The term “The Movement” is associated with a number of social and political events that rocked college campuses in the 1960s. Current literature on the student movement of this decade often does not mention students at other types of institutions and sometimes fails to put into perspective the actual percentage of students who participated in active demonstration. This thesis presents a new view of student activism by exploring how small, private, religiously affiliated institutions used the public forum of collegiate publications to contribute to the dialogue surrounding various political and social movements of the 1960s.
Student editorials and letters to the editors in the campus publications at Ashland College in Ohio, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Hillsdale College in Michigan were analyzed from the year 1960-1970 to determine student opinions on the Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, Free Speech Movement and student protest, and the shootings at Kent State University. Through the analysis of major themes and perceptions of these student voices, the study provides implications for future research and practice regarding student activism in the 21st century.