VIDEO: SF State students sit in on administration building as part of walkout

Erik Verduzco
SF State student Sadaf Malik leads a chant and march at the student walkout to protest fee hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Erik Verduzco.

Update, 7:18 p.m.: All protesters have vacated the Administration building.

Update, 6:53 p.m.: About eight students remain in the Administration building after it has been closed for nearly an hour. The protesters have been trying to negotiate a meeting time with President Robert A. Corrigan with Joseph Greenwell, associate dean of students.

Update, 4:27 p.m.: Administration building is still operational, but some offices have locked their doors and others have sent their staff home, according to University spokeswoman Ellen Griffin.

Update, 4:09 p.m.: Few offices in the Administration building remain open as 100 protesters are still hosting a sit-in, in the lobby. Office workers were told at approximately 3:30 p.m. that they had 10 minutes to leave the building. The demonstrators originally intended to speak with President Robert A. Corrigan, but he is not currently at the campus. He is in Long Beach for a CSU Board of Trustees meeting in which the new 2012-2013 budget proposal will be voted upon.

Students gathered in and around the administration building for a sit-in, in an attempt to get access to President Robert A. Corrigan’s office as part of a walkout taking place today.

The walkout was in part organized by Students for Quality Education, Occupy SFSU, Equal Opportunity Provider and the Black Student Union in an attempt to call attention to the cuts to higher education and possible fee hikes.

When students reached the fifth floor of the building, where the president’s office is located, they found the door was locked and some began pounding on the door, demanding access, before the group began heading back downstairs to the lobby.

Approximately 300 SF State students and faculty members were gathered at Malcolm X Plaza at 11 a.m. for a rally, chanting and waving signs. They briefly marched to the front of the administration building where they created a circle and joined hands at 12:30 p.m. before returning to the plaza.

Sadaf Malik is the senior intern for the SQE. She was amazed by the student turn out and that everyone was willing to hold hands as a symbol of solidarity.

“I think that a lot of students feel empowered because of today, a lot of students thought they were the only ones,” Malik said. “Now  that they see that everyone’s fighting, they are gonna be more rallied up and more ready to go out and do bigger protests and bigger rallies to make a change is the CSU system.”

A crowd of students and faculty began gathering for the rally at Malcolm X Plaza around noon where they listened to teachers and students speak out about why the education system is a problem.

SF State junior, Evans Rivera-Owings got up on stage to preform a rap he wrote about the problem he has with the education administrators. He was a member of the SQE in past semesters and has seen how the events they put on have grown.

“The movement overall has gained momentum, because the whole SQE ties into the same thing that the occupiers on Wall Street and Oakland are fighting for,” Rivera-Owings said.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. the crowd moved on from Malcolm X Plaza and marched on the west end of campus, stopping in front of the humanities building and calling for others to join the march. The march continued through the walkway between the fine and creative arts building before it temporarily rallied at Malcolm X Plaza again.

After about five minutes, the protesters moved on the administration building where they are currently lobbying.

Erik Verduzco
At least 200 students gathered at Malcolm X Plaza early on in the day to participate in a walkout event to protest fee hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Erik Verduzco.

 

Erik Verduzci
SF State student Sadaf Malik leads a chant and march at the student walkout to protest fee hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Erik Verduzco.

 

Erik Verduzco
At least 300 students gather at Malcolm X Plaza to participate in a walkout event to protest fee hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Erik Verduzco.
Godofredo Vasquez
SF State student Xavier Galindo, 29, rallies up fellow students that participated in the the university-wide walkout at Malcolm X Plaza, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.
Godofredo Vasquez
SF State student Brenda Montaño, 21, right, gets ready to speak in front of fellow students participating in the university-wide walkout at Malcolm X Plaza Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.

 

Godofredo Vasquez
Leo Ritz-Barr, 21, wears a "99 percent" bandana in solidarity to the Occupy movements and participated in SF State's walkout Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.
Godofredo Vasquez
SF State student Naseer Ahmed, 25, joined the marching walkout and grabbed a megaphone to try to encourage others to do the same Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.
Godofredo Vasquez
Hundreds of SF State students walked out of their classes and marched to the Administration building during a university-wide walkout Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.
Samantha Bendic
Students march around campus during a walkout event to protest tuition hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Samantha Benedict / Special to Xpress
Samantha Bendic
Students rally at Malcolm X Plaza during a walkout event to protest tuition hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Samantha Benedict / Special to Xpress

 

Samantha Bendic
Leo Ritz-Barr, part of Occupy Oakland, shows support to SF State students during a walkout event to protest tuition hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Samantha Benedict / Special to Xpress
Samantha Bendic
SF State Senior Dillion Smith holds up sign in protest during a walkout event to protest tuition hikes, Nov. 15, 2011. Samantha Benedict / Special to Xpress

 

Samantha Bendic
Students lined the Administration building's walls with Post-it notes with their messages to President Robert A. Corrigan at Occupy SFSU march out, Nov. 15, 2011. Samantha Benedict / Special to Xpress
Godofredo Vasquez
Xavier Galindo, 29, takes a headcount of how many fellow students would like to speak to the crowd during a sit-in inside the Administration building Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.

 

Godofredo Vasquez
Jazz Vassar, 25, talks to fellow students during the sit-in inside the Administration building Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011. Photo by Godofredo Vasquez.