SDSU Music Bloodbath Update: CUTS FOR 2010 and beyond! $50-100K GONE!!

[Nikki Stone1]

If you've been watching the news, you know that California universities are CUTTING all over the place. Funding and programs have been slashed. Here is the update from San Diego.

My friend, who works at SDSU music department, just sent me an email from the department. The CUTS for the Spring are BIG! If any of you care
about public education and music education in particular, please consider sending a donation to the SDSU Music program. The opera program, in particular, helps
to train students as singers, orchestral musicians, stage and set designers, costume designers, stage technicians, among other jobs. It is the most popular program
in the music department because it involves so many students first hand. Over the years, thousands of students have been involved with this program.

Here is the info for donations:

Send donations to

Director/SDSU Opera Theater
SDSU School of Music & Dance
5500 Campanile Dr
San Diego, CA 92182

The website is here:

http://www.musicdance.sdsu.edu/opera/index.html

[Nikki Stone1]

1. Without Donations, this Program will Completely Shut Down.

Please help if you can.

[Capn Sunshine]

2. I'm an alum

This shall not stand!

[Nikki Stone1]

3. Bless your heart.

If Nadin is around, steer her here. She is an alum too.

If you're still in the SD area, consider seeing the upcoming show. It will help raise money and show the university that the department has a lot of support. Any alums you can get to help would be amazing. My friend says morale is lower than he has ever seen it.


SDSU Opera Theater
presents

Gilbert and Sullivan’s
THE MIKADO, or The Town of Titipu


SDSU School of Music and Dance
J. Dayton Smith Recital Hall

Friday November 20 7:00 pm
Saturday November 21 7:00 pm
Sunday November 22 2:00 pm

FEATURING 52 singers, instrumentalists, designers, crew, & faculty/staff!!

Tickets:
$18 General Admission
$12 Students (non-SDSU) and seniors
$10 SDSU Students / faculty / staff

To order tickets on-line, please visit:
http://music.sdsu.edu
Click “purchase concert tickets” under the Quick links tab.

[Capn Sunshine]

5. I'm speaking with a few guys in Old Town tomorrow

I won't be in Old Town, THEY are. Developers and alumni.
SDSU needs a rainmaker

[Nikki Stone1]

7. OMG that would be amazing.

There are several people in the department and the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts to talk to. If you IM me, I can pass the info I have along.

[Nikki Stone1]

15. You have mail

And thank you!

[NYC_SKP]

4. Kicking this... and...

Contacting a few friends who attended...

:kick:

[Nikki Stone1]

8. Thank you so much!

I so appreciate this.

:hug:

[waiting for hope]

6. K&R - for content.

[Nikki Stone1]

9. Thank you so much!

:hug:

[waiting for hope]

10. You are very welcome ...

:hug:

[Nikki Stone1]

48. :)

:)

[AwakeAtLast]

11. So when do they cut sports?

(Music Teacher here)

That is my usual questions when I hear about any budget cuts in Fine Arts areas.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. You know the answer, I know the answer

I was actually a GTA with the Football program at SDSU, essentially a person to help these kids with history 101, intro to Western Civ... so I got a look inside the beast. Those kids were NOT ready for college and god they were told that they would all reach the NFL if they applied themselves.

I have told the story before, but the Aztecs are not even a good program. not as a football team... but they meet Barely, the NCAA requirements or graduation and retention.

Before that experience I had a few issues with professional sports programs in college and lets not kid ourselves they are. After that experience I concluded they are the triple A teams for the NFL and the NFL should pay for them. You want a football program? Sure no problem... look SOUTH of the border, where intramural sports are something kids do on top of their studies not in spite of their studies. Sure universities have professional teams in the Soccer league... they are separate from academics.

And i mean the finance wall between those programs and the university proper are so tall people here cannot conceive of them. It is as if the teams only carry the name, which essentially they do... and their moneys do not mix with anything else. So the school does not depend on them for any alumni money.

[Nikki Stone1]

18. The Chancellor majored in football back in 1963

No kidding. He was at George Washington in DC which is not exactly known as a football school, so he wasn't even a talented jock. He majored in phys ed and then Education. (EdD)

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Today it is the Music Department, tomorrow will be the History department

that is the problem.

Will see if I can find an extra fifty bucks to send to the department...

RIDICULOUS but I guess they couldn't in 92, now they will achieve it, destroy the master plan.

[Nikki Stone1]

14. I think the master plan is totally dead.

It's just horrible.

If you're in San Diego, maybe you could go see their production. I can't get down there, but if you can, please consider it. I hear the lead soprano is amazing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Personal taste, I don't like opera

but I can do the... here is a check.

[Nikki Stone1]

21. OK, then.

I'm sure they will appreciate that.

And thank you! I don't know what the hell is going on with the Cal State and UC systems, but it looks like they are completely crashing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. The Republcians have been trying to crash them for years

they got their wish I guess. I thank the gods the navy intervened and I don't have kids, or I'd be seriously considering moving not only out of state but out of the country.

It has changed so much I barely recognize it. And yes I fight, but if I had to think about kids... this is not a good place anymore.

[Nikki Stone1]

28. Yet the Republicans have not had a majority in the Assembly

as long as I have been here. Ahnold couldn't have done it all on his own.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. It is counter intuitive, but it is the non democratic way

the assembly works... we need higher taxes... good luck getting that through because majority rule does not work. I tried to 'splain that to my brother, who lives in OH... and it was impossible.

[TransitJohn]

13. A kick for the Aztecs.

Sorry about the beatdown by the 'Pokes in the 4th last Saturday, and sorry to hear about your fine arts programs struggles. I wish your fine institution and community the best of luck in getting it turned around down there.

[Nikki Stone1]

20. The Aztecs have been having their problems.

But thank you very much for your good wishes. :)

[tekisui]

16. knr!~ for a good cause.

[izzybeans]

23. If you wanna understand what happened in NJ Governers race this year.

My grad program lost its funding because of massive higher ed cuts under McGreevey in New Jersey. A situation that only got worse after I was forced to quit because I no longer had funding.

Good luck with this. I hope it ends better for your friend than it did for me.

It looks like the destruction of higher ed is now rolling all they way to California.

[Nikki Stone1]

24. I think you hit the nail on the head

Good luck to you.

[Captain Hilts]

25. The NYT says they're also increasing tuition by a THIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have musician friends and I'll pass this link on!

[Nikki Stone1]

30. Yep. There have been demonstrations all day today at UCLA

Some students hit with rubber bullets, I think too.

THANK YOU for passing this on. If you know anyone who normally does charitable giving at the holidays, this music program is a fantastic way to do it.

[Tashca]

26. Talk about culture wars.

This does appear to be a war on our culture.

Without the arts.....what are we??

[Nikki Stone1]

31. We're cogs in the corporate wheel.

:(

[madfloridian]

27. K & R

Worthy cause.

[bobbolink]

32. K&R for music!

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Nikki Stone1]

47. WE love you grovelbot, we surely do

We love you grovelbot, and we'll be true. :)

[waiting for hope]

34. Kicking for music -

:kick:

[Nikki Stone1]

50. Thank you so much for this.

.

[AllentownJake]

35. K&R

[saracat]

36. K+ R as a Theatre major myself. BTW, Didn't Adam Lambert attend

SDSC for a couple of months? He has raised a lot of money for the arts programs in high schools. Maybe he should be tapped to raise some money?

[Nikki Stone1]

37. There's a thought.

I had actually been thinking of writing Oprah.

[timtom]

38. K&R!

[question everything]

39. Kick (nt)

[Nikki Stone1]

51. :)

:)

[PuraVidaDreamin]

40. kicking for the arts

What would the world be without them?

[Nikki Stone1]

49. I wish you could talk to the Chancellor

He doesn't seem to get it.

[cornermouse]

41. k & r

[Nikki Stone1]

42. Thank you so much!

:D

[Echo In Light]

43. K&R

[Canuckistanian]

44. K&R

[redqueen]

45. K&R

[Nikki Stone1]

46. Here's the information send donations:

Send your contributions to:
SDSU Opera Theater
School of Music & Dance
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182
Attn: Kellie Evans-O’Connor
………………………………………………………………………………………
Check all that apply:

____ I PLEDGE $ ______________ towards the challenge drive for opera

____ I want to donate immediately. Enclosed is a check for $____________

____ If challenge not met for OPERA, my donation can go to VOCAL ARTS


NAME____________________________________________________________

ADDRESS_________________________________________________________

CITY/STATE_____________________________________ ZIP___________

PHONE ( ) ____ ____ ____ - ____ ____ ____ ____

E-MAIL____________________________________________________________

[glitch]

52. Damn I wish I could. But all I can afford is a K & R for this thread.

My deepest apologies.

[Nikki Stone1]

53. Hey, that helps too.

:hug:

[gleaner]

54. In addition to cuts like .....

the ones described in this post, the fees have been raised sharply at California universities as well. There were student demonstrations at Berkeley yesterday. Of course;) And I understand that a lawyer is taking the university system to court.

I hope SDSU survives intact. We need artists and they need a training ground or we will become as ignorant and wart covered as the Conservatives. Sometimes the intangible things like beauty and soul get us through the worst of times.