Fellow members of the Ohio University community, hear me out. Our economy is in shambles, many of us are still jobless, and the situation isn't getting better. A war, which is in its ninth year, continues to drain our economy and put the lives of our loved ones at risk. Our university is facing budget cuts of phenomenal proportions, and more are on the way.
Governor Kasich has announced that even our education is expendable as he urges Ohioans not to be selfish. It is estimated that he may cut upwards of 20 percent or even more from education funding.
President Obama has even taken aim at education by cutting $100 billion from federal aid and other programs for higher education. Many other politicians think he should have cut more. Our education system is under attack from all sides, it seems.
I can imagine you are asking what that means for you. If you are a student, that means higher tuition and a lower quality of the material you learn. Tuition already went up 6 percent this past year. Can you imagine if it went up 5, 10 or even 20 percent? This is a very grim possibility, my friends.
If you are members of the faculty or staff, then it means you might have to take a pay cut. Some of you also might face early retirement. Imagine you have to drop out, retire early or take a huge pay cut because John Kasich wants to continue a failed policy, only this time it is at your expense.
On top of all this, there is talk of yet again increasing enrollment on an already overfilled campus. That means that classes will be even harder to get into. It can also mean even larger classes, thus leading to lower quality.
If you are employed by a public school or have a family member employed, you too are probably facing similar cuts.
This is truly one issue that affects us all. I hope this disturbs you as much as it does me.
Now, if I still have your attention, don't you wish to speak out against this grave crime? I urge you, fellow students, staff, faculty and members of the community, to join me and many others in a set of teach-ins and strikes at Baker University Center beginning March 2, followed by more strikes and walk-outs during the weeks afterward.
We will not be alone in this fight. Some faculty members have already begun discussing this and have decided enough is enough. They will be out. They need us to join them.
Many more college campuses statewide are planning their own movements. Students all throughout Europe have been holding massive protests against their tuition hikes.
I'm sure we all have classes to attend and homework. However, the urgency of this issue cannot be stressed. The state and federal governments along with OU administrators have decided that education is an unnecessary expense. Tell them that you think otherwise.
Join the movement. Don't sit still. Do not be quiet; be loud and speak out. One voice alone is merely a spark, but when the voices of an entire community unite, those voices can spark change.
Andrew Kirkland is a senior studying history.
