Armed with underwear and ramen noodles the youth of America are set to overthrow the failed system! They will wait no longer, they will sit no more and they will apathetically listen to no one but Barack Obama anymore. Young people are fed up, that is for certain, but to what extent and will their record numbers in the polls really revolutionize American political life?

Earlier this month, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed the right of public school students to criticize school policies. The First Amendment Center:

A three-judge panel agreed that school officials in Watson Chapel, Ark., violated the constitutional rights of three students in 2006 who were disciplined for wearing black armbands or wristbands to school to protest a new policy enforcing school uniforms, and for handing out a flier objecting to the policy.

The administrators agreed in court that the student protest did not disrupt classes or order at the school.

The 8th Circuit panel said that despite restrictive decisions since it was handed down, including the 2007 Supreme Court decision in the so-called "Bong Hits for Jesus" case, "Tinker remains good law." Students in both Tinker and the Watson Chapel case were exercising a right of protest against a government policy — something officials in every school ought to celebrate by example, not denigrate.

Six UMN-TC student groups held a war protest in front of the student union today. At noon, almost two hundred students gathered in the grass and waved posters. A representative from each of the student groups spoke about why their group was involved. And then, they marched: through the campus's main quad, around the auditorium and down major roads until they reached the alumni center. The protesters were flanked by an impressive police escort -- over ten bike-police and two more on horseback, plus a squad car following everything and every intersection blocked off by police controlled by an officer.

Why should students get stressed? They're up in that elite ivory tower, removed from the troubles of the world! AP:

College kids are so frazzled they can't sleep or eat. Or study. Good grief, they're even anxious about spring break.

Most students in U.S. colleges are just plain stressed out, from everyday worries about grades and relationships to darker thoughts of suicide, according to a poll of undergraduates from coast to coast. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and mtvU, a television network available at many colleges and universities.

Four in 10 students say they endure stress often. Nearly one if five say they feel it all or most of the time.

I had my first meeting for my Amnesty International group on campus and although we had at least 15 members that were fully committed, there were only two people that showed up and no one has responded to any of my posts or emails. This is so discouraging and I don't know what else there is to do to revamp this group. We want to do so many things but with so few people (like three) there is hardly anything we can do that would be large enough to raise an eyebrow. Students at University of Houston just don't seem to care, at least on the surface.

Courtney Martin has recently noted that there is no shortage of activism of college campuses.  However, according to Martin ("The Problem With Youth Activism," American Prospect, November 19), much student activism is ineffective because students have been pacified by what she calls the institutionalization of student activities and activism.  In defense of student activists, Tim Fernholz ("The Kids Are Alright, Campus Progress, November, 27) argues that Martin is wrong and that her basic premise is indicative of a failure to understand politics.  Fernholz goes on to argue that today's college activists are smarter then those of the 60s because they are willing to work within the system instead of engaging in protest, boycotts, and civil disobedience.  Both Fernholz and Martin make some valid points.  Yet neither mentions power in any regard.  My aim is to make their conversation more complex by discussing how power impacts student activism.    

A general student strike has been called on UMass Amherst's campus. Organizers have been phonebanking all week to shore up support for the strike.

They also have a thorough and well-organized online presence. As of this writing, their Facebook event has more than 1,700 people "attending," though some are students at other universities.

Having just put the finishing touches on a case study for YP4's forthcoming Little Black Book on online organizing, I have online organizing strategy on the brain even more than usual. Here's my take on what they're doing well with this site.

Read more below.

Today, Senate leadership failed to win the 60 votes (falling 52Y/44N) needed to move the DREAM Act toward a vote and delayed an opportunity to hold true to the values of our country.

Every year, approximately 65,000 qualified undocumented students graduate from high school, but are stuck in limbo without the ability to legally obtain work or access the necessary aid to attend college.

Inside:

     - Iranian Students Protest President Ahmadinejad

     - South African Students Protest Tuition Hike, Are Met With Rubber Bullets

     - Israeli Blockade Stops Students from Leaving Gaza for School

     - Another Student Union Signs Onto the ASSÉ Strike Plan