When Students Spoke Out and Why Arts Educators Must Listen
MAASIN recognizes International Students’ Day and the bravery of past student activists because of how it mirrors the challenges young performers still face in our activity today. Special needs educator and marching arts instructor Melissa Jaeger reflects on this day through both her lived experience and her work with students who often fight to be heard. The marching arts should always be a space that nurtures expression, not silence it, for all students. This reflection invites our community to remember the lessons of history and recommit to amplifying the next generation.
International Students’ Day is observed each year on November 17th. Until recently, I didn’t fully understand the significance of this day. In today’s uncertain cultural climate, it feels more important than ever to remember where we’ve come from. Control, fear-mongering, and even execution for simply being are not distant nightmares, they are part of our shared history.
International Students’ Day commemorates student activism and the fight for human freedom. The date marks the anniversary of November 17, 1939, when Nazi forces invaded the University of Prague following student demonstrations against the killing of Jan Opletal, who was a symbol of resistance to Nazism in Czechoslovakia. That
invasion led to the execution of nine students, the imprisonment of more than 1,200 others in concentration camps, and the closure of all Czech universities and colleges. Those students lost their voices, and their lives, simply for standing up for freedom.
As a student, I’ve had many experiences where I felt that my own voice was expected to be silenced. Though I hold the marching arts and music very close to my heart, I haven’t always felt free to express my true self or share my opinions openly. Those moments were disheartening, infuriating, and even shameful. I knew deep down that I had much to offer as a musician, performer, and educator, yet I was often overlooked or told to be quiet. The anger I felt when my worth wasn’t recognized was profound. But when I reflect on the students who faced death for daring to speak up, my own experiences feel small by comparison. Still, these historical moments remind us how vital it is for young voices to be heard, because historically, they were silenced in the most brutal ways.
Education at its core should be an empowering and enlightening experience. It’s essential for young, developing minds to not only receive knowledge but to feel confident using it to shape our collective future. The next fifty to sixty years of life on this planet depend on the students today. When I think about my own students, those who trust me not only to teach them, but to empower them, I feel both heartache and determination. The idea of a world that stifles their growth just because they exist is maddening.
As an educator, my first goal before information, excellence, or precision, is to encourage others to be good humans. I strive to create spaces where people can learn and grow freely. I ask myself daily: How can I help others feel empowered, encouraged, and motivated to speak their full truth? What can I do to ensure that those in my care, my students, feel safe to be themselves without fear of judgment, retaliation, or punishment?
I take great pride in being an educator, but I also recognize that being a teacher means being a lifelong student. As a colorguard instructor, I’ve learned that encouraging others to do things that scare them, like throwing metal equipment high into the air with the hope of catching it, is exhausting but deeply rewarding. Teaching adults how to support people with disabilities and challenging behaviors has reminded me that positive relationships have transformative power. Through the marching arts, I teach that correct technique doesn’t only look better, it also preserves
the health of your body. That has shown me that I need to live by what I teach, because anyone can talk the talk, but a great educator has to walk the walk, too.
This International Students’ Day, I invite everyone to pause and reflect on what this day truly means. Are you helping amplify the next generation of voices? Can the historical weight of this day inspire you to see more, listen more, and do more for the students in your life? How can we continue empowering students to bring their full selves to the table and make a lasting impact on the world around them? The time to embolden the future, to raise up the voices of our students and our communities, is right now.
Melissa Jaeger
MAASIN Member
Melissa Jaeger (she/her) is manager at a day program for people with I/DD in Rochester, NY. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Music. Melissa’s robust marching arts involvement extends over 25 years. Her experiences include playing flute in the marching band and participating in winterguard at her high school in Medina, NY, spinning with the Rochester Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, Magic of Scout House Winterguard, and Luminosa Wintergard, playing trumpet/mellophone with White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps, Empire Statesmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and Ghost Riders Mini Corps, and leading as head drum major for the White Sabers Drum and Bugle Corps. She has also performed in wind ensembles, orchestras, and small ensembles in college and as an adult. Melissa is devoted to giving back to her community by sharing her love of the marching arts in many ways. She is the Winterguard Director for the Medina Mustang Marching Band, Founder and Director of the Heritage Hurricanes All-Abilities Colorguard, and a visual instructor for the White Sabers All-Age Drum and Bugle Corps.