Friday, Nov. 8th — Whitman Students for Justice in Palestine (WSJP) held a protest in response to yesterday’s statement by the college threatening police action against student protestors. For three hours, students wrote messages in chalk on the sidewalks surrounding the Memorial Building while music (including “This Is America” by Childish Gambino) played from a speaker.
All entrances to the building, which houses most of the administration’s offices, were locked during the protest. Students who spoke with The Wire say the doors have been locked since early Wednesday.
In yesterday’s campus-wide email, the President’s Cabinet stated that regular access to the building has been “modified” due to clean-up efforts. The email told students to access the Penrose-facing basement entrance with their Whitman ID. Today, a reporter for The Wire attempted to access this entrance and was denied. Their Whitman ID could not unlock the Memorial Building door.
Although the college claims that access was modified for clean-up, only the two main entrances to the building were being cleaned. The two entrances are also blocked off by caution tape. It remains unclear why entrances which are not being cleaned are locked to students.
Vice President for Communications Gina Zandy Ohnstad told The Wire that security has been facilitating student access to the building.
“Members of Whitman’s security team have been meeting students at the door and checking student IDs and letting them in the building. No students have been turned away. I do not have specifics as to when that will change,” said Ohnstad.
Student protestors also expressed concern with the school’s statement that chalk which names members of Whitman’s community is considered harassment, and in some cases doxxing. Students noted that these rules were not clearly articulated nor enforced during last year’s protests.
Senior Sophie Schonder says that Whitman wants to scare students out of getting involved in protests.
“They want to scare people out of being involved in protests that could be happening with the Board of Trustees visiting and the election,” said Schonder.
Schonder pointed to the presence of a security guard during the protest as a sign of the college’s new approach to protests.
“At this event there’s been a security guard walking around the entire time, watching over in an intimidating manner,” said Schonder.
For Schonder, Whitman’s statement against chalking people’s names is angering.
“Stating what is public information… that’s actual bullshit to call it doxxing,” said Schonder. “Joe Davis has to allow himself to be up for criticism.”
