TO THE EDITOR:

In his letter, Cameron Parker vilifies students and community members that protested the recent Board of Governors meeting, at which the board approved an unprecedented tuition hike, well above the established 6.5 percent cap.

We can understand that Parker, set to graduate this May, is not interested in challenging a tuition increase covering the next two years. Forgive those of us that did participate, though, for our chanting and our drumbeating. We wanted to be heard.

Support for a “proudly public” education is not limited to the approximately 100 students and community members present. It was, after all, held early on Friday morning, competing with class, hangover management and sleeping in.

Parker thinks that UNC-system President Thomas Ross’ plan was acceptable. But Ross and the board do not care what Parker, or any other student, thinks. Submitted two months before Ross’ plan, Student Body President Mary Cooper’s proposal was already “too late” in the process for students.

We agree with Parker that Friday’s protest “repudiates the process itself.” At least that was our hope. We made our noise outside the meeting because we were never invited inside. To argue that students “would do better to stay home than to act unruly” is to say that the disenfranchised should calmly, quietly and graciously accept the decisions made for them by others.

Luke Sherry
Autumn McClellan
Graduate Students
Sociology