Last Tuesday, thousands of staff, faculty, and students woke up at 5 AM to board the buses to Albany.

The more students, the better.

Dressed in red and armed with school spirit, Stony Brook hoped for their students to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Stony Brook administrators have lauded the wonders of Albany day, allowing students to miss a day of class in order to experience where the inner workings of the state capital.

The goal was for students to lobby money for the school so that the university can compete with other top tiered schools that receive millions of more dollars in funding or receive endowments from private sources.

It was also a chance for attendees to gain a better perspective of how SUNY schools receive funding and the legislative process in Albany.

So for one day in the academic year, students can be involved in the legislative process at Albany…

But do most students understand the issues concerning the university and the legislative process? Is one day truly enough? Or was Albany day just a ploy for students from the different state universities to help lobby money for their respective schools?

True, students were encouraged to ask questions and speak to legislators. Stony Brook also provided some general facts so that students can boast about the university’s achievements.

But like true politicians, many of the legislators questioned were vague and unhelpful. In the end, students came out with less knowledge and more questions then they started with.

In the end, do students benefit from Albany Day?