NCoGS

An article titled "Cuts May Affect Governor's School" in Penn State University's student newspaper, The Daily Collegian Online, reports on the elimination of the Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence and the efforts made by alumni and supporters to preserve the programs.

Ryan Emerson (senior-landscape architecture) attended the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Agricultural Sciences and recalled the benefits. Attending the state-funded program was the initial reason he enrolled at Penn State, he said.

"It exposed me to Penn State. ... I figured that if I loved it for those five weeks, I'd love it for five years," he said. "To take away such an opportunity for students is disappointing."

Emerson's sentiment isn't unique. Thousands of students have been writing to their legislators in a fight for the life of PGSE. One group in particular, Save the Govies, has coordinated its efforts over Facebook and has garnered more than 4,000 members.

Another group, SavePGSE, has also seen some success and has gathered more than 2,500 letters. Members plan to hand-deliver them to legislature during a rally in Harrisburg next Tuesday.