The anger over potential budget cuts in the College of Liberal Arts cumulated in a walkout and rally Wednesday morning. More than 100 students joined the protest, which met in West Mall, and many brought signs with slogans like “Cut the racism, not our budgets” and “Ethnic studies si, budget cuts no” expressing their frustration with the cuts, which would disproportionately target ethnic studies.

The event was organized by a group called “The Students Speak” which formed to fight against the proposed cuts and to give students an outlet of voicing their opinions on the subject. Spreading their message via Facebook, email and different on campus organizations and clubs, The Students Speak asked students to walk out of their classes at 10:30 a.m. and to encourage fellow classmates and professors to follow suit. The rallying students met outside of the Union on the West Mall, and circled around the fountain where speakers with megaphones motivated the group and explained the purpose of the event.

For the next few hours, the rally continued, alternating between intervals of speeches by passionate students and faculty. Group-led chants of “take the power out of the tower,” “they say cut back, we say fight back” and other similar mantras resonated from the passionate students. The group moved from West Mall to the front of the tower as more and more concerned students approached to listen to the speakers explain why the cuts are unfair and about how the cuts will negatively affect the university.

“I am considering adding Mexican-American studies as a second major, but I’m not sure if I will get it if the budget cuts go through,” fourth year History major Eduardo Hernandez said.

The purpose of the event was both to inform the student body about the proposed cuts and to make the administration hear student’s opinions on the matter. By holding up a sign in the center of the circle that said “Bill Powers is a white supremacist,” the protesters directly called for attention from the university, making it obvious that to these students the budget cuts are not only a liberal arts issues but a reflection of racism permeating the administration.

“As a place of learning, UT has the power to give a voice to marginalized people,” third year student Rachel Schelter said. “Ethnic studies are important because they give a voice to these people who are usually excluded from institutionalism.”

The students gathered to share their passions with the community and to fight for their right to follow them. Their public presence on the campus Wednesday got the word out about their plight, and they now wait to find out if the administration was listening, all hoping that the budgets proposals will be rejected and that ethnic studies will continue to receive ample funding.

“Ethnic studies give people an opportunity to learn about their own histories,” Hernandez said. “History isn’t just about whites or just about Americans, it’s about the whole world.”