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.
Sean Lowrie • Oct 21, 2009 at 1:55 pm
More or less I agree with the drift of the article.
Especially
“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.”
My wish (starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight…) is that we all work freaking hard at educating ourselves in the most unsanitary, politically incorrect, liberal way we can. So many views out there are so.. sanitary it makes me wretch. Read up, read deep, be relentless as liberty seems to have accumulated many enemies in the past eighty years.
Also, if you feel helpless, just talk to those you know. Don’t be a political ass, we all hate those folks. I just talk with anyone whose willing to talk and I never ever state anything in anything less than complete honesty. I’m getting good results, and I bet you will too.
-Sean
Sean Lowrie • Oct 21, 2009 at 8:55 pm
More or less I agree with the drift of the article.
Especially
“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.”
My wish (starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight…) is that we all work freaking hard at educating ourselves in the most unsanitary, politically incorrect, liberal way we can. So many views out there are so.. sanitary it makes me wretch. Read up, read deep, be relentless as liberty seems to have accumulated many enemies in the past eighty years.
Also, if you feel helpless, just talk to those you know. Don’t be a political ass, we all hate those folks. I just talk with anyone whose willing to talk and I never ever state anything in anything less than complete honesty. I’m getting good results, and I bet you will too.
-Sean
Stephen • Sep 20, 2009 at 5:06 pm
First off, I believe we’re on the same side. Second, kids/college kids means the younger students as opposed to the older. Lastly, if most students didn’t care about instant results from taking action wouldn’t there be more student involvement? The students that are involved know the hard work and dedication it takes to get results, as you probably do.
Stephen • Sep 21, 2009 at 12:06 am
First off, I believe we’re on the same side. Second, kids/college kids means the younger students as opposed to the older. Lastly, if most students didn’t care about instant results from taking action wouldn’t there be more student involvement? The students that are involved know the hard work and dedication it takes to get results, as you probably do.
Jared Harper • Sep 20, 2009 at 3:18 pm
in regards to STEPHEN:
Kids? please elaborate on what you mena by kids? If you mean students then you got the wrong campus, this isnt a k-12 school Students are well intellignet enough to know when the sytem is taking advantage of them.
The other part is that….why is it so possible for corruption and votes like the CSU trustess to enact instant gratification for themselves where they can raise fees in a matter of just a couple of months…they TAKE ACTION, and continue to do so, yet when we want something that should belong to us and TAKE ACTION, it takes years even decades….and you say we want instant gratification.
please STEPHEN tell me you didnt explain yourself right.
Jared Harper • Sep 20, 2009 at 10:18 pm
in regards to STEPHEN:
Kids? please elaborate on what you mena by kids? If you mean students then you got the wrong campus, this isnt a k-12 school Students are well intellignet enough to know when the sytem is taking advantage of them.
The other part is that….why is it so possible for corruption and votes like the CSU trustess to enact instant gratification for themselves where they can raise fees in a matter of just a couple of months…they TAKE ACTION, and continue to do so, yet when we want something that should belong to us and TAKE ACTION, it takes years even decades….and you say we want instant gratification.
please STEPHEN tell me you didnt explain yourself right.
Stephen • Sep 19, 2009 at 1:39 pm
The problem is a large majority of these kids want stuff to be done for them all of the time and want instant gratification if they do take action.
Stephen • Sep 19, 2009 at 8:39 pm
The problem is a large majority of these kids want stuff to be done for them all of the time and want instant gratification if they do take action.
T J Richmond • Sep 19, 2009 at 1:44 am
Well, what can we do? I feel like I’m surrounded by so many students who are indifferent to the things going on all around them, that I also am becoming apathetic. It seems that a lot of people don’t care, or care but don’t do/say anything. At the protest on Wednesday, only sixty or so students showed up. Out of how many? Doesn’t make sense. They’re pretty much giving all those in power permission to take their money and run. Maybe they’re simply paying for the social opportunities, ya know, to stand around and do nothing with a bunch of other people. Or maybe it’s so they can visit our wonderful new library and get a mocha latte frapuccino, grande upside down with low fat milk and artificial sweetener. WHY ARE PEOPLE HERE IF THEY DON’T CARE? Okay, a plan to sensationalize the budget problem. Maybe there’s a young student out there who has been forced out of the university due to lack of classes. Maybe they just happen to end up engaging in some kind of criminal activity. The headline will read, “Budget Cuts–A Way to Get Kids in Jail.” Or something to that effect. But maybe that would be wrong. Sad thing is, only the people who don’t share a sense of the apathy that plagues this institution are going to be reading this article. Well, what can we do?
T J Richmond • Sep 19, 2009 at 8:44 am
Well, what can we do? I feel like I’m surrounded by so many students who are indifferent to the things going on all around them, that I also am becoming apathetic. It seems that a lot of people don’t care, or care but don’t do/say anything. At the protest on Wednesday, only sixty or so students showed up. Out of how many? Doesn’t make sense. They’re pretty much giving all those in power permission to take their money and run. Maybe they’re simply paying for the social opportunities, ya know, to stand around and do nothing with a bunch of other people. Or maybe it’s so they can visit our wonderful new library and get a mocha latte frapuccino, grande upside down with low fat milk and artificial sweetener. WHY ARE PEOPLE HERE IF THEY DON’T CARE? Okay, a plan to sensationalize the budget problem. Maybe there’s a young student out there who has been forced out of the university due to lack of classes. Maybe they just happen to end up engaging in some kind of criminal activity. The headline will read, “Budget Cuts–A Way to Get Kids in Jail.” Or something to that effect. But maybe that would be wrong. Sad thing is, only the people who don’t share a sense of the apathy that plagues this institution are going to be reading this article. Well, what can we do?
Kim • Sep 18, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Great article, but why do i always get the sense that some people are dedicated to flooding the “RECENT COMMENTS” so that discussion such as this will not get exposure and draw attention. Instead there are wacked comments of nothing on other stories.
Just an observation i noticed.
Kim • Sep 18, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Great article, but why do i always get the sense that some people are dedicated to flooding the “RECENT COMMENTS” so that discussion such as this will not get exposure and draw attention. Instead there are wacked comments of nothing on other stories.
Just an observation i noticed.
Jared Harper • Sep 18, 2009 at 9:04 am
Thank you so much Collegian for doing this. I hope more students will get their heads straight and protest and ask questions. Whomever wrote this article has my respect hands down.
I saw the students and teachers get together and it was amazing, but i also saw a bunch of other useless student groups just standing watching doing nothing.All week long I also see useless student groups in the Free speech playing music, dancing, looking pretty or tough with their three letter symbols, and they still sit back and do nothing. Reminds me of high school when all we did was try to be cute or tough.
There was a time when students took on ASI and even Welty, as i saw it unfold before my eyes. We need that momentum again now more than ever. What happened to those students who led that fight for students rights?
Did they fall asleep? how do we get our rights back as tax-paying, and fee paying citizens?
Jared Harper • Sep 18, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Thank you so much Collegian for doing this. I hope more students will get their heads straight and protest and ask questions. Whomever wrote this article has my respect hands down.
I saw the students and teachers get together and it was amazing, but i also saw a bunch of other useless student groups just standing watching doing nothing.All week long I also see useless student groups in the Free speech playing music, dancing, looking pretty or tough with their three letter symbols, and they still sit back and do nothing. Reminds me of high school when all we did was try to be cute or tough.
There was a time when students took on ASI and even Welty, as i saw it unfold before my eyes. We need that momentum again now more than ever. What happened to those students who led that fight for students rights?
Did they fall asleep? how do we get our rights back as tax-paying, and fee paying citizens?