When freshman and transfer students first step onto a college campus, they’re often bombarded with literature that boasts some of the institution’s proudest accomplishments. From diversity statistics to welcome events, it’s easy to be swept up in the excitement that a university first has to offer. It’s important, however, to realize that many institutions must still be held accountable for their flaws that directly impact student life.
For decades, student-run publications across big and small universities alike have specialized in handing out disorientation guides to prospective students. And while colleges have their own literature they like to hand out, these student-published guides are completely different. Disorientation guides introduce students to campus activism and give students the unfiltered truth that colleges fail to reveal themselves. Important social justice issues are highlighted in these guides such as abuses of power by campus police or the lack of funding for ethnic programs on campuses. Moreover, these guides often highlight the not-so-positive history of college campuses and place emphasis on fighting for justice in relation to the past.
For prospective students, it’s incredibly important that the real history of a college campus is not overlooked or overshadowed by superficial facts about what a university might have to offer. For these reasons, disorientation guides are becoming increasingly important on college campuses. College administrators expect students to be naive and these guides work to put an end to that. Disorientation guides put the past in perspective and show how it has negatively impacted underrepresented students today.
Not only do disorientation guides offer a refreshing and unbiased look into a college’s history, they also cultivate a sense of urgency when it comes to fighting for what is right. Student activism is a powerful tool that many universities are scared of and often don’t openly encourage. Instead, disorientation guides encourage students to go out and actually make a difference on campus, positively impacting student life for all and aiding people in their future endeavors. Student activism teaches people to expect more from powerful institutions and teaches people to hold leaders accountable for their actions. Without activism, society would definitely be more susceptible to lies and institutions who want to take advantage of them.
Disorientation guides must be a more popularized piece of literature across all college campuses. Students should know the truth when it comes to the universities they’re attending and they need to be exposed to the efforts that are being made to make campuses a better and safer place for all. It’s important for students to experience grassroots activism in order to improve their educational experience and prepare them for life after college.
