Hands Across California: We did it!

Hands Across California is over.

Not gonna lie. I feel a little empty. LOL I need a new project, quick! It waas absolutely amazing to be part of something like this. The checkpoint I went to (Saddleback College) was pretty quiet--I think about 60 people came out there. But other checkpoints along the route had 350-400 show up to support education. The numbers are still coming in, but it's already in the tens of thousands of people for the turnout. I had an amazing time working on this; it was a great feeling standing up for something that's important to me and being part of something that was bigger than me. Sounds cheesy, but it's true.

Unfortunately, I got very little feedback from my friends--a whopping one person came out with Jordan and me to stand in line with us--but it was great to be around other people who felt the way I did. To those of you who didn't make it, don't worry. You have until June 30 to text HANDS to 27722 to make your $10 to the Scholarship Endowment and you'll be reading plenty of it on my Facebook, Twitter and blog. So there's still time to join and support the cause! :)

Here are some pictures from today:

Jordan sportin' his Hands Across California T-shirt

Us hangin' out, waiting for people to come out. :)





Part of the line!

Part of the group that came out!

Us in front of the "Worth Living For" wall

Jordan wants to skydive naked before he dies. ;) I wrote that I wanted to write the next great American novel. :)

Well I'm off to bed. I'm sportin' some lovely sunburns on my feet of all places. It looks like I'm still wearing my sandals even though I'm not. The joys of having your Swiss genes win out over the Sicilian side of your family. Sighhhh.

Hands Across California: "Arise & Seize the Day" (to quote 'Newsies')

The day has arrived. The time for words has come and gone and now is the time for action. Time to put your money where your mouth is, as they say. If you’ve ever registered for a new semester and you’ve complained that it’s too expensive; if you’ve ever said it’s not fair that students have to suffer the consequences for mistakes made by politicians; if you’ve ever said you wish you could do something to help, to try and make a difference…

Here’s your chance.

In three hours and forty-five minutes, a historic event will link thousands of students and community college supports from Rocklin to San Diego. Where will you stand?

I know where I’ll be. I’ll be checking in at Saddleback Community at 11:00 to get my Line Marshal kit and start organizing my segment of the line.

At 1:59, the countdown will begin and the energy will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Knowing that you’re surrounded by people—total strangers—uniting for the same cause, taking a stand for something bigger than they are and that you’re a part of it as well… It will be absolutely incredible.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been much of an advocate for anything, really. Hands Across California is my first “fight for the cause”, if you will. I never thought I would feel this passionately about something other than the people I love and my writing. And, to be honest, it always seemed a little too ‘hippie-ish’. You know, fighting the ‘Man’ and all that.

It’s not.

This cause is real and it’s serious and it affects every aspect of your life, whether you’re 5 or 65. Our state will always need educated people and people will always need affordable education. California community colleges educate close to three million students every year and provide the open door that many people need to pursue a higher education who can’t afford a university.

Our state needs teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, lawyers, doctors, journalists, politicians (even if we may not like them very much right now), architects, scientists… The list goes on. And every profession on this list requires a college education. What will happen when education becomes inaccessible for us? For your children?

What will you tell your son or daughter if it becomes inaccessible? “Well, honey, if you want to be a doctor, you better a job and start saving for school because Mommy and Daddy can’t afford to send you to college and community colleges don’t exist anymore.”

By not standing up for our education, we’re robbing future generations of the freedom to be anything they want to be. So if you think it doesn’t matter because you already have your degree framed and hanging nicely on your office wall, you’re wrong.

Education touches us all no matter what stage of life we’re in.

So, having said that, I hope I see you all out there this afternoon to stand up for yourselves, stand up for education and stand up for not only our future, but the future of our state.

Visit handsacrosscalifornia.org to see “The Route” and find out where you can go to join the line. It’s not too late to take a stand.

 

Hands Across California: What Will Our Legacy Be?

In the late 1700's, men from thirteen relatively powerless colonies joined together and stood up for their rights as American citizens, breaking free from the British tyranny under which they lived. All of Great Britain was against them, as were many Americans who remained loyal to the Crown. Hundreds--thousands--of men laid down their lives for what they believed in, despite countless naysayers telling them their cause was hopeless; that it wouldn't change a thing. What would have happened to our country if those men hadn't stood fast and continued fighting for freedom in the face of what appeared at the time to be complete and utter defeat?

We wouldn't have the country we have today. We wouldn't be enjoying the freedoms we have today. We wouldn't be the country we are today.

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In the late 1800's, women banded together as Suffragettes and fought for women's rights. They demanded equality among both sexes and held that women were just as competent as men to perform vital roles in society. Despite widespread social opposition--both from men and other women, insisting these Suffragettes were making spectacles of themselves and shaming their families--they held firm and eventually won us the rights we enjoy as women today. Some of these women sacrificed lives of luxury and wealth to join the fight; others were thrown in jail; some were cast out by their loved ones unless they agreed to give up that 'nonsense'. What would have happened if these women ran back to their kitchens with their tails tucked between their legs, accepting that nothing could change? That this would be their way of life now and forever?

Women wouldn't be able to help shape the world and society in which we live. We certainly wouldn't be able to vote, attend college, or speak on any issue in a public forum. Our country would have missed out on some of the greatest historical figures of our past and present.

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In the 1950', one voice spoke out against racial segregation. He claimed that all men were created equal, regardless of the color of their skin. His voice sparked a Civil Rights movement that swept the nation and inspired thousands of African Americans to stand up for their rights as American citizens. Despite the hardships they faced--including the devastating assassination of their leader, that one solitary voice that first spoke out, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.--these people did not back down and continued to fight for what was rightfully theirs. Would would have happen if the death of Dr. King brought the Civil Rights movement to a standstill?

Our country could possibly still be living in a racially segregated social state, where people are judged and treated according to the color of their skin. In some parts of our country, this does still happen. However thanks to these people who stood their ground more than fifty years ago, we have grown in leaps and bounds to be more accepting of people despite our differences.

____________________________________________________________________________

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

Let our era be known for the Education movement. Let our children's children admire us for the stand we made against the budget cuts that threatened to destroy the rights we, as students, have to higher education regardless of our income. Let them know that if it weren't for us, California Community Colleges would have been relegated to history books as a brief blip on the historical radar; that they cut down one dollar at a time until these institutions were non-existent so politicians could dig the state out of the debt they'd created. There are hundreds of people who think our cause is lost and that we will accomplish nothing except make fools of ourselves and waste our time. Stand up despite this negativity and prove to our state that we're not weak or afraid to fight for our education.

If you believe that you deserve affordable education--and that future generations deserve it as well--then act on those words and those beliefs! Join us on April 17th in Hands Across California. Visit HAC's website to sign up and reserve your spot in line. Donate to FCCC's Scholarship Endowment to ensure that students will have access to the financial means to pursue their higher education.

The state may not take notice of our words by themselves, by it will note the actions we take to support our words.

Stand up for California Community Colleges.

Fight for our education. Fight for our future.

A Letter Everyone Needs To Read

Dear [YOUR NAME HERE],

I know at times we’ve had a rocky relationship. There were moments when you thought I was too demanding and took up too much of your time. I know you felt obligated to spend time with me when you really wanted to hang out with your friends and have fun. . I kept you up countless nights and made you deal with problems you didn’t want to deal with. I’m sure the notion that I’m more trouble than I’m worth has entered your mind more than once over the years. I know there were times when you resented me and everything I represented; sometimes you even said you didn’t need me. As painful as that was to hear, I’ve always been here and will always have your best interest at heart. I want you to succeed in life and realize your full potential and even though you may think I’m holding you back, I’m actually pushing you forward.

I am your education.

We find ourselves in time of crisis in the state of California and my existence is being threatened. People who have already benefited from me—who, thanks to me, have reached their potential—are now making me less accessible to the new generation. California Community Colleges have always been my biggest fans; they’ve always made sure that I was available to anyone who wanted to pursue me, no matter what their income. I don’t discriminate nor do I believe that I am a privilege for the elite. I am available for all those who thirst for knowledge and wish to fulfill their dreams.

Despite the power that I grant to you, I myself am powerless to stop the budget cuts that are hurting me and, by association, you. I have no voice and I cannot stand up for myself. My power lies in you. Now, more than ever, I need you.

Please stand up for me on April 17th and donate to the Scholarship Endowment so that I can continue to enlighten students in the California Community College system. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman who doesn’t pay for your school or if you graduated twenty years ago and you think these budget cuts don’t effect you. I promise you they will effect the future of the world in which you live if no one stands up for me.

Apathy is a dangerous enemy and I fear that this is just as dangerous a threat as the financial crisis I am facing. I know many of you think you cannot effect change. In order for a cause to be championed, we must first convince the public that it is not lost. I can assure you that education is not a lost cause. One voice by itself may not be that loud, but if we all gather in support of education, we can create a noise loud enough that it cannot be ignored and change will come. It may not be immediate, but we can make a difference.

Please visit http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/ to sign up and save your spot in line for April 17th or visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/michele-pluss/hands-across-california to donate to the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC), which will provide hundreds of scholarships to students who may not be financially able to pursue higher education due to these continued budget cuts and tuition hikes.

I have, and always will be, your champion. Now, I am asking you to be mine.

Sincerely,
Your Education

Hands Across California, School, NY Food

I'm alive, I'm alive!!

It's been so long since I've posted a blog. I feel awful. The training in my new department is going swimmingly, but it's very different from my old office and getting used to the new work environment is a bit of a culture shock.

But we're not here to talk about work! I know I discussed my Math Midterm in my last blog. Well my grade posted last night and I checked it this morning...I pulled off a B, which gives me a solid 85% in the class. Woo!! Numbers and I have had a rather disfunctional relationship throughout my scholastic career, so to be able to say I have a B in the class... It's like coming home to discover that your very un-romantic boyfriend decided to surprise you with dozens of flowers, candle-lit dinner for two and triple layer chocolate cake for dessert. (Like that imagery?? lol).

Jordan and I have been checking Groupon and Living Social on a daily basis for deals in NY. So far, we've purchased three deals for restaurants in the City, including the Heartland Brewery--located in the Empire State Building, along with a couple other restaurants. There's one in the Village and I think a French restaurant somewhere else. The beauty of it is, not only are we getting ridiculously good deals on great restaurants, but by the time we get there, we'll have already paid for it! If we keep going at this rate, we won't have to pay for any meals while we're in the City. Except for all the bacon egg and cheese's on Kaiser rolls, pizza slices, and hot dogs I plan on consuming while I'm there. :) Thank God for good metabolism...
If any of you New Yorkers have any good restaurants you'd like to recommend while we're out there, please let me know!! We're always looking out for a good restaurant and willing to explore beyond the tourist track for some good NY food. ;)

So. I don't know if you realize this, but we're in the final countdown for Hands Across California. We're down to just 17 days!! I've set up a fundraiser page for HAC at FirstGiving.com, for those of you who may want to help, but are unable to come out and join us on the 17th. So, here's your chance to make a monetary donations to our cause. There is no donation too great or too small and everything is greatly and warmly appreciated. I've set up this page less than 24 hours ago and have already received $70 in donations, which thrills me beyond belief.

Click here to reach my HAC Fundraiser Page if you wish to make a contribution. All the proceeds will go towards the Scholarship Endowment of the Foundation for California Community Colleges, which will in turn help community college students pursue their education. Donations will be accepted until June 30, so you're not under the April 17 deadline. Of course, if you'd rather come out and join us in just over two weeks, visit Hands Across California's website to register and reserve your spot in line!

Oh and before I go, LET'S GO YANKEES!!!! I saw they won their Opening Day game today. :) That's just a good day for everyone.

Unless you hate the Yankees. Jordan. ;)

Hands Across California: It's started...

It has begun. I saw on @HandsAcrossCA's Twitter page that the budget cuts have started up in Sacramento.

Today, Governor Jerry Brown signed several bills including ones that will have an immediate and serious impact on California Community College students. It now costs $36/unit to attend a CA community college. For those of you who are not so great with numbers, I did the math: That's over $100 for one class (if you're taking a three-unit class, which are most college courses). So, let's take a full-time student like me: If you take four classes, that's over $400 for just the classes alone.

That's not counting books, which we all know are--or, I guess, used to be--the real element of each new semester that really did drain your bank account. I start the same rant and rave every semester when I find out how much I have to pay for one single textbook.

It's already started, everyone. I, myself, am trying to figure out how I will find that extra $10/unit on top of all my other expenses for school, rent, car payments, utilities, etc. I actually am starting to worry that I won't be able to afford school anymore.

So, if you were on the fence about whether or not you wanted to give up your Sunday to come out and hold hands with a bunch of people you don't know, realize that we're trying to unite as community college students/supporters/faculty/etc to make Sacramento aware of just how many people they're impacting with these budget cuts.

You may think you're just one person, but when you link up with thousands of others, you transform into an entity that demands attention and respect. Things probably won't change right away, but they won't change at all if we don't stand together and do something.

Please visit Hands Across California's website to reserve your spot in line. Remember, you can also text 27722 to donate $10 to HAC. :)

Hands Across California: A Few of Our Supporters...

Coastline students around Orange County rejoice: spring break is almost upon us! Time to break out the bathing suits, 'stunnah' shades (that's right...I typed 'stunnah') and suntan lotion. Or, if you're like me, time to catch up on sleep, recorded television shows and enjoy some quality time with a boyfriend who has been somewhat neglected these past few weeks as school packs on the heat. Whichever type of Spring Breaker you are, I hope you all have a wonderful week of freedom from school and come back in one piece with enough recollection of the partying you did to know you had a great time with your friends.

I'll be reminding you again upon our return (just in case, for some reason, you suffer alcohol-induced short-term memory loss during Spring Break), but I wanted to remind you that Hands Across California is fast approaching. April 17 is when we will all meet to join hands in a symbolic, unified protest against the tuition hikes we're sure to face due to the budget crisis up in Sacramento.

I'm not sure if you know this, but we're being supported by some well-known and influential people. Actor and comedian George Lopez will be in line with us somewhere in California. Time Magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America and he is coming out to support our cause on what will hopefully be a warm, sunny Sunday in April.

You don't have to be a music buff to recognize the name Quincy Jones and know what a major impact he has had in the music industry throughout his musical career. Among the multiple achievements, awards and honors that have been bestowed upon Jones are 27 Grammy awards and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. A participant of "Hands Across America", Jones sent in a letter of endorsement to Hands Across California, extending his support. In his letter, Jones wrote:

"I was extremely proud to be part of [Hands Across America], which showed

clearly what we can do when we stand together as one. I am just as proud
this year to join an equally important effort to shine a light on another serious
need with an event called 'Hands Across California'."

On the political end of the spectrum, HAC has garnered support from Karen Bass. For those of you who are not politically-inclined, Bass was the first African American woman elected Speaker of the California Assembly. While pursuing her college education, Bass attended several California community colleges and eventually earned her degree from Cal-State Dominguez Hills. She is currently a United States Congresswoman representing California's 33rd Congressional District. And she started out where we are right now: at a California community college!

Another person from the political arena who has endorsed HAC initially attended East Los Angeles College before transferring to UCLA and obtaining his Law Degree. He is a former State Assembly Member and Speaker. And his is a name we're all very familiar with. He is the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.

For a full list of celebrity supporters and political endorsements for Hands Across California, click on the "Who's On Board" tab at the Hands Across California homepage.

Also, check out HAC's Facebook page for pictures, updates, and more info about the organization. They posted something today that I thought was pretty cool. AT&T has set up a number for supporters to text and donate $10 to the cause. That number is 27722. California Community College students thank you, AT&T, along with anyone who donates their time, money, or support to our cause!

Sources:
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrossca.org/)
HAC's Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Hands-Across-California/162349360471292)

Hands Across California: If It Weren't For Community Colleges...

As strange as it sounds to us students, I know there are some people that have a slightly skewed opinion of community colleges. They may think that community college is for people who weren't good enough for a university or who 'couldn't hack it'. Well, we all know that isn't true. There are incredibly brilliant and talented people that get their start at community colleges. At these two-year institutions, they may have gotten the financial help they needed to attend college and complete their general education requirements before transferring and pursuing their dreams and passions. The problem is, though, we never hear what community college people went to. We'll hear people say that they're Stanford or UCLA graduates, but how many times have you ever heard someone say, "Well I graduated NYU by way of Coastline Community College"?

I don't think I've ever heard that. And that's a darn shame. Fortunately, however, I've located a list (and it's a list. Not grocery list length; this is pages long). This is a list of prominent and successful people in a variety of professions, from athletes to actors to scientists. It lists what they do now and which community college they attended. And not just any community colleges. California community colleges.

So. Click HERE to see the list of people who wouldn't be where they are without California Community Colleges...

Hands Across California

Granted, the majority of people who read this do not live in California. But I'm going to write about it anyway. (PS. I totally didn't intend for this to turn into a research paper, but...when I get going, it's hard for me to rein it in sometimes. So please, bear with me).

In case anyone's been living under a rock for the past couple years, California has been dealing with a bit of a budget crisis. It seems that Sacramento's having difficulty balancing their checkbook and schools, from elementary to college-level, have been feeling the effects.In the California state Constitution, education is listed as its number one priority, yet ironically, schools are the programs losing the most funding while the state tries to dig itself out of the hole it's in. Just yesterday, students, staff and administrators marched to protest budget and program cuts and tuition increases in their March in March. Last year, over 8,000 members of the college communit (community colleges, UC's, and Cal State's) joined the march. As soon as the numbers come in for this year's march, I will post them.

I've been saying that I want to do something to try to help, but I wasn't sure what. Well, now I do. I am the student coordinator for Coastline Community College's participation in HAC. What is Hands Across California (HAC)? It is a fundraiser dedication to raising money for the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment, which will provide thousands of California residents with scholarships and financial assistance to pursue higher education as it becomes increasingly more expensive--read: impossible--to do so. These budget cuts, quite literally, are killing the future of our state. The Hands Across California fundraiser will continue from now through April 17th, ending in an unprecedented student demonstration. The goal is for students, staff, administrators, friends and supporters to join hands in continuous loops stretching across the entire state. To give you an idea of just how many students that would involve: one mile is approximately 1,000 students.

According to the website for the March in March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/), California community colleges are attended by 2.9 million California residents. The Foundation for California Community Colleges state that this figure represents one-quarter of the nation's community college attendance. Originally created for students wishing to continue their education who do not have the funding to attend a four-year university for all four years, community colleges teach students who have an annual median income between $5,544 and $16,223. Those students who do move on to a four-year institution after graduating from a California community college tend to earn a higher grade-point avarage than students who have attended all four yaers at a university.

Have any of you had to call 911 because your house is on fire? Or had a sick relative in a hospital needing serious medical attention? Or perhaps you need help from the police for whatever reason. If you live in California, odds are the person coming to your aid is a California community college graduate. Our community college system trains approximately eighty percent of all firefighters, law enforcement officers, and medical emergency technicians. Likewise, seventy percent of California nurses receive their training from community colleges. What will happen, if these programs become increasingly expensive or are even cut entirely? Who will come to our aid if there is no affordable institution to train these individuals?

The issue doesn't stop at community colleges. UC's and Cal State's are facing the same setbacks. Answer me this though: If community colleges were created to allow students who could not afford a four-year school right away to pursue their education and these institutions are becoming too expensive for us, how are we going to be able to move on to a four-year?

I'm aware that college students aren't the only ones facing financial difficulties due to economic crises. I'm also aware people may not have the money to donate to a cause besides the one of caring for their own family. This may pale in comparison to the recent and ongoing disaster in Japan, but make no mistake that this is a crisis. If you wish to sign up and save your place in line for April 17th or if you wish to make a donation, please visit http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/. You don't have to be a student to participate, so if you're free on April 17th and would like help this cause, sign up and come on down! The "routes" for each region of California is listed on the website here.



Sources:
Foundation for California Community Colleges (http://www.foundationccc.org/)
I Will March (http://www.iwillmarch.com/)
Hands Across California (http://www.handsacrosscalifornia.org/)