Students and Teachers Unite for Campus Walkout in Protest of War

NEW BRITAIN — About a hundred Central Connecticut State University students participated in a walkout Thursday, in protest of federal cuts in student aid and inflation of the military budget. The "M9 Walkout," organized by the Progressive Student Alliance, a student activist group, took place outside the student center one month after Congress passed a budget cutting $12 billion from student loan programs and the same day Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed for a $91 billion spending bill to be used for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Students, PSA members and one professor took turns talking to the crowd about why they believe occupation of Iraq should end.

Sophomore Rob Hones served four years in the military, spending nine months at sea in Asia, and said the experience changed his mind about American occupation overseas.

"Some people feel like what we’re doing over there is justified and right and unfortunately it’s not that simple," Hones told the crowd. "To me, it doesn’t matter what your politics are, I just know that war will always bring out the worst in people. It never brings out the best."

Hones said he doesn’t agree with the way he saw American troops treat natives of other countries. He said his membership in the PSA is a way to counter those injustices.

"Not a lot of people see the point of (the protest) but it’s just creating awareness and I think that’s our main goal here," Hones said.

Senior Tony Roy also said the most important thing about the demonstration was spreading awareness.

"It’s unfortunate that more people didn’t show up," Roy said, "but at the same time there was a buzz on campus today.

"Everywhere you went people were talking about it."

At least one student present disagreed with the opinions being expressed at the protest.

Sophomore Michelle Urso, who has served in the Air Force National Guard for 2 1/2 years, is preparing to be stationed in Iraq this fall.

"It’s not that I’m in support of [the war] but I’m in the military and I have to go over there in September so to see all you guys here, and to hear all your views about it doesn’t really give me that much confidence to go over there," she said to the crowd.

"I understand they support the troops but I get such negative vibes from this and it’s just kind of disturbing," Urso said later about the demonstration. "But I understand that everyone’s going to have their own views."

Sara Capozzi can be reached at scapozzi@newbritainherald.com, or by calling (860) 225-4601, Ext. 320.

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