Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A lack of campus activism

A campus is one of the most politically active arenas that most college graduates ever experience. Universities are bastions of young radical thought, illusions of intellectual grandeur, and more political discourse and activism than Pennsylvania Avenue. As such, they are an exciting place to be, and often catch the attention of national and international political networks.

The political culture at state universities is distinct from that of small, private campuses because of the complicated politics of large schools and the public bureaucracy that runs them. A diversified student body also assures far more special interest groups than elsewhere and a continuous flurry of political activity on every level.

The University of Massachusetts is one of the few places I’ve been where the population has such direct access to policy makers. The history of activism here on the Amherst campus shows that effective student mobilization for a cause is generally able to make positive gains for the students. Building takeovers, Beacon Hill lobbies, and teach-ins have all graced the rich history of UMass political activity.

There is also a growing sense of apathy within the student body. Whereas a couple of years ago editorials and uninterested students stepped out of line by criticizing the outbreaks of activism in response to an Iraq war, public education cuts, and a heated reproductive rights debate, most new students will now finish their UMass careers without hardly noticing the presence of activist RSOs. Of course, this trend is compounded by Mike Gargano’s increasingly fascist policies as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, which seem to view any attempt at student organization or assembly as childish insubordination and a threat to his “zero tolerance” reign.

We the students beg to differ, Mr. Gargano, and if these policies are left unchecked they will permanently damage the ability of RSOs to work for their causes and will scare away new members and future student leaders. The specifics of this damage, and its undoing, are a discussion for another time and a task that should be left for the SGA and the student body and its organizations to handle.

Yet if we are to strengthen activism, be it conservative or progressive, student organizations need strong leadership and better membership incentives. Two of the main reasons that many students choose not to get involved in political activism around campus is that they either feel little passion for the cause or see little future in dedicating their energies to such an end. Those groups that are the most successful and command the greatest university presence are not the ones with the greatest funding, but the ones with strong leadership that set concrete group goals and have an activist network beyond the campus. For example, the Republican Club receives ten times more funding from the SGA Ways and Means Committee than the UDEMS, which has a greater budget than Democracy Matters or the International Socialist Organization.

Political Research Advocates, a non-partisan political research institute in Somerville, recently commissioned a study of student activism on campuses around the country and came up with some interesting results and recommendations for students hoping to organize and groups seeking to improve their current networks and resources. The author of the study, Pam Chamberlain, will be speaking on her findings from 7-9 p.m. in room 803 of the Campus Center tonight.

Chamberlain’s talk, and similar talks that follow, are important in understanding both the evolving political culture of the University and its place within political movements in the country at large, as well as organizational differences between conservative and progressive movements. This is a valuable resource for anyone engaged in campus organizing and political activism.

Aaron Wodin-Schwartz is a Collegian columnist.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Massachusetts Daily Collegian Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *