Feature Archives

On March 11th, hundreds of protesters gathered in San Francisco, calling for the state to prioritize California's children and their education and demanding job security for educators. Governor Schwarzenegger's 2008-09 budget proposes a $4.8 billion cut in state education funds. Preparing for this eventuality, the San Francisco Board of Education sent out 535 pink slips to teachers and administrators this week.

Cruz Molina, one of two UCSC freshman targeted for supporting anti-expansion protests, was scheduled to have a student hearing on March 13th at the UCSC Inn in Santa Cruz. Supporters of Cruz say he is being scapegoated and that the UC is trying to hold him responsible for all past, present and future actions of the tree-sit protest. Without explanation, UCSC canceled the hearing.

As the longest running festival of its kind, the UCSC Women of Color Film and Video Festival has sparked dialogue across communities – locally, nationally, and trans-nationally – by providing a platform for critical explorations at the intersections of race, nation, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. The festival took place March 14th and 15th at UC Santa Cruz along with spoken word and hip-hop on Friday night at the Hide Gallery in Santa Cruz.

On March 10th, Judge Paul Burdick of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court ruled that the University of California's lawsuit was an attack on the first amendment rights of at least two tree sit supporters. A motion to strike from the lawsuit tree sit Media Support person Jennifer Charles and tree sit supporter Oliver Schmid was granted. Because the case involved the first amendment, the University will be asked to pay Charles' and Schmid's lawyers fees, on top of the money spent serving the injunction and on the University's own lawyers.

Science Hill tree-sit organizers and supporters write, "As you may have heard, on February 24th, some kind of protest took place at the home of a UCSC researcher who experiments on animals. Hyped-up news articles and administrative messages on campus have led some people to associate this protest with the Tree-Sit on Science Hill. We wish to take this opportunity to make it clear that the tree-sit is NOT affiliated."

On Wednesday, March 5th, 2008, several students at San Francisco State University came together to Reclaim the Quad in protest of the fee hikes. Since 2002, fees have gone up 94% -- making education inaccessible and unaffordable to working class students. The latest fee increases and budget cuts have caused students to pay more for less. Students on campus have been organizing to demand an end to the fee hikes using direct-action and educational outreach.

On February 28th, UC Santa Cruz workers represented by the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, and backed by students, demonstrated for justice, dignity and a fair working contract. Over 350 people took part in the largest demonstration of the school year in support of UCSC's most underpaid workers. Instead of making demands outside the Chancellor's office, workers and students got UCSC's attention by lining McLaughlin Drive and twice shutting down Hagar Drive. Students and workers felt empowered by seeing how easily they can bring UCSC to a halt.