UPDATED: 7:06 p.m.

After staying in Crouse-Hinds Hall for 18 days straight, THE General Body collectively left the building on Thursday around 2:45 p.m.

Following a meeting with University College Dean Bea Gonzalez, THE General Body, a coalition of student organizations at Syracuse University, announced at a press conference that the group would leave the building. No further negotiations were made when Gonzalez met with the group around 1:40 p.m.

Gonzalez, the liaison between Chancellor Kent Syverud and the protesters, had agreed to meet with THE General Body after faculty and members of the coalition marched to the Chancellor’s House on Tuesday to deliver an invitation to meet with the coalition again on Thursday. The next day Syverud replied to THE General Body’s invitation and said he could not make it, because he would be off-campus meeting with alumni and participating in other university business.

After the meeting, Vani Kannan, a doctoral student at SU, spoke in the lobby of Crouse-Hinds Hall with fellow protesters standing behind her in solidarity and said THE General Body will be moving into phase two.

This second phase, Kannan said, will represent the coalition of students, faculty and staff uniting to continue resisting unilateral, undemocratic processes, practices and decisions made by the administration. “We will not submit,” Kannan said.

“Today we’re leaving the building, but we’re not going anywhere,” she said.

Kannan then encouraged everyone in the lobby to say together, “We are not going anywhere!”

Syverud and Gonzalez released a statement around 5:30 p.m. in response to the end of the sit-in and Syverud said he will continue to work closely with THE General Body as it enters its second phase. Syverud added that it is a tradition within SU that students make their voices heard and he has recognized the good in that tradition.

“I have learned much through this process and appreciate how committed these students are to making our University better. I want the University community to know I remain fully committed to continuing these conversations and working to make Syracuse University the kind of campus where everyone feels welcome and respected,” he said in his statement.

In Gonzalez’s statement, she acknowledged that although THE General Body will no longer occupy Crouse-Hinds, the university still has a lot of work to do together with the coalition. She added that the university needs to continue conversations with THE General Body to continue the next phase.

“I look forward to continuing to work on implementing the recommendations that we’ve agreed to together. I know the students will start to see even more action from the administration and will believe Syracuse University to be the best place for all of our students,” Gonzalez said.

After Kannan spoke in the lobby of Crouse-Hinds, protesters gathered most of their belongings, left Crouse-Hinds Hall and marched to Hendricks Chapel where THE General Body’s public presence was first made known on Nov. 3 during the Diversity and Transparency Rally.

As THE General Body left the building, students, faculty and staff marched together holding signs, which had just been recently hanging in the lobby of Crouse-Hinds. Protesters held signs that said “#coming back stronger 2015” and chanted, “I believe that we just won!” as they marched to Hendricks.

“Right now we sit in our victory, triumphantly,” said Colton Jones, one of the protesters, once the group arrived at the steps of Hendricks Chapel. Before Jones led the group in song, he asked if anyone had any last words before they began to sing, “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King.

“I love you all,” was all Nick Holtzum, the only protester who slept every night in Crouse-Hinds, had to say.

After students, faculty and staff sang together, everyone came into a circle chanting “Phase Two coming up” and “I believe that we just won.”

Dana Olwan, a women’s and gender studies professor, said she hopes to see the administration continue to work with the coalition next semester on the demands and negotiations.

“I hope the university will enter negotiations in good faith and that it not only negotiate but also acknowledge the necessity of the demands and needs that the students have identified and that it meets those needs and not just continue to have listening meetings,” she said.

Miles Marcotte, one of the protesters, said THE General Body left Crouse-Hinds because the movement had gotten too big for the space, as more support from students, faculty and staff increased.

“We’ve used up all the time I think we could have used in the space. It’s run out of use,” he said. “So we’re just going on to big things — going bigger.”

Published on November 20, 2014 at 4:23 pm

Contact Anna: almerod@syr.edu