Monday, Dec. 6
Noon—In front of the Campus Center about one hundred students congregated for an open mic. The issues students spoke on were centered around, but were not confined to, student of color issues.
Tuesday, Dec. 7
12:30 p.m.—Over one hundred students march on President Bennet’s office hours on the fourth floor of the Campus Center. Groups and individuals spoke about having their voices silenced by the Administration.
1:00 p.m.—Bennet attempts to leave the room, but students sit on the floor to block his path. Maryann Wiggin, Director of Public Safety, escorts Bennet out of the room to South College, being followed by the growing group of students. Bennet, Wiggin and Peter Patton, Interim Dean of the College, lock themselves in Bennet’s office while students fill the stairwell.
2:00 p.m.—Students pass Bennet a letter demanding that he send an e-mail to students, faculty, staff, trustees, parents and alumni describing what had happened that day.
2:30 p.m.—Patton leaves Bennet’s office to address students. Patton states that the administration will offer a forum on Wednesday in Crowell at 4 p.m. for students to voice concerns, on the condition that students stop protesting.
3:30 p.m.—Protesting students are cleared out of South College as Bennet attempts to leave to attend a faculty meeting. A standoff occurs at the south stairwell of North College, where Bennet negotiates with students over the wording of an e-mail to be sent out that day and to whom to send the e-mail. Students and Bennet engage in a long disagreement over whether or not to send the email to alumni.
5:00 p.m.—Bennet and students agree on the location and time of Wednesday’s meeting, the exact wording of the e-mail to be sent out, that Bennet’s name should appear on the e-mail, that the e-mail should be sent out to students, faculty, staff and trustees, but not to parents or alumni, that the email should appear on the alumni website along with a letter from students and that a joint letter should be sent out to alumni within the next week, unless both Bennet and students agree not to. Bennet leaves the building.
5:30 p.m.—Remaining students exit the building.
11:00 p.m.—Students gather on the fourth floor of the Campus Center to discuss strategies for Wednesday’s meeting.
Wednesday, Dec. 8
4:00 p.m.—Open meeting of students, faculty, staff and community members begins in Crowell Concert Hall.
Friday, Dec. 10
9:00 p.m.—Amy Goodman from Democracy Now speaks at the Chapel.
Leave a Reply