Can it really be called “activism” if you seek the university’s permission to do it?
There was an article on Maclean’s website today about the controversy surounding anti-abortion groups on university campuses. Some of these student-organized groups are attempting to become officially-sanctioned (and therefore funded) university clubs. Some schools have accepted these clubs, just as they would a chess club or a Latin club, while others haven’t.
I won’t even pretend to touch the surface issue itself as I believe this is not the place for that discussion.
What irks me, though, is the thinking that every academic, political, social, humanitarian or religious inclination needs to fight to become an official “student club” of the university. (And, I have a little experience in this area, as a former Director of Clubs and Services on the Glendon College Student Union’s executive.)
The university choir I founded was a “club” for one year, and I think we probably received $100 from the Student Union. I felt that was justified; we were representing Glendon both in local singing competitions and at the local hospital when we’d sing for people at Christmas. And, there was money to spare going out to clubs and no one questioned its use. But, once I became the person responsible for arbitrarily determining and dishing out club funding, I withdrew the choir as an official club. Of course, I felt there was an inherent conflict of interest.
But also, my main concern in creating and running my organization wasn’t the money. It wasn’t having Glendon’s name attached to us. It was singing. Glendon was pretty small and there weren’t a lot of ready-made performing arts activities for which you could just sign up. If you wanted an experience, you had to create it. And we did.
For money, we organized BRAVO! our annual “spectacle musicale” and invited anyone to get involved and perform. The choir incurred all the expenses (venue rental fees, equipment rental, advertising, programs etc.), so we sold tickets and retained all the revenue, which also helped to offset the choir’s costs such as paying for sheet music, entering competitions and traveling to perform. Another group approached us about organizing the for-sale refreshment table as a fundraiser for their own group, and we happily cooperated.
We didn’t need the school to tell us we could sing. Furthermore, it never occurred to us that, without official club status and funding, we couldn’t get together and sing.
So, the Maclean’s article goes on to defend free speech, political activism, yadda yadda yadda. (Did I just yadda yadda yadda student rights?) That’s all well and good, but that’s not the real issue. The real issue, I think, is below in my comment on Maclean’s website (which as I type is awaiting moderation):
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I guess my only comment is, since when did anyone need a university-sanctioned “club” to be politically active and engaged? There’s nothing to stop any group of people who happen to attend the same university from finding each other and engaging in whatever form of activism they wish.
If the university doesn’t want to fund them (and, I can think of a lot of “clubs” that could be proposed to a university that they might not wish to fund) then surely there are larger community, provincial or national organizations supporting the same cause who might be able to provide financial support or other resources (such as pamphlets or speakers) to promote their activities.
Doesn’t this whole debate over official club status imply that it’s somehow up to the the university to determine which actions are or aren’t legitimate? Why give the institution that power? Why define your own legitimacy based on school designation? Does official designation make the group’s actions any more meaningful, relevant or important? Are they unable to meet, discuss, learn and teach if they are not an official club? Or, do people find themselves just not that “into” the cause if they have to pay for their own poster paper?
Part of the university experience is about developing one’s own independence. I would respect these groups if they believed so much in their actions that they formed their *own* group and spend their time actually furthering their cause. Instead, this mentality confers upon the university some sort of special powers to legitimize actions that a public educational institution seriously shouldn’t be given.
Go to university and, by all means, CHANGE THE WORLD! Stand up for what you believe in. Organize yourselves with like-minded (and perhaps not-so-likeminded) people to help make our communities and our country even better than it is now. Don’t be afraid to hold a controversial or unconventional point of view. Be true to yourself, do no harm to others and seek to learn from those around you. Do ths on campus, off campus, on the way to campus, at the campus gates (even blocking them when appropriate) . . .
But don’t give your university the power to legitimize (or outlaw) your thoughts, your actions or your beliefs. You don’t need the university’s permission to change the world, play chess, hold Bible studies or sing in a choir.
And when you ask for that permission – to be legitimized in the eyes of the university – you are really only legitimizing the university’s supposed hold over you. Asking permission implies you never had the right in the first place. You don’t need anyone’s permission to fight for your cause, self-organize or make a contribution to your society. Don’t waste your time asking.
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Comments
I think you get my point exactly, JoVE, concessions and all. 
Yes, there are advantages to being granted official status, but I think of them more as niceties than deal breakers.
The reason I bring the point up is that homeschoolers entering university without a traditional high school background may get overwhelmed by or caught up in their first exposure to student politics.
Just a friendly reminder that they didn’t need a “school” (or Student Union) to legitimize their experiences before university, and while there may be advantages to having one, they don’t necessarily *need* one now.
Great point. I’m not sure how long ago you were at university but I do know that since I was there there has been more pressure for universities to raise funds from other sources. This MIGHT mean (and I don’t know that this is the case everywhere) that they have things like room booking policies that charge “outside groups” commercial rates. Thus getting official club status would allow you things like free use of rooms on campus or something. Of course there is nothing stopping people from holding a bible study or a club meeting in the corner of the common room (or the bar, depending on the club).
The whole move towards commercialization of university facilities and needs for insurance (probably not an issue in this particular case, but something homeschoolers run into all the time so probably an issue for some kinds of activities) is giving big institutions more control. But I agree with you, that doesn’t mean we need to give into it and grant them that control ourselves.