They are fighting tuition hikes and weak learning environment
Five busloads of students and teachers from Santa Monica College joined protesters from across the state Monday in a march on the Capitol in Sacramento.
The peaceful rally attracted thousands of community college students and workers, police said. It was intended to show legislators the force and solidarity of California’s junior colleges, which in recent years have faced deep cuts and rising tuition costs.
At SMC, the dearth of funding last year led to the elimination of a handful of academic programs, and the loss of hundreds of jobs for teachers, workers and administrators. As a result, classes were cut by 26 percent and enrollment shrank by several thousand students.
“I was in automotive and it’s gone,” said SMC student Dina Cervantes. “I don’t want that to happen again.”
Protesters in Sacramento on Monday said they were optimistic that the situation will improve.
“We’re voters. We’re out there. If we don’t get our money, we’ll make our voices heard,” said Martin Goldstein, a communications teacher who’s worked at SMC for four years, in a telephone interview from Sacramento. “It’s democracy in action and it’s a joy to see … It’s really contagious.”
“We’re voters. We’re out there. If we don’t get our money, we’ll make our voices heard.” — — MARTIN GOLDSTEIN Communications teacher at SMC
To be heard over the sounds of the rally, Goldstein had to seek out an out-of-the-way area. Protesters beat drums and chanted, while speakers used megaphones to excite the marchers — who started at Raley Field, crossed the Sacramento River and ended on the steps of the Capitol.
The state budget proposal put forward by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an alumnus of SMC, would funnel more money into the state’s community colleges, but jack up tuition costs for the second year in a row. Schwarzenegger didn’t appear at the Monday protest. He was in a Los Angeles meeting with Italy’s ambassador to the United States, aides said.
An estimated 200 students and a dozen faculty members from SMC attended the rally, later meeting with Assemblywoman Fran Pavley in her office. They left Santa Monica in five buses Sunday night and were expected to return early this morning.
The Sacramento trip followed a “Teach-In” at SMC Friday night, which attracted more than 70 people. During the event, teachers and students watched the documentary “Berkeley in the Sixties,” signed petitions, passed out fliers and reiterated their commitment to restoring the cut programs.
“One day there will be a film about SMC in the nineties,” said Ken Mason, SMC Faculty Association representative, referring to the Academy-Award nominated documentary.
Actor Ed Asner was on hand Friday to rally the troops.
“Community colleges are so important andº contribute so much to our state,” he said.
“Community colleges are so important and contribute so much to our state.” — — ED ASNER Actor
Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a spokeswoman for a group formed in response to the program cuts called “86 the Trustees — Put the Community Back in Our College,” said Schwarzenegger’s proposed $8-per-semester-unit fee increase threatens to further gentrify the student population at SMC. She added supporters face an uphill battle to have the cut programs restored.
“The families who rely most on affordable higher education are the ones who will be cut,” she said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 16, 2004. Read the original PDF.