The unfortunate reality here is that protests don’t solve financial problems.

The Hawkeye reports.

No more cuts: students rally at state capitol to prevent higher education cuts

Most students never saw it coming, but for Jeffery Williams time was all that stood in the way of our current higher education funding crisis.

“I remember the big cuts that we took last year, and I remember I expected it to be this bad if not worse,” said Williams, a junior kinesiology major.

Williams, a Louisiana state resident and TOPS recipient, chose to stay in state for school because it was what he could afford. Now, he said, budget cuts are a growing inhibitor to receiving his degree and he wants state legislators to know it.

Williams traveled to the Louisiana State Capitol building in Baton Rouge with a group of other ULM students to attend the BringH.E.A.T. higher education rally last Wednesday.

The BringH.E.A.T (bring higher education all together) rally was set up by the Louisiana Council of Student Body Presidents (COSBP) and the Louisiana Board of Regents in only about a week’s time.

ULM students travelled on a bus provided by SGA to the rally that was attended by over 2,000 higher education students from across the state. The rally began at noon. For roughly one hour students assembled to demonstrate to state leaders that higher education must be prioritized.

SGA presidents, some legislators and Gov. John Bel Edwards addressed the crowd of students to encourage their efforts and to promise to fight against further cuts.

“What you’re doing here today by standing up, by making sure that your voice is heard, it is critical during this period,” Edwards said.

Speakers were met with roars of both support and anger as they spoke of what further budget cuts may mean for state schools. Students chanted, “no more cuts!” whenever the chance arose.