Coburn Palmer/Roundup
The first walkout in Pierce College history started with a sit-in around the Brahma Bull statue and a rousing speech by professor James McKeever before leaving campus for a march down the middle of Victory Boulevard.
“They are killing education for the working class,” said McKeever. “School will always be there for the rich.”
Cuts in the education budget affect not only how much teachers are paid and financial aid, but also the number of classes offered.
Concerned student Emily Jackman covered her mouth with tape, which said, “don’t muzzle my future,” and carried a sign as she stood with a crowd of students on the corner of Victory and Winnetka.
Jackman, a linguistics and anthropology major, works full time in order to put herself through school.
“I have friends who had the same number of units and they had to crash four of their classes,” Jackman said.
This protest was organized by the ASO largely through social media including the Pierce College website and Facebook.
ASO president Daniel Axelrod plans to continue by registering as many students to vote as possible.
“It’s [the rally] a success when they don’t cut our classes,” said Axelrod.