At least 100 University students packed the entrances to The Cavalier Daily office last night to protest several comics printed recently and to call for a long-term solution to what they see as an ongoing problem with Cavalier Daily comics.
The students marched from the Amphitheater in silent protest of Tuesday's comic strip by Graphics Editor Grant Woolard that portrayed figures clad in loincloths fighting one another with an assortment of random objects. Text below the image read "Ethiopian Food Fight." The students also protested Woolard's comic strip published Friday depicting Thomas Jefferson's slave Sally Hemings sitting on a bed while Jefferson stands near her with a whip in his hand. The text read "Thomas, could we try role-play for a change?"
Upon arrival at the offices of The Cavalier Daily, representatives of the protesters requested a private audience with members of the newspaper's Managing Board, presenting demands that are to be met by Friday to address their concerns.
The protest followed an afternoon discussion held at Peabody Hall by concerned students who were joined by Interim Dean of Students Allen Groves and Assoc. Dean of Students Leonard Perry to decide on a suitable course of action.
The afternoon meeting began with fourth-year College student Solome Paulos, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People political action chair, presenting Groves with a written statement of demands in regards to Graphics Editor Grant Woolard's comic strip.
The statement included several demands, one of which was the removal of Woolard as graphics editor.
Paulos said she believes Woolard's removal is necessary because "he's continuously doing wrong," adding that Woolard's permanent removal would serve as an example for future Cavalier Daily staff members and editors that such expression is unacceptable.
Groves expressed his concern about the demands because of potential repercussions.
"When laying out a demand, you want to achieve an objective, but if you are too specific they will dig their heels in and not do what you want," Groves said.
He instead suggested students walk through The Cavalier Daily's editing process to figure out what went wrong.
Herb Ladley, Cavalier Daily editor-in-chief, explained that every night comic strips are printed, looked over the graphics editor and operations manager and, finally, reviewed by the editor-in-chief.
Ladley said when he first saw the comic, his reaction "was that it would be controversial," but said he "didn't consider it in light of the current comic policy."
He added that he along with other Cavalier Daily administrators will study other ways to address students' concern that offensive comics are a recurring problem.
Groves and Ladley have both suggested that one way to avoid such controversial comic strips would be for more minority students to join the staff, providing the newspaper with their perspectives.
In response to this request, some students at the afternoon meeting who previously worked with the paper expressed discontent with the organization.
Groves also said it was important to note that The Cavalier Daily issued an apology to the student body without being forced and retracted the comic.
After the student representatives met with members of the Managing Board yesterday evening, they convened with others in Newcomb Theater to relay the editors' message. The students proposed a plan to send a letter by the end of the week to various organizations, including The Cavalier Daily, the Honor Committee and the University Judiciary Committee, in attempts to open a dialogue about race relations at the University.
"There is progress being made," Groves said. "You have to come to the table with trust and faith."
He added that students have two options -- they can say "screw it and give up" or they can keep fighting.
Grant Woolard declined to comment for the article.
-- Editor's note: Editor-in-Chief Herb Ladley did not edit this article, as it includes his quotations.
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