Hundreds of students
marching through the streets of Boone, massive protests, the administration
building locked for fear of a takeover by protestors.
To many current Appalachian State University students
such events seem nearly unthinkable. “Student apathy”
is a phrase heard often from student leaders, administrators and
faculty.
In the last few years, protests on issues ranging
from tuition increase to rape on campus have rarely drawn over 50
people.
Yet as recently as 1996, the (Raleigh) News &
Observer reported hundreds attending to protest the administration’s
response to a series of rapes on campus. A later protest the same
year was met by locked doors and security guards at the administration
building, afterwards administrators said they had heard the protestors
planned to take over the building.
When it comes to political issues, what has changed and have students
really become more apathetic?
“I would say during my time here at ASU, [involvement] has
definitely declined,” said Dr. Eva M. Hyatt, professor in the
Department of Marketing and advisor to the campus chapter of the
National Organization for Women (NOW). “Students seem to be
more pre-occupied with the details of managing their lives. It seems
like squeezing in time for meetings has become really difficult.”
Hyatt said in her 13 years on campus, student involvement in politics
has declined due to a variety of factors, including the administration’s
attitudes and policies.
“Every time we do a big action, and get some big result, and
get the press out, the administration comes out with new rules that
make such and such illegal,” said Hyatt.
“One of the ways we got so much action was having fliers everywhere,
now there’s a lot of regulation about where you can put a flier,
and how long. It really cut back on activism.”
In his 23 years as an employee at Appalachian, Dino DiBernardi,
Director of the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, said
he has seen political involvement both rise and fall.
“I think it’s kind of peaked and valleyed,” said
DiBernardi. “I know election turnout among students is generally
abysmal in local, state, and national elections.
“So if you’re talking about the last 30 years, there has
been a decline, over the last 10-12 years I think it’s been
more gradual.”
Students with experience in politics expressed very different viewpoints
about a decline in student political involvement.
“I think last year was really a peak of [student] activism
in terms of more global and national issues. More students got involved
in going to demonstrations in [Washington], D.C.,” said Ian
A. Mance, a student senator for 3 years and co-president of the
campus chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
“ When I first came here four years ago, I didn’t see
much of that.”
Alison L. Laffin, a student senator for 5 years, said she has seen
an increase in political involvement in the Student Government Association
(SGA).
“We’ve seen a different type of student joining SGA,”
said Laffin. “In the past, when I first started as a senator,
we had some pretty non-controversial issues. Over the past couple
years the issues have been getting a lot more controversial, dealing
with things like students’ rights.”
However, Mance said turnout for on-campus demonstrations has been
low, due in part to poor organization on the part of students.
“I believe we have a very apathetic student body,” said
Mance. “I think in terms of organization, [activists] been
successful on certain issues, not necessarily through demonstrations,
but through things like legislative initiatives in SGA.
“Protests, unless you have large numbers, really don’t
seem that effective in persuading the administration to change their
mind.”
Hyatt said additional regulations regarding mailers, free speech
zones, and tables in the student union have made political activism
on campus even more difficult.
“It seems like everything around this university is geared
towards keeping everything under wraps, keeping it quiet, making
sure everything looks nice,” said Hyatt. “It’s just
a huge disservice to the students. I believe a big part of a college
education is getting involved in politics. Historically the university
has not encouraged political activism.”
“Last year, there were a lot of hoops you had to jump through
if you wanted to organize a demonstration,” agreed Mance.
“For students to come out, it has to be an issue students are
interested in, but there also has to be a group that takes the initiative,”
said DiBernardi. “I think it might be as much personality as
anything else, certain people attract the enthusiasm and excitement
of the students.” |
