Students and faculty gathered in the Cave on Tuesday, after walking out of their classes in protest of budget cuts to higher education, where a swarm of local media was waiting to gauge student reaction to ETSU’s financial crisis.
And there was no shortage of people who wanted to weigh in.
About 250 people showed up. “We had more people turn out than we thought would,” said Nancy Padgett, a University Productions staff programmer.
In her speech at the rally, Padgett said that across the board all state schools would experience a 9 percent cut to higher education funds for the 2003-2004 school year. She also noted that of the $54,127,600 dollars ETSU was allocated this year, the state has asked for 5 percent or $4,872,300 of it back.
Students, staff and faculty are wondering how programs at ETSU will survive with such drastic reductions.
One of the proposals from the Tennessee Board of Regents suggests an increase in tuition by 14 percent.
“During my four years at ETSU, my tuition has nearly doubled while the number of classes as well as other student services have decreased,” Katie Craig, University Productions staff programmer said in her speech to the crowd.
“Each year the state legislature claims they have increased funding for higher education, instead, what they have taken credit for is the tuition checks that [we] write as their increase.”
During her speech Craig also took the opportunity to thank ETSU President Paul Stanton and other administrators, faculty and staff who supported the walkout.
“We need to stop the budget cuts,” freshman Amanda Zoodsma said. “I’m paying for school on my own and an increase in tuition is going to be hard for me.”
A voter registration booth was set up as a way of encouraging students make their voices heard in Nashville on Election Day. Emily Brewer, junior, who signed students up during the event, said a fair number of students were registering. “It makes it easier for students to register when we say we’ll mail [the form] in for them,” Brewer said.
There were also notebooks filled with addresses and phone numbers of Tennessee state legislators available, so students could write to their representatives in protest of the budget cuts.
The rally didn’t last long for most students after the speeches and free pizza were exhausted, but before the crowd thinned a flash of unexpected craziness ensued.
The craziness of a streaker; a man who came flying through the crowd with an American flag wrapped around his neck and a trash bag on his head, sporting his birthday suit.
However, the stunt was over before most people realized what had happened. “I saw the streak running with a world of confusion around me … that’s freedom at its best,” senior Devin Chidaster said.
After that the rally died down and students began heading for afternoon classes, but several dozen students hung around to hear ETSU’s student bluegrass ensemble The Choosy Beggars.
Banjo player Brandon Green joked with the crowd when he introduced one of the group’s instrumental numbers by confessing the song was originally titled “ETSU Blues” but that in light of the current financial crisis the group had chosen to rename it “ETSU Budget Cut Blues.”
Upright bass player Adam Sanders said he was worried about how his future could be affected by the budget cuts in the long run.
He worries that if ETSU offers fewer classes then the pace of education for all students will suffer.
However, some students didn’t think the walkout was an important symbolic statement.
Jamie Rightsell, senior, said she didn’t the think the rally would accomplish anything significant and didn’t feel the event was significant. “If your going to protest something, don’t make it an alternative to class,” she said. “That takes all the struggle out of it.”
“When the president says it’s OK to skip class it takes the voice out of it,” she said.

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