Citing a looming state budget deficit, SGA President Andrew Friedson urged student legislators to work for college affordability in Annapolis during his State of the Campus speech last night.

The deficit, Friedson argued, threatens to drive up higher education costs in the state and should remain a top agenda item the Student Government Association must focus on if student-friendly bills are to become law in Annapolis this year.

“We need to mobilize and intensify our efforts to ensure that the student voice is heard in the halls of the state house,” he said.

Some unsettled issues closer to home that have drawn attention from administrators and other campus leaders, such as the Purple Line and a Good Samaritan policy, merited little or no mention in his speech. He did, however, spend time highlighting work on other longer-standing local issues such as safety, student housing and the university’s impact on the environment.

The speech, delivered in the Benjamin Banneker room at the Stamp Student Union, began and ended with mention of the SGA’s involvement in the state government. With the state’s legislative session kicking off last month and continuing through April, much of Friedson’s remaining term will be spent lobbying elected officials.

Friedson pointed to rallies, as well as call-in and e-mail campaigns, against future tuition hikes as a sign of progress, saying the efforts helped prompt the Maryland General Assembly to pass the first-ever guaranteed funding for higher education during a special legislative session last semester.

He quickly mentioned the SGA is pushing bills in the state Senate and House of Delegates to improve student voter rights and introduce measures that reduce textbook costs.

Early in the speech, Friedson also highlighted the SGA’s lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., where they urged Congress to pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which will provide roughly $20 billion in financial aid over the next five years.

Friedson then brought the topics closer to home, summarizing the SGA’s efforts in College Park to bring more lighting to the downtown area and increase safety measures in bars frequented by students.

He then narrowed his focus further, praising SGA involvement in on-campus issues such as the housing crunch. He said the group’s work with administrators and local politicians helped spark a partnership with private developers that could bring thousands of beds to the campus in coming years.

Student safety and environmental sustainability were also among topics Friedson touched on during the speech, as he touted another SGA Safety Walk and praised the university’s ranking by Grist, an online environmental magazine, as the 15th greenest campus in the world.

“The new Environmental Council we are creating will serve as a long-term advisory board to our organization as well as a force on campus for sustainability advocacy,” Friedson said.

Two issues scarcely mentioned, however, are among the most controversial facing the university: the Purple Line and the Good Samaritan bill.

Despite recent pressure on the SGA to create a resolution detailing their position on the Purple Line, Friedson devoted less than 30 seconds of his 15-minute address to the issue.

Friedson said that the SGA’s work has been a “key reason” why the current debate over the Purple Line is focused on which option is best for the campus, as opposed to the project’s potential for federal funding.

“With the Purple Line, we have been an active force behind the scenes,” he said.

Friedson did not mention what work the SGA has done on the issue, nor did he specify how they contributed to the debate between the Maryland Transit Administration and the administration.

The Good Samaritan resolution, which received unanimous support from legislators at last night’s meeting but has resulted in no action from the University Senate, was not mentioned in Friedson’s address.

He concluded the speech by telling legislators there is still much to accomplish in the remaining 75 days of his term, including continued advocacy for students at both the state and local level.

“This is our year, our moment and our legacy,” Friedson said. “It is up to us to forge ahead and finish this term in a way that makes us proud.”

langdbk@gmail.com