March 8, 2011 - Massive "walk-out and teach-in" signals student and faculty fury on SUNY budget

Several hundred students walked out of classes Tuesday in the biggest political demonstration on campus in nearly five years. The event, a "walk-out and teach-in," was organized by a coalition of student groups and by the Student Association.

"We started with five hundred name tags and we ran out with quite a lot of students still coming in," said VPAA Caitlyn Ryan. "I'm tired of hearing about how apathetic students are - I think this event will put all that talk to rest."

Organizers had expected to host four break-out sessions in the 4th floor of the student union building, but attendance was so high that the 4th floor proved too small for the event. The SUB MPR served as overflow for about 200 students, and another 70 or so congregated in the SUB atrium outside the MPR.

Content

The teach-in content was focused in three areas: Details of the budget itself, communication and media, and continuing mobilization. The overflow sessions integrated all three of these areas and took the form of a speak out, with dozens of students and faculty members speaking to the crowds over the course of nearly 3 hours.

Many speakers outlined areas where the SUNY Administration has become bloated in recent years and decades, and called for cuts to these areas. Much of the discussion centered on Student Affairs, and particularly on the office of Student Activities and Union Services, which has introduced a number of barriers to student programming which student leaders have decried.

Other areas perceived to be prime for trimming were Student Development, Residence Life, and the high-level officers within Student Affairs.

"We're being treated more and more like children - we don't need the Administration to run orientation - we can do that ourselves - we are adults," said one female student who identified herself as a Communications major.

Other speakers focused on strategies to convince legislators in Albany to refrain from making cuts to SUNY. "In short - tax the wealthy and make them pay their fair share - then we'll be out of this mess," said Sociology Professor Brian Obach, who also spoke about the budget disparities nationwide between war and education. Obach's rock band, the Questionable Authorities, played at the end of the event.

Student Body President Jennifer Sanchez moderated discussion in the large room, telling students, "We have to remind our representatives that SUNY New Paltz is important and it's something they need to care about."

Former Presidents R.J. Partington III and Justin Holmes attended the event. Holmes spoke briefly to the atrium gathering, telling students that "our ability as a generation to access information gives us an opportunity to show that we can manage our own affairs. Sometimes when I hear that Albany wants to cut the SUNY or CUNY budget, I can't help but think that we'd be better without their influence at all."

Run-up to lobby day

The event comes a week before a "Higher Education Action" day organized by NYPIRG, USS, and PSC. Students were encouraged to sign-up to attend the day, coming up Tuesday, March 15, 2011.

Historical comparisons

Several speakers wondered aloud at how the size of the action compared to similar actions throughout the history of SUNY New Paltz. "This is, by far, the biggest gathering I've seen since I've been here," said Ryan, a 'super-senior.'

"This was a landmark event - the biggest gathering in almost five years. People will talk about this one for years to come." said Holmes about the size. "I'd say that both the size and intensity of this event put it at least on par with the Free speech action in 2006, or the demonstration over the SUB renovation. It was head-and-shoulders bigger than the drug policy protest in 2005 or even the the protest over the judicial targeting controversy, the latter of which I count as the only truly successful action since I've been watching."

"Now in terms of a walk-out, I'm not aware of a walk-out of this size for decades," Holmes went on. "It may well be the biggest walkout since the big one."