CUNY Rising: Rally to Fund CUNY! at NYS Senate Hearing #FullyFundCUNY #CUNYRising

Norasays:

"Full day started with a reminder from #CUNY students about how underfunding impacts them. Too much food insecurity/ housing insecurity on our campuses and politicians need to step up. Biked back to #citytech to find people studying for midterms on the floor because we don’t have space in our library for them to sit down. #fundcuny #publiceducationmatters"

Yesterday, I got an invitation  for an action by CUNY Rising:

“Join the CUNY Rising Alliance for a rally in advance of a hearing of the NYS Senate's Standing Committee on Higher Education. The Senators should not be able to come to a CUNY campus without hearing loudly and clearly from us that they need to FUND CUNY! Spread the word!
Thursday October 24th
Rally at 10 am in advance of hearing at 11:30 am
Bedford Avenue Gate, Brooklyn College CUNY.”

A glorious fall day, I took in the beautiful trees and murals, changing leaves and scenes along  Bedford Avenue on  the way to the college, where so many luminaries have found a home. 

The City Tech student president was speaking when I arrived, lamenting the  food security on the campus.

If education is your priority, why am I paying more and getting less, lamented another student leader?

New York can support higher education.

We can move in the right direction.

Congrats on  a new contract, noted one organizer, speaking about the MOA just announced by the Professional  Staff Congress, to be voted on on November 7^th.

Most  love it.

Others worry it did not get enough,

As if we could have gotten more.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good I thought to myself,  riding home.

Don’t take defeat from  the jaws  of  victory.

Lets be flexible.
Take this win.

Move forward.

And keep on organizing.

Others  passed out flyers about the higher education hearing:

“@tobystavisky, hundreds of thousands of student constituents expect the  chair of the higher  education  committee to  be  bold in  the  fight to #FullyFundCUNY.

We’re  tired of  years of neglect and  demand higher education to  be  championed in the  coming  fiscal year #CUNYRising.”