An Iowa state senator made it abundantly clear how he felt about having student input in a state budget hearing. After hearing prepared remarks from students representing all of Iowa’s public universities, Iowa state Sen. Shawn Hamerlinck, R-Dixon, told the students they should “go back home.”
That’s not exactly a welcoming statement, especially since the students were speaking at the open budget hearing — where all members of the public are welcome to voice their arguments.
“I do not like it when students actually come here and lobby me for funds. That’s just my opinion. I want to wish you guys the best,” Hamerlinck said in a video posted on YouTube. “I want you to go home and graduate. But this political theater, leave the circus to us, OK? Go home and enjoy yourselves. I want to thank you for joining us and though I have to concede, your time speaking before us is kind of a tad intense … spending your time worrying about what we’re doing up here, I don’t want you to do that. Go back home.”
To make matters worse, Hamerlinck defended the statements he made, saying that the students were being used as a political gambit.
If that sounds hard to swallow, it should; these students were part of a larger group that has college presidents and top administrators asking the same thing. Yet this part of the group was heard and wasn’t shooed off the floor.
UH is facing the same kind of problem with funding that Iowa schools are, and several students have gone to Austin to voice our opinions as well.
It seems that Hamerlinck has a hard time believing that students can have a well-formed argument — or perhaps he just doesn’t want to listen to someone younger than him.
Whatever the case may be, Hamerlinck should apologize to the students and the higher education system of Iowa as well. If not, perhaps the voters can tell him it is his time to go home.
you don't need to go to iowa to find this kind of attitude. look at UH. this is a UH paper. please focus on UH pleaseeee
uh students are so well trained that administrators/regents/other 'elected officials' don't even have to tell students go home – they're already there.
Good editorial and important.
Hamerlinck and his colleague need to be reminded by the Iowa Supreme Court that students are indeed members of the general public and should be afforded all the respect and courtesy given to any citizen of the great State of Iowa.
I wouldn't bother with demanding an apology. He's hopeless. Send him home.
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GP
OK, this entire editorial is stupid – and I think you know that, DC, so I'm going to spare you the once over and just cut right to the chase. You hate me, I think you're incompetent. Live and let live.
"To make matters worse, Hamerlinck defended the statements he made, saying that the students were being used as a political gambit."
…OK. You seem to take exception to that, but then:
"If that sounds hard to swallow, it should; these students were part of a larger group that has college presidents and top administrators asking the same thing."
The students are … being used as a political gambit on the part of college presidents and top administrators?
Do you guys proofread these before they go to print?