The spirit of the late 1960s and early 1970s is in full swing at MSU these days. Student groups across campus are evoking the essence of that era by organizing anti-war protests and teach-ins to promote peace and voice opposition to a possible war in Iraq.
Leaders of the MSU group Students for Peace and Justice held a teach-in Wednesday in Giltner Hall to allow students to discuss why they oppose a war in Iraq.
Speakers from several other MSU student groups, including Direct Action, Students for Economic Justice and Students for Palestinian Rights also discussed issues surrounding a pre-emptive strike on Iraq, economic sanctions on the country, U.N. and international law, environmental issues of war and international sentiments as well as activism regarding the possible war.
Lori Baralt and Michael Perez, leaders of Students for Peace and Justice, also helped organize a protest led by professors that attracted more than 300 people in East Lansing on Oct. 25.
Student-initiated discussions on social issues help prove MSU's status as an institution of higher learning. MSU is not just a place to gain knowledge in the classroom for obtaining a degree but also a place to learn about the world and make a difference. Institutions of higher education are places where students from all backgrounds can come together, learn what the world is all about, and go out to make changes.
A teach-in, such as the one organized by the group, is an excellent opportunity for students to learn more for themselves and make an informed decision about the possibility of war.
If anything, MSU students have to catch up and surpass the rest of the country. On Oct. 26, about 200,000 people marched for peace in Washington, D.C. That display of polarity in our nation's capital proves that political activism is alive and well throughout America.
Anti-war sentiments and political activism should be even stronger on college campuses across the country, where the youngest and most vocal citizens reside.
In times like these, with a war looming over our nation's head, it is comforting to see college students educating themselves and becoming more aware of world issues. But, most importantly, it is great to see them getting involved and doing something with that knowledge.
Student apathy seems to be prevalent when it comes to world issues. Even the importance of voting even seems to elude them.
It is refreshing to see groups like Students for Peace and Justice taking a stand and actually doing something. Being active in protests and teach-ins might seem like a thing of the past, belonging in the same category as Volkswagen Beetles, bell-bottoms or "flower power," but political and social consciousness are still meaningful and relevant to social norms.
Students do not have to fit into the stereotype of being a "hippie" to realize they can be active, involved and aware of issues that affect the welfare of the entire planet. They should realize the voice of the youth is the voice of change; and the voice of change is the voice of power.
Education is the first step to change. And many MSU students, while their efforts might seem to be a blast from the past, are beginning to plunge ahead.
