On Friday, community members gathered in front of the Hanover Inn to demonstrate against the Trump administration, with several citing concerns over the administration’s potential deal with Dartmouth.
The protest of approximately 25 community members took place the day after the White House contacted nine universities, including Dartmouth, to sign the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The agreement would afford the College advantages in exchange for agreement to the Trump administration’s educational demands.
Many protest participants were members of local grassroots organizations, including Upper Valley Indivisible — a movement which organizes demonstrations on a regular basis.
Attendee and White River Junction resident Megan Culp said the compact was “madness.”
“I don’t like how [Trump is] holding Dartmouth hostage with that latest edict that came down, that he wants [the College] to sign,” Culp said.
Retired elementary school teacher Theresa Symancyk said she is concerned that the College might “go along with Trump’s demands for what universities and colleges must agree to — or risk losing funding.”
In an email sent to campus on Oct. 3, College President Sian Leah Beilock affirmed her commitment to Dartmouth’s “fierce independence,” while not stating whether or not the College will accept the contract.
“You have often heard me say that higher education is not perfect and that we can do better,” Beliock wrote. “At the same time, we will never compromise our academic freedom and our ability to govern ourselves.”
For approximately an hour, protesters held signs reading “Believe the women,” and “Sorry folks, but ignoring it is what the Germans did.” They set up a life-size image of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein in front of the Hanover Inn.
Attendee and N.H. State Rep. Jared Sullivan, D-Grafton, who is running for U.S. Senate was holding a sign that read “Snow is better than ICE.” He said he was “protesting what’s happening in Washington.”
“When you are deporting people without due process, you’re also taking away those same rights from American citizens,” Sullivan said.
Attendee and associate director of Tuck Health Care Management Education Molly Castaldo said she was “concerned” about threats to democracy.
“I’m here protesting to support democracy,” Castaldo said. “I think the current administration is just violating the Constitution, and so I think it’s important for citizens to demonstrate, to show that they are concerned and want to protect our rights.”
Symancyk spoke out against recent funding cuts to research.
“All the amazing breakthroughs there’s been with pinpointing cancers and diseases are all getting cut,” Symancyk said.
Culp said Trump was not only a threat to Dartmouth, but the collective fate of the country and the youth.
“It’s your future,” Culp said. “We’re retired and we’re feeling it. But it’s going to become a bigger impact on kids your age.”
