A group of students, self-titled “The Union of Misunderstood Students” (TUMS), protested last week stating that their views weren’t heard by the university. When asked to elaborate on what these views were, none of the students were willing to do so.
“Look, we shouldn’t have to explain what our problems are,” Ushud Know, senior biology major and one of the founders of TUMS said. “Our voices aren’t heard by the administration, campus news outlets or the student leaders on campus.”
The students, roughly a group of 20, gathered outside Horvitz on Nov. 4 and sat silently for eight hours, many of them watching Netflix. When asked why the protesters weren’t chanting, holding any signs or showing a purpose for being there, Tryna Litel, junior business major, asked: “Why should we?”
President Hanbury made a statement on Nov. 6 about the protests, stating, “The university believes in the priority of its students. Therefore, we are always open to the feedback they have to give. We regularly aim to retain this information via surveys while also watching student media outlets, connecting with student government and welcoming dialogue with students at any time.”
In response to the statement, protester Norman Saidnothing, sophomore theater major, suggested that the notions of students self-advocating was insulting.
“Honestly, if you don’t know the problem by now, I don’t know how to help you,” Saidnothing wrote to us via email.
Saidnothing has publicly shared that he has never submitted a complaint to the university, written to any on-campus publication, attended an SGA meeting —according to their attendance records— or filled out a student survey. He feels that this peak performance in communication should have sufficed to express his grievances.
According to the Office of Stuff That’s Actually Real, TUMS is not a registered student organization. No paperwork has ever been filed on the organization’s behalf. Know said that the organization got their inspiration from Occupy Wall Street, although they have what she believes to be a more noble cause.
“It’s time that those who don’t speak to be heard,” said Know. “We shouldn’t have to play an active role in getting what we want.”
