“What do we want? Education! When do we want it? Now!”
With whistles blasting, Cal Poly students, staff and faculty carried signs and shouted chants as they marched around the University Union (UU) Plaza April 13, joining in a statewide protest against education budget cuts.
With a $500 million cut to California State University (CSU) funds, students, staff and faculty took action as part of the “Class Action” rally. Some students took action beyond the “Class Action” rally, such as the more than 3,000 students who protested at Long Beach State on April 12. Other students from schools such as Cal State Fullerton, Los Angeles and Northridge attempted to “storm” administration buildings to stop operations and push for the resignation of CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed, according the student group Students for Quality Education.
With signs reading, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance,” and “At least the war on education is going well,” among others, members from all over the Cal Poly campus spectrum joined together to rally against the proposed cuts.
Cal Poly physics professor Richard Saenz, who sits on the local California Faculty Association’s (CFA) executive board, said he participated in the rally because he said it is an important cause.
“We’re going to be in deep trouble if there are any more cuts next year,” Saenz said. “Fewer classes, fewer faculty, probably fewer students or more students in each class. It’s not going to look good. And they already say California’s not graduating enough people, particularly in some of the fields we need, like teachers and scientists, and if we cut back, it’s going to be bad.”
In fact, if proposed tax extensions do not go through, CSU funds may be cut an additional $500 million. The current cuts have required tuition to rise 10 percent, as well as an expected 5 percent decrease in faculty, staff and enrollment.
Though some of the rally participants blamed Conservatives and Republicans for the lack of tax support in education, Glen Thorncroft, a mechanical engineering professor and the president of the local CFA chapter, said the issue rises above political ideologies.
“I never viewed this rally or anything that I do as purely a teacher issue,” Thorncroft said. “It’s not a purely liberal issue, it’s not a conservative issue. I never viewed my position as nothing more than inclusive to all parties because I really don’t think there’s very much difference between a conservative and a liberal when it comes to education. They may not want to tax it to support education, but they understand the concept that it’s a worthwhile investment.”
At the beginning of the rally, Thorncroft said every dollar invested in education by the state results in $5 back. He said it was important for tax payers to know that funding education is not just a “social obligation,” but also “sound fiscal policy.”
Giovanni Prinzivalli, a sociology junior and one of the organizers of the Cal Poly rally, spoke after Thorncroft. He said he joined in the rally because education funding is important to him. Prinzivalli, along with Thorncroft, led the group through the UU while chanting protests.
“I’m participating because I think education is the most important investment we can make,” Prinzivalli said. “It’s the best financial investment, and it’s the best social investment, so I guess you can say education is my thing. I really believe in it. And I don’t like it when education gets cut.”
Thorncroft said when education funds get cut and tuition rises, some students are unable to attend college, even if they are some of the “best and greatest.” He said college “is a right, and not a privilege, and it shouldn’t be just a right of the privileged.”
Dorothy Pippin, the office manager of CFA, said she participated in the march because of her grandson, who is self-funding his education in Fresno. She said students who have to work through college have a good work ethic and deserve an education.
“(When) my husband went to college in the ‘50s, tuition was $50, and he worked and paid his way,”Pippin said. “(He) bought his groceries, and got through college, then got to teach here at Cal Poly. You want to be able to reach everyone, those who are willing to work and get an education.”
Pippin said because her grandson only has one year of college left, she hopes the budget cuts and tuition increases do not make continuing his education impossible.
Students are concerned as well. Woonjulie Gonzalez, a civil engineering junior, said the cuts in relation to funding and available classes worry her. Though Gonzalez missed the rally, she said the issue was still important.
“I get financial aid, and it’s not going to be easy to pay for school if I don’t get any financial aid,” Gonzalez said.
Other members of the rally joined in to raise awareness about the budget cuts, and to take action against the changes the cuts have caused over the years.
Jere Ramsey, a business administration lecturer, said through her twenty years at Cal Poly, she has seen many detrimental changes, and feels now is the time to fight against them.
“I have watched class sizes increase, I have watched great lecturers get lost to Cal Poly because of budget cuts and I have watched students get less service each year that I’ve been here,” Ramsey said. “We’re still a great place, but we’re not going to be for much longer if we keep up with this trend.”
Lauren Rosenberg, a sociology sophomore, and Kaila Wanberg, a social sciences sophomore, said after taking a juvenile delinquency class and learning the importance of education, they decided to join the rally. Rosenberg said many students don’t know about the budget cuts, while Wanberg said the cuts directly affect students “with … classes and enrollment and being able to graduate on time.”
With many against the education cuts, Thorncroft said for teachers and students, salaries are not most important, though he said teachers still must be able to make a living. He said education for all that want it remains the most important issue of the budget cuts.
“It’s a vicious cycle if you don’t invest in higher education,” Thorncroft said. “It’s really important for the taxpayer to understand that it’s an investment that pays off.”
This article is stating that because of the budget cuts students will not be able to attend Cal Poly or other schools in California. Money is just one factor for students not being able to attend college. One of the students oversimplified the situation by implying that Cal Poly will not be a great school if the budget for CSU’s keeps going down. Cal Poly would not lose its reputation because of lack of funding; many other factors would be incorporated in if that ever happened. Another student stated that, “it is a vicious cycle if you don’t invest in higher education,” and that is using fear to try and win over an argument. Also, budget cuts do not necessarily mean that it is one of the main reasons students do not graduate on time. There could be other possible pieces that are missing as to why students do not graduate on time. The article is misleading the reader and is swayed to a certain side without showing alternative views.