Hell No We Won't Go Intro Panel

Its been 50 years since President Nixon announced the U.S. invasion of Cambodia, igniting a protest of Union students through downtown Schenectady in the spring of 1970. The era of the Vietnam War brought with it an unprecedented wave of campus protests at universities across the country and Union experienced its own fair share of reactions to the war, counter culture, and going co-educational. This exhibit, using Union College as a case study, examines the importance of protests on college campuses during this time period. By shedding light on the various protests at Union during these years, current student visitors will be able to compare and contrast their experiences. What made this era unique? What are campus protests like today? While not as intense as protests at Kent State University or UC Berkeley, those at Union College during this decade affected students personally, took various shapes and forms, and fueled a strong generation of student activists. While not every student at Union considered themselves an activist, a large percentage of the student body was active in some way for various campus protests during these years. In addition, anti-war protests were not the only campus protests to take place. Previous decades also brought with them the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement that affected Union students as well.