| Lobby Day brings MAP grant issues to head |
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| Written by Josh Beneventi & Sakura Robles, Daily Vidette Staff Writers |
| Friday, 16 October 2009 03:18 |
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Yesterday morning, legislators met in Springfield, Ill. at the State Capitol to vote on reinstating the MAP grant, which affects students and supporters all over Illinois. The House and Senate both unanimously passed MAP grant funding for the spring semester, and delegated Gov. Patrick Quinn to decide where the money will come from. Before the decision was made, students from all over Illinois gathered in Springfield for Lobby Day to fight for the reinstatement of the MAP grant, which affects 155,000 students across the state who depend on financial assistance to pay for school. Lewis University student Michael Parat carried signs in protest along side fellow Lewis students Michael Friar and J.P. Keating. “We [Lewis University students] are here supporting the map grant or we can’t go to school,” Parat said. “We would like to have our voice heard and we figured this [Lobby Day] is the place to do it.” “We thought we’d drive down here and fight for a good cause,” Friar said. “Everyone says we have to go to school these days, so if they are taking our money away, how are we supposed to [go to school]?” Students from many universities rallied in the parking lot of the Illinois Education Assocation, including Roosevelt University, DePaul, Eastern Illinois University, Loyola University, University of Chicago, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and Carbondale and many more.  Cheick Nombre, student ambassador from Black Hawk College, explained how the MAP grant affected the monetary situation at his school. “We are a pretty small college; we have about 4,000 full time students, “ Nombre said. “Nine hundred of them will be affected and 600 may not be able to attend in the spring without the MAP grant. We would be losing $400,000 without it.” During the rally and the march to the Capitol Building, the crowd chanted and carried signs saying “We need the MAP grant” and “MAP = Education.” After the rally, SGA President Matt Spialek, SGA Secretary of Governmental Relations Scott Preston and students representing other universities conferred with Tim Schmitz, the deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives. Schmitz and the students discussed the legislators’ decision to fund the grant, how the funding toward the grant may be scarce, and students’ continuous involvement with the issue. “I thought that the meeting was positive in the sense that we were all thanking the House for doing what they were doing,” Spialek said. “At the same time though, we still know there are challenges ahead for years to come with just funding for higher education in general.” “…When we look back at it, what we have done today is just a band-aid and it’s going to be an issue next year that every agency and department is going to have to continue to try to get the funds for [students],” Spialek added. “Students are going to have to make their voices heard yet again like they did this year…so in February and March when that starts to come up again in conversation, we can start right there in making our voices heard…I think we’re just happy with the passage of it.” Preston also felt the outcome was an overall success. “Today’s been such a collaboration of a wide-ranging extensive effort across the state,” Preston said. “…It has been excellent working with student leaders across Illinois and folks here at ISU, fighting for the 138,000 families who are affected by this.” Preston added, “We will certainly continue our efforts on this front and channel our enthusiasm…whatever it is and whatever circumstances that come up with the state.” Although the MAP grant funding bill is only in effect for the Spring 2010 semester, students and legislators across the state will inevitably meet again to discuss future funding for the grant. |
