After working on the David Letterman show and for the FOX network as one of its first five employees, Jack Breslin was lured away from New York by the reputation of the University’s journalism school.
On Friday, the graduate student in mass communications joined his classmates at the state Capitol to support $9 million to renovate Murphy Hall, which Breslin said is necessary to preserve the journalism school’s reputation.
The Senate Higher Education Committee cut funding for Murphy Hall, but Albert Tims, acting director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said students have only begun to unleash on the Legislature.
Last week, journalism students stormed St. Paul — sometimes by the bus load — attending several higher education committee meetings and lobbying legislators.
Nearly 50 students attended a House Capital Bonding Committee meeting on Thursday, and senior Sarah Smith testified before the representatives.
“The program is faltering, but the students and faculty are top-notch,” Smith said. “The value of my major is riding on this.”
Officers from student organizations like Ad Club and the Society of Professional Journalists mobilized student support and organized lobbying efforts.
Smith said, “As long as they keep me informed, I’ll keep going.”
— Coralie Carlson