The Advocates for Diversity in Education will celebrate diversity and show their support for the use of race in the admissions process with a rally and encampment on the lower Lawn today.
ADE named the event October Camp and will present speakers and performances advocating the importance of affirmative action. Students also are planning to sleep on the Lawn tonight to demonstrate their commitment to keeping the current admissions policy.
College student Stephanie Taylor, an organizer for ADE, said that by camping out, "we're demonstrating the cohesion of our community and that we have a long term commitment to this issue; we're not just going to care about this for one day."
ADE planned the event two weeks ago in response to recent debate about the legality of the University's consideration of race in admissions.
Brandi Colander, director of issues for the Black Student Alliance, said the Camp "is a visible tactic to get people to see that diversity is appreciated on Grounds."
October Camp "is a chance for us to get some of our voices on the table since we can't attend Board [of Visitor's] meetings," Music Prof. Kyra Gaunt said.
Speakers at the rally, which starts at 9 a.m. today on the Lawn and continues until noon tomorrow, will include Gaunt, African-American Affairs Dean M. Rick Turner and History Prof. Paul Gaston, who was involved with the University's original desegregation movement.
University Police Chief Mike Sheffield said the police have been working with the organizers but will not increase patrols of the area.
Students also showed support for diversity by wearing dark clothing to the home football game against Virginia Tech Saturday.
Most of the students involved in the demonstration at the game occupied one whole section of the student stands at Scott Stadium and held signs promoting diversity.
But some students said they thought they deserved more attention.
"I think it's going to take more than our presence at the game and the October Camp to really send our message the Board of Visitors. It's going to take a reaction from the entire campus," Woodley said.
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