A TSG rally and march to City Hall protesting budget cuts brought a large crowd to Main Campus.
On March 30, Temple Student Government organized a rally, followed by a march to City Hall, in response to Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget cuts to education.
Joined by students from Penn State Abington, representatives from Jobs with Justice, the Every Mother is a Working Mother Network and Philadelphia area high school students rallied at the Bell Tower before the march.
Arlene C. Ackerman, the superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, addressed demonstrators about Corbett’s budget cuts and urged citizens to take immediate action.
Additional speakers from the various groups encouraged student action.
“[I’m a] single mom, and I don’t know what we’re going to do if the tuition goes up,” said Pat Albright, a mother of a Temple student. [I’m] stressed to the limit as it is.”
Albright and other parents rallied in support of Temple.
“[The proposed budget] is a disgrace. They are just one more way to break the back of the working class in this country in order to make the rich more rich,” said Warren Davis, a volunteer for Jobs for Justice. “That’s all it is. It’s just a redistribution of money to the wealthy.”
One speaker urged students to sign a petition that would send an email to Pennsylvania representatives using the student’s name, home address and email address. Other speakers discussed how the issue is time sensitive, and therefore, students must take immediate action.
Colin Saltry, the TSG senate president, said he was surprised at the attendance and the support from the student body. Five hundred people signed up to participate in the event and more than 1,000 showed up, Saltry said.
“We need all the funds we can get in order to keep our education going,” said Morgan Pettus, a student from Parkway Northwest,.
“[The budget cut] makes me want to cry, to be honest, because without it, we’re lost,” said Chelena Jones, a freshman studying to be a youth development worker at the Community College of Philadelphia.
“The turnout shows the true Cherry and White spirit we all have,” said TSG Vice President of External Affairs and Communication Damon Williams. “I’m real proud of Temple for [everyone] coming out here and showing support for their own education.”
Ashley Pawlowski can be reached at ashley.pawlowski@temple.edu.
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