Wendy’s: The Ohio based fast food conglomerate that prides themselves on their fresh food. Maybe you know them from their classic logo of Wendy with her pigtails, maybe your familiar with their famous milkshakes, or maybe their shockingly cheap 4 for $4 meal, but the subject of this post is Wendy’s role in regards to conditions for their farmers, and how students of the Ohio State University and around the country have reacted to Wendy’s continued refusal to join the Fair Food Program (FFP). The Fair Food Program is a partnership among farmers, farmworkers, and large food companies that protects humane wages and working conditions for those who pick fruits and vegetables. For reference McDonald’s, Chipotle, Walmart, and other major food suppliers have agreed to the FFP, Wendy’s stands alone.

The reason we find ourselves on Ohio State’s campus in the spring of 2016, is an expiring contract between the University and Wendy’s, which allows Wendy’s to have a location in the Wexner Medical Center. Now a bit of back story here, Ohio State joined an agreement with Wendy’s in 2015 for the aforementioned location, though there was a condition stating if Wendy’s did not improve their labor conditions to the satisfaction of the Students Farmworkers Alliance (SFWA), the University would not renew. But unsurprisingly when the lease was up, Ohio State officials intended to fully renew their contract, without any change in Wendy’s labor practices.

So once again, we find ourselves with another campus protest, more unjust in the eyes of students, and new tools for us to examine as weapons against the powerful.

Above all stood the voices of 20 Ohio State students, members of Real Food OSU and Ohio State Student Farmworker Alliance, decided to go on a seven-day hunger strike, in protest of Ohio State’s refusal to follow their own word and hold Wendy’s to a higher expectation. The students intended to camp out outside of President Drake’s office, waiting, hungry, for their demands to be met.

“People were coming over from all around the country to be at ground-zero in the battle against Wendy’s” said Ethan Miller, a union worker and political activist who travelled with a few dozen people from Washington D.C. to join the battle. Wendy’s headquarters are in Dublin, Ohio, which is why Columbus had become the center for hundreds of protestors across the country to come support. In addition to the student hunger strike, there was to be a march from Goodale Park, located in downtown Columbus, to Wendy’s headquarters.

All of this in response to Wendy’s mistreatment of farmers, and the Ohio State University’s inability to do good by its students and keep its promises. Ohio State did attempt to try and curry favor with the protestors by scheduling a meeting with the students and Wendy’s, in order to bring everyone to the table, but the students declined. The students felt this was just a formality, and a way for the public to see the University and Wendy’s were listening. The students responded with a simple quote “No need for discussion right now…only decisions,” (Korkzan, NCR) Making their message abundantly clear, they were there to make change and not just talk about it.

The Coalition for Immokalee Workers, or CIW, had been successful in protesting Taco Bell on campuses across the country until they joined the FFP, so they felt they could do the same here at Ohio State, and attempt to push Ohio State to urge Wendy’s onto the right side of history. The side that stands with workers’ rights.

Unfortunately, this demonstration all appeared to be for naught. President Drake didn’t even mention this topic in the next Board of Trustees meeting which lead to the SFWA interrupting him in order to voice their opinion.

This entire ordeal is disappointing for many reasons. Mainly, as a critique of campus protest, it shows that administrations have so much power that the squabbling’s of a few protestors isn’t worth their time or money. It also shows the Ohio State, and maybe indicative of all universities don’t have much regard for what their student population wants, or maybe they value the profit over contract breaches, hunger strikes, and student body happiness.

Examining the Wendy’s protest in Columbus also shows that protests are not the surefire way to get what you want. Sometimes they are a step in the right direction, or maybe even a step back. Regardless, that shouldn’t deter students or anyone else from protesting for what they believe in. Protesting is still one of the most effective weapons any single US citizen has and that’s one thing that will never change.

Bibliography:

“Here we are in Columbus, Ohio which puts all of us at ground zero for farmworker justice…” Coalition of Immokalee Workers, 25 Mar. 2017. http://www.ciw-online.org/blog/2017/03/osu-meeting-vigil/, Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.

Honig, Esther. “After Ohio State Extends Wendy’s Lease, Student Fast For Farm Worker Solidarity” WOSU, 20 Mar. 2017. http://radio.wosu.org/post/after-ohio-state-extends-wendys-lease-students-fast-farm-worker-solidarity#stream/0, Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.

Hooper, Mitch. “Organizations prepare for more protest against Wendy’s” The Lantern, 23 Mar. 2017. https://www.thelantern.com/2017/03/organizations-prepare-for-more-protest-against-wendys/, Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.

“’Keep your word! Cut the contract with Wendy’s’ OSU students take demands to Board of Trustees meeting” Coalition of Immokalee Workers, 10 Apr. 2017. http://www.ciw-online.org/blog/2017/04/osu-board-trustees/, Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.

Korkzan, Shireen. “Ohio State students fast, protest against university’s lease renewal with fast-food chain Wendy’s” National Catholic Reporter, 24 Mar. 2017. https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/ohio-state-students-fast-protest-against-universitys-lease-renewal-fast-food-chain, Accessed 10 Dec. 2017.

Miller, Ethan. Personal interview. 25 Nov. 2017.

(All images came from these articles)

Since the start of Donald Trump’s campaign in the fall of 2015, minorities have been faced with nothing short of racism and discrimination, but the most terrifying piece is the that racists, Nazis, White Supremacists and other hateful people have been able to weasel their way out of hiding and into the national spotlight. We saw it with Trump supporters hitting and removing people of color at their campaign rallies, we saw it immediately after the election with countless swastikas being spray painted all over the country, and we saw it in mass alarming mobilizing of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia on the campus of University of Virginia in August 2017.

If you don’t remember this horrifying night, let me jog your memory.

On August 11^th 2017, around 100 members of various white nationalist groups marched through the University of Virginia campus as a coming out party and signal to America that these groups had numbers, and they were no longer afraid to hide. Chanting the Nazi slogan “Blood and Soil” and phrases like “Jews will not replace us” made for a horrifying scene in Charlottesville. All of this in anticipation for the next day’s Unite the Right rally, where dozens of hate groups and militias were planning on marching around the city in protest of the removal of Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee’s statue.

The next day nearly twenty neo-Nazi clubs and at least five armed militias showed up at a park in Charlottesville to show their full power. Ready to defend their First Amendment rights.

The Unite the Right rally was immediately met with counter-protesters who came from around the area to defend their city from those who seek to undermine its values. Nearly fifteen groups came to counter-protest these Nazis and KKK members.

In the early afternoon of August 12^th, a 20-year-old Ohio resident drove into a group of counter-protesters injuring 19 civilians and killing one woman, Heather Heyer, a resident of Charlottesville.

To which President Donald Trump responded with a lackluster reaction, stating that we all must come together in times like this against violence.

No condemning of the hundreds of racists and Nazis marching through the streets of America, no denouncing of the hateful act committed by a hateful Ohioan who murdered someone. Only meaningless words and formalities.

One has wonder how can such a terrible thing, like a Nazi protest, can be allowed, even under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

We need to look at how protests are organized to even begin this discussion. The Unite the Right organizers, simply had to apply for a permit from the city. At first there were blocked but with support from the ACLU, Jason Kessler, one of the main organizer sued the City of Charlottesville, and a judge soon ruled in favor of Kessler. With the permit now in place, Nazis and racists from all over had a starting point in which they would show off their power and signal a new age in this country. What’s even more troubling is that pretty much everyone involved in the Charlottesville knew this would end terribly. The UVA President Teresa Sullivan sent out a chilling statement to all students “I urge students and all UVA community members to avoid the August 12 rally and avoid physical confrontation generally. There is a credible risk of violence at this event, and your safety is my foremost concern.” Hundreds of law enforcement officers were sent into the downtown area to try and keep peace, while the hospital postponed most of their work, and set in their emergency protocol in anticipation of something terrible happening. And everyone was right, the courts, the Mayor, the hospitals were all right, when that car crashed into a group of people, and there was barely a response by our President all hope had appeared to be lost, in a devastating fashion.

Relating back to campus protest, and on an even bigger scale, the First Amendment protects a lot of people, including racists. But what happens when racism turns violent, as it did in Charlottesville. Who is to say who get to use the First Amendment. Why do the courts continue to grant permits to far-right groups, when most have direct threats of violence towards certain races, religions, and genders? How can we allow hundreds of people to walk through our streets chanting Nazi slogans and allow it?

This is a terrifying time for the United States where, as the New York Times has stated, there could be a Nazi living next door. If the courts continue to allow hate groups to protest, counter-protest must become the greatest weapon we as a society possess to knock down hatred.

Bibliography:

Bacon, John. “White supremacists say rally in Charlottesville is a model for protests across nation.” USA Today 8 October 2017. Web. 28 November 2017.

Fausset, Richard. “A Voice of Hate in America’s Heartland.” New York Times 25 November 2017. Web. 28 November 2017.

Green, Emma. “Why the Charlottesville Marchers Were Obsessed With Jews.” The Atlantic 15 August 2017. Web. 28 November 2017.

Heim, Joe. “Recounting a day of rage, hate, violence and death.” The Washington Post 14 August 2017. Web. 28 November 2017.

Trump, Donald J. (realdonaldtrump). “We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one!” 12 August 2017, 6:19 PM. Tweet.

(All images from cited sources)

On Sunday, November 26, 2017 the University of Tennessee’s athletic department announced its intent to name current defensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and former NFL head coach Greg Schiano as the Volunteers’ next head coach. What came next no one could possibly have seen coming. An established coach with a career win percentage of .504% being run out of an opportunity at one of the most well-known schools in the country.

Why did this all happen?  Greg Schiano had been a defensive coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1990-1995, right amidst the child sex abuse scandal surrounding long-time coach Jerry Sandusky. In 2016, a court released Greg Schiano’s testimony which claimed he had no knowledge of any abuse, while another coach, Mike McQueary, claims Greg came into his office ‘white as a ghost’ and said he had just seen Jerry doing something to a boy in the shower. This lack of moral awareness is where we find the University of Tennessee’s protest, and a moral win for football across the country.

Let me be clear, Greg Schiano was not charged with anything in regards to the Penn State scandal, and it’s still unclear how much Greg really knew, but what was out there was enough evidence for the Volunteer fan base to come to a conclusion, Schiano was wrong for the program.

At around 2PM on the 26^th, Dan Wolkan of USA Today Sports broke the news that the Volunteers would move forward with Schiano as coach.

This was immediately hit by angry reacts from the entire Twittersphere. Sports reporters and fans alike took to the internet to express their anger, disdain, and disappointment with the program. People venting about the reputation hit University of Tennessee would take, and the ramifications of future recruiting for the school. But many students looked at it at a more macro-level, asking the University about their morals and values. While the allegations surrounding Schiano are not confirmed, the fan base decided they want no part of him regardless of his role in the scandal.

By about 4PM on the same day, a few dozen students dressed in orange and white, with their Volunteer gear shown off, gathered near Neyland Stadium on campus to have a formal protest, a march through the streets to let their voices be heard.

Within the hour a few hundred students, adults, and faculty members were on the streets calling not only for the school to walk away from the Greg Schiano deal, but to fire John Currie, their athletic director, who the protesters felt had no feel of what the campus wanted. The Rock, a beloved rock outside the stadium was even vandalized by a student, Trip Underwood, claiming “A bigger thing than football, it comes down to morals in general.”

At about 6PM on the 26^th, the protest started to die down, with plans to meet back up the next day. With a successful protest plan in place, the energized fan base was ready to take on the administration. Though it only proved necessary for one day.

At 8PM Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported that Schiano and University of Tennessee were working on an exit strategy and that they would no longer be considering Schiano for coach.

The entire day of November 26^th was fascinating to watch as a fan of football, but also as someone researching the impact of campus protest. Rarely do we see quick reaction to protests from an administration. The reaction by the University of Tennessee and all its fan were shocking to say the least. This incident showed the power of social media, and how it can be used to mobilize a movement. Additionally, it showed that athletics, by no means, run a campus. While athletics are often the largest revenue generator, it’s important for the fan base to draw a fine line between what’s acceptable for their own morals as loyal followers of the Volunteers.

Bibliography:

Boling, Will (will_boling). “Tennessee players unanimously asked for honestly from its next head coach. They’re getting Greg Schiano. If that’s the case, obviously the players weren’t heard whatsoever by the administration.” 26 November 2017, 2:46 PM. Tweet

Feldman, Bruce (BruceFeldmanCFB). “SOURCES: There is some talk going on now between Greg Schiano’s reps & #Tennessee about an exit strategy of what has become a very volatile situation. Paperwork was in progress. “They’ve spooked them all,” said a source. “It’s a hot mess.” 26 November 2017, 8:01 PM. Tweet.

Fernandez Jr, Louis (LouisWBIR). “This is Trip Underwood. He Painted the Rock. He’s says it’s “A bigger thing than football, it comes down to morals in general.” 26 November 2017, 5:47 PM. Tweet, pic accompanied.

Hara, Amanda (AmandaHara). “UT fans protest possible hiring of #Shiano as head coach @wvlt.” 26 November 2017, 4:31 PM. Tweet, pic accompanied.

Haynesworth, Albert (hayneworthiii). “I’m just going to say this if we hire Greg Schiano as our next coach my options will be open to which college program I will be donating my TIME and MONEY to. (No disrespect to GS) but if UT leaders don’t take football serious then I will find the program that will!!!” 26 November 2017, 3:03 PM. Tweet.

Hooley, Bruce (BHOOLZ). “At 1 p.m., Schiano was supposedly in at Tennessee. Six hours later, he’s likely out. Social Media, man. It’s changed the world.” 26 November 2017, 7:04 PM, Tweet.

Long, Donovan (WVLTDonovan). “Volunteers fans marching to the university athletic center to protest UT’s possible decision to hire Greg Schiano as its new head football coach.” 26 November 2017, 5:19 PM. Tweet, video accompanied.

Robinson, Grant Ford (Grant_Robinson_). “Just over 2 dozen students gathering to protest after reports of Greg Schiano’s hiring as UT’s next football coach.” 26 November 2017, 4:02 PM. Tweet, pic accompanied.

Robinson, Grant Ford (Grant_Robinson_). “Schiano protest winding down for tonight. Students say they will come back tomorrow at noon at Anderson Training Center @wbir” 26 November 2017, 6:16 PM. Tweet, pic accompanied.

Sherman, Rodger. “Tennessee Fans’ Veto of Greg Schiano’s Hire Is an Unprecedented Stunner.” The Ringer. 27 November 2017. Web. 27 November 2017.

Wolken, Dan (DanWolken). “Tennessee is finalizing the deal with Schiano. Hopes to name him alter today, per person with direct knowledge.” 26 November 2017, 1:40 PM. Tweet.

(All images from cited sources)

Hello all, welcome to A Protested Campus, a blog I’ve created to examine the tools used across the country by students and non-students in regards to college campuses. Within the last year, the entire country has seen a shock wave sent through many left wing groups protesting many of the things President Donald Trump and his administration is doing. On the other side of the aisle, we’ve seen movements like the Unite the Right rally, to characterize a possible changing in America. Protest has been used for centuries as a tool to let voices be heard, on campus, this is magnified because of the students. Through the changing age of digital media, we’ve seen a huge amount of different types of protests on campus just within the last year.

This blog has no particular order, it is strictly examining different techniques and roles of protests. Feel free to read each post in any order.