Local colleges are joining a national effort to throw more support behind the Occupy Wall Street movement this week. A website called occupycolleges.org is promoting a student protest this Thursday at 3 p.m.
On Tuesday afternoon, the list of registered colleges and universities was up to 32. It includes local institutions like Temple University and Bryn Mawr College and big name schools such as Harvard and Virginia Tech.
Zach Wynkoop, 21, is organizing a walkout protest for his school, Arcadia University in Glenside, Pa. The political science major says he understands why the protests are influencing students, “Colleges are where you find a plethora of people who want change."
However, some might argue that there hasn’t been much change since the protests began.
“Change is a slow process,” Wynkoop explains, “but corporations are being faced with the fact that they have to take these protesters seriously. They aren’t going to stop.”
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The permit for Occupy Philly protesters camped out at City Hall expired on Tuesday. Mayor Michael Nutter wants them to move their movement. He says protesters have created a public health hazard and are preventing the creation of 1,000 jobs that the revitalization of Dilworth Plaza is expected to create.
UPDATE: As of Thursday afternoon, 93 colleges and universities have registered on the Occupy Colleges' website.
