As part of the backlash from last semester’s protests, the Missouri House of Representatives proposed an [$8 million cut in funding](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/2/23/um-system-faces-8-million-proposed-cuts/) for the UM System, $402,059 of which is MU campus funding.

The reduced amount of MU campus funding is equivalent to the salaries of recently fired assistant communication professor Melissa Click, Communication Department Chairman Mitchell McKinney and College of Arts and Science Dean Michael O’Brien, according to a Feb. 23 statement.

After the House of Representatives released the news, The Maneater asked five students about their opinions on the proposed funding cuts.

####Q: What do you think about the funding cuts?
“The problems that happened were more toward humanity in a sense, not toward financial problems in the schools, so I don’t feel like cutting the funds would affect all the racial problems or the personnel problems people had on campus.” — Freshman Ashley Wright

“I think it is unnecessary. It’s almost like they are using it as an excuse to cut the funding, like maybe they were trying to cut the funding at the beginning, but they really need an excuse for it. To have a protest like that into a national spotlight makes it convenient thing to cut the funding.” — Junior Autumn Gholston

“I think it is just a part of the process. If they feel like it needs to be cut, then it needs to be cut.” — Junior Shea Dawson

####Q: How do you think the cuts will affect your student life here?
“I think it probably is going to increase the tuition, probably take away from some of our resources … so I think it will definitely hold us back as students.” — Junior Michaela Wagner

“I don’t think it will affect general students, but maybe students in the (College) of Arts and Science and communication department. Other than that, I don’t think day-to-day life of students would be impacted much.” — Dawson

“I live in a dorm. They have already taken some cheap alternatives out at the school and like having us pay for scantrons … There is a lot of stuff they are cutting. I already feel like they are taking a cheap road out.” — Wright

####Q: What do you think about Melissa Click’s actions?
“It is a complex situation. I think the Board of Curators is kind of stuck between donors, senators and governors who want her to be fired for it, and obviously journalists all over the country who don’t think she was doing the right thing, and students who obviously appreciate what Melissa Click did. So I think there is no right answer to it. But eventually somebody has to pay for the price.” — Gholston

“Even though she is not a journalism professor or major, communication is all on the same category. So as a communication or journalism major, you should understand the procedure a journalist has to take to get a story … I mean she should be setting an example, especially as a faculty member towards students there. Students are protesting and they are gonna look up to faculty members to lead that protest or at least help them … You cannot be a shepherd and lead your flock if you don’t know where you are going.” — Wright

“She was only just trying to help. I like that she was actually out there as opposed to sending out an email like ‘I support this’ like the rest of professors. She actually helps. So, I don’t think she should be fired.” — Sophomore Zenovia Nwosu

_Edited by Hailey Stolze | hstolze@themaneater.com_