Tuesday may have been Election Day in Ames, but it was also a day we received more news about university budget cuts in our morning papers.

Iowa State is going to cut $8.3 million from its budget, and the University of Iowa will be reducing its spending by $9.9 million, due to Governor Vilsack’s call for an immediate cut of 2.5 percent of all state spending.

As we all know, tuition has been rising steadily over the past few years. With this week’s news of budget cuts and the knowledge next year’s tuition increase is sure to be higher than originally projected, it is clear students (and their families) are paying more, only to get less in return.

I know many eligible students chose not to register to vote for Tuesday’s election, and I’m sure there were many registered students and longtime Ames residents who did not vote.

However, more news of budget cuts makes it imperative students and their families make their views clear by exercising their right to vote and complain to their representatives. Maybe you prefer not to vote in Ames, so write letters and make phone calls to your representatives from your hometown about your concerns. Let them know you are not in favor of more tuition hikes and budget cuts at the universities. Suggest more innovative ways of saving money. If you are not from Iowa but are a resident of another state, you can still do this. Call your representatives from your home state’s legislature or in Congress and tell them you are sick of the rising costs at public universities.

This is a major problem for students throughout the country. It is time for things to change, but it is up to us to make our voices heard about this issue.

Laura Messer

Sophomore

Spanish