By Frosty the Snowgirl
Pub House Barista
From Toll Atrium to the Sass Café, the booming chants of an editorial staff-sized crowd could be heard last Friday afternoon.
“What do we want? News! When do we want it? Now!”
Staged by The Elm staff itself in response to what one copy editor described as “a really boring campus,” this was the first real protest Washington College has seen since the 1797 march against wooden teeth.
“It’s gotten ridiculous,” said the Editor-in-Chief, who prefers to remain anonymous. “The only front page stories this year have been about professors publishing books and fee increases. How can we expect to win a Pulitzer with that kind of material?”
The Elm staff organized the protest on Martha Washington Square. All editors, writers, and photographers were present, except for the staff news writers who were assigned to the story.
“Finally, I’m writing an article that might get some response from campus. I’m so sick of working my butt off for six measly dollars a story when I don’t even get any comments on it online,” I said.
The protest started during the lunch rush, when crowds of confused students were heading from class to the dining hall, right past the screeching journalists.
According to interviewed protest participants, student reactions were almost nonexistent.
“I even wrote curse words on my poster. The opinion editor started burning her bra,” said one photographer. “Nobody even blinked an eye.”
Director of Public Safety Jerry Roderick said that when they first noticed the occupation of Martha Washington Square, his officers were ecstatic.
“How often do we get to break out the old plastic shields and fire hoses?” he said. “I had all of my officers surrounding the area. I was even going to call the Chestertown Police department for backup. This is every PS officer’s dream come true: a real life, senseless, passionate college campus protest.”
Once the demonstration was under way, however, PS interest dwindled.
“This was a joke,” said one officer. “I left like 20 minutes in. Seriously, I’d rather do May Day rounds than stand around watching this junk.”
The protest dwindled by 1 p.m., when editors got hungry and realized that if they didn’t get in the lunch line soon, the dining hall would be out of fish tacos.
“I was pretty much the only one left by then,” said the anonymous student life editor. “I just really didn’t want to cover that afternoon’s canned food drive. I want some scandal!”
You have plenty to protest about! How about the way your favorite professors, staff, counselors, public safety, and Dining Hall employees (Chef Tony) are treated. Those dedicated people whom you have grown to love and admire for their dedication to YOU. Those same people have their “for the student” spirits silenced, smothered, squashed. The end result – they either leave WC or stay and work under the knowledge and fear of constant reprimanding by Senior staff and/or Student Affairs. In the end, students lose as you have less WC faculty and staff who speak out loudly on your behalf.
How about the cost of tuition? How about the vast discrepancy in salaries between Senior staff at WC and other private colleges of the same caliber, not to mention the crumbs they pay WC faculty and staff. It is your tuition that pays salaries.
The lack of student protest against many unfair issues currently at WC is sad. Students do not realize the power they have, instead their freedom of speech is controlled by the fear imposed by Student Affairs. This fact has been relayed to me over and over again by current and past WC students within the last 3-4 years! Stand up, speak out and take your campus back!