It has been one heckuva week. First, I went to Richmond for a 1 1/2 hour SCHEV (State Council for Higher Education in Virginia) meeting and then right back to VT. We talked about current issues that college students face and I was the VT representative. I talked about the budget situation and how I believe that legislatures are not making Higher Ed a priority like they used to. Quick Stat: In 1999, 55% of VT's budget came from the state. Today, only 12% comes from the state. The rest is up to tuition, research, and private contributions. 


It was amazing because every school in Virginia that receives state funding (community colleges, 2 year institutions, and 4 year institutions) were all represented. I thought the meeting was very valuable and it will give me the opportunity to voice VT's concerns directly to the state.


Then, that evening I ate dinner with 8 students at Dr. Frank Shushok's House - he is the Associate VP of Student Affairs. Together, we make up the President's Council, which I am so passionate about. I feel as if we get students from various backgrounds, genders, and ages that we can be a subset of the overall population. Frank oversees Housing/Dining, Res Life, Fraternity/Sorority, Student Conduct, and Career Services. It is important to be able to talk with him in an informal manner about issues on campus. It was a great evening and he truly cares about the student voice...which is refreshing.


Today (October 9th), I met Gus Deeds, who is Creigh Deeds son. It gave me an opportunity to talk politics with someone who will be influential in Virginia, whether his father wins or not. I explained to him that higher education returns 3 to 1 on its investment. Smarter Virginians = Better Jobs = More Money = More Tax Revenue. It is important that the state of VA ensure that higher education is not forgotten once the economy begins to recover. It was a very successful week to say the least.


Here are some upcoming SGA Events:

This week has been something special. Everything is really coming into fruition. Upcoming Events Include:

1. Extreme Campus Makeover, October 19-21

• Prizes include: Maroon 5 tickets, Ipods, EA Sports Games, Free T-shirts, and a catered lunch with University officials.