Students gather for a Day of Action on the Cal State Los Angeles campus today, to protest the $283 million budget cuts to California education. Amanda Herman was there and filed this report:
“Make some noise if you’re tired of these budget cuts!” protesters yelled on the Cal State Los Angeles earlier today.
Dozens of students gathered at Cal State L.A. today, wielding signs and demanding the government reconsider the $283 million dollar budget cut to education.
Jose, who did not want to give his last name, is a fifth year theater student.
“People should start taking more action and not ignoring things, because if they start ignoring it won’t go away,” he said.
This state side Day of Action hopes to draw attention to the severe budget cuts affecting all of the Cal State Universities. As public universities, they have been forced to cancel classes, order furloughs, and increase student fees. The Cal State system usually enrolls 450,000 thousand students, but incoming student enrollment for this year has been cut by 10,000 students.
Mabel is working towards her masters degree in political science. She says the packed classrooms and limited choice of classes are not worth the increased tuition rates.
“We’re being punished by the budget cuts. I applied on time, I got my classes, then they were canceled. So I had to pay,” Mabel said. “The quality of education is suffering, the professors are suffering, the students are suffering, and no one seems to care.”
Students are faculty members are showing a united front against the cuts. Even the campus security officials monitoring the rally are being forced to take furlough days.
Until changes in the budget are made, students say they do not plan on giving up the fight. Joan Anagosa is a third year social works student.
“March 4th is not the solution to the budget cuts. It’s the start to what as a nation we can create and awareness to the government about how we are being affecting as students,” Joan said.
Cal State Los Angeles students continue their protests all across campus, some planning to march to the governors office in downtown Los Angeles.
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