Today is an amazing day for college students!
In a nutshell, after enduring months to years of tuition hikes, lowering education quality, and numerous other injustices, especially in California where the state’s financial troubles have really hit hard lately, the students have had enough and are speaking out. They are marching. They are occupying campus buildings and offices. They are blocking highways.
And, of course, getting arrested. :
From Student Activism:
Students from coast to coast are feeling their power today. They are envisioning themselves as part of a movement, many for the first time. The next few hours will no doubt be very interesting, but I expect that the days and weeks that follow will be too.
Check out some more of today’s posts on Student Activism for more info, as well as following SA on Twitter and to see the #March4 Twitter feed for more information. It’s amazing!
Of course, it’s not just in California. There’s lots of protests near here at University of Maryland, College Park. NYRA member Lindsay C mentioned earlier that there were big protests going on near her at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Austin, Seattle, and Madison have also had students marching and occupying.
University of California, Santa Cruz even told their faculty not to come to campus because the students had blocked all entrances.
Here’s the Student Activism wrap up of the day’s activities!
It is absolutely amazing to see students all over the country sticking up for themselves against a higher education system that cares less and less about them and their rights. While this may seem like an “entitlement” sort of issue, a bit beside what NYRA deals with, the cause of all this stems from disregard for young people in general. When governments make budget cuts, they cut from youth, be it education or anything else of which youth are the primary beneficiaries, because, of course, they don’t believe youth matter.
Now I myself have had no real involvement with the day’s activities, and have instead just been trying to keep up with the online accounts. But, if you’ve been involved and would like to share your account of the student protests, please, tell us about it in the comments! 🙂
