Cut classes mourned during week-long events
By Nick Palm and Marcus Rodriguez
Staff Writers
Community College Week ran from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8 and brought together hundreds of people from all over California, including 85 representatives from the 110 community colleges statewide. During the week-long event, students, faculty, union members and local leaders gathered to bring awareness to the budget cuts impacting California community colleges and to promote community college’s value.
Monday
Community College Week kicked off at Yerba Buena Gardens on Nov. 1. Speakers and students gathered to raise their voices about the current budget crisis.
The event lasted one hour and featured various speakers, including City College student ambassador Jennifer Lee, CCC Chancellor Jack Scott and President of the Associated Students Ryan Vanderpool. The speeches lauded the opportunities community colleges provide to students of all backgrounds.
“Student Success Story Statues” with pictures and stories of accomplishments of current community college students and graduates from all over California adorned the terrace of Yerba Buena Gardens.
Joshua Nielsen’s statue told the story of how City College empowered him to be the man he is today. After serving as Ocean Campus Associated Students president, Nielsen is currently the student trustee, representing all City College campuses at board of trustees meetings. “Prior to my enrollment at City College, I was incarcerated as well as a Job Corps Student. Instructors and administrators have embraced me with the opportunity of making a change for the better,” the writing on the back of the statue created by Nielsen said.
Former City College Student Trustee Diana Munoz’s statue expressed her early difficulties in applying to colleges because, despite being at the top of her class, at the time she was not yet a legal resident.
“I’m really thankful for City for the many resources the college has put at my fingertips,” her statue read. “I’m a better student because of CCSF. I’m a better advocate because of CCSF. I’m a better person because of CCSF.” Munoz now attends Stanford where she is studying industrial engineering.
“Due to losses in state funding, a decline in sales tax and cost increases, City College fell short of meeting its budget by almost $20 million for the 2009-2010 fiscal year,” Peter Goldstein said, Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, adding “This forced us to cut most of our summer program, as well as cut classes from the 2010 spring and fall semesters.”
In addition, many student services have been reduced, which means a reduction in counseling, health programs and tutoring programs and fewer support staff for students and faculty.
“The same thing is happening everywhere,” CCC Chancellor Jack Scott said. “It’s the only way colleges know how to save money on such short notice. They don’t want to lay off faculty. They don’t want to lay off staff. Their utility bills continue to go up. What happens is they start having to reduce their schedule. Every college has an enrollment cap. That means when you start educating beyond that cap, you don’t get any money.”
Scott added, “If I were really to point my finger at the place in the budget that I feel like we’re overspending money, it is in prisons. We have been foolish in the way that we have placed unusually harsh penalties on such things as drugs and other things. So we have a huge prison population that takes up 10 percent of the entire state budget.”
Ocean Campus AS President Ryan Vanderpol said about the budget problems and what he hoped would come out of Community College Week events, “I think the most we can hope is just to bring awareness.”
Wednesday
Free classes were offered to the public at Yerba Buena Gardens during the morning and the afternoon. A popular class was Principals of Physics, a demonstration by physics Professor David Yee how to make instant ice cream using dry ice. The crowd of about 30 delighted in the demonstration, then enjoyed eating the results of the experiment.
A open forum student gathering was scheduled later that day to discuss student issues, but no one — students or faculty — showed up for the event.
Thursday
Two world premieres of City College artistic accomplishments capped off another day of free classes at Yerba Buena garden Nov. 5.
The evening featured the premiere of ‘Earth Tones,’ a new six-movement solo pianist work composed by City College Music Instructor Lenny Carlson. It was performed by pianist Frederick Harris and combined a number of different jazz styles including modern, blues, jazzwaltz, latin, classic blues, avantgarde and ragtime.
Friday
The final day of free classes, Nov. 6, was followed by a candlelight vigil. Students, representatives, faculty, and union members gathered at Union Square and marched in protest of the statewide budget cuts to Yerba Buena Gardens.
Signs reading, “Jobs & Education not military invasion!” and, “We love our schools, so leave them alone!” were peppered throughout the crowd of over 150. In a mock funeral, the vocal and lively crowd was handed paper signs with Dia de los Muertos-like skulls pictured on one side and candles in wax paper cups, which were both meant to symbolize the death of community college classes.
“We have a feeling things could get worse if we don’t raise some sort of attention on the matter,” said Ed Murray, vice president of teacher’s union AFT Local 2121 and 30-year City College ESL instructor. “But I’m definitely pleased to have so many students come out.”
State representatives also spoke before the crowd. “We need to do what we can to create awareness now,” said State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma. “What’s happening currently is a travesty — that our students are being denied their education.”
“They aren’t paying attention. These problems need to be taken care of and not be ignored. Our representatives in the California assembly’s sparks have grown cold. We need to reignite the fire in their belly,” said State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano about lawmakers decision to cut the CCC budget.
Jose Campos, a student at the Mission campus taking ESL Level 2 classes, attended the rally with his family to show support for the ESL program.
Speaking in Spanish, Campos said, “Because of the cuts, we might end up having fewer teachers and fewer classes in the ESL program next semester. These free classes are a big help for me and my family, and without these classes, things will be a lot harder for us.”
The rally got moving at around 7:30 p.m. and proceeded with lots of hooting, cheering and hollering down Geary St., across Mission and Market Streets, and ended at Yerba Buena Gardens. Along the way, shouts and chants like “No more cuts!” and “S.O.S. Save Our Schools!” echoed off the walls of the financial district and downtown.
Many representatives of the 110 campuses in the CCC system had come to San Francisco to make a statement for their schools.
“I can’t transfer because the CSU’s and UC’s I’ve applied to aren’t allowing transfers due to the budget cuts,” Ian Maurer, student trustee of Santa Rosa Junior College, said. “Every one dollar spent on education is three dollars back in the economy,” he added.
Patrice Burke, student body president at San Joaqin Delta College, attended the vigil because, “A lot of our basic skills classes, including ESL, are being cut, and without this, people won’t be able to advance.”
“We are here to mourn the loss of our classes, and to raise awareness about the eight percent cut to classes across the board on the top of the fee increases statewide,” said Reid Milburn, president of the CCC senate.”Of the $130 million we were originally estimated to get in federal aid, we ended up only receiving $35 million. That’s another reason things are so bad currently.”
About 10 police officers were present to help escort the peaceful rally through the streets to Yerba Buena Gardens.
“I think we’re going to go through some dark times before they get better, but I have eternal optimism for the youth,” California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano said in his speech. “As long as we continue to be loud and raise our voices, things will get better.”