Spring Break
Students, faculty to lobby in Springfield for higher education
Large focus on fund for Renewable Energy Center
Krystal Moya / Administration Editor
Issue date: 4/22/09 Section: News
The administration is taking nine students to Springfield today to lobby for state-allocated funds for the Renewable Energy Center and the overall affordability of higher education for Higher Education Rally Day.
Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, will accompany the students selected from the Student Action Team, as well as other faculty and staff to speak to legislators on the behalf of Eastern.
Students, faculty and staff from all universities and colleges in the state will fill the lawn at the capital for the rally, which begins at about 10 a.m.
From there, students will meet one-on-one with legislators to talk about the issues of their institution and gather support for campus causes.
Eastern has participated in Rally Day for about 10 years.
"Over the years, we have continued to build a more substantial presence at Rally Day, which has helped to make Eastern more visible to the state government," Nilsen said. "Tomorrow, the purpose is to advocate for higher education to show just how important it is to the state of Illinois."
The Rally Day becomes competitive since students, faculty and staff from all over the state attend, reaching a population of more than 500.
With only 177 general assembly members to address them, many attendees will not be able to see legislators.
Other schools also pre-schedule some of their interviews with legislators, which Eastern does not.
Eric Wilber, Student Action Team chair and student executive vice president, said that regardless, all schools "are pretty well represented."
Wilber is one of the students attending the rally and has for the past two years.
He said students would have the chance to lobby legislators for the Renewable Energy Center, something that the action team has a lot of experience with.
"Last year, Gov. Blagojevich proposed to not increase the higher education budget in state," Wilber said. "After the rally day, the general assembly approved a 2.5 percent increase. I'd like to think we influenced that."
However, since then, higher education institutions were asked to hold the increase on reserve to possibly be returned to the state government to address budget holes.
Nilsen said regardless of what can be achieved, it is important for students to talk to their state legislators.
"Our students are the future," Nilsen said. "They are the next generation of business professionals, politicians and other fields in this nation. Legislators need to hear the importance of a college education from the students' own words."
She explained this is why access and affordability is going to be a main staple in their lobbying strategy.
The group will leave at 7:45 a.m. today. In between sessions, Eastern's administration encourages students to sit in the galleries and watch the processes of the general assembly take place.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, will accompany the students selected from the Student Action Team, as well as other faculty and staff to speak to legislators on the behalf of Eastern.
Students, faculty and staff from all universities and colleges in the state will fill the lawn at the capital for the rally, which begins at about 10 a.m.
From there, students will meet one-on-one with legislators to talk about the issues of their institution and gather support for campus causes.
Eastern has participated in Rally Day for about 10 years.
"Over the years, we have continued to build a more substantial presence at Rally Day, which has helped to make Eastern more visible to the state government," Nilsen said. "Tomorrow, the purpose is to advocate for higher education to show just how important it is to the state of Illinois."
The Rally Day becomes competitive since students, faculty and staff from all over the state attend, reaching a population of more than 500.
With only 177 general assembly members to address them, many attendees will not be able to see legislators.
Other schools also pre-schedule some of their interviews with legislators, which Eastern does not.
Eric Wilber, Student Action Team chair and student executive vice president, said that regardless, all schools "are pretty well represented."
Wilber is one of the students attending the rally and has for the past two years.
He said students would have the chance to lobby legislators for the Renewable Energy Center, something that the action team has a lot of experience with.
"Last year, Gov. Blagojevich proposed to not increase the higher education budget in state," Wilber said. "After the rally day, the general assembly approved a 2.5 percent increase. I'd like to think we influenced that."
However, since then, higher education institutions were asked to hold the increase on reserve to possibly be returned to the state government to address budget holes.
Nilsen said regardless of what can be achieved, it is important for students to talk to their state legislators.
"Our students are the future," Nilsen said. "They are the next generation of business professionals, politicians and other fields in this nation. Legislators need to hear the importance of a college education from the students' own words."
She explained this is why access and affordability is going to be a main staple in their lobbying strategy.
The group will leave at 7:45 a.m. today. In between sessions, Eastern's administration encourages students to sit in the galleries and watch the processes of the general assembly take place.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
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