Education VS. Incarceration

Last Tuesday approximately 250 people from various Portland universities and community colleges congregated in the South Park Blocks for the “Pep Rally” protest against the annual higher education tuition hikes.

The speakers and crowd agreed that the conflict at hand is the insurmountable debt chaining students through tuition hikes; and the resolution being, call on state legislation to take funding out of state prisons and put it into education.

Students gather before speakers in South Park Blocks

Randy Blazak, PSU professor of sociology, voices concern over Oregon Universities loosing valuable educators due to lack of fair wages.

Observers in SMSU 2nd floor lobby

Student body President of Cascade Portland Community College, Douglas Taylor, gives PCC presence and support at the Rally

Adam Rahmlow, ASPSU President, talks to Channel 8 News about Rally. Four stations cover the event; Channel 8, K2, 750K, Oregonian, and Fox12.

Director of the Partnership for Safety and Justice, David Rogers, discusses the detrimental effects of Measure 11. Measure 11 is a legislative declared policy that establishes a mandatory minimum sentencing for 16 crimes. This measure effectively increases the cost of state prisons.

Tiffany Dollar, legislative affairs director of ASPSU, leads crowd in protest chants.

The crowd moves inside for a panel discussion comprised of PSU, Portland Community College and Mount Hood Community College administrators and the student body president of Mount Hood Community College.

Adam Rahmlow questions the panel.

Panel members take turns responding to questions

President Wim Wiewel presents a sheet of graphs showing that Oregon ranks 44th nationally in state support of higher education, the average annual incomes for various educational levels and races (1999), and the high school drop out rates in Multnomah County (1997 — 2007).

Harold Williams, Board Member of Portland Community College, talks to the current state budget allocation claiming that, “they want to make you stay stupid so that they can put you in prison”, and that it is everyone’s responsibility to bus to Salem to get legislations’ attention.