A new item was added to the agenda at Tent State University this week, as students gathered together to speak out against Monday evening's events at TSU at the University of California-Santa Cruz.
Police were ordered to the Santa Cruz campus to disperse students setting up tents Monday evening, said Douglass College senior Yael Bromberg, the event organizer.
The police - in their efforts to disband the crowd - arrested 20 students, injuring several and knocking one unconscious, Bromberg said.
Bromberg said the police were called out at the request of the vice chancellor of the University.
Students passing through or attending Tent State at Rutgers were being urged to call the University's administration - either by use of their own cell phones or cell phones on the Tent State premises - to explain that the behavior of the administration is unacceptable, dangerous to the students' health and a violation of constitutional freedoms.
Both the forum regarding tenants' rights as well as the anti-gentrification of New Brunswick were postponed so that students' attention could be concentrated on allying with on-campus and national organizations who could band together to take action and hold administration and police at Santa Cruz accountable for the violence.
"The student community is still pulling together here," Bromberg said. "We have almost 100 tents. All of our student coalitions are strong and in effect here."
Tom Howard - an organizer of the event and New Brunswick resident - said TSU at Rutgers has taken place peacefully because of the support of the administration, which has worked with the event staff to be sure there were security officers overnight and no fights broke out.
"Administration has been dead set against students there doing what we do here," Howard said, explaining the environment and tone set at Tent State in Santa Cruz. "The administration there took an incredibly hard line [because] students at Santa Cruz have been very outspoken about the war."
Howard said more students have brought their tents to the venue since Sunday.
Campers have tried to remain in the tents despite the cold temperatures some evenings, he said.
Howard said students have been bringing homework and textbooks and doing work by their tents, so as to keep up with their studies.
He said most students have gone back to their residence halls or houses to shower and cook, often bringing their meals and eating outside.
While some take a break from camping and return to the house or residence hall, Howard said the event's main organizers - including himself - remain on the grounds all week.
He said the main organizers have gotten about three hours of sleep a night because of security shifts and cannot leave to shower.
The event organizers and participants have also struggled with opposition from members of the Centurion and Rutgers Republicans, who have set up a venue on Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus.
Rutgers College Senior Joseph Nedick - a writer for the Centurion and member of the Rutgers College Republicans - said he is protesting what he described as the "high-jacking" of the message regarding funding for higher education.
"It alienates a large number of students and taxpayers in New Jersey," said Nedick, a former University senator.
"Their radical message clouds the issue," he said, explaining that while he supports funding for higher education, he also supports the war on Iraq.
Nedick said he doesn't understand how the various messages of Tent State are related to one another.
"It's turned into a hippie lovefest," he said.
Nedick said despite his dissatisfaction with the way in which Tent State has shaped its message, he appreciates the forum created by TSU organizers to discuss higher education funding.
"They've done everything they can to make sure we are safe," Nedick said.
Howard disagreed with the opinions voiced by Nedick and said issues of war are strongly connected to funding of higher education because the war has increased the national deficit and has taken away money that could have been used for higher education.
He said members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community have gotten involved to protest the "Don't ask, don't tell," policies regarding disclosure of sexual preference the U.S. military employs.
"Students are taking concerted action to improve the situation here," Howard said. "We've always been very consistent. It can be a complex message, but it can still be consistent."
The organizers have handed out leaflets, created workshops, invited speakers and worked with staff to spread the messages to be conveyed by the event, Howard said.
He said despite challenges, he has witnessed bonds of friendship being formed between students and people from diverse backgrounds coming together.
The organizers' vision was to combine serious issues of higher education funding, anti-war and LGBT rights with good memories and enjoyment, Howard said.
"People need to keep in mind that while there are some serious issues, life can be a lot of joy and fun experiences," he said.
The student community, music and camping all add to the event, Howard said.
The idea of sleeping in tents for the week emerged from a joke that if higher education costs continued to rise, students would have to sleep in tents to afford going to school.
The idea stuck and became a staple of the event since its inception in 2003, he said.
Enon Arital, a Mason Gross School of the Arts first-year student, said he decided to take part in the event not so much for its political goals, but for the fun, friends, entertainment and culture at TSU.
Ben Harris, a Rutgers College first-year student, said he also was encouraged to attend Tent State because many of his friends were in attendance.
Harris said he came to show support for some of the groups participating in the event, including Food Not Bombs, a community organization that functions internationally to distribute food to those who could not otherwise afford it.
Food Not Bombs has had a presence at the event, distributing food to students passing by as well as to the campers.
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