STL Students in Solidarity (STLSIS) called for the removal of a Washington University board member as part of a list of demands released Monday in conjunction with the Decarcerate STL campaign.

In some ways, University officials have demonstrated a laudable desire to seriously examine our own complicity in the institutional racism of St. Louis. When I say “our,” I mean all of us who study or work at Wash. U., not just the administrators who take most of the heat.

The demands identified three areas of focus for the administration to modify: improving the experience of people of color on campus, developing a culturally conscientious campus population and repairing the University’s relationship with the St. Louis community. While students and the administration did not come to any official agreement from the conversation, both sides were optimistic about future discussions.

In the two weeks following the grand jury announcement, Student Life arranged one-on-one interviews with more than a dozen students involved in the ensuing protests. These students relayed their experiences at various protests throughout St. Louis, shared their reasons for protesting and voiced their hopes for how the protests will evolve within the University community.

Chancellor Mark Wrighton has agreed to meet with student protest organizers about issues surrounding recent events in Ferguson next semester. This meeting with administrators was one of student protesters’ demands of the chancellor and Washington University. Despite this demand being met, on-campus protests have continued, including one this weekend at the December degree-candidate recognition ceremony.

Chancellor Mark Wrighton released a statement on the Wash U Voices website Friday with the message, “we agree.” The Washington University contingent of STL Students in Solidarity is hesitant to accept that claim. We thank Chancellor Wrighton for accepting our demand for a meeting in January to discuss more detailed and tangible demands with the Washington University administration. However, we find the Chancellor’s response to the protest on campus last night to be inadequate.

With hundreds of students participating in protests responding to this semester’s events in Ferguson and police brutality across the United States, student protesters are claiming a new kind of class is in session for Washington University.

A walkout that began with 70 people gathered outside Goldfarb Hall in protest of last week’s grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown culminated with over 300 people in the Danforth University Center protesting the decision.

Lines of students blocked the intersection of Forsyth and Skinker Boulevards for about 15 minutes Monday morning, protesting a St. Louis County grand jury’s decision not to indict former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

Medics taught students the skills needed to prepare for a protest Monday night as the St. Louis community braces for the announcement of the grand jury decision in the Darren Wilson case.