Despite spring break in full swing at campuses across Ohio, including the Ohio State University, Ohio University, Cleveland State University, and Kent State University,  dozens of students gathered at the Ohio Statehouse to testify against Senate Bill 1, a controversial higher education bill currently under consideration in the Ohio House. The bill would consolidate university governance in the hands of the government, censor what students can and can’t learn, gut our professors’ labor rights, and ban any program, office, or scholarship deemed to be “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” 

Instead of relaxing and recharging during spring break, students showed up at a 9:00 AM hearing, inconveniently scheduled at a time when student voices were least likely to be heard. Students arrived in beach attire to celebrate spring break, bringing the infectious joy of vacation to the Ohio Statehouse. 

“I don’t have to be here today. I live hours away, woke up at 4 AM, and took time away from family and friends to be here…I shouldn’t have to be here today. The truth is, however, I need to be here; not just for myself and for my education, but for every other student and prospective student of Ohio higher education.” - Sabrina Estevez, Second-Year Student at Ohio State University

“Our education is on the line, and Senate Bill 1 is an attack on our future. I refuse to sit back while politicians strip away our right to learn, erase our history, and silence our voices. We are here to fight because higher education should be a pathway to opportunity rather than a battleground for political control.” - Michelle Stanley, Senior at Kent State University

During the flurry of recent successful rallies and protests of the Ohio Student Association, President Donald Trump has targeted students nationwide, threatening, and in some cases carrying out, deportations, expulsions, and arrests for “illegal protesting” on public campuses.

“Our generation understands that defending higher education is about protecting our right to learn, think critically, and imagine a more just world. These politicians think they can silence us, but they’ve only awakened a sleeping giant. We’re not giving up.” - Nica Delgado, Senior at Kent State University

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The Ohio Student Association is a statewide grassroots organization anchored by student-led chapters on college campuses across Ohio that organize issue campaigns to fight for racial, economic, and educational justice.

Twitter: @OhioStudents • Instagram: @OhioStudents • Facebook: /OhioStudentAssociation • Website: ohiostudentassociation.org