A Web comment in response to Megan Reback’s “CC Dissent Sparks Debate on Campus” from November 14, 2011:
Loving your coverage of this fascinating time in our social history. I’m really perplexed about this movement and interested in it as well. I’m not a participator, and I doubt that I will ever be, but I was just wondering if you could elaborate on why CC Dissent has chosen to include Dissent in their name. I assume it’s because Dissent is the focus of your’s/or their (are you in the group?) campaign. I think it works great as a name because its obviously a really powerful word, but I was wondering what the group has done to dissent other than to refuse seeking SGA’s approval as a club on campus. I’m not saying that this choice was insignificant. It might be quite significant. But with other students writing articles about their apathy towards the goings on of SGA I wonder why a purposeful and published decision not to seek support from SGA would matter in the first place, especially when this current article on a letter written to SGA on the aims of CC Dissent followed immediately after. Am I simply missing something here? Is my confusion even relevant? I haven’t the slightest idea. But I wish this group would come out and make a clearer statement as to what they mean by dissent, especially in the context of Conn Coll and the Occupy movement as a whole. The letter is a start but if this group wants to be taken more seriously, which their name implies they do, I think it behooves members of this group to act more decisively. Dissent is not something that occurs only in letters to SGA and if the group is committed to the idea of dissent as their focus I would like to see a little bit more out of them as my classmates and peers who I respect. I think if people really wanted to dissent, questioning why we pay one of the highest tuition fees out of any college in the country(and for that matter the world) would be a good start, especially when (as you point)our diplomas may not even be valuable enough to secure us a job. If this group is really serious about their goal of dissenting, and I hope they are, I would like to see a little bit more fire in the bellies. Obviously coming from the college on the hill makes it difficult launch these attacks, and I think that everyone in the Occupy Movement who comes from means realizes that even though they are not in the one percent the privileges that they have at the very least complicate their position. That being said I think we can all agree that our system is tragically flawed. The facts speak for themselves, but what I want to know is why should anyone stand with the 99 instead of with the 1 percent when coming from Connecticut College both positions might be readily available. No doubt you will say huge inequities and injustices oblige us to commit ourselves to restoring order so that the majority can benefit. But if the people of the majority are not willing to do anything more than take trips to NYC and downtown New London in between classes and whatever other activities we have here, and our most radical idea of dissenting consists of a letter to SGA than I’m not sure what to think of the objections in the first place. The reactions to these injustices don’t match the injustices themselves and I’m beginning to wonder if this is something even worth caring about. I realize these things take time, but I think CC Dissent can do better, and if they can’t then they really need to reconsider what they’re doing in the first place. That being said I wish the group the best of luck, and urge them to be more bold in their demands. Let us not forget that our very own president, Big Hig, is part of that so objectionable one percent as well. Are we so blind as to not see beyond our noses? Who are we dissenting from if not the very system we involve ourselves with? Dissent ought not to be understood as field trips we take to down towns and wall streets. We have to acknowledge that dissenting might involve realizing that our institution, our parents, our friends, and ourselves are part of the problem. At the very least we are complicit in the problem. I realize people have a lot to loose here, potentially their degrees and
relationships with people they value, but if those aren’t worth loosing in the name of justice then the whole point of dissenting is moot. I hope at least with this post to allow CC Dissent to see that there really are things that can be done that are far more drastic than involving SGA in the argument. I will personally not do those things, that’s why I’m not a member of CC Dissent. I just don’t think it would be worth confronting such potentially harsh realities, and the intricate complication of Connecticut College’s place within and outside the one percent. But if you are will to dedicate yourself to this movement and the idea of Dissent then you must be willing to take that leap, if not than this group is nothing more than the kids on the hill playing around with the ideas of a revolution in their free time.
All the best,
Michael Natriello ’12
