Protesters speak out against Daniels as Purdue's president

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Purdue students, faculty, alumni, and supporters gathered at the campus' Memorial Mall to protest the University's Board of Trustee's decision to appoint Mitch Daniels as the next president of Purdue.

Saturday's protest brought nearly 60 protesters. The keynote speaker was the former dean of Purdue's Department of Education, Dr. Marilyn Haring, who after hearing the board's decision withdrew a $1 million gift to the university.

Haring said she hopes people will listen to her speech and want to do more against this decision.

"It's a travesty for a nonacademic to head a great research university," Haring said.

The protest was organized by the Society for an Open and Accountable Purdue, otherwise known as S.O.A.P. Members said appointing Daniels as president is wrong because of his cuts to education as governor and his relationship to the members of the Board of Trustees.

"The appointment is anti-academic and destructive to the university," S.O.A.P Co-Organizer Aaron Hoover said. "It's something we need to reform so that an appointment like this doesn't occur in the future."

It wasn't just West Lafayette students at the protest. Students from Purdue's 4 regional campuses also came to speak out against the decision.

"We stand up a lot for poorer students on our campus," Purdue University Calumet student Joel Novak said. "If you're more business-orientated  person like Mitch Daniels, obviously is there are going to be cuts. There already have been. We want those who are already at a disadvantage to go through and be able to graduate a four-year program."

Protesters said they hope the board's decision is repealed and Daniels does not become the next president of Purdue. But they say, even if it does happen, they'll keep fighting.