by David Corgan, MSCSA Public Relations Coordinator, student at Anoka Ramsey Community College-Coon Rapids

Student tuition is overpriced. For Minnesota to be competitive nationally (and America globally), higher education must be affordable and accessible. Too much financial burden on students reduces success rates and excludes many altogether. Crucial state grants and funding levels must be protected if we are to hope to emerge from this economic crisis at all, let alone with a well-trained workforce.

Involvement is the key. Being angry from the living room or while listening to the radio, complaining to no one in particular, is not a great way to make change happen. Because of the opportunities afforded to me by the MSCSA and Anoka-Ramsey Community College, I have gone from the sidelines to center field.

On campus issues were the first to get my attention, with my fiscally conservative views and a desire to save myself and my fellow students money drawing me in. Rising from Senator to Public Relations Coordinator to President in one semester was really just a natural progression of deeper and deeper involvement in all things educational that I felt needed a dedicated student voice. From humble beginnings attempting to block the purchase of a mini-fridge, I am now fully immersed in the world of higher education politics.

While I have yet to travel to the capitol and engage in advocacy directly, I did recently have the pleasure of pretending to be a legislator for the MSCSA mock legislative visits. Meeting students with a ready passion for the subject and pretending to have a laundry list of roadblocks for each of them was both a challenge and a joy. I was astounded by the mental alacrity from all of our student members, and each groups' ability to handle misdirection.

I'm sure if legislators move forward with the same focus on education we can convince even the most spendthrift of lawmakers that students are worth the investment. Please help us to make college tuition affordable for all.