Student activism: phase or movement?

Following the Michael Brown and Eric Garner decisions, activism surged last semester on campus, causing mixed reactions from students. But over a month since the end of the fall semester, activist groups are looking for ways to keep the momentum going.

The activism in the fall came in the form of town hall meetings hosted by UMOJA as well as die-ins and marches hosted by activist groups such as Students Organizing for Unity and Liberation and the Student Labor Action Project.

UMOJA Co-President Rachel Palmer praised the activism for creating “dialogue” on campus around important issues.

“The [protests] brought more awareness to campus,” she said.

In addition to the students participating in the protests, Palmer also believes that many students who were not previously involved have now become interested in issues of racial injustice.

“The students that are participating clearly care, but students are showing they care about it in different ways as well,” Palmer said.

However, some students feel like the protesters aren’t doing enough to promote their issues.

College freshman Sydney Morris felt that the Amy Gutmann die-in — occurring during one of the larger protests last semester — was not as effective as it could have been.

“I’m not sure how successful that was,” she said. “Their purpose wasn’t clear enough.”

She worries that there haven’t been enough events this semester to build on last semester’s momentum.

“The passion was there last semester, there needs to be something now,” Morris said. “I think they were effective, but they can still do more.”

While some students worry the protesters aren’t doing enough to get their message out, other students disagree with the protesters’ message in the first place.

“I do not think these protests against police are effective at all,” College sophomore Danielle Petsis said. “I, myself, am the daughter of a police officer... It hits home when people are attacking the occupation your father holds when I know that he is so passionate about helping people. It is hard not to take it personally. I believe there is good and bad in all groups of people — police officers alike — but when I see awful things being said and the labeling of them, it hurts.”

Despite her feelings about the protests, she doesn’t see them ending any time soon.

“I think they will continue on campus because students feel passionately about it,” Petsis said. However, some students — even those not directly involved in the protests — admire the work that protesters have done. College sophomore Rhiannon Miller believes that the work the students are doing is vitally important.

“The point that we’re at today is by fighting against what they believe is wrong, none of it just magically happened,” Miller said.

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