Graduate students host demonstration outside President Daniels' neighborhood

Graduate students host demonstration outside President Daniels' neighborhood

President mitch daniels' neighborhood in carmel was met with students demanding action.

This afternoon, a number of purdue graduate students drove down to share their concerns.

News 18's micah upshaw was there to capture the demonstration.

She shows us how it went.

1:04 1:39 e: we're going to head off to somewhere, our president mitch daniels lives, and let him hear our voices, hand out our petitions to him.

Nat: do we want to be across the road?

M: members of grow, a purdue organization that works to defend graduate students' rights and well-being say they just want to be heard -- even if it means meeting outside purdue president mitch daniels' neighborhood.

Nat: tv static d: it's 11:15 a.m., we're here in carmel, kind of staging before we head over to mitch's house.

L: we're not going to any private property, we're not going into the community so it should be relatively fine for us cause we're not violating any kind of property rules.

Nat: tv static m: their frustration begins with the university's protect purdue plan -- they say it's not enough for them to feel confident in coming back to campus.

In july, these students laid out a list of demands in a petition.

They're asking university leaders for four things: transparency, to be a part of campus decision-making, ensured workplace safety and fair- compensation.

D: we've tried to, you know, get a meeting with mitch daniels, with the board of trustees.

M: grad student david savage says earlier this month the group read their petition outside president daniels' office building.

He said, however, university leaders locked them out and said it was for covid-19 safety reasons.

D: this is kind of, you know, our next resort of trying to come down here towards indianapolis and get mitch daniels attention.

M: daniels' did not come out.

It's unclear if he was home or if even knew the demonstration was taking place.

They did however feel supported by others.

A: we had people drive by honking, they seem to support us, bikers like waving at us so it got a little bit of attention.

M: as these grad students are finding it hard for campus leaders to meet their demands, anna biela hopes other staff and students step up to help.

A: i'm also really hoping that more students and staff on purdue campus here about this and are motivated engage with us and start these conversations not just in the administrators office, in departments or between them and their friends.

M: micah upshaw, news 18.

We emailed purdue university's media contact for a comment and have not heard back.

A link to read more about the student's campus demands is on our website wlfi.com.

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