March will have students from throughout California pressuring legislators to increase funding for higher education. Humboldt State University has two choices: stay here and get “pissed off,” or join the activists, says HSU Associated Students President Brandon Chapin.
California State Universities and California Community Colleges will rally together on March 22 in front of the State Capitol.
Aarron Wilyer, HSU California State Student Association Representative, is the event coordinator for HSU. Wilyer says the thousands that are expected will meet at Raley Field in Sacramento for the beginning of the demonstration. After an hour rally, students plan to march a mile to the North Steps of the State Capital.
Chapin, a senior and Political Science major adds that he, Wilyer and eight other students from HSU California Higher Education Student Summit (CHESS) will have the opportunity to speak with legislators and staff members after the rally.
The march will “show that everybody’s angry,” says Representative of the College of Professional Studies Courtland Johnson, a sophomore majoring in recreation.
At January’s State of the State Address, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed to the Legislator to eliminate the 32% student fee increase for UC’s along with the 20% increase the CSU’s faced last year.
With 45% more funding going in to prison systems then higher education, he plans to change the state’s constitution to permanently ensure that funds given to prisons will never exceed those spent on higher education. To help fill the $19.9 billion California state deficit, prisons, health services, transportation and environmental programs will see cuts.
“We need to try to convince our legislatures to increase funding…it’s critical for the future of the state,” said Provost Robert Snyder.
Chapin says students need to get active and fight the budget cuts.
Call legislatures, write letters and vote to show that the students are a concerned and powerful force. “We need to have that type of sway,” he says.
Chapin says that because the rally is the day after spring break ends, he would be surprised if more then 50 students from HSU attended.
Dawn Balint, a senior zoology major, wants to go but says classes are taking up too much of her time to get involved with the budget protests. She also thinks that HSU needs to promote activities more. “Any events that happen, I find out the day after,” says Balint.
However, Wilyer says that the march will be well advertised around campus. Starting next week, he plans to to post flyers and posters and organize a power point presentation in the Jolly Giant Commons. Students can also expect presentations about the march to be given during some larger classes.
Sophomore art education major, Jennifer Duran, says another reason that would hinder her from attending is the availability of transportation. She would like to go but says, “I’m broke.”
No buses will take students from HSU to Sacramento however Wilyer says that carpools are being set up.
Along with carpools coming back, a $300 grant from CSSA will fund buses and food for 75 students after the march. To ensure that no seats are wasted, Wilyer says students must pay a $10 deposit when signing up, but will get that back once on the bus. “It’s a free ride on us,” says Wilyer. “If you can get down to Sacramento, then we can get you back up to Humboldt. That’s my pledge to you.” He also has offered up the four seats in his car.
According to the CSU website, Gov. Schwarzenegger cut $584 million of CSU’s general fund support for 2009-10. This was a 13 percent reduction in state support from 2007-08.
To close the $584 million budget deficit in 2009-10, CSU employees have been forced to take two days off per month without pay. In addition to the furloughs, tuition has been raised for students while schools have been forced to stop hiring new staff and have eliminated “non-essential” classes.
William Abrams, a freshman majoring in Native American studies and environmental science feels that funding has been cut in the wrong places and on the wrong things. “We go to college to study what we want, but when there’s limitations, it’s difficult to follow your passion,” he says.
Visiting from San Jose, Gregory Joe and his family toured the HSU campus last week. It is one of the colleges his son is considering after high school.
Joe says his wife has doubts about sending their son into the state system because of the struggle it takes to get classes. With his daughter attending San Jose State University, he has found that the CSU system is “not quite so economical” as they had hoped.
With furloughs and eliminated classes, the budget cuts have made it hard for his daughter to stay on track. “She can’t get the classes she needs to graduate in four years,” he says.
He hopes that legislators will understand that they need to preserve higher education in California and adds that he supports the students for trying to make it a more “visible” issue.
Almost every CSU, UC, and community college will be holding an event. On March 1, the UC Student Association will kick off the month with a rally at the Capitol. UC President Mark Yudof and other university leaders will join students in visiting legislators that day.
On March 4, CSU East Bay has planned a Campus Walkout and protest at San Francisco Civic Center.
The 4th is a Statewide Day of Action for public education. In early February, the University of San Francisco asked their superintendent to call a disaster day. They want to evacuate the school as a symbolic gesture of the dangers California colleges are facing.
For those who can’t make it to Sacramento, the California Faculty Association will be holding a rally on March 4 in front of the Eureka Courthouse. The CFA encourages students, educators and community members to attend from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
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