Let them eat cookies.
The student protesters who had been on a hunger strike for more than a week said they would call off the fast even though they were never granted a meeting over lunch with UF President Machen to discuss socially responsible investing.
The protesters, mostly members of Students for a Democratic Society, made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday afternoon outside Tigert Hall before nibbling vegan oatmeal-raisin cookies. Many strikers had already dropped out of the effort after fainting, and looming exams would make the fast too difficult for other participants to continue, protesters said.
The strike was part of an effort by SDS members to urge UF to make its investments transparent. The group wants to make sure UF is not investing in any socially irresponsible companies, such as those that support the war in Iraq or further global warming. Though Machen did not meet with them to discuss their concerns during this particular protest, he has met with them on several other occasions, said Steve Orlando, UF spokesman.
But so far, UF's investment policy, currently overseen by the nonprofit UF Investment Corp., has remained unchanged.
Orlando said it would be difficult to release details of each company UF invests in because they change so frequently. In addition, if UF released its investment strategies, others might invest the same way, decreasing UF's profits.
Recently, SDS has expanded its protest efforts beyond university grounds. Orlando said he's heard that at least one member of the group showed up at Machen's house one night between the hours of 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. demanding answers. Members of the group have also made calls to Dianna Morgan, chairwoman of UF's Board of Trustees, that Orlando called "harassing in nature."
At the Tuesday conference, SDS members displayed a blown-up version of the 2008 College Sustainability Report Card from the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a nonprofit organization that aims to advance sustainable practices on campuses nationwide. UF received a B-minus overall, and got F's in the categories for endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.
"We think that these grades are wholly unacceptable for this university," said Skeet Surrency, an SDS member. "Because of our commitment to this school and our commitment to our own grades, we're going to have to cancel the strike."
Surrency and four other students took the card to Machen's secretary, leaving handwritten notes behind, too. One read, "Thanks for meeting with the students, Dr. Machen. Absolutely everything is perfect."
Michael Marks, one of the protesters, said he was disappointed in how the strike fared and Machen's lack of response.
"I starved for 10 days, but I would've done it for 30," Marks said. "If I kill myself, what good is that going to do?"
