To show support for the union strike, Ohio State students, faculty and workers infiltrated the OSU Board of Trustees meeting Friday at the Longaberger Alumni House.Protesters waving signs with messages from “Higher Education, Higher Wages” to “Where is the Diversity?” approached the board asking them to support the Communications Workers of America and to confirm the university’s commitment to diversity.The only comments made on the strike before the protesters demanded the issue be addressed were from OSU President William “Brit” Kirwan in his President’s Report to the Board.Kirwan expressed his disappointment in the failed negotiations between the university and the union, and the failure to reach an agreement before a strike could be diverted.The protesters at the meeting became more and more vocal as they noticed that they would not be acknowledged unless they forced the board to recognize them.”We came to have the board acknowledge our presence and listen to what we have to say. We are not leaving until they do,” one protester shouted to the board.The protesters continued to creep closer to the board and their tone and become louder and more demanding as the meeting continued.The students chanted “Let Nancy speak! Let Nancy speak!” over and over until board Chairman Michael Colley agreed to give Nancy Campbell, a women’s studies assistant professor, five minutes to address the board with the group’s concerns.Campbell said that the administration at OSU has set up an unquestionable divide between university workers and hospital workers.”The workers have continually said that they do not want to be divided from each other and that they do not appreciate the continuing efforts of the administration to split them apart,” Campbell said.As she discussed the different proposals the university has put on the table to offer less money to some workers and more to other workers, union workers who had remained silent for the majority of the meeting began the shout “Show me the money.”Campbell ended her speech with a plea for the university to meet what she said she feels are the reasonable requests of the union and to end the strike.The board made no comment after Campbell’s address and many students in the audience started calling on the board to make one.”Is there no response from the Board of Trustees on the content of what was just said?” a protester asked. “We will not back down until you meet the CWA’s demands,” shouted another.Colley, after nearly five minutes of staring at the shouting protesters, said only that Campbell’s words would be taken under advisement.However, that did not satisfy the protesters and they started cheering and shouting again. Eventually, the meeting had to be called to an end and the majority of the board members left the room as quickly as possible.OSU Provost Ed Ray said that, at a university, people have the freedom to say whatever they believe and that he understands the concerns of those that came forth to state their opinions at the meeting.However, he also said that with such a heated issue, there is a lot of passion involved and issues tend to get rolled together.”There are a lot of things being said that will not be able to be quickly resolved, even after the strike is settled,” Ray said.