Students will have the chance to protest budget cuts against higher education today by attending Student Government’s “Fund our Future.”SG is providing buses to transport students to and from the State Capitol between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The buses will pick students up and drop them off continually in front of Memorial Tower on Tower Drive. SG Vice President Martina Scheuermann said it’s important for students to participate because they will be acting as a student body, and budget cuts will impact every student attending the University. “This is so important because far too often the legislators have said they haven’t heard from their constituents, and today SG is providing an opportunity for every student that is able to go downtown,” Scheuermann said. Students can fill out cards with their names and hometowns at the State Capitol and request to see their representatives. Today is the first day of the Louisiana State Legislature spring session, so all representatives and senators will be present. Students can then give their representatives copies of the SG budget proposal, created by SG Chief Economic Adviser Greg Upton and his six economic advisers. The budget proposal puts every part of the budget on the table for long-term flexibility, changes the funding formula and keeps TOPS merit-based. “This is about the people who teach in the classroom,” Scheuermann said. “This is about the administration that serves us, and this is about every student who walks across this campus and one day expects to be alumni. It’s so much greater than just tomorrow.”More than 300 students have responded “attending” on the Facebook event, and more than 160 have signed the petition on the SG Web site.Gov. Bobby Jindal will not speak until 2 p.m., so students who want to stay at the Capitol can take the Vet Med bus from downtown back to campus. Scheuermann said students are encouraged to wear purple and gold. SG will provide lunch for students. –Contact Catherine Threlkeld at [email protected]