The list is impressive, heartening to students with political ambitions. The list is of Hofstra University graduates who have continued to careers in politics and it includes a current senator, a former representative, a congressional candidate, a former Nassau County District Court judge, current and former members of the New York State Assembly, and two members of the Nassau County Legislature. But, barring discussion of political science classes, Hofstra may have strayed from the path of promoting passionate political interest and activism. At least, up to now.
If a recent poll, conducted by Pulse, of 50 University students is any indication, the time is right for a political resurgence on campus. 76 percent of those polled indicated they plan to vote in the 2004 presidential election and nearly half of these students said they have an interest in politics. This is perhaps because they believe politics is influential in our society. More than 70 percent of respondents said they believe our choice of president in 2004 will matter personally in their lives. Though things haven�t bubbled to the surface yet, a political undercurrent is building, perhaps one reminiscent of Hofstra�s past.
During the 1960s and �70s, Hofstra was buzzing with enthusiasm and hope for positive change. �Students were more radicalized,� said Martin Melkonian, a Hofstra professor of economics, here since 1966.
Dr. James Shuart, the University�s president from 1976 to 2001, recalled political incidents from his time at Hofstra as both a student and an administrator. During the Vietnam War era, students took over the computer center for a sit in, said Shuart; one of the leaders of that protest was Norm Coleman, now a Republican senator for Minnesota.
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"There is a disturbing percentage of
students here who fall into the
category of people who are blissfully ignorant of world events."
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In 1966, after hearing a presentation by reproductive freedom-advocate William Baird, Hofstra students created an organization called Parents Aid Club. The club tackled taboo issues such as birth control and open discussion of family planning. Many students in the club became prot�g�s to Baird, helping at his oft-harassed reproductive health clinic (which provided underground abortions to thousands of women) or driving into underprivileged neighborhoods with him to promote knowledge of birth control and distribute condoms. The revolutionary club quickly gained members, as well as press attention.
Current Hofstra faculty member Don Dreyer, also Director of the Nassau County Office for the Physically Challenged, is a University alumnus who attended in the late �60s and early �70s. He and others, including Paul Hearne, who was one of the architects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), strove to make Hofstra an accommodating environment for the disabled.
They also made tangible changes in areas such as housing. According to Dreyer, prior to 1967, students in wheelchairs could not live in the dormitories. Dreyer and Hearne worked hand-in-hand with the Student Senate and the rest of the administration to develop a secondary power system in the dorms that would enable handicapped students to live there.
In 1970, students held a Black Panther rally in the University�s Multi-Purpose Room. Speakers included Leslie M. Seale, Black Panther and wife of Bobby Seale, the founder of the Black Panther party, and Jerry Rubin of the Yippie Movement, an outrageous, youth-orientated activist group that nominated a pig for president in 1968 and whose �Chicago 8� were put on trial for conspiracy.
And then, a lull.
Signaling the potential for a turnaround, there are still numerous political organizations on campus: Students Against Injustice (SAI), People Responding to Issues of Sexual Minorities (PRISM), Women of Action, Student Organization for Animal Rights (SOAR), and others. SAI, a 35-member club that describes itself as a non-violent, grassroots activism organization that focuses on human rights, is probably the most visible group.
�Last year was a very active year, where SAI was able to mobilize and unite activists on and off campus. Several events in opposition to the war and occupation in Iraq were organized by our constituents that were widely endorsed by other groups in and outside our umbrella of organizations,� said an SAI representative. Perhaps SAI�s most memorable action last year was the campus Anti-War Event, which featured music, speakers, a pie-faced Bush imposter and, most notably, vivid t-shirts and artwork. Among the sights were a crying Uncle Sam with bloody hands, posters decrying President Bush�s perceived ulterior motives, and t-shirts with slogans like �War sucks� and �Drop Bush not bombs.�
SAI was also involved in campaigns against Citibank and Coca-Cola over human rights issues, as well as against the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly called the School of the Americas). According to SOA Watch�s Web site, �From its beginning, the mission of the SOA has been to train soldiers to protect the interests of multinational corporations and maintain the economic status quo for the few rich and powerful in the US and their cohorts in Latin America.�
With a recent victory in the Citibank fight that has Hofstra considering other banking options, SAI seems to be gaining momentum. Professor Melkonian, who has been involved with some SAI demonstrations, said of this renewed vigor, �I have a sense that things are getting serious now in this country.�
Hofstra is not the only university that deals with discrimination against sexual minorities. Dr. Robert L. Spitzer, a professor at Columbia University, did a study several years ago in which he stated that, if one were motivated enough, he or she could change from being homosexual to being heterosexual. Many people were outraged because of this. In the May 14th 2001 National Review, Wayne Besen, associated director of communication for the human right campaign, wrote, �This study makes it clear that until society is free from anti-gay prejudice, people will feel compelled or can be coerced into attempting to change and claim success even if it has not occurred.�
Another active club, PRISM, has about 70 names on its mailing list, and weekly meeting attendance of about 20. The club, according to co-leader Ben Chevrette, a senior, is involved in numerous events.
�Our main event of the year is the Pram. The pram is a gay prom,� says Chevrette, though he added that there is no sexual orientation requirement to attend the Pram, and usually half of attendees identify as straight. �While the night serves as a good time, it also shows heterosexual people how �normal� it is (or should be) for same sex couples to be engaging in a societal norm like proms,� said Chevrette.
If there is one thing that seemingly has not changed since Hofstra�s early days of activism, it is the willingness of University administration to allow students to speak their minds and express themselves.
According to SAI, �The support of the administration, faculty, and the campus�s religious community has always been incredible.�
�Chevrette of PRISM adds, �Hofstra�s administration has been exceptional in supporting PRISM�s efforts to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone at Hofstra. Both in promotion and in funding, we could not ask more of the administration.�
As much as things have improved, though, the level of activism at Hofstra is hardly staggering. According to an October issue of The Chronicle, no student organizations have joined the coalition of groups fighting with the Nassau County chapter of the ACLU against the USA Patriot Act, despite FBI agents already having visited Hofstra�s library, demanding information on particular students and the ACLU�s active pursuit of student interest. And on a campus with a total enrollment of more than 13,000 students, a mere 35 actively working with SAI seems to reflect a strict binary arrangement between students who are interested and those who are not. And sadly, those who are not seem to be winning.
Alexandre Charles of the Political Affairs Club said, �There is a disturbing percentage of students here who fall into the category of people who are blissfully ignorant of world events.�
But those reasons alone may not explain the lull entirely. Pulse�s recent poll found that a whopping 80 percent of Hofstra students do not think the University�s political clubs have enough exposure and publicity.
The laborious process of trying to reach campus political group leaders may be hindering growth. Hofstra supposedly has chapters of the College Democrats and College Republicans, though no contact information was available for either in the Student Activities office by mid-September. Another party-based organization, the Campus Greens, did not have a listing in the 2003-2004 Guide to Pride student handbook. Similarly, contact information isn�t listed for SAI, SOAR or the Political Affairs Club. (PRISM does have a handbook listing, and Women of Action is new). This problem must hamper potential growth in activism and explains why so many students aren�t aware of these clubs. Perhaps exposure should be the first priority of the clubs.
However, though they remain largely invisible to the University community at the moment, student activism seem to be on the upswing. Ennobled by world events such as the Iraq conflict, disagreement over �free� or �fair� trade, and the plight of our own civil liberties under anti-terrorism laws, fuel has been thrown on the fire that ignites political passion among young people. The effects are already becoming apparent.
SAI reported a dramatic increase in membership of late, attributed to the buildup to the war in Iraq. PRISM heralds that meeting attendance has tripled in the past two years. And, the Political Affairs Club is rebuilding itself after a lapse last semester.
Dr. Linda Longmire, of New College, is hopeful about current and future activism at Hofstra, saying it isn�t how many people are working for a cause, but rather how effectively, creatively and passionately those involved approach the project. She believes current activists have a comprehensive knowledge of all the different issues and how they interrelate.
�University students are kind of the conscience of a democracy,� she said. �We should honor that moral passion and clarity.�
Citing a quote by Margaret Mead to sum up her feelings about campus activism, she said: �Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.�
