“Crazy Scientists” took a new meaning on Friday, March 7, 2025, as scientists from all over the country organized rallies as part of the national movement for “standing for science”. The day, which aims to respond to President Trump’s high -level budget cuts in the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Disease Control and Prevention, and more, and attracted only thousands of participants in Washington DC.
National Standup for Science website “Demanding its mission,” policy makers, organizations, and the scientific community, describes the integrity of science, protecting its access to and ensuring its benefits that its benefits will serve all people. ”
In the Whiteman, where faculty, students and staff participated in a panel discussion earlier noon, which cautiously defeated political questions, the National Stand for Science Day events received a silent response.
With about 150 150 participants, Penalist Burt Mass (Associate Professor, BBMB), Rachna Snowyat (Director, Grant and Foundation Relations), Jason Prbbuski (Professor, Anthropology), Pola Paela Castilo (Assistant Professor, Geology and Environmental Studies, Geology and Environmental Studies. Are excited. The administration’s budget decreases, while avoiding more focus on the political environment behind the deductions.
Ariel Cole, who organized the event with Mass and Geology Professor Kirsten Nicoleson, explained why the organizers chose to create as a “educational event”.
“We are all teachers, I like to teach, the teachings are where my skills are determined, and during the conversation we moved to the teaching program,” Cole said.
For Mass, the program created the opportunity to educate people who were probably overwhelmed by a busy news cycle.
“Hey, it seems,” Hey, if you were not aware of implementing some of these proposed policy changes or policies, what are they? “
In the Whiteman, where the school has a 501c3 status, political action can be considered dangerous. In fact, College is one of the 60 higher educational institutions that recently Received a letter from the Department of Education After October 9, 2023, political protests threaten to pull funds from hotbeds schools. With this letter, the Trump administration has created a cold environment for free speech on campus, targeting students and policies in higher education, along with numerous executive orders.
As the New York Times reported, several invited speakers at Montana State University stood for a science rally “refused to fear the state or federal government or their tenure committees.” International students were also afraid to participate in the “lack of financial support for universities that allow” illegal protests “after Mr Trump’s recent social media posts.
These concerns have made their way to the Whitman, where the organizers of the faculty quickly made it clear that the protest was organized in their abilities, not their personal, professional.
“These are just three friends who stand in front of the Trump administration’s excesses. We are not doing this like a steam or science in the vitamin. Cole said,” We are doing this like Ariel and Burt and Kirsten. ”
Nevertheless, personal and professional status is not always easily described. Nicholson’s HER, most of his career, is associated with his personal life, which has led to science across the country.
“I’m feeling the waves of grief. And one thing that I am saddened is that I started in science when there were very few women in Geo Science who were direct teachers … I was often kept in the room as the only female geo -scientist or the first female Geo scientist, when I used to say a special kind of campaign or a campaign, more than 30 years of this, “Nicovson,” this level of 30 years. “
For Nicholson, as it is about scientists across the country, the matter is deeply personal.
“I resonate with their anxiety and I also like, how can we eliminate resources, energy … environment health, help to protect against the risk of risk?” Nicholson said, “So, there is grief and I have a deep compassion for the students.”
