Student strike

A brief update to my last entry on teaching. Classes on Friday were cancelled due to a student strike over a proposed change to the law concerning how scholarships are awarded. Currently, only students in state schools are eligible for state grants. The proposed change would allow students at private universities to be eligible as well. The result would be that students at public schools will receive less money.

I lack sufficient information to form an opinion as to the merits of the change. It is interesting to try to imagine what it would take to get students to strike at Rhodes, though. In the six years I have taught there, there have been three events that captured Rhodes students' passions. One was a series of vandalisms directed against students of color. Another was a proposed change to move fraternity and sorority recruitment to the second semester. A distant third was the set of curriculum changes that is now in the process of being implemented. None of these led to a strike.

On the whole, I feel Rhodes students are pretty effective at making their opinions known when it comes to things that matter to them. Perhaps they have concluded that striking is not necessary. It may also be true that they are reluctant to lose the class time or grade points that could be the result of a strike.

Rebecca has taken up knitting and recently made me a beautiful deep red scarf with an unusual pattern. Soon I will add a photo of my scarf and the ones she made for the boys.

May 23, 2005 | Permalink