By Akil Salim Roper '97
The Student Aid Coalition, a group formed to raise awareness about potential student loan cuts and other related state and federal education initiatives, held its first organizational meeting Jan. 25 in the Anabel Taylor Cafe.
More than 50 Cornell students, faculty and staff members gathered to discuss edu cation issues and possible plans for action.
Organizers said a rally is planned for Feb. 29 to protest state and federal educa tion cuts, and the group plans to send lobbying teams to Albany and Washington.
The idea for the coalition formed out of the Students Against the Contract With America rally last March 29, during which more than 400 people gathered at Day Hall to protest cuts proposed in Congress, said Phat Vu '97, a member of the local United Progressives and an organizer of the evening meeting.
"The energy from that (March) rally
has been flowing ever since, which eventually made this group's inception pos sible," Vu said.
Also involved with the United Progressives in the coalition are members of the Cornell Democrats, Cornell Greens, and the Latino Labor and Education Coalition, among other on-campus groups, Vu said.
"At this point," said Soncera Sims '96, who attended the meeting, "it is obvious the American people are fed up. . . . Now is the best time for us to voice our concerns."
"The question is, do we want federal funds for schools and education, or to fund wars and build prisons and weapon systems?" said Tom Hirschl, professor of rural sociology and faculty adviser for United Progressives.
Hirschl decried proposed federal cuts of up to 10 billion dollars from student loan programs, in the face of proposed increases in defense spending. In New York, Gov. George Pataki has proposed $100 million
in cuts to the SUNY budget and formulas that would reduce TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) funding, meeting participants argued.
"Even without these educational cutbacks, the cost (of education) is rising," said Andrew Warner '96. "Higher education is becoming more and more expensive, and I wonder what the future holds for young people like my (younger) brother," he said.
Coalition members also discussed other, general education issues, such as tracking -- the grouping of students into ability levels -- which some say maintains a discriminatory status quo in grammar and secondary schools.
Vu said the coalition will address the implications of all such proposals.
"These changes are affecting people in many ways," Vu said. "Not only is the gap between rich and poor widening, but the force used to wedge this gap is becoming more powerful."