Revival for Free Speech at Cloyne Court

Over 100 alumni and current students gathered at Cloyne Court on Sunday to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the Free Speech Movement. This event however, was not strictly centered around praising one of the most famous student protests in history, but also brought attention to the ongoing challenges students now face five decades later.

So often the Free Speech Movement is framed in a glorified, nostalgic way. The University pats itself on the back for overcoming its violation of free speech, and the story quietly fades away. Sunday’s event changed this narrative by bringing together voices of those involved with the protest, as well as current residents who came to speak on behalf of today’s struggles.

Almost like a speed-dating event, past and present members of the Co-op took the stage to give a short, three-minute telling of their experiences with student activism while living in the Berkeley Student Cooperative. Here are a few of those stories:

Alumna and activist Alana Theriault spoke about her work with the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement while attending Cal, and how living in the Co-op allowed her to meet other disabled students whom she called an inspiration to herself and other non-disabled students.

“For me free speech is about finding our identities and living them unapologetically,” said Theriault.

In addition, Theriault told the audience that the Berkeley Student Cooperative was the first place she was hired outside of the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement. Since then she has been involved with making Co-op houses accessible to others with disabilities.

Recent graduate Justin Tombolesi was one of the first to speak on behalf of current student struggles, and how the Co-op has been a hub of organizational power for activism groups on campus.

“The first day I came to Loth was Nov. 9, 2011.” Whispers and comments stirred as everyone realized Tombolesi referred to the most infamous day for Occupy Cal. “The ninth was a mess. Batons were being jabbed at our sides, repression everywhere. After I was hit, a few people invited me to their house for food and rest. That house was Lothlorien.”

Lana Muraskin, FSM participant and Stebbins house member, quickly gave her story about being involved with the protest and then transitioned the conversation back to current issues by rallying alumni to support today’s youth.

“The biggest issue right now is privatization,” said Muraskin. “I lived here during an era where higher education was expanding. Now, we see loans and student debt as a direct result of this privatization.”

Former Oxford Hall resident Steve Wong spoke about his involvement with student protests while at Cal.

“We were right in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panther Party was active, and we were discovering who we were as minorities,” said Wong. Wong was one of many involved in the Third World Liberation Front, which led several of the longest student strikes in the country and aided in the creation of the Ethnic Studies departments on campus.

ASUC Senator and representative for the Cooperative Movement Party, Austin Pritzkat gave his sentiments as well. Rising costs of tuition and housing, privatization of a public university, and hope for change were just a few of the points he managed to fit into his short speech.

In his closing statement, Pritzkat told guests, “it’s a tough reality that despite the efforts of [the] FSM, the University still represses our rights to free speech.”

The stories continued for over an hour, covering topics from discovering one’s sexuality to Pearl Harbor. Although not every guest was an active participant in the Free Speech Movement, the sprit of student activism from generations old and new was vibrant within the walls of the newly renovated Cloyne Court.

For those speaking on Sunday, the Berkeley Student Cooperative has been more than just a home and a few good meals. It has been a place to facilitate change, organize groups, and hear voices that might otherwise be shut down. While it is certainly not a perfect system, having an affordable housing option for students provides a necessary alternative to the rising cost of rent and tuition, and has proven to be a center for student activism over the years. As one former resident put it, “The Co-op experience was good and bad. But you learned the meaning of community.”