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Last Wednesday, 16 students were arrested for refusing to disperse while they protested the UC Board of Regents’ student fee increases. They should be commended for their passionate activism.

While many students loathe fee hikes and complain about the constant increases, these particular students have actually taken action to make their voices heard. These students act and petition on behalf of all students to prevent fees from increasing without limits and to prevent higher education from being even less accessible to the entire public.

The actions of these students serve as a bold rebuttal of the critique that our generation is too passive and unmotivated to make its voice heard through means such as civil disobedience.

Students everywhere should draw inspiration from their actions and speak out on issues like student-fee increases so that our needs are recognized.

We all have our gripes with the University of California system, and someone would be hard-pressed to find students elated by fee hikes, but unless we take action to make our concerns heard and find solutions, we will perpetuate our own discontent through our apathetic neglect.