Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 3/16/04 Section: Campus News

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

[Click to enlarge]

SACRAMENTO - Thousands of college students and faculty members came from around the state Monday to Raley Field in Sacramento for a midday march to the steps of the state Capitol to protest the proposed budget cuts.

Pan Olsen, the president of the Disabled Student Alliance at the College of the Siskiyous, a community college in Weed near Mt. Shasta, said she was at the protest to help protect special programs so they don't get cut and students aren't without support services.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE

Olsen said she is hopeful the outcome of the demonstration will be positive.

"Last year, instead of cutting the 25 percent (that former-Gov. Gray Davis proposed), they cut 10 percent," Olsen said.

Chuy Ventura, a junior majoring in sociology at Santa Ana Community College in Orange County, said his group of about 60 students drove nine hours from Southern California to participate in the demonstration.

Susan D. Reno / Daily Staff
ABOVE: Adrienne Hypolite, left, and Melanie Dunn, right, motivate other protesters as they make their way to the Capitol lawn in Sacramento on Monday. Hypolite, a graduate of De Anza College and UC Santa Cruz, was in charge of organizing the six busloads of protesters that departed from De Anza College early Monday morning to attend the rally. The protest was to oppose education budget cuts that include fee increases for community colleges.

"We're up here to convey a message to our legislators," Ventura said. "The population (of poor minorities) that is affected has been strategically and historically marginalized."

Students came to Sacramento to protest to get their fair share of Proposition 98 that mandates a minimum amount of funding be guaranteed to elementary schools, secondary schools and community colleges, Ventura said.

Allyson Hefley, a sophomore nursing student at Folsom Lake College near Sacramento, said she was at the march to let Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger know that she can't afford to pay any more to get a degree.

"I'm 60 years old and have raised seven kids," Hefley said. "I go back to school. It's my turn now, and they won't let me. I have to pay triple the fee to go back and get a degree."

Officer David Brunelle of the California Highway Patrol's office of capitol protection said the protest was organized well.

"We have regular staff, and we've ramped up security at today's event," Brunelle said. "CHP patrols all events (on state grounds)."

Brunelle said because the march started at Raley Field in West Sacramento and crossed the bridge into Sacramento, both cities' police departments worked to coordinate security with the CHP.

"I like it," Brunelle said. "(The protest) is going very smoothly."

Students and faculty members held picket signs and banners as they filled the one-mile stretch of Capitol Avenue, chanting and playing drums as they marched to the state Capitol.

Since the protest was a permitted event and the city was notified ahead of time, the CHP was able to help the protesters, Brunelle said.

"It's illegal to hang posters (in front of the state Capitol)," Brunelle said. "We were able to get the Department of General Services to help students hang their posters. Because everything was done in advance, we were able to help."

The event was permitted for 10,000 people, Brunelle said, "And the buses are still coming."

Events like the protest are fairly routine, the CHP officer said. "Businesses know what to expect."

Michaela Turner-Stroud, an employee of the Employment Development Department for the state, said the protesters weren't disturbing the businesses around the state Capitol.

The Employment Development Office is located at the intersection of Capitol Avenue and 8th Street, where the demonstrators marched through.

"We're actually supporting them," Turner-Stroud said. "They keep raising tuition. It's a high crime. Without (people's) education, what are their other options?"

Susan D. Reno / Daily Staff
ABOVE: Students from De Anza College check out busloads of other protesters descending upon Sacramento on Monday to oppose education budget cuts. Protesters who were bused in for the event began their day in the parking lot of Raley Field and then marched about a mile to the Capitol lawn. The march and rally was organized by the California State Association for Community Colleges.

Frank Johnson, associate director of community relations at the Employment Development Department, said he believes that students need to participate in protests on behalf of their futures.

"I'm a product of the community college," Johnson said. "Kids have been ignoring the issues for too long."

Johnson said when students finally see how the government affects their lives, "they now see the full meaning of voting."

Mike Donaldson, a network administrator for the College of Alameda, said he was at the protest with the Peralta Community College District and the SEIU Local 790, a classified services union of community college employees.

Donaldson said he was very pleased with this year's event.

"This is not the first time we had to deal with the same issues," he said.

Donaldson said he would like to see the government making education a high priority rather than other public services such as funding for prisons.

"I would rather pay more taxes to directly support education than for bonds that get diverted to public services," he said.

Donaldson said he was very impressed with the ethnic diversity of those at the demonstration.

"There's also a fair amount of age diversity," he said. "There are senior citizens, young women with children, and students. We are more of a reflection of California as a whole than the lobbyists. We represent the taxpayers and the people of California."

Dave Yancey, a history and political science teacher at San Jose City College, said he was at the demonstration to support students and help keep tuition fees low so that everyone has access to a good education.

"It's good to see so many different schools and students," Yancey said. "It's encouraging. San Jose State (University) is my alma matter. It's a good school. We go to make sure everyone has a chance to go."

Anthony Nunez, a senior double majoring in biology and political science at San Jose State University, said the protest went peacefully.

"Some people are louder than others," Nunez said. "Most are calm."

Nunez said students involved in Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán - a student organization that promotes Latino higher education, culture and history - see the world as one big family.

"Would you steal from your brothers or sisters?" Nunez said. "The government shouldn't steal from students by taking away accessible education."

Jesse Bevan, a sophomore majoring in political science at Santa Rosa Junior College in Sonoma County, said that elected officials at the day's event are sincere in what they said.

Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, a speaker at the demonstration, said access to an affordable education is a right to all students. Students have a right to tell Gov. Schwarzenegger's administration that they cannot balance the budget on students' backs, Bustamante said.

"I think Cruz Bustamante says all the right things, but his actions in the past do not support what he says," Bevan said. "He supported Gray Davis in raising the tuition fees (last year)."

Chris Lewis, a student double majoring in business administration and life science at the College of San Mateo, said he doesn't believe in half the things the elected officials said at the event.

"It's more important the students register to vote to get anything done rather than go up on a podium and complain," Lewis said.

Brunelle said it is the students' right to speak out.

The state Capitol may belong to the government, Brunelle said, "but this is the people's front lawn."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools