A student at the University of Missouri has started an indefinite hunger strike that he hopes leads to the resignation of the President of the entire four campus Missouri system.
Jonathan L. Butler, a second year masters student at Missouri started his strike at 9 AM CST this morning and he said that he intends to refrain from food until either System President Tim Wolfe resigns or Butler dies trying.
Butler sent a letter explaining his actions to the UM System Board of Curators (the body that helps operate the four campus system and has the power to remove a President) before the strike began.
“During this hunger strike, I will not consume any food or nutritional sustenance at the expense of my health until either Tim Wolfe is removed from office or my internal organs fail and my life is lost,” Butler wrote in the letter that he also published on social media. “Mizzou’s deteriorating culture is like a gaping and infected wound that can only be cured
by scraping out the dead and decaying flesh and starting anew with a flushing of the skin and application of proper antibiotics to begin the healing process. In this scenario, Tim Wolfe is the decaying flesh and the longer her stays in leadership of the UM system the worst the campus climate will become not only at the University of Missouri but also on all UM system campuses.”
“It is extremely concerning when any of our students puts their health and safety in harm’s way,” Wolfe said in a statement supplied to Rise News.
In an interview with Rise News, Butler said that the hunger strike was the next step in civil disobedience that Butler has decided to take after he determined that Wolfe could no longer continue in his current position.
Jonathan L. Butler. Photo Credit: Jonathan L. Butler/ Facebook
Butler highlighted a series of incidents that have occurred on campus in recent months that he says show how little the administration cares about minority students. These events include the removal of health insurance for graduate students, a swastika that was drawn with human feces at a residence hall, cancellation of University contracts with Planned Parenthood and a lack of response when the student body president was called the N word.
Butler also claims that he was “bumped” by the vehicle that Wolfe was riding in multiple times during a demonstration at this year’s Homecoming Parade. Butler contends that it was done purposefully.
Butler is one of the organizers of the student movement called #ConcernedStudent1950, a reference to the year in which the first African-American student enrolled at Mizzou.
“It is extremely concerning when any of our students puts their health and safety in harm’s way,” Wolfe said in a statement supplied to Rise News. “I sincerely hope that Mr. Butler will consider a different method of advocating for this cause. I respect his right to protest and admire the courage it takes to speak up.”
Wolfe also said that he supported an ongoing dialogue about the racial climate on the four campuses that make up the UM system.
“Immediately after my initial meeting with the ConcernedStudent1950 group on October 26th, I invited Jonathan to meet again so we can build a deeper relationship and open a frank conversation about the group’s frustrations and experiences. I remain hopeful that they will accept my invitation,” Wolfe said in the statement.
Butler claims that Wolfe had no desire to meet with the student group and only did so after being pressured into it.
“He said that he had no intention of reaching out to us,” Butler said. “I think Tim Wolfe chooses not to know and he doesn’t really care.”
“I’m tired,” Butler told Rise News. “But I’m inspired and encouraged. I didn’t do this for publicity or to look cool. I did it because I really believe in this.”
In his statement, Wolfe said that his meeting with the #ConcernedStudent1950 was “one example of our engagement at the UM System level on this complex, societal issue.”
“I have met with our chancellors, campus diversity officers, students and faculty about the scope of the problem, so that collectively we may address these issues that are pervasive and systemic in our society,” Wolfe said. “We must always continue our efforts to affect change at our UM System campuses.”
Butler indicated that Wolfe no longer had the moral authority to lead on the issue.
“There is no reforming him,” Butler said of Wolfe. “With him as a leader, he has not taken a firm stance on these issues or tried to make it a more inclusive campus.
Butler said that he is a person of strong Christian faith and that he consulted with his church leaders and got the input of his family and friends before deciding to hunger strike.
For the past two weeks, he has been physically preparing for the strike, slowly reducing the amount of food he has been consuming over time.
“I’m tired,” Butler told Rise News. “But I’m inspired and encouraged. I didn’t do this for publicity or to look cool. I did it because I really believe in this.”
Stay with Rise News as we cover this developing story.
READ: Full letter Jonathan L. Butler sent to University of Missouri Curators before hunger strike.
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Cover Photo Credit: Jonathan L. Butler/ Facebook
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LIVE NOW: Obama Rejects Keystone XL Pipeline Construction
UPDATE – 11:58 AM EST: President Barack Obama is speaking now. Live feed below.
President Barack Obama is expected to announce that his administration has rejected a proposal to construct a 1,179 mile long pipeline that would have cut across the American heartland according to the New York Times.
TransCanada, the company that was lobbying for the construction of the pipeline had attempted to retract its request for review from the Obama administration after it became clear that the proposal would not be approved by the government. Some have speculated that the company is hoping for a Republican to win the White House in 2016 so that they get the project approved.
Obama will speak to the nation at 11:45 AM.
LIVE FEED: (Via White House/ Youtube)
Stay with Rise News as we cover this developing story.
Cover Photo Credit: Maureen/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Empowerment Comes From Within: The Decision Is Hers
By Mashal Mirza
Mascara. Eyeliner. Lipstick. Blush.
These are the essentials for many women around the world. You can walk into any woman’s bathroom and see at least one tool used to enhance her appearance.
Makeup is a universal language, spoken and understood by women of all ages, races, and cultures.
However, we live in an era where young girls are constantly receiving conflicting messages about makeup. The back-and-forth debate often sounds like this:
“Be natural! You don’t need makeup to be beautiful.”
“Makeup is transformative! Wear it to gain confidence!”
As a woman, I am torn between the #nomakeup selfies that trend on Instagram and to be “easy, breezy, beautiful” with CoverGirl.
But why should I be convinced of one idea or the other? Makeup is a personal choice.
While I do choose not to wear makeup on most days, when I do decide to put some on, it is not to please anyone but myself.
The application of makeup is fun, and for many, including myself, the end product is the best part.
Looking into a mirror and seeing the sharp lines of contour, the flawless shading of eyeshadow, and the crispness of a perfect cat-eye is one of the most satisfying feelings.
Makeup is an art. Every face is a blank canvas, and how a woman chooses to apply makeup is indicative of her style.
Mashal Mirza argues that makeup should not be a controversial thing. Photo Credit: Carsten Schertzer/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Every woman has her own unique taste and modifies the application of makeup to fit her face. Makeup is a celebration of diversity, because it’s available to transform faces of all shapes and colors.
I have dark skin and round eyes, and I can walk into Sephora and find hundreds of products that suit my aesthetic. On the other hand, my friends with light skin and almond shape eyes can also walk into Sephora and do exactly the same thing.
So what am I getting at here? Not to lecture girls about makeup? Sure. To let girls make their own decisions about makeup? Absolutely. But what I want to stress most is this:
Makeup is an art form. It is a timeless tradition that unifies women globally. We should celebrate its unique ability to not only make a woman feel beautiful, but to also empower her.
Her empowerment isn’t simply derived from her ability to whisk her mascara wand, but it is her ability to take on the world. Whether she walks out with bare face or with perfectly crafted smokey eyes, the confidence that she has in herself and her capabilities is something to be honored.
To wear makeup or not to wear makeup is not the question. When girls question their ability to love themselves, it is our responsibility and duty as a society to assure her that self-love is always the answer.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
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How Managing A Successful Business And Running Actually Have A Lot In Common
By Dave Griffin
I was a competitive distance runner for about 15 years. In all that time of racing, one day stands above the others.
It was May 1984, and I was beginning to understand how the specifics of my training translated into race results. On this particular day, with clear air and cool temperatures, I had chosen a race with just the right competition.
I pulled through the first mile on the shoulder of a faster runner, and as we entered a downhill stretch, we were flying. I felt smooth; the long, hard intervals on the track were paying off.
When things go perfectly in a race, there is little conscience thought. Thinking invites doubt and forces you take an inventory of pain.
It’s to be avoided. In its place is concentration, a firm focus on the task at hand. For me, in this race, my single focus was holding on, and it resulted in the fastest 5K I had ever run.
I should have been ecstatic. Celebration should have been in order, but there was a potential problem—I was running a 10K race.
Continuing at the pace I was running was risky. I knew there was a chance that I would falter, but I also knew I had an opportunity to run an incredibly fast time. Knowing that I had prepared myself to handle the challenge, I pressed on.
You can’t earn a reward without taking risk, but wild abandonment is a poor strategy. Success is most likely to occur when you take reasonable risk while managing the potential pitfalls.
Today, I work as a compliance and risk officer for an insurance company, and the fundamentals I apply in my work are much the same as those I applied in the years when I was a competitive runner.
Here are four things I learned through running that you can apply as you manage the risks of your organization.
Principles Guide – In order to be a successful distance runner, you have to develop certain qualities. Without discipline and fortitude, you won’t get very far. I didn’t realize it at the time, but as I was crafting those disciplines through running, I was developing the guiding principles that would ultimately govern my life. In business, this equates to a company culture. If you want to manage organizational risk effectively, you need to cultivate a culture of trust and communication. A strong moral fiber that values your reputation in the marketplace and in your community will, in and of itself, help you avoid taking on risks that might ultimatly lead to failure.
On a Mission – Before you can effectively manage risk, you need clearly stated objectives. Risks, after all, are simply the obstacles that might keep you from reaching your goals. So set goals you can be passionate about, and then identify the risks that might keep you from reaching them.
Photo Credit: GoToVan/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Take Control – When you are a competitive distance runner, an injury can disrupt an entire season. Knowing this was a danger, I took steps to avoid injury. Once you’ve identified the key risks of your organization, assess what you are doing to control them. If the controls are lacking, take steps to improve them. Some risks can’t be eliminated, but prudent controls improve your chances of success.
Monitor and Adjust – Some of my running logs are more than 30 years old, and its fun to go back and read what I was doing and thinking back then. At the time, those logs helped me track progress, and they became a reality check—was I doing the things I needed to do in order to reach my goals? In business, controls won’t sustain themselves unless you monitor them. Routinely assess the effectiveness of your control processes and keep your eyes open for emerging hazards. Risk management is a process and you should adapt over time.
In the last couple miles of that race, I was running all out. As my competitor surged near the finish, he pulled away to win by a few strides, but I finished just behind him with a huge personal best.
That race never would have happened if I hadn’t prepared myself to take a gamble when the opportunity presented itself. By creating a solid risk culture in your organization, you can be prepared to take advantage of your opportunities.
Once you develop success principles, create a worthy vision and control your critical risks, great success is likely to follow.
Dave Griffin began running in 1976 as a high school freshman. He ran competitively through 1989. Griffin started the Flying Feet Running Programs in 2004 while his daughter, Katie, was running in high school. The program has since grown to provide year-round coaching and support to runners of all experience and talent levels in the Carroll County, MD area.
For more information about his new book In The Distance, please visit www.flyingfeetrunning.com, or his Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Joshua Kehn/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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One comment on “University Of Missouri Student Starts Hunger Strike To Oust System President From Office”
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…in a couple days when Butler quits the hunger strike, ask him once again how this wasn’t being done to gain publicity.