Correction: The original version of this article contained an error. Kelli Fallon said the campus climate has changed since last November’s protest in response to fee hikes, and it is not necessarily the right time for another large rally.
An upcoming rally organized by UCLA student leadership will mingle advocacy with music as a more innovative means of drawing attention to the budget crisis.
“Can You Hear Us Now?,” scheduled for Thursday afternoon in downtown Los Angeles, comes on the heels of a breakdown in bipartisan budget talks in Sacramento. The failure of a tax extensions measure for the June ballot means the recently approved $500 million cut to the University of California could double.
UC officials are looking toward a November ballot initiative. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown warned that UC tuition could spike to more than $20,000 a year if no new revenue is raised. Some Democratic lawmakers have proposed closing down UC campuses and slimming down research enterprises.
Such pronouncements have further empowered student organizers, who have already been sounding alarm bells about the impacts of the present cut.
“We really want students to realize that this is real,” said Cristopher Santos, external vice president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
Vans bound for the block in front of Brown’s local office in downtown Los Angeles will depart from the UCLA campus starting at 11 a.m.
Between 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. organizers have promised musical acts and celebrity appearances for a more holistically student-friendly event.
Rapper Thurz of U-N-I and artists Trek Life and Rob Roy will appear free of charge, and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kinnery Shah said more local acts are lined up to perform.
One ongoing goal has been to shy away from reactionary protests, said Kelli Fallon, chief of staff in the UCLA external vice president’s office.
A large-scale demonstration took place during the UC Board of Regents meeting in November 2009 in response to a 32 percent fee hike. While that protest was well-attended and declared a success by advocates, Fallon said the climate has changed, and the time is now not necessarily right for a large protest rally.
The Thursday rally is also intended to attract students who normally do not engage in actions involving the budget. A crowd of at least 600 people is anticipated, Fallon said.
“We haven’t seen something like this in a long time,” she said.
In an interview last week, Steve Olsen, vice chancellor of budget and capitol projects at UCLA, characterized the atmosphere in Sacramento as “subdued.” He said he had a difficult time assessing whether actual negotiations were taking place while in the Capitol last week. Solutions varied depending on political leaning.
Seriousness was pervasive, however.
“There certainly didn’t seem to be much of a stomach for further reductions beyond those already approved,” Olsen said.
But a question mark next to higher education remains, he said.