This week I was able to interview Gabby Diaz, student activist who participated in the Pro-Palestine protests last year. Here are a few quotes that I felt stand out:
- When asked about the backlash the protests faced, Gabby said “If there’s no backlash when you’re doing activism, you’re probably doing it wrong.”
- When asked the ways in which Bucknell helps or hinders student protests on campus: “Bucknell does engage in surveillance tactics and tries to hush students to avoid disrupting campus culture. There are pockets of the university, like faculty and staff, that have helped students organize and engage in activism, but the university as a whole values profit and a good image over protecting and aiding students protesting for Palestine.”
- When asked how Bucknell compares to other schools that have strong activism, Gabby said, “”Admin is honestly a lot less harsh than other schools… People (especially opponents) freak out over a sit-in, or a march, or chalking, and it’s like… we haven’t even set up encampments.”
I am also mid-email interview with Suzanne Trimel, from PEN America. I am just awaiting her responses to my emailed questions, since she was unable to meet for a phone interview.
Possible Anecdotal Lead:
As evening fell, university maintenance workers quietly descended on the academic quad, power washers in hand, erasing the colorful pro-Palestine messages that students had carefully chalked across campus walkways just hours earlier—a physical manifestation of what Gabby Diaz describes as Bucknell’s desire to maintain its manicured appearance over aiding students in their freedom of speech and protest.