SSCC Student Advisor Monica Lundberg gave the 26 students from the college a quick briefing on what they would do once they got to Olympia. The students rallied with others at the state capitol in support of continued education funding.
South Seattle Community College students joined hundreds of other students from around the state at the 2012 Community College Student Legislative Rally in Olympia.
Organized this year by Student Body President Dante Obcena, the effort focuses on urging legislators to continue funding higher education. Obcena, a sophomore at the college said, "The legislature needs to prioritize where they allocate their funding. Education is the future and right now they are about to cut about $250 million in higher education and that will affect a lot of students. This is the session where they are funding education."
The purpose was to share their opinions with local legislators and the governor on topics including tuition, textbooks, and cuts to higher education funding.
"We are meeting with Eileen Cody, Sharon Nelson and Joe Fitzgibbon from our area," Obcena said. The students also met with Leslie Goldstein, the Executive Policy Advisor for Governor Christine Gregoire.
The program from 12 – 1 pm in the Rotunda featured guest speakers including Seattle Community Colleges Board of Trustees member Tom Malone.
Last year, 18 community colleges were represented, and 27 South students were among the nearly 500 who attended.
South’s participation was coordinated by the United Student Association For more information, contact Dante Obcena, USA president, at dobcena260@southseattle.edu or Monica Lundberg, Office of Student Life program manager, (206) 934- 6750, monica.lundberg@seattlecolleges.edu
Christina Hammami shared her story with the West Seattle Herald: "I go to South Seattle CC. I am majoring in sociology minoring in african american studies. From there I will go on to become a Dental Hygenist. I went to this rally to stop the raise in tuition. My mother is a disabled worker and cannot work more then 2 days a week so my brother and I need to chip in to pay rent. If they raise tuition that means less money to buy books and pay bills and rent with. I know it will raise a bit but don't hike it up to where I will need to find a second job."
