The Mock Funeral began with a small march around the Library Quad, gathering the first 100 or so students. As the march grew it's span encompassed the entirety of the Library Quad!!!
As the crowd began to grow larger than expected, faster than expected, we moved into the grassy area of the Library Quad and proceeded to start the "funeral service" in rememberence to California's committment to the higher education master plan. Even the sun came out in attendence...
There was a small coffin placed in the middle of the gathering, symbolizing the Mock Funeral. A number of student and faculty speakers rallied the crowd, creating a beautiful energy that hadn't been present at Sac State in a long time.
Students went into an uproar when they learned that a now ex-senior official in the Chancellor's Office had wasted over $150,000 in misc. travel expenses over a three year period, with charges like $400 a night suites at 5 star hotels...
>(Photo by The Sacramento Bee.)We passed out note cards and asked students to write down what fee increases, furloughs, decreased class offerings, part-time lecturer cuts & other affects of budget cuts meant to them. As the speeches finished up we had everyone put their cards into the coffin.
One of the lead organizers, Alma Lopez, then picked up the coffin and began the march to the administration building on campus... 100's, plural, followed, chanting in unison!
(Photo by The Sacramento Bee.)
Students were upset, even angry, charging the air with an emotional electricity, fueling the peaceful and civil demonstration in rememberence of a time where higher education was accessable, affordable, and rich in its quality.
(Photo by The Sacramento Bee.)
The coffin was carried into and up the stairs of the administration building, towards President Gonzalez's office...
(Photo by The Sacramento Bee.)
Students marching outside of President Gonzalez's Office. A.S.I. student government President Robert Torres stands by idlely as the protest marches past!
(Photo by The Sacramento Bee.)
As everyone made it out of the administration building, safely and unharmed, we rallied out front of the President's Office window. Below is a video that a student took of the march and how it ended, safely and peacefully! A great success...
To everyone who was able to make it out... Thank you for joining the Sac State Coalition in the mourning process.
However, please remember that we are still here, within the higher education system, and that we must take full advantage of the quality of education that's before us or we are only hurting ourselves... So we will fight for better accessability, affordability and quality of public higher education, for ourselves, for family and friends, and for the future of California... but we will also continue to learn in the never ending progression of ourselves, taking great pride in that.
Sac State STAND UP!!!
In Solidarity,
-Robert Graham
Beautiful pictures. This was an amazing event. My respects to the organizers.
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