By: Vincent Medina and Kadie Gurley
Long Beach State Fine Arts students protested in front of the Go Beach sign on Wednesday during Founders Day celebration to bring awareness to the ongoing health and safety concerns in the Fine Arts buildings.
The Fine Arts buildings were built in the 1950s but were never updated to include air conditioning. Students have advocated for renovations to the Fine Arts buildings for weeks and staged their first walk out earlier this month.
The Fine Arts students’ second protest aimed to get President Jane Close Conoley’s attention during the Founder’s Day event, but she did not attend.
Conoley has only addressed the outdated buildings during the CSU board of trustees meeting on Sept. 26.
Luis Ortiz, a second-year communications major and walk out organizer, said they will continue advocating for better working conditions.
“We have been fighting for the past couple of months for giving ACs to art students in those 1950s buildings that have been ignored by the president, the university, and by the CSU,” Ortiz said. “Just because the heat waves are gone doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have ACs in the classroom; doesn’t mean we should ignore the issue.”
During the first walk out, the College of the Arts dean Anne D’Zmura said she would send a document to students so they could specify their concerns.
Fine Arts major and walk out organizer Kristen Huizar said the document was never sent out.
“Clearly right here, they are ignoring us,” Huizar said. “We have asbestos, lead pipes, falling tiles and nothing but Mickey Mouse fixes.”
Kae Hernandez, a ceramics major, said they often felt ill from the lack of air conditioning in their work environment.
“I’ve had to have my partner walk me back to my car multiple times because I have chronic illnesses,” Hernandez said. “I have four hydros on me every single day.”
The Founders celebration ended 30 minutes earlier than originally scheduled. CSULB officials physically turned their backs towards the student protesters and refused to engage or acknowledge them on social media.
“It’s going to get hotter and hotter each year, especially in southern California and Long Beach,” Ortiz said. “We want to fight for better air ventilation so students don’t breathe in the toxic chemicals, and we want to fight for a better working environment for our teachers and professors.”
Fine Arts students said that walkouts and protests will continue throughout the semester until their demands are met.