A quiet day on the College Green at Ohio University erupted into a chanting sea of students protesting rising tuition as well as guaranteed tuition.
Around noon, more than 200 students and several community members met at the Civil War monument on College Green to protest tuition increases. Around 12:30, more than 100 of them marched through campus with homemade signs and banners that defame high cost of education.
“I need quality programs,” said Jacob Chaffin, spokesperson for OU Student Union and vice presidential Student Senate candidate on the F.U.S.S. ticket. “Every student in Ohio needs that. Today, we’re taking a stand; we’re fighting back.”
Some of the chants that were said during the protest included “Tuition hike needs to stop, chop from the top” as well as “Whose school? Our school.”
Students attempted twice to talk with OU President Roderick McDavis as many student outside of Cutler Hall chanting, “Students united will never be defeated.”
Ohio University Police Department officers locked the east-side door of Cutler Hall to keep protesters from coming in. The protesters were told to send in one or two representatives to speak with the adminstration.
After the protesters refused, OUPD locked the doors and ceased communication with the students, who proceeded to write a list of demands they want delivered to McDavis.
Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs, said during the protest that he will act as the student’s voice during the Board of Trustees meetings that will take place later this week.
OU Police Chief Andrew Powers was not immediately available for comment.
Protesters, many of them members of the OU Student Union and F.U.S.S. supporters, said they plan to meet at this week's OU Student Union meeting in Baker University Center room 231 at 8 p.m.
They will discuss how to move forward in making their demands heard — though Chaffin said the group will be at the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday.
Check out tomorrow’s issue of The Post for the full story.
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