It was to be the last college-town forum held in the Base Lodge as it stands, said JSC President Barbara Murphy during her state of the college address. She told about 60 attendees that the room in which they sat would soon be a movie theater following the changes currently being made to the campus.

“Over the next few years, this will be a pretty lively place,” Murphy said.

Of the college, Murphy said that there were currently 1,800 students; 1,000 of whom are on-campus undergraduates and 200 to 300 are adult post-graduate students. Eighty percent of students are Vermonters, Murphy explained, and many are first-generation college students. In addition, 19 countries are represented in the student body. “Every continent except Antarctica,” Murphy said.

Murphy also mentioned the 50 or so events at Dibden each year and the student athletes, who, she said, are students first and athletes second.

The program for new students, according to Murphy, is extensive and growing, with small, cross-disciplinary courses.

After President Murphy’s address, a panel of local representatives spoke briefly about various legislative initiatives. The group included Floyd Nease (representing Johnson and Eden); Peter Peltz (Elmore, Morristown, Woodbury, and Worcester); Linda Martin (Hyde Park and Wolcott); and Shap Smith (Elmore, Morristown, Woodbury, and Worcester).

Nease said that he is co-chair of the Commission on Higher Education Funding (CHEF).

“I don’t think I realized how critical higher education is to our state,” Nease said. “We’re a small state and we have a huge presence of higher education here in the state.” He added that higher education was a “magnet” that worked to draw outsiders to Vermont.

Peltz is on the education committee. He described the Woodbury school, which went from 120 students in the 1980s to just 49 now. “Small schools are really struggling,” he said.

One of Martin’s main issues was campaign finance. She deals with state and local government issues and is on a sub-committee for local government housekeeping issues. “As representatives, we’re the voice for our constituents,” she said.

Last was Smith, a member of the Ways and Means committee. He spoke extensively about a proposal made by the governor to lease the state’s lottery for 40 years. The amount put in the budget for this lease is $50 million. He also mentioned a proposal to change the way that capital gains income is taxed.

After the initial remarks, the discussion was opened up for questions. A myriad of topics were brought up, including Medicaid funding, inquiry on the capital gains income tax, the lottery, education funding proposals, early education, sustainable energy, funding for programs against violence towards women, and even a plea by one man for everyone to give blood.