Editorial: Student activism placed on back burner
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Opinion
This university is drowning in apathy.
For the past several years the California State University system has been hit hard with fee increases and budget cuts while the majority of the students has sat idle.
More than 2,000 students descended on the Capitol on Monday to protest more than $1 billion in education cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. About 1 percent of the protestors were from Chico State.
Students generated more enthusiasm about Cesar Chavez Day, many uniting under a haze of ignorance to celebrate a man they have little knowledge of by chugging tequila and Mexican beer.
For those who made the trip to the Capitol and others who have taken up the banner for just causes around campus whether student fees, promoting multiculturalism or community activism, The Orion applauds their efforts.
Yet the student majority continues to ignore rising education costs, student-directed legislation or how student government performs.
Almost all, if not every other university or city college at the Sacramento rally outnumbered Chico State in protestors.
The bus to Sacramento had 56 seats and 56 people scheduled to go, but fewer than 20 students boarded. San Francisco State sent five buses filled with activists who wanted to make their voices heard.
But the lack of concern spreads deeper than state politics.
The Disorderly Events Ordinance will take effect in less than a month after council members approved it last week, even though the ordinance is a direct swipe at students' civil rights to assemble on their own private property.
In an effort to make it a ballot measure, a small group of concerned students and citizens collected more than 4,900 signatures. Though they only needed 4,321, a sample showed more than one-third of the signatures were invalid. If 1,200 more registered voters on campus signed the petition it may have at least momentarily put a halt to this student-targeted ordinance.
Campus laziness is even evident in its support of student government.
Only 2,601 of the 15,710 students enrolled last spring bothered to vote in the Associated Students election, even though the A.S. gets $222 from each student each semester.
Often officers running for each position go unquestioned by students and are voted into office without directives to change anything.
Every student who attends Chico State got here through determination and drive. That attitude should cross over into realms other than focusing on studies and kicking back on the weekends.
It's time we do something for the future generations that will attend this university or the Chico State experience will be little more than a costly, uninspiring place to spend a college career.
Editorial Board
Ashley Gebb, managing editor
Olga Munoz, news editor
Mike Murphy, opinion editor
Ryan Van Fleet, sports editor
Leslie Williams, entertainment editor
Cari Radford, features editor
David Flannery, photo editor
Genny McLaren, chief copy editor
Chelsea Accursi, online editor
For the past several years the California State University system has been hit hard with fee increases and budget cuts while the majority of the students has sat idle.
More than 2,000 students descended on the Capitol on Monday to protest more than $1 billion in education cuts proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. About 1 percent of the protestors were from Chico State.
Students generated more enthusiasm about Cesar Chavez Day, many uniting under a haze of ignorance to celebrate a man they have little knowledge of by chugging tequila and Mexican beer.
For those who made the trip to the Capitol and others who have taken up the banner for just causes around campus whether student fees, promoting multiculturalism or community activism, The Orion applauds their efforts.
Yet the student majority continues to ignore rising education costs, student-directed legislation or how student government performs.
Almost all, if not every other university or city college at the Sacramento rally outnumbered Chico State in protestors.
The bus to Sacramento had 56 seats and 56 people scheduled to go, but fewer than 20 students boarded. San Francisco State sent five buses filled with activists who wanted to make their voices heard.
But the lack of concern spreads deeper than state politics.
The Disorderly Events Ordinance will take effect in less than a month after council members approved it last week, even though the ordinance is a direct swipe at students' civil rights to assemble on their own private property.
In an effort to make it a ballot measure, a small group of concerned students and citizens collected more than 4,900 signatures. Though they only needed 4,321, a sample showed more than one-third of the signatures were invalid. If 1,200 more registered voters on campus signed the petition it may have at least momentarily put a halt to this student-targeted ordinance.
Campus laziness is even evident in its support of student government.
Only 2,601 of the 15,710 students enrolled last spring bothered to vote in the Associated Students election, even though the A.S. gets $222 from each student each semester.
Often officers running for each position go unquestioned by students and are voted into office without directives to change anything.
Every student who attends Chico State got here through determination and drive. That attitude should cross over into realms other than focusing on studies and kicking back on the weekends.
It's time we do something for the future generations that will attend this university or the Chico State experience will be little more than a costly, uninspiring place to spend a college career.
Editorial Board
Ashley Gebb, managing editor
Olga Munoz, news editor
Mike Murphy, opinion editor
Ryan Van Fleet, sports editor
Leslie Williams, entertainment editor
Cari Radford, features editor
David Flannery, photo editor
Genny McLaren, chief copy editor
Chelsea Accursi, online editor
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Baller
posted 4/23/08 @ 11:53 AM PST
Some really good points were made here, it's sad only around 30 total students showed up. However, I was there and only two people from the Orion editorial board were there, and they happen to be responsible for the photos and the main story itself. (Continued…)
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