On Tuesday, Feb. 12, 35 NKU students rode a southbound bus to the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, to rally for higher education. The activity, which was organized by SGA, saw students publicly advocating fair funding for the state’s public universities in general and NKU specifically. The students met with 14 legislators as they lobbied on behalf of the university and its contribution to the state’s prosperity and well-being.
We talked with some students who attended the rally to get their thoughts on the day’s
events:
“Going into Frankfort, I was very excited and ready to express to legislators what exactly higher education means for the next generation of Kentuckians and how important NKU is for its students. Being a first-generation student leader on campus, I was honored to be one voice out of 35 students representing the entirety of NKU’s student body and addressing the issue of budget cuts and other issues surrounding higher education. It was a very rewarding experience, and it’s something I urge all students to attend at least once.”
“We went to Frankfort to tell our stories to share with lawmakers what NKU means to us. I met with Rep. Mark Hart and told him I knew he was an alumnus of NKU and I would be watching his voting records. After meetings, sitting in the rotunda, many of us got to shake hands and chat freely with former governor Paul E. Patton, a staunch advocate for higher education, and gubernatorial candidate Rocky Adkins. Many students were blown away with the beauty of the Commonwealth’s capital building and the friendliness of the politicians that represent us.”
“The Rally for Higher Education was one of the most memorable experiences I have had in college. Our SGA president, Hannah Edelen, spent countless hours working with Travis Roy to make this event successful. NKU students were the most represented out of numerous state colleges in attendance, and we also had the most meetings scheduled with legislators. I was able to speak to Sen. Damon Thayer, as well as Joe Fischer, who is my district's state representative. It was neat to connect with student leaders from across Kentucky and to run into some of my friends from high school who are a part of their universities’ SGAs. My hope is that the legislators we spoke to will keep our stories in mind when voting on higher education legislation in the future.”
“The Rally for Higher Education showed the power that we can tap into when we, as citizens, come together to lobby collectively. I was proud of the number of students from Northern Kentucky University that attended the rally and met with legislators. We may not see results immediately, but I am sure that we made an impact.”
“The theme for the Rally for Higher Education was ‘It Is Our Time to Tell Our Story.’ Our overall goal going into Frankfort was to use this time to tell how NKU has impacted our lives and what we want to see in the future for higher education. NKU was one of eight schools from across the state to be in attendance, and, with the hard work of our Chief Justice Travis Roy, we met with 14 elected officials. It is amazing to see our students come together and strive to light the flame of change in the Commonwealth.”
“I've been going to the Rally for Higher Education for the last three years. This one was by far my favorite experience, from the speeches in the rotunda to meeting with state legislators to going to Kentucky State University for lunch with the other SGAs. The experience was worthwhile.”
