Protests continue on campus Monday

Students at the University of Cincinnati are still up in arms over the Nov. 8 vandalism of UC's chapter of the International Socialist Organization office. Members of the ISO, along with members of Campus Greens, the NAACP, United Black Students and others, held a protest and march on campus Monday, Nov. 20, to raise student awareness about the vandalism and to get President Nancy Zimpher to condemn the crime.

Shane Johnson, a student and member of the ISO, said the rally was held to inform students about what had taken place. Johnson said he wants the administration, as a part of UC's Just Community principles, to accept responsibility.

Frank Bowen, UC's dean of students, said miscommunication has blown the situation out of proportion. Bowen said he supports the protesters, but wants them to look for change, rather than words.

"I am glad to see in 2006, undergraduates still care enough to take up the banner against racism," Bowen said Monday after the protest. But he said the students' demands don't need to be demands.

Stacy Downing, the director of Student Activities and Leadership Development , was the first administrator to be notified of the vandalism. Downing gave the posters to Bowen, who then passed them along to the UCPD, giving the police time to start their investigation before alerting UC Spokesman Greg Hand.

"We felt like we were on top of this from day one," Bowen said.

The student protest, which moved from McMicken Commons around the center of the university, eventually headed to Zimpher's office. As the protesters headed up to the sixth floor, Bowen was on the phone with Zimpher's staff. Zimpher was not on campus at the time, she was attending a Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce board meeting, but the protesters left a list of demands, a poster and a banner.

The list of demands includes a public condemnation by UC of the vandalism, as well as other "unreported hate crimes," an investigation into the vandalism and disciplinary action against the perpetrators, the formation of a campus-wide hate crime protocol and the holding of an open forum by the administration, including Zimpher, for students, according to a typed list of demands disseminated by the student protesters.

Addressing the demands, Bowen said he, a member of the administration, with full backing from the president's office, condemns the actions that took place Nov. 8.

Bowen said he thinks he is viewed as "not the right administration," in regards to condemning the hate crime. He said the student protesters say administration, but mean Zimpher. Bowen said the students want to see a very clear condemnation.

Another student demand was an active definition of "Just Community." Bowen said the principles of Just Community are an active definition. "Just Community, the philosophy, the values have been out there," Bowen said, "we need to re-introduce them every year."

The student demand asking the university to "investigate this incident more" and take disciplinary action is something the administration has been working on since the vandalized posters were brought to Downing.

Because the investigation is ongoing, Bowen said he could not give any details. But Bowen did say it is defined in the Student Code of Conduct that this type of crime may warrant disciplinary action. Grabbing a copy of the Student Code of Conduct, Bowen said "and when appropriate, the university will take disciplinary action."

Bowen said he is more than willing to be involved in an open forum to discuss these events with students.

"It's our responsibility and my responsibility as vice president of students, we gladly accept this task," Bowen said. "We are hoping to get good feedback."

With this type of open forum, Bowen said he would like to see more constructive activity come from discussions. "I hope you [the students protesting] want more than words," Bowen said. "We will assure you more than words."