“Strike – to refuse to continue to work until certain demands are met, etc.”This is but one definition of the word “strike” in the dictionary. To strike also means to hit. In baseball, a strike is a missed ball after the pitch or a ball that is called good by an umpire when the batter did not swing.I thought it my duty to inform the ranks of students out there who haven’t a clue as to the purpose of a strike. I have overheard conversations that gave the impression of naivete and ignorance regarding the concept. To whit: “All these people are honking their horns because they want money.”No, people are honking their horns because they support the strikers, they don’t necessarily need as much money as the strikers do. The aforementioned words were said with a laugh, as if the plight of the underpaid, overworked citizen meant nothing. Some people never have to worry about running out of money. They never know a minute of their lives when they can’t get something they want, that couldn’t be bought. Other families have to hold down two jobs in order to eat. They are lucky if they can send their sons or daughters to college. It seems anymore that a decent education and an opportunity to advance in this society is more like a privilege. It takes money. In the case of the workers, all they want is equity. It shouldn’t be so hard to come by. The wages the workers want, so I’ve heard, amounts to no more than one percent of the entire budget. I’m willing to bet that the workers demands would be easily met if the stadium renovation costs weren’t so much higher than originally expected. Of course, the administration would have to be kind enough to throw out a few crumbs. Instead, this university is run by greedy, avaricious moneygrubbers who’d rather see workers with whistles in their mouths, trying to get the respect they deserve for their hard work. Students pay too. Some, I’ve been told, will only be given $8 per day in lieu of their cafeteria meals. Oh yeah, I can see someone living off of that for three meals. Actually, I’d like to see someone turn $8 into two meals without having to eat at Wendy’s twice a day.Here’s another golden comment my ears received today: “They’re still striking today? I thought they made their point yesterday.”No. They didn’t make their point yesterday and they won’t until we realize how important these workers are to the university community. “Brit” Kirwan can cut the corners all he wants by making bare minimum concessions in university service, but I am not impressed. I’m sure a lot of people are not impressed. I don’t know who the university administration thinks it’s trying to fool. A strike can’t go on forever. An impasse can’t solve the problem and a dollar increase next year, followed by a fifty cent increase per year the following two years, will not put bread on the table for the family that needs it now. Has anyone ever heard of inflation around here? The stomachs and heads of the bureaucrats are certainly inflated if they can’t see the need for a wage increase or the damage it does to the hearts of the students who once had a sense of pride in this university. Which is it? Go Bucks or go moneygrubbers?
Valerie Howland is a senior English and psychology major from Conneaut, Ohio.