PAN DORAS BOX Vol. XXXII No. 4 York College of the City of New York Jamaica, Queens December, 1991 YSG's Letter Writing Campaigns Pressure Congressmen an impact on the proposed budget, rather lege education," said Frazier. "Then, after than writing when it would be reviewed by a couple of years, they may want to take out the legislature. loans to finance their education." New York State is in the midst of a bud- Although tuition will not be effectively get crisis and every city and state agency is kept low by the Re-Authorization, or pro- feeling the crunch. CUNY is slated for at tect state financial aid programs from being least a 2% cut in its budget. And there is also cut, it will give a "breather" if certain pro- a proposed tuition hike of $300 to $400. grams are in place. "Governor Cuomo is in the process of "The provisions will effect students di- making his budget," said Caven. "We're try- rectly in pocket," said Sterling. "If you have ing to influence his decision, now, rather more PELL and it is an entitlement (worked than when it's up for a vote. That would be like the Social Security program: if you're counter-productive." entitled to it you'll get it), then it brings more There was little publicity for this last families into the pool." campaign because YSG members found out Students who were unable to participate very late that the governor was writing his in either of the letter writing campaigns can budget. Instead of campus-wide fliers, Ster- still send their letters in individually. ling sent letters to the club leaders asking "Students can send their letters in now," them to pledge at least ten letters from their said Caven. "They can come into the Stu- members. dent Assistance Office (IE 13) and get a "The letters will target the Governor," copy of sample letters and send them out." said Sterling, in a letter to club leaders. "We Student Government sponsored a letter writing campaign to secure have lobbied the federal government. It is congressional votes for the Higher Educational Re-Authorization Act. now time to turn our attention to the state. By next year, it will be too late. [The By Abby Abrams Caven. governor's] proposals will be accepted if not Reporter The first letter writing campaign was di- opposed now." rected towards Rep. Floyd Flake of the 6th The HEA is a far-reaching, complicated Student government recently sponsored Congressional District, and Senators proposal. But most students understand the two crucial letter writing campaigns. Dur- D'amato and Moynihan. Students who heart of the matter. Pandora's ing the week of October 22, the first effort wrote letters, and included their return ad- "I know what most people know," said Ongoing targeted Congressional leaders Floyd Flake, dresses on the envelopes, can expect a per- Oguie Toro, student senator and coordina- Alphonse D'Amato, and Daniel Patrick sonal response from their representatives tor of the first letter writing campaign. "It Columns ..Page 3 Moynihan in an effort to secure their votes about their letters. was up for review and it means money. If for the Re-Authorization of the Higher Edu- There has been has been no reaction yet it's not passed, then low-income families cation Acl 1991. The second campaign, on to the letters sent in the mass mailing. But will be the group to be ousted from higher Dunfee Named November 12, 13, and on the evening of the both Caven and Sterling have received re- education." NewV.P. Page 4 19th, was designed to pressure Governor sponses to letters they sent in the summer The Higher Education Act of 1991 is ask- ••(•••• Mario Cuomo not to include the projected from the USSA's letter writing campaign. ing government to approve $677 million for 2% to 5% cut in CUNY's funds in his 1992 "I have heard from Floyd Flake and education. The programs included in the Evening Students New York Stale budget. Senator Moynihan that they have received proposal range from restoring the loan-grant The Higher Education Act was first the letters and that they will vote for the act," balance, to child care and serving the needs Get A Say......Page 4 signed into law by President Lyndon B. said Caven. "1 have not yet heard from of middle-income students. It also provides Johnson in 1965, and comes up for re-au- Senator D'Amato." for an anti-violence clause to protect thorization every five years. It established Although the letter writing campaign was women. York AIDS many of the federal student aid programs not an organized, nationwide event, other Although recent cuts in federal student that are in existence today. The HEA 1991, colleges that attended the conference in aid and state aid programs have limited ser- Program Set..Pages with considerable input from students and Wisconsin also were encouraged by USSA vices to poor students. 1991 was the first educators, is now in sub-committee in the to sponsor campaigns of their own. Ster- year that TAP has not covered the entire Senate and House and should come up for iing and Caven. YSG's representation at the tuition for poor students, but some middle York Feels a vote in 1992 or early 1993. conference, returned with over 1,500 York income families have been denied benefits Haitian Coup..Page 6 " We wanted to flood the offices of these College letters from a student body number- and are being completely squeezed out of senators and representatives with letters," ing just over 5,000 students. This was by far those programs. said Stacie Caven, YSG Corresponding Sec- the largest number of letters written by any "These programs will make a difference Pre-Kwanzaa retary. " We also wanted students to realize college in the United States. to a lot of middle-income students whose Celebration... Page 8 their voices were important in government." "It seems as if it is a low percentage — programs are shrinking," said Adolphus The idea for a letter writing campaign little over 1,500 letters — but its been the Fraizier, York's Financial Aid Director. originated when Caven and YSG President largest support of any one college- spon- "Their families may have a large equity on Brandywine at Patrick Sterling attended a United States sored event," said Caven. "It is a shame their homes, or their parents combined in- Student Association (USSA) conference though that more people did not partici- comes may be high, and it puts limits on the York Gallery..Page 9 about the Re-Authorization at the Univer- pate."' amount of financial aid they may receive." sity of Wisconsin. Buoyed by their initial success, YSG According to Frazier, the HEA 1991 " We observed the USSA's letter writ- sponsored a second letter writing campaign would try to keep first and second year stu- Dance Company ing campaign for Re-Authorization, and targeting Governor Cuomo and his new dents away from loan programs and "fully •! dyti «f made a decision at that time that it would budget. Cuomo is in the midst of preparing package them with grants." be a good way to get students politically a budget that will be presented to the state "That way, by their third or fourth year, aware of where their dollars so," said legislature in January. YSG wanted to make the students will know if they're fit for a col- Page 2 PANDORA'S BOX December, 1991 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Magic's Sobering Saga "HuMen Agenda" Helps Student By Christopher Chaney it's time to pay attention to the A.I.D.S. epi- Dear Editor, I think the college should similarly re- Editor-in-Chief demic and the H.I.V. virus, which is just as This letter is in response to Patrick quire all incoming students to take Aca- hazardous. It's time to raise our sexual Sterling's letter, "English Class has a Hid- demic Computer 100 in the first semester. The Earvin "Magic" Johnson saga hit safety consciousness. But, if we do, how den Agenda" (Pandora's Box, October This is a one credit class which meets for 3 everyone hard — friends and fans alike. do we do it? 1991). In it, Mr. Sterling states that the uti- hours per week for 7 weeks. During the The man is a living legend on the basket- The popular choice is abstaining from lization of computers in his English 125 time I took this course, I found that I had ball court and a giving individual off the sex and the realistic choice is condomizing. class are a "violation of truth and advertise- to do more work for this class than my 3 or court. He revolutionized the game of bas- Of course, as Americans, we have the free- ment" since the Bulletin does not mention 4 credit courses. The homework assign- ketball with his no-look passes around his dom of choice—that is until we contract an the use of computers anywhere in the course ments took an average of three to four hours back or between his legs. incurable disease. Once that happens, free- description. I beg to differ. per week. However, now I feel that every When Magic is on the court anything can dom does not exist and does not matter. Educational institutions should be the minute I spent for that class has really paid happen. He can routinely hit a game win- The sixties era is dead — and with it dies first places to utilize new and innovative off.