[ Golden Gater Online - December 11, 1997 ]
Carolina Wolohan Jr.
Staff writer
A rally in Malcolm X Plaza Wednesday to protest the largest-ever higher education partnership with corporations climaxed with approximately 150 students marching into a faculty meeting at McKenna Theater chanting, "Students are ready to shut down CETI!"
The protest, which was sponsored by the anti-CETI (California Education Technology Initiative) coalition, was to gather signatures for a petition calling for a one-year postponement of the CETI proposal signing. The initiative would form a partnership between California State University and GTE, Fujitsu, Microsoft and Hughes Global Communications, creating the largest partnership between public education and private industry to date. The CSU system claims CETI is the only solution to close the gap in funding for maintaining technology on campus.
The deal is supposed to be signed by the end of January, which has enraged students and faculty who want more time to review the proposal. The faculty meeting that students stormed was set up as an open forum for concerns about CETI and occurred after an hour-long rally where students coined CETI the "Corporate Education Takeover Initiative."
"We're very concerned about the contradictions between the private sector and the public sector," said Jo Ferneau, a speaker at the rally and member of the Student Peace Action Network.
"What we're concerned about is that these corporations are going to make a market out of you," said Margo Kasdan, of the California Faculty Association, at the rally. "We're not against technology; we're against corporate takeover."
Many students sitting in Malcolm X Plaza were simply curious onlookers who hadn't heard much about the controversial corporate partnership. But the more they heard about CETI, the more they didn't like the sound of the deal.
"It's sort of like a shot out of the blue," said Courtney Malone, an SF State junior and spectator at the rally. "I didn't know about CETI before this rally. I think it's bad, but I feel like there is nothing we can do now."
Another spectator admitted he knew little about CETI, but that he thought more students should know about it and be at the rally.
"I get a general feeling of apathy from the students," said Kevin Baguio, an SF State music major. "I don't think they really care, and that's why educating people is key."
In the four weeks since the petition was put together, 1,600 signature have been gathered, Ferneau estimates. Lisa May Norton of the Anti-CETI coalition estimates they gathered an additional 2,500 signatures today.
[ Golden Gater - December 11, 1997 ]