Western President Bruce Shepard kicked off a rally against proposed higher education budget cuts Friday in the Performing Arts Center plaza.

“Don’t abandon education! Don’t abandon us!” resonated through the throng of students, as the spirit of opposition engulfed about 400 Western students throughout the afternoon.

Western students currently face a chance of a 14-percent increase in the 2011-2012 tuition, and cuts to Western’s budget and the State Need Grant, which covers Financial Aid and the Work Study program.

The rally, hosted by Western Votes, intended to give students a chance for their voices to be heard.

Various booths offered voter pledge cards, picket sign-making, free T-shirts and opportunities to make phone calls and write letters to legislators.

Western Votes is a volunteer, non-partisan group affiliated with the Washington Student Association that focuses on voter education, regulation and student participation.

“We are united by one underlying principle; that is, don’t cut access to the state’s brighter future by cutting access to higher education,” Shepard said.  “Get engaged, stay engaged and stay together.”

Also speaking at the rally was Bill Lyne, president of the United Faculty of Washington State.

“We’ve got 35 days left in the legislative session,” Lyne said. “Everything you do between now and the end of the session can have an effect.”

Western junior and member of AS Legislative Affairs Council Jamin Agosti said by the end of the rally more than 200 letters were written to legislators representing 42 of the 49 districts in Washington.

Western junior and vice president of Legislative and Governmental Affairs, Morgan Holmgren, said until the end of the legislative session in March, the plan is to keep petitions going, and keep calling legislators.

Holmgren said the best way for students to get involved is to call or write their legislators and give them personal testimony on how tuition, financial aid and the budget cuts affect them.

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