Protesting (In General)
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Infiltrator
Member # 9887
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:34
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Today at school, about 1/5 of the students (my school is insanely small) held a protest (sitting outside skipping classes). There were several different reasons behind it, but it was mainly to be heard by the administation. They said that they had already tried petitions, and approaching different staff members but failed. The funny thing is I, as well as other people, never had the chance to sign any petitions at all, which is especially wierd since the school is tiny. Also, the guy who started it allowed anyone to join, which made me think about half of the students out there just to skip class. Do you think that the guy was justified in doing this protest, should he have only hand picked students, do you think it will work, do you think that if it works will it happen again and again? What is your input on this? Also do you think protests are the best way to solve problems? [ Tuesday, October 30, 2007 14:35: Message edited by: The Ratt ] -------------------- Let's all just shape gazers and hope it goes away. I make guacamole at work Posts: 454 | Registered: Monday, August 20 2007 07:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:37
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Well, what is it? Edit -What I meant is why they were protesting. Also, protesting can be good or bad. It is imposible to compare them in "General". [ Tuesday, October 30, 2007 14:38: Message edited by: Iffy ] -------------------- Muffins n' Hell|Muffins n' Hell: The Muffins Are Back Again I have an addiction to Spiderweb games. I like this image Iffy= Infernal Flamming Muffin. The y is added to make a word. lol teh stupd text spek is lik ubar dum lol Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 6193
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:37
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You haven't even said what was being protested. -------------------- "NOW PASS ME MY BOOTS. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A FACE." -Nikki Frostbite: Get It While It's...... Hot? Posts: 900 | Registered: Monday, August 8 2005 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:43
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That is to avoid a bias. Nalyd, personally, does believe that it was justified, even if he was protesting non-segregation in schools. He should not have hand-picked students. It will probably not work. Protests rarely do. If it works, Nalyd believes that it will probably be tried again and again, until someone higher up gets sick of it. Nalyd, personally, is disillusioned towards protests, but recognizes the right for people to hold them. -------------------- May the fires of Undeath burn in your soul, and consume it. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 9887
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:47
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Due to popular demand, why they were protesting. One of the kids got in big trouble because he tried to run away a few days before, and they thought he was punished too hard. They were upset about the internet useage policy and firewall used (even though most of them could get around it with a proxy server). They want myspace and facebook unblocked. And in general they want to be heard. Along with a few other things. [ Tuesday, October 30, 2007 14:48: Message edited by: The Ratt ] -------------------- Let's all just shape gazers and hope it goes away. I make guacamole at work Posts: 454 | Registered: Monday, August 20 2007 07:00 |
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Canned
Member # 8014
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:51
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Fools. Rules are there for a reason. Myspace is blocked, and saftey features are there for a reason. They should try and see things from another point of view. -------------------- Muffins n' Hell|Muffins n' Hell: The Muffins Are Back Again I have an addiction to Spiderweb games. I like this image Iffy= Infernal Flamming Muffin. The y is added to make a word. lol teh stupd text spek is lik ubar dum lol Posts: 1799 | Registered: Sunday, February 4 2007 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 14:59
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Well, in general, props on the activist attitude. As long as it was all peaceful, I see no reason why they shouldn't have done that. Then, upon reading the reasons, I'm not entirely sure I understand all of them. Facebook and Myspace blockage is annoying, but depending on the institution, you really shouldn't have a ton of time to be screwing around with them anyway. It also depends on the level of institution we're talking about (college, high school, middle school, ivy-league university)... but yeah. Beats trying to work through the student government. -------------------- TM: "I want BoA to grow. Evolve where the food ladder has rungs to be reached." Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 15:03
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All of those don't seem like the kind of thing that will be fixed by protest, but they also won't be fixed by petition. Adults look at all of those as cases of being adults and making rules for the benefit of children. The children complain, but they don't know what's best for them. Sitting down and listing exactly why the status quo is unsatisfactory and why things would be better for everyone if they were changed would be much more helpful. —Alorael, who generally dislikes petitions. As a tool for showing political will they're useful. In a non-democratic environment they're shows of rabble-rousing. Unless you actually intend to rouse rabble, there are better forms of communicating preferences. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 9887
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 15:11
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For note this is a high-school level boarding school that is in a rather rural area. Very foresty. Nicely secluded from everything. Most cell phones don't get good reception. -------------------- Let's all just shape gazers and hope it goes away. I make guacamole at work Posts: 454 | Registered: Monday, August 20 2007 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 4574
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 15:29
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Protesting in general? Power to the people, man. Protesting in the education system? Unless it's an actual grievance (sexism, racism, etc.), it's a waste of time. For this particular protest? Truancy is a crime, and should be treated as such. What's more, if you're messing around on MySpace/Facebook, you aren't paying attention to the teacher. There are better ways to be heard. -------------------- "This is the King of the Knob Goblins. All Knob Goblins everywhere bow to his rule! Which would be impressive, if there were Knob Goblins anywhere except Cobb's Knob." Posts: 1186 | Registered: Friday, June 18 2004 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 15:40
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Meh. By the standards of mainstream America (though not on Spiderweb), I'm so liberal I lean towards the anarchist. So my stance is that they were perfectly right to protest, whatever they were protesting about. They were also right to invite everyone, and so was everyone who joined. On the other hand, missing class and falling behind in the syllabus is completely their own responsibility, and little to no indulgence should be given for this. They are welcome to exercise their rights to free speech, but for the sake of their grades and future they should better have the discipline to get their academic work done in their spare time. -------------------- The Noble and Ancient Order of Polaris - We're Not Yet Dead. Encyclopedia • Archives • Stats • RSS (This Topic / Forum) • Blog • NaNoWriMo Did-chat thentagoespyet jumund fori is jus, hat onlime gly nertan ne gethen Firyoubbit 'obio.' Decorum deserves a whole line of my signature, and an entry in your bookmarks. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 9887
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 16:17
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Details about why Myspace/facebook was banned was that a few years back, a girl gave away too much information and a creepy stalker appeared on campus looking for her. Also there was some verbal abuse about/sent to other people, which was brought to the attention of the Administration. Both of those things have the potential to happen again, and the verbal abuse would probably start right away. Also they decided to walk out at an all school meeting right before a Dios de los Muertos (pardon spelling) presentation, which made several teachers rather irked. [ Tuesday, October 30, 2007 16:18: Message edited by: The Ratt ] -------------------- Let's all just shape gazers and hope it goes away. I make guacamole at work Posts: 454 | Registered: Monday, August 20 2007 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 16:41
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I didn't read what they were protesting earlier. Myspace? Well, what I said earlier about them protesting about anything remains unchanged. But I would like to add the qualifier that I think they're a bunch of crybabies, and that Myspace is not exactly the most impressive word to substitute in the shout "[...] or death!" -------------------- The Noble and Ancient Order of Polaris - We're Not Yet Dead. Encyclopedia • Archives • Stats • RSS (This Topic / Forum) • Blog • NaNoWriMo Did-chat thentagoespyet jumund fori is jus, hat onlime gly nertan ne gethen Firyoubbit 'obio.' Decorum deserves a whole line of my signature, and an entry in your bookmarks. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 17:55
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I've studied at a university that has designated protest areas that are reserved the same way you'd reserve a lecture hall or a video projector, and an administration official whose job title is "protest management". What happens in a place like that is that every sane person ignores the "professional protesters" who participate in daily protests. So nobody takes them seriously even if there is a real issue worthy of a protest. The students at your school look like a prime material for "professional protesters". "We want Myspace!" is not much better protest cry than "More vegan options in the cafeteria!" And if they keep organising protests on trivial subjects like this, everybody will be so used to ignoring them that if there really is a problem worth protesting about, that protest will get ignored along with the rest of them. -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 18:54
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Hmm. Well, while they think they may have the right to myspace and facebook, the reality is that access at the school while you are there is a privilege. Furthermore, if it isn't a government institution, they technically could even regulate speech. If you object to that, then you don't have to go there. Again, attendance at a private school is a privilege, and if they don't like the conditions, they don't have to attend. Even if it's a public school, there's still the distinction between rights and privileges. The former are worthy of protest; the latter will likely win little sympathy, and probably be reasonable grounds for disciplinary action on the part of the administration. As for a student running away from a boarding school, when he does that, he exposes the school, which is serving as guardian, to liability. I'm guessing he was expelled, and if so, I think it's entirely reasonable that a school would not want to assume such a risk. [ Tuesday, October 30, 2007 18:55: Message edited by: Drew ] -------------------- In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Tuesday, October 30 2007 22:49
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I think they acted like a bunch of middle schoolers. No facebook or myspace? Whaaaaaaaaaa! Someone broke the rules and was punished according to established guidelines? Whaaaaaaaaaa! Trying to establish yourselves as adults, or at least as being worthy of adult consideration, requires actions that are respected and understood by adults. Having a disruptive protest is not very adult. Like others noted, you had nothing to gain, and lost valuable education time. It would have been okay to protest if one person had been unfairly singled out for computer privilege revocation, or if the runaway had been punished beyond the established guidelines, because you would likely have begun a dialog which could have enlightened you on the reasonings of the ruling elite. They might not have changed decisions, but (barring confidentiality) you would have at least understood the rational. In short, protest for the sake of protest is a pathetic display of selfishness. Protest for the sake of productive change is to be admired. -------------------- Vogel - "10% off on all of [our] products for the month of October. ... this discount applies to games, CDs, bundles, and even already discounted products." Synergy, et al - "I don't get it." Thralni - "a lot of people are ... too weird to be trusted" Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 5545
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 04:26
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Although I'm not sure I approve of the reason for the protest, I'm not sure I can say that it doesn't have a chance of succeeding. We had a protest last spring, with about half the school (the exact number is unknown, but it was between 100 and 200, and our school has about 300 students. I know. We're small) taking part. We were protesting the forced resignation of a longtime teacher, despite the unorthodox manner of our notification. The issues were cloudy, and everything was quite partisan. So, we walked out of school at noon, made a few speeches out front, talked to the press, and generally showed our support. We then went back to class. Although some people ditched afterwards, the majority of students finished the school day. Other methods had been tried, and failed. Although the walkout wasn't the only thing to help the situation, is set the stage for student involvement which ended in the teacher staying, a couple changes in policy, and a few precedents set. Here's a couple stories on the subject. The Post Independent isn't the best paper, but it's the only one with online archives this far back. Newspaper Article on the Walkout Article on the Effects Not to say that I support activism for any old thing, but I just wanted to remind everyone that it can work. -------------------- Plaudite, amici, comedia finita est. Posts: 344 | Registered: Friday, February 25 2005 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 4638
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 05:43
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Protesting is largely ineffective and a waste of time unless the number of people organized is very significant. In the case of a school, for a protest to be effective, I would say at least half of the school has to be part of the protest. The protest ultimately has to be backed by some reasonable argument. Generally I am against protests, since the protestors typically have not exhausted many of the remedies available to them. Protestors are typically reactionary and lack imagination. E.g. “We don’t like that rule… lets protest.” Protest doesn’t need to be a last resort; however it should be a later resort. -------------------- Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be. I am the Belichick, Prince of Darkness. Posts: 93 | Registered: Tuesday, June 29 2004 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7557
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 08:58
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quote:I havent been to school in 9 years, since I was about 6. So I can sit at the computer and laugh. Arent I a swine, haha. -------------------- "I must admit, killing mortals is much easier then killing demons. If you remove a demon's head, all you end up with is something that tries to bite your ankles." -Valen Noob: lol 1337 lol woot Posts: 942 | Registered: Sunday, October 8 2006 07:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 09:17
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No, just a spammer. -------------------- In today’s America, there are more World of Warcraft players than farmers. Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 6670
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 09:27
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Is your school parentally run? I side with Drew here, but it's worth noting that if your parents financially support your school, that may be another avenue of discussion. -------------------- Comparing oneself with Galileo or Einstein is certainly good for the ego - provided one refrains from going into too much detail. - John McCarthy Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 9887
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 15:44
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My school is a private boarding school. The kid that ran away is still at school. I don't know what happened to him. So far I do not think there has been a change to anything. Other than some teachers and administrators being irked. The main reason they were protesting was so that they could be heard. Funny to mention, the leader of the protest was a vegan. He also wore a bright orange jumpsuit during the protest. Since it was so cold and I was annoyed at them, I thought about grabbing a squirt gun or something and spraying them with water, or having a protest against their protest. I don't think I actually would have done it though. Still fun to think about. -------------------- Let's all just shape gazers and hope it goes away. I make guacamole at work Posts: 454 | Registered: Monday, August 20 2007 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 5360
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 16:07
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Nalyd sees the need for the right to protest, though, personally, he regards them as generally useless. In this case, Nalyd also does not agree with the "issue". If you attend a private school, you can go without myspace for a few hours. Posts: 1636 | Registered: Wednesday, January 5 2005 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 10578
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written Wednesday, October 31 2007 16:50
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Those students would just love it at my old school. *rolls eyes* Classical Christian school, huh? None of the above. Problem students unmanaged, Internet "rules" broken shamelessly (and when I say that I mean shamelessly), certain people being absolute... never mind. Sorry to rant, but I just escaped from there half a year ago. :mad: The one redeeming factor is I met my girlfriend there. :D -------------------- "We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves?" - Switchfoot ---- My poetry Posts: 432 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2007 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 7298
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written Friday, November 2 2007 21:15
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I went to a public school it was magnet school (sorta of like a gifted program)and I was one of 3 white people of a graduating class of roughly 300 students. It was a good school and I had lots of robotics team. Don't really have any complaints about my school. -------------------- A rock has weight whether you admit it or not Posts: 479 | Registered: Wednesday, July 12 2006 07:00 |
