It鈥檚 been almost a year since hundreds of gathered on the Dartmouth green calling for the university to take a stronger stance against the war in Gaza. The largely peaceful demonstration on May 1, 2024, drew clashes with state troopers and other law enforcement, and ended with more than 90 arrests.
This spring, students and faculty are still speaking out passionately 鈥� against the war in Gaza, as well as the actions of the Trump administration 鈥� but the protests are less frequent, more muted. Last Thursday, roughly 100 people gathered outside a campus library to support international students and stand up for academic freedom. The event included speeches and poetry. People took turns reading a letter penned by , a Palestinian activist who is facing the threat of deportation after leading protests at Columbia University.
People at Dartmouth say there鈥檚 a few reasons for the shift in campus activism.
Some students said they are concerned about whether police could show up, like they did last year. But President Trump鈥檚 crackdown on and his administration鈥檚 aggressive tactics are also playing a role.
Many students say they鈥檙e worried they could risk their education if they鈥檙e seen at demonstrations, after watching what鈥檚 happened to other students around the country 鈥� including in the and, more recently, . Some students at Dartmouth and other colleges who have not participated in protests have also dealt with the of their visa records, adding another level of uncertainty.
Roan Wade is no stranger to activism at Dartmouth. They were in late 2023 for raising a tent outside school administrative offices while calling on administrators to meet a range of demands outlined in 鈥淭he Dartmouth New Deal.鈥�
Now in their senior year at Dartmouth, Wade is focusing much of their energy on other avenues to spur change on campus 鈥� like helping to organize a union for undergraduate student workers. As part of those negotiations, Wade and other organizers are asking the college to commit to more legal support for immigrant and international students who might be affected by Trump鈥檚 policies.
鈥淚 think it's really important to put into context that a lot of the recent wave of deportations and visa revocations of international students has been targeted at students who have expressed support and solidarity for Palestine,鈥� Wade said.
Part of the union鈥檚 bargaining demands is that Dartmouth should offer protections for international student workers, including a $30,000 legal assistance fund and more proactive legal support from the Dartmouth Office of Visa and Immigration Services. They also want the college to pledge not to release information about the immigration status of current and former workers, except in cases permitted by law.
But even as Wade and other members of the undergraduate student union press the college to change its policies, they鈥檙e also trying to focus on building stronger support networks with their peers. That鈥檚 especially important, Wade said, as fellow students face challenges with their visas, online harassment and other threats. The college鈥檚 response when at the bargaining, according to the undergraduate student union representatives, has been disrespectful, with what the group feels as the college talking down to them and dismissing their researched demands.
鈥淲hat this really solidifies for us is the need to develop networks of care and infrastructure to support one another outside of the institution, because by the time the institution comes around and does the right thing, the time, the moment will have passed,鈥� Wade said.
Hosaena Tilahun, who is getting ready to graduate from Dartmouth soon, has also been involved in both protests and labor organizing on campus. She said she鈥檚 aware that it鈥檚 not necessarily safe for all students to speak out in the same way right now.
鈥淲e try to use our privilege as domestic students and student workers to speak up in ways that our international brothers and sisters may not be able to,鈥� Tilahun.
Even for students who aren鈥檛 at risk of losing their immigration status, there鈥檚 concern about facing retribution or harassment. That was the case for at least one student at last week鈥檚 rally, who asked for anonymity because he fears his Arab-American identity puts him at risk of that kind of backlash.
鈥淚t will come to our campus,鈥� the student said, nodding to the arrests of student activists elsewhere. 鈥淲e think that we are isolated, that things don't affect us, and that's usually the response from admin, but it's not true. The truth is that things come to our campus, issues come to our campus, and we're just next.鈥�
He said he鈥檚 concerned that, for international students in particular, any actions could be seen as a national security threat 鈥� that writing articles and standing up for what they believe is truthful could be questioned.
鈥淲e want to be brave and we want to stand up against the administration, not only on this campus but the United States government,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut bravery has consequences and you have to be able to accept those consequences in order to be brave.鈥�
Dartmouth spokesperson Jana Barnello said the university 鈥渋s deeply committed to supporting international students, faculty, and staff, answering their questions, and hearing their concerns.鈥� She noted that university officials are meeting daily to review immigration-related developments and the school is offering other resources to people affected.
In a recent open letter, Dartmouth President Sian Beilock affirmed her support for the school鈥檚 international community and her commitment to academic freedom. She also noted that the school is taking a measured approach in response to the current political environment.
鈥淚n order to support greater freedom of expression by individuals on our campus, our commitment to institutional restraint means that we鈥攕tarting with my senior team and me but applying to academic units as well鈥攁re expected to exercise restraint in speaking out on current events unrelated to our academic mission,鈥� Beilock wrote.
But English professor Anjuli Raza Kolb said that鈥檚 not enough. She wants Dartmouth to take a cue from , along with institutions, who have started to more openly resist the Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to control what happens on college campuses.
In her own classroom, Raza Kolb said she has been discussing how Trump鈥檚 policies 鈥� like programs or curriculum related to diversity, equity and inclusion鈥� could criminalize some areas of study.
鈥淭hese are terrifying propositions that amount to facism鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think students and faculty are very aware of that.鈥�
Raza Kolb and others said that even if there isn鈥檛 a clear path forward they want to make sure the Dartmouth community can be brave enough to be scared together.
