By Shelby Stowers


Although California is the center of the March 4 rallies for the defense of public education, students and faculty are gathering at campus' nationwide to show support for California's efforts and proactively voice their opinions about budget cuts at their own universities.
           
According to studentactivism.net, well over 100 protest-related events are taking place in 32 different states and the numbers are growing.

At Louisiana State University, students and faculty are protesting outside of administrative buildings because the university has already cut several programs, sent non-renewal notices to 244 instructors, and warned students that tuition increases are coming.

Hundreds of students from Hunter College in New York City are participating in campus walkouts and protests and they are planning on marching to Governor David Paterson's office in downtown Manhattan later today. There is a heavy police presence on campus and twitter reports suggest that at least one student has been arrested.

The issue has not only permeated the nation, but has also diffused across age demographics and hundreds of high school students in Baltimore, Md. are protesting in front of the Baltimore Juvenile Justice Center against budget cuts that have hurt public-school programs, increased college tuition, and furthered the privatization of education.

The protests are headed by students from The Algebra Project, a student-run program dedicated to tutoring youth and advancing education despite socio-economic status. They are angry with Baltimore city officials for cutting the education budget but continuing to provide funding for the construction of two new jails.

"They set us up to fail by closing schools and building jails," students shouted, adding, "jobs not jails, books not bars!"

Even at campuses where budget cuts have not happened yet, students fear that their education is in danger and that California's fate will soon spread nationwide. In struggling economic times, tough choices will inevitably have to be made, but the nation's students are making it clear that education is the last area they want threatened.