The student body at California State University, Fresno has suffered more so far this academic year than any in recent memory.

We have been forced to pay more for less, compromising our hard-earned money, our schedules, our time, even our graduation dates for a financial crisis which, while not easy to place blame on, is surely not the fault of 18 to 22-year-old college students.

Our wallets are thinner, we are taking on more and more long-term debt, and while a furlough day off seems nice, it amounts to just another way of getting less for what you pay for. Even the on-campus bar cut its hours earlier this year to save money.

The student section for tonight̢۪s football game is sold out, and instead of offering seats in other sections at the $15 student price, the athletic department chooses to make students either sit out or pay $35 for a ticket.

And how have students reacted? With a collective yawn. An August rally to protest the budget titled “Vent at the Tentâ€Â was almost completely ignored. A town hall meeting with President Welty on Sept. 8 yielded about 50 students out of a total of more than 20,000. A protest held this Wednesday yielded somewhat better support, but in general students simply do not seem interested.

Things were not always this way. Students at Fresno State staged protest rallies and even invaded the Joyal Administration Building in reaction to events taking place in the early 1970s. The Collegian would not advocate such action, but students need to have their voices heard. We as a whole must stop being apathetic. We need to question the actions of our governing bodies. Find out when Associated Students, Inc. meetings are and what is said at them. Examine why the on-campus amphitheater has not held a concert in three years. See for yourself why the athletic department is suddenly reporting a $883,000 surplus for last year̢۪s budget when it predicted a $1.2 million deficit in February.

Students have spoken up on issues in the recent past. When a story surfaced last fall about ASI executives consuming alcohol during a retreat it yielded several online comments and letters to the editor that expressed outrage. A few weeks later the two executives — who had been on probation — resigned from their positions.

Budgets may not have the sizzle of public scandals, but they have a much greater impact on the everyday lives of citizens. If a friend asked for several hundred dollars one would probably take the time to examine why they needed it. We should treat it no differently when the California State University system insists it has no other way to raise funds.

An informed and educated public causes frustration for governments and trustees by holding them accountable. An apathetic public causes frustration only for itself in the form of abusive policies, unnecessary taxation and simple neglect from those higher in the system who have nothing else to keep them in check.

If we can take notice of scandals and trivial stories, if we can take note of what Kanye West says about Taylor Swift and what Barack Obama says about Kanye West, then we as the students of Fresno State can surely take equal note of decisions which directly affect our wallets, our careers and our lives.