March Fourth

Aaron Bañuelos

Soc. 122

 

March Fourth

 

During the spring semester this year my sociology 122 social movements course held a March Fourth event, which consisted of picketing, tabling, and marching around campus to create awareness for various causes. The group that I was a part of this semester the "Criminal Injustice System" participated in the march in order to spread awareness in the flaws of the criminal justice system. To prepare for this event my group and I partook in chalking the free speech area of the Fresno State campus by drawing pictures of dollar bills with the slogan "Money=Freedom" underneath it and various different criminal justice statistics. My group and I also created picket signs with similar slogans and pictures on them, which we would carry during the march. Our professor Dr. Kubal set the tactic of marching on the fourth of March for all of the groups; however, he allowed each to be as creative as possible an implement or own ideas during the march such as creating our own chants. The total outcome of the march was a great success despite dealing with possible rain showers and the fourth of March falling on a Friday the turnout was still better than my group had expected. Looking back at the event there are in fact a few things that I wish we could have done differently. The first thing I wish I could have changed was to hold the event on any other weekday besides a Friday because I feel much more students would have participated if the event was held on a different day. The second thing I would have done differently would have been to be able to have more handout flyers printed and ready as our group quickly ran out. Despite these few changes I would have made I feel that the March Fourth event was a great success and a great opportunity to spread awareness to all of my fellow classmates causes.