Maybe I’d start a riot, if I had the time

The other day I asked a friend what I should write my impending letter from the editor about. “Egypt,” he said. I told him I hadn’t been paying attention to it enough because I spent all of my free time last week working on a finance project to avoid falling further behind. Then it hit me.

I didn’t even have enough time to pay attention to one of the largest international news stories in recent memory and finish my homework. If I ever had a reason to revolt, I wouldn’t even have the time for it. Would you?

I barely finish most of my homework each week, and I don’t think I could fit in a mass riot in between my two classes each day, on top of finishing my work at The Free Press. Possibly if we stormed the streets after 4:30 p.m. during the week, I could make it. Or maybe on Saturday if I finished some of my homework in the morning. Then again, Saturday is kind of the only day I get to relax, so maybe I could help out by Tweeting updates from my couch.

I know I’m not the only student with so little free time either. Most people have jobs on top of school. A lot of students would find it very difficult to brawl with riot police and still finish that research paper proposal and make it to work on time.

I can’t even imagine trying to find a parking space in the Portland campus garage after everyone’s returned from being shot by rubber bullets while marching down Congress Street. The garage would be pandemonium.

Of course we shouldn’t forget about the students who happily blow off their academics. They might have time for a few afternoon riots. But then again, I don’t think students without the resolve to finish their homework could find it in them to battle tear gas or set themselves on fire.

This oversimplification and generalization leaves us with two types students — neither of which who could find the time or motivation to revolt.

At least we don’t have anything to protest about. It’s not like the government always cuts education spending, while tuition is consistently raised each year, outpacing inflation. Oh wait…

I remember seeing a picture in The New York Times of a college student protesting in Britain over tuition increases. The hooded student, wearing a backpack, kicked at a window of a government building, smashing it open while flares burned on the ground. Why don’t students here ever do anything that bad-ass?

The proposed tuition raises in Britain were remarkably higher than the yearly bumps each year here, but still, I want to kick a window in with flames reflecting off the glass. Maybe that’s what I’ll do tomorrow.

Oh nevermind. My online homework is due at midnight.