SG Pleased With “Coffee And Calls” Turnout
March 10, 2010
-Adam Pryor, Online Reporter
 

Student government held its first Coffee and Calls party Wednesday in the Live Oak Lounge to encourage students to contact their legislators about budget cuts to higher education.
 

The event served as a response of support to Governor Jindal’s announcement that higher education will not receive any further cuts during the 2010 fiscal session.
 

Chloe Chetta, student government director of organization outreach, was one of the many student government staff members helping to facilitate the event.
 

“We are supplying students with sort of a rubric with speaking points that they can follow when they call their representatives. It says things like how to address them, why they are calling and things that students are proposing,” Chetta explained. “And then they get a free cup of coffee after their call!”
 

One such proposal found on the sheet of speaking points was changing the funding formula. The sheet handed out to students explained that this entails counting the number of credit hours produced at the end of the semester as to prevent rewarding schools for students who were enrolled at the beginning of the semester, but dropped out of classes before the semester was over.
 

Martina Scheuermann, student government vice president, expressed the importance of this cause.
 

“There are a million reasons why this is important. As students, we have the responsibility to speak on behalf of the future of higher education, and it is important that legislators know that we are following what they are doing,” Scheuermann said.
 

“This is about civil engagement and being a responsible citizen. The legislature will never know what we are feeling unless we actually say something,” she added.
 

Brooksie Bonvillain, mass communication junior, was one of the students who participated in the process.
 

“I called representative Chuck Kleckley from Lake Charles and senator Dan “Blade” Morrish from Jennings,” Bonvillain said.
 

Bonvillain got Kleckley’s voicemail and left a message voicing her support of keeping the TOPS program merit-based, and Morrish was not in the office when she called so she spoke to his office staff expressing her support of Governor Jindal regarding the budget cuts and asked for their support during this legislative session.
Erica Esteves, mass communication sophomore, also participated in the Coffee and Calls. She called the office of senator A. G. Crowe and spoke with his secretary.
 

“She was very enthusiastic about our cause and actually gave me his cell phone number to reach him directly,” Esteves said.
 

A broadcast email was sent out to all students to publicize the event, and student government president Stuart Watkins seemed pleased with the turnout.
 

“This is the first time we’ve held an event like this and so far, in the 30 minutes that we have been here, we have had more than 50 students participate,” Watkins said. Watkins added that student government is planning on extending the event to take place every week throughout legislative sessions.

Student government will hold its next Coffee and Calls event Tuesday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Live Oak Lounge.