In light of political protests on the Texas State campus, across the state, nation and world in the past few
years, it’s interesting to note that this is nothing new in San Marcos.
Consider the situation with the San Marcos 10. These 10 students at Texas State
University (then called Southwest Texas State University) took part in a
protest against the Vietnam War on campus, but were suspended and expelled from
the university in 1969.
Read this University Star feature story about some of the
members of the San Marcos 10 returning to Texas State on the 50th
anniversary of the protest in 2019: https://universitystar.com/17846/life-and-arts/san-marcos-10-revisit-texas-state-for-50-year-protest-anniversary/
Also, listen to this NPR report broadcast from Oct. 23, 2001, in which two
of the San Marcos 10 were interviewed: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1131946
Consider that this interview was conducted less than two months after the
terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
After you read the article and listen to the NPR report, return here and add a
comment
with your reaction.
211 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 211 of 211My name is Nikki De Guzman and I am part of your 11am class on Monday and Wednesday. This was my first time hearing about the San Marcos 10. I had no idea that that was something that happened on Campus. I think it was very cool and brave of those students at the time to protest and risk losing their education. I also believe it’s important for college students to speak their minds and stand up for what they believe is right. The only way for change is if we take action. I still can’t believe Texas state suspended and expelled them. I can’t even imagine if that happened today. I feel like so many students would be enraged.
My name is Amanda McCoy from the 11 a.m. section. Before this assignment, I did not know about the San Marcos 10. I am very shocked that these students were punished for exercising their First Amendment freedom, but I think it's a testament to how divisive the Vietnam War was. I also thought it was extreme for the students to be punished and for the student's removal from The Star for simply covering the protests. I am glad that things have changed for students and our free speech.
Hey, its Jace Jowers (3:30 class). Its honestly pretty inspiring to see the noise that just a few students from this school were able to make in order to get their voices heard and now to see that their voices are still being heard fifty years later. The school’s reaction is baffling to me since I know the outcome would have been so different had this happened today. It’s awesome to see how the school has evolved over time, now going as far as to encourage its students to speak out for what they believe in. I really enjoyed reading about each of the members’ different backgrounds and how their lives were affected by the war.
Hello! My name is Hailey A. and I am in the 3:30pm class, Monday/Wednesday.
After reading the article and listening to the NPR report, I can’t believe I haven’t heard of the San Marcos 10 before! This story was so inspirational and made me even more proud to be a Bobcat! David Bayless’ story was particularly touching since he was drafted into the Vietnam War and had served prior to protesting. Bayless said “We were not there to bring peace to Vietnam. We were not there to save civilization. We had all come in to take a piece of Vietnam.” This was really heart wrenching. I definitely commend the San Marcos 10 for staying sat while “the crowd was close to becoming violent”, as the article states. Even though the San Marcos 10 were penalized for their protest it’s amazing that we now have a “Salute the San Marcos 10 Day” and that we have such an astounding story in our university's history!
My name is Trae Solis and I am in the 11:00 a.m. class. I was surprised that the San Marcos 10 seemed to have little to no support from the legal system, even though I knew it was probably going to be rough on them. Like the University Star article mentioned, Tinker v. Des Moines was decided only a couple months prior and the case was still thrown out. I was also surprised that the university still gave Bayless his degree.
Hi, my name is Almalleli Nava-Romero, and I am in the 11 am M/W class. I found the article about the protest very interesting. These students are very brave and I admire that they stood up with what they believe even though they knew that they will face consequences. This brave act showcases the many student protest that challenge authority. The NRP interviews was also very interesting because it shows how their is still some tension surrounding political expression in present day.
Hello! My name is Alissa Dominguez I am in the MW 11:00 a.m. class. I had never heard of the San Marcos ten prior to learning about them in this class. I feel like I see a lot of similarities in the way students feel a need to speak up for what they believe is right today as students did during Vietnam. I applaud these individuals for risking their education in order to send a message. I also think it was interesting hearing and seeing two different tones being that the NPR report was more recent than the University Star’s publication. It made me wonder what people will think about the war in Gaza years from now.
My name is Makayla W and i'm a part of the 11 a.m. class. I hadn't heard of the San Marcos 10 prior to this class, and I was shocked to hear that they were penalized so heavily, especially since they were protesting peacefully. I'm grateful to have the freedom I do now at Texas State and admire the bravery of these students to exercise their rights despite the unfair consequences.
My name is Ethan Torres and i am in your MW 11-1220 class! i had never heard of the san marcos 10 before reading this and this struck me as a very interesting as this students were strong in their beliefs and i found it amazing that they protested for things that they beleived in despite the hate and backlash.
Allison Bell, online class
It’s fascinating to see how history repeats itself. Reading about the San Marcos 10 reminds me that protests and activism on college campuses are part of a long tradition. The story of those students protesting the Vietnam War in 1969, and then being expelled for it, really shows how much things have changed in terms of how universities respond to political expression—but also how much they’ve stayed the same, with students still fighting for their beliefs today.
Listening to the NPR interview made me realize how that moment in history felt so intense for them, and it was interesting hearing it right after 9/11, another time when the country was on edge. Overall, it just shows that student activism is an important part of shaping not only campus culture but the broader society as well.
Hi, I am Allie K. I am in the 3:30 class. The San Marcos 10 reminds us how important it is to stand up for what we believe in. Even if there are consequences. It was very bold of these students to stand up for their views on the Vietnam War, even if it meant costing their education. It shows how passionate they were about the topic. The NPR interview lets people know that it was not about politics. And more standing up for what they felt was morally right at the time.
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