Last year, when President Mark Emmert gave his annual address to the university community, Kane Hall was packed and teeming with students eager to listen and make their voices heard.

This year, the students who attended the address were few and far between. Less than half of Kane Hall 130 was filled, while the upper-deck remained vacant.

“It might be burn out, that students are burnt out about hearing the bad news, so they are sticking their heads in the sand,” said Jake Faleschini, who lobbies for University of Washington students in Olympia.

Faleschini also pointed out that last year the president tackled more volatile issues, including the renewal of a controversial Nike contract.

Despite this lack of student awareness and participation, Emmert did address and discuss issues important to the University’s student community.

First, and perhaps most important to students, Emmert talked tuition.

In discussing how the University will need to “come to grip with realities” regarding the budget cuts, Emmert said that tuition will most likely rise 14 percent again next year, as it did this year.

When the tuition rate is compared with comparable universities on a national scale, tuition at the UW is inexpensive.

“Tuition is still a great bargain,” he said.

Emmert also spoke of how the university’s retention rate has increased by 10 percent over the past six years, as students are more likely to stay in college with less job opportunities awaiting them since unemployment remains high statewide.

The budget cuts made in the last Legislative Session underlined the entire speech.

“As we catch our breath about what happened over the past twelve months, we need to pause and realize what this really meant. The magnitude of last year’s budget cuts was breathtaking,” said Emmert.

Ultimately, though, Emmert expressed optimism for the future of the university.

“My biggest take away from this speech was a message of hope,” Faleschini said.

At the same time, Faleschini said, he does not want the legislature to forget or overlook the pain — to both students and staff — caused by last year’s large budget cuts.

“I worry that we are abandoning [people] shouting to the rooftops [about] the incredible pain that these budget cuts caused,” he said.

Reach reporter Brian Brynes at news@dailyuw.com