Over 100 students sat in the Alexander Twilight Theatre lobby today to protest potential cuts to the faculty and staff at Lyndon State College.
This protest, the first of its kind in many years, was an old-fashioned sit-in. Students from across the spectrum of majors brought pillows, blankets, and folding chairs and sat on the cold stone floor for hours. Others held up posters and created t-shirts with declarations of support for their departments.
“I think it’s a fine way for students to express their thoughts,” President Carol Moore said of the sit-in.
“Whether it has any effect or not, the point of this today is to make some noise and spread the knowledge, because knowledge is contagious, so as long as people are asking questions about what’s going on, I think that’s a positive thing,” said psychology and human services major Margaret George.
“What I’m hoping to get out of this protest is to show to the administration and the faculty what this college might be like without students. That’s why I’m not attending any classes today,” said Adam Brabant, a theater operations management major said. “Without students, you won’t have a school, and without teachers you won’t have a school either.”
As the day went on, more and more students filled the lobby. Professors and administrators stopped by to listen in on speeches and discussions.
“Any protest in favor of a better situation for teachers is warranted. I think we do see that we’re a little heavy on the administration. The administration has been gaining power in terms of salary and he number of deans created. Really the teachers haven’t seen such expanded growth,” said social sciences professor Janet Bennion.
President Carol Moore, Dean of Institutional Advancement Bob Whittaker, and Dean of Administration Wayne Hamilton fielded questions at the protest to give students answers.
“We’re looking to invest in the future,” Hamilton said of the current budgeting issues at LSC, and what the administration is doing to correct them.
Some ideas the protesters discussed included reducing the numbers of deans at Lyndon compared to other Vermont State College schools, paying for parking passes, salary freezes (a recommendation by SGA president John Kleinhans), and reducing the salaries of the highest-paid administrators.
“Certainly we listen to students and we want to address their concerns, but ultimately that’s my responsibility,” Moore said. “You have been very professional today and we applaud that. I am so proud of what you’ve done. I know I can’t speak for faculty and staff, but they are very appreciative of your support in this way.”
“I feel like we’ve done some really really fantastic work,” said social sciences student Dan Haycook, one of the main organizers of the event.
Many of the sit-in participants, as well as SGA members plan to travel to Montpelier next Wednesday to speak with legislators about the lack of funding at LSC. This event is open to the student body, is free (the group will be taking school vans), and will be leaving at 12 p.m.
For more coverage of this event and more details continue to check back and be sure to pick up this Friday’s issue of The Critic.