2008 Woodie Awards
Students protest 5-years of war
Jessica Burk
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: News
About 200 people attended an event that gave students an opportunity to exercise their rights to freedom of speech at the fifth annual 'Drop Books, Not Bombs' event yesterday in the Union Connections Lounge.
"It's good to let people get the word out for how they feel," said Neema Iyer, UA junior and vice president of OMNI UA.
"If you don't use it, we lose it," said Jonathan Bame, OMNI UA secretary and event coordinator.
"[Drop Books, Not Bombs] literally means to skip class and protest the war. We're not advocating skipping class," Bame said. "We're continuing a tradition to raise awareness of the war [in Iraq]."
The event enabled students to voice their opinions and peacefully assemble, he said.
"[OMNI UA is raising] awareness about an issue that's important to a lot of people around the world," Iyer said.
The goal of the event was "trying to open the floor to anyone who wants to say anything," Bame said. "We're just practicing our freedom of speech, because in a democracy, the people are the government. We're not trying to get the government to listen to us, we're trying to get the people to listen, because we are the government.
"By this we are showing that it's OK to speak your mind in this country [and] on campus. If anywhere it should happen here, because we students in college are the very near future of the country," he said.
OMNI UA worked together with representatives from various RSOs, Blame said.
Among them were the Campus Greens and the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Law.
"ASG senators [also] are taking active part in [Drop Books, Not Bombs,]" he said.
Several UA students and faculty members used the opportunity to get on stage and voice their opinions about the Iraq War through music, poetry and speeches.
Abel Tomlinson, an ASG senator and graduate student in political science, read a speech titled "Five Years of Death and Destruction."
"It's good to let people get the word out for how they feel," said Neema Iyer, UA junior and vice president of OMNI UA.
"If you don't use it, we lose it," said Jonathan Bame, OMNI UA secretary and event coordinator.
"[Drop Books, Not Bombs] literally means to skip class and protest the war. We're not advocating skipping class," Bame said. "We're continuing a tradition to raise awareness of the war [in Iraq]."
The event enabled students to voice their opinions and peacefully assemble, he said.
"[OMNI UA is raising] awareness about an issue that's important to a lot of people around the world," Iyer said.
The goal of the event was "trying to open the floor to anyone who wants to say anything," Bame said. "We're just practicing our freedom of speech, because in a democracy, the people are the government. We're not trying to get the government to listen to us, we're trying to get the people to listen, because we are the government.
"By this we are showing that it's OK to speak your mind in this country [and] on campus. If anywhere it should happen here, because we students in college are the very near future of the country," he said.
OMNI UA worked together with representatives from various RSOs, Blame said.
Among them were the Campus Greens and the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Law.
"ASG senators [also] are taking active part in [Drop Books, Not Bombs,]" he said.
Several UA students and faculty members used the opportunity to get on stage and voice their opinions about the Iraq War through music, poetry and speeches.
Abel Tomlinson, an ASG senator and graduate student in political science, read a speech titled "Five Years of Death and Destruction."
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adowns
Alex
posted 3/07/08 @ 9:48 AM CST
Congratulations, it seems like the event went well (too bad all of my classes seemed to be at the same time everybody was speaking.)
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