Letter to the Editor 4/4 #2

To The Editor,

In the past few weeks, students have made it clear that a 50 percent cut in… To The Editor,

In the past few weeks, students have made it clear that a 50 percent cut in Pitt’s state appropriation will be harmful. I believe that this cut doesn’t go far enough — and as a student leader I will not stand idly by. Students have been flaunting their disposable incomes for years through academic “bling” like $300 biology textbooks. And students continue to accept government handouts like subsidized transit, free newspapers and clean water, as if they are somehow entitled to them. This fiscally irresponsible consumption must be put to an end, and when the state fails to act, what better organization than Student Government Board to intervene?

If Gov. Tom Corbett is unwilling to propose the cuts necessary to cut down on irresponsible student spending, SGB ought to increase the student activities fee to $10,000 per semester. This plan would employ exactly what Corbett does not have: the political will to force students to take on more debt. Shovel-ready initiatives like creating a zip-line from Sutherland Hall to the 20th floor of the Cathedral or getting rid of the smell by Tower C could become a reality. I look forward to taking this up with my Student Government colleagues in the coming weeks, and I encourage all students to come out to Pitt Day in Harrisburg to tell their legislators that a 50 percent cut won’t be nearly as devastating as it should be.

Another delayed April Fools’ joke,

Alex Zimmerman

Board Member, 2011 Student Government Board