Week 7: Bryan Ngo, A01

Week 7: Bryan Ngo, A01

Week 7:

Bryan Ngo

ASA 002

A01

The Berkeley Free Speech movement as described by Cohen is honestly a very empowering read, especially for students. It’s a powerful illustration of what students are capable of. We too often fall into the normal motions of going to class, taking exams, and then getting a job. What more students need to realize is that we the students should be able to take control of our own education and lifestyle in college. The participants of the FSM (free speech movement) realized this and vocalized their concerns over the course of many days. At the end of the day, the university will always realize that the students are the only reason the university exists. If there are thousands of students who aren’t going to class or participating in sit-ins, the university will be obliged to listen.

As I stated earlier, I think most students fall in to the normal motion of going to class, and are blinded by many of the issues that exist in our world today as a result. For instance, most of my peers have complained at least once about their tuition being so high. If mostly everyone feels the same about consistent tuition raises, there should be something done about this. Most of us don’t even know what we’re paying for exactly, and that’s a problem. Tuition of only one of many problems that are on the minds of students. Other examples include a lack of diversity in many different environments (i.e. tech, university, etc.).

Question: Maybe I just don’t keep up with the news, but large student protests seem pretty infrequent. Have universities gotten better at addressing student concerns before it gets out of hand, or have the students just lost motivation / drive to press their issues?

References:

Cohen, R. (1985). Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the Way for Campus Activism. OAH Magazine of History. Retrieved November 05, 2017.

McShan, D. (2015). “Hell No, We Won’t Go: Student Activism as a Vehicle for Leadership Development ” Linkedin. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
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