DES MOINES — Imagine walking onto the first floor of the state Capitol and seeing Cy bouncing up and down with state officials and legislators nearby.

This is Regents Day in Des Moines.

Nearly 200 students gathered in the Capitol rotunda Tuesday to express their views on higher education issues that the Legislature plans on examining during the 2005 session.

Students from the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa and Iowa State all traveled to the Statehouse for the second-annual Regents Day.

The event was organized by Angela Groh, Government of the Student Body director of government relations, who also organized the first Regents Day at the Capitol. Groh received help from ISU Ambassadors and the other two regent universities. The event was organized to create student awareness and showcase the respective universities.

“Just looking out across the rotunda, I can see three or four students speaking with legislators,” Groh said.

The building was filled with students talking to legislators about issues involving higher education.

The regents’ Proposal for Transformation and Excellence was a hot topic throughout the day, Groh said.

The proposal is intended to slow the increase of tuition to the inflation rate each of the next four years. If passed, the proposal would allocate $40 million per year to the three regent universities.

To receive that money, $20 million would have to be internally reallocated by all three of the regent universities. Iowa State would have to reallocate $8 million to receive a $16 million share of the funds.

Ashley Glade, senior in biology, spoke at a press conference in the rotunda of the Capitol building.

Glade said she has been financially responsible for her education most of her collegiate career.

“During my four years at Iowa State I have seen a 62 percent increase in my tuition,” she said. “As a state, perhaps we haven’t acted wisely for education.”

Education is the future and the proposal is something which should be pursued, she said.

Lindsay Schutte, U of I Student Government president, said she encourages everyone to talk with whomever they can and write legislators.

“We need to encourage our legislators to vote in favor of Iowa’s future,” Schutte said.

Mike Vogt, senior in microbiology, was at the event representing one of 17 ISU clubs that participated. He is a member of the ISU Agriculture Council.

He said he went to the Capitol to help show the students level of commitment for a better education.

“This way I can say I didn’t sit around while someone increased my tuition by 20 percent,” Vogt said.