Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Luke Cunningham Timbo Temblador protestsed Wednesday with a vow of silence the limited funding for the Educational Opportunity Program. He wore handcuffs around his wrists and a handkercheif around his mouth that read "silent minority."

Media Credit: Luke Cunningham SJSU students, including Diana Victa (right) and Timbo Temblador (second from right, take part in a silent protest to save Educational Opportunity Programs on SJSU's campus.

Media Credit: Luke Cunningham Timbo Temblador takes part in a silent protest Wednesday during an A.S. meeting. Temblador and five other students were protesting the school's Educational Opportunity Program.

Some students around campus might have noticed on Wednesday a quiet man wearing handcuffs, a handkerchief over his mouth reading "silent minority" and carrying a sign that he would have explained if he had not been protesting with a vow of silence.

Timbo Temblador's sign urged its readers to join him at 3 p.m. in the Student Union's Ohlone Room to be a part of a protest to gain the Associated Students' backing in an effort to bring back funding for the Educational Opportunity Program, or EOP.

EOP is "designed to improve access and retention of historically low-income and educationally disadvantaged students," CSU Mentor reports on its Web site.

The protest, organized by Temblador and Diana Victra, both junior sociology majors, was led by six students of a 10-student coalition that Temblador and Victra formed.

"Today at SJSU, EOP has been dismantled," said Victra, 22, "giving 2,400 students one counselor. What we're doing today is we're trying to gain support from A.S. We're not here to rally against the A.S. We just want to show them what we're about."

Carrying signs that read "Restore EOP!" and "Students for EOP," each several feet long, the students went into the A.S. board meeting at 3 p.m. to lob their support.

"I'm tired," Victra told the board. "I'm tired of crime, poverty and seeing people with these crappy jobs … tired of being discriminated against as a silent minority."

Victra said the EOP can provide services that underprivileged students need, but "We need your support. Save EOP, because we have a right to education."

The Associated Students board unanimously approved the resolution in support of the Educational Opportunity Program.

The protest may have helped the decision.

"I responded very positively when I saw it," A.S. vice president and board chair Jessica Hernandez said. "I thought it a very creative way to show their activism. It showed how passionate they were about the subject."

Temblador dropped his handkerchief from his mouth as Hernandez said the motion had been approved and said, "Thanks."

Temblador said that although they had a long way to go, it felt great to have the Associated Students back the coalition.

As for his silent protest, Temblador said it was the first time he had participated in such a form of activism and that he actually came up with most of the idea the previous night.

"I was making phone calls in the middle of the night, trying to find handcuffs," he said after the meeting.

"I'm happy that we can get A.S. support," Victra said.

The board congratulated the students and thanked them after the meeting adjourned.

"It was very motivational. I talked to them afterward," Hernandez said. "I was impressed that they stayed through the whole meeting. It just makes us know that we're doing the right thing."

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