Title: A History of Student Activism and Protests | BestColleges
Headings: Student Activism in College
Student Activism in College
A History of Campus Protests
Student Protests Throughout History
The Fight for Civil Rights on College Campuses
Students Protest Administrative Policies
The Push for Campus Safety
Fighting Tuition Increases and Rising Costs
Student Activism in 2020 and Beyond

Content: In the past decade, the U.S. has witnessed a "renaissance of student activism," as described by The Atlantic. College students are more active than ever before, successfully fighting against tuition increases and for more equitable campus policies. With a new crisis threatening higher education, what lessons does the history of student activism hold for the future? Student Protests Throughout History
In 1507, the professors at the University of Padua canceled student vacations for the celebration of Carnevale — the 16th-century equivalent of spring break. Instead of partying in Venice, students were told to attend lectures on Aristotle. In response, the students rioted, destroying lecture halls and attacking faculty members to vent their rage. This early form of student activism apparently worked — or at least, schools didn't try to cancel spring break again. A 17th-century depiction of Carnevale at Piazza San Marco, Venice, by Sebastian Vrancx. For centuries, student life has been a flash-point of campus activism. Only two years after the founding of Harvard College, the first class of students protested against President Nathaniel Eaton for his leadership.