At the University of Massachusetts Boston Resident Hall Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, a group of 70-80 students, faculty, and staff protested the new parking fees. In the 93 degree weather, the members of the Coalition to Save UMB marched in a large circle with signs while four members carried two black boxes with “Debt” and “Garage” written in large, white letters. They wore red ribbons around their arms to distinguish them from the other attendees.
One of the rallying calls was, “What is it about us that don’t you get? We won’t carry the parking debt!” Zac Bears is the executive director of the Public Higher Education Network Of Massachusetts, or PHENOM. PHENOM is an organization to “advocate for high-quality, debt-free public college”. In relation to this particular protest, Bears said, “We’re the Save UMass Boston Coalition and it’s been bringing students, and faculty, and the workers on campus together. We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now; around the legacy debt issues, the growing cost for students—whether it’s the parking fees or, how much tuition is going up every year. And the goal is really to build power on campus to say like, ‘we’re not going to take it anymore’. I mean at the end of the day, obviously everyone is coming here to learn and work but if you—if the people, this university was designed for people from the neighborhood.”
Originally the protesters were going to be allowed in the lobby where the ribbon-cutting took place. When such a large group amassed, the police at the event decided it would be a public safety issue and only let the people in who RSVPed beforehand. After the protesters heard this, they held their signs and the “Debt” and “Garage” boxes to the full length windows at the Residence Hall East Building.
After the protest outside, the group congregated in the Clark Athletic Building. Mitch Manning, a faculty member in the English department and part of the Joiner Institute, stated, “We support the dormitories and I want that to be very clear—to everybody, that we support dormitories, we support development but we do not support parking fee increases on students, faculty, and staff.” Along with The William Monroe Trotter Institute and The Mauricio Gaston Institute at the university, The William Joiner Institute is under threat of more funding cuts.
Manning went on, “$15 a day to park there [the parking garage] is completely bonkers and the university won’t negotiate and they’re not looking at any other ways for fundraising, you know? We think it’s uncreative and unimaginative way to deal with their budget crisis. That they’re not going to the state, they’re not looking at the structural debt of UMass Boston.” “I think the blame is on Marty Meehan’s shoulders, I think the president of the UMass system is definitely responsible, and the governor as well.” He also talked about how great the campus, different institutes, and students are and that everyone’s wants it to do well.
Christopher Simon was the main man outside during the protest but is one of two running the organization. The other co-chair, Anneta Argyres, explained the beginning of Save UMB and why they came into existence. “So, [Save] UMB first formed about six years ago when we were fighting the last parking fee increase. And it has continued in varying forms since then. And when it sort of restarted again, it’s about two years ago when they first announced that they issued nonrenewal notices to 400 adjunct faculty.” Argyres further explained, “This was the first step they made to making cuts to address the construction debt and that was two summers ago. And we’ve been doing this, organizing since then.”
With Katherine Newman, the new chancellor, President of UMass Boston, Martin T. Meehan, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Senator Nick Collins, and other administrators at the ceremony, the Coalition to Save UMass Boston definitely raised awareness to what debt issues the people are upset about.
Debt Not Dorms
Protesters outside of new residence halls.
