Students, faculty and staff from California's public universities protest last week over steep budget cuts. Courtesy of the New York Times.

Yes, it’s the inaugural Campus Drive afternoon roundup, and don’t worry, we planned it that way.

Some of you may have read in today’s Diamondback about the university-based VegTerps and the national group peta2 calling for students sign a petition to boot McDonald’s out of the Stamp Student Union food court. They reportedly have about 2,200 signatures. “Sure it’s great to hold fast-food joints accountable for their inhumane slaughtering practices,” you’re saying to yourself. “But it makes me wonder what other kinds of petitions are circulating at other universities.”

Glad you asked. The economic struggles of the universities in this state are often compared favorably to the miserable perils awaiting the California higher education system. On the verge of massive budget cuts, university system faculty signed a walkout petition to protest the burden of budget woes being placed on the shoulders of students and employees “who can least afford it.” Malia Wollan of the New York Times has the story:

‘Everyone agrees there is a budget crisis and that the university must respond,’ said Joshua Clover, an associate professor of English at U.C. Davis who was a co-author of a petition calling for the faculty walkout on Thursday. The problem, Mr. Clover said, is that the administration’s handling of the budget cuts ‘disproportionately harms those who can least afford it both among the workers and the students.’

The online walkout petition was signed by 1,221 of the 19,000 faculty members statewide. A union representing more than 11,000 university professional and technical staff members supported the protest and called a one-day strike.

In Pittsburgh, the location of the recent G-20 summit, you may have heard about the riots and protests that went on — if you read Campus Drive, that is. Now the university administration is reviewing student arrests to sort out who was caught up in the rioting and who was an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time. Students are organizing a petition, which could have as many as 400 signatures, to speak out against the actions of police and the arrests. As The Pitt News‘ Liz Navratil and Estelle Tran report, some of the apprehensions are a little sketchy to say the least:

At least six of those students had extenuating circumstances, [Pitt Police Chief Tim]Delaney said. He mentioned one student who had a hearing impairment. Delaney asked the student to get a note from his doctor. He said he knew of at least one student who had swiped out of Benedum Hall and was on his way home.

Finally, we round out the roundup with a story about a petition everyone who parks on the campus can probably relate to: A University of Southern Alabama student has begun collecting signatures to fight for better parking. The Vanguard’s Alex Whalen recorded the anonymous student’s complaints:

‘Right now we’re just trying to see how many students are having problems [with parking],’ the student said, citing the inadequate size of parking lots and the number of parking permits issued as major reasons for the problem.

Many students have echoed very similar concerns, pointing out that paying for a parking permit should guarantee them a place to park.

‘There are students [who are] not going to class because they can’t afford the tickets,’ the student said. ‘[Students] are getting here 30 to 45 minutes before class and there’s nowhere to park.

‘The [USA] police are fanatics [about ticketing] … and the JagTran makes you late for class.’

Aww, Southern Alabama … tough life. Try parking in Lot 1 sometime.

Quick Hits

• The Daily Collegian is reporting the Penn State chapter of Alpha Tau Omega has been suspended following the death of a freshman student last week. It is the second fraternity suspension that university’s Interfraternity Council has made since the student’s body was found.
• A cautionary tale for academics from The (Baltimore) Sun today: A postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore was found dead after overdosing on a drug commonly used to treat heroin addiction. Police found large quantities of drugs at her residence. Her most recent paper? Results of a study on “compulsion and habit formation.” Yikes.

Today at Maryland

• The Marine Corps is hosting a fitness challenge on LaPlata Beach from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. — and ideal event for all lovers of push-ups and sit-ups.
• Red flags will be out on McKeldin Mall today signifying the start of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. October actually starts tomorrow, but who really looks at their calendar anyway?