AMES — The voices of students and community members alike rang through the Alumni Center at Iowa State University Wednesday.

Echoes of “Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a choice,” “Who do you stand for — the students or the state?” and “We are scared” bounced off the cream-colored walls.

Protesters held signage high reading, “Who is Next,” “The Buck Stops Here,” and “Underserved, Disregarded.”

During public comment, the last agenda item concluding the regents’ first day in Ames, roughly 30 students from the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Ames residents gathered and expressed their distaste for diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, federal funding cuts, and more.

In April of 2024, the regents heard from each of the state’s public universities regarding policy implementations in compliance with 10 recommendations aimed at restructuring DEI programs.

Additionally, the university recently shuttered the doors of its Office of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity in late March.

Daniela Pintor-Mendoza, the president of the Latino Student Union at the UI, opened the 30-minute public comment section, speaking about her experience with being a first-generation college student and how the DEI changes have impacted not only her life, but the lives of others.

“These actions are not just policy shifts. They tap on the values of fairness, success, access, and representation. DEI is not political,” Pintor-Mendoza said.

Pintor-Mendoza defined the words diversity, equity, and inclusion for the board, emphasizing the impact of removing these words from websites and classrooms.

“As long as we exist, we will resist. DEI is a commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to thrive. We will fight for quality education … even if you have forgotten what that looks like,” Pintor-Mendoza said.

Darrell Washington, a UI student, articulated the importance of college not only as a place of learning and education but as a space for survival.

“College is not just textbooks and grades. College is survival. Survival is when we hope someone will say our name and mean it. Survival is seeking spaces where we don’t have to explain ourselves but can simply exist,” Washington said.

Many individuals, Washington said, have found their home at the Pride Alliance Center, located at 601 Melrose Ave. in Iowa City, and Student Accessibility Services, located in the Old Capitol Mall.

“We are not the footprint. We are the story. The university is more than bricks. It is a community. It is a living, breathing entity, and we are the heartbeat of it,” Washington said.

Students from both regent universities stood with international students, calling them “family” and not “outsiders.”

On April 15, four UI international students had their visas revoked, following the revocation of a graduate student’s visa in early April.

Graciela Rangel, an ISU student, urged the regents, seated a few feet away, not to fall to parental compliance and govern over the regent universities in a manner that stands with the students.

“We pledge one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. But how is this attainable when we, our staff, are scared to talk about controversial topics? Anticipatory obedience to unjust policies and oppressive ideologies is not a sign of ethical leadership,” Rangel said.

Following an end to the public comment session, protesters gathered once more in the doorway of the Alumni Center, shouting, “Let the people speak. We came here to speak.”

Shortly after, the protesters moved outside where they stood in conversation.

Silvera Dudenhoefer, a third-year student at ISU and protester at the meeting, said the purpose of the protest was to confront the regents directly.

“We [Iowa State] and the University of Iowa have done organizing on our campuses, and this was a good chance for a lot of us to come together as one front and have the regents look us in the eye as we tell them what they are doing is wrong,” Dudenhoefer said.

Dudenhoefer echoed a similar sentiment to that of Rangel, stating that compliance itself is no better than active oppression.

“This is the start. They’re starting with us, and it won’t end with us. And if they don’t draw the line for the students who are the most vulnerable, then they are not going to be able to defend the other students who are next on the agenda,” Dudenhoefer said.

Editor’s note: Darrell Washington is a former staff member at The Daily Iowan.