Across the country there has been an incredible amount of noise from students. Many are traveling to their state legislatures lobbying for more higher education funding. Hundreds of thousands of students have taken a single day out of their busy schedules to advocate for their future and the future of their children’s education. With rising tuition rates, college will soon become unaffordable to almost all of you. On February 7th, students from across Vermont will travel to Montpelier and rally for this same cause.
I have some advice for you.
Go to your classes and continue to not care about the future of higher education. Simply pretend that it doesn’t affect you and instead grab your snowboard and hit the mountain for the day. I mean let’s be honest, does your voice really matter? Do legislators really care about what you have to say? I mean we are just students. They will just say that we’ll have our opportunity some day in the future. If 200 students decided to skip class for the day and travel to Montpelier, legislatures would simply tell you to get back on the bus and go home.
Instead tweet about what you ate this morning or how dope that party was last night. Continue to show your inability to pay attention to local, state and federal issues that impact your future. I mean you might miss an episode of Jersey Shore and we wouldn’t want that.
Let me be honest:
It drives me crazy the apathy that impacts campuses across Vermont each and every day. Look at your bill from your time at college. Do you see a trend? The cost of college is on the rise at a dramatic rate and the state legislature isn’t helping us one bit.
Some may say that being involved in “politics” isn’t cool or that it’s not for you. After you graduate let me know how cool those loans are to pay back. This is your opportunity to stand up and fight for a better tomorrow. Take the chance to make your voice heard and encourage your friends to fight for the future of Lyndon State College and the future of the Vermont State Colleges. It’s your voice that the legislators want to hear, they want to hear your story of how the Vermont State Colleges have given you a truly unique opportunity.
In 1961, the state of Vermont created the Vermont State Colleges and said that the state would support the VSC in whole or in substantial part with state funds. This promise has been broken, and it’s time for us to make our voices heard.
So turn your ipod off, sign off twitter and get on the bus to Montpelier. Skip your classes and demand legislators listen to you! Be outside ASAC at 9 a.m. and we will together make an incredible stand for the VSC.