my peers and this is clearly not fair.
Tom Sutter, He/Him, 2023, Berkeley College
