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MSU students hold sit-in at Hannah Administration Building

January 31, 2018
<p>Faculty liaison Robert LaDuca announces to students at the sit in that a vote has gone out to all faculty members at Michigan State University to place a vote of no confidence on their next faculty senate meeting Jan. 31, 2018.</p>

Faculty liaison Robert LaDuca announces to students at the sit in that a vote has gone out to all faculty members at Michigan State University to place a vote of no confidence on their next faculty senate meeting Jan. 31, 2018.

Photo by Anna Liz Nichols | The State News

MSU students participating in a sit-in at the Hannah Administration building could be arrested at 5:30 p.m., if they do not leave the room. 

The sit-in was called by MSU College Democrats president Dan Martel after the Board of Trustees appointed former governor John Engler as interim president of MSU. 

Before the meeting, the College Democrats called for a Flash Flood the Board event. While some members of the public were allowed to attend the meeting, some were turned away because the room was at capacity, police said. Martel was one of those allowed inside.

“I stood up and I said, ‘I have been ignored by the board for long enough,’” Martel said before he asked Engler for a Town Hall meeting with all the board members, so students could voice their opinions.

Engler refused and Martel called for the sit-in.

Sit-in attendee Katelyn Mueller said it’s important for the Board of Trustees to listen to the community and they have been failing to do so

“The end goal of this sit-in is to get Engler and the Board of Trustees to agree to have a town meeting with everyone, not just one of the Board of Trustees Members, but as a cohesive unit to listen to the concerns of the community,” Mueller said.

Mueller said she plans on staying no matter what and that she is not the only person who will do so.

“I’m really not in much risk being here. If I stay here and get arrested what’s the worst that will happen? I’ll get bailed out. I’ll get a slap on the wrist and it won’t be a big deal,” Mueller said. “But there’s a lot of people that don’t really have that privilege and can’t be here and feel like they can’t speak up for what they need to speak up for.”

Faculty liaison Robert LaDuca announced to students at the sit-in that a vote has gone out to all faculty members at MSU to place a vote of no confidence on their next faculty senate meeting agenda.

He said if more than half of the members of the academic congress vote to put a vote of no confidence on the agenda then it will go through.

The faculty senate meeting is at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 20, in room 115 of the International Center.

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