Student activism traded in for impressive resume and grad school application

I just watched the documentary The Weather Underground (in 9 parts on youtube) and I wondered how come I had to wait until age 25 to learn of The Weatherman and Students for Democratic Society through Sarah Palin of all people.

It's easy to forget sometimes that student unions and organisations were once important political actors and agents of change. Having studied in Canada, all I know of them is that they take your membership money and throw parties, print t-shirts and have elections where only 2% of the student body votes. My student union avoided taking stances on anything, unless it was a bland, non-partisan stance. In respecting diversity and wanting to be representative of the student body, they were largely an administrative body. I cannot imagine that any form of activism could have taken place through such a dull body of over-sensitive over-achievers.