Thursday, March 28, 2024

Students rally to support higher education

February 3, 2010

Graduate student Nina Chacker and RCAH sophomore Michael Zapalski weigh in on yesterday’s student rally for education. Chacker and Zapalski were two of over 50 students who rallied at the Administration Building and marched to the Capitol protesting university and state government cuts in education spending. Student protestors had a permit to protest on the sidewalk only and were asked by the Michigan State Police Department to move off of the Capitol steps.

Fumiko Sakashita is on her own.

Like many other international students at MSU, Sakashita, an American studies doctoral student, looked forward to being a teaching assistant to help pay for continuing her education. However, in light of the recent budget cuts at MSU, her goal seems less likely to pan out.

“I’m living here by myself,” Sakashita said. “I have to support myself. The administration is not listening to students.”

Sakashita was one of more than 50 MSU students, donned in black attire, who rallied at the Administration Building on campus and the Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday to protest cuts in education funding. The rallies took place on the same day Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm held her final State of the State address.

“We’re wearing black in solidarity to visibly separate ourselves,” said Gabriela Alcazar, an international relations and social relations and policy senior.

Before marching to the Capitol, students stood on the steps of the Administration Building, holding banners and signs in support of education. The students had different concerns ranging from tuition increase to recent cuts in the TA and undergraduate programs. Students called upon the MSU Board of Trustees, President Lou Anna K. Simon and Granholm to change their decision-making habits.

Sakashita said the MSU administration and the state need to have students involved in the decision-making process.

“The administration needs to listen,” Sakashita said. “(Decisions are) a done deal before (they come) out. We need transparency.”

Student groups including Undergraduate Alliance, Alleft MSU and Real Chicano and Latino Studies were the driving force behind the event. Other campus groups participated in the rally.

Waving their signs and banners, students chanted, “This is what democracy looks like.”

The rally, which began with more than 30 students gathering at the Administration Building, took to the streets, marching down Michigan Avenue on its way to the Capitol.

Rally participants emphasized the importance education must have in both the MSU administration as well as the Michigan government.

“Education is being put on the back burner,” Alcazar said. “This isn’t about scapegoating one person. It’s about making people in general aware. We need to put pressure on the Legislature.”

MSU students arrived at the Capitol as another rally started. Local groups including supporters of the Republican Party, the Michigan Education Association, Common Sense in Government and Make Lansing Listen gathered on the Capitol steps to hold their “State of the People” address.

Kevin Lynch, a philosophy and Residential College of Arts and Humanities junior, said events such as the rally are important to generate publicity for a cause and to create pressure on those in government.

“We have a right to education — and an affordable education at that — which won’t constrain us for the rest of our lives,” Lynch said.

Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.

Discussion

Share and discuss “Students rally to support higher education” on social media.