It’s raining as usual here at Slippery Rock University, but today marks the beginning of Thanksgiving break. Many students are rushing around campus turning in assignments, packing, and heading home as soon as they possibly can. I am having a much more relaxing day with lounging, relaxing with friends, and a nap on my immediate to-do schedule. Over break I hope to complete the numerous assignments that are due when I return to campus including a research paper on cadmium smelting, organizational behavior, symbols of leadership, and the effectiveness of OSHA. Seemingly, my break will be spent in my books and in front of my computer diligently keying away.
I’m not sure if anyone else saw this, but recently there have been a number of controversial events at universities in California in particular UC Berkley and UC Davis. I am referring to violent beatings of students and other protestors by riot police. The students were participating in a non-violent protest against the large rise of tuition. The violent strategies used by the riot police were alarming. As a student of a Pennsylvania state university which could easily face the same tuition rates in a few years, I was empathetic to the front-line protestors. After the chancellor of UC Davis made the order for students to be removed from their quad, riot police arrested and pepper-sprayed dozens of people. Students responded by holding a silent protest against the chancellor. Both videos are chilling reminders that these protests still occur. Growing up today, I always saw large protests with riot police as something of the past or at least something foreign to U.S. institutions. It is obvious that it still happens, and it is much closer to me than I believed.
-Chris Kite
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