You leave the meeting with the MIT administration, mulling over everything they said. How could they not realize the importance - no, the //necessity// - of your protest? You lament the unfairness of it all. You were courageous enough to lead the movement, but you’ll be the one marked as the scapegoat if anything bad were to happen during the protest.
You call up your boyfriend, who was the co-leader in all of the organization and planning. He probably had a similar meeting with the administration - maybe he has some ideas about how to proceed.
To your surprise, your boyfriend has not been called in at all. That's strange. If anything, he was even more involved in all of the proceedings. A day passes, and then another. By the end of the week, it's clear that despite the same incriminating evidence, you have been singled out by the administration.
At this point, time is running out. The planned date for the protest is around the corner and you have two choices.
[[Follow through with the protest. This is exactly the kind of blatant prejudice that you are fighting to eliminate. -> Hey hey! Ho Ho! Racism has got to go!]]
[[Call off the protest. -> Backing Down]]
You're full of rage at MIT for squashing your efforts to protest against prejudice and inequality. You know that the protest is the right thing to do, but you simply can't risk the consequences. You have a career to think about! Your parents gave up everything so that you could get a good education and be successful. You can't just throw that all away.
You send out an e-mail to the student body and call off the protest. Those who opposed your movement see this is an admission of defeat. Those who supported you criticize you for not seeing the protest through. You anticipated these reactions, but have already decided that your future is too important to you and your family to become the scapegoat.
You hope that someone else will pick up where you left off. You would gladly support them, but it'll be their problem to deal with MIT. You've done everything you could.
[[Shortly after you publicly call off the protest, an e-mail arrives from MIT -> Return to Normalcy?]]
Dear Sophie,
Thank you for making the right decision and calling off your protest. We hope you understand the Institute's priority of ensuring the safety of our students and faculty. If recent events are any indication, you should know that protests with reasonable intents can often escalate to instances of violence and disorder.
Due to your involvement in this incident, your online activity will be placed under heightened scrutiny for the remainder of your time at MIT. This is a precautionary measure, necessary to satisfy our guidelines on safety.
Feel free to go about life normally - rest assured that the monitoring will be carried out by impartial algorithms trained on cutting edge research data. No people will be given access to your data unless the algorithms demonstrate a plausible reason for concern.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
- MIT Committee of Public Safety
"We told you so." The chancellor looks at you with a pity that only makes you more furious with the situation. "But you didn't listen. I'm sorry, but we have no choice but to suspend you indefinitely for inciting a riot on MIT campus. Effective immediately."
You move back home with your parents, who won't talk to you or even look you in the eye. You wonder why they don't understand that there was no other option. They wonder why you threw away all the sacrifices they made to help you get a better life.
A week later, you decide to write a blog post about the entire situation. You explain everything - the events that demonstrated a need to change society, the meetings you organized to plan for the protests, the ideals and values you were fighting for. You also write about the measures taken by MIT to stop you. You explain that they kept detailed records on you and violated your basic rights to privacy. You think about consulting a lawyer to sue the institute for this.
Before long, your blog post becomes viral. It gets picked up by every major news outlet in America and soon your story becomes the next topic of conversation at dinners around the country.
Organizations start flying you out to speak at their meetings. It's not what you had envisioned when you organized the protest at MIT, but you're finally making a change.
One day, after a press conference, you get a text from your boyfriend.
[[He says, "you should see this." -> @POTUS]]
It's a tweet.
@POTUS
Cool protest, Sophie. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to fight for equality. It's what makes America great.
The night of the protest comes and you are filled with adrenaline. It's only 20 minutes into the protest, and already hundreds of students have poured into lobby 7 - a lot more than what the signup sheet indicated. Some members of the local news channels are starting to show up too. Who invited them?
You take a deep breath. So far, everything is going according to plan. Not everyone there is registered, but you doubt you'll get in too much trouble for that.
The chants and slogans are suddenly interrupted by a loud scream. "Get out of my way! I need to get through." A group of evidently intoxicated individuals are stuck at the mouth of the infinite, unable to get past the protesters.
Before you can make it there to diffuse the situation, the drunkard lands a punch on one of the protestors and all hell breaks loose. People shove and scream in all directions while the few cops on duty call for backup.
As the sirens grow louder, everyone panics and starts to disperse. People pass you left and right as you try to calm them down, but you realize it's too late. You try to leave too before you get tackled to the ground by one of the police officers.
"You're coming with me," he says, as he handcuffs you. You look around and it seems like everyone got away except you.
[[He escorts you not to the police station, but the room where you had previously met with MIT officials. -> We Told You So]]
By this point you are fairly certain that the Institute is able to read your e-mails, so they know about the initial thread that you used to organize the first meeting.
Since then, you've taken steps to cover up your trail though. You admit that you may have been involved to some degree in the beginning, but claim that you decided to distance yourself from the movement. After all, you organized meetings in person and used anonymous fliers to publicize the event. What proof could MIT have?
The chancellor sighs and pulls out a thick folder, dropping it onto his desk with a heavy thump. He leafs through the pages and you're shocked to see a ton of information on you. He shows you your e-mails with the other organizers. He has your complete printing history, which shows that you printed 300 pages at a certain Athena cluster in building 16 last Tuesday. He shows you screenshots of video cameras which taped you putting up these fliers later that Tuesday. He has records of each time you used your ID to access a building within the past two weeks. You had a hunch that MIT was watching you, but you had no idea it was to this extent.
You ask how any of this is ethical. You argue that this is all circumstantial evidence and that you're pretty sure it violates your rights, but none of that matters. The chairman ensures you that the Institute has every right to monitor your actions to uphold the safety of the community. You find this somewhat ironic - //you're// the one trying to make the community safer for those being discriminated against.
The chancellor strongly urges you to stop the protest, since it could escalate beyond your control. With all this evidence, there's no question that you will be named as the organizer. All responsibility will fall upon you.
[[With this, you are escorted out of the room. ->Why Me?]]
It’s Friday morning now, and you are in your HASS class, listening to the professor talking about feminism in gaming. You see 2 of your fellow protest conspirators and you are itching to talk to them. When the class breaks up into discussion groups, you have a whispered conversation about the most recent email from the Administration. You guys try to discuss whether to ignore the email and continue on as before. A fellow classmate overhears your whisperings and asks about what email you are talking about. You say the one sent out last night. She does not know which one you are talking about!
Suspicious, you get on Facebook and ask some of your other friends if they got an email from the Administration last night. After a few hours of rigorous texting, you realize the email threatening disciplinary action was only sent to those involved in planning the upcoming protest. You and all your fellow protesters are spooked, but they look to you to decide what to do next.
[[You are indignant about the administration’s threats. It is a student’s right to participate in a peaceful protest. You decide to continue organizing like before, firmly believing you are doing the right thing. -> Facebook Event]]
[[You are a bit worried. The administration already have your names. What if they do decide to punish you? You have a future to consider. However, you still believe the protest is the right to do. You decide to change tactics. Instead of using email to organize, you think a better way is to organize under the radar. -> Under the Radar]]
In order to gather more protestors, you create a Facebook event and invite your friends and other students. You set a time and date. You think the administration has no power there. One day after making the Facebook event, you get an email from the Chancellor asking you to come meet her in her office in 2 hours. You are worried but you comply.
[[The Interrogation]]
You want more protestors at the protest but are wary of leaving a digital trail. With the help of your boyfriend, you print out flyers advertising the protest and stick them up in all the dorms and hallways. One day after putting up the flyers, you get an email from the Chancellor asking you to come meet her in her office in 2 hours. You are worried but you comply.
[[The Questioning]]
Sweat drips down your forehead. You feel like you are in a James Bond movie. Three stern authoritative figures sit across from you in the shadows. They state that they know you are the main organizer of the protest and remind you there will be dire consequences for “inciting chaos” on campus. Your life flashes before your eyes.
[[Your heart suddenly slows down from its previously frenzy beating. They’ve got nothing on you. They are bluffing. And you are not doing anything illegal. You flat out deny your involvement. -> The Evidence]]
[[You think about what your parents taught you about responsibility. You believe you are just doing what is right. You say you are involved in organizing the protest. You remind them you are following all rules and regulations about protests. ->Why Me?]]
Sweat drips down your forehead. You feel like you are in a James Bond movie. Three stern authoritative figures sit across from you in the shadows. They state that they know you are the main organizer of the protest and remind you there will be dire consequences for “inciting chaos” on campus. Your life flashes before your eyes.
[[Your heart suddenly slows down from its previously frenzy beating. They’ve got nothing on you. They are bluffing. And you are not doing anything illegal. You flat out deny your involvement. ->The Institute is Watching]]
[[You think about what your parents taught you about responsibility. You believe you are just doing what is right. You say you are involved in organizing the protest. You remind them you are following all rules and regulations about protests. ->Why Me?]]
The three shadowy figures remain unimpressed. They give you printouts of the email threads planning the protest. You see your name. They show you the Facebook event, with the creator being you. They even show you stills of you and the other protest organizers meeting. You are shocked by the amount of surveillance. You tell them that this is illegal and unethical. You say that this evidence can’t be used against you. They are unmoved. They remind you again that if you continue, you will get suspended or worse. As a student at their institution, they are allowed to take such measures. They once again encourage you to cancel the protest, citing possibility of violence and unrest.
[[You leave the meeting. ->Why Me?]]
It’s Thursday evening, and you’re creating the agenda for the protest on your laptop when an email pops up on your screen.
Dear Students,
In light of the current events that have been happening on campus related to racial issues, we realize that it may be difficult to remain quiet and calm. But above all, MIT is an educational institution, and we want to ensure that we mitigate external distractions on campus that may be more injurious to the cause. Accordingly, we highly discourage you from organizing protests. Organizers of protests will be subject to disciplinary action. We are enforcing these rules to promote the safety and peace of our campus. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
//Your Administration//
Why have the restrictions suddenly become so harsh? Have they been monitoring us?
[[Regardless, you first need to talk to your friends to see if they got the email too ->Targeted Warnings]]
You’re convinced the administration monitored your emails (how else would they know you were planning a protest at this time?) But what can you as a student do against the behemoth that is the MIT administration? You reluctantly decide that it’s simply safer for your college career to call off the protest. You decide to enjoy your Saturday night - it’s Halloween after all.
--
You wake up the next day to a bunch of messages from your friends:
''Lily'': OMG!!! Did you hear about that ‘White-Girls Only Party’ last night? Some of my friends tried getting in, and were flat out turned down.
''Maria'': WTF??? How is this even allowed on campus? White-Girls Only Party? Are we still in the 1950s?
''Jada'': We gotta do something girl - MIT is turning a cold-shoulder to all of this.
//Enough// is //enough//. You decide to go through with the protest, but are still a little suspicious about the emails regarding protest restrictions.
[[Forget about the emails - you’re over-analyzing things. Let’s get started planning this protest. ->Recruiting Supporters]]
[[Maybe the administration is monitoring my email. Just to be safe, I’ll meet my friends in person and plan the meeting. ->Quick Run-in]]
At your meeting on Friday night, you and the members of the Black Students Union agree that you should have a protest even with the new restrictions being enforced. But you decide that for the protest to be impactful, you’ll need more participants from organizations all over campus. Everyone agrees to recruit more members from the organizations they are involved in.
[[You plan to reconvene again next Wednesday.->The Meeting]]
You run into your friends after class the next day.
''You'': Hey guys - I want to go through with the protest, but let’s not email details anymore - since I’m kind of worried the administration is reading them. How about we meet in building 4 at 9:30pm on Wednesday?
''Maria'' and ''Lily'': For sure - I’ll tell the rest of the group.
[[Get ready to meet on Wednesday ->The Meeting]]
It’s Wednesday night at 11:00pm and you’re surrounded by ~20 of your friends to discuss plans regarding the protest. You realize there are so many things to decide: when to organize the protest, how to advertise, how to keep the administration from finding out too much, and the list goes on and on. Currently, you guys are having trouble deciding between holding the protest on-campus or off-campus.
[[Let's organize the protest off-campus - it'll be safer ->Off-Campus Protest]]
[[Events are happening at MIT - the protest will be more effective here ->Email Alert]]
Is holding the protest off-campus a good idea though? People may not come, many of your friends may not make it, the impact at MIT will be limited….
But you can’t risk holding it on-campus, because you know the administration will try to stop it.
[[In disappointment, you contemplate stopping the protest. ->Yik Yak]]
After the meeting that night, you’re scrolling through the popular social app YikYak which allows you to see anonymous discussions going on around MIT. You chuckle to yourself reading through some of the posts - people are really quite funny, when suddenly, you come upon this:
''//I'm going to shoot any black people tomorrow, so be ready//''
For a second, you’re in a state of shock. You’ve never read anything so blatantly racist before. You think back to all the events on campus and the Black Lives Matter movement. We can’t wait any longer. We need the protest more than anything - and it has to be on campus.
[[You're back on your game ->Email Alert]]
You're a junior at MIT and it's a Tuesday night. Instead of working on your problem set, you are chatting with a friend.
''Lily'': Omgsh did you see the White Students Union Facebook page?
''You'': No? Why?
''Lily'': It’s ridiculous and abominable; they called our Black Lives Matter movement “terrorism”!!! Here’s what they wrote as their mission:
//“for the white students of MIT to be able to form a community and discuss our own issues as well as to organize against the terrorism that we have been facing from the Black Lives Matter activists on campus”//
''You'': WTF... This is unacceptable...
''Lily'': I know right?! We need to do something!!
''You'': What can we do...
[[Ignore the blatant racism and hope the school administration takes action. ->Dinner that Night]]
[[The idea of organizing a protest brews in the back of your mind.->Taking Action]]
You get dinner with your boyfriend later that night and the topic of the Facebook page comes up again.
''Edward'': Did you hear about the White Students union Facebook page?
''You'': Yeah... Lily told me about it... it’s so ridiculous I don’t even know if we should address it because it would give them attention they don’t deserve.
''Edward'': But you’re the President of the Black Students Union! If anyone is going take action on campus, it’s you and your organization, AND by not taking action you’re saying that it’s okay.
''You'': It’s definitely not okay. Haha maybe you should start a Whites for Black Lives Matter Student union and we could start a protest together!
''Edward'': Yes, I could, but by the time I managed to form the organization, this whole thing will have blown over.
''You'': Yeah that’s true. This is a serious issue that will require some thought and planning.
Later that night, you list out all the pros and cons for starting a protest. You decide to:
[[Let the school handle it and enjoy the peace and quiet with your boyfriend.->The Black Tape]]
[[Start a protest against racism and show solidarity with the BLM movement.->Taking Action]]
You bump into your boyfriend on the way back to your dorm.
You: Hi babe, you were right. We need to do something about this.
Edward: Yes! I’ll help you with whatever you need.
You give him a hug and rush back to your dorm. You see your previous pros and cons list and you rip it up in a fit of righteous anger. You turn on your computer and write an e-mail to the Black Students Union, urging your organization to take action.
Dear fellow members,
I’m sure by now you’ve all heard of the recent events on campus. It is completely intolerable that we are being threatened and made to feel unwelcome in our own home because of the color of our skin. I would like to organize a public protest on campus so the administration knows that this is unacceptable and action must be taken. But I can’t do this without your help. Please join with me in fighting against this hate. Our first meeting to organize the protest will be this Friday at 10:00 pm. I hope to see you all there.
Best,
Sophie
[[You send out the e-mail, optimistic about the impact you can make.->The Institute Responds]]
You analyzed your list and decided that this one incident of ignorance isn’t worth starting a huge commotion on campus. So you turn in for the night and hope this all blows over quickly.
But you wake up the next day and your phone is blowing up with messages and texts:
''Jodie'': You have to come see this... It’s in Lobby 7
''Tanya'': Wtf you’re not gonna believe this
''Christina'': Come to Lobby 7
You throw on whatever clothes you can find and rush over. Once you get to Mass Ave, you have to fight through a crowd to see what everyone is speculating about. You finally get into Lobby 7 and see what is causing the commotion: there is black tape over all the pictures of the black professors on the MIT Wall of Professors - //only// the black professors.
You’re stunned. Looking at those pictures and the tape, you feel like the perpetrators were personally targeting you and stating that you don’t belong here. You look around and see the flash of cameras from news networks, and you also see a sea of faces surrounding you - white, Asian, Hispanic. You wonder why only your people are being targeted; what makes you guys different?
[[You decide then and there that you and the Black Students Union are doing something about this.->Taking Action]]
The day after you sent the email, you receive an email from the Office of the President addressed to the entire school.
To the members of the MIT community,
In light of the current events that have been happening on campus relating to racial issues, we have decided to begin monitoring student protests and activities. If your organization would like to form a protest, it must be registered, cannot involve anyone under the age of 18, cannot involve alcohol, and most importantly a list of the participating students must be submitted before the event happens. We are enforcing these rules to promote the safety and peace of our campus. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
//Your Administration//
You’re surprised and confused after reading the e-mail. It’s quite the coincidence that this announcement came so shortly after you messaged your group. Could MIT possibly have found out about that? Could this announcement be a response to your e-mail? No way, it’s not like you did or said anything wrong in it. It doesn’t make sense that the administration would just ban all protests instead of punishing the perpetrators. But then again maybe they’re just trying to prevent things from escalating. You...
[[Are a little suspicious that the announcement is somehow a direct response to your e-mail. You decide to talk with your friends in person instead of e-mailing.->Quick Run-in]]
[[Decide to keep going with your original plan and attribute your suspicions to paranoia.->Recruiting Supporters]]
[[Are scared by the idea that they might be monitoring your communication and you decide to call off the protest.->Halloween]]