Kyle Cave

Staff Writer

The Department of Education is at risk of losing funding, and ESU decided to protest. On Tuesday, March 4, ESU faculty and The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) participated in a protest to challenge the massive federal cuts.

The protest occurred on the quad between Hemlock and Sycamore Suites. There was also a cookout with burgers, hotdogs and cookies to help encourage people to call their local senators and pressure them for action.

In the past two months, the Trump Administration has delivered hundreds of executive orders, with many focusing on federal cuts to many different programs. The Department of Education is one such program, as Trump and his administration have been flirting with the potential idea to dismantle
and or massively cut the Department of Education.

As well as this, with a freeze to federal funding looming over students, federal loans and grants may be affected.

“Higher education — in fact, all of education — is facing multiple threats in a way that none of us have ever experienced,” said ESU political science professor and APSCUF state president Dr. Kenneth Mash. “Your faculty and coaches at our state-owned universities are always fighting for quality, affordable higher education — and now we are fighting together even harder on behalf of our students.”

Several other faculty members were also showing their support at the protest, including Allan Benn, a retired ESU English professor.

“If the Pell Grants go, students will have great difficulty and a tremendous problem with recruiting,” stated Benn. “Pell Grant programs is one of the best programs a student can have, and what will hurt the most for many students? The blow to their purses.”

Pennsylvania State Representative and former East Stroudsburg mayor Tarah Probst was also in attendance at the event.

“My goal is to make sure the states contribute their fair share so that students can go to school at a fair and reasonable cost,” said Probst. “I’m more afraid now than ever that there is going to be a disparity that only the upper middle class and the wealthy will be able to get educated.”

“I don’t want the disparity to be there, where lower class, black and brown students won’t be able to get educated,” added Probst.

ESU biology professor and vice president of APSCUF Dr. Christopher Kavanau helped organize the event. He has also helped with other events, including registering 400 students on campus to vote.

“I’m proud of today’s event at East Stroudsburg University, which I organized through APSCUF, where I serve as Vice President of our ESU chapter,” said Kavanau. “We had 45 dedicated faculty volunteers join us today, and together with our partner, AFT, we raised awareness about federal cuts that threaten Pell Grants, vital educational services and campus programs.”

“As I emphasized at the rally in a conversation, echoing Yale professor Timothy Snyder in his book “On Tyranny,” when the unthinkable arrives, we must remain calm and deliberate.This rally, with its unforgettable BBQ cookout and those out-of-this-world hamburgers and all this amazing volunteer work, is a clear demonstration of our commitment to defend the future of higher education and safeguard our students’ opportunities so that together, with the strength of APSCUF and the broader community, we can push back against policies that risk the future of our students.”

While these potential cuts to education and grants are not final, ESU’s faculty demonstrated their desire to advocate for the student body.