There's a fine line between justified activism and glorified protesting, and students on the UB campus are dangerously close to crossing it.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a rowdy, boisterous group of students congregated in front of the Student Union to support something they felt very strongly about. Like any typical group of activists they came in numbers with signs, megaphones and lots of sidewalk chalk.
Over 70 supporters of Students Against Sweatshops and members of the community rallied together that afternoon to achieve what they called "justice for janitors." Their desire to support the members of UB's custodial staff, their wages and job security, however, was somewhat slighted, when in an ironic twist of fate, the very janitors that the students had come out so gallantly to protect, ended up cleaning up the mess.
Picture a lonely janitor coming outside to sweep up chalk messages on the sidewalk that declare "equal pay for equal work" and "living wage now." I'm sure at that moment he was delighted to have UB students fighting for his rights.
That's just one example of self-righteous students supporting a cause that is completely lacking in substance.
The rally to support the non-unionized workers took place after UB's announcement last Friday that the university will soon be unionizing custodial workers and increasing their wages to $10.60 an hour plus benefits. This is a big step in the right direction for some janitors, yet protestors are still unyielding in their belief that more needs to be done.
First of all, if these protestors think they have a large influence on how much a janitor gets paid, I think they are sorely mistaken. Secondly, I don't know what these students expect. Should janitors receive equal pay with professors?
I like janitors, in a reasonable sense. They work hard on campus and deserve respect and decent wages. I would not, however, stand outside and chant for their jobs.
That's not the only demonstration I've seen around campus that is absent of substance. Look at protests on campus with organizations like the Black Student Union. They protest for equality, as if UB isn't one of the most diverse campuses in the SUNY system, or as if discrimination and hate crimes are common on campus. They're not.
I've always been cynical of big protests. I believe in freedom of speech and a citizen's right to invoke it, but I don't see how standing in the cold, holding a sign and shouting really accomplishes anything. I believe, in the case of students and many other activists, people just like to cause a scene.
How much protesting by UB students is done because of a general concern for the subject, rather than the need to feel like one is participating in something? No offense janitors, but are all the students out on the march really that concerned about your wages, or just looking for a reason to attract attention?
Personally, I think it's the latter.
Every college student has a cause, and if they don't, they'll make one. Students Against Sweatshops, Starbucks, snowplows. You name it, there's an organized rally somewhere on campus.
Go ahead UB. Protest the war, protest against Colin Powell, the mistreatment of coffee bean farmers and big business. When you're done you can feel all warm and accomplished inside as you buy a venti soy latte and leave trash in classrooms for janitors to pick up.
I have a better idea. I'm going to protest something, which, although it has about an equal zero percent chance of succeeding, is at least a worthwhile cause.
I'm going to protest the crappy excuse for a lid, the pieces of plastic that Starbucks serves with every cup of coffee. You know, the ones that leak hot beverage out the back and down the sides regardless of how full they are? Who's with me?
That or I'm just going to become a pretend anarchist, a rebel without a cause, and form a new group to just protest protestors in general.
