CMU students continue to protest face-to-face learning
Demonstrators march to President Davies’s home
Central Michigan University students continued to protest face-to-face instruction by marching to CMU president Robert Davies’s home.
The event was a called the Leaders for Liberation March, which was organized by the student-run #Notfiredupforfall campaign and the New American Project. The event was meant to further protest face-to-face education as well as further support campaigns on campus that push for further discussion and change with on-campus racial issues.
Previously the campaign sub
mitted a petition to Davies in protest of the face-to-face learning implemented on campus, which now has almost 1,000 signatures.
The march occurred on Friday Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. and began in front of the Bovee University Center on campus. The cops were made aware of the march prior to its start time and around 5 p.m. CMU Police Department officers were parked in Davies’s drive-way in order to ensure things stayed calm.
The event was meant to serve as an escalation from the banner job that affiliated students put up around campus on Aug. 31. The banners carried sentiments that continued to push for the end of face-toface education as well as more focus on dealing with the racial issues around campus.
“I think the administration has heard what we’re saying and got our intention,” President of the New America Project and CMU senior, Emily Jones said. “We feel they’re choosing to ignore it as we’ve had no contact with the administration.”
Around 20 students participated in the march and walked for around a half hour to Davies’s home while chanting together. A list of chants was distributed by the event runners.
Once the students arrived at the President’s home, Jones read her own speech as well as speeches from Amethyst Stewart (who is working with the anti-racism measures on the campus), and Ashkii Abini Naatsillid Wilson, (who does work with the Native American student organization on campus). CMU alumni Duncan Tierney and community member Liz Ferden also spoke at event.
Jones spoke on her own experiences as someone with an essential worker parent and an at risk sibling as well as her issues before and after the pandemic started with her family’s healthcare coverage, which had previously expired.
“I could never describe the psychological impact that this experience has had on my family and I,” Jones said. “Although I’m insured now, I am unable to see my family due to not wanting to put them at higher risk. Voices and experiences like mine are not linear and I am not alone. Our voices deserve to be heard and I will continue telling my story and fighting for both mine and my community’s safety and well-being.”
Stewart’s speech focused on how they felt the CMUPD disproportionately handled parties that seemed to be hosted by white students versus parties hosted by black students during Welcome Weekend.
“White students weren’t shut down by police officers. Black students were,” Stewart said. “White students didn’t have their parties followed by a campuswide email. Black students did. The university and surrounding police departments cannot continue to demonize black students.”
CMUPD officers denied issuing any citations, arrests, or fines related to the parties and denied targeting anyone due to their race.
“The enforcement strategy of the CMU Police Department related to parties, and other COVID-19 policy complaints has been one of compliance,” CMUPD Lieutenant, Mike Sienkiewicz said. “Despite the few larger parties that may be highlighted on social media, the vast majority of the parties and gatherings have been small, and I would estimate that greater than 95% of these gatherings have been smaller than 15 people.”
Wilson’s speech covered the pandemic’s impact on the Native American community due to economic issues that can impact families.
“They won’t survive a 3rd or 4th wave of this outbreak due to the economic difficulties,” Wilson said. “On top of that, the culture of how families are structured also adds to the issue. Most households are larger and have elders living within them and it’s the family’s responsibility to take care of those that came before them. This means that elders are at increased risk unless the family minimizes contact with the rest of the community.”
Tierney criticized how he feels the CMUPD handles alcohol and mental health related situations as well as how he feels the CMU administration disproportionately pays students based on race.
Ferden spoke about how she feels the students shouldn’t have been brought back due to small hospital spaces in Mt. Pleasant among other reasons.
“Bringing students back was a recipe for disaster,” Ferden said.
After the speakers finished, the marchers returned the University Center where a debriefing session took place in order to assess how the protest was perceived by participants. The event started and ended with no major incidents.
The #Notfiredupforfall campaign will continue to their efforts towards ending the current face-to-face learning by speaking at trustee meetings and reaching out to the alumni.