Students lobby Statehouse for funds

INDIANAPOLIS -- A crowd of students from across Indiana took their concerns directly to state legislators Tuesday in an event that brought together hundreds of delegates to the Statehouse.\n"One of the biggest things I want to bring up is state funding for IU," said IUSA President Tyson Chastain before the meet-and-greet.\nChastain joined the crowd in Indianapolis that included IU students, faculty and alumni in an event sponsored by Hoosiers for Higher Education.\n"We also want to thank the legislature for all their hard work and just tell them how much we love IU, that we need to keep up the funding for students of the future," he said.\nThe delegates had one main goal: to inform state legislators about the importance of funding for higher education. The delegation was also at the Statehouse to thank their representatives for their hard and sometimes thankless work they do and to meet the representatives who make decisions that affect their lives as both students and citizens. \n"This is really a case of students showing up and getting heard," said IU junior Jason Growe. "There is no better way to get involved in your education than talking to the people who fund it."\nOne student, senior Daniel Cappy, said he was disappointed with the event, as he wanted less lobbying and more inquisitive questioning of the legislators.\n"I was disappointed with the IUSA leadership," Cappy said. "When (Tyson Chastain) met (Sen. Vi Simpson D-Bloomington), he had the chance to ask legitimate questions about funding for higher education. Instead he just chose to pal up."\nIU faculty and staff also arrived en masse to let their voices be heard by a sympathetic legislative ear. \n"Lots of employees showed up to this as well," said Jeff Wuslich, an aide for IUB Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis. "One big issue is whether or not IU employees become part of the state benefits package."\nJ. Thomas Forbes, executive director at the office of state relations, said he deals with legislators at the Statehouse on a daily basis, and the event put a human touch on the bills and funding decisions senators and representatives make.\n"We really want to make sure legislatures learn first-hand the impact their decisions make," Forbes said. "To tell the story of how IU touches peoples' lives is vital."\nSimpson said the event gave her the opportunity to meet the people with whom she has talked on the phone and via e-mail. It also gave students and faculty lessons in how both lobbying and budgets work, Simpson said. \nThe "meet-and-greet" event also brought several issues into discussion such as new tuition control legislation currently on the Senate floor. The bill would place a cap on the percentage of tuition that can be raised from year to year.\n"It is a bill we fought back last year," Simpson said, referring to a tuition cap bill soon to be heard by the Indiana State Senate. "I don't believe in high tuition; students should have more money in financial aid available. ... I am opposed to the bill because I don't want to micromanage the University and how it's funded." \n-- Contact City & State Editor Mike Wilson at mhwilson@indiana.edu.