Page 2 Campus News The Clarion \ February 22, 2017 BC march against injustice and for civil communication By Florian Peyssonneaux staff Writer President’s Day was unique this year in Bre vard College as students marched across campus on Monday, Feb. 20. The SGA’s call to action was answered by people who came on Monday afternoon in mass to support the movement. The protest, initiated by college students and organized by the Student Government Asso ciation started at the Bell tower where a large crowd was gathered. Brevard students, faculty members, community members and students from other schools were present. This event was an opportunity for people across Western North Carolina to gather, and peacefully express their opinion. The SGA reached out to BC students, other schools in the region, and in the community. Even though, the BC students turnout was highly inferior to the retirees, and elderly people who came in large numbers, the attendance overall was high with almost 200 people from various backgrounds attending the event. Ages from 3 to 90 years old, from Brevard College and other schools, teachers and faculty members, everybody had their own reasons to come and defend their beliefs. A few minutes after the 5 o’clock bell rang. TAKE A STAND FOR YOURSELF, YOUB FAMILY, YOUR OOMHUNITY & YOUR PLAHET, JOIN US PBESIDEHT‘5 DAY 2i'30 5 PMPTHF BELL TOWEB IN THE ar MARCH FOR Civil COMMLJMirATlOU It AGAINST INJUSTICE IH DEHOCRACV. CELEBRATE FREEDDH. REHUKE DIVISIDM. The flier promoting the march on the Brevard College campus. Brevard College students, faculty, staff, and community members, some carrying signs, continue toward the Porter Center during their march against injustice and for civil communication. SGA President Lauren Fowler started her speech to explain the motives of this protest. The SGA’s reason for the march was to prove that “we are a student body of passion and action,” Fowler said. “Action is our only option.” Fowler’s speech was well received by the large audience, interrupted on multiple occa sions with applause. “We march today to bring to this dark divide hopes that we will one day learn to stand together. We all hope and fight for a better tomorrow for ourselves, our families, and our communities,” Fowler said. “We have a choice—we can continue to accept division as if it is normal, or we can stand up and fight back in unity.” Fowler then turned the podium over to Brevard College President David Joyce, who started by acknowledging the fact that this protest was more than a social meeting. “This whole gather ing was the idea of BC students,” Joyce said. After mentioning that the presidential cam paign had been very “uncivil,” Joyce read the open letter addressed to President-elect Trump that he signed in November. In reaction to the letter, Joyce mentioned that of the 140 colleges and universities in North Carolina, presidents of fewer than 10 had signed it. This fact empha sized the importance of gatherings such as this march, he said. The mission of the SGA for this event states that “this is a call to action to the community of Brevard College to stand together to show our town, our families, and our country that we will not stand for anything less than compassion and love. By standing in kindness, we put to action our motto ‘Cognosce ut prosis. Learn in Order to Serve’ and show that we are not just bystanders in times of injustice.” Following Joyce, SGA Vice President Molly Riddle spoke to address the issues of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and the risk of pollution if the pipeline were to break near sources of water. Riddle also invited the audience to sign the two petitions against Wells Fargo and the Military Corps. “Standing up for injustices is important, even See 'BC community march,' page 3

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