March 10th, 2005 8:57 PM
Group opposes recruiters at S.F. State University career fair
By Erin Pursell / Oakland Tribune
SAN FRANCISCO — A student protest almost shut down a career fair at San Francisco State University on Wednesday as students rallied as part of a national movement to permanently ban military recruiters from all school levels.
The protest began about 11 a.m. as students filled the campus's Malcolm X Plaza, and were warmed to the cause through chants and rants on megaphones and a PA system. The plaza is at the center of the sprawling campus and is adorned with a mural of the late civil rights leader.
As the energy simmered and began to boil, students yelled anti-war messages, and the crowd grew to more than 200.
"Our goal is to kick recruiters off campus permanently and to raise awareness about the issue," said Kristen Anderson, a member of the steering committee for Students Against War.
The student group is part of the Campus Antiwar Network, a national campaign to keep military recruiters off school campuses that has grown in recent months as recruiters have increasingly targeted students to counter declining military enlistment.
After students voiced their concerns for about 30 minutes on the plaza, the crowd burst into the career fair being held at Jack Adams Hall in the campus student center next to the plaza.
The demonstration quickly swarmed around the two booths of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Air Force.
The four recruiters were frustrated by the angry protesters but remained understanding of the students' rights to voice their concerns.
"People have a right to demonstrate, but I think there's a misunderstanding of the roles of the Army Corps of Engineers," said Richard Gallegos, a regional recruitment manager who wore plain clothes to the event.
Gallegos noted the corps is 98 percent civilian. Its main focus is disaster response and environmental restoration projects.
Anderson said she hopes S.F. State will become an anti-war role model because of its efforts to ban recruiters. "We want to help give other schools the confidence to follow suit," she said.
Because the event was publicized in advance, many other campus political groups participated.
Talking to recruiters "is a voluntary act, and some people are interested in that information," said Candice Candelaria, a political science major who was there to observe the rally.
The Campus Republicans, a minority group on campus, demonstrated in support of the recruiters.
"Basically, if you don't want to join (the Army), don't join," said Victor Traycey, a Campus Republican member, pointing out the group was there to provide a different perspective on the issue.
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