Rain or shine, more than 100 students from City College began to gather on the main Quad at 9:30 Monday morning, prepared to fight for affordable tuition.
Associated Student Government members, Vice President Debby Dixon, ICC President Maszaba Carter, and Commissioner of Student Affairs Richard Ragudo warmed up students for the rally that took place at the State Capitol, March 14, with chants of “Cut back! Fight Back!” and “Our future! Our Nation! We need our education!”
“We must have a voice for higher education. People are literally fighting to stay in classes,” Ragudo said.
Students formed a dramatic line from the Quad to the campus light rail station continuing to chant when City College Administrator Juanita Chrysanthou was spotted on campus.
“I’m here supporting the students right to be heard,” Chrysanthou said.
Every seat and space on the light rail train was filled. The chants never simmered, the closer to the capital, the more anxious the students became.
Students filled the West Steps and lawn of the State Capitol, and some groups had erected tents before the marchers arrived. One such group, AgaintsCuts.Org, came from Berkley Community College.
“There is no reason why we need to pay for the prices the wealthy have created,” activist and against cuts member, Dielly Diaz said.
According to a flier made by AgainstCuts.org, the California Budget Project claims that the wealth of California’s billionaires is up to $292.7 billlion. while the California Budget Deficit is at $26 billion.
“[We] should tax the rich and corporations [rather than cutting education],” Diaz said.
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“This is the only school that has given me a chance and that chance is being squandered and being threatened.” Adam Webber, the Student Body Presedent of Modesto Junior Colleges’ Disabled Students Programs and Services said.
Nancy Carillo, a teacher guiding 400 blind students to success at MJC, is being “cut” at the end of this semester, Webber claims.
“Cutting [this] one person is cutting hundreds of students,” Webber said.
Webber and his peers brought close to 600 Disabled Students from Modesto to the Capitol this morning to show their presence and hopefully maintain their right to education.
“$8 million is being cut from our program,” Webber said.
As students across that state discussed the dilemmas facing Community Colleges, chants were heard ranging from “Let us vote, let us vote!” to “I can’t hear, but I am here, fighting for my school!”
To view a gallery of photos from the March in March, please click below:
http://xpressgallery.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/march-in-march-2/
Reporting by Tyler Thomas and Nicole Head.