Students On Strike

College students across 32 states skipped classes yesterday.  Well, that actually happens everyday, but yesterday they had a purpose beyond sleeping in.  These motivated matriculators are protesting budget cuts, employee layoffs, and increasing costs which damage the quality of education.  I think.  It’s also possible they just wanted get out of class.  Also their teachers might just be offering them extra credit for making so much noise to administrators.

Students from all walks of life participated in the chaotic movement.  See them as you want to see them but student protestors include athletes…and basket cases…and princesses…and maybe even a criminal.  Whoever they are, they better not mess with the bull or they’ll get the horns.

One witness reportedly heard the following exchange yesterday.

UPTIGHT TOP BRASS AUTHORITY FIGURE:  “What was that ruckus?”

FAST-THINKING ANGST-RIDDEN STUDENT: “Uh, what ruckus?”

UTBAF: “I was just in my office and I heard a ruckus.”

F-TA-RS: “Could you describe the ruckus sir?”

And so it went until the hard-nosed administrator threatened to “crack skulls” if the demonstrators persisted.

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The walkouts ranged from coast to coast.  Students from CUNY to the University of Washington participated in the nationwide “March 4th National Day of Action for Public Education.”  Their goal was to shut down campuses for half a day in protest of rising tuition costs and supporting educational workers.  Another problem seems to be that tuition is going up as scholarship opportunities go down.

In a USA Today article on the student rally, Maryland junior Jon Berger was quoted as saying:

“We’re seeing more classes taught by adjuncts and grad students who aren’t getting paid (fairly).  We’re seeing larger class sizes, and some kids in certain majors … can’t get all the courses they need in four years.”