Professor Jeanne Lawless began her biology 118 class Monday morning by speaking about future labs and class requirements. In the first few minutes she discussed charts and graphs, until several students suddenly began to stand up in her class.

Reading aloud 17 prepared statements such as “race is a fiction that’s real” and “students of color are not here on handouts,” eight protesters repeatedly asked in unison “Where is Harvey?” in reference to Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger, who they said has failed to promote ethnic and cultural diversity and defend the rights of minorities on campus.

The demonstrators in Lecture Hall 1 were part of Students for Change, a group of BU students seeking a variety of changes to coursework, staff-hiring policies and student admissions in order to address what they said are racist and discriminatory conditions on campus. The protesters interrupted the class for about three minutes before leaving to meet in the Hinman Commons to discuss future plans.

According to Lindsay Gilmore, a spokesperson delegated by members of Students for Change and a sophomore majoring in actuarial science, the group has persistently been trying to meet with University administrators to present their demands for several months. While they had met with Valerie Hampton, chief diversity officer of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, on multiple occasions, Gilmore said they are frustrated because they have not been able to meet with Stenger.

Gilmore said that they chose Lecture Hall 1 to get their message out to as many students as possible and build campus support.

“By reaching out to more students in this lecture hall, they will now want to support us,” Gilmore said. “They want to back us and they feel that these demands are valid and priorities.”

Dara Silberstein, the executive director of the women, gender and sexuality studies department, was in Lecture Hall 1 to support Students for Change, whose objectives she says she agrees with.

“Regularly I have seen sex-based discrimination [and] race discrimination,” Silberstein said. “I’ve experienced sex and sexuality discrimination.”

Whether it was the message of the protesters or simply a break from Monday morning class, students from the biology class said that they did not mind the interruption.

“It was effective,” said Abu Rahat, an undeclared freshman. “We all know racism exists, but it really brings it back home.”

Students for Change repeated the demonstration in Lecture Hall 8 at 12 p.m.