Students at Western Carolina University are using multimedia to depict the effects of budget cuts on students — and the trend is catching on throughout the state.
Organizers of the multimedia initiative — called “Cuts Hurt” — plan to present a video to state legislators that shares statistics and personal stories from students, said Alecia Page, vice president of WCU’s student government, in an email.
Page, who started the project, said the video initiative is still in the planning stages.
“I am the mother hen of this project,” she said. “At this point, I’m organizing groups to help me get ‘Cuts Hurt’ off the ground.”
Page’s plan is to host forums and distribute handouts educating students about budget cuts at WCU.
The project does not need funding because students will use resources available on campus, including cameras from the library, she said.
But the campaign will use a few hundred dollars —allotted by the university’s student government association — to help pay for the handouts and advertising, she said.
“I’m doing my best to find the time to share this with other campuses,” she said.
Students at Appalachian State University are also working on the campaign.