As students trickled down the escalators in Baker University Center on Thursday, many were greeted by a large banner, which hung on the fourth floor.
The banner decried student debt and increasing tuition hikes to advertise for “The Breaking Point,” an event hosted by the Ohio University Student Union.
The teach-in event was held from noon until 6 p.m. and some OU professors gave lectures about the Dream Act, immigration and various topics that pertain to the OU budget, all while coinciding with the theme of education.
Steve Hays, associate professor in classics and world religions, held one of the lectures in The Front Room.
Hays engaged his audience by discussing OU’s budget and the hidden cost of what students are paying with their tuition, a topic that Hays said was crucial in discussions about tuition and debt.
“A lot of students don’t know about what they’re paying and it’s unjust … If it’s wrong, then you try to fix it,” he added.
Megan Marzec, a member of the OU Student Union and a sophomore studying studio art, said the event was well attended.
“We’re hoping to raise awareness and help educate people in the topic of higher education,” she said.
Like Marzec, Eden Almasude, a second-year graduate student in African-American studies who is also a member of the student union, said she hoped the event brought more attention to the topics that the lectures focused on.
“I enjoyed the event due to the active participation with attendees as well as the professors who gave the lectures. I think a lot of important discussions are taking place,” Almasude said. “I hope ... it’ll give a message about the things that are going on campus involving higher education and tuition.”
One of the organizers for the event, Jacob Chaffin, a senior studying education, said that he felt the teach-in was successful and that the discussion of higher education was projected positively.
“We managed to present (the topics of higher education) to a larger audience,” Chaffin said. “By doing a variety of topics in higher education, we can build from the gaps and connect them altogether. These issues don’t have to stand alone and we can build a student movement from that.”
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