Dozens of students and faculty members "died" at San Diego City College on Wednesday, part of a statewide protest of Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to cut $400 million from community colleges next year.
Afterward, the group marched to the governor's downtown office to deliver $300 worth of Top Ramen soup. That's how much more each student would have to pay next year if the cuts are approved, a protest leader said.
Facing a $25.4 billion deficit in the next 18 months, the governor has proposed deep cuts to most state programs. In addition to cuts to community colleges, the University of California and California State University systems face a $500 million cut each.
At City College, the students and faculty members, mostly clad in black, participated in the "Die-In" around noon at Gorton Quad.
"We as students helped vote Brown into office and now he is turning his back on us," said one of the students participating, Jose Rodriguez.
"Without access to education we will not have an educated body," he continued. "We are going to have a bunch of uneducated people with stupid jobs."
Afterward, the group marched to the governor's office on Front Street, carrying signs denouncing the cuts. Once they arrived, however, they learned that he no longer has representatives in San Diego and Los Angeles, the positions apparently budget casualties.
"How ridiculous is that," Rodriguez said. "California has the eighth largest economy in the world and we cannot afford to have representatives in two of the largest cities in the state."
Larissa Dorman, adviser to a club on campus, Bringing Education and Activism Together, said many community college students are worried that they won't be able to take the classes they need to transfer to four-year universities.
The governor also has proposed a $10-per-unit fee increase, from $26 to $36 a unit.
Dorman expressed concern about how the cuts will affect the poorest students.
"This is a real tragedy," said Dorman. "Students are going to have to keep fighting, this is their battle."
Protests were also held at community colleges across the state. In Sacramento, community colleges Chancellor Jack Scott warned that more than 350,000 students may be turned away next year if the cuts are enacted.
Cuts this year led to 140,000 students being turned away, mostly because they could not get the classes they needed, he said.
