Penguins heading to Columbus

A flock of penguins is scheduled to head south to Columbus this weekend, meaning a delegation of students might not be far behind.

The details still need to be ironed out, but six of the decorated penguins from the Penguin Parade are to go on display in the state house rotunda in mid-October, said Tom Green, Youngstown State University's legislative lobbyist in Columbus. Green spoke before the YSU Board of Trustees during last Thursday's external affairs subcommittee meeting.

YSU President David Sweet first brought up the idea of taking the five-foot tall fiberglass penguins during his state of the university address last month.

The delegation of penguins will attract attention and could provide YSU with a much-needed jolt of publicity in Columbus, said Green, who attended YSU during the early 1960s.

"I don't think anybody is saying there is good news in Columbus these days, least of all higher education," he said. "It is not a pleasurable thing to be representing higher education in a difficult, difficult budget situation."

Ohio will have $1.3 billion less to work with next year after a temporary 1 percent sales tax expires, Green said. According to some estimates, higher education could face a 20 percent funding cut after its expiration, Green said.

"The legislature is extremely conservative. They have an awful lot of folks down there, rightly or wrongly, that are very anti-tax," he said.

But, he said, state representatives can be swayed when faced with real student testimonials.

"There is nothing better than one on one contact. When you have really aggressive students that get all the students from all the campuses together and then approach the legislature in a uniform way, it works. It really does. But it almost depends on who's going to take the lead and do it," he said, adding that his firm could help coordinate such a lobbying attempt.

Green said state university lobbyists could possibly help organize the students to make more lobbying attempts at the right time.

In a phone interview, Student Government Association President Angela Mavrikis said she thought the idea of coordinating state university students was a good idea. She said she thinks state legislators need to hear more from students because they are the most affected groups of people when it comes to state cuts.

"I'd be all for it. I would be very willing to send a delegate, or go myself, down to Columbus to talk to the legislators," Mavrikis said.

But until a student delegation is organized, the penguins will have to do.

A reception will likely be held when the penguins arrive at the state house rotunda. Legislators, dignitaries and alumni will be invited.

"It will attract an awful lot of attention," Green said.

Posted by Ron at October 6, 2004 02:31 PM