Texas State Students Protest Student Debt

by, Madison Richards, Texas State Student Intern

Wednesday, students of Texas State came together from various organizations to protest against the growing burden of student debt.

The Million Student March (MSM) held its rally on campus at Texas State University starting at Old Main, making their way through the Quad with cries of “Education is a right!” and “No justice no peace!” ending at the LBJ Student Center.

Kennedy Swift, freshman at Texas State, stated the purpose of the march being to “raise awareness to student debt and give students a voice.”

This coalition’s specific demands are to, eliminate all existing student debt, grant fifteen dollars an hour for on campus workers, and initiate a tuition-free education policy in public colleges.

Last fall, the same group, held a march for the same reasons, but their cries fell on deaf ears as tuition at Texas State only increased over the last year.

These demands for free-tuition and fifteen-dollar minimum wage come as no surprise when one considers, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders maintains favoritism among college aged voters, and won in the Hays County primary.

When one thinks of college protests, the image of Anti-war rallies at Columbia University in the 1960’s instantly comes to mind. A sea of impassioned students speaking out against the injustices of war being committed overseas, with the idealism of protesting aiding the end of the U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

As an observer, I couldn’t help but notice how diverse the group was. Students of all races, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexualities, band together against the “injustice” of student debt.

Before the group began their trek through campus, one member began a speech by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, illustrating his efforts in the Civil Rights Movement as exemplary.

This leading member, a bearded young man waving a red and black flag in one hand and a megaphone in the other, remarked that MLK began protesting at only nineteen, and “as students we can make a difference as long as our voices are heard”.

MSM made their way down the steps past Lampasas and Centennial, chanting, while following another young-man costume dressed in a sports coat, button down shirt and tie, with a horrible blonde wig, exposing very, tight underwear. Upon interviewing him, he revealed his character to be Donald Trump, remarking “You gotta have fun protesting.”

Through the quad, students walking to class took out their phones and recorded the march; most likely uploading videos to Snapchat for comedic attention.

While much of the attention was paid to “Donald Trump’s” gyrations rather than the protest itself, the rest of the protester’s were quite serious in attitude, so serious in fact that when met with any kind of opposition from fellow students, they feverishly engaged them.

One student, dressed in a poncho and a cowboy hat, joined the march and began chanting nonsense over the protesters, openly mocking them. The activists threatened to physically strike the disruptor in the poncho and even went as far as to try to knock the hat off his head.

What at first started off as a peaceful march, soon became unsettling as the protester’s passions transformed into animosity. The march ended at the LBJ Student Center Amphitheater, opening the floor to anyone with contributive thoughts on student debt and free-tuition solutions.

A self-identified former Marine, also a current student of Texas State posed a question to the congregation; ‘after two tours of duty overseas, earning a G.I. Bill to attend college for ‘free’, how do you think you’re entitled to a free education, when you haven’t done anything for it?’

Very quickly, nine of the march participants swarmed the Veteran student and began yelling at him, attempting to make a case against him. The leader of the coalition made an attempt at calm and rational discourse with the Veteran, but unfortunately he was drowned out by jeers of others.

Students are allowed to protest in alignment with First Amendment rights. It is every Americans constitutional right to retain these freedoms; to speak their minds for better or worse, however when confronted by opposing views, it is more common to hear each voice get louder, in lieu of silencing to listen better.

The absolute hypocrisy of this behavior can been seen from high upon the presidential candidate campaign trails, echoing as models, all the way down to small town San Marcos and Texas State University students. Ultimately, the actions of few, took the credibility from all.