ABIGAIL JACOBSON
Asst. News Editor
DAN QUAGLIANA
News Editor
Most students remember last semester ending with a bang — specifically, with a protest that aimed to raise awareness and concerns about the proposed program cuts that had just been announced by Fredonia President Stephen Kolison.
The group that organized that protest, which would become known as Students for Fredonia (SFF), held and organized another protest on March 1 of this semester, except this time, they expanded their scope in order to catch the attention of more people.
SFF took those who attended the protest around Reed Library, Maytum Hall and Fenton Hall, and then made their way to Barker Commons in the heart of the village.
Once the protest got to the village, five speeches were made by Sophie Myers, Jasmine Johnson, Henry Domst and Benjamin Evans, as well as Jon Espersen, the deputy mayor of Fredonia.
Everyone who attended the protest brought either artwork, instruments or signs to show their support.
“Fair Funding for Fredonia,” “SUNY is STARVING our SCHOOL” and “Kolison, learn the PROFESSORS’ NAMES” are just some examples of signs brought to the protest.
The protest was live-streamed on SFF’s Instagram, @students.for.fredonia.
“It was beautiful to see how music, art and the general student body came together to fight for our community,” said Myers, a co-president of SFF.
“Students seemed so genuinely happy; we created something special today,” Evans added.
Myers’ speech covered many aspects of the proposed program cuts, including students’ and faculty members’ mental health, worries for the future and a lack of administrative response.
“We’ve asked repeatedly for financial data to justify these decisions. We’ve asked what plans there are to retain faculty, and we’ve been met with silence,” said Myers in her speech. “We are asking you to meet us with empathy, dignity, integrity and grace.”
She also went on to discuss how Fredonia “is defined by its commitment to the arts and to music.” Fredonia provides a wide variety of majors and minors which, according to Myers, “is one of our biggest strengths, one that attracts a diverse range of students.”
Espersen’s speech mentioned how he and the village board of trustees responded to the university’s decisions.
“The mayor and the … trustees of the village stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you,” he said.
In Johnson’s speech, she says, “The administration thinks we are going to go down without a fight, but we know something that they don’t. We know that it takes all of us to build a community, and the foundation of a healthy community is based on trust, compassion and communication.”
Evans mentioned in his speech that he attended three University Senate meetings and asked at all of them: “Why have we not been provided with a financial argument for these cuts?” The third time, he blatantly asked, “Do you have this data?”
“Kolison’s response was that ‘This week, I’m going to Albany to discuss the financials,’” Evans reported.
Domst relayed in his speech how he first came to Fredonia for graphic design, but later added an art history major. He mentioned how important all of these programs are to Fredonia as a whole: “This school and these professors, not the administration, mold us into strong and knowledgeable individuals that become successful in programs that have aspects not found anywhere else.”
Later in his speech, Domst spoke on how Fredonia “[needs] actual answers from the administration, no more dodging the questions.”
According to Domst, Fredonia needs “a ladder to get out of this hole. As far as I know, the only room I can make a ladder in is the sculpture studio.”
Henry Domst, a member of SFF who was interviewed for this article, is the Design Editor of The Leader.