Spring Break
CSU students need to stand for something
Phoenix Mourning-Star
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: Opinion
CSU used to be the site of a tradition of students who made a difference, stood up for what they believed and took on the good fight. There was a time when it was guaranteed that an issue of importance had CSU students making headlines.
But not any longer. And we're not alone.
Nearly every university, compared to its counterparts from days of old, is a bunch of apathetic do-littles. Maybe this is a reason so many people around the world have less than stellar attitudes about our country.
Maybe more of us need to visit places where people are still fighting for their rights to go to school and have some "upward mobility" -- where economic downturn means the rest of the country can begin to experience what its like to play on a level playing field.
We don't even have to go overseas to get a hit of that reality.
Still, overseas our forgotten poor are said to have it better than many people in developing countries -- people who don't have access to homeless shelters, clean running water, enough food to eat or a government that represents them. All things considered, we didn't have a government representing us until a few weeks ago.
But I guess that's what I'm getting at isn't it? It's all about which "us" or, better yet, which U.S. we're talking about these days.
The "us" I want to talk about is the us at CSU that marched hundreds strong in 1968 from campus to downtown Fort Collins to take a stand against the Vietnam War. The us who made up CSU in 1969 when the Student Government, the Black Student Association and the International Student group stood up against racist policies at BYU and the University of Wyoming, demanding discontinuation of athletic relations.
Traditions of compassion and moral fortitude at CSU continued later in '69 when a group of students and citizens locked themselves in the Ag Building in protest of university negotiations with a military contracted chemical company. And in 1970, a war moratorium concert protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia ended, unfortunately, with protesters burning down our Old Main.
But not any longer. And we're not alone.
Nearly every university, compared to its counterparts from days of old, is a bunch of apathetic do-littles. Maybe this is a reason so many people around the world have less than stellar attitudes about our country.
Maybe more of us need to visit places where people are still fighting for their rights to go to school and have some "upward mobility" -- where economic downturn means the rest of the country can begin to experience what its like to play on a level playing field.
We don't even have to go overseas to get a hit of that reality.
Still, overseas our forgotten poor are said to have it better than many people in developing countries -- people who don't have access to homeless shelters, clean running water, enough food to eat or a government that represents them. All things considered, we didn't have a government representing us until a few weeks ago.
But I guess that's what I'm getting at isn't it? It's all about which "us" or, better yet, which U.S. we're talking about these days.
The "us" I want to talk about is the us at CSU that marched hundreds strong in 1968 from campus to downtown Fort Collins to take a stand against the Vietnam War. The us who made up CSU in 1969 when the Student Government, the Black Student Association and the International Student group stood up against racist policies at BYU and the University of Wyoming, demanding discontinuation of athletic relations.
Traditions of compassion and moral fortitude at CSU continued later in '69 when a group of students and citizens locked themselves in the Ag Building in protest of university negotiations with a military contracted chemical company. And in 1970, a war moratorium concert protesting the U.S. invasion of Cambodia ended, unfortunately, with protesters burning down our Old Main.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Craig Hawley
posted 2/19/09 @ 2:43 AM MST
And I bet you were never proud of America , before Obama was elected. You should be aware that 48% of Americans that did not vote for Obama do not fell like they are being represented. (Continued…)
Stacey Frisk
posted 2/19/09 @ 12:29 PM MST
I'm pretty sure Phoenix listed several events in the history of the United States that made him (and Obama voters) proud. We organized against a war -- make that wars -- that traded young lives for money. (Continued…)
Registered Independent
posted 2/19/09 @ 12:40 PM MST
What on earth was your point with this article, Mr. Mourning-Star?
It sounds like you feel that students "ought" to be demonstrating about something-or-other in order to make headlines and impress the French; but you just can't think what, exactly, remains to be demonstrated about. (Continued…)
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