The University Of Kansas Is About To Join The Protest Circus As Protesters Call For Removal Of SG Officers

Bogey Wells10 years ago

Pack up. Take cover. It’s spreading.

After a week of endless coverage of the shitshow taking place at Mizzou, we’re seeing the movement start to jump to yet another campus in another forgotten state. Students at the University of Kansas are pissed off that the top three officers in their student government did not stand in unity with them at a recent forum moderated by the university’s chancellor.

Their main grievance? The officers failed to stand and proclaim that black lives matter at the forum. Now the protestors are calling for the impeachment of the officers.

From Huffington Post:

The resignation demand comes after last week’s unrest at the University of Missouri and after a forum that University of Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little moderated on Wednesday, where a student group Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk presented diversity demands, which include hiring a director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs by Dec. 15, mandatory “inclusion and belonging” training for students and faculty and increased diversity in hiring.

Senate vice president Shegufta Huma, who is also member of the committee, told the newspaper that the vote was the result of months of inaction that culminated in the officers’ reluctance to support the diversity demands. Pringle and George were singled out, with the committee saying they did not “stand in solidarity with their black peers and proclaim that Black Lives Matter” at Wednesday’s forum.

The entire movement was launched at that event when protesters interrupted the meeting and took to the stage holding signs with their demands.

As of now, the officers have all affirmed their support for minority students but have decided to remain in their respective offices. However, on Friday, the Student Senate’s Student Executive Committee recorded a 6-3 “no confidence” vote on the three officers.

To seemingly amplify the seriousness of the cause, John Cowan, a white graduate of the university, began a hunger strike on Friday in solidarity with the protest.

Meanwhile, John Cowan, a white 2014 University of Kansas graduate, began a hunger strike on campus Friday morning in solidarity with KU student group movements. If the activist groups’ demands are not met or if a plan of action is not issued by KU, “then I die or go to the hospital,” Cowan told the newspaper, echoing the sentiments of a graduate student at the University of Missouri who ended his hunger strike last week after the resignations of University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin.

Cowan has commented on the situation and spoke about the suffering he will endure while starving himself.

“I’m kind of at an advantage because of my white privilege, so my suffering is self-inflicted,” said Cowan. “Others don’t have that choice, it’s inflicted upon them.”

Yeah. I’m done here..

[via Huffington Post]

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