We are in an education crisis. Budget cuts have forced students to face furloughs, faculty layoffs and tuition hikes.
Students are angry and want to change their situation.
Students, teachers and laborers are uniting for a protest on Thursday because the conventional means they have available — be it voting or contacting someone who is serving in the state legislature — are not working for them.
On Thursday, actions will be taken on the San Diego State campus in defense of education. There will be a student walkout at 11:30 a.m. followed by a rally at noon in front of the Open Air Theatre. Following the rally, students will take public transportation to Balboa Park where they will meet with students of other San Diego colleges and march to the governor’s office downtown.
The rally is not going to be meaningless noise. It is about students coming together not only to express anger at the declining state of education, but also to become more politically aware of the crisis they are now faced with.
Our powerlessness as workers and students is the underlying problem of the education crisis. Our needs are not being met because the few people who can afford to influence the government repeatedly ignore them. That is why students have organized protests on campuses throughout San Diego and at every CSU and UC campus. That is why many teachers and labor unions in California are also endorsing Thursday’s rally.
A protest is not about a few people getting together to yell about what they think of budget cuts. A protest is about everyone who feels some sort of anger about our situation being able to learn more about it. This is about students hearing what others have to say about the education crisis.
Students want to know what is going on. They want to learn why our schools do not have enough teachers or classes, why tuition is through the roof while classes are being cut and what they can do about this situation that leaves them feeling cheated. To get answers, you have to ask questions.
If someone asks you what all of the protesting at SDSU is about, you mig