Connecticut College students gathered en masse on the morning of Monday, Feb. 27 to support the student activists currently occupying Fanning Hall in protest against President Katherine Bergeron and the College’s larger disregard toward marginalized students. Students first began to gather outside of Fanning around 10:30 a.m., and the crowd swelled to hundreds when the protest officially began around 11:00 a.m. The crowd’s energy was incredibly high and upbeat.
At 10:40 a.m., President Bergeron sent out an all-school email acknowledging the student occupation of Fanning and revealing that “members of the administration continue to pursue constructive dialogue with the student leaders as [they] address the important concerns they have raised.”
Many faculty members canceled classes and sent encouraging emails in solidarity with the movement to boycott classes. One faculty member, who asked to remain anonymous, stated, “I canceled the class because I hope to support students in the positive change they are pushing forward. I don’t want to penalize students who are making efforts for the good of the college by making them miss class materials or be left behind.”
Student Voices for Equity leaders, Shamar Rule ‘24 and Lyndon Inglis ‘24, kicked off the protest. The two thanked the student protesters for their active support, and shouted out those occupying Fanning Hall who looked out the windows from above. The student occupiers hung homemade banners from the third-floor windows, which read “No More Racist Money” and “Radical Change.”
After the opening speeches from Rule and Inglis, the crowd shouted various chants demanding President Bergeron’s resignation and change in general. Students carried signs with various simple and creative messages, such as “BergerGONE,” “Stop Singing, Katherine Bergeron,” “These are the CONNsequences,” “Defy the boundaries marginalized students face,” and a Dr. Doofenshmirtz-themed sign calling out the fact that this is the second Fanning occupation under Bergeron’s administration.
While students initially concentrated in the area between Fanning and New London Hall, they then spread to either side of the road by the two buildings, and down towards Mohegan Avenue. Passing cars and trucks honked their horns in support of the protesters, much to the delight of the students. Chalk messages of protest covered the sidewalks surrounding Fanning and the road by the gatehouse. Students covered the newly installed “Connecticut College” sign at the main Mohegan Ave. entrance with a banner reading “Kathy B Resign Now!”
Annie Feldmar-DeVitre ‘26, one of the students occupying Fanning, shared her perspective from the center of the student-led protest:
“It feels really incredible to be a part of something so much bigger than us. Inside Fanning, we have a little community of trust and mutual respect. We’ve already been through a lot together, but we are completely safe in here and are getting all of the resources that we need. It’s amazing to watch all the protesters on the outside supporting us and the cause. It makes us feel a lot less alone. So far, this has been an experience that has bonded us all tightly and feeling all the love from the people on the outside really gives us hope for change.”
Around 2 p.m., the crowd from the morning protest largely dispersed and was encouraged to return to Fanning for an outdoor MOBROC protest show later in the evening.
Around 2:30 p.m. the Connecticut College Instagram posted a bird’s eye view photo of Fanning alerting followers to the activity on campus while mischaracterizing the movement as a “sit-in.” The caption detailed that the College “supports students’ right to free expression and peaceful protest, and will continue to pursue constructive dialogue with the students involved,” nearly the same words used in Bergeron’s email just hours earlier. Students, alumni, and parents expressed outrage in the comment section.
Several faculty members were present for the protests, including Dean of Admissions, Andrew Strickler, and Dean of Students, Victor Arcelus. On the protests, Strickler stated, “I am a fervent purist when it comes to the Constitution. This is what democracy looks like. I support the Constitution when it comes to all sides. I am a purist when it comes to free speech. This is democracy in action.” Arcelus added, “I have had the opportunity over the last seven days to witness tremendous courageousness…I respect [the students’] desire to express themselves.”
Students in the crowd expressed their displeasure with the current administration and the handling of Dean King’s resignation. Alex Jutt ‘24 said, “I want there to be a zero-tolerance policy for anti-semitism or bigotry, especially from the administration, because I think so many people came to this school – I know I did – because it projects an image of being so progressive and forward-thinking compared to other institutions. What the hell did Katherine Bergeron expect recruiting people based on that?”
Another student stated, “The institution teaches us a lot of values in our classes and our community, and then completely violates them in its own practices.”
In the moments leading up to 7 p.m., students began to file back towards Fanning, and those occupying the building gathered at the third and fourth-story windows to watch the show. One of the occupying students danced to the music from just inside the locked first-floor doors. By 7:10 p.m., the crowd grew to well over 100 students with more still arriving as the band played classic hits such as “American Idiot” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Between sets, singer Abby Dawson ‘25 said, “Music is protest. Music brings up morale,” summing up the overall optimistic mood of the event.
At 7:45 p.m., a cord was slipped underneath the door of Fanning so that one of the occupiers could get involved with the concert. The general sentiment of the crowd was that the concert was a good break from the serious tones of the protest ー a chance for the campus community to come together and have a fun time in the midst of times that are quite challenging.
The day’s conclusion marked the first full day that the student activists spent occupying Fanning Hall. Protests are ongoing, and the situation is fluid.
