When we were marching around Madison Hall, with people at the head and the end of the troop chanting different slogans, a girl next to me commented, "It's so absurd," which is exactly what I felt at that moment.
Why did I feel absurd in the rally for a living wage? Why did I feel absurd while I knew I was doing the right thing? In retrospect, after Wednesday's rally, I think the source of absurdity is indifference and irrelevance.
Although the Living Wage Campaign claims to unite the students and workers, it is obvious that students are detached from the workers, while the workers still do not trust that the students truly can understand and change their current situations. People came to protest for the sake of protest, and there were too many grand pictures in the open endorsements about human rights, social equality, etc.
As an international student who is new to this country, and new to this community, I once doubted I knew enough to make a sound among people who were born and grew up here. In the rally, however, I suddenly realized that even American students do not know and care enough about the people around them. Lacking real sympathy, the rally seemed like a medley of self-appreciation.\nThe University administration has been reacting "decently" and "benignly," successfully maintaining the image of a patient and rational guardian who is devoted to creating a free space where the students can develop their potential to the largest extent. The Living Wage Campaign has been regarded and dealt with as a student issue.
The problem is rather obvious now
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