Fun Fact #1: On Oct. 27, the CSU Chancellor and the Board of Trustees voted to increase student fees by 8% for undergraduates and 10% for graduates, while at the same time voted to give all the CSU campus presidents a salary, housing and car allowance increase. Collectively, this amounted to $1,178,892.

Fun Fact #2: If the above amount had been invested in our schools, instead of fattening the wallets of the campus presidents and the Chancellor, it could have provided approximately 262 courses for 10,000 students to graduate on time. Yes, TEN THOUSAND.

Fun Fact #3: Since 2002, student fees have increased 76% for undergraduates, 106% for graduates-non credential, and 98% for graduate-credential.

Fun Fact #4: Currently, the CSU system has $1.5 billion in unmet needs. That is, in order for the CSU schools to effectively provide the quality of education intended, the system needs another $1.5 billion more in funding.

So what do all these fun facts mean for us as students? It means that we have to deal with rising tuition costs while our services are being cut. It means that every semester we as students need to acquire skills on how to crash courses because there are not enough offered to serve the growing demand. It means that even the simple act of getting to class is a challenge because our school fails miserably to provide adequate parking (because parking structures cost money). This lack of funding means that areas formerly reserved as student lounges are turned into gift shops because our campus needs the income. It means that soda and candy machines are planted all over campus in the hope that a percentage can be extracted from the sales. It means that as students, we are being bled dry.

So, while we as students are getting completely shafted, the Board of Trustees and their buddies are living it up like royalty. Not to mention of course, that CSU Chancellor Charles Reed gets an undeserving and unwarranted annual salary of $362,500.

This handsome sum does not even include his monthly car allowance and his already provided housing. And while all this information can be depressing, it can also be empowering, especially when you stand up for yourselves.

On that note, I would like to formally invite you, my fellow student, to stand alongside your professors in a campus demonstration. We are going to call for greater funding for our schools, demand that Reed, the individual directly responsible for our budget, gets his priorities straight.

Fund our schools, not the executives! Be there, March 9 at the Sierra Center at 3 p.m. Bring a friend or two and voice your discontent with our failing educational institution.

For more information or to get involved contact me at the email address below.

Jon Luskin can be reached at yourvoice_csun@yahoo.com.