“We don’t care how much you earn! Everyone deserves to learn!”
When we first reported on definite changes to Wesleyan’s need-blind policy, I marveled at the lack of student protest or even discussion on campus compared to the events of 1992. “This is not the first time that the administration has proposed axing need-blind admissions to cope with a budgetary crisis,” I wrote. “This is merely the first time in recent Wesleyan history that students have permitted the decision to go forward.”
Five months later—after banner drops, urgent WSA proposals, late-night chalking, Wespeaks, a Wesleying forum, an occupation of a Board of Trustees meeting, more Wespeaks, more forums, national news coverage, petitions against SJB charges relating to the the Trustee occupation, and more Wespeaks—I’m ready to admit I was mistaken. Wesleyan activism is not dead after all.
Around 3 P.M. today, between the third and fourth quarter of the Homecoming football game against Amherst, a shouting band of roughly 45 or 50 student activists swarmed the sidelines nearest Foss chanting and carrying a red-and-black banner proclaiming “DIVER$ITY UNIVER$ITY?” Beginning outside Fayerweather and marching across towards Olin, the group chanted “We don’t care how much you earn! Everyone deserves to learn!” in support of need-blind admissions.
