How are students on our campus oblivious to the problems that could have a positive or negative effect on them?
When someone says the word college, the first thing people think about is partying.
College life is a whole new world, full of new experiences and opportunities, but most do not consider the political side of college life. Students generally tend to focus more on the social aspects of college life rather than issues around campus that could potentially affect them. With new policies implemented, many students will find themselves graduating late, sinking further into debt, or leaving school altogether.
New legislation has passed in Florida, most of which affect not only the students at Florida A&M, but also other colleges and universities in Florida.
On Wednesday, SGA President Gallop Franklin addressed the residents of Paddyfote about new legislation that will affect FAMU students next school year.
“Budget cuts of 10-15 percent resulted in the laying off of about 117 faculty members,” Franklin said. “This means that there could possibly be fewer classes offered, and it will be more difficult for students to graduate on time.
He also discussed the New Florida Initiative, a program designed to transform Florida into an academic powerhouse by providing $150 million for research and graduate offerings. The initiative could provide financial alternatives to declining industries, such as tourism and agriculture.
The initiative focuses mainly on the STEMM degrees because they tend to be the most lucrative, but that means the arts and humanities programs could be negatively impacted.
Tuition would go up to make up for losses, therefore making attendance at FAMU more expensive than it already is. Programs could be cut altogether, which means that students seeking degrees in those fields would have to go to another university that offers those programs.
While some policies would make it easier for students to obtain loans, not every policy will have a positive impact on Florida students.
A new mandatory health care policy was presented before the Florida legislature that will require all students to get a $1200 health insurance policy in order to be enrolled in a Florida university. While most people do not believe that the policy will get very far, just the thought of it is a bit frightening.
Some FAMU students are organizing a protest at Florida’s capitol next week on April 8.
The protest will take place from 11am-4pm and all students that participate will receive an excuse for any classes they miss.
It is sad that many students do not even know about these policies, and some that do know, really do not care.
It has been said that FAMU is the most influential HBCU in this nation, yet we are led passively “like sheep to the slaughter.”
Will we allow FAMU to be run into the ground before we decide to speak out? The time is now to have our voices heard.