On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Appleton Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) along with the Lawrence University Queer Alliance (LUQA), Lawrence University Democrats (LU Dems) and the Lawrence chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) hosted a rally on Main Hall Green calling for the protection of Lawrence University’s faculty, staff and programs.
According to an LUQA Instagram post, the rally was meant to address a wide array of issues drawing attention to the burgeoning threat to departments such as ethnic studies and gender studies.
“In the midst of [President Donald] Trump’s widespread attacks on DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] programs, gender and ethnic studies, research funding and more, it’s important now more than ever that we come together to defend our education and the people who make it possible,” the post stated. “No closures or budget cuts! Fund our departments and faculty — don’t do Trump’s job for him!”
The rally was held at 3:30 p.m. Each organization at the rally gave speeches on the matter, largely reaffirming their love for Lawrence University as a school community and a place to pursue the liberal arts and calling for action against Trump’s presidency.
“We all chose to be here at Lawrence for a number of reasons, but I’m sure among them is that we wanted a well-rounded liberal arts education,” LU Dems President senior Louisa Olsen said in her speech. “Having the opportunities to study the work and the lives of marginalized communities is a key part of a better education, and it’s clear that this is very much under attack by the Trump administration. The Lawrence administration needs to be focused on uplifting these communities and promoting a true liberal arts education. We as students need to continue to work together to rise up and keep Lawrence a place where what we learn is not dictated by Trump.”
Other organizations also dedicated their speeches to the cutting of certain programs as well. LUQA Co-President sophomore Aly Redding Lapuc addressed an email that Lawrence University President Laurie Carter distributed to students on Feb. 18, one day before the rally. In her response, Carter explained that no academic programs were going to be cut from the university’s curriculum.
SDS has also taken other steps to gain the university’s attention, including writing a letter addressing issues such as the lack of communication students feel from the administration and the Board of Trustees, the turnover rate of the university’s faculty and the freezing of faculty salaries.