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Nov. 4 is Election Day across the United States, and this year in Illinois, the gubernatorial election holds great weight for college students. The Land of Lincoln is holding its gubernatorial election and the two front-runners are incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn and the Republican candidate Bruce Rauner.
Both candidates have a vision for the state of Illinois and both visions will have an impact on college students across the state. Education spending is now one of the most discussed topics of this gubernatorial election and both candidates have differing views on the matter.
Quinn, during his campaign has toted himself as the candidate for the students, often citing his work in preserving the Monetary Assistance Program(MAP) for students in higher education. MAP grants are used by thousands of students across the state and by many at Saint Xavier University.
One of the students utilizing the MAP grant at Saint Xavier University is Education Major Marissa Melvan, who cites the financial aid as a large reason why she can attend college.
“The MAP grant allows me to afford getting an education, and it at the very least has kept the amount of money I need to borrow in loans down. A candidate offering to keep or maintain those grants would get my vote every time.” As said by Melvan
Melvan strongly believes the importance of the grant, but education funding is an important part of Rauner’s campaign as well. Rauner has stated in various public forums and on his official campaign website that spending needs to focus on the “front lines of the education battlefield, and that’s the classroom.”
Rauner, during a debate on Oct. 20, 2014, never made mention of his intent on MAP grants, or whether he would support the scaling back or upscaling of the program in Illinois. Rauner does however support charter schools in the state and believes more autonomy needs to be allowed in letting educators run their schools. Rauner himself declared the Illinois public education system to be outdated on his official campaign website.
Quinn has also made his views on charter and public schools widely known, and has pushed for a moratorium on charter schools in Illinois in an effort to help promote the use of public schools in the state. Some critics of Quinn have also pointed out that this move is to support the state’s teachers union who mainly operate in public schools, while charter schools have a majority of non-union faculty employed.
“I find competition in the field of education to be important because it brings out the best in people, however I do not believe that many public schools are fairly funded to keep up with charter schools,” said Melvan.
As election day nears, so does the future of the state of Illinois’s education system. Both of the candidates have a vision for the future of the state and depending on the victor on Nov. 4, there may be some great ramifications that will affect students in higher learning and education majors at Saint Xavier University.
“This election to me signifies how the state feels its future should be run. For me I am using my vote to express what I believe the best course of action is for the students of Illinois, and I hope others like me do the same,” said Melvan.
Governor Quinn recently had visited Saint Xavier University to spread the word on his Illinois Jobs Now! program that helped fund the work done to Saint Xavier’s library renovations.
The grant will also fund the construction of a new science building on campus. The Illinois Jobs Now! program is one of the many programs Quinn is using as evidence of his dedication to improving schools in the state of Illinois.
The two candidates have also squared off on numerous social issues including gun control, the Illinois economy, and the raising of the minimum wage. Rauner has supported more relaxed gun legislation unlike his opponent Quinn. Quinn has supported tighter gun restrictions including an assault weapons ban in the state of Illinois.
Quinn has also made it clear that he supports the raising of the minimum wage in the state of Illinois. The minimum wage increase has not been supported by Rauner who has decided to not support a minimum wage increase in the state because of his belief that it will hurt business in the state.
The gubernatorial election is taking place this upcoming Tuesday, but early voting has also begun.
With an election deemed too close to call by many in state media every vote will matter in this election. Students and citizens of Illinois alike will have a moment to make their voices heard on the future of Illinois.
To find out more about the candidates running and early voting locations visit www.elections.il.gov for more information on polling places and candidates.
Jake Alleruzzo
Senior News Editor
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