Now the Board of Governors, NC General Assembly and all the UNC-system Chancellors will be able to see how tuition increases are really affecting North Carolina’s students and families. On Monday the UNC Association of Student Governments released the book titled “The Personal Stories Project: Faces, Not Numbers.” The project was started this past September. A press conference was held at noon on Feb. 9 by the UNCASG at the North Carolina Legislative Building in Raleigh. At the press conference, members of the group answered questions about the project. “The goal of this project is to act as the collective voice of those behind the barriers – those affected by recent tuition increases and budget cuts to the university,” said Amanda Devore, UNCASG vice president of Legislative Affairs. The UNCASG will also pass out copies of the book to all members of the UNC Board of Governors and the North Carolina General Assembly. A copy of the book will also be given to all 16 UNC-system chancellors. The contents of the book are scheduled to be posted on www.personalstories.org shortly. The book is a compilation of approximately 800 letters written by students, former students, alumni and relatives of students. “These are the faces behind the numbers,” Devore said. These letters were written in response to the increasing tuition rates and education budget cuts occurring throughout the UNC system. The book was developed as a result of a report by the Washington Higher Education Coodinating Board. This report stated that North Carolina has led the nation in percent of increases in tuition and fees from 1999-2003. These increases affected all students attending public universities in North Carolina. “Today, financial barriers close the doors of our public universities to many qualified, prospective students and budget cuts have left the state’s economic engine sputtering,” Devore said. The UNCASG will continue to collect stories from others affected by the tuition increases and budget cuts. “While Volume I of the Personal Stories Project is completed, we recognize that many individuals affected by these decisions have yet to have the opportunity to speak out. Thus, we will continue to collect stories from families across North Carolina and speak on their behalf,” Devore said. While members of the UNCASG are optimistic, other students are not. “I don’t think it’ll have any effect on it … I don’t think what we have to say has any effect whatsoever,” said senior Stephanie Efferson. Article IX, Section 9 of the North Carolina Constitution states “the General Assembly shall provide that the benefits of the University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State, free of expense.” The UNCASG believes that this statement does not hold true today. “Today, the reality is far from the ideal,” Ducote said.