SUNY Purchase Students Mourn "Death of Higher Education"

SUNY Purchase students sang a revised version of the hymn I’ll Fly Home to memorialize what they call the impending death of higher education on Thursday afternoon — protesting increases in tuition due to the NYSUNY 2020 Act. 

 “They’re asking us for more money and our programs are being cut,” said student Tatianna Gonzalez.

Many departments and organizations have already been eradicated including the alternative clinic, dramatic writing and Black History.

“It is very important to me that I get educated because I am the first person in my family to go to college…education is power and I want to keep going to college as long as I can,” said Brittany Bollenbach.

Members of New York Public Interest Research Group and New York Students Rising were present at the rally, designed to educate the school community about the issues.

Notes Sociology senior, Emily Bishop, “It’s been this continuing activism at Purchase. We’re trying to keep it going by establishing NYSR here.”

New York Students Rising says it is committed to preserving higher education and building confidence in students.  Eirik Bjorkman, New York Students Rising SUNY regional organizer, manages all SUNY schools where NYSR is present.

“We have a voice here so we need to make that heard while we’re still around,” said Bjorkman.

The New York Public Interest Research Group is the largest student advocacy organization in New York.  Project Coordinator for the Purchase College Chapter of NYPIRG, Alex Wojcik, has been involved by spreading awareness.

The NYSUNY 2020 Act will result in a 5 percent increase in tuition annually for the next five years for all SUNY schools.

“It’s making college more expensive and making it more expensive is making it more inaccessible,” said senior history major Bonnie Gordon. 

“I think education should be accessible to everyone,” said Gordon.

This is not the first rally for Gordon — she was inspired by Occupy Wall Street.

“After going down there, that was a personal confidence boost, like I can be an activist too,” Gordon said.