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Monday, September 28, 1998

Now's the time to make yourself heard

ACTIVISM: Take action; change only happens if you challenge the system

As we near the end of the 20th century, students face an environment that has changed drastically in the past couple of years, making this one of the most challenging periods in recent times. From the passage of Proposition 227, the anti-bilingual education initiative, to the rise in the prison industrial-complex, to the resegregation of higher education under the guise of Proposition 209, we face what some may consider insurmountable obstacles.

As students of UCLA, we have a very long and rich history of student activism which tells us that this should not be a time to submit to barriers within the university which continually perpetuate institutionalized racism, sexism and inequality. This is the time to help challenge and eventually alter these unequal relations of power. With the creation of our ethnic studies centers and libraries, women's resource center, Lesbian, Gay, Bilingual and Transgender studies, and various student-run community service programs, change within the walls of this university has always come from and will continue to come from students no different than you or me.

History has taught us that no concrete changes have occurred on this campus without a mass movement involving students, faculty, labor and community not only questioning but also challenging the university and society at large.

Now the question of whether we can make a difference on campus arises. The legacy of student activism on this campus has always been made up of men and women of all backgrounds and beliefs brought together by a common will to implement change. There are various facets of campus life where active participation can make a world of difference.

From volunteering in the various projects within the Community Programs Office to getting involved in the many student organizations on campus, all of us have an opportunity to improve our society.

With the coming of the millennium, we all must now critically evaluate what role we want to play in an ever-changing world where profit and individualism continue to drive the marketplace and society. Do we want to only benefit ourselves or do we want to be active participants in making this world better for everyone?

Now, you may think that getting involved on campus makes very little difference in the scheme of things, but these are the times during which we develop the values and ideals that will last with us throughout our lives. Not only are these the times where we will constantly be challenged, but these are also the times during which our work and love does indeed make a difference in the lives of many students.

Our active participation on and off campus helps advance the struggle to truly make this a just and equitable world. Every step we take affects the process in one shape or form. Whether it be big or small, every contribution helps.

While there are indeed many reasons why students choose to actively participate within organizations and student government, including the chance to meet new and exciting people, many get involved because of UCLA's legacy of student activism and the desire to help create positive social change.

While the will to make a difference drives many students, the hunger to critically evaluate and change ourselves also motivates a great number of people to get involved. Many student advocacy groups (SAGs) as well as student government (USAC) provide spaces where women and men can challenge and question their own assumptions and ideas.

We are all driven by a dominant ideology that is reflected in many, if not all, of the social structures that surround us. From our beliefs to our daily interactions and social relationships with people, we are all influenced by something, internal or external (i.e. what we learn in class, what we see on TV, what our friends say, spiritual values).

With this understanding we come to realize that transforming this campus and society first begins with ourselves.

Change cannot happen around us if it does not begin with us. More than anything else, the student groups and student government on campus has allowed me to see my own flaws and places where I can continue to change.

Having the courage to recognize our mistakes and to pro-actively try and change them is hard but necessary as we enter a time where many segments of our society are counting on us to help them in their struggle to make this world more just and equal.

We must all look deep within ourselves to find the courage to be vulnerable, the ability to love, the willingness to cry and the strength to change if we truly want to change the relationships of power on and off campus.

Only then will we all collectively be able to make those small, and sometimes big, steps that are absolutely necessary in making change.

De la Rocha, an American literature and Chicana/o studies student, is an Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) general representative.

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© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]

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