What Does it Take For a Student Protest?

Since the beginning of the semester we have seen Cal State Long Beach students try to protest the hike in tuition fees, but what does it really take for ALL students to speak out?
We have heard of students who marched up to Sacramento in large mobs to protest and yet there is no sign of more aid from the State. Some CSULB students share what it would take for the entire student body to form a large protest.
"For me I think it would take for the tuition to double at what it is now," said freshmen Saul Flores.
Others like Samantha Grimmick disagree and say that the way it is now is reason enough to have all students involved.
"I stood outside Brotman Hall, not all think like me so I think it would take another ten percent increase to have more students doing something about it," she added.
No matter what the opinions of students are, one thing is for sure: students do not want any more fee hikes.

Picture Credit: College Life

Farewell to Summer Aid

The 2010 summer session will no longer provide students with the opportunity of financial aid.
This means that if students are interested in attending summer school it will have to be self-supported. This is just another change due to the recent budget cuts.
Some students like Suzanne Pinn who is a junior criminal justice major, says that she is going to think twice about attending summer school because she is one of the many students at CSULB who depend on financial aid.
"I can't afford to take out a loan so I don't think I'll be attending summer school," she said.
In addition to elimination of financial aid for the summer session, according to a story on the Daily 49er the fees per unit will also increase. Fees will from from $217 from last summer to $250 per unit.
Aaron Mindiola a sophomore communications major said that "its already bad that they are taking financial aid away and now they also increase fees which will make it that much harder for students who really need summer school."

Story Credit: Daily 49er

Budget Talk at The Nugget

CSULB President F. King Alexander attended a Beer & Politics forum at The Nugget to address the budget issue.
President Alexander assured that there would be an end to all this as long as the State stopped cutting the budget from the higher education system.
There was a full house that night and it was good to see that students had tough questions for him.
"I attended with an agressive mindset," said senior art major, John Nyugen. "I wanted to make loud and clear that we (students) are tired of this and we want a solution fast," he added.
President Alexander answered all questions and urged students to remember that the bad guys are those run the State.


For the video click here.

Picture Credit: CSULB
Video Credit: Daily 49er

CSULB Recieves $2.6M for Research

The U.S. Department of Defense office of Naval Research will support the university's Center for the Commercial Deployment of Transportation Technologies.
According to a story in the Press-Telegram, co-director of the center, Steven Hinds, stated that part of the funds will be used to evaluate vessels to form a larger vessel that is capable of crossing the ocean at high speeds.
This type of funding serves a different purpose from the much talked about budget cuts, but it helps with funds that CSULB would otherwise not be able to provide.
In addition the new vessels would also have long, narrow hulls that would allow ships to go faster and at the same time use less fuel.
The U.S. military wants CSULB to evaluate SeaTrain technologies being developed by outside organizations.

Story Credit: Press-Telegram

Cookie for Cuts

Associated Students Inc. hosted an event called "Cookie for Cuts" to get students involved against the budget cuts.

The event served as both a fundraiser and a hands-on event for students to do something about the drastic changes the university has had to make. Students were able to to toss pies at a picture of the Capitol and write letters to be directly sent to Sacramento.

"This event was great, I participated by writing a letter talking about how the budget cuts have impacted me, " said Esmeralda Vargas, a sophomore communications major student.

Other opted to toss the pie at the picture to get some of that frustration out of their system.

Osvaldo Lopez, a junior history major stated that the pie toss to him meant that students will no longer take more budget cuts and that they are the "target" to help stop all this.

According to ASI students, the funds raised by the bake sale will be donated to the California State University system to support the fight to save higher education.

Picture Credit: Press-Telegram

Yet ANOTHER Furlough...

On a Monday when school should be just like any other day, campus is closed to all students and faculty.
November 2 and yet another furlough leaves students at CSULB with much to say.
James Chan, 21, business major said, "It's not so much that we don't have class because it is nice to have a day off but its the fact that we are still paying for those days that classes are furloughed is what bothers me."
Tuition has increased since the last academic year and now almost a semester over how do students feel about the crisis?
"Honestly, I do not care anymore," said Hemma Khzmann. "I don't have to worry about tuition anymore since I graduate in the spring."
There are different reactions from students across campus depending on how much more time they have until graduation. Furloughs to some many not be a big issue and take advantage of the time off.
"Since the library is my usual place to study and it was closed I didn't study so I used the time off to visit family during the long weekend," stated Andrea Carson.
The local KCAL television station reported live on Monday to speak more about the furlough.

Video Credit: KCAL