As many of you know from last week’s issue of this paper, we are facing a $93 million cut to higher education in the state of Connecticut. This is a frightening cut to be sure, monstrous even; but I am writing to help offer solutions and cut through any sense of helplessness that any of you might be feeling.

It is important to remember that as college students, we have power, and that power manifests as our voices. Our voices can be as soft or loud as we want them to be, but those in the state capital have no choice but to hear our voices then, and the louder we are, the less of a choice they have.

There are many groups which can help you get your voice out there. These include political and activists organizations which are working to combat the problem, and which can help you engage in the civic process.

The first is my club, the CCSU Democrats. We meet on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Camp Room and will be working on voter registration drives, along with the College Republicans, who meet on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Blue & White Room. Both of these clubs are great entranceways into the political sphere.

For groups that support social justice causes, two options are the Youth for Socialist Action who meet on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Clock Tower Room in the Student Center (they are a great group to join if you are interested in activism!) and CHANGE who meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Philbrick Room and are a great group, as well, for those interested in social justice causes.

Lastly, is the Student Government Association External Affairs Committee, which meets on Mondays at 4 p.m. They are also really involved in lobbying at the state capital which is a plus.

It is important to look into either one or more of these organizations, because if we don’t actively engage in the civic process, we would be letting our voices go to waste. We have the resources here to really excel our campus, and what I desperately want is to see us rise to our full potential. Thank you, and I hope this helps some of you who might feel helpless, find their way.

Sincerely,

Akai Long