Social Tactic #2

Jerrod Goertzen

Soc 122

START

5/9/2014

 

Social Movement Tactic #2: Marching

 

            Along with tabling on the March for March 4th event, our class and group also did a march around and through the campus here at Fresno State. This was actually the first time I would partake in any kind of marching event and so it was a tiny bit nerve wracking. The path that was planned out by the professor seemed like it would take ages to walk, but once we got going and into the march it actually seemed to go by in a flash.

            Our group had made signs for each member to carry along the march with our name on them, telling them to sign our petition, go to our Instagram website and with general statistical main points on our movement against rising tuition cost. I was pleased with the signs that we created, much like our information board for the tabling, they were very bright, colorful, big, tall and easy too ready. The only sad part was not many people were out too see us march. But it was nice too see the few that were walking around give us some cheers or if they were in a car they would honk their horns. I was curious to see what kind of support we would have drawn had there been a lot more people out. A real nice thing though is it did give our group more time to talk and joke around amongst ourselves and others in other groups and discuss multiple issues.

            One of the biggest things we could have done better as a group was actually coming up with a group chant to do occasionally as we marched. I believe a good chant with marching can give people a sense of rythm, uniformity, something that they can get motivated and pumped up over and a good chant can serve that purpose. We were tight on time and what we could manage too get done, but I wish our group could of pulled off acquiring some t-shirts that we discussed about wearing. This could have given us a look of being more organized, together as a group and serious about our movement. For people that we interacted with, this could have made a difference in their decision possibly of whether to also get behind our group and involved. It would have also served as further advertisement for our group and cause, possibly drawing more people to our members for the tabling and the march. The march was an interesting a fun event to partake in even on our smaller scale of participants, just to get a little taste I felt was an eye opener for me at least. While we did get a little support marching around and some people joining in, I don't think we had enough people around witnessing the event to really alter any one's thinking about our issue.