As the Cease Animal Torture club members began to protest in an effort to stop the sales of Sea World tickets at the Speaker’s Platform on Wednesday, they received a notification. Then, things took an unexpected turn.
Cassandra Garcia, a 20-year-old member of the CAT club, said the club’s members found out that the Board of Trustees had approved ending all support for SeaWorld, which caused Cal State Long Beach to stop the sale of the theme park’s tickets. She added that as soon as they found out, they decided to celebrate by writing on the back of their protest signs with messages such as “Go CSULB!”
The club has taken a stance against the captivity of Orcas and other sea animals at Sea World.
Kenneth Montville, a senior college campaign strategist for colleges for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the CAT club asked the students to get involved and informed them about what is going on at Sea World.
“The tanks don’t at all resemble nature, and the animals are forced to do tricks for spectators,” Montville said.
Anthony Matthews, a senior communications major and a member of the CAT club, said that the club was trying to show that CSULB doesn’t support SeaWorld.
ASI senator Rick Payan is a member of CAT club, and he said the club has been active on campus for a few years.
“The Cease Animal Torture club tries to inform the student population of how animals suffer every day,” he said. “The support on campus has been overwhelming.”
Shinesunny Som, a junior computer engineering major, said he feels indifferent and a little bummed out that CSULB is no longer selling SeaWorld tickets.
“It’s unfortunate to hear how a certain group of people feel that way and we have to revoke ourselves for SeaWorld,” he said.
Judy Lee, a freshman linguistics major, said SeaWorld could improve the environment for the animals.
“I think it’s cruel that SeaWorld captures animals and puts them in an environment where they don’t belong,” she said.