Protesters gather at Bunce Hall. April 3, 2025. (Photo by Kacie Scibilia)
Students at Rowan University rallied in a protest against the harsh and escalating attacks on student freedoms as doled out by President Trump and his administration. On Thursday, April 3, the students from the Rowan Young Democratic Socialists of America and Rowan Students for Justice in Palestine gathered at the owl statue and marched to Bunce Hall in hopes of inciting Dr. Ali Houshmand, Rowan University’s president, to take action against the Trump administration’s new restrictions.
The students likened the censorship and ICE crackdowns to an authoritarian government. They have several concerns. The Department of Education has begun enforcing severe restrictions on universities receiving federal funding, and the universities are starting to bend.
They argued that ICE has no place on college campuses. “Up up with liberation, down down with deportation!” the protestors cried out. The protesters also voiced their concerns about the un-American detention and deportation of international student activists. The Rowan protesters particularly demanded the release of Columbia University’s Mahmoud Khalil.
The students demanded another town hall meeting to address all their concerns because they feel that they’re not being heard or taken seriously, and they want recurrent town hall meetings at least once per semester. They look for assurance from Dr. Houshmand that not only will they be heard in their entirety, but they also want genuine action to address their concerns in a timely manner.
Another demand the activists had was for transparency from the school’s administration. They asked for distinctly outlined protections for the university’s students and faculty and want the administration to communicate all information regarding institutional decisions affecting the students. Finally, the student activists urged Rowan University to take the Know Your Rights information on their website and include it in all Rowan Announcer emails.
Dr. Kevin Koett, the Dean of Students, attended the rally to help the protestors understand that their interests were recognized by the school’s administration.
“We support students who want to express their concerns and thoughts,” said Koett.
“My understanding…is that students want to express their concerns about things that are happening in the country and in the world, concerns about protection of freedom of speech, their rights are being taken away,” said Koett. “I think part of the issue, too, that students have expressed to us in different venues…[is] that they’d like the institution to be a little bit more transparent and listen to their voices.”
Koett’s position is that the university’s administration is transparent, but they haven’t found the right medium yet to disseminate their information where the students will read it. “How do you find the right modality? Where do you share it?” said Koett.
While the vast majority of protesters covered their faces and refused to go on record, 18-year-old freshman protester Nour Raja, who is majoring in law and justice, stepped up. A regular protester on and off campus, Raja fights for equality.
“I’ve always been told as a kid to stand up for what’s right, no matter who is against you. If it’s right, it’s right. Right is right, wrong is wrong, no matter who does it,” said Raja. “I always got told [about] American values, equality, justice, and peace for all, and I do right now feel like our government is not giving that.”
Media by Scibilia 