OCCUPY!

In Response to “Fighting Privatization, Occupy Activists at CUNY and UC Kick Into High Gear” by Josh Eidelson 

I had a special intrigue with the Occupy movement when I was in High School and I closely followed the progression of the movement because their initial call to action was on September 17th, my birthday.  I remember hearing about the UC Davis pepper spray incident on the news and I did not understand what the students were protesting and why they police resorted to using force for a reportedly peaceful protest.  I don’t think I will ever understand how the police man could pepper spray those students, however; this article helped me understand why the students were protesting.  UC Students were angered by the privatization of  their public university and tuition hikes.  The UC Board of Regents was composed by California corporate elites who were trying to run the public school system as a private enterprise.  This angered me because I did not realize that the UC Board of Regents were corporate elites who actually have agendas of their own besides the well-being of the UC system and probably use their clout within the UC system to further their individual agendas.  At UC Berkeley, Occupy Cal decided to set up an “Open University” on Sproul Plaza to show what a real public education should look like.  I think that Occupy Cal’s  “Open University” idea was really interesting and I’d love to have experienced it.  However, I don’t believe that the “Open University” concept could be sustainable.  What is in between an “Open University” and the privatized university?

Breana Inoshita 

Section A02 

Blog #4