SXNews
On Tuesday, February 16, a group of Saint Xavier University students and staff members attended a rally in support of MAP Grant funding. The rally was held in downtown at the Thompson Center and began at 11:30am. The demonstration was planned to coincide with a rally that was held in Springfield on the same day.
Both rallies were sponsored by the Federation of Illinois Independent Colleges and Universities. The Chicago rally was organized in large part by DePaul’s Student Government Association. Over 200 students from about 15 universities including Loyola, Dominican, and University of Illinois at Chicago participated in the demonstration.
Saint Xavier University was well represented at the rally, with about 35 students and staff members in attendance. The SXU group was one of the largest groups of rally participants. Even though the rally was held while classes were taking place, many professors encouraged students to attend anyway.
Students like, History major, Kathy Rodriguez said that they participated in the rally because they wanted to let their voices be heard. “I decided to attend the rally because the school seemed to really encourage us to raise our voice in this matter. They kept sending out emails regarding this issue, trying to make us aware of the importance of the MAP grant to, not only recipients, but also our university as a whole. I wanted to make sure I did something for the MAP grant instead of stood by as a bystander. Especially when I am a recipient of the MAP grant myself. Sometimes you have to do things yourself,” said Rodriguez.
For SXU senior Angélica Muñoz, attending the rally was about standing up for current and future students who may not be able to achieve their dreams without MAP funding. “I am a senior, so I did this for current students and future generations aspiring to obtain their degree from a university. Without the MAP grant, I know how difficult achieving that goal would be,” said Muñoz.
The goal of the rally was to urge Governor Bruce Rauner to sign Senate Bill (SB) 2043, which would have provided $397.1 million to MAP grants if approved. SB2043 was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives on January 28, and was sent to the governor for approval on the day of the rally.
On Friday, February 19, Rauner vetoed the bill. During the rally, participants shouted chants like “2, 4, 6, 8 we just want to graduate” and “Bruce Rauner, don’t be a downer, sign SB2043.” They also held signs with similar messages.
At the start of the rally, representatives from different universities had a chance to speak about what MAP grants mean to them. SXU was represented by Kathy Rodriguez who shared her experience as a MAP recipient with the crowd.
“What made me want to speak up at the rally was that I realized this wasn’t someone else’s problem, it was my problem. And we had to make it clear that we want Governor Rauner to sign SB 2043. If we don’t speak up for ourselves, then who will? ” said Rodriguez. Several SXU students were also interviewed by reporters and students from other universities. SXU’s participation in the rally received media attention from Univision, WGN news, and ABC news.
Former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn attended the rally and spoke about the importance of funding the MAP Grant program. He also personally spoke to, and took pictures with, many students. “What he said really resonated with me because I truly feel we, as students, are being robbed from an equal opportunity to receive a college education,” said Rodriguez.
Muñoz said that the she was glad that she attended the rally because she was able to hear the perspectives of other students. “One quote from a student at a different institution I liked was about Governor Rauner, also a businessman, should consider us, the students, to be a long-term investments.” said Muñoz.
“We cannot say we didn’t try and that’s what counts. I also think we were able to really raise awareness about this issue and the importance of it to us,” she said.
Yasmeen Abdellatif
Senior News Editor