Under the blazing midday sun Wednesday, about 50 members of Students for a Democratic Society marched from Turlington Plaza to Tigert Hall to give a letter to UF President Bernie Machen. It urged him to publicize UF's investment details.
SDS, a protest group known for activism during the 1960s, wants proof UF isn't investing in companies that fund the Iraq war, members said.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said UF is already trying to give the group what it wants (transparency) when it wants it (now).
The UF Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for UF, collects money from private donors and invests it to earn more. The UF Investment Corporation oversees the investments, which increased from ,585.7 million to ,1.2 billion in the past four years, UF records show.
Orlando said both organizations financially support UF and are exempt from public records, which are mandated by Florida's Government in the Sunshine Law.
"In Florida, under sunshine laws, all public finance should be open to scrutiny," said Richard Gutierrez, UF English and history senior and organizer of the protest. "It's our money. This is a public university."
But no tuition money or regular state allocation funds could be invested, Orlando said. Only state grant money or private donations can be used.
UF bigwigs are working to prioritize socially responsible investments, he said.
Orlando said total openness could be problematic.
Money is moved to and from stocks every day, and it would be difficult to constantly update an investment list, Orlando said. Also, if UF listed its investments, many people might invest the same way, and UF's profits could go down.
The issue was discussed at the June meeting of the UF Board of Trustees, and is already on the agenda for September's meeting.
It's not soon enough for the protesters, who said they would give Machen and UF administrators two weeks to respond to their demands.
"We want to put a fire under them," said Gutierrez, adding that there's no reason to believe UF doesn't invest in war-supporting companies.
Gutierrez, who wore a shirt with "BERNIE, SHOW US THE LIGHT" stenciled on the front, said students have a right to see where their university's money is going.
"Each one of us is blind," he said, as protesters tied cloths over their eyes, symbolizing his point.
Protesters shuffled from Turlington past smirking spectators at the Plaza of the Americas, chanting, "Hey, hey, ho, ho, obscurity has got to go."
Many carried cardboard signs with "SHOW US THE CASH, B!" or "SHOW US THE NAKED TRUTH!" in bold letters. Others carried half-eaten Krishna lunches or flags of red and black - the traditional colors of anarchy, protesters said.
"Where is my money?" screamed one protester.
They marched up the steps of Tigert Hall, where Eugene Zdziarski, UF's dean of students; Brian Beach, Machen's assistant; and Jane Adams, vice president for UF relations, waited.
Machen was out for the day, they said.
As the protesters gathered on the steps, one asked, "How long will we stay here?" A few in the crowd laughed, answering, "One hour."
Wednesday's protest was a second attempt at urging Machen not to support the war. The SDS staged an anti-war protest in March, but Gutierrez said their goals were too ambiguous then.
"We want something concrete," he said.
Four protesters were escorted to Machen's reception area and gave the letter to Beach. He took it, thanked them and sent them on their way.
