Founding Father Alexander Hamilton once said, “Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything.” As college students in Louisiana, we are currently facing a problem where now is the time to stand and take action.

I know many of you may know this, but if you don’t know, every university in Louisiana is dealing with the effects of budget cuts to the higher education system. According to an article in the Baton Rouge area newspaper, The Advocate, Louisiana’s higher education budget has been slashed by $315 million the past two years. The article also added that under the worst-case scenario, universities might have to deal with an additional 35 percent cut to deal with.

Here at Southeastern, the cuts have built up. Over the past 21 months, Southeastern has undergone $15.5 million in budget cuts. The loss of money has lead to cuts in maintenance, travel, supplies, the athletic program and the Columbia Theatre.

Not only has it had an effect on university services, it has also had an effect on university personnel. According to an article in the Hammond Daily Star, 170 positions have been eliminated, either through layoffs, attrition or incentive retirement.

Over the summer, it was announced that Southeastern’s French and French education bachelor degree programs would be eliminated after the summer 2011 semester.

On Friday, it was announced that Southeastern would face $750,000 in mid-year cuts as part of a $34.7 million mid-year cut to higher education. According to an article in The Advocate, the cuts will lead to Southeastern reducing the work week with half-days on Fridays.

I know I can’t speak for everyone but these budget cuts are not something I am happy about. But for some reason, I don’t see any action being taken here at Southeastern. At other universities around the state, there have been various demonstrations and protests against the higher education budget cuts.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, approximately 150 UNO students marched to the administration building carrying banners that read “Occupy,” “Strike” and “Resist” to protest the $12 million cut in funds the schools have dealt with the last two years in addition to the possible $17 million cut they could be facing in the next year. A few weeks later on Wednesday, Oct. 6, hundreds of students took part in a Block Party for Higher Education, which was sponsored by the UNO SGA and the Save UNO Coalition.

Nicholls students and faculty united on Friday, Sept. 24 in the school’s theater to discuss the cuts that have affected everyone on campus.

In Baton Rouge on Thursday, Oct. 7, LSU students and faculty held a jazz funeral on the Parade Ground in conjunction with the National Day to Defend Public Education. Despite being the flagship university in the state, the school has been hit hard, most recently with the announcement that it will face a $5.1 million mid-year cut. The most recent cuts bring LSU’s total amount cut to $47 million in 22 months.

The following day, students at ULL held an hour long rally in the schools quad. Students chanted and held signs, some of which that read “SOS: Save our schools” and “Invest In Me.”

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, students at Southern University will have a March For Unity to demonstrate against the budget cuts at their university.

After reading about all those demonstrations and protests, it got me wondering one thing; where is the outrage here at Southeastern? The last time I checked, Southeastern has 15,000 students, making us the 3rd largest university in Louisiana behind LSU and ULL. However, it seems like we are too apathetic here. The only thing people here seem to care about is bad parking. Sure, we can be described as a “commuter school.” However, so can UNO and look at what they have done. Last semester, I went to the State of the University address but there was one problem. It was in the evening, which meant the majority of the students were long gone, as evidenced by the Student Union Theater being half full. My suggestion is to hold those types of events during the morning so that more students can be present.

In addition, I have to say that I have great respect for President John L. Crain and the rest of the Southeastern administration. They have made tough decisions under difficult circumstances and as a student here, there isn’t any more I can ask of them.

However, there will be an event held that will give all the college students in Louisiana a chance to unite for a common purpose. On Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 11:30 a.m., there will be a rally for higher education on the steps of the state capitol. By attending the rally, students will show the lawmakers how much this issue means to the students, who are arguably the group most affected by the budget cuts. To stay up-to-date on news regarding the rally, go to Facebook and become a fan of the group Save SELU: The Fight For Higher Education or better yet, watch the news. You will be sure to stay informed on the issues affecting you.

I highly encourage everyone reading this editorial to attend the rally. Sure, you can argue that it won’t matter. But just remember that when you are moaning about not being able to get in a required class for your major or if you can’t graduate on time.

To conclude this editorial, I want to say that individually, I can’t do anything. If Southeastern students/faculty/staff unite, we still can’t accomplish anything. If Southeastern unites with the rest of our university peers, we can stand up and make a difference for the future of higher education in Louisiana.