Tallahassee was awash in green and gold on Tuesday as dozens of USF students toured the state Capitol and met with lawmakers to urge support of USF priorities.
About 15 students from the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus joined others from the St. Pete and Tampa campuses for the Day at the Capitol visit, which included tours of the Senate and House chambers and Supreme Court. The students also participated in panel discussions with legislators, lobbyists and journalists to deepen their understanding of the legislative process.
“It was an amazing experience, just being here and seeing how bills are passed and getting to meet with the Senate and House members,” said senior Jonah Durst, who helped organize the trip for the Sarasota-Manatee students.
The students drove up Monday afternoon from Sarasota and returned on Wednesday. Joining them at the Capitol were USF President Rhea Law and senior leaders from each of the campuses, including Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Karen A. Holbrook.
The visit, which followed the start of the legislative session last week, enabled the students to meet personally with lawmakers to urge support of bills vital to USF, including funding requests connected to the construction of the USF Environmental & Oceanographic Sciences Research & Teaching Facility on the St. Pete campus and planning for the proposed nursing/STEM building on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.
Separately, students also pressed for support of a project they favor for the future, a new Student Center to house Student Government and expanded recreation and study areas.
“The student center is something we’ve wanted for a long time,” said Carter Bedinghaus, a senior at USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus. “In a way, it really was an honor just to be here and support USF and our campus and be a part of something bigger than myself that could affect generations of students after me.”
To learn more about the Day at the Capitol, visit here.