Education RSS feed for this section

Day One of AFSCME’s Five Day Strike at UCSC

Published on July 14, 2008 in Education, Labor

July 14th kicked off AFSCME’s five day strike at the University of California’s ten campuses and five medical centers. At UC Santa Cruz, AFSCME workers, students, workers from supporting unions, and other community members are picketing at the intersection of Bay and High at the base of campus. County buses are respecting the picket line by dropping people off at the base of campus. Some classes were held at the base of the campus and other spaces in Santa Cruz. Scabs have been hired by the UC, but AFSCME workers say as the week continues, people will start to notice declines in the quality of service and cleanliness in buildings, bathrooms, dinning halls and throughout campus. Read More and View Photos

photo gallery >>

A Glimpse at UCSC’s North Campus

Published on July 9, 2008 in Education, Environment

Many students graduate from UC Santa Cruz without ever stepping foot in the undeveloped North Campus, also known as Upper Campus. North Campus is a hundred-year old redwood and chaparral forest that provides spectacular habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna, many of which are listed as endangered or declining species. Even though many students are not familiar with this portion of the university, there are other students, as well as Santa Cruz locals and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world that make use of the trails in North Campus for research and recreation.

The beautiful forest in North Campus, and the creatures who live there, are under threat by UCSC’s controversial 2005 Long Range Development Plan. Recreational use of North Campus and land management decisions have been a long standing concern for the survival of rare species on the UCSC campus, but the 2005 LRDP may have a more damaging and lasting impact than anything in history, as UCSC plans are in motion to develop 120 acres.

The following photographs were taken on July 9th, 2008. Read More and View Photos

photo gallery >>

UC Regent Watch: George M. Marcus Loses His Temper at Protest to End Poverty Wages at UC

Published on June 6, 2008 in Education, Government

On June 6th, George Blumenthal was inaugurated as the 10th Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz during a ceremony on UCSC’s East Field. Students and workers, organized through the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), held a 10-hour day of action to deliver a loud and clear message — end poverty wages at the University of California. George M. Marcus, a Regent of the University of California, was a passenger in one of the many cars rerouted or delayed by the demonstration.

Many cars on UCSC’s Hagar Drive had already turned around to avoid the demonstration, however a woman driving a Mercedes-Benz GL450 SUV decided to encroach upon the people in the intersection of Hagar and Coolidge Drive. After a couple of minutes, UC police officer James Lunnen directed the woman to turn the vehicle around. She began turning the SUV, but then stopped and George Marcus began shouting out the passenger window. Referring to the workers, he yelled that he would not give them anything and that he was a UC Regent.

I had been taking photos, so I took another photo. George Marcus violently smacked the camera I was holding with his open palm. I took another photo. After that, the woman drove the SUV away, and I took another photo. Read More and View Photos

photo gallery >>

UC Workers and Students Block California Highway 1 in Santa Cruz to Protest Poverty Wages

Published on June 6, 2008 in Education, Labor

On June 6th, George Blumenthal was inaugurated as the 10th Chancellor of UC Santa Cruz during a ceremony on the East Field overlooking the Monterey Bay. Students and workers, organized through the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ) and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), rallied at UCSC, marched to the Chancellor’s Inauguration and blocked California Highway One at Mission and Bay during a 10-hour day of action to deliver a loud and clear message — end poverty wages at the University of California. Read More and View Photos | More Photos

photo gallery >>

The University is Unsustainable: A presentation by Darwin BondGraham and Will Parrish

Published on June 2, 2008 in Audio, Education, Globalization

On June 2nd, the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) class at UC Santa Cruz hosted an evening entitled “The University is Unsustainable: militarism, nuclearism, corporatism and the UC.” Student researchers Jono and Leah presented on UCSC’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) while UCSC alumni Will Parrish and Darwin BondGraham focused on the University of California from 1868 to 2008, from the genocide of Indigenous Nations, the Spanish American War and the Manhattan Project, through to the present: a time of renewed nuclear-militarism and increasing corporatization and privatization of the University.

The full presentations by Jono, Leah, Will and Darwin are published at the following link in audio (mp3) format. Read More with Photos and Audio

photo gallery >>

Jono and Leah

Will and Darwin

Celebrating 200 Days of Tree-Sitting Resistance to UCSC Expansion

Published on June 2, 2008 in Education, Environment

On June 2nd, UC Santa Cruz students were joined by the legendary Raging Grannies of Santa Cruz and other community supporters in the celebration of 200 days of tree-sitting resistance to UCSC’s 2005 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP). The gathering was called to fortify spirits, resupply the tree-sit, and plan for summer. Activities included a native plant workshop, songs by the Raging Grannies, discussions and a piñata. Read More and View Photos

photo gallery >>