Using their noodles
About 700 students ate instant noodles together at the University of Sydney as part of a campaign for a fair youth allowance system.
The students carried banners that proclaimed “international students are poor”, “I can’t pay my rent” and “where’s my education revolution Kevin?”
On Noodle Day March 24, all across Australia students shared the traditional fare of poor students and called for higher youth allowance, affordable housing, a reduction in the age of independence, travel concessions for international students and more scholarships.
The Chaser’s Dominic Knight, a former student at the University of Sydney, was guest speaker. “You really have to spend two to three days working or you can’t even afford to live as a student,” he said. In his student years, Knight worked part-time selling computers or coaching debate teams to support himself.
More than 1000 students took part at the UNSW and another 600 at UTS, with students from the University of Queensland, the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the University of South Australia also showing their support.
Gabriel Dain, education officer for the University of Sydney Students’ Representative Council, said she was pleased with the turnout. Dain said the protest might be repeated next year with an official attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people eating noodles simultaneously.
Dain called for student support on the National Day of Action on March 31 when students all around Australia will gather to demand better education. In NSW students will meet at Sydney Town Hall for a rally.
– By Alison Lam Ying Lim
