SLAP protests Bright Futures cuts

As part of the Fight Back Florida week of action, members of UCF's Student Labor Action Project bombarded Speaker of the House Dean Cannon's office on Wednesday.

Statewide this week students and workers are mobilizing in order to display their outrage at the Florida State Legislature's cutting of public university funding as well as the legislature's cuts to financial aid, specifically Bright Futures scholarships.

SLAP is in affiliation with Jobs with Justice and the United States Student Association. Jobs with Justice is a coalition of student and labor activists, according to Curtis Hierro, 24, a UCF SLAP member and history graduate student.

About 20 members of UCF SLAP traveled to visit Rep. Cannon in Winter Park to make their voices heard. Once inside Cannon's office, several students took turns speaking on their personal struggles in relation to the recent legislature.

UCF SLAP member Jazmine Salas, a junior majoring in social work, displayed her worries and frustrations about the threats to non-STEM programs. Many are outraged by the possibility of Bright Futures funding students more or less money depending on what they're studying.

"Everybody should be able to major in something they're passionate about," Salas said. "Education is a right listed in the state constitution."

Another member of UCF SLAP, Shannon McEnteer, a senior majoring in psychology, explained how students are being affected by the cuts to Bright Futures scholarships.

McEnteer entered college with 100 percent funding from her Bright Futures scholarship. Now that scholarship only covers about half of her tuition due to the tuition hikes and Bright Futures cuts by the state legislature.

"I didn't take the SAT three times in high school to only end up with half of my tuition covered," McEnteer said in reference to the high standards students must meet to even obtain the scholarship to begin with.

A pledge was written up on a large piece of poster paper, which the group presented to Cannon's legislative assistant for the district, Kathy Gilland. The pledge asks Cannon to sign and agree "to stand behind students, teachers, and working families of the state."

Cannon was in Tallahassee at the time, but Gilland assured that he would receive the pledge upon his return.

"We knew he would be in Tallahassee, but as part of the Fight Back Florida week, we just wanted to be heard," said UCF SLAP president, Jonathan Alingu, a senior studying economics. He said they will probably go back to check up on the pledge when Cannon returns to town.

An activist organization, Fight Back Florida, consists of students and young workers, as well as union members. This week was chosen to be Fight Back Florida's "week of action," according to Alingu. By mobilizing different sects across the state, they hope their voices will be heard by politicians, asking for lower tuition and more investment in K-12 education.

The protest concluded with a march from Cannon's office down Lakemont Avenue to the corner of Lakemont and Aloma avenues. There the students held signs and utilized their First Amendment right to free speech as passersby honked and yelled in response.

In a call-and-response manner, Hierro led the others in a chant that summarized the main point of the protest, "Education is a right! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"