< Back | Home

Students marched through campus Tuesday in protest against tuition increases, carrying a huge flag banner along with many picket signs.

Protesters: No more budget cuts

By: Jesse Kimbrel

Posted: 4/23/08

About 30 students lined up with bullhorns and picket signs outside of the Associated Students House on Tuesday morning to march against the potential budget cuts that would effect CSU tuition and Assembly Bill 540.

Dinesh Kakumani, a sophomore software engineering major, said he came out because one of his teachers said he would get extra credit - but he said, "I am staying to march because the budget cuts aren't fair."

The march was staged "to raise attention to the CSU system because they are a large organization that can help fight the state's budget cuts," said Maria Rodriguez of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

The march is also for AB 540, a bill that was approved in 2001 by Gov. Gray Davis, which allows undocumented students and citizens to attend college by paying in-state tuition, according to Rodriguez.

But students who are eligible for AB 540, are not eligible for state or institutional financial aid, making college difficult to attain, according to a flier Rodriguez handed out.

She said this is an important part of the march because students who qualify under AB 540 need help paying for school just like everyone else.

Before the group started marching though campus, A.S. President Benjamin Henderson said on a bullhorn to the students, "It's great to see students out here to get their voices heard."

The march began at 11 a.m. and the group could be found for the next half hour making its way through campus until the marchers went through the bottom level of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library and ended in front of the Tommie Smith and John Carlos statue.

As they marched, they chanted, "Education now, politics later," and "Don't deny access if you want success."

Once the march concluded, students, professors, community college representatives and immigrant rights representatives presented information about the budget cuts to the audience in front of the statue.

Carrissa Bishop-Sage, a sophomore comparative religion major, said she worked with underprivileged kids and her dream has always been to be a teacher. She said she wanted everyone to have the chance to attend college.

Timbo Temblador, a junior sociology major, asked the group, "Why is California ranked as one of the lowest states in education?"

After he spoke to the group, Temblador said, "the Education Opportunity Program has been dismantled and SJSU's EOP is dead last in the CSU system."

Jeremy Mallard, a senior creative arts major, said the government is "promoting ignorance" by cutting the budget.

"It's hard enough to go to school, to make it more difficult is absurd," he said.

Basil Robledo the director of programs at Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network said to the crowd, "We live in a crazy state."

After the gathering he added that, there are all kinds of loopholes for wealthy people in California, money that could potentially be used to balance the budget, but instead the government wants to cut the education budget.

On Tuesday night the Student Advocates for Higher Education "Dream In" camped out in front of the Smith-Carlos statue.

"We plan to camp out to show that students are dreaming for our demands to become reality," the flier read.