Student Activism

Gayoso, Jayvee Clarence G. 2015-07899 Student Activism in te !ili""ines Student activism is a ot to"ic tese days. #any students are $ein% involved in &at te media calls 'activism( $ecause o) te many "ressin% issues te &orld )aces today, $ut &at really is student activism* +ere are many mani)estations o) student activism around us $ut to e))ectively de)ine student activism, one must )irst no& te meanin% o) social activism. t is an intentional action &it te %oal o) $rin%in% a$out social can%e/ as stated in te te Amerst Colle%e &e$site. Anyone in te society re%ardless o) social class can oin tis movement as lon% as e or se su""orts te can%e tat te %rou" )i%ts )i%ts )or. +is )i%t )i%t )or can%e roots )rom a$uses te mem$ers mem$ers o) te society e"erience. Student activism itsel) can $e vie&ed as a localied ty"e o) social activism done $y university students. t is also no&n as 'student movement( and de)ined $y +e 3ree 4ictionary &e$site as te stru%%le o) students in de)ense o) teir interests and teir "artici"ation in "olitical stru%%le in %eneral./ y looin% at te de)inition o) social social activism used earlier, &e can say tat student activism as a &ole is an action done $y students to $rin% a$out social can%e, not only as $ene)iciaries o) an educational system $ut also as mem$ers o) a society. society. Student activists )eel lie tey sould tae "art in te movement $ecause tey are also a))ected $y te di))erent social issues &eter it is directly or indirectly related to te education "olicies and crises. n te !ili""ines, student activism is very visi$le in di))erent state universities lie 6niversity 6niversity o) te !ili""ines !ili""ines and !olytecnic !olytecnic 6niversity 6niversity o) te !ili""ines. !ili""ines. 4i))erent 4i))erent student student leaders or%anie di))erent di))erent "rotests in and outside te cam"us. +ese "rotests are not only in te )orm o) street rallies $ut also in di))erent ty"es &ic &ill $e discussed in te net "ara%ra"s.

+ese student movements ave $een im"ortant "arts o) !ili""ine activism as a &ole. ne %ood eam"le o) tis is te Manilakbayan movement o) #indanao tri$es &ic &as su""orted  $ot $y te 6niversity o) te !ili""ines administration and students durin% teir one-&ee sto" at te 4iliman cam"us. +e students rallied $eind te natives &o ave $een $attlin% to sto" te umad illin%s. n su""ort o) tis, te hashtag  'Sto"umad:illin%s( even trended at +&itter  &ic &as also su""orted $y te 4iliman-$ased student-atletes.

+is "articular eam"le

destroys te myt tat student activism need $e a% ainst scool administrations. +e main %oal o) 3ili"ino student activists is to su""ort te interest o) te "u$lic re%ardin% di))erent social issues &ic inder te develo"ment o) te livin% conditions o) te 3ili"inos. esides su""ortin% te ri%ts o) indi%enous "eo"le &ic &as mentioned earlier, tey also aim )or te eradication o) "overty, $etter education system, national inde"endence, and many oter "ro$lems o)ten lined to te ine))iciency o) %overnment and te corru"tion o) its  "eo"le. Altou% most o) te issues student activists $rin% u" are a%ainst te %overnment, tey also "us )or enli%tenment o) te masses to teir ri%ts and res"onsi$ilities as a 3ili"ino citien. +ese issues are si%ni)icant to te &ole student movement in te !ili""ines $ecause tese are te tri%%er to teir di))erent activities as student activists. ;itout tese issues, student activism &ould sto" $ecause it &ould not $e needed anymore. 4ue to te inconveniences $rou%t $y street demonstrations, es"ecially eavy tra))ic, te  "u$lic %enerally )eels ne%ative to&ards tese movements and o)ten
 "artici"ate in te or%anied events. =o&ever, student activists &ill tell you tat tese are only sort-term e))ects o) teir movement $ut i) tey succeed in &at tey aim, it &ill $e te success not only )or tem, $ut )or te 3ili"ino "eo"le as &ell. +is as $een one o) te most callen%in% urdles )or te student movements in te !ili""ines> %ainin% te trust and su""ort o) te %eneral  "u$lic. ne im"lication o) tis "ro$lem is 6niversity o) te !ili""ines $ein% $randed $y some as 6ni$ersidad n% m%a Ati$ista/ and some "arents not &antin% teir cildren to enroll in 6.!.  $ecause o) tis. #ost o) us tin o) "lacards, bandanas, soutin% students, and $urnin% e))i%ies &en &e ear te &ords student activists/ $ut street "rotests are not te only &ay tese activists are standin% u" )or te issues tey )i%t )or. n )act, a student &o &ises to stru%%le )or social can%e can $e considered as an activist &itout "artici"atin% in any student street demonstrations. A student can voice out is or er o"inion a$out an issue $y sim"ly &ritin% )or a scool ne&s"a"er. An eam"le o) tis is te Philippine Collegian &ic does not only contain ne&s a$out 6! 4iliman $ut is also a medium )or its student &riters and editors to $e a$le to relay teir messa%e a$out te di))erent social and "olitical issues &ic a))ect te student $ody and te colle%e students as a &ole. An eam"le o) &ritten activism can also $e so&n $y student son%&riters and $ands tat "roduce son%s )or student movements. +ey try to $rin% in a cultural as"ect to $e more e))ective in s"arin% can%e in te eart and mind o) teir )ello& students and countrymen. A student or%aniation in 6! 4iliman called Alay Sining   "er)ectly "ortrays tis descri"tion o) activism as tey use te di))erent talents o) teir mem$ers lie actin%, sin%in%,  "aintin%, and dancin% to so& teir stru%%le )or te interests o) te students and te 3ili"ino citiens.

Student activists also tae advanta%e o) te  Digital Age  $y "ostin% articles and

sentiments on social media sites suc as 3ace$oo and creatin% hashtags in +&itter similar to te

'Sto"umad:illin%s( discussed earlier in te essay. +e )orms o) activism continue to evolve alon% &it te tecnolo%ical advancement $ecause te students tat are involved in te contem"orary era o) student activism are $orn in te Digital Age. All sorts o) media "lat)orms can $e used no&adays and $ecause o) tis, tey can $rin% teir 'street demonstrations( to every com"uter as lon% as you ave internet. 4es"ite all o) tis, street demonstrations &ill continue to  $e te num$er one )orm o) student activism $ecause te "ysical "artici"ation o) te mem$ers o)  te student movement rallyin% in te street so&s solidarity and )orce to u"old &at tey are )i%tin% )or. 3or tese students, tey are so&in% &at tey are ca"a$le o) everytime tey )loc  te streets inside teir cam"us or te maor roads o) our country. +e most im"ortant can%es in te istory o) te !ili""ines &ere actually s"ared $y student activism or movements. A)ter more tan ?00 years o) S"aniard rule over our country, illustrados  &o studied in @uro"e are led $y te lies o) Jose ial, #arcelo 4el !ilar, and Graciano o"e-Jaena and )ormed a %rou" no&n today as te !ro"a%anda #ovement &ere tey &ould old re%ular meetin%s a$out revolutionary ideas o) e
most in)luential student or%aniations at tat time &ere :a$ataan% #aa$ayan, Samaan% 4emoratio n% :a$ataan, and ational 6nion o) Students. Some o) tese %rou"s ad to %o under%round $ecause o) te #artial a&. +ese student leaders &ere at te core o) te u"risin% durin% te @4SA 198B revolution &ic trum"ed te dictatorsi" o) te )ormer !resident #arcos. +ese said student movements continue to ins"ire te student activists today &o are o"in% tat tey can also s"ar can%e lie te ones $e)ore tem. ;eter te "u$lic lies it or  not, tese students &ill continue to $om$ard 3ace$oo timelines &it rants and "olitical in)ormation, trend socio-"olitical hashtags  in +&itter and old demonstrations on our maor  roads as lon% as te %overnment continues to $e ine))icient and corru"t, te "u$lic stays can%e, and tat can%e sould $e )or te $etter. +ese students are te )uture leaders o) tis country and teir activism is a %reat evidence tat tey are &illin% to do sometin% to )i%t )or te "eo"le(s ri%ts $eyond te )our corners o) teir classrooms $ecause student activism is not ust a street demonstration, a 3ace$oo "ost, or a +&itter hashtag D it is a stru%%le o) te students )or teir )uture and te millions o) 3ili"ino "eo"le &o continue to $attle cultural, social, and "olitical inustice.

;ors Cited> Amerst Colle%e. Social Activism. 18 cto$er 2015. tt"s>EE&&&.amerst.eduEcam"usli)eE careersEamerst-careers-inE%overnment-non"ro)itE"icareersEcareersEsocialFactivism @s"eo, @d&in. Springing Back to i!e" #he Student Protest Movement.0B #ay 2008. Asian Corres"ondent. 18 ovem$er 2015. tt">EEasiancorres"ondent.comE2008E05Es"rin%in% $ac-to-li)e-te-student-"rotest-movementE +e 3ree 4ictionary.com. Student Movement . 18 cto$er 2015. tt">EEencyclo"edia2. te)reedictionary.comEStudentactivism