More than 100 UW-Madison students and Madison community members marched down State Street Saturday to encourage new administrations to carry through with their promises of change.
Nine student organizations, including the United Council of UW Students and the Progressive Student Alliance, hosted the rally, titled Holding Change Accountable.""
Students organized the rally with the intent of reminding Chancellor Biddy Martin and the new Obama administration of their promises of change.
Sofia Snow, event organizer and First Wave program member, said she wants the administrations to know people are thinking critically of their promises.
""[The rally] wasn't one of blind optimism where we're just happy that they're here and waiting to see what they do,"" she said.
Alida Cardos Whaley, a member of the Chican@ and Latin@ Studies program, participated in organizing the event and described the rally as the second step in a process of change.
""The first step was voting for Obama,"" she said.
According to Whaley, the next step is holding the president as well as Martin and other administrators accountable for ""inspiring hope"" in their constituents.
Toward the end of the rally, UW students and community members marched to the Humanities building, where speakers and performers presented their four demands and goals for the future.
They hope to see lower tuition and increased grant aid, the passing of the Dream Act to allow immigrant students in-state tuition, the passing of the Employee Free Choice Act and improvement in the recruitment and retention of UW-Madison students and faculty of color.
""The point of the rally was to get people informed on all these different topics so that we can unite in fighting for them,"" Snow said.
Leaders of the event asked participants to write down their expectations of the new administrations. Many asked what the next step in Holding Change Accountable would be.
Snow said the organizations will hold a meeting in mid-February to discuss plans for another event in April, which could possibly be held in Milwaukee.
""The rally was a way for students to stay involved after the election,"" Whaley said of the Obama campaign. ""It's not the final step.
