Thursday, February 25, 2010

Sonoma State Star - Students for Quality Education organize campus walk-out for “Day of Action”

Sonoma State Star - Students for Quality Education organize campus walk-out for “Day of Action”


On March 4, SSU will be participating in not only a statewide movement, but a countrywide Day of Action. Rallies, demonstrations, walkouts and sit-ins will be seen throughout all 23 CSU’s, as well as UC and community college campuses, in an effort to invoke change in the diminishing quality of higher public education.
California has been joined by 17 other states in America to take a stance against the budget cuts and student fee increases.
“Schools around the nation and around the world have basically said we support this action and we will be doing something of our own to support higher education,” said sophomore, Kia Kolderup-Lane, the head of Students for Quality Education (SQE).
The reason behind this nationwide movement is due to the efforts of more than 800 students, faculty and staff members from over 100 different schools and organizations throughout the state.
On Oct. 24 of last year, UC Berkeley held a huge conference, the purpose of which ws to find a way for California to take action. After much discussion and an eventual vote, they came to the consensus that on March 4 college campuses all across the state would unite for the same cause.
SSU will display their frustration with the CSU system by beginning March 4 with a walk out.
“I can’t stand around and do nothing,” said Aleena Conway, sophomore and treasurer of SQU. “Fortunately, the budget cuts haven’t affected me as much as much as my fellow students and as much as they will affect students to come for generations. I have many friends who are struggling just to get by with the 32 percent increase in tuition. I am hopeful that this walkout will really open some eyes of other students, faculty and people who control our money.”
At 11:30 a.m. on March 4, the walkout at SSU will begin.
“We chose 11:30 a.m. as the starting time because it’s a time when students will be