Epilogue

Executive Summary-
In the epilogue Welch recounts several pivotal moments of social activism that took place at UVM and helped inform "The Crossroads" protest of 1985. She utilizes that particular protest to reflect on the activist history or UVM and propel it forward to the more current climate. She also counters the perspecitive of "oh my university has a tradition of conservatism...not like UVM," with the recounting of UVM's VERY conservative and elitest past. Her aim is provide examples of empowerement and student/faculty/citzen involvment when engagement is achieved.



Questions/Challenges (more like a personal response)-
I know we are charged with the task of reading for methods and methodology but I cannot help but to get swept away by Welch's social activism and call for more of it. I find myself reading for ways to incorporate this in my own classroom and how to remain motivated vs. apathetic about how much "voice" one person has. My students tend to believe there is "nothing" they can do about representations in media. They are willing to make amends with "the media" being like "the weather"...no one can control it. I am dismayed by this attitude when "the media" is made up people (albeit in the form of large corporations with very politically and economically driven gendas). Nonetheless, the throw-up-our-arms and deal with it approach is inadequate for burgeoning intellectuals (in my not-so-humble opinion). So I suppose my question/challenge today is how do I incorporate this in my class when I honestly know so little about it? I feel remiss to say...I haven't ever organized a protest...not even attended one...I haven't even ever submitted an "op ed" piece. My intentions and concerns are there, just not my actions. How then do I become a PROFESSor of such? I guess when I think of methods I'm thinking Welch may have approached this book through the lens of social action and rhetorical analysis and employed the very rhetorical canons that she uses to analyze social movements.