If last Wednesday’s protest taught me anything, it’s that too many students around campus are both uninformed and uninterested about the politics and policies that shape their college experience.
With only a few days left until the New York Students Rising walkout, it seemed that Binghamton students had only just begun to get a sense of the atmosphere that had already spread through many SUNY and CUNY campuses. Most students were unaware about either the protest or its issues.
If the walkout succeeded in raising awareness about anything, it did so by bringing to the forefront the disconnect between the administration and students, as well as a lack of communication between the students and their student government, in regards to keeping students informed.
The walkout also revealed that most of the student body has a general disinterest or lack of concern about the attitudes and agendas of the powerful, those who make decisions on everything from tuition to the food in the dining halls.
With the SUNY and CUNY budget being cut by over $300 million, the Tuition Assistance Program being cut by $31 million, tuition hikes over the next five years and the potential privatization of Binghamton, shouldn’t students be angry? Shouldn’t they be ready to raise their voices in unison against the atrocities Albany is committing against them? How can they be if they don’t know about these issues?
The real question is, why don’t they know?
One reason could be priority. With classes, homework and extracurricular activities consuming the time and energy of the student body, keeping an eye on the big moves being made in Albany or on campus gets overlooked. As students, we become so preoccupied with our mission to earn our degrees that we don’t contemplate how our tuition gets spent, if it’s even being spent properly, or if it’s being spent in ways that truly benefit us.
We put our minds at ease with the notion that the administration will take care of us, until an event such as the walkout suggests otherwise.
Another reason could be because neither the administration nor the student government makes it their mission to make students conscious of University changes. There is a great disparity when it comes to accessing information, and unfortunately for the student body, those who hold the necessary knowledge don’t share it until new plans and policies are ready to be enacted.
Regardless of the possible reasons behind the students’ lack of knowledge, it should still be their priority to stay informed about the changes being made to their University. It should be up to them to be curious about how their administration works to serve them, and if their interests as students are being taken into consideration.
Wednesday’s walkout, instead of being an act of rebellion, turned out to be a mere wake-up call for the majority of students on campus. The only way such protests can be effective is if everyone is informed and willing to take a stand.
Students shouldn’t be outraged when they see the increase in tuition on their bill, or when they see that they’re not receiving as much money from TAP as they have in previous years. The outrage should begin when these changes are being considered, not after they take effect.
Perhaps if the student body takes the time to acknowledge the decisions that are being made, the people who make those decisions will acknowledge the student body.