Rally at Governor-Elect Cuomo's

(Sorry: It said 2007! Odd error. Am taking it down and fixing it)



On November 22, The CUNY Board of Trustees voted to raise your tuition by 5% this spring and another 5% in the fall. That’s on top of 44% tuition increases, since 2003! That’s also on top of $200 million in state and city CUNY budget cuts over the past two years. And the 10% cutbacks currently slated for Baruch college and elsewhere that would result in layoffs of up to 65% of adjunct faculty and the creation of jumbo classes of up to 200 students. And further budget cuts projected for 2011. Simply put, the bankers and politicians that caused the economic crisis are passing its costs on to CUNY students in the form of deteriorating educational quality at an ever higher price, and on to full-time and adjunct faculty in the form of layoffs and course cuts, class size increases, and slashed programs and resources. (From a March4/October 7th committee email)

(more on increases)

Dwight Peter's Free CUNY Speech:

We want America and the world and everybody
To understand that education is a human right
In 1847
This great institution of ours
Was founded for the working class of New York
In 1847-1976
There was no tuition
In 1969
a coalition of African American and Latinos
Fought for something that is very sacred
And very, very beautiful…
For open admissions
They understood what the future of this nation was worth
They understood that the working class must be educated
And we today
Continue that fight
You want to know why
I keep talking about CUNY’s past?
The reason was
Because I’m afraid of CUNY’s future:
Tuition hikes
Overcrowded classrooms
Loss of professors
Where would this leave us?
We are tired of begging
We are tired of asking
Let it be known that we are demanding
Opportunity and life
Students,
Faculty,
Unions
All stand in Solidarity
We cannot rely on anybody else
We will create that world
Free CUNY!
[They say] that we are in an economic crisis
Our reply to that:
It’s not our fault
Tax the rich
Why should we
Clean up the mess?
Don’t we already clean up the mess?
We work hard
Some of us have full time jobs
And go to school full time
Some of us have kids
And go to school full time
Some of us do not get financial aid
We have to figure out how we’re going to pay for tuition next semester
…They’re cutting TAP
…See what’s happening in England?
See what’s happening across the world?
We stand with students all throughout the world
So let them know
It’s not just CUNY students fighting
It’s not just in New York that we’re fighting
This is an international movement
For a Free Education
Free CUNY!
Don’t give up
Some people are going to say it’s not worth it
They’re going to say there’s nothing you can do about it
But we know better
We know that people that stand up for themselves
Will be heard
You are not alone!
Free CUNY!
…Go back
To your campuses
Organize
Like you never have before
Students there
Need us to voice for them
International students
They’re facing a tuition hike as well
…Free CUNY!
Free CUNY!
Free CUNY!
Free CUNY!
When do you want it?
Now!
When do you want it?
Now!
When do you want it?
Now!
When do you want it?
Now!
Free CUNY!