Successful Rally and Lobby Day

April 8 was a chilly day in Boston, but temperatures around the Boston Common and State House rose noticeably with the energy of PHENOM’s rally, march, and legislative visits.  See video at abc40tv.com

300 people (mostly students) rallied, marched, and advocated for PHENOM’s 2009 agenda:

  •     increased funding for MassGrant
  •     funding for the Educational Rewards program
  •     funding campus operating budgets at FY 2009 (pre mid-year cuts) levels
  •     passage of Education Equality: in-state tuition for all Massachusetts high school graduates
  •     raising taxes in a progressive manner so public higher ed and other important services can be properly   funded

Speakers included:

Beth Babcock, President, Crittenton Women’s Union

Quin Gonell, Student Government Association President, Salem State College

Nick Medico, Student Government President, North Shore Community College

Stacy Williams, student at Bunker Hill Community College

Cris Lagunas, Organizer, Student Immigrant Movement

Randy Phillis, President of the Massachusetts Society of Professors, UMass Amherst

Aggie Mitchkoski, Executive Board member, University Staff Association, UMass Amherst

Bliss Requa-Trautz, PHENOM’s Organizing Intern

Alex Kulenovic, Student Trustee, UMass Boston

This was PHENOM’s largest event ever, and definitely made an impression on Beacon Hill.