“The University won’t be able to even buy a pencil” said Jesiel Díaz, current Student Council President, in a student gathering Thursday May 7, to emphasize how the announced multimillion budget cut would affect the University of Puerto Rico.The General Student Council joined the latest installment of Arte en la Placita to manifest their refusal for the announced cuts to the University of Puerto Rico’s financing formula, from which the institution’s budget is calculated.
“We have to consider how beneficial this university is for our island, while Puerto Rico is going through crisis and deficiencies, this University keeps innovating, creating projects and developing investigations very important to us and to the world and yet [they] are talking about taking away one of the only resources this nation has.” (trans.)
Apart from Díaz, other students took the stand to emphasize the importance of taking action against this situation. Statements like these resonated in the air:
“ I’ve been accepted to a graduate school and have a full scholarship but I owe this to the ones who made the University accessible by taking a stand 5 years ago. We have to fight pa’ los que vienen después” (trans.)- graduation candidate.
“UPR is the cheapest university here, not because of its operation but because of the contributions Puerto Ricans pay annually, thanks to them we can study at a cheaper rate. We have to fight for what’s left of this nation.” (trans.) – graduation candidate
“I want you to think about whom you were when you arrived as prepa and compare to who you are now. The university is more than professional training, here we associate and we learn in diversity.” (trans.)– Francisco Vargas Alcántara.
Eventually, Arte en la Placita kicked off with a cappella songs, passionate declarations of poetry and a little salsa party courtesy of La 7ma RUMba. As the sound of the congas died down, “Por ahí viene Walker” was heard through the crowd.
The President of the UPR, Dr. Uroyoán Walker Ramos and UPRM chancellor, John Fernández Van Cleve were making their way to la Placita de Chardón to show their support for the students. “We are behind you 100% but it’s not here where you should be marching. I invite you to rally the 56,000 UPR students and march to el Capitolio” said Fernández Van Cleve as he arrived.
President Walker emphasized how important will be to show nuestro pueblo how valuable the institution is. “We need to spread the word, to share all this university does for our Puerto Rico,…, to share all the positive things that are being done here. The education. The service. The researches.” (Trans) He went on to explain how the cuts will put in play many important projects, studies like the vaccine for HIV, investigation on cannabis, the service we give to all of Puerto Rico’s communities, academic offerings and the future of our nation.
To that, Fernandez Van Cleve added “Vamos a marchar.” Both men led the students who held a sign that read “Educa un político por un mejor país” to La Vita entrance, were they even paralyzed traffic.
These budget changes are a consequence of the disapproval of Governor’s proposal for the controversial IVA tax reform. UPRM professor, Marla Pérez Lugo, later pointed out to HC-UPRM that “the situation has been portrayed as ‘you [your legislation] made me do this’ much like the argument of an abusing husband makes to his wife after beating her.” (trans.)
When questioned as to what could we, the students, do about the situation Dr. Cecilio Ortiz García, a very active professor from our Social Science Department suggested that “screaming and fighting for them to leave the University as it is or to impose the IVA is very different from fighting and screaming to the government to recognize your [students] contribution and to give you a rightful place in the decision making committee. To which Pérez, who teaches sociology, added “If your argument is that you are the future, then you need to claim and take appropriation of the space. It is vital that you are part of the process that will build the country you’ll inherit.” (trans.)
As Jesiel Díaz finished his speech this morning, “Ahora, gente, que hacemos?”
All photos were taken from the General Student Council Facebook page.