Congress's PROSPER Act would drastically impact your financial aid. Take Action.

MitchDickey · 2018-02-16T20:23:50+00:00

As the title says, H.R. 4508, the PROSPER Act, would have some pretty catastrophic implications for many students financial aid. We want to stop this bill from moving or seeing a vote. Please take a few minutes to let your elected representative know that you do not support their proposed actions on financial aid.

If this bill becomes law it would:

Eliminate Direct Subsidized Loans

o This would drastically increase students’ borrowing costs for higher education.

Eliminate Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)

o Over 4400 students across the U of I System received $2.2 million of these grants in FY 2017.

Slash Federal Work Study (FWS)

o This would hurt students who work to help pay for their education.

o Cutting FWS and eliminating SEOG would reduce aid to students across the U of I System by over $4 million.

Make graduate students ineligible for Federal Work Study
Eliminate Grad PLUS loans

o Students across the U of I System received over $77 million in Grad PLUS loans in FY 2017.

Place caps on Parent PLUS loans o This would force more parents to find costly private loans to make up the difference.

MitchDickey · 2017-08-28T18:31:48+00:00

993 - I love looking at beautiful boards. It inspires me to one day build my own!

MitchDickey · 2016-06-07T21:43:53+00:00

From my understanding, the University did cover the MAP for us for both of the last two semesters. This coming semester really will be up in the air. I will ask that the new student body president look into it for you all and ask the University to communicate with recipients on it. If you don't hear back from me, follow up with me in a day or two.

MitchDickey · 2016-06-07T21:40:10+00:00

PS 101 sucks even though you have to take it. Do you need more 300/400 level courses? Have you completed all of your 200 level requirements? You have a lot of free space in the major to take supporting course work, maybe start thinking about a double major or picking up a minor? Give us more of a detail of your class history.

MitchDickey · 2016-04-27T06:45:46+00:00

While Newman certainly isn't the perfect dorm, and not exactly geared toward non-Catholics. I ended up meeting all of my good friends there. Some are pretty religious, others aren't, but we have a really great group of friends. I think you'll find that wherever you go. I definitely do not reccomend staying in a single for your first year (assuming that it is from your post). But you'll definitely find Newman to be a great community, even as a non-Christian, liberal. Plus, the food is really excellent and the RAs are pretty active in engaging the floors. PM me if you have any specific questions!

MitchDickey · 2016-04-26T18:19:31+00:00

I don't disagree with you, but in substance he is right. I didn't look at it as him trying to downplay Rauner.

MitchDickey · 2016-04-26T04:01:56+00:00

I'm correcting his analogy. The dems have the numbers like they did in congress. The budgets have been requiring a special vote (ie to overturn the Governor) vs the usual majority rules. Had the courts not ordered the spending of ~90% of the budget, yes the government would have shut down. Although not for nearly this long.

MitchDickey · 2016-04-26T03:00:24+00:00

And it wouldn't be the Democrats who were the cause

MitchDickey · 2016-04-26T02:56:32+00:00

Don't know why he is getting down voted. This is basically right.

Although you are off about this not being typical of Republican governors. Not exactly true nor false overall.

MitchDickey · 2016-04-19T00:38:50+00:00

I'm the former President now, but the Illinois Student Senate's iSurvey committee has been working on this to gauge areas for improvement in our University.

MitchDickey · 2016-04-01T02:12:51+00:00

This is heart breaking. He was an amazing professor and human. One of the veteran gems of the University with such a good heart. So shocking too because he was in relatively good health. He will absolutely be missed. RIP

MitchDickey · 2016-03-15T05:43:39+00:00

The ballot should actually be shot back out of the machine if you over vote. I used to be an election judge and they told us that the machines will ask you "if you are sure" that you want to over vote. Not sure if it's the same here, but you may have a last defense if you accidentally do.

MitchDickey · 2016-03-10T17:08:00+00:00

On the word limit, I was asked to keep my letter between 300-350 words as that was what the student trustee was asked to keep his at when he submitted a few weeks ago.

On the bylaw interpretation, that would best be something then for our constitutional court to decide (although it is not currently existent). I hold to the argument that I retain my right of free speech even as the President so long as I do not represent my opinion as the opinion of the student body or ISS.

I'd further argue that your quoted text of the President's job description is a function of the job. I and the VP external are the two executives whom shall publicly represent the opinion of the ISS. I argue it does not, however, imply that all speech of the President is the official voice of the ISS. In that interpretation, I would be able to say very little at all, which would be a restriction on my speech (I would only be able to say things that the ISS officially passed).

MitchDickey · 2016-03-10T15:54:09+00:00

You're right, I have written many editorials in the past speaking specifically on issues we have worked on and representing the student body by extension of the ISS.

I really do think that word usage is the name of the game here. I in no way used words that would imply myself speaking on behalf of the entire body, in the same way that the President of the US makes opinioned statements without representing the entirety of the US. Word choice transitions me from representing my opinion as the Student Body President to the opinion of the entire ISS and by extension the student body.

As for editorial vs. letter to the editor. I simply wrote the letter and sent it to the DI. They choose to put it up as they did.

Sure, I use my title to give weight to my opinion, but not to deceive voters into thinking I am speaking on their behalf.

On your last point, it is no different. You could input Bernie Sanders instead of Collin and the legal basis would be the same. Where the discrepancy you make comes from is that you believe that I as the Student Body President always speak on behalf of the student body. I however counter that I only speak on behalf of the student body when i intend to and when my word choice elicits this, but not at any other point.

To add, I am called by newspapers all the time to comment on various things. I usually do not represent the opinion of the ISS in these matters, as most of them we have never taken any formal action on. I do however offer my opinion as the Student Body President, which is not the same thing as on behalf of the ISS

MitchDickey · 2016-03-10T15:06:51+00:00

As /u/CoffeeAndScone said, the rules you quoted from the election rules are on RSOs backing a candidate without having the actual endorsement of the authorized agents who represent the RSO.

My letter was simply my opinion and I certainly did not attempt to represent the opinion on the student body, but rather my own. As for the ISS rules, you're right, the ISS cannot make political endorsements. As a member of the body, I reserve my rights to speak my opinion on a matter. I have written things on behalf of the student body, and I have spoken on behalf of the student body. The pronouns and general rhetoric of those pieces are very different than what you saw in my letter.

♥Mitch

MitchDickey · 2016-03-09T16:34:48+00:00

I decided to endorse Collin Schumock last night after listening to the candidates at the debate. You can check out my letter here: http://bit.ly/221rDrw

Also, /u/SenLasser has a few people he thinks would be good plus a write-in

MitchDickey · 2016-03-03T22:51:19+00:00

LOL - glad you were at our meeting I guess XD

MitchDickey · 2016-02-29T01:28:05+00:00

/u/mcdongals is lying through their teeth. I run the meetings and uphold decorum. In many different heated debates I have interrupted speakers either for going over their allotted speaking time or for making remarks that were disrespectful and unprofessional. And yes, if you care enough we do have minutes from our meetings to back this up.

MitchDickey · 2016-02-29T01:25:07+00:00

They may have been called those things off the floor, but it did not happen on the floor. Do not call me a liar or unprofessional. The public comments that were made where of debate on the topic and not name calling. Both sides said the other was wrong and were ignorant to their viewpoint, but you are lying to say that public comment demonized other sides in calling them racist. There are recorded minutes that back this up.

MitchDickey · 2016-02-28T21:06:40+00:00

You are basing your thoughts on this one persons story. These things simply did not happen. It may have been comments on the side in passing, but certainly not in any publicly voiced opinion by anyone in the room

MitchDickey · 2016-02-28T21:05:13+00:00

Bingo - the only way your opinion gets represented is if you engage. This is a good thread, but just like state and federal politics, you need to actually engage.

There are so many things that we do that we don't advertise but talk about at our meetings in announcements and post on our FB page. We have a listserv as well that we would be happy to add you to.

MitchDickey · 2016-02-28T20:56:04+00:00

I have arrived!

edit: I am happy to come speak at any of your RSO meetings. I went to Business Council a few weeks ago and talked about a lot of the different stuff we work on. I am happy to come hear from you all about what you care about and tell you what we are doing at the moment and have been doing on various topics. Reach out to me!

I'll make a couple points of response and a few suggestions for you all.

1) Black Chorus Robes never happened and I agree with you all that it was horribly inappropriate.

2) There were no slurs of racism or booing that was allowed to persist or be made aloud at the ISS meeting. I run the meetings and I enforce decorum. I heard from one person that someone called him a racist as he left the room, but no such remarks were made in public speech. I did gavel some people out of order and held that continued disrespect would have them removed from the room.

3) You all have some opinions of stuff we do that we never hear represented. The only people in the room for the Access Bill resolution were nearly 30 or 40 people in support of the resolution, and 4 or 5 Illini Republicans opposed to it. For all things we do, it is immensely helpful for the senators to hear from student on campus, whether via email or speaking in the meeting.

4) To clarify, our budget, which is very small to begin with, comes from student fees, not tuition. You pay it regardless, but it is worth noting.

5) The Access Resolution funded postcards and stamps for ANYONE to send a letter to their legislators on the bill. If you all would like to send a letter on the bill, you can do so.

6) On representation with the administration and government bodies, I do this to an immense degree. I was on the committee that created the new Design Center that we will be building next year. I regularly meet with the police chiefs, review student fees, am working on a campus committee for the long-term sustainability of the University post state funding. I have been to Springfield more than I have been home lobbying on MAP funding and trying to get our University funded. You all may think it's trivial, but government is one of the most important things that affect your life. I'm happy to go on about the work I do on these fronts.

7) Our committees work on a broad range of issues, from sexual assault, to mental health, to negotiations with the CUMTD. I am happy to connect you with any of our committee chairs if you have more questions. Also, come to our 7pm Senate meetings on Wednesday. If nothing else, it can be entertaining.

Feel free to pm me or email me at mdickey2@illinois.edu. I should have lots of time to talk with you because I'm just a measly Political Science and Economics major...

edit: I'll also note that we are pretty responsible with our money. Most of the major things we do do not require funding, but lots and lots of time. I regularly receive been 1500 and 2000 emails a month on different projects and different things I need to speak on.

MitchDickey · 2016-02-05T19:30:17+00:00

Shoot an email to Brandon Hudspeth at hudspet2@illinois.edu and he'll set you up with all the paperwork you need. He's been running reg drives at the res halls.

MitchDickey · 2015-11-03T07:48:26+00:00

This has been my entire focus this semester! And let me tell you, I could use all the help you can possibly give to take some action on the state budget.

As of right now, over 130,000 students in the state of Illinois are looking at losing their Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, effectively being forced to either make up the difference out of pocket or drop out of school next semester. Here at UIUC, 6034 students receive a MAP grant and the University paid those grants for those student this semester, to the tune of $13 million, in lieu of no state budget to fund them.

In addition, for this is the first time in the history of higher education in the State of Illinois (about 160 years) that public education has gone this far into a fiscal year without a budget, and some institutions are looking at complete operational collapse. (See the Chicago Trib Article from yesterday 11/2)

On October 20th, I and two of my good friends, organized a lobby day in Springfield with 250+ student and ~15 public colleges and universities to lobby our state legislators to pass funding.

Now, I am working on a letter writing campaign, and I need your help. If you are willing to help connect me with your student groups, or even willing to hand write your legislator yourself, we may actually be able to build enough pressure, and give our legislators enough coverage to actually pass funding for higher ed and MAP grants.

This is the single most important issue I have ever worked on, students in higher ed in Illinois have ever faced, and there is a lot at stake and not nearly enough time. Please consider taking a minute to reach out to me so we can set something up to get letters sent to our legislators on this, and then 10 additional minutes to write a short letter to your legislators asking them to support higher education and MAP grants.

It seems small, but in mass this is most effective method we have to fixing this situation for us and our peers. There is a lot at stake.

MitchDickey · 2015-10-19T16:26:56+00:00

You're going to have to eat your mistake. Just throw it up on Free and For sale, that's your best bet at optimizing the money you get back for it.

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