The Rally for Higher Education in Harrisburg was phenomenal. The rally itself went above and beyond my expectations. All of the schools in attendance were equally enthusiastic about strengthening the voices of students in this state. I believe that we really sent a message to our state legislatures that we are not invisible, we will not tolerate a major cut in appropriations, and we will make our voices heard “by any means necessary.”

As satisfied as I was with the rally, unfortunately I was extremely upset with Penn State. Out of 44,000 students that attend Penn State-University Park, only 13 showed up to make the trip. No words could explain my frustration. The other 3 schools brought over 100 students each. I really do not understand why there was a lack of participation. Many people were aware of the rally. Many people seemed excited to attend, but when it came to take action, there was nothing. I do understand that this was a busy week for exams. In addition, there was a career fair. But out of 44,000 students, only 13? Not everybody had an exam, and I know not everybody attended the career fair. I hope that we will see an increase in participation to support the tuition relief fight. This battle cannot be fought with a handful of people. Our representatives and administration must see that WE ARE all in agreement and will stand together.

I am extremely proud of those that did attend. There arrived on time, ready to go, and excited for the event. Throughout the rally, you could hear them chanting and being loud- exactly what we asked them to do. Whether we had 13, 100, 500, or 1000, we made history today! We will continue this fight because we believe the rise in tuition is a socio-economic injustice to all students.