TALLAHASSEE — The people who stared down at the fourth floor lobby of the Capitol building Wednesday may not have immediately understood what was happening.
With questioning eyes, bystanders watched as more than 150 pairs of leather dress shoes and shiny high heels shuffled quietly into the lobby.
But when the clock struck 1 p.m., and some of the crowds’ gray-black business attire was covered by red T-shirts with bold, white lettering, it was clear — these were Florida college students, and this was Rally in Tally.
The annual event was hosted by the Florida Student Association, an organization comprised of all the state university Student Body presidents, attracted students from UF, Florida State University, the University of North Florida and other Florida schools to Tallahassee to lobby for student initiatives.
About 30 UF students joined the charge Wednesday.
UF’s External Affairs office organized a charter bus that was available and free for UF students interested in attending the rally. Most of the attendees represented the Student Senate and the Freshman Leadership Council.
Jessica Sullivan, a 19-year-old UF public relations freshman, said participating in the rally is one of the best opportunities students have for their voices to be heard by state legislators.
“It’s one thing picking up a phone or writing a letter or sending an email,” she said. “It’s another thing when they see student leaders face to face who are representing their school and fighting for what we need to make our institutions better.”
Some of the issues UF students lobbied for included supporting in-state tuition for undocumented students and providing funding for the renovation of Newell Hall on campus.
Davis Bean, a 21-year-old political science junior and UF student senator, said he rallied for and supported all of the higher education issues.
“That’s something that all students can get behind,” he said. “A lot of the times you hear that younger generations aren’t involved in things like this, so it’s great to come here and see representatives from colleges all around Florida showing we are passionate about things we care about.”
The students attended Senate and House of Representatives sessions and were publicly recognized by both.
Several Rally in Tally participants live-tweeted their experiences in and photos from the state capital using #RallyinTally.
UF students also listened to supporters from the Capitol speak about the initiatives they traveled nearly 150 miles to lobby for.
Sen. Jeanette Nuñez, chair of the higher education board and workforce subcommittee, supported granting in-state tuition to undocumented students in a speech at the rally.
“There are students right now in Florida that have grown up here and have gone to our public schools, and yet when they reach … their graduation day from high school, they find a closed door waiting for them,” she said. “We’re here because fighting for these students is fighting for a brighter, more educated state of Florida.”
Ben Weiner, an 18-year-old UF political science and economics freshman, agreed that by actually going to meet with legislators, students can strongly impact the future of their schools.
“By us coming up here and speaking with different legislators, it puts a face to a bill in the House or Senate,” he said. “I support the University of Florida, and in any way that we can improve it … tuition equality, funding for campus, not only affects current students but future students as well.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 3/27/2014 under the headline "Students lobby at Rally in Tally"]
Florida Student Association chair Carlo Fassi speaks at Rally in Tally on Wednesday afternoon at the Florida Capitol. The annual event encourages lobbying for student initiatives.
