NEW UNIVERSITYU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N E

Tuesday, March 9, 2010Volume 43, Issue 21 w w w. n e w u n i v e r s i t y. o r g • w w w. n e w u . u c i . e d u

NEW UNIVERSITYU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N E

Tuesday, March 9, 2010Volume 43, Issue 21 w w w. n e w u n i v e r s i t y. o r g • w w w. n e w u . u c i . e d u

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N EU N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , I R V I N E

DIANE JONG | Staff Photographer

Students protest outside of the Capitol building in Sacramento.

COURTESY OF JOEVA ROCK

UC San Diego students partake in the March 4 events.

MICHAEL KARAKASAH | Staff Photographer

Over 400 UC Irvine students march from the flagpoles to University Dr., trying to block traffic and advocate education reform, racial awareness, higher worker wages and more.

COURTESY OF HANNAH HOWERTON

Thousands of protestors march through the gates of UC Berkeley.

MICHAEL KARAKASH | Staff Photographer

UCI students block street traffic on campus using shopping carts.

BRANDON WONG | Staff Photographer

Thousands of students, workers and faculty gather in front of Pershing Square in downtown LA at around 3 p.m. on March 4 to rally.

“Ain’t no power like the power of the student (unions)

Cuz the power of students (unions) don’t stop!” [sic]

-Chant No. 9 as written on the Unite for Public Education March 4 chant sheet.

The 2000 (plus or minus) pro-testors gathered at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles last Thursday proved two things: California’s public education appa-ratus is really complicated and involves a lot of people, and many of these people are angry with the status quo.

“Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho,Budget Cuts Have Got to Go!Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho,Fee Hikes Have Got to Go!” the

See UCLA, page 4

UCLA: The LA regional protest reels-in thousands of people advocating education reform and more...

By Mengfei ChenStaff Writer

UC Students: Get Up, Stand Up!

Traffi c grinded to a halt on Mar. 4, 2010 as protesters fl ooded the streets around UC Irvine. Po-lice offi cers and daily commuters watched as a group of 400 dem-onstrators reached Campus Drive and West Peltason. The protesters responded with cheers as a stu-dent declared, “This intersection is ours!”

The walkout was part of a planned statewide Day of Action that protested recent budget cuts to public education caused by a $20 billion state defi cit. The movement began on California campuses but has spread to rallies in 32 states across the nation – all fi ghting for education reform.

The protest at UCI began at noon in front of the fl agpoles with a series of speeches about grow-

ing frustration on campus resulting from the crisis within the UC edu-cation system. Speakers included undergraduate and graduate stu-dents, workers, faculty and alumni. The diversity of speakers mirrored the wide range of protesters, from involved activists to students sim-ply passing by.

Humanities core lecturer Brook Haley took to the microphone armed with a whiteboard that he used to detail the fi scal transactions between banks, students and Mark Yudof. Haley’s informative speech and clever drawings elicited cheers and laughter from the crowd. He fi nished with a story about a stu-dent who had to drop out of UCI because his Cal Grants were cut in half.

Other speakers, such as English graduate student Dennis Lopez, used dramatic rhetoric to mobilize the listeners. At 1:25 p.m., Lopez ran up the steps behind the fl ag-poles, weaving through the seated crowd, leading the transition from words to walkout.

His voice echoed the unifying purpose of the diverse protesters:

See UCI, page 5

UCI: Students at protest march about Irvine, blocking roads, raiding classes, demanding change.

By Traci Garling Lee and James KuoStaff Writers

For more information on what’s been going on at different UCs, turn to page 4

NEWS | PAGE 5NEW UNIVERSITY | TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010

with a master’s degree in Sport Management. This accelerated program prepares you for the business of sport management.

Free information sessions are held monthly. Come join us on April 6, 6:30 pm

California State University, Long BeachThe Walter PyramidLong Beach, CA 90805

Call us today to RSVP at (800) 963-2250 or register online at ccpe.csulb.edu/sportmgmt

Reach Higher

Lorinda Owens6 in. x 5 in.UC IrvinePub Date: 3/9/10

Registration begins April 5.Call: (800) 963-2250 ext. 60001 for more information.

www.ccpe.csulb.edu/summer email: summer@ccpe.csulb.edu

California State University, Long Beach College of Continuing and Professional Education

Summer Sessions2010 at CSULB

No formal admission to CSULB requiredEarn units toward your degree • Enroll on a “space available” basis

One 12-Week SessionJune 1-August 20 (SSD)

Two 6-Week SessionsJune 1-July 9 (S1S)

July 12-August 20 (S3S)

Lorinda Owens6 in. x 5 in.UC IrvinePub Date: 3/9/10

as black students, we are making a big deal out of nothing,” said TeKeyia Armstrong, fourth-year African-American studies major and Chair of UC Irvine’s BSU and primary organizer of the protest. “It is obvious that there is a culture of ignorance breeding on our cam-puses. People have no historical background as to why racial slurs and symbols like the noose are so

deeply painful to our community.”Many claim that the UC System

has been lax in pursuing appropri-ate action, in spite of the derogatory stereotypes and arguably threaten-ing messages. One such incident occurred during an SRTV broadcast when a UCSD student and member of the satirical publication, “The Koala,” used the n-word to refer to people who spoke out against incident, raising questions about the UC system’s commitment to a safe,

academic environment at the Cross-Cultural Center meeting.

While many students were shocked at the incidences of racism, Hui-Ling Malone, BSU member and umbrella council chair, said that she did not share the same surprise.

“These kinds of things are not random,” Malone said. “They hap-pen all the time. I have heard of a similar thing happening at UCI in the past.”

“UCI has a lot of potential which

has yet to be completely realized, and maybe we can accept its multi-cultural fortunes and promise,” said Director of African-American Studies at UC Irvine, Ulysses Jenkins. “Just because you have a lot of different people inhabiting the same environmental space doesn’t make for instant harmony. The body can get infected and contaminated by a cancer called prejudice.”

Many BSU members are fight-ing for more black faculty and staff

members as well as students to create less of a feeling of isola-tion. Increasing the number of black UCI students is among their list of goals.

“There needs to be a way that, as a campus, we create what I like to call a ‘culture of intolerance for ignorance’ so that everyone under-stands that we will not tolerate the ostracizing of our students because of a lack of understanding cultural differences,” Armstrong said.

“Today is a strike. Today is a walk-out. Today is the day we say enough is enough.”

The demonstrators began march-ing around Ring Mall, gradually increasing in numbers as protesters ran into classrooms and buildings recruit fellow students from their classes to join the protest.

The estimated 800 protest-ers chanted and drummed loudly enough to be heard across campus. They brandished signs reading, “Education is a right” and chanted, “They say cut back, we say fi ght back!”

Some faculty and students came out of their classes to see the com-motion. When asked whether she would join the walkout, one student bystander replied, “I don’t know. I’m just not a big protest person.”

The demonstrators, however, maintained a different view on the protests. When asked about the goal of the protest, second-year compara-tive literature major Vileana De La Rosa smiled and said, “Total disrup-tion.”

As protesters spilled onto Campus Drive, De La Rosa’s goals were re-alized as throngs of students weaved through immobilized traffi c. Cars honked both in support and disap-

proval of the demonstration. Police offi cers and the fi re department re-directed incoming traffi c away from the protesters, allowing the marchers to walk safely through the streets.

“This kind of thing will make the administration hear us,” said Raul Perez, sociology graduate student and member of Worker-Student Al-liance.

The administration building was closed and guarded by police as ear-ly 7:30 a.m. in response to protests. In a written statement, Vice Chan-cellor Manuel Gomez responded to the protest, saying that, “the nation-wide day of action was an important step toward raising awareness.” He

added that actual change would re-quire, “consistent and constructive engagement with legislators.”

After circling campus on Uni-versity Drive and Mesa Road, the protesters left the streets and headed back to campus at 2:45 p.m. in an attempt to occupy Gateway Study Center.

The majority of the group of now 200 protesters remained in the courtyard outside the study center between Langson Library and Gate-way while a small group of students attempted to barricade the doors from inside. After a brief occupa-tion, a smaller group of demonstra-tors changed direction and quickly

moved on to bang on the closed doors of the Aldrich Hall.

Many students within and outside of the movement were surprised by the high turnout of protesters on the UCI campus.

Sarah Bana, executive vice presi-dent of ASUCI, added, “This move-ment shows that UCI does care.”

The four-hour protest fi nished on the grass patch near the fl agpoles where 25 activists voiced closing thoughts.

There will be an open forum next Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in Humani-ties Hall 112 titled “Dispersal of Knowledge” to discuss future ac-tions.

BSU | from page 3

crowd chanted.Of the 111 protests that took place

across the nation on National Day of Action to Defend Public Education, this

rally was among the largest and most diverse. Unlike the protests taking place

at University of California and California State University campuses, this

rally attracted unions, students and educators from high schools, community

colleges, CSUs, UCs and adult schools. The odd LaRouche evangelist and all

five members of the local International Students for Social Equality, a Socialist

offshoot, also showed up.Eighty members of the Los Angeles Police Department were present. One

person, not a protestor, was arrested. According to police, the arrested man was

a homeless bystander. Angered by LaRouche posters that depicted Obama with

a Hitler mustache, the man had gotten into scuffle with LaRouche supporters.

When police attempted to stop the altercation, the man hit a police officer and

was arrested to chants of “Let him go.”For the most part, though, interactions between the crowd and police

remained calm. The police did not wear riot gear and the protestors followed

the March/Rally Guidelines set by the organizers: 1. No violence, 2. No

weapons, 3. No alcohol or illegal drugs, 4. No property destruction and 5. No

littering.Instead, the protesters held signs and chanted in support of public education.

They milled around Pershing Square until about 4:45 p.m. and then moved

down Spring Street to end the rally in front of the Ronald Reagan Government

Building.The crowd was extremely diverse. Some participants were UC alumni like

Margaux Cowden, who holds a graduate degree in comparative literature from

UCI. Cowden explained that she was protesting because, “I think we need to

defend education. It’s really simple. We need to make sure that education is a

right, not a privilege.” In the eight years she spent at UCI, Cowden noticed that “classes got bigger,

graduate student stipends started disappearing” and more and more undergradu-

ates began missing classes in order to work.Others were like Magdalena Garcia, who has two children in the public school

system and never had the chance to attend college. She was attending the protest

because as a parent, she worries about the cuts to K-12. As a student, she worries

about the future of the adult school where she attends English classes.

Garcia thinks that few people appreciate the value of these adult education pro-

grams. Cutting these programs hurt not only the adult, but also that adult’s children.

“If I don’t know English, I can’t help my kids with their homework, I can’t talk to

their teachers,” Garcia said. Garcia knows that her daughters face many challenges at school, but said, “I want

them to go to college, because then they will get a better job and have a better life. I

want them to be leaders, they shouldn’t have to suffer just because we are poor.”

Garica and Margaux represented only two of many perspectives at the rally last

Thursday. Custodians and school nurses, student teachers and classroom veterans all

gathered in defense of public education.At times, the protest’s targets seemed nebulous and the solutions offered wildly

divergent. Supporters of Assembly Bills 540, which lowers tuition for undocumented

students, and 656, which raises oil taxes for education funding, were among the many

petitioners circulating. Others called for prison reform and yet others called for the

dissolution of the military. However, all of these groups shared a conviction in the importance of quality

education. From his perch on the back of a yellow Penske truck loaded

with protestors, Cal State Los Angeles student Hector Lopez

promised, “This is just the beginning. We are making a

statement.”

UCI | from page 1