When Utah Valley State College's transition to Utah Valley University began on March 17, it was an act of state law, to be sure, but it was also the result of an active student effort toward getting the bill signed.

Students spent time speaking with legislators, sponsored discussion forums for their peers and went to the Capitol the day of the legislative decision to show their support for the bill.

Andrew Stone was UVSC's student body president at the time the bill was passed and said he was invited to speak at committee meetings during the legislative process, but felt that his real contribution was being an active presence at the Capitol.

"I think that students have more influence than they think that they do," Stone said. "Just the simple fact of our being there was impressive. People commented on how impressive it was to have 40 students sitting in the gallery anticipating the vote."

The impact students can have on government is not, however, limited to the state and local level. On Sept. 7, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act was passed through Congress with a vote of 79-12 in the Senate and 292-97 in the House of Representatives. The act was the result of a united effort by student activism groups all over the country to make college more affordable.

The legislation increased need-based grant aid, lowered student loan interest rates, limited percentage of income students spend repaying loans, and expanded loan forgiveness programs for public service careers.

The passing of the act was largely due to a student-driven thrust carried out through countless appeals to individual state senators and representatives promoted through various media outlets, including school newspapers and Internet sites such as Facebook.

Paul Perry, currently an English teacher for Teach For America in Philadelphia, spoke at a national news conference for the campaign in Washington, D.C., representing the Campus Progress National Student Advisory Board. Perry told The Daily Universe he was impressed by the presence of various government officials at the event.

"It was good to see elected officials being responsive to their constituencies," he said.

Perry became active in the College Affordability Now campaign through Campus Progress and initially worked to get the word out about the campaign by writing various articles about what students could do to help. It was, however, also an issue Perry is passionate about.

"I feel the press conference was just for show," Perry said. "I think making the issue a topic on people's lips on my campus was my greatest contribution. I'm grateful for whatever small part I played in helping people see the problem we have in this country, that we make people hurt to get an education they have a right to."

The College Affordability Now campaign also utilized the Internet site Facebook as a way to inform and unite students.

The group currently has a membership of more than 32,000. Perry said a group of this size did hold some weight when it came to garnering legislative support.

"It was interesting to see how salient it was to get a lot of students interested and to see how Facebook could be a great organizing tool," Perry said.

Perry said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif.; Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., all came to the news conference they organized. He said this might have had something to do with the high interest on Facebook.

"I think they realized the weight or some young person realized the weight of Facebook and encouraged them to come out," Perry said. "I think it played a big part."

Utah State Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble said while the support of others can help in an appeal to government, he is mostly concerned with the issues of individuals.

"Absolutely when you come and tell me you are representing thousands of others, that's important," Bramble said. "But I'm far more concerned about what the issue is. If you come as a single student with an issue that is compelling and it resonates, that's enough to pull out the stops and start the crusade. We legislate to the exception, not the standard."

Bramble said when students approach government, they are given the same respect and attention as businesses or representatives of large constituencies. If anything, he said, they should become more involved with the government process.

"I would encourage college student early in their careers to get to know their elected officials and engage them," he said.

On the state level, students visiting the Capitol played an active role in the passage of Senate Bill 70, which allowed Utah Valley State College to transition to Utah Valley University.

Bramble said the impact of the students from UVSC and BYU was both positive and effective. He said the students worked endlessly, going up to the Capitol and working with legislators and sponsoring forums to get student input.

The real issue may not be access to the government, but the motivation to get involved.

Amanda Schieffer, a BYU freshman from Council Bluffs, Iowa, said while she knows how to get involved in government, she is uninterested in the political world.

"Politics are boring so I stay away from them," Schieffer said. "It's not that I'm not opinionated; I'm just not passionate to the point of putting myself out there. I'm more of a passive person."

State Sen. Margaret Dayton, who represents Utah County, said students should take advantage of political opportunities the college environment affords them.

"It's always nice that there are political parties represented in clubs on campus and that there are usually debates on campus that promote the involvement of students," Dayton said. "You have to decide how much time you want to give to issues you care about. Hopefully people always take time to pay attention to the issues, to the candidates and vote."



Copyright Brigham Young University 15 Oct 2007