Monday night's blackout protest started as a chain text message early in the evening. By the time the sidewalks and smoke on High Street cleared at 12:30 a.m. early Tuesday morning, Miami University witnessed its biggest protest in 10 years. Here is a timeline of the event as recorded by one reporter in the field, from the vantage point of President David Hodge's front yard.
7:32 p.m.: I receive a forwarded text message: "Sit in on hodges front lawn at 9oclock. Come and bring chairs if you can. Sober or drunk … just come."
9:11 p.m.: Cars, motorcycles, students waving the Miami flag and a burning torch are in the middle of High Street in front of the president's house. Student Body President Mike Scott explains that Hodge is in Columbus. Standing on Hodge's lawn, a physically upset Scott has a limited verbal reaction to the sit-in.
"They're pretty upset, that's pretty clear," Scott says.
9:15 p.m.: Hodge's lawn. Police begin to show up and move the automobiles blocking High Street off the road. One line of students remains on the street.
Student Trustee Heath Ingram expresses disappointment of the sit-in.
"We can get people to protest classes, but not social inequities or even to come to a football game. That's what's really frustrating," Ingram said.
9:40 p.m.: A student is climbing a lit streetlight. Toilet paper is strewn all over the street. Scott reports the provost is sending an e-mail to faculty Tuesday asking them to be lenient on student attendance during the next day's classes.
Scott is seen being asked by Miami Police Chief John McCandless to address the student crowd and plead for them to get off of High Street, a U.S. federal highway.
9:45 p.m.: Scott, armed with a police cruiser microphone, attempts to tell the student crowd to get off the street. No students within 10 feet of Scott can hear him. Student reaction is mostly negative, complete with boos and toilet paper being thrown at him. A student is spotted climbing a tree on campus, upstaging Scott's address.
10:07 p.m.: The power at Harrison Hall and the streetlights on High Street go out, to the applause of students. Toilet paper is thrown at Hodge's house and catches in a tree in the front yard.
10:15 p.m.: Overheard student comment at Hodge's front gate, "This is Miami, one thing we can all agree about is missing class and drinking tomorrow."
An Obama field organizer is seen on High Street registering students to vote.
10:17 p.m.: Police begin taking students on High Street into police cruisers to a chorus of boos.
"They're impeding peoples' rights to use a U.S. state highway," an officer on Hodge's yard said.
10:25 p.m.: Butler County Sheriff arrives.
10:34 p.m.: Any students still standing in High Street are taken away.
10:48 p.m.: A news crew arrives.
11:18 p.m.: Police remove students who have been sitting in trees on-campus; a water bottle is thrown at a police cruiser.
11:26 p.m.: Glow sticks are thrown into the crowd.
11:32 p.m.: Students running down High Street with American flags are detained by police officers.
11:48 p.m.: The lights come back on in Harrison Hall, Bell Tower and the Shriver Center. A student is then lifted by the crowd and leads a rendition of "Love and Honor to Miami."
11:53 p.m.: Firecrackers close to High Street go off, causing huge applause from the student crowd. Police on Hodge's lawn set off to investigate.
11:59 p.m.: The crowd begins counting down to midnight for an unknown student celebrating his 21st birthday. At midnight, the crowd begins singing "Happy Birthday."
12:09 a.m.: Police move on-campus and begin arresting students who were throwing objects, including doughnuts, at the police cruisers. Large amount of protesters begin leaving.
Approximately 12:30 a.m.: Police move onto the sidewalk of High Street, telling students to get off of the sidewalk. Protesters are confused about the legality of where they are standing.
One student to a police officer: "What are we supposed to do right now?"
Police Officer: "Go home."
12:36 a.m.: What's left of the student protest goes home.
"I'm exhausted," Scott says. "I'm just tired and exhausted."
