MEDIA UPDATES AND CLARIFICATIONS

So, we've had a busy week trying to get the reporting on our strike to reflect what has actually happened. The Daily reported on Tuesday that SWSA students were involved with the hard picket lines that formed around Wilson Hall, and this was untrue. SWSA students are generally at stage (field placements) on Tuesday and Thursday. We have heard no evidence that any undergraduate students were involved in the actions taken on Tuesday by other unaffiliated students. The SWSA Mobilization Committee was not present on Tuesday, nor was it consulted about the actions taken by other student associations based out of Wilson Hall on Tuesday. We are not out to condemn actions by others, but we feel that the reports of undergrads being involved in the actions on Tuesday do a disservice to our students.

We have asked that they clarify both articles written on Monday and Tuesday to reflect what undergraduate social work students were involved in, and the Daily's News Editors have done so. We respect The Daily's reporting deeply, and very much appreciate their willingness to fact check and to revise the previous stories which were unclear.

Additionally, this was reported yesterday:

Pickets get softer around campus Pickets get softer around campus Students react to Tuesday’s picket line tension HENRY GASS Published on March 22, 2012 After a tense day of strike activity Tuesday, picket lines are taking a softer approach across campus. Outside Wilson Hall Wednesday morning, picketing students from the Social Work Student Association (SWSA) held a “strike the fear” picket. Students suspended a “blob” of “fear” from the scaffolding in front of the entrance to the building, with some students hitting it with rolled-up newspaper. Jade Mathieu, SWSA internal coordinator, said some picket activities on Monday and Tuesday “made tensions arise.” According to Mathieu, the hard picket line yesterday in front of Wilson Hall was led by striking Nursing graduate students. The School of Social Work shares Wilson Hall with the School of Nursing. “I really respect the diversity of tactics…[but] we for now are not going to use harder tactics, and we’re going to try to get more support in peaceful ways,” said Mathieu. Mathieu added the SWSA wanted to “change the atmosphere” around Wilson Hall. “We wanted to address the different fears that students could have – so fear of admin repression, or the fear of just being in the picket, any kind of fear that students could have – to address it and recognize it,” she said. Mathieu said SWSA voted at their strike General Assembly last week to use soft tactics. “We’re just trying to raise awareness of the importance of not crossing the picket line and to try to get people to join us. We’re trying to be positive and to get more and more support for the strike,” said Mathieu.