“What do we want?”
“Education!”
“When do we need it?
“Now!”
Budget cuts are coming down from California Legislature impacting our students and lowering spending on education.
Students from community colleges throughout California gathered at Raley Field in West Sacramento on March 3, before marching towards the State Capitol in Sacramento to express their feelings about higher education fees going up.
The group chanted along the way.
The March in March has attracted students from across California, including Delta College, in recent years.
“This is a fantastic event. The students are energized and enthused,” said Sherry Titus, Director of Student Affairs at Palomar College.
Titus said the crowd response, diversity and enthusiasm said a lot about how important community colleges are.
“The outcome was spectacular meaning that the students are here advocating what they believed in and that’s education,” she added.
This year’s theme for the March was “Classroom to the Capitol.”
The event is sponsored by the Student Senate for California Community Colleges (SCCC).
Angel Jimenez is the Vice President of Government and Policy for the SCCC.
“What happened here today is the largest advocating day for the entire state of the California community system,” she said.
“The message is to keep on caring about your education.
Let your voices be heard and don’t be silent.
There’s always the answer, that’s always a resource to go to.”
Javier Hernandez is a student at San Bernardino Valley College.
“I’m here to march for higher education. There always budgets cuts. We’re here to stand our ground as students and every year to stop budget cuts,” said Hernandez. “Power to the people.”
Donovan Hamsher is a student at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, near San Luis Obispo.
Hamsher is a California community college student Senator representing Region 6.
Hamsher said education is worth fighting for.
“Education is the thing [that] is going to take you beyond the stars,” said Hamsher.
