More than 100 students packed themselves into the office of the president of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina last week to protest the inferior condition of their dorms. Some sat in silence with duct tape covering their mouths with words such as “rats” and “mold” written on the tape. Others brought photos of their own dorms. Senior Eugene Johnson acted as spokesman for the crowd when Shaw President Clarence Newsome appeared to address the protestors’ concerns. Newsome moved the students into a conference room and quietly listened to the students concerns, including rats, five people in one dorm room, poor ventilation and mold throughout the dorms. Newsome adjourned the meeting asking for a formal list of demands from the students so the administration could “get to work” addressing their concerns.

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