Patricia Cortez 

March 11, 2014

40

                                                   March on March 4th

    Social issues surround us and who best to represent those social issues then Fresno State students. We walk oblivious to what is going on everyday as some of us adopt that "if it does not affect me I don't care" attitude. It was very refreshing to see students actively participate and be activist to what they feel passionate about. Professor Kubal was also a great influence in this event. As his student this semester, I can see his passion for sociology and bringing awareness to social issues. As I arrived I realized I may have been a little early or the event was behind. There was a table with picket signs ready to go for the scheduled marched. The posters varied on social issues such as animal cruelty, political issues, and  homelessness. I watched many students wisely choose their picket sign ready to join the march and be an activist. A few students made their poster of choice. The many tablings available at the event were all great topics of choice. The first I paid a visit to was the one I was most interested in and that was the "I stand with Faculty" table. There has been a lot of buzz on this topic. I did not know too much on it other than students hoping that we would possibly not be attending class a few days in April because professors were going to protest. Of course most of the information I receive is often distorted. So I spent lots of time at this table talking to the students representing this issue. It was very alarming to learn how much professors get paid. I respect the work professors have done to get to their position and I feel it is unjust that their pay says otherwise. So I definitely stand with faculty and feel they deserve a 5% raise without a doubt. 

    One of the biggest businesses nowadays is human trafficking. This social issue did not come as a surprise to me. It was an issue I was well aware of after I did an internship in South Carolina in 2014. My work with farmworkers brought me face to face with this issue. I heard many stories of promised work, housing, and food in the United States. These people weren't greeted with this dream instead they were forced into selling their bodies. Such a sad time for me to know it existed here. I feel it is a very important social issue as did other students who gathered to hear what is really going on not only here in our backyards but around the world. A topic that i see too often is animal cruelty. These students took the time to talk about the issue and how many animals suffer at the hands of their owners or others. I think about the innocence of these animals and wonder how someone can be so cruel. This has to be an issue that has to be pushed more and more. As a society we can not just accept that it happens, we can change it.  

      I was also very surprised that we have a pit bull rescue shelter. These dogs unfortunately have been bred by some to be aggressive. It was very nice to know of a no kill shelter for these dogs. They did such a great job representing their organization. Of all the tablings I am highly considering volunteering at this shelter. The highlight of the event and who drew in the crowd were the Raging Grannies. These grannies were the best. The many political issues they addressed with humor was a reminder that aside from all the other social issues the political issues are the ones that affect us most. Political leaders represent our country and as citizens and with a right to free speech we should stand up for issues whether they affect us directly or indirectly.