Thirty Boston University students gathered at BU Central Tuesday night to discuss Occupy Boston’s efforts in what College of Arts and Sciences junior Demarius Walker called “democracy without the facade.”
“This is an anthropological experience at the very least. These people care,” Walker said. “We are establishing open discussion as a regular thing.”
Students met and formed a discussion circle for “Coffee and Convo Style Occupy Discussion,” which students said was meant to foster debate about the Occupy Boston movement. CAS senior Jonathan Senin said that while he moderated the meeting, everyone spoke freely.
Senin told students about his role in Occupy the Hood, which demonstrated on Saturday.
“I heard of people smearing feces and urine on the windows outside of Bank of America,” Senin said.
Students began debating the possibility of removing their accounts from Bank of America, with some expressing skepticism about the degree of corruption that appears to have stemmed from the larger banks.
Senin said that since students tend to be unfamiliar with the economics of their situations, the next meeting could focus on demystifying the numbers surrounding their arguments.
“We should do the research, and bring it to the next meeting,” Senin said. “Maybe we could bring a [School of Management] friend.”
BU Occupies Boston plans to hold meetings like the ‘Occupy Discussion’ on a weekly basis, Walker said. The meeting is not like the large general assemblies held by Occupy Boston at Dewey Square, he said, but was more flexible and less structured.
“This is way more important than the general assemblies,” said Tarif Ahmed, a CAS junior. “It’s like Dumbledore’s Army, an intimate setting where people can walk in and out.”
CAS junior Brandon Wood said he saw about half a dozen newcomers at the meetings. He described their expressions as “tired, angry faces.”
“There was a dark mood,” Wood said.
Wood said that the voices of the skeptics need to be heard so that they can achieve true progress. In creating the forums, he said he believed he had found a great way to gain supporters. He said he thinks a discussion like this serves as a precursor to a larger movement, but that it is unclear where a discussion leads.
Although Wood said at the start of the meeting that the group should participate in an ongoing march, the group agreed that students would benefit more from engaging in small discussions.
Ahmed, however, said that the group should consider immediate action instead of debating long-term and short-term goals.
“Let’s set up conversation now. I know what I want. I don’t know about you guys,” Ahmed said.
Nonetheless, Ahmed and other students said that their main concern would be to understand concerns or ideas other students may have considered – whether they coincide with their own views or not.“I want people to think,” Ahmed said. “If someone doesn’t like what I have to say that’s fine.”
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