Friday's long day of protest began a little after 8:00 a.m., when Dean of the College James Larimore climbed the stone steps of Parkhurst Hall. Shifting his gaze from side to side, apparently surprised to arrive before the demonstration that he had learned about the day before, he entered the building with his briefcase in hand, seemingly ready for a routine day of work.
But before the day ended, Larimore would find himself standing before a crowd of about 350 riled students in Collis Commonground -- his first such confrontation since he took his post a year-and-a-half ago.
The demonstration, which organizers called everything from a "speak-out" to a "forum for dialogue," was timed to coincide with the Board of Trustees quarterly meeting on campus.
The administration responded to the protest by holding an open forum at which some Trustees were present, a move that came after considerable negotiation. As Larimore said after hearing a list of the demonstrators' demands, "We thank you for speaking and we appreciate what you have done."
Though peaceful throughout, the demonstration turned confrontational at one point during the afternoon when a group of counter-demonstrators showed up to promote free speech concerns.
Organized by a group of "12 concerned students," the protest was initially planned to articulate a list of demands, academic, social and otherwise. But it quickly became a forum for passersby to voice a range of concerns -- from how students view social class to the administration's recently filed sanctions against Psi Upsilon fraternity.
The organizers' original demands included a statement by the administration and Board of Trustees declaring Dartmouth an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic institution; the aggressive hiring and retention of minority professors; a Korean language study program; and a new centrally-located Women's Resource Center.
Also, harsher College punishment for people who commit sexual assault and rape; incentives for coed Greek houses to secede from the Coed Fraternity and Sorority Council; disclosure about Dartmouth's endowment; affirmation of the education department's place at the College; and increased campus-wide environmental efficiency.
A few minutes after Larimore entered Parkhurst, organizers began to trickle in from different directions. After about 45 minutes of setting up signs with such slogans as "Put Down the Beer and Stop Being Apathetic" and "Save Ed. 20," a group of about 50 students and a few faculty had gathered at the threshold of the administration building.
Organizer Christina Hoe '02 inaugurated the rally: "There's a majority of students at Dartmouth that wants change," she said.
Demonstrators then took turns speaking. One, Brooke Lierman '01, said the College only mildly disciplined the student who she said sexually assaulted her during her freshman year.
"[Senior Associate Dean] Dan Nelson sat on the committee that decided the punishment," she said, motioning to Nelson, who was among those outside Parkhurst. "The priority of the school and how things were handled were completely inadequate."
That started a back-and-forth between organizers and Nelson. Nelson soon took the stage, saying, "I want to welcome you here and thank you for your commitment."
But his statement elicited the consternation of one demonstrator. "I just don't know how someone like Brooke can come up here and tell the story that she did and you [Nelson] can say you support us," former Student Life Initiative steering committee member Hillary Miller '02 said.
The morning took its most dramatic turn when speaker Joel Schudson '02 announced that he was going to find the Trustees, who were gathered in the Rockefeller Center, and talk to them. He urged the crowd to stay put, and then slowly made his way northward with a couple of other students.
Nelson, the only administrator at that point who was standing close enough to hear what the speakers were saying, then turned abruptly toward the far sidewalk where Larimore and Sheila Culbert, senior assistant to College President James Wright, were standing.
After a brief exchange, Culbert then began to walk briskly toward Rockefeller Center. When she was out of the students' sight, she began to run until she arrived at the back door of Rocky.
Culbert reached the Safety and Security officer who was guarding the Trustees' meeting in the 1930s Room moments before the protesters did. She breathlessly warned him that students were coming with the intent of breaking into the room.
The Safety and Security officer then stood up from his chair and guarded the door with his body. The several demonstrators, who apparently had not anticipated such a break-in, then began debating whether or not they would try to enter.
The officer informed them that he would only use force if force was used against him. Culbert, meanwhile, negotiated with the demonstrators, arguing that Wright "cares deeply about these issues" and noting that he is available for students during his Monday afternoon office hours.
After about 10 minutes of deliberations, the several students decided they would go collect the rest of the demonstrators. That was just when the group, by this point numbering around 90, arrived.
The students lined the hallway outside the 1930s Room, chanting "Trustees, trust us" and "Hell no, status quo." The chant that elicited the most laughter amongst themselves was: "We're Here, we're queer. And our parents think we're studying."
More Safety and Security officers began to arrive, and handed out pamphlets on student protest rights. Meanwhile, Culbert went into the 1930s room to let Trustees know what was happening. After about 15 minutes, Wright and Chair of the Board of Trustees William H. King Jr. '63 came out to make statements.
King said, "Good morning everyone. You've got a good group here. We'll be prepared to talk to you this afternoon about those issues. Right now we've got the business of the College to do."
Wright added, "I understand the importance of coming here symbolically now. But this is not a Board weekend thing, we need to talk about it all the time."
At that, one student asked if Wright would commit in writing to saying that Dartmouth is an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic institution -- one of the organizers' demands.
"I've done that every time I've spoken about Dartmouth," Wright said.
The student challenged him: "I'm not sure you've used those exact words."
By this point, a couple of the organizers had arranged to meet with Wright and King later in the afternoon in a private gathering. Throughout the day, those plans were negotiated. Finally, it was decided that a small group of the organizers would meet with four Trustees and three administrators for 20 minutes, and that the meeting would then be opened up to everyone in Collis Commonground for half-an--hour.
The protesters returned to Parkhurst, where the demonstration continued at various levels throughout the afternoon. Around 11:00 a.m., they installed a sound system, which was previously not set up.
The afternoon reached its most riveting moment when a group of students showed up with "Wah Hoo Wah" signs and T-shirts, in reference to the sexist and racist marks shouted from the Psi U porch last term. They held signs that said "Free Speech and Civility" and "Norwegian Studies Now."
The rally then transformed into a debate over the merits of free speech. Protest organizer Hoe said she took offense at the "Wah Hoo Wah" showing. "We're Native Americans, and that's ours, that's our people. That's not yours to use."
Andrew Grossman '02, responded, "We still have a right to use Wah Hoo Wah even if it may not be civil, even if it may not be popular. Free speech is a discussion we need to have." Referring to Psi U, he said: "Students have been sanctioned for free speech."
Choking back tears, Hoe later responded, "I don't choose to be Native. And I don't choose to be a woman. But I am Native. And I am a woman, and you offend me."
The back-and-forth among those in favor and against the "Wah Hoo Wah" statements lasted for about 40 minutes. Throughout, disputes could be heard among people in the crowd.
A little before 3:00 p.m., the rally moved to Commonground, where College officials had already assembled to meet with several of the demonstrators. Organizers, as well as Grossman who spoke about his free speech concerns, took turns addressing the Trustees and administrators with a microphone. The highly charged gathering had about 350 in attendance, including members of the faculty and administration.
"We're not here to attack the administration and Trustees, we're here to open up a dialogue," said Myesha Jackson '02.
Greeted by applause, Wright said, "What you're doing is very important because you represent the highest aspirations of this College."
But when it came time for the Trustees to address the specific concerns raised by the speakers, some students seemed outwardly disappointed with what they had to say.
When asked if he would tell students where the endowment is invested, King said, "There is no one place where it is." Then Trustee Michael Chu '68 took the microphone, trying to assuage student concerns. "The specific equities are decided by professional investment managers," he said. "What we can tell you is the endowment is in the hands of managers that are required to do well."
"I'm happy to say that none of the issues you raised today is new news. And that's good news," Trustee Nancy Jeton '76 said. "We're not micro-managers, that's not our job. We have tight constraints on our time."
Organizer Jennai Williams '03 later said she was disappointed with that response. "That means these issues have been tossed around and nothing has been done," she said. "I was appalled by the administration's official response. They didn't even address any of our issues."
Jackson said that although she was pleased that the meeting in Collis lasted 20 minutes beyond schedule, she felt that "Issues weren't addressed. We got responses, not answers. It means we're going to push harder and put more responsibility on their side to do things and help us do things."
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Wright and Larimore said they were pleased with meeting in Collis and backed the administration's pledge to address the students' concerns.
In reaction to one of the protestors' demands, Wright affirmed Dartmouth is an "aniti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic college."
