Happy Outfly and Protest Music

What was it about yesterday that made me get up early this morning, watch West Wing, and then feel that the only choice for today's listening is my AP History 60's Protest Music CD??

Oh yeah, I was in a protest march yesterday, that's right.
I don't feel like getting super into the details right now, but the information is available through KWWL, The Waterloo Courier, and, of course, Wartburg's Trumpet.

Basically, we (1000 of the 1800 students) got up at 5:45 to march half a mile to the president's house and demand a winter Outfly (day off classes, basically), to protest the fact that we feel that we no longer have a voice in what happens at Wartburg and several specific issues that we felt had been ignored. (ITS funding, faculty treatment, international student concerns, and student feedback on professors, especially adjuncts and tenured faculty.)

It was a good march, pretty early, and fairly cold, for March, but worth it. I attended all my classes, was planning to any way. But I still see it as a success (no, we didn't "sin boldly" and completely ignore all our classes.) President Hamm said that he has no control over the faculty (true), but that if the students want their Outfly, they should have it. He wished us a happy Outfly, and then the student body president spoke, wishing us a happy outfly, but that all was at the discretion of our individual professors.

It was interesting to see the dichotomy between the two academic departments I belong to. The religion department was really excited, and in the two classes I had over there, we didn't do classwork at all, we just discussed the protest and the issues at hand, especially how the faculty (or at least the ones we were talking to) felt about the different issues, and the behind the scenes stuff we may or may not have known about.
In the music department, it was a whole different story (and, I believe, similar to the highly disgruntled math and science departments). Apparently I was wrong in thinking that the faculty must have known something about it, because they definitely didn't. The music professors, understandably, were upset about lessons potentially being missed, and the students were upset because it felt like any other day for them. My professor in that department held class, but didn't punish us if we didn't attend. I did, because I value my education, and I'm not doing the best in that class to begin with.

I would like to take this opportunity to address a few issues raised yesterday. I'm not attempting attack any of these views, but just positing a differing view/response.

First, in response to the complaint that skipping class is an inappropriate response to the issues, that if we wanted to protest something, we should do it in a way that actually has to do with the issue. My response here is that there were too many issues, and that some of the "stupider" (I agree on that: the tray issue isn't that important, people) issues were tagged on to get the people in Clinton to come out to support. And, at heart, this wasn't (in my opinion) about any of the issues listed. It was, and they are important issues, but at heart, the unifying complaint is that our voice isn't heard. In Travis (student body president)'s speech yesterday morning, he said that we (the student body) have been accused of not caring, of not speaking up for things we believe in, and for not being involved. We showed that we have a voice. And, even though I attended all my classes, it was a success in my book, because I supported something I believe in.

Next, in response to the complaint (from a professor) that they (the faculty) didn't need a protest to know that the issues are problems, again, that wasn't the point. We know that the faculty care. We're sorry that we didn't let them in on it, but we couldn't really. It was pulled off super fast so that the faculty couldn't stop us, and, honestly, we thought the faculty knew. The point was the show the administration, who is, frankly, out of touch with student voices, that we care, that we can unite, and that we want Wartburg to be the college we believe it can be.

For the students who participated just to get a day off classes, thanks for being wimps. Take a stand. And if you don't want to be here to learn, go away. This is a college, a school, a place where tests happen, and studying should be your priority. Stop drinking and get an education, that's what you're paying for, not partying for.


Back to work.