Strike, Walk out Rally

For those of you who aren't aware, I've just started graduate school in Community Development at UC Davis. 

I just participated in a rally of several thousand students, faculty, and staff to protest student fee hikes, faculty furloughs, and staff lay offs and pay cuts. Held in the middle of campus, representatives of students, faculty, and staff spoke eloquently about the mission statement stray that has befallen the UC over the past 20 years. They spoke about the major transition from a university system that was conceptualized at inception to be publicly supported- free to the top 10% of California high school graduates, to one that now costs 100% more than it did 5 years ago, with an expected 32% fee increase this year. 

I was shocked to see the amount of students who came out to the demonstration. It included both the usual percentage of ruffians and rabble rousers as well as hundreds of average looking college freshman in attendance. I suppose I'm surprised because I expected Davis to be a complacent mild-mannered college town. Contented to ride bicycles, and distracted by GE requirements, constant testing, and fraternity parties, I expected students here to be disengaged from the political reality of the world around them. 

Not disregarding the circumstances, it was inspiring to see on the first day of class. I hope that the UC administration and indeed the state legislature, who are both in part responsible for the budget deficiencies and subsequent decisions take due note. 

For more information about the concerns of graduate students, and for a more in-depth analysis of the issues, please see links provide.