SMC Students Rallying in Sacramento for Community-College Funding

One hundred sixty-five students, faculty and administrators from are joining their peers from community colleges across California for Monday's “March in March” in Sacramento. Up to 20,000 students, faculty and staff representing an estimated 91 community colleges are expected to participate in the rally for community-college funding, which is being scaled back at SMC and other schools.

The Associated Students—SMC's student government—funded the students' participation in the protest, to the tune of $6,000. They left at 10:45 p.m. on Sunday night, taking three buses up to the State Capitol.

The rally is due to begin at 9:30 a.m. outside the California Automobile Museum, followed by the march approximately an hour later. The "March in March" is being organized by the Student Senate for California Community Colleges and the California Community College Student Affairs Association, the latter of which is comprised by advisers.

Budget cuts are a chief concern among those involved with education in virtually any capacity throughout California. Students, faculty and administrators at SMC are no exception; in with Santa Monica Patch, President Dr. Chui Tsang said the school is facing an $11 million deficit in 2011-12. The school plans to freeze all current salaries and reduce course offerings, among other measures.

In Gov. Jerry Brown's , funding for community colleges would be cut by 5 percent, and community-college classes would cost $36 per unit instead of $26. The Associated Students say a worst-case scenario would see the figure rise to $66 per unit. The group also says SMC's winter session might be eliminated and the summer session could be reduced by one-third.

Earlier this year, SMC administrators informed the students that the school is facing particularly severe budget cuts.

"Nobody seemed to be doing anything about it, which really upset me a lot," said Tobias Deml, a second-year student. The 21-year-old is the director of publicity for the Associated Students and organized the SMC students' participation in the "March in March."

While it is uncertain what influence the action might have on Sacramento legislators, Deml says he has seen college-related protests affect change in his home country of Austria. Last year, however, he went to a similar action in downtown Los Angeles and was disappointed to discover no more than 5,000 people in attendance.

"Hearing about [the protest] this year, being in the position I'm in [with the Associated Students], gives me a chance to make a mark in something I care about," he said.

Deml said one of his teachers told their class, " 'If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.' With all actions, you never know what the outcome is going to be, but you have to hope."

SMC Dean of Student Life Deyna Hearn, who provides administrative leadership to the Associated Students but is not attending the protest, was unsure about the impact the "March in March" may have.

"Some folks seem to think that by the time they do their marches, it'll be too late, but some folks think not," she said. Hearn noted that a similar march in Sacramento in 2004, which was heavily attended by staff and administrators, was better coordinated.

But, she added, "I'm looking forward to hearing from students when they return, about their whole experience. "I hope it's not just an exercise but something that will bring about some type of result."

Legislators will soon to vote on whether to put Brown's proposed extension of temporary tax increases on the November ballot. But even if the extension were to pass, drastic cuts would still likely be made to education in California.

Deml says that, earlier last week, he wasn't sure if SMC's participation in the "March in March" would come to fruition. As of Tuesday, only 23 people had signed up for the buses. 

"I was anxious we wouldn't even get two buses together," he said. "And then on Thursday, me and [other Associated Students] ran around campus and posted information everywhere."

In the end, the group had to turn down students who expressed interest after the buses were already booked to maximum capacity. They're planning to return to the SMC main campus around 11 p.m. on Monday.

A follow-up event called "Hands Across California" will be held Apr. 17, a month before the 25th anniversary of "Hands Across America." More than 1.5 million people representing nearly all of the state's 112 community colleges are expected to take part in the effort, creating a 1,500-mile human chain throughout California. It is intended to encompass San Diego, the Inland Empire, the Central Valley, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County.