Attendance in UCLA classes on Wednesday may deteriorate
mid-session, as students walk out expressing their opposition to
war with Iraq.
Many professors support student protests, but say they will not
become involved with the anti-war demonstration because they have
an academic responsibility to teach.
The walkout, planned at UCLA and high schools in the Los Angeles
area for 11:15 a.m., is designed to help students express opinions
opposing the war and the educational consequences of war.
Yousef Tajsar, a third-year political science student, has been
publicizing the walkout on Bruin Walk.
“We are asking professors to either relocate their classes
to Bruin Walk or take time out of their syllabus to discuss the
war,” Tajsar said.
But some professors have expressed an ethical dilemma with
becoming personally involved with the protest.
“There is no way I can actively endorse it, or not teach
if there are students who choose to stay in class. That would be
abuse of my position,” said history professor Gabriel
Piterberg, who teaches a history seminar coinciding with the
planned walk-out.
Professor Jalil Roshandel teaches a political science class on
international relations of the Middle East that meets Wednesdays at
11 a.m. He opposes the war, but must uphold his responsibility to
teach, he said.
“I can’t walk out of class because of my personal
views, I have to respect my students,” Roshandel said.
History professor Scott Bartchy said an anti-war protest
occurring during his class time doesn’t bother him, but that
the disturbance of a walkout is unfair to students who do not
oppose the war.
“If they had it at noon, I’d be there myself,”
Bartchy said.
Students however, said the walkout is an important display of
student sentiment toward war.
“If enough students walk, it will demonstrate a UCLA
opinion opposing the war,” said first-year undeclared student
Lauren Birchfield.
Eric Barba, a first-year political science and history student,
said Americans need to focus on domestic issues before entering a
war Barba feels is unnecessary
Barba said he is going to walk, and that other students opposed
to the war should walk because it is their social responsibility to
do so.
“As humans we have an obligation to make sure we are
heard,” Barba said.
But not all students are planning on participating in the
walkout, many because they do not believe it is necessary.
“I have to be in my (class) section and I am not opposed
to the war. I feel like we have had terrorism for a while and we
need to take care of it,” said third-year psychology student
Melissa Morris.
Brad Craig, a third-year English student, said he is tired of
people opposing the war just because opposition is en vogue.
“I think the United States has bitten off more than if can
chew, but I don’t think opposing the war outright is the best
option,” Craig said.
The Bruin Republicans ““ a group that has voiced its
support of war in Iraq ““ is planning on responding to the
walkout by countering the protesters as they travel down Bruin
Walk.
Fourth-year political science student and former Daily Bruin
columnist Andrew Jones is the chair of the Bruin Republicans, and
has been outspoken in his support of the war.
“We are going to be out there in the middle of it with
signs trying to show students how walking out of class enables
Saddam’s reign of terror,” Jones said.