Students Demand UT Dallas Divest from Military Companies
On May 1, 2024, a group of University of Texas at Dallas students and faculty members took a stand at Chess Plaza, setting up tents as they protested the university’s ties to military companies. The demonstration was sparked by the recent events at the sister school in Austin, where DPS troopers had used excessive force to quell protests against military companies manufacturing munitions for Israel amidst the Gaza conflict. The group at Chess Plaza aimed to pressure the UT system to divest from companies like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing.
By noon, their encampment had grown to ten tents with around 100 students in attendance. However, at 4:00 p.m., law enforcement officers from various agencies moved in to dismantle the protest, resulting in the arrest of at least 20 individuals. The situation escalated further when a Fox 4 reporter was injured by an officer during an arrest, leading to heightened tensions and a swift clearance of the plaza by 5:47 p.m.
Mercury Staff Takes a Stand
Amidst the unrest, the student newspaper, The Mercury, underwent significant changes. Gregorio Olivares Gutierrez and Maria Shaikh assumed leadership roles just before the encampment began, taking on the roles of editor-in-chief and managing editor, respectively. The Mercury’s first print issue post-encampment featured a scathing editorial accusing the administration of using excessive force against student protestors, leading to the demotion of the interim Student Media Director, Jonathan Stewart.
New leadership in the form of Lydia Lum brought about concerns regarding prior review of articles, a practice strongly discouraged in the collegiate journalism community. Lum’s decisions, including restricting staff from attending journalism conferences, led to clashes with the Mercury staff.
Editorial Independence Under Threat
The situation reached a boiling point when Lum initiated a vote to remove Olivares as editor-in-chief, citing various charges including cost overruns and bypassing advisor involvement. The subsequent board meeting, marked by irregularities and personal attacks, culminated in Olivares’ removal, triggering a staff-wide strike and subsequent dismissals.
Undeterred, Olivares, Shaikh, and the rest of the Mercury staff regrouped to create a new independent paper, the Retrograde, after facing censorship and reprisals from the university administration. The Retrograde, now recognized as the official school newspaper, has garnered community support and funding to continue their journalistic endeavors.
A Triumph of Student Journalism
Despite facing adversity and censorship, the Mercury staff’s resilience and commitment to journalistic integrity have led to the establishment of a new platform for free expression. Through their efforts, they continue to pursue transparency and accountability, shedding light on the challenges faced by student journalists in upholding press freedom and editorial independence.