Students learn from Cleaver
Campus Times
November 21, 1997
by Rob Strauss
Editorial Assistant
For a long time I have been arguing amongst my friends that one of the
biggest problems with the University of La Verne is the lack of good speakers.
Naturally, when I found out that Eldridge Cleaver, a former member of
the Black Panthers, was going to speak on campus, I was thrilled. A high
profile figure such as Cleaver has the potential to spark debate, open minds
and provide learning outside of the classroom, an important element of the
college experience.
Fortunately, I was right. Much has been said about the apathy of students
at ULV, but to see college students stay still, voluntarily, in their seats
for a two-and-a-half hour speech enforced my belief in the importance of
inviting speakers on campus.
There are many different elements which combined to make Cleaver's visit
a success. First, there was the promotion.
Last year, Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan, was
invited and, unfortunately, was greeted with low attendance from students
at ULV. Partially because she was only speaking to one class. The sad part
is, I did not know about it until after the fact. I was program director
of KULV at the time, so it was not as if I was entirely out of the campus
scene. If anybody should have known about it, I should have.
Just this year, I have had friends come up to me who went here last
year and did not even realize that Bhutto spoke on our campus.
Yet it was different with Cleaver. A reaction, which at first was "Eldridge
who?" quickly changed by word of mouth and various other forms of promotion.
By the end of the speech, people were running to get copies of Cleaver's
old FBI "Most Wanted" poster. It was a lesson. People learned.
Second, groups were willing to put forth the money to bring him to campus.
While it is usually a lot of money to have a well-known speaker, the
value of the education received is even greater.
It should not only be the faculty's responsibility to provide such experiences.
Students should request it and, even more, demand it. Hence, organizations
such as ASF should reconsider such activities as Fun Flicks, which consistently
draw few people. Hopefully, the Cleaver experience provided a lesson. People
do want to learn.
I admit that I was one of the people a few years back who was very against
the idea of the Afrikan-American Student Alliance bringing Tony Muhammad,
who worked for Louis Farakkhan, onto campus due to his controversial beliefs.
Yet since then, I have changed my mind. Experiences like that provide debate
among students and a learning experience.
Furthermore speakers bring a sense of school pride. Students begin to
feel that their school is important enough for somebody of Cleaver's caliber
to want to speak. One of the best parts of having somebody like him speak
is that ULV is a small university which allows for personal interaction.
There is not the wall set up between speakers and students as there is at
most big universities. You can learn more.
College is higher education. Much of the learning has to be provided
outside of the classroom through social interaction and debate. Hopefully,
we have all grown mentally since last Monday. Speakers like Cleaver allow
people to think. While I did not agree with some of the things that Cleaver
said, that is not the point. I learned.
Rob Strauss, a senior broadcast major, is editorial assistant of
the Campus Times. He can be reached by e-mail at straussr@ulv.edu.
