( – promoted by odum)
In my inbox:
Come all to Waterman, now, where we began a sit-in at 3:00 and where,
at 1:45 a group of students locked down in the President’s wing.We are here until our demands are met, at the top is NO CUTS, Revoke
LAYOFFs and NON-REAPPOINTMENTS, and all future plans for layoffs!!!COME NOW!!!! Fogel and Cate are negotiating now, but not budging yet.
Time to make change and TAKE BACK OUR UNIVERSITY!!–Students Stand Up!!
UPDATE 8:15PM-
Though the students who locked-down were prepared to make concessions and, well, negotiate, Fogel apparently left abruptly saying he wouldn’t agree to “any of it”. Those students sitting in the President’s Wing were then immediately arrested (I don’t have a number of arrestees or details of charges yet but at least 7 have been arrested).
At present over 100 students, staff and faculty are still engaged in a sit-in at the Waterman building and have been told that if they don’t leave by 10pm they will be arrested too.
Organizers are calling for community members to head over to the Waterman building for a 9:30 rally this evening in support of those arrested and the coalition of students, staff and faculty who are demanding an end to budget cuts, layoffs, and outrageous administrative salaries.
…quaint.
that UVM Presidents take a ladder out the back window of Waterman Hall.
The building was ordered locked by Fogel and cops are stationed at every exit. Over 200 people are reported outside rallying in support of the 100 or so inside still.
God,in my day students occupied buildings to protest Vietnam; now they do it to protest budget cuts for working people and outrageous salaries for useless CEO’s. But, hell, at least the spark has flashed up in the students and they are protesting.
…is Fogel’s response. Reminds me of the days when University presidents (with rare exception) peered down their noses at the unwashed rabble who dared invade the sanctity of their offices. Now, I don’t expect Fogel to put on some dungarees and a tie-dyed T, walk in and share a joint with the protesters, but couldn’t be be the tiniest bit civil about it? Especially since there’s a lot of campus discontent about the budget cuts and other administration high-handedness?
Then again, if the Ben Stein episode proved anything, it’s the fact that Dan Fogel has a tin ear for PR.