Colby Bermel

Principia College

Bernie Sanders blasted Illinois legislators Thursday night for holding higher-education funds hostage, but he couldn't stop the inevitable. On Friday, Chicago State University, the site of his rally, announced in a statement that all faculty, staff and administrators will receive a notice of potential layoffs in the event that the state doesn’t pass its budget that funds public universities.

CSU is one of 12 public universities that have gone eight months with no state funding. Chicago State runs out of money on March 1.

“The actions taken today are necessary to fulfill our legal obligation and to make necessary reductions so that we can continue running the University in the absence of state funds,” CSU President Dr. Thomas Calhoun, Jr. said. “It is our sincere hope that the Governor and legislative leaders will do the right thing and provide funding for public universities before these layoffs would have to be executed.”

The school had already canceled its spring break to shorten the semester.

“I come here and find out that this great university is being threatened with cuts. What is going on in America? Where are our priorities?” Sanders said to a cheering crowd within one minute of taking the stage at Chicago State.

“How does it happen that we allow a great city to undergo incredible destruction? How does it happen that we are making it harder for young people to get the education that they need?

“Everybody in this room knows that education is an inherent part of who we are as human beings,” Sanders said. “Why are people being punished for getting a college education? They should be rewarded, not punished. Why is anybody in the world talking about shutting down colleges?”



RELATED: Illinois students rally against higher education spending cuts

Chicago State students aren’t going down without a fight. Last week, dozens from the CSU community joined undergrads from seven other Illinois public universities in demonstrations at the state capitol to protest the Republican governor’s budget address, which didn’t make any mention of higher education funding.

Illinois state Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) praised the CSU demonstrators in her remarks before Sanders came on, saying that they “blew the roof off at Springfield.”

Before Sanders spoke, student leaders rallied outside CSU’s basketball arena where thousands of attendees were streaming into the venue.

“This institution that you’re about to enter is facing closure,” said Chicago State senior Charles Preston. “This is what happens when politicians don’t do their damn jobs. This is what happens when the government fails its citizens.”

He added, “We feel that this is state violence, and we will not stand for it."

The CSU group also made a play to Sanders fans specifically.

“If you support Bernie Sanders and you believe in higher education, stand in solidarity with the students, the staff members, the workers, the professors, the administrators at this school as we fight to keep our university open, and as we fight to continue to strive and obtain our education, which is our right,” said Chicago State junior Dave Flynn.

However, Flynn later clarified in an interview with USA TODAY College that he and the CSU contingent are not officially backing Sanders.

“We’re actually not endorsing any candidates,” he said. “We’re here because this is a national platform in which we can enlighten people (on) what’s going on at Chicago State University, and what’s going on with the budget crisis not just at Chicago State, but at other schools affected by the budget."

“If you take away Chicago State from this community, you're destroying homes. You're destroying families,” said CSU junior Christopher Glenn.

But despite their school’s uncertain future, Chicago State students still have hope.

“We will come out of this, and we will strive, because we are Chicago State University,” said CSU senior Darren Martin. “This situation is unheard of and unprecedented. But that’s OK, because what I do know is that black education is good for my health.”



Colby Bermel is a Principia College student and a USA TODAY College correspondent.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.