On Thursday November 20th, 2009 the Board of Regents approved a 32% increase in undergraduate student fees. This means that by next fall, undergraduate fees will be boosted by $2,500, sending the average annual education cost at a UC campus to more than $10,000. That's triple the amount from a decade ago. Only one Regent voted against the bill. In fact, at the same meeting when they decided to raise student fees, they voted on millions of dollars of increased salaries and special bonuses to administrators and to the highest-paid people. These Regents are not voted in. They are appointed by the governor for twelve year terms. The faculty, workers, and students have no power to appoint these individuals or impeach these individuals for failure to do their duties.

Our University is being run like a corporation. Our tuition money is not being used for our education. Why should we pay more and more for less and lower quality education? This is an equation that simply doesn't balance. California right now has the second lowest rate of students who go directly from high school to a four-year university. I think about all the students in high school whose dream of going to a UC next year just died because they cannot afford to attend due to the fee hikes. I think about all the students who are currently attending a UC who might not be able to return next year or they will have to start working two jobs in addition to being a full time student. I think about the families going into debt, the students who will have to pay off loans for the rest of their lives, and the people who deserve a top notch education who are never going to get it, and I AM ANGRY.

This is why we are protesting. This is why we are occupying. This is why we are angry.