Approximately 100 Westminster students chant and protest at the ICE Out Walk Out in Richer Commons on Wednesday.
The Social Action Committee engages students in meaningful social action and advocacy.
Nora McAndrews, a junior political and environmental justice major and president of the Social Action Committee, urged attendees to call Utah Senators to vote against any bill appropriation funding towards ICE.
“Between now and the first of February, I need you guys to call John Curtis and Mike Lee everyday, they should know your names, they should know who you are, you should be annoying,” McAndrews said. “It’s their job to listen to you, they have to answer your phone calls. This is not the time to be silent.”
After McAndrews opening speech, Eleanor Scoville sang the song, “This Land Is Your Land,” and asked the crowd to sing along with her.
Giovanna Grant, a sophomore and LMW major and the outreach coordinator for the Social Action Committee, also delivered a speech during the walk out as this topic is close to home for her.
“I’m a first generation American, so immigration has always been a topic that’s been very important to me,” Grant said passionately. ”Seeing so many people show up to protect our rights and protect the people being attacked by ICE means the world to me.”
Michael Clark, a junior and music studies major is the co-president of the Social Action Committee Club and shared why this event was important to their club.
“We started this club last semester, but we didn’t have a ton of events,” Clark said. “This semester we really wanted to put a priority on having events and getting people to them.”
The purpose of this walk out was to get the Westminster community engaged in current events, according to the Social Action Committee.
“We wanted to create a space where people can come and ask questions and learn about what’s going on and be engaged in, like go to protest[s], go to marches, all of these things,” said Grant.
Sophie MacKay, a senior and healthy policy and equity major attended the ICE Out Walk Out.
“I feel it’s important for the people that I care about [who] are affected by this to see that I care and I’m willing to do something about it,” MacKay said.
Students said how they feel solidarity is important.
“There’s high schools doing walk outs, and public universities aren’t doing anything, and we have a really interesting position as a private university,” McAndrews said.
Students received an email a few hours before the walk out on Wednesday from President Beth Dobkin and had not received official communication from the university prior.
“I wish that Westminster would be more vocal about protecting our students here,” said Grant, outreach coordinator for the Social Action Committee. “There are so many first generation students here and there are so many immigrants here.”
McAndrews, president of the Social Action Committee said that if you care about something and want change to happen, you must get involved.
“I think that it’s important for people to recognize that politics isn’t a spectator sport,” McAndrews said. “It’s something that you have to get involved in, and if you care about shit, you’re the person that has to get all up there [and] change it.”
McAndrews closed the walk out by encouraging students to chant, “Every city, every town, fuck ICE, shut it down.”
Attendees at the walk out shouted the chant in unison.
