Any movement can be successful; it all starts with just a few people with strong opinions and a desire for change. There are various things citizens in the United States are unhappy with, most recently, the social and economic inequalities highlighted by the Occupy Wall Street movement. (Photo by Joelle Levinas)
People all over the nation have been keeping up with the movement, but locally, fellow classmates of ours initiated change through the Occupy UMD movement on Oct. 28.
“I want to have an economy to work in when I graduate,” says University of Maryland international business sophomore Ben Green from New York. Green joined the Occupy UMD movement just four days ago and has been attending the general assemblies hosted on McKeldin Mall ever since. (Photo by Fatima Ali)
“I hear criticisms of the movement that people should go out and get jobs rather than protest; that doesn’t apply to me,” Green said. Green is one of the couple students helping to get the movement started on our Maryland Campus.
The movement started on October 7th, when just a few students began to discuss the issues that are taking place currently with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The group started up as a Facebook page and Twitter account along, furthered by chalking the sidewalks of the school to bring awareness to the campus. (Photo by Ali)
Within a month, the movement has held 11 general assemblies where students, local residents, and faculty and staff can come together to discuss their thoughts about the movement and how it should move forward.
Last Friday, the Occupy UMD movement hosted a general assembly and march on the McKeldin Mall followed by a campout. Over 25 students got together and expressed their shared opinions on the state of the U.S. economy until campus police and staff came to inform the group of the need for a permit. (Photo credit to Ali)
Despite the logistical problems with the campus and the poor weather conditions, five of the Occupy UMD members were able to camp out in the tunnel under the stairs of Kent Hall to stay warm and out of the rain. Fatima Ali was one of the five members who camped out on Friday night. “I felt empowered to be surrounded by people who wanted to make a change in the US economy,” Ali said.
One of the next steps for the UMD movement is to receive recognition from the Student Government Association. Hopefully the support of the SGA will help keep the movement going, and assist them in obtaining a permit to congregate on the Mall and to host larger events. “Students here are not as politically aware as they should be considering how close we are to D.C.,” Green said. “The University of Maryland is all about promoting sustainability; let’s make this economy sustainable.”