Concluding Remarks

1955-1960

While the late 1950s saw the United States military favor monetary incentives as a form of recruitment propaganda towards young people instead of typical radio advertisements, the dialogues which were happening around colleges such as Ursinus demonstrated the start of a more nuanced way of thought than had been seen amongst the public in World War ll.  The monetary incentives were not even gaurenteed, and the military would eventually cease advertisements on campus.  However, the seeds of antiwar rhetoric which were planted throughout the Urinus Weekly at this time were going to evolve considerably in the future, leading to protests and clashing ideologies surrounding the Vietnam War.

1961-1965

The early 1960s marked a turning point with regard to students’ responses to military propaganda. As early as 1963, the conflict in Vietnam was beginning to permeate our culture and the culture of Ursinus. By the middle of the decade, arguments for and against intervention in Vietnam came forth from students and professors alike as the possibility of intervention became a reality. This led to the rise of student demonstration groups who protested America’s involvement in Vietnam. Though protest groups grew in number as the Vietnam War ran its course, they faced no small amount of opposition from the establishment.

1966-1970

From 1966-1970, a decrease in confidence regarding America's situation in Vietnam, coupled with draft changes affecting students, spurred a wide range of student protests across the United States. At Ursinus, students hosted anti-Vietnam speakers, engaged in nationwide protests, and criticized many government propaganda statements. From this, we can learn that while Ursinus was indeed a small community, it was an impactful one that made its presence known throughout the country.

1971-1973

While the years 1971 to 1973 did not feature an overwhelming amount of articles on the Vietnam War, many of the ones written at the time show strong ties to propaganda. On average, the Ursinus community seems to have interacted with propaganda by picking it apart to find the truth and held onto a firm, anti-war sentiment. However, the college community also seems to have supported some forms of propaganda, namely ones that advocate for anti-Communism and anti-draft dodgers. Therefore, while the Ursinus community generally tried to find out the truth about the Vietnam War through propaganda, it did hold some values that were supported by certain forms of propaganda.