“Athletic funding, we won’t pay! Let them find another way!” the protesters said. “Mental Health is a right! This is why we have to fight!”| Raphael Fernandez/ The Cougar
Chants erupted outside the UH Hilton hotel as protesters gathered to demonstrate against President and Chancellor Renu Khator’s rejection of the Student Fees Advisory Committee’s recommendation.
The protest came after Khator rejected the committee’s recommendations to increase funding to many student services and programs and cut student fee support to Athletics. Fearing the possibility of the Board of Regents increasing the Student Service Fee or reducing the funding of services such as Counseling and Psychological Services, the protesters called on the administration to place student voices over monetary gain.
Some chants were directed at the athletics program, while others advocated directly for University mental health programs such as CAPS.
“Athletic funding, we won’t pay! Let them find another way!” the protesters said. “Mental Health is a right! This is why we have to fight!”
Many of their complaints against the president referred to the suicides on campus last year. The protesters saw Khator’s rejection as refusing support for CAPS and other mental health-related organizations funded by the student fees.
“How many people have to die before you hear our needs and rights?” the protesters said.
Prominent members of the Student Government Organization were also present during the protest. SGA President Benjamin Rizk, Vice President Tyler Luc, Speaker of the Senate Sophia Wilson and many senators joined the protesters in chants.
SGA presidential and vice presidential candidates Cody Szell and Mohammed Tabarra were also present. SGA Vice Presidential candidate Austin Craig also attended for a short time, but his running mate, Diego Arriega, was not present. The Cougar reached out to officials within For all Cougars but at time of publication, none have responded for comment.
SFAC members Spiro Hoxha and Anahi Ortega were dispersed throughout campus, giving protest flyers to students.
“We want to make sure that this is not the opinion of just the committee but also the entire campus,” Ortega said.
Another complaint among the protesters is the lack of support and advising programs for some majors. According to some protesters, Khator has threatened to remove this advising support.
“This protest shouldn’t have to involve advising,” said former SGA president and former SFAC chair Charles Haston. “When SFAC made their recommendations, her response was, ‘I can’t let you cut the athletics budget. If you do, we’ll have to find the money elsewhere, and students are going to pay, only now they’re gonna lose their academic advisor.”
The protesters also occupied the Board of Regents meeting itself, with students and demonstrators lining the walls and seats of the meeting room. The protesters remained at the meeting and cheered when SFAC members addressed the board.
Kadi and UH Board of Regents members debated the issue of student fees during their meeting, which the board tabled for a later session. Kadi claims that had there not been pushback from protesters, the board would have voted to side with Khator’s decision.
Organizers such as Hoxha were satisfied with the number of student groups attending the protests, he said. For Hoxha, the success of the protest serves as a call to action for other progressive organizations that hope to make a change in the University.
“We secured some form of negotiations because a lot of people showed up,” Hoxha said. “If we show up in droves, we can get everything we want.”
