Kiera McGuire
Editor-in-Chief
Amanda Crouse
News Editor
An unaffiliated group of students assembled outside Lowry Center at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, to protest the College’s partnership with a third-party consulting firm and a lack of communication from the board of trustees, among other campus concerns.
The protest comes after an information leak revealed the College’s plans to partner with Huron Consulting Group, a third-party agency that provides advising services to companies and higher education institutions looking to improve revenue. Flyers distributed throughout Lowry cite additional student concerns as motivators for the protest.
“We demand that the College’s transformation include solutions to issues of quality of life and education faced by students, including disproportionate effects on marginalized students …” one flyer read.
Information regarding the protest was sent out through email to select students, garnering mass student attention through word of mouth and informative flyers passed around campus, including in the Lowry Dining Hall.
Students gathered near the front entrance to Lowry and walked as a group to stand outside the Wilson Governance Room, where the board of trustees was conducting a meeting. Students and faculty members continued to join the group throughout the afternoon. Not all attendees spoke at the protest, choosing to stand towards the back of the group or stand in solidarity. The intentions of all attendees was not expressed. Taped on the windows of the Governance Room were flyers that explained students’ reasons for protesting. Some attendees used a megaphone to express their concerns and lead protest chants.
Later in the protest, TyLynn Gault ’27, president of Scot Council, mentioned that board of trustees chair Mark Goodman agreed to meet with students after the board meeting ended, around 4:30 p.m. There was discussion among students regarding next steps. One student said, “If we have to wait to get in that room and voice our opinions, how the hell are we equal in any capacity?”
In response, Gault said that the protest was called to “get a meeting and seat at the table [with the board of trustees].” Echoing that sentiment was Ian Burns, a Wooster resident and member of Wooster’s Democratic Socialists of America. Burns said, “You [attendees] actually need to think about being involved and helping to organize the next one [protest/demonstration], and making it three times as big … so organize and fight like hell.”
Gault took the megaphone again to emphasize the importance of building a genuine relationship with the board of trustees, ensuring the longevity of the College. Gault also acknowledged the frustration with needing to wait for the meeting with Goodman, but underlined that progress was being made despite feeling like it had not among students. Gault asked attendees to not bang on the windows of the Governance Room, but did not hinder attendee voices.
Other members of Scot Council spoke with the megaphone, sharing the hope to come together as a community. Attendees came up to the megaphone to begin chants, such as “Independent Minds, Working Together” and “Students First” to engage the group.
Gault announced that they would be taking a seven-minute walk around campus, citing that they could try to “…get as many students to come rally with us.” Most attendees left with Gault during this time, and came back to continue the protest. Later in the afternoon, a select group of students from Scot Council and a Voice representative met privately with Goodman to discuss students’ intentions behind the protest and next steps.
