Sit-in at the Library

I have been a librarian for a very long time, but today I have checked off a new item on my "Before I Die" (BID) list--I have seen students protesting at the library for a good cause, complete with guitar and bongo drums:

More people are on the floor inside, so don't think it's a totally lame number of protesters. For the size of this campus, I'm really impressed with the turnout.

So, why are they here? I am excited about this as more than a cultural phenomenon, because they are protesting for a really good cause. The participants are asking the campus to divest of fossil-fuel investments. If you read Donald Gould's article, "Why We Said Goodbye to Fossil-Fuel Investments" in the Chronicle of Higher Education a few weeks ago, you understand the points of discussion. Other colleges are doing this. You can see one list here: http://gofossilfree.org/commitments/. The movement is international, and hundreds of colleges and universities are exploring the idea of divesting.

You should be able to find out more about the event from WLOS and WYFF tonight.