If teachers go on strike, we’re screwed. Not exactly, but we pretty much are. Think about it. If things blew up into something huge, classes could be halted, canceled or pushed back and we would be forced to make them up. And I’m not doing that.

Students are not getting a direct answer when it comes to the negotiations between teachers and the administration. All we’re getting is the run around and it’s getting frustrating. We’re lost in the midst of all this drama going on. The only thing we hear is what teachers tell us and what the executives tell us. We get both sides of the story, but they’re both so completely off from one another that it’s difficult to know what is really the truth. We’re dealing with rumors and gossip from the teacher’s union, the university and our teachers. Have they forgotten that our education rests in their hands? A decision on the teachers’ pay needs to made and quickly.

We hear about it all day in our classes from every teacher, and it gets tiring. We know the teachers want more money. We know the university is being difficult and not offering acceptable raises and, yes, we know President Alexander Gonzalez just got some money in his pocket. But seriously, it’s not a topic that makes my top 10 things to talk about on a daily basis.

“If school gets pushed back, or if the teachers strike, I’m not sure what will happen to the students,” said communication major Kat Smith. “The teachers need their raise, we need our education and the higher-up individuals need to get to work on satisfying not only the teachers, but us as a university.”

Now take a moment and realize what could happen. If all 23 California State University campuses decided to strike, what’s going to happen to us? They say it will be a rolling strike and the maximum number of classes we’ll miss is only a few, but what if the teachers get even more pissed and they insult them with an even lower offer? I can only imagine how many sharp number, blue books and scantrons would be destroyed in the process.

The students are only getting the butt of this dilemma, and we’re getting impacted with all the problems and not the solutions. We have to hear the problems. We have to listen to teachers gripe. We have to receive junk e-mail from the Gonzalez in our SacLink accounts. When will all of this be over?

If I had it my way, I’d just pay the teachers their damn money and cut money from the high and mighty executives. And while I’m at it, I’ll lower tuition. Why not? The teachers are screaming for a fair raise. Meanwhile, the executives get an increase in their paychecks. Talk about adding insult to injury.

I can feel the teachers’ pain. Classes are tight, pay is bad and they don’t get the “thank you” I think they all deserve. The members of California Faculty Association raised their concerns and put what they wanted out on the table. All that’s left is to make a decent, not insulting offer. Please make it!

I don’t want to hear about this strike anymore. I really don’t. Please, for the love of graduating on time, give them money, and lots of it. I personally don’t want to spend extra days in school if it’s not needed. And I know you guys don’t either.

Rosa Pastran can be reached at [email protected]