By Dennis O’Neil
Chants of “strike the hike!” and “student debt has got to go!” resounded in front of Grawemeyer Hall today as more than 400 students participated in the Kentucky Higher Education Student Walkout and Rally, organized by the Progressive Action Coalition. The rally was held in protest of Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposed 12 percent cut to higher education funding, which may result in a higher tuition increase for University of Louisville students than initially expected.
The program began just after 1:11 p.m., the scheduled time of the walkout. An open microphone was set up in front of the Thinker statue for both students and some scheduled speakers. As the afternoon progressed, students discussed the heavy burden that would be placed on them by a large tuition increase.
“I work most of the week to pay for school as it is,” sophomore political science and history major Nick Clark said. “I can’t very easily pull an extra $500 or $1000 out of thin air. Every year we see increases in tuition, but I have no idea where that money goes.”
“I don’t know if this rally will affect any type of change, but it is nice to see some students who are willing to organize and try to fix this problem of tuition hikes,” said Joseph Baker, a junior undecided major.
The event saw a smattering of popular and unpopular opinion.
Speaker Attica Scott, of Kentucky Jobs for Justice, discussed the way in which tuition increases are affecting students long after they graduate.
“Paying for college should not be like taking out a second mortgage when you don’t even own a home,” Scott said to the crowd.
Mike Ward, a Southern Seminary graduate and campus mentor, said that college students should focus more attention toward helping parts of the world where education is a luxury, a view that drew boos from the crowd.
“Many of the students here are not hurting financially,” Ward said. “Many get residual checks and eat well off of their meal points and live cozy lives. In places like India, Sudan and Uganda, there are people who have zero education. People need a more balanced perspective.”
Student Government Association President Brian Hoffman, who also spoke at the event, was called out by the crowd about whether or not he would vote for a tuition increase at the April 10 meeting of U of L’s Board of Trustees. Hoffman said that he had not made his decision yet and that he would make it “when the time comes.”
“My ability to affect change is on the margins in this situation,” Hoffman said. “But I will act accordingly if I feel change is possible. I am here to represent the student body.”
Provost Shirley Willihnganz went on soon after Hoffman, providing information about the progress of the current budget situation. Willihnganz said that in order to provide a lower tuition number for next year, the university has cut from every area that it can, mentioning health care, athletics, new programs, and building maintenance as examples.
“We want you to know that we are going to try to do the best that we can for you,” Willihnganz told the crowd. “What I really want to come out of this rally is a way that we can sit and talk about this situation. I agree with a lot of what you guys are saying.”
As the event concluded, PAC member Jennifer Wallin said that it went far better than she could have hoped.
“What I think we got out of this was a sense of how students need a place to have their voices heard,” Wallin said. “We need to do things like this more often.”
