Posted on 05/27/2009 7:57:51 AM PDT by SmithL
SANTA CRUZ -- More than 100 students and staff from UC Santa Cruz gathered at the foot of campus Tuesday to launch a hunger strike aimed at urging administrators to reverse course on budget cuts that opponents say disproportionately affect students of color.
About two dozen people, some attending the noon rally organized by the nascent Students of Color Collective, pledged not to take nourishment until a long list of demands is met. The demands include blocking cuts to the Community Studies and Latin American and Latino Studies departments, as well as hiring full-time directors for the American Indian Resource Center and Women's Center.
"We've tried education, we've tried negotiation," third-year Community Studies student Chelsea Long said. "This is our last tactic."
Members of the Students of Color Collective pledged to stay in front of the campus entrance at Bay and High streets from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day this week to answer questions about their cause. Even though this group has no intention of camping out overnight, their movement is nonetheless reminiscent of the Tent City controversy that pitched demonstrators against the administration over fee hikes and other issues in 2005.
Campus spokesman Jim Burns said it was not immediately clear how campus leaders planned to handle the possible health-related problems that could stem from a student hunger strike, which have happened at UCSC previously. He also could not immediately say whether campus officials are working with striking students to address their demands.
However, Burns did say, "We appreciate and share the frustration of students and others over continued reductions in state funding to UC. And in the wake of last week's election, we're bracing for even further cuts. In that environment, protecting every program is neither realistic nor possible."
The campus is facing at least $13 million in state cuts by July 1 on top of no funding for inflationary costs, such as utilities. But those cuts are likely to deepen as California lawmakers determine how to close a $21 billion statewide deficit made wider by last week's sound defeat of revenue-generating ballot measures.
UCSC Campus Provost David Kliger has left it up to division heads to make cuts, and has said his previous recommendations to cut the pay of top administrators was denied by the UC Office of the President.
In front of a backdrop that included a large sign declaring "Welcome to the University of Institutionalized Colonialization," students took to a microphone calling on the administration to save jobs and programs designed to attract and retain students of color -- a key demographic point that campus administrators like to promote when there is improvement. In fact, this spring saw small gains in the percentage of students from underrepresented ethnic groups admitted to UCSC, with the largest group being Chicanos and Latinos.
For several weeks, Community Studies students and staff have been working together to encourage the dean of Social Sciences, Sheldon Kamieniecki, to reverse a decision to consolidate staffs that students argue will essentially drain Community Studies and Latin American studies of their effectiveness.
"Spiritually, we're strong enough to keep this going and it matters on a level bigger than budget numbers," said Ricky Quesnot, a fifth-year Latin American and Latino and Latina Studies student. "The cuts are being made in the name of money. They say, We are all feeling it,' but are we all feeling it?'"
Kamieniecki could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but Patricia Zavella, chair of the Latin American and Latino Studies departments, said she agreed that students of color, who make up 75 percent of her students, would be adversely affected by the dean's proposed cuts. Zavella said the layoff of two lecturers, Guillermo Delgado and Susanne Jonas, will eliminate the 12 courses they teach.
"They can't imagine how two people who have given such long-term instruction could just be cut like that," Zavella, who presented last year's prestigious Faculty Research Lecture, said of the student demonstrators. "But I don't like to see students going on a hunger fast. It scares me. This campus has a history of being brutal to student demonstrators. I would hate to see students get hurt, so I would hope the administration respects students' rights to protest."
Campus police have arrested students during past demonstrations, including the Tent City controversy, the 2007 Science Hill tree-sit protest and a 2006 standoff with authorities during a campus visit by the regents.
The Students of Color Collective is also demanding that UCSC be declared "a sanctuary campus for undocumented communities" and that Family Student Housing residents receive no rent increase next school year. The Collective argues the overall student fee hike of nearly 10 percent recently approved by the UC regents also diminishes the ability of students from historically underserved groups, like African-Americans and Latinos, to seek an education from UC.
Yvette Tran, a first-year psychology student who helped organize Tuesday's rally, said she hoped the hunger strike would force administrators to heed the demands and cut their own salaries instead.
"We are using an extreme tactic, but that's what we need to get our message across," said Tran.
This is the problem with the public funding process - everyone has a special interest - everyone IS a special interest.
Cut the budget, make the hard choices ... Oh wait, not THAT line item...
Re; What in hell does a ‘community studies’ major do?
Sadly, grow up to be President.
Well imagine that...Kalifornia give-away programs have something to do with “people of color.” Knock me over with a feather!
This could actually be useful.
What in hell does a ‘community studies’ major do?
It’s another one of those hard sciences that makes us a world leader in science and technology.
These bright intelligent people do not understand the concept of out of money. When you are out of money you don’t do or have certain things, it’s very simple. These people throwing temper tantrums like a 3 year old wanting candy will not make money magically appear for them..... awwww isn’t that a shame.
What’s the over/under as to how long it last? Heck, don’t tell me. I’ll go with the under.
What part of "no mas dinero" are they having such difficulty grasping?
Should they even be in college if they can't wrap their brains around so simple a concept?
There you go. It is racist to cut the budget.
This article highlights a disgraceful issue - that colleges are getting away with “increasing minority enrollment” by expanding their offerings of useless, easy programs. I have seen the curriculum of some of these courses, and a lot of it is instruction on glorified shakedown artistry (”how to get more pie from The Man for you and your friends without breaking the law”) and other ways of fanning the flames of perpetual victimhood.
It is like the Left wants a perpetual underclass to use as footsoldiers against liberty and free enterprise, while maintaining a facade of standing up for the so-called “underprivileged” (one can infer from the widespread use of this term that the Left views the successful as merely being products of their “privileges”). Get a BA in Gay-Black-Muslim Social Studies, with a minor in Latino Feminist Postmodern Scat Art, and then spend your life bitching and complaining that nobody will hire your “qualified” sorry ass over the pigmentally-challenged holders of “equivalent education level”.
What in hell does a ‘community studies’ major do?
Hmmmmmm...could provide the needed background, the needed experience to write an autobiography... provide the 'smarts' for a community activist...enable one to absorb 20 years of hate filled racism in your community church...vote 'present' 134 times in an elective office...conduct a media unchallenged campaign...eloquently read a teleprompter...totally undermine the 'rule of law'.
Whooooo the possibilities, it can be done
“Exactly what do you do with a degree in Latin-American studies, or African-American studies??”
Become a sumpreme court judge?? President??? At least a community organizer!
Yeah and remember, there’s always the Banana Slug!
Ask Obambi...
LOL at the anti-hotlinking image the source site used to replace the image you posted. Bastids!
Take some comfort in the fact that it could be worse - some sites direct hotlinked images to goatse, tubgirl, meatspin, etc (if you don’t know, don’t ask, don’t search, don’t worry - your life is better off with you not experiencing these marvels of the intertubes).
BTW, did anyone catch the "Community Studies student Chelsea Long"? Sounds like an Acorn-in-Training, if she doesn't starve herself to death, first.
What in hell does a ‘community studies’ major do?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.