First, RMU truly cares for their students. As a student who has needed to and received help from our resources that we are paying for, I can say that this institution has helped me out immensely when I needed it the most, and furthermore, I am indebted to Bobby Mo for all eternity.

Second, Tuition increases are common at most colleges nationwide, and this is not a new development. These increases help to improve the overall quality of both this university and our education, and I for one am in support of this. RMU is constantly growing and diversifying, and in order to continue with this growth, certain costs must be incurred. Just think for a moment: In the past few years, we have added new programs, new buildings, and have become a place that has attracted international attention from students of differing countries to attend; this is absolutely amazing.

Additionally, it is my personal belief that something real has occurred and this cannot be discounted. One student decided to exercise his right to free speech and speak out against what he perceived as an injustice. There is nothing wrong with this at all. Subsequently, whilst over a hundred students replied, many in the hopes of getting off of the email list, there is something bigger at play: a dialogue was created. We as students communicated and expressed passion as an entirety, rather then what has become a norm at Robert Morris, what I will call the Colonial Crisis. If you take a look around at the events around campus, it should come as no surprise that participation is rather depressing. To say it bluntly, RMU spirit, the kind that we can see from students attending Penn State with their THON event, is in my humble opinion almost nonexistent. This is the larger issue than a few hundred dollars more a semester that we are now obligated to pay.

To conclude, I would like to remake two important points that must be realized: Tuition will increase (this is the nature of college, and we are here willingly), and secondly, we as a student body need to use this passion that was ignited tonight, and take pride in our school. RMU is a university that truly cares for its’ students. Be it the quality of educators on campus, the health services it provides, free counseling when needed, exercise facilities, and the numerous activities that is at least offered, but ill-attended, no one can take away from the fact that Robert Morris is an exceptional university to attend.

While we all vent our frustrations at times, against policies or decisions made by our administration here at RMU, myself included, we must now move on from this frustration and look at what the future holds. We as students have a voice on campus, just as we have the right to vote in elections. The decision to speak up, or to vote, are all voluntary and as such, the following statement should be easy to grasp: if we are not an active presence within our communities, we have no right in complaining over what is being decided. Moreover, we are an entity, comprised of thousands of students from all over the world, yet many of us know little or next to nothing about our fellow students.

I propose that we look at this increase as a necessary evil, in the prospects of growth and continued success at RMU, and also, that we continue to unite as a student body and become more active within our campus.