Hello,

Truth be told, I've been putting off writing this update because it really is disheartening. Without being too soppy, I just want to let you know that I am really disappointed in how some of those in charge of Derby College treated me and my friend. 

So, for the backstory. I have now left Joseph Wright (one of the Derby College sites) as I have finished my final year at the College and am currently awaiting my exam results (please pray for me, thank you) however, as I am still a student at Joseph Wright I can still go back. I planned to go back to the College to put up posters encouraging students to sign our petition at both the Joseph Wright centre and Roundhouse. I did so last week on Thursday. Now, I've done this once before and the next day I came into college all the posters had been taken down. When I inquired about this I found that because I used sellotape to put them up they had to take them down. The caretakers said that next time it'll be fine as long as I use blu-tac. Please keep this in mind.

Onto what happened then. Due to my 0% muscle index, my close friend kindly offered to help me put them up around College as we had printed a large amount of posters and they were heavy. So, we separated and started putting them up around College. As this happened, my friend found me and said that a woman, who we do not yet know the name of, told her to stop putting up posters as we did not have permission from the head. Now, when I heard this I thought there must have been a misunderstanding as there are a vast amount of student posters around college and I am quite certain that they are not all approved by the head (Stacey Adams) so why would there just be a problem with our petition posters? Also, previously I was told that it was because I used sellotape that they were taken down and now a woman was telling me we need permission from the head. Sounds a lot like excuses to me.

We continued putting the posters up and as we did so we realised that two adults (who were caretakers) started following us- two 18 year old students. As we were putting up the posters, they were behind us taking them down.We quickly realised that they were there to intimidate us and make us perhaps feel threatened so we stop putting up posters. To my knowledge, putting up posters is not a crime. We felt anxious due to them constantly behind us and went into the toilets. When I came out, they were still there. Then, my friend came out and they requested that she hand her posters to them (she was holding them while I had mine in my bag.) She refused as they are our posters, our property. They understood this and admitted that they did not want to take them down but had been told to follow us and do so. This was heartbreaking to hear to say the least. I felt disgusted in who ever told them to follow us and make us feel like that. We felt like criminals when we were doing nothing wrong but expressing our voice. 

Soon after, the same woman who had previously talked to my friend about needing permission, began following us and even chased us down the corridor. She said that she needs the posters from us and again we denied. She then insinuated that if we used the College printers then they are not our property but her's by asking what printers we used. This was degrading. She made us feel like children. After we did not hand her the posters, she again said that we need the heads permission. But of course, when I said I would like to go talk to her she said that she was not in. She said that she could set up a meeting. At this point I was so irritated at how they were treating us that I did not want to talk to her or any one else running Derby College any longer. I said that I did not want to talk to her anymore and walked away. 

But of course, even though we had agreed to stop putting up posters, someone else was sent to 'talk' to us. As we were heading downstairs to go, another woman who again i'm sorry I do not know the name of, said that she wanted the posters off of us. We re-iterated that they were our property and so she could not have them. She said that she was a manager of Derby College and then asked "What has Stacey said about the petition posters?" in a tone, implying that she does not want them to go up. To be clear, Stacey Adams or anyone has never talked to me about the petition posters. The 'issue' had never been discussed with me, not even in the meeting I had with her and Kate Martin. When we said this she then said something that didn't really make sense. As I understand, she was trying to say is that because Stacey Adams talked to me about the petition previously and did not recommend that I continue with the petition aimed at Derby College, that she did not want our posters about the petition going up around the College. Even though they were aimed at students. At least then someone finally made it clear to me that it was never an issue of sellotape or getting permission. It was always the issue of our petition itself and that anything about it was not allowed in the College because those in charge simply did not agree with the cause over 300 students are fighting for.

After what had already happened, we already felt silenced and ridiculed. But she went on to say that, even though we had already told the woman before (with whom she had talked to) that we were no longer putting them up she subtly threatened us that if we don't stop then we will get in trouble. She repeated this several times implying that there would be serious consequences if we didn't stop. I must continue to remind you that we were only putting up posters. We were only fighting for a cause which I thought every student had a right to do. We were only encouraging other students to sign our petition for 'fair pay for teachers.' We were not committing a crime. We were not putting up posters asking students to do anything dangerous. I never expected all this to happen over such a small thing like putting up posters.

But of course it does not stop there. 

We decided that we should sit down for a little bit before we left. I knew one thing for sure: there was no way in hell I am giving up on this and their attempts at discouraging me were not going to work. If we could no longer put them up, that was fine. We then retorted to handing them out to students individually and talking to them about the petition. Of course we were being watched as we did so. 

I was also made aware by an absolutely amazing student, about a newspaper article she had wrote about our petition, was finally put in the college newspaper and so I picked up a few of the newspapers in which the article was in. To also hand out at Roundhouse. I guess that was a mistake though. Later, a fellow classmate told me that after we left, they saw them go through each newspaper and take out every single insert that had the article about our petition on it. He also told me that he saw a few that were reading it, had it confiscated from them and told they can not read it. It truly does sadden me that this happened and how our petition was seen as trouble or something to be silenced to begin with.

I then made my way to the Roundhouse and my friend joined me again. I'm thankful she did as it meant everything that happened, she was able to bear witness. Because I know the entirety of what happened is ridiculous. I even said to her if I were to tell her about what happened (if she wasn't there) she probably wouldn't believe me and she agreed. And I promise you reading this, that I would never lie or give you false information and everything that I discuss is clearly subjective to my understanding of events.

So, when we make our way to the Roundhouse, we realise that they have disabled our ID badges. Mine as well as my friends ID did not seem to work however, others who went through worked. We tried most of the turnstiles too. We instantly knew when both of them didn't work that Derby College staff had done this and it was infuriating and heartbreaking at the same time. We were made to feel like outsiders to the college community that we were still meant to be a part of.

Luckily, when we went to the Roundhouse reception, they instantly saw our badges and let us through. We again, spread awareness of our petition there. Quickly, many posters we were putting out were being taken away again. Again, when we were exiting our badges still were not working and a teacher going out using the turnstiles mentioned how it was "odd" after she said to try and use the turnstile she was coming out of. Of course it didn't work.  

On the Derby Telegraph news article written about the petition, Mandie Stravino (the CEO of Derby College) even said it was "heartening" to see how students appreciated the quality of work teachers do. Yet they continued to make us feel like trouble makers, outsiders and children. They have clearly exemplified how due to our petition my friend and I are no longer allowed at the College. It's painful. I still regard the College as excellent due to the teachers there but, i'm disappointed in those in charge and how they decided to treat two of their students. From getting people to follow us to disabling our college ID badges- I hope that no future student is made to feel like we did.

Thank you to those who saw the posters before they were taken down or saw this happen and signed. I appreciate it with all my heart. I'll always be sending you my love.

If you are still reading and have made it this far. I freaking love you. Thank you.