The student-run filibuster in front of Frist continues into its fourth day of nonstop protest yesterday, after garnering attention from students, professors and the media and making a brief appearance on national television.
The protest — a symbolic act against a proposed congressional rule change that would make it more difficult for Democrats to block the appointment of some of President Bush's judicial nominees — began Tuesday morning. Its live webcam was featured on CNN's "Inside Politics with Judy Woodruff" Thursday afternoon.
Despite a Public Safety interruption Tuesday morning, rain early Wednesday and the occasional student heckler, organizers and speakers have kept the protest going continuously.
Senator Bill Frist '74, whose family donated the First Campus Center which stands just feet from the protesting students, is spearheading the campaign to end the Senate's 200-year-old tradition of unrestricted debate. In negotiations with Democrats, Frist has held fast to his demand that senators forgo the right to filibuster against President Bush's appeals court nominations, but has offered to allow them to retain limited filibuster privileges for lower court nominees.
Physics professor Chiara Nappi — as well as her husband, plasma physicist Ed Witten — spoke at the protest Thursday afternoon.
Nappi lectured on the origin and behavior of elementary particles.
"I support the efforts of these students in defending the rights of the minority party and attacking conservative attempts to reduce civil liberties," she said. "I disagree with what Frist is trying to do and because he has strong ties to Princeton, we have the duty to take a stand."
Event organizer Asheesh Siddique '07 said that as the event progressed, he has noticed more students stopping by to listen to the speakers and more students volunteering to speak.
"We are very happy with the support we have received," he said. "We are in a situation where we have speakers booked through Friday at 6:05 in the afternoon. It is getting to the point where we are telling students who want to speak that they will have to wait."
Nappi will speak again about elementary particles Friday afternoon. "Perhaps I will convince students to study more physics," she said.
Other reading material has included a phone book, the University's Rights, Rules, Responsibilities manual, Shakespearean plays and Dr. Seuss books. "We are trying to keep the protest fun but serious, [since] this is a serious issue," Siddique said.
The organizers are currently discussing "where to take [the protest] and when to end," Siddique said.
He said the event has consumed a lot of time and energy, "to the extent that if I am not in class or sleeping, I am at the filibuster. It has become a little difficult. People have got to get back to their lives."
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