A crowd of students and adjuncts protested outside of the doors to Carnegie Hall’s Bender Room Friday Nov. 13 after they were told they could no longer participate in the meeting.
A portion of the Board of Trustees was supposed to meet at 2:00 p.m. with select students and adjuncts to hear their opinions and voices on proposed budget cuts. However, those who were invited were then told the night before in an email that they could no longer attend the meeting
People began to gather around 1:30 p.m. with signs and flyers to hand out to anyone who was still able to attend the meeting. The flyers included an open letter from the adjunct team and a smaller flyer with condensed information on adjunct cuts and statements of solidarity.
Signs said “Mills Board silences 50% of the faculty” and “Board silences half of the faculty.” Students were there to represent book art and dance.
While people began to walk into the building, one or two from the group would approach them, letting them know who they were representing, the importance of their department and give them flyers. Some people would walk by and shake hands to listen to the protesters or only took flyers and walked by the protesters. A few trustees walked by saying they did not want their photo taken and ignored the flyers.
Once the meeting started, the protesters began chanting outside of the Bender Room for the group to hear. The chants were: “Chop from the top” and “Whose Mills? Our Mills? Do we have the right to be heard? Yes! Does the Board believe so? No!”
There will be a rally on behalf of the adjuncts and students who want their voices to be heard by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday Nov. 18 at 12:30 p.m. in front of Mills Hall.
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