Students speak out against budget cuts

By Robert Romano
The Guardsman

City College students and teachers held a day of action at Ram Plaza on Oct. 7, in conjunction with schools across California, to address budget cuts.

Music was played and free spaghetti was served as students and teachers were given an opportunity to voice their views through an open mic, video journals and student surveys.

The event was organized by the CCSF Against Budget Cuts Club. Its stated goals are to restore cut classes, bring back funding for student services and to participate in all actions and conferences against budget cuts.

Approximately 50 surveys were collected asking students about their education goals and what barriers they were experiencing in fulfilling them. The surveys also asked for input and solutions.

”The goal is to have the administration adopt a Student Bill of Rights, then take it to other community colleges and finally take it Sacramento and ask for enforcement,” Felix Cabrera, vice president of cultural affairs and co-founder of the club said. He added the surveys will eventually be available on the CCSFABC website.

”I went to the rally on March 4 with my son who is now in fourth grade,” City College child development student Victoria German said.

“We went to the rally and later my son said, ‘Mommy, is this mean I can’t go to college?’ I was shocked but if you think about, if we continue with same motions and if its gets worse then it will be a bigger problem for him when he gets to college. I mean it is affecting everyone. It is going to be our kid’s future,” German said.

City College students were affected by budget cuts when summer session was suspended.

”The budget cuts are really hurting students,” Jay Sayed, City College interdisciplinary studies instructor and United Nations Club faculty advisor, said.

“I personally think that education is the key to the success of a society, and if education is lagging for a budget that is behind, we are not taking into consideration the long term success of the society,” Sayed said. “It is hurting the writers, it is hurting the teachers, it is hurting the students.”

The California state budget for 2010-2011 passed on October 8, 100 days after the deadline, and designated $1.9 billion less to K-14 public schools than the minimum Proposition 98 guarantee.

“We know that budget cuts are directed at us all, students in elementary schools and college students are all getting attacked at the same time by these budget cuts,” Mission High School teacher Andy Libson said. Libson initially contacted City College to plan the day of action.

The day of action at City College is part of a larger effort to mobilize and educate all people affected by education cuts. A statewide organizing conference against the cuts will be held on Oct. 30 and 31 at SF State.