Editorial: Students’ lobbying efforts commendable

Students’ recent efforts to protect one of the sources of Trinity’s financial aid funding (see “TU students lobby for grant in Austin,� page 3) are commendable both in their intent (preserving funding for current and future students) and as an exercise in civic engagement. Being an active member of our society requires advocating for your interests on occasion, whether that entails throwing down the gauntlet at a homeowners’ association meeting or lobbying your state representatives in the state capitol building. By accommodating students’ efforts to persuade legislators in Austin, the university helped prepare them for their future interactions with government.

Unfortunately, Trinity’s delegation to the capitol was a rather small one. Four hundred and five Trinity students receive Texas Equalization Grant funding at Trinity, but only 15 students attended the lobbying session — a 3.7 percent attendance rate. Given that Trinity receives $1.8 million from TEG, accounting for 6 percent of the financial aid budget, such an attendance rate is a bit disconcerting. The trip was held on a Tuesday, which likely caused conflicts for some of the invited grant recipients (all 405 received e-mails), but the university supplied attendees’ professors with letters explaining their absences. All attendees received free transportation, breakfast and lunch; indeed, the university made civic participation a much easier feat than it often is outside the bubble.

The proposed changes to TEG will likely not even be decided upon until this summer or potentially later, shifting the burden of a potential cut to underclassmen and entering first years. Funding cuts in TEG to Trinity would deprive future students of the benefits that current students enjoy. That only 3.7 percent of the recipients would take it upon themselves to fight for $1.8 million in funding strikes a note of discord with the current attitude Trinity students seem to possess toward their younger peers. As Bid Day and Greek events stress community that transcends age and class year, and the Common Curriculum often creates great mixtures of age and class in course rosters, it would seem as though our students are genuinely compassionate and caring toward younger students.

Participating in the lobbying efforts for TEG are not simply in current students’ own best interests; they are efforts in preserving existing opportunities for our classmates that haven’t arrived yet. Those who have the opportunity to protect this funding, whether out of self-interest or care for future Tigers, should become involved. The members of the Trinity administration who are organizing and participating in the lobbying for funding also deserve recognition—president Ahlburg in particular, who will be traveling to Austin to lobby with other college presidents this Monday—Valentine’s Day.