By Shelby Slifer

Before the day had reached its peak, over 500 students and faculty from 14 different universities and college had gathered. All of us, myself were banded together for a singular purpose: budget.

With the funds drastically cut, something had to be done, and so we grouped with one another at the one place where our voices could be heard. Action like this has the potential to bring change.

Signs were held up, repeating slogans such as “Don’t be nuts, restore the cuts” and the popular “Fund or fail” which was a catchy phrase to say the least. It was a terrific force of energy, each body was there to show support for our schools. Although the sheer numbers and acoustics of the room made it difficult to hear some of the stories, the experience was once in a lifetime.

The trip hardly mattered. Being in a collective group, mingling with peers with a common goal, was a moment in life which could never be repeated. To attend was to have a moment of education outside of the classroom that books couldn’t teach.

Being in our state’s capitol was surreal, and it increased a desire to learn more politics, to get involved and help advocate for a desperately needed change. Not just for the aesthetics of the school, but also for the level of education and supplies needed to learn.

This trip was something I will never forget as a first-time activist and hopeful-future professor. Other rallies are inevitable and they are an exciting change of a pace. For my first time, it felt wildly successful.