2008 Woodie Awards
Knocking on Arnie's door
8,000 students demand fair funding for community colleges at march on capitol
Sarah Quadi
Issue date: 5/12/04 Section: News
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He declared his commitment to the community college concept, in danger due to statewide budget cuts. "College of Marin has helped me in my four years here in realizing that my passion is in accounting and not computers," said Martinez.
Back home, Martinez talks to Latinos -- high school students and others -- to encourage them to come back or continue their education at College of Marin. "The fee increases sucks for people like me and people I talk to," said Martinez, president of the Latino Student Union at COM for the past year. "They don't have that much money to pay for regular fees to begin with and with the fee increases a lot of them get discouraged. I see it in their faces when I talk to them that they wont be able to go because of the fees."
Forty other College of Marin students joined a total of 8,000 community college students from throughout the state to walk from Raley Field in West Sacramento to the steps of Capitol Hill, a 2-mile trek, holding placard signs declaring things like"Do the right thing. invest in education not incarceration" and "Keep education affordable for all. No more missing students."
As they crossed the bridge, marchers could see the students all the way down to the Capital steps, recalled Jonathan Derbridge, 33. "There was noise, chanting, placards waving and so much energy going around, it was quite exhilarating," said Derbridge, director of student services of at Associated Students of College of Marin.
"We came to protest the proposed tuition increase and for there to be accessibility," said Faith Caughlan, 25, who organized COM contingent. "There was a lot of good, positive energy that day. People on the street were very supportive; many were honking their horns and yelling 'you go' while we were marching to the capitol," said Caughlan, vice-president of ASCOM.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced plans to increase community college tuitions from $18 to $26 a semester unit, a 44 percent increase added to the 60 percent increase last year, totaling to a 104 percent increase in tuition fees within two years. This will mean fewer classes for students who can still afford going to a community college. The governor wants to divert approximately 7,400 UC and CSU freshmen's to community colleges and allow them to attend for free. The governor proposed to "increase" funding to community colleges by 3 percent, saying that this will support the 33,120 new full-time students. Community college officials said last year that more than 175,000 community college students had been denied access to classes since last year's fee increase and budget cuts.