Module 09: The 1960s: Who Won? Student Protest and the Politics of Campus Dissent

Assignments

Module Quiz

Take the interactive quiz to check your comprehension of key themes and details from the module. The quiz will assist you in your preparation for class discussion, exams, and writing assignments. You can choose to email the results to your instructor.

Module Evaluation

Please assist the project team for the Digital History Reader by completing the short survey below. Your responses will be very helpful to further development.

Module Evaluation: US 09 - Student Protest in the Sixties: The Politics of Dissent at Virginia Tech

Suggested Writing Assignments and Classroom Discussion

  1. Imagine that you're a student at VPI in the spring of 1970. Choose one of the following four positions: radical protester, moderate antiwar activist, someone who chose not to get involved, and Vietnam War supporter. Now write an imaginary letter to the editor of the student newspaper, The Collegiate Times, explaining your stand vis-à-vis the campus unrest, why you've taken that stand, and why you believe your position is superior to those held by the other three groups of students.

  2. Analyze the dominant activities on the VPI campus in the spring of 1971. How did the demonstrations against the university's "open door" policy build on the events of the previous year? What seemed similar in terms of tactics, rhetoric, or demands? What was different about these protests? Why do you think they attracted so many more students than the protests against the Vietnam War?