“At Berkeley, the country’s most politically active campus, left-leaning students and their more moderate allies captured the student government (only to be maneuvered out of office by the college administration); protested compulsory participation in ROTC (a common requirement at state universities); and demonstrated against the HUAC when it held hearings in San Francisco in 1960 (marking an end to the fear and deference the committee long had commanded).” p. 192

Berkeley became the face of student movement in the 1960s. From Free Speech Movement to Vietnam War protests, student activism at Berkeley affected universities throughout the country and played and important role in bolstering the liberal movement. As educational system expanded and more colleges modeled themselves on Berkeley, coming of age youth began to dissociate from parents and embrace the rebellious culture of rock ‘n’ roll and liberal sentiment. Young activists enjoyed the new found freedom and directed their attention to critical issues of the time. The sheer size and cohesiveness of the student movement forever made “youth” relevant in the sphere of politics.