The Associated Students of Skyline College is raising support among the student body for the upcoming “March in March” protest, which is set for March 5 in Sacramento.

The purpose of the event will be to voice the concerns of students attending public colleges across the state, which have been struggling amid myriad problems, including cuts to resources and impacted enrollment. The event is the product of statewide cooperation among the student governments of various California higher public education institutions.

Students interested in attending the “March in March” must sign up online through the Associated Students of Skyline College Web page. Participants for the event will arrive at school at 7 a.m. on the day of the protest and board a bus to the state capital. Since there is limited space on the bus, seating will be handled in a first come, first served basis. The protest is an all-day event, with participants returning to campus at about 5:30 p.m. Free lunches will also be provided at the event.

Student Senator Dean Kevin Santos noted that current student participation in the event had been promising, but that the protest unfortunately conflicted with many students’ classes.

“People are really interested,” Santos said. “The only problem is, it’s on a Monday. We’ve been advising students to tell their teachers that they will be taking [the day off].” Student Senator Richard Lopez also commented on the difficulty of the timing of the rally, but said that the morale of those involved was high.

“It’s very few people that want to do it, but there’s some very dedicated students,” Lopez said.

The “March in March” has primarily been, in the past, an event attended by California Community Colleges. This year will be the first instance of CSU and UC campuses taking part in the event. Santos went on to say that this could have a positive effect on the turnout for the protest.

“Last time, there were about 5,000 [students],” Santos said. “This time there are UC’s and CSU’s, so it could be upwards of 7,000.”

The Associated Students of Skyline College stressed the importance of student involvement in the “March in March,” as it is an opportunity to directly convey to state lawmakers the struggles faced by students across the state. Student Activities Commissioner Juliana Franco said that all students have a stake in these protests and that an increased level of involvement would help give lawmakers a sense of the impact the cuts to education are having.

“As a student, you should be concerned with your education and how it’s being funded,” Franco said. “You want to show strength and unity. The more people there, the more representatives will notice.”

The event is not connected to the March 1 rally, but students involved, such as Micheal Madden, expressed support and solidarity for the goals of both events.

“Both of the parties in government are responsible for the cuts in social services,” Madden said. “These cuts won’t stop until serious action is taken by students.”