PHOENIX - A group of about 30 UA students converged on the state capital Friday to speak with lawmakers about student concerns and learn how to impact the legislative process.
Eighty-five students from the state universities took part in the 17th-annual Arizona Students' Association Legislative Conference, which is open to any university students who have paid their $1 ASA fee.
"We call it a day of learning and lobbying," said Amy Hicks, associate executive director of the Arizona Students' Association.
Students kicked off the day with a face-to-face meeting with their local legislators, and spent the rest of the morning in and out of workshops.
The workshops included a legislative forecast from Becky Hill, Gov. Janet Napolitano's education policy adviser, and crash courses on how a bill becomes a law.
The most important part of the day, however, was the opportunity for students to meet with lawmakers and show that students want to be active in the legislative process, Hicks said.
"We are just talking with them and letting them know we are constituents in your district and this is what we care about," Hicks said.
A student-fee-funded advocacy group, ASA represents the more than 105,000 students in the state's university system and is responsible for lobbying for student interests. The annual legislative conference is their major event.
While ASA's 14 student board members accounted for part of the attendance, many of the students were involved with student government or simply interested in learning more about the system.
Undeclared freshman Corinn Wilson came to the conference green to the world of state politics, but left with a renewed sense of empowerment after sitting in on a
workshop titled "A Day in the Life of a Legislator," given by Rep. Meg Burton Cahill, D-Tempe.
"I was one of those people who said I am not going to vote. It takes too much time," Wilson said. "Now she makes me feel like it's my government and my right to vote."
Wilson said she was shocked to learn that lawmakers aren't paid an exorbitant amount of money.
"It was kind of cool to find out that legislative people don't make a lot of money," Wilson said.
Some legislators urged students to become active in the legislative session and utilize the power bloc that the university student body represents.
"To change the system, that takes energy, power and focus," said Rep. Tom O'Halleran, R-Sedona. "The only way to change the future is to get involved. Don't let this be the only day you come up here. Learn the system. Know the system."
Face time with the legislators proved to be the highlight of the day for political science senior Alison Orologio.
"It's really nice that (legislators are) willing to come speak to students," Orologio said.
Alistair Chapman, an ASA board member and student lobbyist, took advantage of the day in the capital and spent the morning pitching his proposal to get a voter poll on the UA campus.
"It's been productive," Chapman said.
Planners changed the format of the conference this year and brought in more one-on-one interaction with lawmakers.
A keynote speech from author Lloyd Thacker, in which he criticized the corporatization of public universities and the drop in state funding, was followed up with a free lunch at Tom's Restaurant and Tavern in downtown Phoenix, where students ate alongside their local legislators.
Hicks said this year's conference was the best in recent memory, and she urged students to come to next year's conference.
"This is open to everybody," Hicks said. "People wonder where their dollar goes. ... This is an important part of it."