What does a student strike accomplish?

[Sirveri]

I'm currently a student, but I don't understand what a student strike would actually accomplish, or why I would want to participate in one.

I don't show up to classes on the day of the strike, but how does that actually effect change to a desired goal? I understand a general strike, and shutting down the ports and costing the fat cats money. I fail to understand how me not showing up to class will cost anyone money, other than screwing myself out of a day of class work I might need. So your challenge is, why should I participate in a student strike?

Inspired by talk about Occupy Berkeley and their desire for a student strike.

[MADem]

1. Start with the cost of your tuition, look at the number of classes

you take over the course of a semester, and figure out how much each class costs.

What it accomplishes is that you miss out on "x" dollars worth of education that you're paying for. If you miss a quiz and can't make it up, you lower your grade point average.

I never thought missing out on school made sense, even way back in the day. Weekend attendance at protests? Sure, why not! But your life is in your hands, and so is your education. Make the most of it.

[Sirveri]

2. That's pretty much what I was thinking too...

I always considered strikes to be meant to disrupt the business which they were targeted against and to stop them from making money. But public schools don't make money, so why would I try to shut down the school? Who am I bending to meet demands, what ARE the demands I'd be supporting in this strike.

[MADem]

3. Participate in the weekend and afterschool stuff, if you've a mind to do that.

I think the focus needs to stay on issues of economic parity and social justice. Otherwise the goals become muddled and it becomes a vanity exercise.

I really don't get how shutting down a school "helps" anything, either. It's certainly making a statement, if it succeeds, but what the statement is actually saying is a bit of a mystery.

Back in the VN era, a lot of the school shut-downs were targeting ROTC programs (which, by their very nature, were supportive of the war) on the campuses. There was a specific purpose, a specific goal--to get the ROTC off the campus. However, some people just wanted to take a day off of class, so they'd raise a little hell at schools without any military affiliations, just to get out of going to school for a day.

Stay safe, in any event.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. Nothing, but it is symbolic and at Cal, almost traditional

[socialist_n_TN]

5. Well as another poster said, it's a symbolic

solidarity act. Plus, hopefully your professors will join in the strike too (since they receive money for teaching, for them, it IS economic) and there'll be no reason for you to go in. Also, if there appears to be enough support building for the strike, a lot of universities back in the day, would close anyway.

Just a few reasons.