V
NH
TaJ
'gel!:-
■ge: I
honel
at inj
av.J
iiisej
:r saj
of (I
tier -I
lediall
the J
kethtj
ducat 1
tic I
'latii-l
rom 1
Aggielife
The Battalion
Page 3A • Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Fighting the good fight
Whatever the cause, students voice their concerns and views by way of protests
reak
i not
it hrl
itive
■ fot
filer.
ociki
of M
By Jose Cruz
THE BATTALION
When Nick Anthis, a junior biochemistry major and president
the Aggie Democrats, went to Spain for spring break, he said he
lad no idea he would experience one of the greatest moments in
|is life.
“I was in Spain for spring break, right around the time the war
in Iraq was starting and I took part in a march for peace protest on
liestreetsof Madrid," Anthis said. "It was great to take part in that
event and witness such a show of unity.”
While many students consider protests to be a particularly
(ffective form of political activism, others have different opinions,
lany overlook protesters completely and condemn them as
(xtremists. Whatever the case may be, students such as Anthis are
olitically conscious and feel they must act on certain issues.
“Great injustices drive us out and activism will hopefully be
^le to make a difference," he said. "I mainly have participated in
w key protesting, mainly to bring awareness to the public and
jfficials in charge.”
There are a variety of ways people can protest, but he has found
tuple things such as holding signs, yelling chants and marching
ft be most effective.
“Being physical and loud is important so that people take
otice," he said. “Big numbers also help out.”
Anthis said he has tried other means to express his opinion,
wt said that he thinks protesting is ultimately necessary in cer-
ftun cases.
"Some other ways I have tried to raise awareness are voting
d campaigning for people who share similar ideals, but some-
|mes certain issues are too urgent to wait,” he said. “You want to
opefully make a change in society, but sometimes voting isn't
aough. Sometimes we need more awareness than ordinary means
tavide."
David Dunton. a junior environmental science major and pres
ent of Aggies for Life, said he thinks it’s important that people
respectful when protesting.
“Make sure you trust the organization to stay within the law so
Juit your credibility and the credibility of the club aren’t ruined,”
said.
Dunton said he thinks the point is to try to draw attention to an
bjectionable act and to get people to understand his point of view.
We are trying to get people to ask questions and increase
wareness,’’ he said. “Ultimately we are try ing to change the way
:ople think about abortion and eradicate it."
Dunton said some people think of political activists as violent
and radical fanatics who will go
to any means to achieve their
goal. According to Dunton, this
is not the case.
“We don’t take part in aggres
sive tactics; our goal is to make a
point,” Dunton said. "I haven’t
been in any trouble while
protesting. We try to stay inside
the boundaries of the law.”
Dunton said he has found that
peaceful protests are more effec
tive than violent or obnoxious
protests.
“When you talk to someone on
a personal level and engage in an
intellectual debate you accom
plish much more,” he said.
“Treating someone with equality
is the key; you always have to
honor the other person’s view
points.”
But protesting is more than
just standing up for one’s
beliefs. Students such as Anthis
and Dunton said they will con
tinue to protest in the future
because they like being able to
talk to people about what they
believe is right. Similarly, Jared
Copeland, a senior political science major and anti-war activist,
said he thinks protesting is about opening up a dialogue for people
to share ideas.
“Some people might call us extremist but at the same time it
creates a dialogue ” he said. “1 would encourage other people to
protest. It’s a vital part of our democracy and development of
ideas.”
Copeland said protesting shows people a unified stance on a
subject.
“Some people might be scared that no one else thinks like they
do,” he said. “So if they see other people that feel the same way
about an issue then it will give them confidence.”
Copeland said he has experienced an ideal environment for
protesting while at A&M.
“A&M is good about allowing students to protest on campus,”
he said. “They are just allowing freedom of speech. College stu
|.P. Beato III • THE BATTALION
Mallory Bond, a freshman general studies major, and Jackie Vasquez, a freshman bioenvironmental science major,
attend a pro-war rally held at the Sul Ross statue in front of the Academic Building last March. Bond and Vasquez
were there to support Bush and to pray for the safety of the troops and the children of Iraq.
dents are developing their ideas. They have the energy and pas
sion for their beliefs. When you get older and get a job it’s hard
er to protest because there is less opportunity. Priorities shift
when you get older.”
Kristin Wilbourne, a senior American studies major, said she
took part in various anti-war protests during the past year. She
said she thinks people should be careful when protesting.
“Just be careful of the rules because you are putting yourself
out there so make sure you really believe in the cause,” he said.
From her experiences, protests have mainly been a gathering
of ideas presented to the rest of the campus.
“We welcomed anyone willing to come and talk to us,”
Wilbournp said. “We had many people come up to us and ask us
questions so I think we were effective in getting some people to
think. Our country is founded on people questioning the people
in charge.”
JSlOil
tiniciii
; Jr.
ivithc
McO
s
M
St Wfl
[ in!
irsl I
in
Keyi
C/ure f
srgei
UWsij
dersltfl
enls
ig'sO
[ ni«^
N
ay <li*'
iveraty
iddres
jon, A
Faculty/Staff
are invited to attend
one of the noted sessions
to hear more from
f^DTrqnsDortation Services
r Rod Weis
new
prop
system pla
Thursday, January 29
10:00 am-11:30 am
or 11:30 am-1:00 pm
110 Koldus
or 5:00 pm-6:30 pm
111 Koldus
Friday, January 30
1:30 pm-3:00 pm,
3:30 pm-5:00 pm
or 5:00 pm-6:30 pm
110 Koldus
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
Transportation Services
transport.tamu.edu
•>v ff-palBas cfkgas f h/as
The Bridal Associ.
of THE
.. ■
'LjllzPz
.Til
IjTJJr r, CJ-PI05/ IiiZ r ^>icl'/- Q-AKfTSA
“I
yl71- T>1B ' TsaiiS
Sunday, February 1 st
Reed Arena
11:00am - 4:00pm
Continuous Fashion Show with surprise guest appearance
New feature:
S' Men’s Hospitality Suite with Big Screen TV,
^ ' Blackjack tables and snack bar
Vf
Platinum Sponsors:
The Eagle • 2Video
Cox Media • KBTX
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism/
Frosch int’l Travel
Diamond Sponsors:
Ron Walley Photography
Newman Printing
Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
Proceeds from tickets sales will be used to benefit:
Brazos Valley Animal Shelter
P. David Romei Visual Arts Center
Tickets are $10 at Reed Arena, MSC Box Office or Ticketmaster
For More Information
979-209-2167 • www.ido-ido.org
r
c vcaas * v ’ : ;•
was