 "Photo: Jay Bailey")
Students, faculty and people from all over Tennessee joined together Monday to protest the 'death of higher education' at the State Capitol Building.
The Coalition to Save Our Schools organized the funeral-themed protest to coincide with the State of the State Address given by Gov. Phil Bredesen later that night. Middle Tennessee Jobs with Justice also co-sponsored the event.
Members from Tennessee State University, East Tennessee State University and MTSU participated in the protest. The COS is an organization that uses students, staff, faculty, future college students and alumni to try and maintain the quality of higher education in Tennessee, said Ashley Renner, a senior liberal arts major and a member of COS.
"This journey did not start today on 9th Avenue North," said William Buchannan, pastor at the 15th Avenue Baptist Church where the protest began. "It started a long time ago, but we can make a difference today."
Students marched with caskets bearing the names of each school present and signs reading such things as "R.I.P. Higher Education, R.I.P Students and Totally Bureaucratic Regime." Students also chanted as they made their way to the Capital yelling "Save our schools."
"I'm here to tell you that no struggle has ever been easy, but you have a reason to fight today," said State Representative G.A. Hardaway. "This is your life at stake."
"We need to tell your state governor that we wont stand by while our goals and livelihood are thrown into the fire," said Michael Cannon, president of the COS.
Senator James Kyle spoke at the rally and encouraged the participants to "stay strong."
"Only with education will Tennessee move forward in this country and in this world," Kyle said. "This year we are going to win, this country is changing, our state is changing and people are finally seeing the value of education."
A candlelight vigil was scheduled to follow the protest, but was canceled due to intense winds.
"The road may be long [and] the road may be hard, but always remember as long as your speaking out for what you believe someone will always hear your voice," said Andy Smith, a representative for the American Association of University Teachers.
Jacob Whittenberg, a sophomore psychology major said he thought education should be the most important thing to preserve in Tennessee.
"They are our schools and the government is trying to take them away from us and that should matter," Whittenberg said.
Also attending the protest to speak was Tennessee State Representative Brenda Gilmore, who said she felt the government had been doing a great disservice to students.
"We can not continue to balance the weight of the budget on the backs of our students," Gilmore said. "We can't bleed you all dry to balance the budget."
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