February 11, 2009
St. John’s University participated along with more than 1,000
students from 80 colleges and universities across the State of New
York for Student Lobby Day in Albany yesterday to support student
and institutional aid programs in higher education. The event held
at the State Capital was sponsored by the Commission on Independent
Colleges and Universities (CICU) in partnership with the
Association Program Administrators of C-STEP and STEP, and the
Higher Education Opportunity Program Professional
Organization.
A
group of 20 St. John’s students from Queens and Staten Island had
the unique opportunity to meet with lawmakers and staff to express
concern for proposed budget cuts by New York Governor David
Paterson that would directly effect the Tuition Assistance Program
(TAP), Graduate TAP, Direct Institutional “Bundy” Aid, the
Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP/STEP) and
the Liberty Partnership Program.
“This is our fifth year taking a St. John’s group to Albany and
this trip took on added significance due to the current
economic crisis because any cut to student aid, be it big or small,
has a ripple effect to our students and their families,” said Brian
Browne, Assistant Vice President of Government Relations. “It’s a
great opportunity for our students to personally advocate to our
elected officials, some of whom are St. John’s alumni, and allows a
small group of students to represent the rest of the student body
with these important concerns. Plus, the elected officials
appreciate and are most impressed by the students making the effort
to come to Albany and the personal stories of these students is
what they will often remember when it comes time to deliberate and
vote on these bills.”
The proposed budget cuts to New York State Aid Programs projects to
$268,399 of estimated total losses to St. John’s broken down by
Graduate TAP ($71,807), “Bundy” Aid ($170,482), C-STEP ($17,481)
and Liberty Partnership ($8,630) student and institutional aid
programs.
Those daunting numbers made the six-hour, round trip bus ride from
Queens to Albany and back for Student Lobby Day all the more
important – and well worth it for most of the St. John’s students.
They viewed the trek as an opportunity for a chance to tell their
personal stories of financial hardship and dependence on student
aid to those legislators who can make a difference in their
collegiate lives.
“It was an amazing experience. It made me feel like we made a
direct impact and our voices were definitely heard by the
legislators who were really receptive of what we had to say,” said
Christine Degregorio, a junior majoring in Education and History at
St. John’s Staten Island campus.
That sentiment was also cited by the elected officials who
understand the importance of education not only at the state levels
but all the way to the White House on the federal agenda.
“We need to reinvest in the country’s education. It is one of our
core values of our government and President (Barack) Obama has sent
the right message by emphasizing education in America during his
first month in office,” said freshman Assemblyman Michael G.
DenDekker to St. John’s students gathered in his office
yesterday.
Along with DenDekker, other legislators that welcomed St. John’s
students for group conferences included: State Senator Diane
Savino, Assemblyman Rory Lancman, State Senator Brian Foley, State
Senator Andrew Lanza, Assemblyman Matthew Titone, State Senator
Toby Stavisky, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, State Senator Martin
Golden and Assemblyman Michael Cusick.
Savino, Lanza, Titone and Golden are all St. John’s alumni and
remember their time at the University fondly and with high
regard.
“It (St. John’s) is still a wonderful school and the highlight of
my educational career,” said Savino. “St. John’s has great
representation and they get it,” added Lanza in referring to
institutions of higher education needing strong leadership and
understanding in order to continue to be successful in today’s
competitive marketplace.
As the students reflected on a long day of activities and civic
engagement, optimism still rang true in the face of a declining
economy from those who continue their education with no guarantees
for the future.
“It was beautiful to see democracy in action,” said Nick Roloson,
sophomore Government and Politics major at St. John’s Queens
campus. “A lot of the Assembly members and State Senators made me
feel like I really mattered and I really appreciated that. Anything
is possible and if one person that we spoke to today starts
speaking out on the senate floor it could really change a couple
people’s minds. I would like to think that we had something to do
with that and helped to make a difference.”