Occupy UMass

Actual movement for social change, or just the latest in a series of protests for the kids at UMASS Amherst? My vote is for the latter, as I’m sure none of these kids here at «Occupy UMASS» will even remember what this place looks like in 4 years. I went to school here. I remember when the big thing back then was to re-​name the library. That, and LGB rights. Protests, signs, articles, you name it, they protested it. None of the things I remember from back then are even issues now, and it seems the students here are always looking for the «next big thing» when it comes to protesting. It’s tiring. Now, they have a tiny encampment between the DuBois library and the South College building. They have no clear list of «demands» — their website claims they have a working list being worked on by the «demands working group» — but I suppose in this regard they are very much like Occupy Wall Street or Occupy Boston protesters. This is just the latest in a long line of student protests which are nothing more than protests. Once they graduate, pay taxes, have the weight of the world crush their dreams, «Occupy UMass» (Or Occupy-​anything) will be the furthest thing from their mind…