Has the student movement lost its meaning?

August 24 Delegates of the Vytautas Magnus University Student Representation (VDU SA) participated in the nineteenth Assembly of the Lithuanian Student Union (LSS) "Together Forward". At the conference held at Klaipėda University, student representatives from all over Lithuania discussed the meaning of the student movement, its social dimension and the role of students in the context of the reform of higher education.

In the discussion about the meaning and essence of the student movement, LSS honorary member Vygaudas Ušackas recalled when, during the occupation years, he picketed outside the Diet for the right of students not to be drafted into the Soviet army, organized multi-thousand student rallies and even dared to stand up to the KGB in order to make the students' voice heard. Vilius Sekevičius, the former president of Kaunas University of Technology's Student Representative Office (KTU SA), who more than a decade ago sued the university for illegal rector elections, shared his experience.

When the question was raised as to why today students no longer go out into the streets and publish scandalous messages, various discussions arose: V. Sekevičius said that perhaps the problems of students are no longer so big and everything has already been won, while LSS alumni Mindaugas Reinikis emphasized that it is very important to distinguish what is student movement and student representation. According to him, it may not always be necessary to picket with flags raised, but one would like more aggressiveness and strictness on the part of the student representatives when solving the problems that have arisen.

The conference was also attended by the Minister of Education of the Republic of Lithuania Jurgita Petrauskienė, advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania on education and science Saulė Mačiukaitė-Žvinienė, a guest from the Danish Students' Union Julian Lo Curlo, LSS president Eigirdas Sarkanas, alumni and council members of the organization.

On the second day of the assembly, student representatives gathered in Šventoja, where they staged 1991, the year when the Lithuanian Student Union was established. After dividing into working groups, they formed the organization's position on issues of the social dimension.

"Every year, the Assembly of the Lithuanian Student Union gathers more than a hundred student representatives who want to spend the last weekend of summer meaningfully," Greta Šmaižytė, president of VDU SA, shared her impressions. - The topics we talked about during the Assembly are particularly sensitive and relevant for the student community, so we would like more such weekends during the year!

In the evening, the participants of the assembly gathered at the beach to celebrate the 19th birthday of LSS and light a symbolic LSS bonfire. On Sunday, student representatives presented to each other the ideas raised during the simulation, shared their observations and promised to meet next year at the anniversary LSS assembly!