2ND ANNUAL RALLY IN THE ROTUNDA
CALLS FOR LOWER TUITION FOR PSU
On Monday, April 7, 12 Penn State University students gathered at the Capitol Building
in Harrisburg for the 2nd annual Rally in the Rotunda. Council of Commonwealth Student
Governments (CCSG) president Mike Cooper and Governmental Affairs Director Anthony
Bizzarro were there, along with other CCSG members from University Park. Also attending were
Penn State Harrisburg SGA President Parul Luthra and Capital Times Editor in Chief Stacy De
Angelo.
Rally in the Rotunda is an annual rally that began last year. The purpose is to petition for
lower tuition at state schools, particularly PSU, Temple, Pitt, and Lincoln. According to figures in
the Patriot News, these four Pennsylvania universities will lose more than $7OO million in state
funding if Governor Ed Rendell's new tax policy isn't enacted by July.
Mike Cooper addressed state lawmakers on behalf of the PSU Commonwealth
Campuses. In his speech he said, "Penn State University, Pennsylvania's only land grant institu
tion, provides education and services to thousands of Pennsylvanians every year. Alone, 82,000
undergrads from every single district within Pennsylvania attend Penn State, yet this past year, we
have been robbed of over 5% of our overall appropriation for the 2002 2003 fiscal year."
Among those scheduled to speak on behalf of PSU and in support of higher education
were Rep. Jeffrey Coy and Rep. H. William DeWeese. "Penn State will be funded in this year's
budget in one way or another," Coy said after speaking to Rendell. Coy added that there was no
need for any concern.
DeWeese regretted showing up late, and said he had no excuse besides getting caught up
in work. However, he met with students after the rally for a question and answer session.
DeWeese started of the meeting simply by saying, "if we don't have money... in your case,
tuition goes up."
He stressed that there are "no excuses" for what is going on with funding and the tuition
situation; and added that PSU needs more than the 12 students who attended rally to make a
major impact. "If you could get ten or 12 representatives from every campus... you would have a
force to be reckoned with," DeWeese said. "You need to chew with a
bulldog grip."
DeWeese ended the session with his favorite quote by St. Augustine, "We all live in a
fallen and imperfect world." He then added, "If it weren't for that, you wouldn't be here today."
Rep. H. William DeWeese spoke personally to the CCSG Pres. Mike Cooper addresses the audience in the Capitol's lobby April 7th
PSU representatives telling them they must "chew saying, "The blatant disrespect of higher education must stop here and now."
Photo by Paulßesch
with a bulldog grip." Photo by Stacy De Angelo
By Stacy De Angelo
Editor in Chief
Rep. Jeffrey Coy speaks at the Rally in the Rotunda
on behalf of PSU and in support of increased higher
education funding. "Penn State Will be funded in
this year's budget in one way or another," Coy said.
Photo by Paul Resch