'How I spent my spring break -- stopping the war'

Instead of "Where the Boys Are," the old-time spring breaks that used to bring waves of partying college students to Florida beaches, the theme for some students this spring will be "Bring the Boys Home." (It's not just boys at war any more, of course; that just fit better.) Our Spring Break invites students and young people to Washington DC for a wide range of antiwar actions in March.

Meanwhile, Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress, is sponsoring Iraq Action Camp, three days of education, training and action for students March 15-17 in Washington. It's free for college students, but they should register now.

Says Robin Markle of Drew University SDS in New Jersey:

"I don't think we can rely on the government to stop the war, despite what politicians may say when they're on the campaign trail. I'm really excited about the Iraq Moratorium campaign, which invites anti-war activists to hold actions the third Friday of every month in their communities. I think that locally-based grassroots actions like these, with people talking to their friends, co-workers and neighbors, is our best strategy for steadily growing the movement until it's something that politicians can't simply pay lip service to."

Is antiwar action and energy being transferred to the presidential campaign?

Says Kati Kesh of UNC-Asheville:

From my perspective ... it seems that although some students are very much swept up in the election process most students remember what happened in 2006 when they put their faith in the Democrats--the Democrats failed to do anything about the war. Because it's an election year it seems that the student body is becoming more politicized and wanting to be more active about issues such as the war in Iraq.

More on what students are thinking and doing in this CounterPunch article.