PROTESTS ESCALATE in an Attempt to Establish an Autonomous Community, Students Barricaded Themselves in a Campus Building
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Vol. 87 Issue 15 March 4, 2010 Day of Action All levels of education unite in protest across California Cal State University students and faculty from the 23 campuses around the state will protest fee increases, budget cuts and furloughs. They will be joined by others from more than 100 different schools representing education ranging from K-12 to doctorate programs. occupation day THURSDAY Prior to ‘Day of Action,’ M.E.Ch.A. rallies on campus and other protesters barricade themselves inside the Humanities building. 3/3/2010 The Student Voice of California State University, Fullerton furlough fest PROTESTS ESCALATE In an attempt to establish an autonomous community, students barricaded themselves in a campus building 10/20/2009 BY LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ Daily Titan News Editor [email protected] At 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, a group PHOTOS DAILY TITAN ARCHIVE of students from three different Southern Cal- Students hold Furlough Fest, a three-day campout on campus during the ifornia universities barricaded themselves in campus-mandated furlough week. Cal State Fullerton’s Humanities building in response to a university document that stated, petitioners hit titan walk “The fact that (literature, philosophy, and fine arts) are traditional parts of comprehensive universities is no longer a strong enough argu- ment to the public.” James Goebel, a 23-year-old philosophy major and one of the students who barricaded themselves inside the building, elaborated on his interpretation of the university document released by Interim Director of University Planning Michael Parker. 10/13/2009 “Parker stated that education should only be geared toward the global market, that jobs that prepare you for business and communi- cation are easily justifiable, but programs that don’t seem to contribute to the economy are esoteric. So if it’s the case that the university Protesters occupy Titan Walk with flyers, banners and posters in an effort sees us as obsolete or irrelevant, then we take to encourage involvement and participation among CSUF students. over a building and we run it ourselves. So we essentially want to try and establish an autono- day of opposition mous zone in the university system,” Goebel said. “It is a very idealistic vision, and if you can defend the building long enough and have a community that is willing to engage with the occupation, then you secede from the univer- sity.” Among the students from CSUF, University of California Irvine and Claremont Commu- nity College (CCC) who were involved in the 9/29/2009 occupation, were members from the “Elephant in the Room” group. See BARRICADED, Page 2 Protesters lead a march through campus, interrupting classes and chanting “Hell no, furlough!” protest preparation PHOTO COURTESY MAKE BELIEVE COMMITTEE The protesters used tipped-over dumpsters and bike racks PHOTO BY CHRISTA CONNELLY/Daily Titan Photo Editor to barricade themselves inside the Humanities building. Ally Bordas signs a poster outside of the Humanities building during M.E.Ch. A.’s pre-protest for the March ‘Forth’ event. 9/28/2009 ASI supports higher education funding CSUF students plan and prepare for “The Day of Opposition” against BY ZAM ANWAR AND BRENNA PHILLIPS “ASI feels it is important to support the best way to show their support is have the message extend be- budget cuts, furloughs and a 32 percent hike in student fees. Daily Titan Staff Writers the student body, so we are doing a to attend classes as usual. yond the March 4 protests. [email protected] silent protest to support them,” said “I respect their point of view,” said “I want this to be a the elephant in the room Kathy Ting-Ting Yu, ASI chief ad- Rahima Schwenkbeck, 25, a graduate statewide rallying Members of the Associated Stu- ministrative officer. student of American studies. “But I cry for the rest dents Inc. gathered at the Garden “We do want to fight for higher want to raise awareness by attending of the year,” Cafe in the Titan Student Union education, but we are doing it by my classes and hopefully make other W a s h i n g t o n Wednesday night standing unified students aware by being in class.” said. in preparation for and doing it in a Schwenkbeck, who heard about the the “Mobilization This is in peaceful manner.” preparation for the campaign through for Education” preparation for Ting-Ting Yu the school e-mail, said that she was protests that will “ said that the ASI making a t-shirt that she plans to wear will not be par- to class and to the protest that she 9/25/2009 be held statewide tomorrow’s rally for today. ticipating in any will participate in, in LA. ASI members higher education, walkouts or pro- Washington feels it is im- and students gar- and hopefully we’re tests. portant to maintain the nished 200 plain “If you are idea behind “Reinvest- white shirts with going to make it into fighting for educa- ment in Higher the motto “Re- a larger campaign tion and value it, Education” as Students, faculty and staff meet to voice their concerns at the first invest in Higher then why would part of ASI’s “Elephant in the Room” meeting. Education” in for the rest of the you even think m i s s i o n black paint Tues- “ of walking out a n d CSULB buries higher education day and Wednes- semester. of classes? Just by day nights. – Gregory Washington wearing the shirts “This is in ASI chief governmental we will stand in preparation for officer solidarity,” she tomorrow’s rally said. for higher edu- Many cation and hopefully we’re going to faculty, staff and students make it into a larger campaign for will be attending the the rest of the semester,” said Gregory march in Los An- 9/23/2009 Washington, ASI chief governmental geles or staging officer. walkouts, but ASI members, who prefer not to ASI mem- take a stance on the protest, are wear- b e r s ing the t-shirts as a form of peaceful feel protest and will pass them out to stu- dents on campus to get them more CSULB faculty and students helped organize an event to simulate the involved. symbolic funeral of ‘California’s Master Plan for Higher Education.’ 2 March 4, 2010 IN OTHER NEWS NPR sheds light on sexual assault BY KATIE ROSSOMANO year at University of Wisconsin. INTERNATIONAL Daily Titan Staff Writer Dunn said that the night of the as- At least 33 Iraqis die in 3 pre-election bombings [email protected] sault she had been drinking heavily at a party. She went with two trusted National Public Radio collaborated male acquaintances to stop by a house BAGHDAD – Three powerful suicide bombings killed at least 33 people with journalists from The Center for on the way to the next party, but while and wounded more than 50 Wednesday in the restive Diyala province north- they were there the two men raped her east of Baghdad, authorities said. Most of those killed and wounded were Public Integrity to perform a one year Iraqi police officers charged with securing the province’s capital city ahead of investigation of how colleges and uni- while she was semiconscious. elections Sunday. versities handle cases of sexual assault. Unfortunately, Dunn’s reported The blasts occurred in quick succession, targeting police buildings in They found, according to a report experience is common among college Baqouba, the capital of Diyala, where local authorities are still battling Sunni by NPR, that “... even the best-inten- rape victims. Leavy said that at CSUF, Muslim extremists. The insurgents use the area’s orchards and farmlands to tioned of colleges are ill-equipped to 90 percent of rape cases are acquain- hide out since the United States and Iraqi offensives drove them from Bagh- investigate rape on campus, and mete tance rape and the 90 percent involve dad and the west. out adequate punishments.” NPR alcohol. “Alcohol is the number one The attacks were the deadliest so far in the tense period ahead of Iraq’s par- began discussing the investigation on date rape drug,” Leavy said. liamentary elections. air Feb. 24 and it will continue this Dunn remained silent about the at- week. tack until over a year later when a pro- Susan Leavy is the acting director of fessor mentioned rape during lecture. NATIONAL Cal State Fullerton’s Women’s Center, The professor said that assaults could Campus Crime Prevention Coordina- be reported to the dean of students. Governor faces scandal over baseball tickets tor and is a licensed marriage and fam- After class, Dunn went to the dean ily therapist. and reported the assault. NEW YORK – A New York ethics panel on Wednesday accused Gov. Da- “I am not surprised (by NPR and Kandy Mink Salas, Dean of Stu- vid Paterson of lying under oath and of improperly taking Yankee baseball CPI’s conclusions), but that is not the dents at CSUF, said that she would tickets, the latest scandal for the official who was forced to give up his chance case at our school. We take sexual as- always encourage a student who expe- to seek a full term this year. sault very seriously here,” Leavy said. rienced sexual assault to report it and The accusation, which could cost the governor about $100,000 in penalties, to pursue a campus judicial hearing was also referred to prosecutors in Albany, the state capital, who could bring CPI and NPR reporters sought criminal charges against Paterson, fighting to stay in office after allegations he to examine the potential causes of a and/or other legal action.