Grapes: A Study in Activism

The two events which successfully mobilized students this year--the grape debate and a protest of a speech by Chinese President Jiang Zemin--stemmed from students' personal connections to the issue at hand, says Campos.

For example, Campos says several members of RAZA had migrant workers in their families, and that therefore the grape issue "started as something very emotional, especially for members of RAZA," he says. "Students saw us and saw how much we cared about the issue."

He says the manner in which he and others motivated students to vote in the grape referendum was a step away from the traditional kind of activism because of its use of e-mail, posters and pamphlets, and its refusal to engage in muck raking.

He offers his success in that case as a model for the future.

"If we're going to appeal to Harvard students, we've got to appeal to their reason," he says. "I think people respected us for doing that."

Interestingly enough, Campos acknowledges and agrees with criticism from more conservative groups on campus that there is a need for less one-sided activism.

Kovacevich says having opposition in the face of progressive activists is helpful.

"I certainly think that [more opposition] would be beneficial to the campus," he says. "But the nature of non-progressives on this campus is a tendency to be inert."

Campus says the presence of Kovacevich's group during the grape debate was helpful in promoting student interest in the debate.

"If you don't have an issue, then people aren't going to think about the issue," he says. "You have to have groups that are willing to play devil's advocate."

Defining Activism

Fueling the difficulty in spurring student interest in activism, some say, is a fundamental difference in the way people define activism.

UNITE! co-founder Wuchinich sees activism as a way of trying to implement progressive goals.

"Activism is that which is geared toward decreasing social and academic inequalities," she says. "In many ways, anything quote-on-quote political is seen as activism, but I would draw a distinction between organizing and activism."