TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Cal State Bakersfield faculty, employees and students, joining hundreds of thousands on campuses throughout the state and nation, rallied Thursday against dramatic cuts to schools and universities.

"One, two, three, four, we won't take it anymore. Five, six, seven, eight, save our schools before it's too late!" they recited.

Demonstrations, marches and walkouts were rolled out on the "National Day of Action for Public Education."

Locally, school leaders are calling proposed budget cuts the worst in recent years. Several school districts have proposed teacher layoffs and larger class sizes next year to close budget gaps.

Bakersfield College and CSUB students and faculty are coping with larger class sizes as course sections and faculty positions have been eliminated. Faculty and administrators are taking furloughs and students are paying more in fees.

CSUB recently decided it would need to cut nearly $7 million next year to meet state budget demands. It proposed to ax four sports programs, raise student fees, freeze staff hiring and raises and change from a quarter to semester schedule, among other things.

"Higher education is being ravaged by a widespread lack of understanding about its importance," said Ray Finnell, local chapter president of the California State University Employees Union and a CSUB theater technician. "It's on the verge of collapse."

Media throughout the state reported some demonstrations spilled out into streets and freeways. They also were held in Texas, New York and other states.

Bruce Hartsell, chapter president of the California Faculty Association and a CSUB professor of social work, called Thursday a "historic day." Campus administrators, school leaders and politicians, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, have spoken in favor of the marches.

Schwarzenegger said he hoped marches would be peaceful, and there were few reports Thursday of violence.

The widespread rallying came one day before the start of the "48-day March for California's Future," where school and community leaders throughout the state plan to march from Bakersfield to Sacramento, a nearly 300-mile trek.

Marchers will ride buses from Los Angeles to Compassion Christian Center here, then go to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park before they start the march.

Rev. Eddie Hare, associate minister at St. John's Lutheran Church and president of the Ministers' Association of Kern County, is supporting Friday's march and messages to quit making cuts to schools.

"We need to fix the problems," Hare said. "We're hoping that (the march) symbolizes the unity and the future of the education system here in California."

On Thursday, a small but vocal crowd wearing red "support education" shirts gathered outside CSUB's student union to hear speakers, write to legislators and have their voices heard.

Vanessa Rojas, a CSUB fifth-year senior and student organizer, said students including her have had trouble adding classes because they've been cut and are limited.

"It's time to say, 'No more cuts'," Rojas, president of Students for Quality Education, told the crowd.

Students also wrote their own protest signs during the march like, "Don't be wack, give my money back."

Mike McCarthy, a CSUB student-athlete, wrote a sign to protest classes being cut. The pre-medical student's graduation will be delayed, he said, because he has to wait for classes to become available.

"It's frustrating," said McCarthy.

He said he hoped that all campus representatives coming together demanding changes will make a difference.

"It's all about awareness," he said.