Still confused about why students are camped out at Brookings Hall? StudLife put together a handy FAQ to answer your most pressing questions. More information can be found in Michael Tabb’s April 10 article.

Why are there a bunch of tents at Brookings?

Students have staged a sit-in to protest the University’s relationship with Peabody Energy.

What is Peabody Energy and why is it so bad?

Peabody Energy is the world’s largest private sector coal company and a major force behind the “clean coal” movement. The company has come under fire from environmental advocacy organizations for its mining practices, particularly its use of mountaintop removal mining. In two notable instances, Peabody forcefully relocated residents of Rocky Branch, Ill., and Native American tribes in Black Mesa, Ariz., in order to expand mining facilities. Peabody has also been criticized for its treatment of workers and for its support of various controversial pieces of legislation, including “Stand Your Ground” laws. And coal is a major source of pollution, of course.

How is the University affiliated with Peabody?

The university receives significant funding from the company for scholarships and research, including a $5 million grant in 2008 to start a Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization. Greg Boyce, Peabody’s CEO, has also been on the University’s board of trustees since 2009.

What do the protestors want?

On April 11, the protestors released their three main demands:
1. CEO Greg Boyce must be removed from the board of trustees
2. The chancellor must attend community-organized tours of Peabody extraction zones and issue a public statement
3. All members of the board of trustees should be elected by students
In a press release on April 12, the students appeared to have dropped the third demand. The group is still in the process of developing these demands.

How has the chancellor responded?

Chancellor Mark Wrighton has maintained that the school’s involvement with companies like Peabody helps fund important research. During a meeting with protestors on Saturday morning, Wrighton rejected their demands, seeming unwilling to negotiate.
Prior to the start of the sit-in last week, member of Green Action met with Wrighton to discuss a Student Union resolution passed on March 19 to divest from fossil fuel companies by 2025. (Although not directly affiliated with the Students Against Peabody movement, Green Action has similar positions regarding Peabody.) The chancellor reportedly acknowledged Green Action’s concerns but disagreed with they group’s argument that the school needs to abandon coal. He said that he would forward the group’s concerns to the board of trustees at its May 1 meeting.

Has this sort of thing happened before?

The last time Wash. U. students staged a sit-in was in 2005, when students occupied South Brookings Hall for 18 days to secure higher wages for the University’s contract workers. The sit-in also involved a five-day hunger strike. The University complied with the protestors’ demands by raising wages and improving worker benefits.

How long are they going to be there?

As long as it takes, apparently. Protestors have said they would be willing to stay for weeks if necessary to achieve productive dialogue.

Updated April 14.