Click here to hear three students voice their concerns as they left this meeting.

Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez along with representatives of the campus community came together today at a historic meeting to organize campus stakeholders to fight Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget cuts to the California State University system.

The meeting, known as the Budget Fight Back meeting, was one of six meetings held at CSU campuses across the state this week by the Alliance for the CSU to oppose the proposed budget cuts.

Alliance for the CSU members speaking at the Sac State meeting included representatives of the CSU Board of Trustees, Associated Students, Inc., the California Faculty Association, the California State University Employees Union, the State Employees Trade Council, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists and the Sac State Alumni Association.

Approximately 1,200 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the meeting held in the University Theater and four overflow rooms in Douglas Hall, Lassen Hall, Mariposa Hall and Sequoia Hall. Audience members in the overflow rooms watched the meeting through live video feeds.

This is the first time that the all of the stakeholders in the university have put aside their differences to speak with one voice, Gonzalez said.

“We are not just going to sit back and except these budget cuts,” he said.

CFA Sac State Chapter President Lila Jacobs asked audience members to talk to neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members about the CSU budget situation and then encourage them to write letters to legislators and editors of their local newspapers in opposition to the state budget proposals.

“We need a broad-based mobilization to let elected officials know we will not stand by and let these cuts happen,” she said.

ASI President Christina Romero, in a pre-recorded video, asked students and community members to take part in the “Day of Action” march on the State Capitol on April 21, being organized by the California State Student Association.

“It is a critical time for all of us to work together to make sure students have access to higher education in California, especially at Sac State,” she said.

Paul Rios can be reached at [email protected]