By Amber Stephens
For the Daily Titan

College students can ignite a fire of upheaval by repeating one simple chant: “The students united will never be divided!”

A group of about 100 students used this passionate chant, among others, when they held a protest against university budget cuts on Sept. 29. The same evening, another group of students held a sit-in at the Pollak Library.

Ever since protests against the Vietnam War took place on college campuses in the 1960s, universities have been viewed as the forefront for activism in the U.S.

At least 40 students and two faculty members were arrested in 1970 at Cal State Fullerton during protests against Governor Reagan. Reagan shut down universities for just under a week in response to the Kent State University shootings in Ohio.

The recent protests on campus were held in opposition to the administration’s response to the state budget crisis.

Tamara Khoury, a 19-year-old CSUF nursing major and a member of CSUF’s MECha (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/Chicana De Aztlan), has participated in the rallies as an opponent to fee hikes.

Khoury has participated and helped organize anti-war protests with the activist group A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism). Other than recent budget cut protests, she has also participated in a rally on campus protesting the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

There should be more student activism, she said, but some students might feel resigned about decisions affecting them.

“Some students don’t dare to question authority,” she said. “But if students don’t protest about what concerns them, everything will just continue with no debate.”

Khoury said that students must realize that they have the power to voice their opinions to the public in order to motivate students to get involved in holding protests.

“Protesting is absolutely necessary in our country to educate, communicate and to organize people to take action instead of waiting for others to do it instead,” she said.

As far as the downfalls to being an activist on campus, Khoury said the repercussions can have an impact on a student. She said a student may fear punishment for protesting.

“When it comes to organizing a movement on campus, students have everything to gain but everything to lose at the same time,” she said.

Dr. Jarret Lovell, associate professor of political science and criminal justice, said activism is contagious.

Lovell is the author of “Crimes of Dissent,” a book focusing on civil disobedience, criminal justice and the politics of conscience.

He said student activism puts ideas taught in the classroom into action.

“If students think they don’t have a say in how their university is run, they need to realize things are not going to change until they demand it,” he said.

Lovell said activism on campus shouldn’t be seen as a burden to students who have busy schedule.

“It’s important that as a society, we don’t perpetuate the myth that protesting is a full-time job,” he said. “Protesting includes educating others about your cause. Anything that opens up discussion about your cause is protesting.”

James Goebel, 23, is a philosophy major who joined in the protest over budget cuts. He has also participated in animal rights rallies off-campus.

Goebel handcuffed himself to the Information desk during the sit-in at the Pollak Library.

“Civil disobedience has a way of raising questions,” Goebel said. “Not through words and theories, but through bodies and action.”

He said student activism can give an issue exposure.

“Protesting on campus is a different way of occupying space at a university,” Goebel said. “You become an active and engaged student instead of being passive and complacent.”

Goebel said that as a concerned student, he decided to protest the budget cuts.

“The idea things are going to get better at a university without student involvement is a delusion,” he said.

There is not one leader for the budget cuts protests at CSUF, Goebel said.

“A collective movement without one central organization makes it so everyone feels free to participate,” he said. “One can only hope independent struggles can emerge to form a unified core with one voice.”