Students and faculty at Indiana University South Bend held an event Thursday to protest the Trump Administration’s moves to cut university funding, arrest Palestinian protesters and deport international students.
IUSB was one of more than 170 schools nationally taking part Thursday in a Day of Action for Higher Education. Events also happened at IU Bloomington, Purdue and Ball State.
In the IUSB Grille, speakers addressed topics that included the importance of student voices in politics, how cuts in federal and state funding increase tuition costs – a trend that predates this administration, and the importance of queer representation in higher education.
Helping student groups to organize the event was Associate Professor of English Jake Mattox. Following a speech about the arrests of international students, Mattox said this is a surreal time.
"This is what authoritarian regimes do," Mattox said. "Masked agents suddenly appear in unmarked vans and whisk you away, seemingly to crush free speech and dissent."
Mattox urged international students to pick up red cards that organizers printed that detail their constitutional rights if they’re arrested.
"I still can't believe actually we need to say such things," Mattox said, "that we have to face the reality of what's happening and inform people about their rights."
