Around Higher Education: Minn. hunger strikers call off fast, vow to keep fighting

The Minnesota Daily MINNEAPOLIS (U-WIRE) -- Hunger strikers at the University of Minnesota, who had been protesting four years of alleged understaffing in the school's Chinese program, ended their eight-day protest Wednesday. The strikers announced an end to their fast at a rally of more than 100 people in front of the campus' Morrill Hall. "We're calling an end to the strike to maintain our mental strength to pursue our educations," said Chinese program graduate student Ben Ridgway. Protesters said they stopped the fast to get their strength back so they would be better able to negotiate with administrators for a fourth full-time professor in the Chinese program. During their eight-day fast some protesters shed up to 13 pounds and noticed a loss of concentration and fatigue. College of Liberal Arts Dean Steven Rosenstone said he is pleased the students decided to end their strike and he will continue to welcome dialogue with the students. The Chinese program now has two tenured professors and two temporary professors. In February, Rosenstone approved a third tenured faculty position for the fall quarter. After writing letters, signing petitions and attending meetings for three years, Chinese program students saw the hunger strike as their last recourse. The fast got underway April 1 when 27 hunger strikers demanded Minnesota President Mark Yudof grant them a fourth tenured professor and an equal, independent department of East Asian languages and literatures. Only 11 stuck it out until the end. Many who dropped out cited health, school and work as reasons they could not continue. At the request of University officials, nutritionists periodically checked on the starving students. When passing by Yudof's office, Boynton Director Edward Ehlinger made sure to stop by the protesters. "I would check their energy level, their animation level," he said. Ehlinger said two nutritionists periodically performed more extensive check-ups. Protesters said that although their demands were not met, the hunger strike was a success because it brought attention to the issues in the Chinese program.