LOS ANGELES : USC Minority Students Stage All-Day Protest

About 150 minority students at USC staged an all-day sit-in Wednesday to protest “racial insensitivity” by two student body leaders, resulting in the resignation of one of the students.

The protesters, who occupied the student government office on campus for several hours, demanded the removal of Student Senate President Derrick Pedranti and student program director Mitesh Gala. Among the concerns raised were remarks by Gala that the students considered to be racial slurs, a decision to cancel separate graduation ceremonies for African-American and Latino students and the impeachment of an African-American student senator, which was later overturned.

“It is time for us to take a stand,” said Shingirai Chanaiwa, president of the Black Student Union. “We need to make enough noise to get the administration to listen.”

Pedranti would not comment Wednesday on the protest. Gala submitted his resignation late Wednesday to the Student Senate, but he denied making any racist comments and said that it was “very sad our system . . . has submitted to mob rule.”

James Dennis, USC vice president for student affairs, said the administration is hearing the concerns raised by the minority students but for the time being would not intervene.