Students On Strike
College students across 32 states skipped classes yesterday. Well, that actually happens everyday, but yesterday they had a purpose beyond sleeping in. These motivated matriculators are protesting budget cuts, employee layoffs, and increasing costs which damage the quality of education. I think. It’s also possible they just wanted get out of class. Also their teachers might just be offering them extra credit for making so much noise to administrators.
Students from all walks of life participated in the chaotic movement. See them as you want to see them but student protestors include athletes…and basket cases…and princesses…and maybe even a criminal. Whoever they are, they better not mess with the bull or they’ll get the horns.
One witness reportedly heard the following exchange yesterday.
UPTIGHT TOP BRASS AUTHORITY FIGURE: “What was that ruckus?”
FAST-THINKING ANGST-RIDDEN STUDENT: “Uh, what ruckus?”
UTBAF: “I was just in my office and I heard a ruckus.”
F-TA-RS: “Could you describe the ruckus sir?”
And so it went until the hard-nosed administrator threatened to “crack skulls” if the demonstrators persisted.
***
The walkouts ranged from coast to coast. Students from CUNY to the University of Washington participated in the nationwide “March 4th National Day of Action for Public Education.” Their goal was to shut down campuses for half a day in protest of rising tuition costs and supporting educational workers. Another problem seems to be that tuition is going up as scholarship opportunities go down.
In a USA Today article on the student rally, Maryland junior Jon Berger was quoted as saying:
“We’re seeing more classes taught by adjuncts and grad students who aren’t getting paid (fairly). We’re seeing larger class sizes, and some kids in certain majors … can’t get all the courses they need in four years.”
I know a little bit about those underpaid adjunc
The new dynamic at work here is the current financial crisis and its impact on higher education. Some student groups are focusing on scholarship funding while others want overpaid administrators to take pay cuts. One thread through all the protests is improving the quality of education.
That all sounds great, but nothing will change other than a few hollow speeches after some students get themselves arrested. The protests did get nasty at UC-Berkely, but administrators will still get paid well and academic institutions will continue to make decisions the same way. If money needs to be saved, most university officials will cut expenses everywhere but their own wallets.
If students really want to change anything, they’ll need a few million dollars and a unified coalition to create a new university which they can run by virtue of a controlling interest. Imagine if students oversaw operations, created course listings, and chose faculty. Eventually they would need a college like that in every state, but I bet the best of the best would be knocking down the doors to get in. Come to think of it, so would the best of those underpaid professors out there.
What do you think about these types of student protests? You can Subscribe to my feed or click here to receive posts via email.
2 Comments »
Jump into the discussion!
Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
You glanced on the matter that these young skulls full of mush don’t realize that their support of educational workers is at axis to their outrage to increasing costs. Do they have any idea where the tuition they pay actually goes?
P-E-N-S-I-O-N!!!
Shhh…I was simply trying to manipulate a national story to meet my own personal agenda. The clever Breakfast Club references were supposed to distract you.