Last week, Gov. Vilsack recommended an across-the-board 6 percent budget cut that would slice $18 million from Iowa State’s 2001-2002 budget.

Legislators recently decided against cutting money from this year’s budget, so this development comes as an unpleasant shock after the previous success.

Regent universities can breathe a little easier knowing that the state will not reclaim $3 million from this year’s budget, but they are left wondering where they can cut for next year.

Students will undoubtedly bear the brunt of these cuts.

Interim President Richard Seagrave has said that the university will probably have to fire some faculty or staff and raise tuition to cover the cost of the cut.

In 2000, students felt the impact of a 9.9 percent tuition increase after funding shortfalls in the 2000-2001 budget. However, that shortfall was only $11 million, $7 million less than next year’s cut.

Obviously, any tuition hike next year will have to be much larger to cover the proposed cuts.

Iowa State has a growing problem with large classes and a lack of faculty for the size of the student body. This cut will only exacerbate this problem, especially if faculty positions are cut to help cover the costs.

The state government has made an effort in recent years to keep young people in the state.

Hurting the regent universities will not help in this cause.

If students have higher debts when they graduate from college because of tuition increases, they will most likely leave the state for higher-paying jobs that will enable them to pay off those bills.

Now more than ever, students need to make their voices heard.

Let your legislators and the governor know that these cuts will hurt every student at Iowa State.

Call, write letters, get down to Des Moines and protest. Every Iowa student will be somehow hurt by this cut.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Jocelyn Marcus, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Tim Paluch