With 50,000 students, a lot of people agree with conservative ideology. Bravo plans to motivate conservative students to conduct rallies promoting their ideas and speakers, which he said is a more positive tactic than protesting. Even with the torrent of activist groups on campus promoting issues from the prevalent to the obscure, many students still opt for the conventional route of passivity. Most of his friends share his thinking and are unlikely to advocate a cause that does not directly affect them or someone they know, he said. The prevailing apathy on campus reflects a society with limited time, heightened competition and a broken sense of community, Davis said.
Students really feel they have to be more prepared to make it in a highly competitive world.
Davis said the University community is more dispersed than it was during the 1960s, which makes it difficult to engage students for a cause. Activism at the University, however, is still flourishing but not at the concentrated levels as in the past. The causes have become less general and more segmented, which reduces the visibility of a more vibrant activist community, Davis said. And there are still those, like Morgan, who believe that student activism is necessary as long as social injustice exists.