"I Walked Out in Berkeley"- Reflection

This poem by Schmorleitz and Paik caught my interest because I think it was thoughtfully put together. The beginning seems like it stars out from an objective viewpoint; the writer notices and observes an old man whom happens to be the "traditionalist" Chancellor of Berkeley. The writer makes note of the mans physical features and condition: shaking, upset, "sad and dejected." The writer (a boy student) sits down with the man and hears him out which signal to me that he is a little unsure of himself. He must have no real "place" at this time of extreme separation between radicalists and traditionalists. He probably fell somewhere in between the middle of the two-- so each group, the man representing the traditionalists and the freedom speakers representing the radicals, had equal opportunity to sway this neutral student. The boy never gives lead to which side he's on because he leaves opinion out of the matter. He's more objective; describing the scene of his day. However, the "freedom speakers" seem to have won him over, and I think I might know why.


The old man is full of complaints and fears. He needs to insult and dismiss the freedom speakers in order to gain his credibility. When I put myself in the position of the student boy, I think that although the old man was clearly on a side (of the traditionalists) he was not confident. He was physically and mentally terrified that he had lost his power-- and to the students. On the other hand, the student makes no mention of WHAT the freedom speakers had said. He just implies that he was touched by it because he had "learned something at Berkeley that day." This implies a real part of the radical attitudes during the 60's. They did not CARE about the traditionalists; they were confident because they had nothing to lose. The spirit of hippies/radicals/freedom speakers out shined and over powered the conservatives in many ways. I can see how a teenager would be drawn into the movement-- things just appeared better on the radical side-- regardless of whether or not that was the case.