In a scene echoing past days of student activism, students, staff and faculty packed themselves into Wheeler Auditorium last night to hear a panel of UC Berkeley professors speak about the need for renewed action in anticipation of today's systemwide walkout.

Wheeler was filled to its 700-person capacity as students came together at the teach-in to hear the professors, including former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, explain the larger issues driving the current budget cuts.

About 200 students who could not be accommodated in the auditorium remained outside Wheeler where an impromptu student teach-in was held.

Peter Glazer, associate professor of theater, dance and performance studies, who moderated the teach-in, spoke about the need to be informed about the issues.

"Public education in California is at risk," he said. "Our problems are not simple ones ... the details are essential to understanding (them)."

Senior Lydia Petrovic, a Russian language and literature major, said the need to understand the issues was what drove her to come to the teach-in, as well as having two of her intended classes cut.

"Part of the reason I came here is that I don't know answers to a lot of basic questions that I'm pissed off about," Petrovic said. "I don't feel confident having an in-depth conversation (about the cuts) when I don't know the facts."

The facts came fast and furious from the panel of professors who dished out a brief history of California educational policy over the last 30 years.

Kevin Padian, professor of integrative biology, first brought up a point almost every speaker reiterated: that the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978 marked the beginning of state disinvestment in public education.

The proposition reduced property taxes and led to cuts in state funding of higher education. It also instituted a two-thirds majority in order for the state legislature to raise taxes.

Political science professor Wendy Brown described the "tax revolt" that ushered in the proposition as "rebellion against democracy; keep what you earn and no democracy can tell you otherwise."

Reich came onstage amidst applause, telling students not to throw blame around but rather seek to understand the other sides of the issues.

"I don't blame (UC Berkeley Chancellor) Robert Birgeneau, I don't blame (UC President) Mark Yudof, I don't blame the governor, I don't blame the Assembly," Reich said. "I blame ourselves for turning our back on the problem and not addressing the problem."

Sophomore Selome Getachew, a double major in political economy and philosophy, said she sees the walkout as a way to motivate students.

"I was worried that people were being very apathetic about this but (the teach-in) relieves my fears," she said.

Ananya Roy, professor of city and regional planning, explained her reason for walking out.

"We all have to make visible the crisis of state defunding ... we have to convince California to stand with us in solidarity," Roy said. "I reject the idea that I can only keep my job at the expense of others."

Junior Ricardo Gomez, founder of Berkeley Students Against the Cuts, is looking forward to today as a big day for the student body.

"Cal has a really rich history of student activism-it has worked in the past," Gomez said, citing the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s and recent movements to save the ethnic studies department. "We need to remember that right now more than ever."

Stay tuned to dailycal.org for real-time updates about the systemwide faculty walkout and union strike. Get published online by sending your own photos and observations to youreport@dailycal.org.

Tags: WALKOUT