Shaw Students Silently Protest Dorms in Disrepair

Around 100 Shaw University students staged a silent protest in the lobby of the president's office last week, complaining of dorms in disrepair (moldy bathrooms, nonworking toilets, overcrowded dorms), as well as the school's $27 million debt and lack of communication over layoffs, according to the News & Observer. The students placed duct tape over their mouths and wrote words like "rats," "ants," "vents," and "resources" on the duct tape.

Shaw's president met with the protesters and at one point even blamed students who hadn't paid their tuition for some of the problems. "About a month ago, there were 500 students who had not finished paperwork to pay the university," he said. "That makes an impact."

At the request of the president, students are now drafting a list of demands, although many are not convinced that the university is prepared to truly tackle their complaints. "We still have concerns," one student said. "He didn't really hit on the nail where we're at financially."