the contra-antidisestablishmentarianist review

The Credit Card Bill & Your Campus

pdelatorre — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:29:28 EST

By now, almost everyone has heard of the Credit CARD Act of 2009. This bill, which just went into effect, finally created some basic consumer protections for credit card borrowers. While these companies are doing their best to find new and creative ways to stick it to their customers, the bill stopped some of the worst abuses, and made sure that credit card companies could no longer treat college students, whom they courted aggressively, differently from the rest of the population.

There is a provision in the bill that many people have not heard about, however, and it could be a real help to student journalists, student government, and anyone else who is trying to make sure that colleges, credit card companies, and alumni associations are not taking advantage of students. This provision, championed by Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy, requires schools to disclose agreements that they have with credit card companies allowing them to market to students. It also allows any individual to request this information.

March 4th Roundup: “Make the bosses take the losses!”

pdelatorre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:56:34 EST

Today, students across the country are taking action as part of the National Day of Action to Defend Education. You can read more about it and find local actions here, read Campus Progress’s statement here, and take action here.
The latest updates

Protestors in Sacramento being beaten, tased, gassed by police as they try tomarch forward.
-via @ CaliforniaAggie on Twitter
500 High School students and supporters in Baltimore, as part of the Algebra Project, marched to a youth detention center in order to draw attention to the “school-to-prison” pipeline. They’re insisting that money for the youth detention center be diverted to education.
-via SocialistWorker.org
Hundreds at UCLA convene in the Chancellor’s office to present their demands to Gene Block: lower fees and less layoffs.
-via Huffington Post
200 students at UMass-Amherst had the same strategy as UCLA. Disrupting the chancellor is a popular tactic today.
18 students arrested at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after rallying with 250 others to deliver signatures to the chancellor. Police are accused of using excessive force. Video here and here.
400-500 UW students in Seattle marching in the streets demanding to see UW President Mark Emmert.
-via @JayBeeStarkey on Twitter

March 4th Roundup: CA to NY

pdelatorre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:47:31 EST

Today, students across the country are going on strike, attending rallies, engaging in civil disobedience, and more as part of the National Day of Action to Defend Education. You can read more about it and find local actions here, read Campus Progress’s statement here, and take action here.

The latest updates:

Fire alarms are being set off across several campuses in a symbolic effort to represent the state of emergency in higher education.
- via @reclaimuc on Twitter
Crowds are steadily increasing at CSUN for the March 4 higher education walk out while hundreds more gather at Berkeley and Laney College in Oakland.
- via @dailysundial, @NSNS, and @dailcal on Twitter
A Washington Post article highlights the student protest efforts that have taken place throughout the day noting the increased tuition rates and the drastic budget cuts that have sparked students to protest.
San Diego area college students will meet today at 3 PM in Balboa Park to march to the Governor’s office in downtown San Diego.
- via @cfaCSUN on Twitter
Approximately 2,500 people are already gathered at the State Capitol in Sacramento, CA to protest.
-via @mrdaveyd/loxocele on Twitter
Several hundred students at Hunter College in Manhattan faced police resistance when trying to enter buildings to encourage more walkouts. A march on Governor Paterson’s office may occur after this afternoon’s rally.
-via Socialistworker.org

Stay tuned for more, and take action at campusprogress.org/march4th

By: Yosef Getachew

March 4th Roundup: Electronic sit-ins and more…

pdelatorre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:12:38 EST

The latest updates:

More than 100 students turn out for the teach-in for education at Brooklyn College, still 3 hours to go until official demo begins
-via @SocialistZine Twitter
Service workers at UC San Diego are marching with the students in protest of layoffs and budget cuts.
-via @JenMeanIt Twitter
California’s Electronic Disturbance Theatre has initiated a virtual sit-in on the UC Office of the President. The simple action (available at the link above) involves just leaving your computer on.
Faculty at UC Irvine have released a statement encouraging faculty to participate in any action they see fit: “…announcing the events in class, allowing the students to participate in these activities without any penalty, teaching about the current crisis in public education.”
-via UC Regent Live
Children in Redwood City get in on the protest action. At the rate we’re headed now, they won’t be able to afford college once they reach that age.
-via @ StudProtest Twitter

By: Christian Pittman

March 4th Roundup: “Education is a right one fights”

pdelatorre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:45:33 EST

The latest updates:

Due to safety concerns from the continuing March 4th protests, UCSC officials have told all employees not to come to the main campus until at least noon.
-via @studentactivism on Twitter

Students gather to protest at Berkeley chanting “education is a right one fights.”
-via @studprotest on Twitter

A UCSC professor writes an open letter urging for the end of racism, sexism and homophobia at UC San Diego. The letter not only condemns recent racist events that have occurred on campus but also calls for an increase in African American student enrollment, increased funding for organizations that support underrepresented students, and an upgrade to the universities diversification office.
-via @NSNS on Twitter

The Washington Post has put together a guide to the March 4th protests including a list of events and key protests around the nation.

The Huffington Post has compiled a list of the largest tuition increases in public universities. Public universities have seen tuition increases up to an astounding 32%, which have added heavily to student debt.

Stay tuned for more, and take action at campusprogress.org/march4th

By: Yosef Getachew

March 4th Roundup: UCSC Protesters "Run Over" by Commuter

pdelatorre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:57:52 EST

The latest updates:

The national day of action to defend public education kicked off this morning with a blockade of the entrances to the University of California at Santa Cruz. Approximately 400 students are blocking the entrances to the school, infuriating commuters. As one car tried to tag along behind a police car to get through the crowd the driver has "run over" 4 students ending in at least one broken leg. -Via @occupyca on Twitter

Students protesting at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, demanding free education for poor citizens, were dispersed by the police when they were sprayed with water hoses. -Via iafrica.com

To get students excited about action all over the UC system today a prominent building at UC Riverside has been “decorated” with an encouraging banner. -Via Occupy California
Angus Johnston at StudentActivism.net has spent numerous hours compiling this map of planned actions all over the country. It made an appearance on MSNBC earlier today.
@Callie_hoo: "First picketers have arrived at #ucb. Strike is ON! #ucstrike #march4" -via Twitter

Stay tuned for more, and take action at campusprogress.org/march4th

By: Christian Pittman

“Quite Frankly,” We Prefer Rose-Colored Glasses.

pdelatorre — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:44:59 EST

On January 28, 2009, We had the honor of speaking on a panel with Stephen A. Smith, of ESPN’s “Quite Frankly,” Warren A. Ballentine, an attorney, activist and radio talk show host, and Inga Willis, a student leader and songwriter for LaFace Records. Unfortunately, Smith decided to disparage young people, rather than provide support and encouragement. “When you are a young man,” Smith said, “and you have just these rose-colored glasses in front of you, you at some point in time have to be practical about the way you go about things.”

Rose-colored glasses. A symbol of a young imagination. These are the glasses that you slide on when you view the world as it should be, rather than see it as it is.

Rush is Sick of Investing in Education

pdelatorre — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:42:56 EST

According to conservative radio pundit Rush Limbaugh, investing in education just leads to indoctrination. Media that Matters got the audio:

We disagree. No paranoid rhetoric about indocrination can hide the facts (via the Wonk Room):

Conservative projections on the real fiscal rate of return on public educational investments are high:10% for high quality preschool programs, 15% for innovative K-12 reforms like First Things First, and 10.3% for investments to encourage college access and graduation.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Other research has shown that increasing education levels means less incarceration, higher wages, less unemployment, and even longer life spans. Hopefully, lawmakers and the public will remember the following words of wisdom from Derek Bok, a former president of Harvard University:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Student Loan Reform on the Daily Show

pdelatorre — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:06:53 EST

Last night, Jon Stewart chatted about student loan reform with Austan Goolsbee, an economist and member of the Council of Economic Advisers. The college affordability action starts at 4:38, check it out:

Don't let the special interests kill reform, take action now!

Here is the transcript:

Obama Talks SAFRA on CitizenTube Q and A

pdelatorre — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:30:15 EST

Yesterday, President Obama answered a few of the 11,000 questions submitted on YouTube as part of its State of the Union Q&A. The first question on education (around 17:00) was about college affordability, and Obama again expressed his support for legislation that would cut subsidies to student loan companies, and invest the savings into Pell grants and other education initiatives. Check it out:

37 States Have Cut Higher Ed Budgets

pdelatorre — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:17:04 EST

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 37 states have cut higher education funding since the recession began:

State budget cuts can lead to tuition hikes, cuts in enrollment, shortfalls for state financial aid programs, layoffs, larger class sizes or fewer offered courses, and more. If there was ever a time for a large federal investment in higher education, it's now. Map developed by Campus Progress using information from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and this map making tool.

Activist Block Street in Front of DHS for Immigration Reform

pdelatorre — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:12:12 EST

Yesterday dozens of people blocked the street in from of the Department of Homeland Security building in Washington, DC to protest inaction on immigration reform. The Detention Watch Network posted this video of the action:

NYT Editorial Supporting the Trail of DREAMs

pdelatorre — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:05:32 EST

The New York Times published a great editorial today supporting progressive immigration reform, and the four brave students that are walking from Miami to DC to support the DREAM Act, stand up for worker's rights, stop the separation of families, and create a fair pathway to citizenship. The Times argued that we should not wait until the economy improves to pass immigration reform, as some have suggested:

The Obama administration has vowed to press ahead with reform this year. Given the hard economic times, the politics may be bleaker even than in 2007 when reform was scuttled in an ugly battle. The need is just as real — for the undocumented and for the country.

America needs to shut the path to illegal entry and employment while opening smoother and more rational routes to legal immigration. Opponents of reform say the downturn is a terrible time to fix the system, but they are wrong. When the recovery comes, the country will need a functioning system more than ever — one that encourages legal entry and bolsters all workers’ rights.

To do this, the country needs to bring its huge undocumented underclass into the light.

You can learn more about the Trail of DREAMs at their website (you can even chat with the students live most nights at around 8PM EST): http://www.trailofdreams.net/

Click here find out how to get involved

Students Working for Equal Rights, which is organizing this effort, has received an Organizing Grant from Campus Progress as part of the Action Alliance program. The program awards $200-$1,500 to youth-led organizations that are working on progressive issue campaigns or projects that will help build the progressive youth movement.

Trail of DREAMs Makes National Headlines

pdelatorre — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:52:19 EST

On New Year’s Day, a small group of students started a their journey—on foot—from Miami, FL to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about the DREAM Act and other progressive immigration reforms. These students, who were brought to the U.S. as children, did not want to see their futures, and those of their classmates, put in jeopardy because they lack a viable path to citizenship.

Despite the silence of Congress on immigration so far, people are paying attention to their efforts. Their campaign, which they are calling the Trail of DREAMs, was recently featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Univision, the Miami Herald, and other news outlets.

The students are working with a group called Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER), which is asking for help with this effort (especially if you live in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, or DC). They need people to organize a reception, donate, offer places to stay, etc. You can find out how to get involved.

SWER has received an Organizing Grant from Campus Progress as part of the Action Alliance program. The program awards $200-$1,500 to youth-led organizations that are working on progressive issue campaigns or projects that will help build the progressive youth movement. You can learn more about the DREAM Act and take action.

Major Victory for Anti-Sweatshop Student Activists

pdelatorre — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:29:42 EST

Last Tuesday marked a historic victory for the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) and other labor rights activists when Russell Athletics agreed to rehire dismissed workers and open a new plant in Honduras as a unionized factory.

Just over a year ago, Russell Athletic announced it would close their factory in Honduras in order to prevent their workers from unionizing. As a response, a national campaign was launched by USAS and other student organizations, including Students for Economic and Social Justice (SESJ), in order to protect the rights of the Honduran workers. This effort resulted in an unprecedented victory, in which the coalition of students persuaded one of the nation’s leading sportswear companies to agree to meet worker demands to reopen the factory and re-hire all 1,200 workers who were dismissed.

50 Groups Urge Senate to Invest in Education, Reform Student Loans

pdelatorre — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:28:25 EST

Today, a diverse coalition of 49 groups representing millions of Americans submitted the following letter to the Senate HELP Committee expressing its support for the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The House passed the bill in late September, and it is expected that HELP Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Harkin will introduce his version of the bill in the coming weeks. The coalition was convened by Campus Progress, the United States Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG), the United States Student Association (USSA), and the Campaign for College Affordability.

The cooperation of these organizations, which include student groups, women’s groups, parent groups, African Americans, Latinos, college admissions officers and registrars, social workers and others, sends the clear message that this legislation is critical for the advancement of educational opportunity in America, and will finally prioritize the needs of students over those of banks and special interests.

Check out the letter below, then take action:

Protesting the Detention of Students in Florida

pdelatorre — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:46:47 EST

Many students across the country are faced with an almost existential challenge. Undocumented students, many of whom arrived as young children and barely remember their country of birth, must often contend with the threat of deportation, being separated from their family, and being forced to live in the shadows.

Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER) is trying to do something about it. SWER Is a student led campaign affiliated with the Florida Immigrant Coalition. It works to both pass the DREAM Act, which would give young people who attend two years of college, or serve in the military for two years, a path to legal status, and challenges the deportation and detention of students that would be eligible for the DREAM Act.

SWER has done some amazing work this month. As part of a statewide day of action, student leaders from across South Florida held a protest outside of the Broward Transitional Center, where several DREAMers are being detained:

Students elsewhere in the state held film screenings and other events, asked their college presidents for endorsements of the DREAM Act, and held a statewide call-in day to urge their Senator to get more involved in this issue.

By the way, if you don’t know much about the immigrant detention “system,” then you should really learn more. The Obama administration recently announced some promising reforms, but there is much more to do.

SWER recently received an Organizing Grant through Campus Progress’s Action Alliance Program. Student and youth-led issue campaigns and movement building projects are eligible for up to $1,500 to organize for progressive social change.

Campus Progress Announces 2009-10 Progressive Partnerships

pdelatorre — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:37:46 EDT

Campus Progress, is happy to announce its Progressive Partnerships for 2009-10. Progressive Partnerships, part of the Action Alliance program, are year-long intensive relationships between Campus Progress and youth-led groups working on issue campaign or movement building projects.

Campus Progress will provide guidance, networking, strategic planning, and training for these organizations in order to help strengthen the progressive movement over the long term, and help young people make concrete change in their communities now. Click here to learn more about the 2009-10 Progressive Partnerships.

Check them out:

Want to do some Pell Raising on Your Campus?

pdelatorre — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:51:27 EDT

Campus Progress is working with partners like the US Students Association and the PIRGs to mobilize students across the country for the Raising Pell Week of Action, October 6th – 8th.

Students are taking action to ensure that their Senators support President Obama’s plan to stop funding government subsidies to banks, and instead increase the Federal Pell Grant.

Take a stand and organize an event on your campus. If you are interested in participating in the week of action to your campus, fill out our event request form, or contact us at organize@campusprogress.org.

To learn more about the issue, visit Students Over Banks.

Massive Walkout in the UC System

pdelatorre — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:34:34 EDT

Students, faculty, and staff at University of California system schools engaged in a massive walk out today to counter massive budget cuts to higher education, a 45% tuition hike, pay cuts and mandatory furloughs, and more.

Check out this video from UC Berkeley:

You can find the latest via twitter at #ucwalkout, and take action online by signing a national petition.

You can also take action on Twitter.