Stony Brook's Southampton campus, home to about 200 students, had a strong showing at Albany day, with nearly 40 percent of the entire campus population in attendance, according to the Southampton Dean Martin Schoonen.

That figure contributed to the record turnout this year, with close to 1,000 total students and faculty from the university making the trip to Albany.

For many of the students and faculty at Stony Brook, the purpose of Albany Day is to give a voice to the groups on campus who wish to speak.

"Today, our students need to articulate sustainability and its importance in the economy," said Schoonen.

For the students at Stony Brook Southampton however, it seems more of a compulsion than a choice.

"To tell you the truth, this event doesn't mean much to me," said Alex Fishkin, a freshman at Southampton. "But I guess I'm here to learn more about what this day is all about, to actually experience Albany Day and to see a couple girls," he said.

Obligatory attendance or not, the hot issue remains the same: Many Southampton students believe the school needs more help to stay afloat in its infant stage.

"I love the campus - it's beautiful," said Andrew Canonico, a junior marine biology major at Southampton. "But we need more funding for activities. The campus is kinda dead," he said.

Student Tameka Howe agrees. "I feel that certain services could be better and funding could be better," she said.

Southampton officials have set several ambitious goals to guide the young school through its early years. As a campus, officials are looking to raise the standing student body to nearly 2,000 in the next five years as opposed to the 200 students enrolled there now. They are also continuing to recruit Environmental Studies majors, add new majors to their course program and renovate and update many of the campus buildings.

The prospect of improving Southampton is a sentiment heard not only from the dean, but also from the numerous students and professors who took time out of their schedules to participate in Albany Day and ultimately improve their school.

"We're thrilled to be rescued by Stony Brook University and President Kenny," said English Professor Robert Reeves. "This has allowed us to keep flourishing. We're especially excited to find a bright future in public education," he said.

There is plenty of hope for this budding school, and the support was evident in many of the assemblymen and women encountered in Albany.

"We've put a lot of money into public centers," said Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Michael A. Benjamin. "We're attracting world-class student and faculty so we turn out world-class graduates. Southampton is creating jobs for that region of the state and that's why public education is important," he said.

While nothing has been announced yet, it appears both the school and the state government is in agreement that continued work and assistance must be put in place in order for Stony Brook Southampton to be the success all those involved hope it will be.

"Stepping into Southampton's world was different," said Russell Williams, a student. "We hardly have what the Stony Brook main campus has. It's a whole different world compared to Stony Brook University," he said.