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Students at Cal State Northridge are holding a demonstration today to call attention to budget cuts and fee hikes. A 15% increase in tuition was passed by the Cal State University board last year to make up for budget shortfalls. There are no guarantees that this year won’t be a repeat of the last. The Activist Student Coalition organized the demonstrations, being held from 10am to 6pm, beginning with a rally at the Oviatt Library and a march around the campus perimeter. Prominent LA civil rights activist Reverand James Lawson is lending his support to the cause by speaking in front of the library at 3pm. Reverend Lawson has been holding a lecture series at CSUN titled, “Civil Discourse and Social Change.” The day of action is being held two-days before the anniversary of last year’s March 4th education rallies at which thousands turned out in cities across California to demand quality, affordable education. At CSUN last year 5 students were arrested and a professor’s arm was broken. Justin Marks, one of the arrested students, said the experience, “made us even more passionate and driven to continue to promote social change.”

GUESTS: Justin Marks is a Senior at CSUN majoring in English and Pan African Studies. He was also one of students arrested in last year’s demonstrations, Brian DeGuzman is also a Senior at CSUN majoring in Asian American Studies. Both Justin and Brian are key organizers of of the Rally on March 2nd.