At first glance, one might have guessed that a violent crime had taken place. Police dressed in riot gear surrounded the Telecommunications Building. Students stood by, some handcuffed. Fatigue, etching lines in their faces, confirmed their exhaustion.

This was not a major bank robbery or a murder investigation, as it may have appeared. Instead, it was the culmination of the peaceful sit-in that took place at Penn State on April 9, 1988.

Students overtook the Telecommunications Building that Friday afternoon. About 15 hours later, 88 protesters were handcuffed, removed and arrested.

This protest garnered national media attention and caused some students, parents and others to question the protesters' motives. I distinctly remember one person saying, "They need to be in the library studying instead of protesting." Another person asked, "What are they trying to prove?"

Non-violent protests, and many similar public demonstrations, should not be viewed as simply rebellious acts, but should be considered in a larger context. Protests echo commitment.

According to storytellers of the American dream, my parents among them, college is supposed to provide a person with four years of knowledge in a selected area of study. A sprinkling of general courses is required along the path, but mostly the curriculum is narrowly focused.

I agree that after paying tens of thousands of dollars for an education, a person should graduate knowledgeable in his or her field, but college campuses should provide more than a classroom education.

Education should not be limited to books, but should include development of strong convictions and beliefs.

During the four years spent at any college or university, students will hopefully form opinions and strong convictions about many subjects. This development of ideas and opinions is inspirational. If non-violent protests emerge as a result of dedication to a cause, they too should be seen in a positive light.

I do not believe a person committed to a belief, should readily compromise it. When a person says, "They need to be studying," to me, they are saying, "Don't recognize and act on your convictions."

American history is littered with people who have stood by their convictions and even died for their beliefs. Foremost in my mind is Martin Luther King, Jr. who shared his dream that all people would eventually stand in harmony.

Students were his major supporters as he marched and protested for equality. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was created and run by students supporting the Civil Rights Movement. The students committed themselves to equality.

In 1988, the first silent protest took place. Hearing-impaired students from Gallaudet, a college for the hearing-impaired in Washington D.C., demonstrated when their board of trustees was prepared to select another president without a hearing impairment.

Gallaudet is the only school of its kind. For more than 100 years, the school had chosen only people who were not hearing impaired. One board member remarked that she was not sure if Gallaudet was ready for a hearing-impaired president.

These students demonstrated their commitment to the cause. Although many of their voices were not heard, their protests were seen and their battle won. The school's hearing-impaired president appeared on Sixty Minutes a couple of weeks ago, voicing his commitment to the school and his fight to gain rights for all the hearing-impaired.

Last summer all the major media systems covered college students' protests in China's Tiananmen Square. Chinese students rallied for their rights. The scenes of fury splattered across television screens and newspapers echoed their commitment to fighting their government's policies. May, not knowing all the policies or their implications, were simply dedicated to the fight for democracy and recognition as free individuals.

Penn State's refusal to meet openly with the black community in spring 1988 was the immediate reason protesters gave for their actions. The long-term reasons centered around a list of demands formulated by a group of concerned African-Americans. A couple of the demands they cited were: establishment of a permanent vice-president of Pan-African affairs and active recruitment of blacks to fill executive administrative positions.

Seldom do protests illicit immediate and full results. The demands cited by many "concerned African-American" students have not all been met. Ten years from now, it is possible that all the demands will still not be granted. The administration's failure to grant such demands, should not, however, result in the relinquishing of personal goals and commitments.

Protests are public displays of commitment, but in a larger context, commitment is the recognition of one's opinions. Both are essential.