An open budget/freeze tuition rally Friday drew about 30 students to the steps of Old Main, where Undergraduate Student Government leaders pledged to keep the movement alive.

Quoting the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., USG President Seth Williams commenced the rally by saying, "The obligation of leaders is not to follow public opinion, but to mold public opinion."

About 20 minutes after Williams opened the rally, 15 students accompanied him to the Keller Conference Center where the University's Board of Trustees was meeting.

"It's very important that the trustees know students care about this," Williams said. "Students are underrepresented at this University . . . the University does not consider students in its processes."

USG officials attributed the rally's limited attendance to Friday's weather, which included snow, rain and low temperatures. Other student leaders, however, pointed to the meager turnout as an indication of limited student interest.

"I think that, since the trustees partially opened the budget, some people have kind of cooled their heels," Student Trustee Christina Henke said. Henke said student leaders have been divided on the issue since November's board meeting, when the trustees agreed to partially open the budget.

Whereas some USG leaders advocate a line-by-line public budget for the University, other student government leaders have indicated satisfaction with the degree of openness achieved in November.

"I was happy with the trustees' action in November," Graduate Student Association President Ken Martin said.

Of the rally's turnout, Council of Commmonwealth Student Governments Tony Bottino said, "I don't know if the turnout was indicative . . . a lot of students just don't care."

Among the speakers at the rally were USG Vice President Amy Manderino, who called for the University to "provide an affordable education" to the masses; USG Senate President Kendall Houk, who proclaimed that "the days of a closed budget at this University will soon end;" and USG Executive Assistant Travis Parchman, who chanted, "We want justice, not tuition," through a bullhorn just prior to the rally's march to Keller.

"A lot of people probably think it's a good idea, but don't care enough to go to a rally," Bottino said. "Actually, I don't think it had a lot of student support in the first place."