Week 7 Anthony Canavesio A02

Marginalizing the college student was a huge theme in “Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the Way for Campus Activism,” by Robbie Cohen. Cohen sheds light unto a social issue revolving around the UC Berkeley campus during the 1960s. UC Berkeley and college campus used to have a ban on the idea of free speech and political activism. This became an issue in the 1960s as Berkeley students were congregating on campus and attempting to raise money for the civil rights movement. The campus leaders however had other plans as they attempted to arrest and administratively punish someone for ignoring the no political activism ban on campus. This ignited a demonstration at Berkeley demanding the man arrested to be freed and not disciplined in any way. The University agreed to the terms to stop the riot but remained firm on its no political activism on campus stance. This was really shocking to me because when we think of progressive the first thing that comes to mind is UC Berkeley and it is very eye opening to see how it took a lot of student activism to gain this title, NOT the administrators or even the school itself. It is also sickening and quiet eye opening to see the school officials not promote the college students raising money for a just cause. College campus are viewed as one of the main fronts for political activism in today's society, this classification however came at a cost. For example the student leaders of the riot were hit with charges of breaking school code and subject to academic disciplinary post demonstrations showing how conservative and stuck in the past school officials are. These charges however backfired on the University causing another riot on campus. The way the campus tried to marginalize the students with force arresting all of them really brought back memories of the UC Davis pepper spray incidents. Both are great cases of students being marginalized by the University. Although we have come along way, it is still very evident that college officials would rather have politics separate from the school system, and they are very willing to unlawfully use campus police force to keep it that way. Overall the free speech movement gained so much attention and momentum that the Berkley staff was forced to reevaluate its current political restriction laws on campus. The free speech movement marked a turning point in politics on the college campus, previously college students were afraid to question anything do to being labeled a radical or communist. These demonstrations showed that with enough people practicing non violent protesting that reform is possible. The free speech movement brought the idea of peacefully protesting beyond civil rights protest’.

My question for this week is since in today's day and age college students are still being marginalized is there still a group around like the FSM?