By Jonathan Laurence '98
In a display of solidarity with other members of the State University of New York system, Cornell students and administrators traveled to Albany on March 5 to let lawmakers know about the effects of cutting the SUNY budget.
The five students from Cornell who participated in the "SUNY Day" effort came from both statutory and endowed colleges at the university and were joined by Cornell President Hunter Rawlings, Vice President for University Relations Henrik Dullea and staff members from the Office of Government Affairs.
Hundreds of SUNY administrators, deans and presidents and approximately 200 students from 64 campuses across the state participated in the mass lobbying effort, aimed at persuading legislators to restore the projected higher education cuts outlined in Governor George Pataki's executive bud get.
In addition to spending nearly five hours voicing their concerns to legislators, students attended a midday luncheon that included addresses by Joseph Bruno, the Senate majority leader, and Sheldon Silver, speaker of the Assembly.
"We must not allow 'Rethinking SUNY' to become a slash-and-burn exercise," Silver told the crowd, referring to a report on the future of the SUNY system prepared for the governor by the SUNY board of trustees.
Pataki has proposed reevaluating the methods by which New York residents receive aid from the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). His proposed changes could reduce aid to Cornell students by $1 million, further driving up tuition costs for students in the statutory and endowed schools.
"There is a significant amount of upward pressure on tuition because of federal and state cuts," said Joel Seligman, Cornell's assistant director of government affairs.
For most of the students, it was their first interaction with state government on a personal level.
"I hadn't experienced lobbying until now, but it was helpful to find out more of what was going on [in Albany]," said Virginia Tagiacchi, a freshman majoring in animal sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "I hope I helped persuade some of the assemblymen today."
Over the course of seven meetings with members of the Assembly and Senate staffers, the Cornell contingent emphasized the importance of state funding to Cornell and to students. Several offered personal testimony about their dependence on TAP and the Educational Oppor tunity Program (EOP), another financial aid program funded by the state.
"Without EOP and TAP, I could never have afforded to come to Cornell," Tagiacchi said, adding that TAP has helped ensure student diversity at Cornell.
Most legislators were friendly to the student visitors from Cornell and said they were impressed that they would give up a day of classes to come lobby on behalf of their peers.
"The impact of student lobbying in Albany is real," said Stephen Philip Johnson, Cornell's executive director of government affairs. "Students are effective in strengthening legislators' resolve, particularly on the issue of student financial aid."
Legislators emphasized, however, that a key factor affecting any changes in the state budget is the completion of the long-delayed federal budget.
"We're waiting for signals from Washington -- the $2 billion shoe that hasn't dropped yet," pointed out Marty Luster (D-125th), assemblyman for the Ithaca area.
The final version of the state budget must pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed by the governor before it becomes law, and most observers believe passage will be late again this year.
"Without knowing the results of the budget negotiations soon, it is going to be very difficult for us to plan for next year's requirements for our students," Seligman said.