Eight students plan to travel to the Springfield legislature to lobby for a new science building on Wednesday.

Jarrod Scherle, a graduate student and the student executive vice president, said lobbying for a new science building is their main priority, and this trip will be more of a warm-up to raise awareness.

“Our Life and Physical Science buildings are very decrepit, and the original section of the Physical Science Building is more than 80 years old,” Scherle said. “There is over $16 million in deferred maintenance and we have fixed what has needed to be fixed, but we could be offering so much more of a rigorous science curriculum if we had a better facility.”

Scherle, who has attended three lobby trips since 2008, said students who lobby can speak louder and make a greater impact than professional lobbyists.

“Whenever a student goes to lobby, we stand out a little bit more because we are younger,” he said. “We show the legislators that we are not paid to do this and, as students, these issues affect us and can hurt us if they don’t do anything about it.”

Roberto Luna, a senior finance major, is attending the lobby trip for the first time. He said he remembered how the water in the building was brown from rust and Eastern is in need of support to fund the construction of a new science building.

“In Spring 2010, the campus improvement fee was raised to help pay for deferred maintenance to the buildings and Eastern is prepared to put $30 million on the table for the new building,” Luna said. “We have done our part and now it is time that the state does theirs.”

Scherle said the students will be separated into two groups.

“One group will be seeking out people in the Stratton Building offices and trying to hand-deliver letters to legislators or their secretaries,” Scherle said. “Another set of people, who will be outside the House and outside the Senate chambers, will have Student Action Team calling cards, and will summon legislators to come and speak to them.”

Tommy Nierman, a senior business management major, said this will be his second lobby trip and it is important to speak to legislators because they make decisions that affect students.

“It is definitely a different experience to watch how real government works, and we will stand out from the countless letters they receive because we will be able to put a face to a name with our concerns,” Nierman said.

Scherle said the new science building is priority No. 1 and their secondary objectives are to make sure the state continues to fund the MAP Grant and continues to funnel through with Fiscal Year 11’s appropriations.

He also said he has been lucky enough to see the fruits of lobbying that he participated in like the Renewable Energy Center.

“With the Renewable Energy Center, not only are we decreasing the carbon footprint of Eastern, but that project was done through some very creative financing,” Scherle said. “If we hadn’t have received help from Springfield with the Renewable Energy Center, students would have had to pay about $2,400 extra.”

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].