The Michigan Student Assembly has set aside $12,000 to bus students to Washington, D.C. when UM's pending admissions lawsuits are heard by the Supreme Court. The decision prompted an outcry among students who believed that only pro-affirmative action students would be sent, and that UM would thus effectively be using student fees to finance pro-affirmative action protesting in Washington. But a staff editorial in today's Michigan Daily sets the record straight: protesters of all political persuasions will be welcome on Michigan's D.C.-bound bus, and as such the MSA "has performed a vital community service by encouraging student activism." The editorial goes on to call for faculty cooperation, pointing out that it's awfully hard to be a good activist when one's professors persist in holding class:

While MSA has done its part in encouraging student activism, the same cannot be said for many faculty members. Due to the way the cases are scheduled, it is not possible to rally in Washington without missing class. Making it easier for students to miss class, at this historic moment in the University's history, would be of great benefit to the entire community. Canceling class might not be the best solution, but providing alternative coursework or adjusting lectures to meet these constraints would allow students to maintain academic standing and the achievement of their intellectual goals while still permitting them to express their views on a national stage.

On April 1, the buses will roll and students will begin the much anticipated "March on Washington." Thanks to the logistical and financial support of SSAA and MSA, students from both sides of the debate will be able to attend rallies in our nation's capital. With the additional support of the University's faculty and staff, students will be able to express their views and partake in this unique experience without the added stress of missing class. MSA stepped up to the plate, took a risk and succeeded in doing its part to aid students. It is time for the faculty to do the same.

UPDATE: Stefan Sharkansky has a chilling post on deceased student-activist Rachel Corrie's former school, Evergreen State College, which takes the college education=training in activism concept to a terrifying extreme. Thanks to reader Dominic O. for the link.

I'm for the professors holding class. Any blithering idiot can go off and express its opinion at any time. Hijacking mandatory student funds to favor the blithering at the expense of those pursuing systematic learning is, well, skimming the till if not outright theft. Rest assured that those who stay behind in the classes will retain their ability to blither - but their future blitherings will be more informed than those of the airheads on the buses who already know everything.

Political Illiteracy

Erin is correct that being a political activist has nothing to do with being a student. Still, there is another point: this is political illiteracy.

Protesting in the street has very little effect on the political process. It is at the grass-roots level that ordinary people make their weight felt. This is through donations, volunteering time and getting out the vote.

Two of the most feared constituencies in the country are the labor unions and the NRA. You will seldom see either organizing a mass political demonstration.

An aside: I am sure that as an engineering student my professors would have had no objection to my attending any rally. Provided I turned in my problem sets on time and took the same exam as everyone else.

I remember being in college. I had classes every week day and I spent a great deal of time studying. Maybe it isn't as hard for everybody. I used to read about sit-ins and protests and marches being performed by college students and being really baffled about how they could possibly have time to do that.