I wanted to weigh in on the issue of student politics brought up by
Nicole.  I come from a working-class background (no home-ownership for my
parents-always apartments, no car-ownership either-always public
transportation or feet, no money to send me away to college) who was lucky
to have a campus of the state university in my home town so I could attend
on the cheap living at home and winning a state scholarship to cover
tuition.

I now teach at, by any measure, a small elite university whose students
are sometimes the children of Fortune 500 company owners--Washington
University in St. Louis.  I have to say that student politics are
complicated and unpredictable.  The students I have at WashU are a very
progressive bunch on some important issues.  I've taught at four other
institutions: two state universities, one small liberal arts college, and
one Canadian university.  My WashU students are more supportive of women's
reproductive freedom than my students were at Purdue (which is a state
university serving on average a lower-income population).  WashU students
are unanimously (in my classes, at any rate) supportive of LGBT rights
including same-sex marriage, and cannot fathom the right-wing arguments
against those rights (left-wing arguments are a different matter).  Yes,
there is a student libertarian organization but in March 03, they
partnered with the campus Greens to demonstrate in the quad *against* the
outbreak of the war in Iraq.  And the women and gender studies program is
thriving in terms of student enrollment.

This spring, WashU gave an honorary degree to Phyllis Schlafly and several
thousand students, including many who were graduating, joined hundreds of
faculty in organizing a silent protest at the commencement.  To many
observers, it looked as if half the graduating class stood by
pre-arrangement and turned their backs to Schlafly when she got her
degree.

I would not defend the administration in the same terms as I defend the
students.  WashU students are not all mere replicas of their parents or
the school's Board of Trustees--not yet anyway.  They are already complex
people who will often open their minds to new ideas.  I find student
politics to be a bit surprising and unpredictable.

Just wanted to report my own personal experience of elite student politics.

Marilyn Friedman




> Hilde,
> Im leaving FEAST anyway but how was it playing nicely to exclude a huge
> group of people on an elitist basis, i guess the playing nicely only
> applies with regard to the elites, its cool for yall to exclude us because
> yall decided we arent good enough but not OK for us to criticize yall, i
> learned that lesson when i was about 4 years old, i just dont play by
> bourgeoisie rules because they are the basis for oppression anyway.
> Nicole
> everyday it's another death, with every breath a constant threat, so watch
> yo' step!memories bring me misery, and life is hard in the ghetto, it's
> insanity, Got me thinkin, what do Hell got?Cuz I done suffered so much I'm
> feelin shell-shockedAnd drivebys an everyday thangI done lost too many
> homies to this motherfuckin game
>