Our View

F or the past 12 Marches, university students from around Alabama have gathered at the state capital to demand more funding for higher education, but how much good does it really do?

It’s more than likely not very much. To effectively lobby a legislature, one must be persistent, passionate, and, honestly, obnoxious. That’s the only way to truly convince politicians that they should support your cause, if they don’t already.

Thousands of students are bussed to Montgomery from 13 Alabama colleges and universities every year, but what happens once they leave?

Most of those students likely quickly forget about the reason for the day and go back to their lives. Most probably will not even vote, much less remember their state legislator’s name or whether they support higher education.

In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 51.5 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds didn’t bother to vote at all in the November 2008 election. More than that didn’t vote in the state and local elections.

Students wave signs with threats like “Fund higher education or you’ll regret it!” and over-simplifications like “Your money = my vote.” They scream at, yell at, and clap for the different speakers for that one day, but those legislators who so desperately want re-election know that, after Higher Education Day, those students will leave and forget about it.

They have their excused absence and free trip to Montgomery, and gone from their minds are thoughts of what next year’s budget holds for the state’s colleges and universities.

In fact, even the active students forget. When asked how he’ll carry on the fight for USA’s “fair share” in education funding, SGA Attorney General Gregory Bettis was dumbfounded.

It’s time for us, as students, to recognize that if we want to make a difference in the way universities are funded, we need to keep the fight going year-round. Being shepherded around the capital for one day doesn’t make much of a difference, but they can’t ignore us if we show them we truly care.

Hand-write letters to your legislator, give them a call, write letters to the editor, stop by their local office – these are the ways to really make a difference in higher education funding.

Convince them that you’re paying attention and you’ll vote based on how they do. Show them this is more than just a one-day commitment – it’s a continuous one.

Though the University, through its Office of Governmental Relations, and other various state organizations work around the clock to ensure our “fair share,” it’s a voting student body that will convince legislators that they must take our needs into consideration.