Miami University students and faculty, along with local Oxford residents, gather Sunday afternoon in Uptown Park for an Occupy gathering. The Occupy movement has spread from Wall Street across the country, including college campuses. (JENNIFER SMOLA | The Miami Student)
You've seen it on the news in cities across the nation, but the Occupy Wall Street movement is beginning to hit closer to home.
Miami University students, faculty and local community members came together at Uptown Park for a general assembly Sunday. A group of about 40 discussed the rules and modes of communication the group would use, as well as visions and goals the group shared. The attendees took turns sharing their views, and expressed agreement or disagreement using hand signals, much like other "Occupy" groups.
Though most in attendance had varying reasons for attending the general assembly, many expressed dissatisfaction with American politics and the current state of American democracy.
"I feel personally like my views have been marginalized," first-year Brian Sopher said, referring to both national and local concerns. "I felt this was a good way to express where I'm coming from in a very open and democratic way."
Miami first-year Marjorie Schinner was also in attendance at the general assembly.
"I'm trying to sort of throw my weight behind getting change done, and I feel like I can't do that through general voting and petitioning," Schinner said.
The decision for the meeting developed Wednesday at an Occupy Colleges solidarity teach-in at Pearson Hall. The Occupy Colleges movement has developed in lieu of the recent Occupy Wall Street Movement nationwide, and according to the Occupy Colleges Facebook group, is "a forum for College Students to organize in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and the 99 percent."
The teach-in last week was a preliminary gathering to gauge interest and discuss goals, said Jenna Saponaro, a senior who attended the teach-in. She said the event, organized by both faculty and students, was very informal, involved collaborative discussion and that like the other "Occupy" movements, there isn't one set leader.
The purpose of the teach-ins was to generate open discussions with faculty and students, with no specific ending time as to give anyone who wants to speak a chance to do so, according OccupyColleges.org. The teach-in at Miami was one of many Occupy Colleges teach-ins taking place on campuses across the country on Wednesday and Thursday.
"I think that there are issues going on that are bigger than us and bigger than this campus," Saponaro said.
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Junior Michael Woeste doesn't back the national Occupy Wall Street movement.
"When they occupy for weeks on end, there's no discussion," Woeste said. "They're just protesting for the sake of protesting."
Those involved with the developing movement at Miami, however, seem to be going about the process in a productive and effective way, according to Woeste.
"The Miami movement is doing it the right way," Woeste said. "I'm all for open discourse on what needs to be changed in our government."
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