Travis Vail / Roundup
Members of the Associated Student Organization (ASO) gathered in the Great Hall today in preparation for a student protest tomorrow that is expected to draw hundreds of students and will close major streets surrounding the campus.
The rally is titled Enough is Enough, and is aimed at preventing continued budget cuts in California community colleges.
It will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a sit-in around the Brahma Bull statue, and proceed down Brahma Drive until participating students gather near the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue.
Jonathan Fackler, who is an ASO senator and chairman of its scholarship committee, has acquired a special event permit from the police department that will allow the aforementioned streets to be closed from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
According to the permit, approximately 500 students are expected to participate in the event, but members of the ASO are optimistic about tomorrow’s turnout.
“[Tomorrow’s turnout] is a number I wish I knew; we’re predicting at least 450,” said ASO President Daniel Axelrod. “An email was sent out to the entire school, so we don’t know yet.”
According to Axelrod, the event will require 20 participants to act as regulators, aiding the police in keeping the crowd calm and under control. These protestors will be designated by wearing red and green armbands.
Andrea Murray, who is a member of the scholarship and public welfare committees within the ASO, expressed optimism for tomorrow’s rally in spite of uncertainty regarding the result.
“I want everyone to get involved and have a voice this time,” said Murray. “I hope that the outcome is big enough to be remembered. I hope students don’t just leave class for the sake of leaving class.”
The Pierce College faculty has varied opinions on the protest.
Marco De La Garza, the current dean of Student Services, expressed support by sending a promotional email to every address in the LAPC system.
However, other faculty such as Richard Skidmore, who is an instructor of business administration, has concerns about the event because of adverse effects it may have on upcoming events like the May Job Fair.
“I do have a concern that this type of activity, as valuable as you see it, will discourage our businesses from participation in the May Job Fair; they do make their decisions early,” said Skidmore in a response to De La Garza’s mass email.
In spite of controversy, the ASO members that were present in the Great Hall today voted to officially carry out their plans for tomorrow.
“We are students like everyone else here; we have every right to do this,” said David Bromberg, an ASO senator. “The idea of community college is that everyone should have access to an education; that idea is dying.”
In addition to the Roundup, the ASO expects coverage from the Los Angeles Times, Daily News and Spanish language network: Univision.