"In the 24 hours before 17 student protesters inside Madison Hall were arrested Saturday evening on the fourth day of a Living Wage Campaign sit-in, protesters met twice with University President John T. Casteen, III and other administrators. The Cavalier Daily has exclusively obtained tapes of these meetings.

Beginning at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday morning, Living Wage Campaign student protesters and University administrators met to discuss the protest and goals of the campaign. As students continued to rally outside Madison Hall, talks proceeded inside.

The discussion was conducted in a question-and-answer format, with students asking questions of Casteen. Though other administrators were present, Casteen answered almost all questions.

"Take the case to the General Assembly"

In early Saturday's discussion, Casteen told students that he did not have the legal authority to alter wages for the University's contracted employees based on an advisory opinion from the office of Attorney General Robert McDonnell.

Both sides agreed that the legal issues surrounding the Public Procurement Act were somewhat nebulous. Several protesters said that the attorney general's opinion was advisory and not binding. To such concerns, Casteen responded early in the meeting, "I can tell you very clearly the Board of Visitors is not going to disobey the attorney general's advice. It's not a matter of binding or not binding, that's simply the Board's position."

Several protesting students said the University should join protesters in bringing the case to court in order to define whether the Virginia Public Procurement Act allowed the University to set a living wage. Casteen, however, said his only experience with lawsuits was when the legal grounds were clearer and the Board of Visitors was completely behind the decision to bring suit.

It is "a very different situation ... when the Board is not convinced," Casteen said.

To student concerns that the opinion from the office of the Republican McDonnell was politically motivated, Casteen claimed that the analysis was common among past attorneys general of both parties.

Casteen's main argument throughout the meeting was that students would find more success in lobbying legislators than in bringing a lawsuit. "An area where we can work together with success ... is to take the case to the General Assembly," Casteen said.

"I don't really feel like we're going anywhere"

Toward the end of the discussion, both sides expressed concerns that talks were not leading to progress. About 50 minutes into the early Saturday discussion, protester Shawn Casey said she didn't feel like the two sides were making any progress with the negotiations.

"I don't really feel like we're going anywhere," Casey said. "I don't feel like you're saying anything new that wasn't in any of these letters," she told Casteen.

Slightly over an hour into the early Saturday meeting, Casteen said he believed student protesters were not responding to a proposal he had issued Friday night. "I haven't heard a response to my proposal. I have heard a number of arguments about the attorney general ... I had someone talk about meeting halfway. I don't know what your halfway is."

The students said they recognized that University employees are paid better than many state workers, but they were still deeply troubled by the University's current employee wage.

Casteen said what students failed to understand was that the General Assembly requires the University to use a less expensive source of service.

"To say that I'm pressuring you ..."

When the students said they were too "sleepy" to proceed with negotiations, Casteen gave them a 2 p.m. Saturday deadline to present him with a counterproposal.

One student told Casteen she did not appreciate the deadline.

"I do believe this is going in circles," she said.

Casteen said he didn't understand why students felt he was pressuring them.

"To say that I'm pressuring you," Casteen said, "It seems to me that you've had ample time to determine what strategies are most likely to work."

He said he did not appreciate the way students were trying to persuade him.

"I resent this notion that people can do whatever they want, to present themselves as though they were forced into a situation," Casteen said.

He added that he has no intention to prolong this situation.

One student asked Casteen how he could help them get legislation through.

"I've been at this for a long time, and I've never lost," Casteen said of his experience in working to have legislation passed in Richmond.

"You better show me methodology, computations," Casteen said. "If you want more, give me methodology I can defend." Students had previously admitted some flaws in the methods of calculating the "living wage".

One protester told Casteen he was "rude" to interrupt fellow protestor Kevin Simowitz, who was trying to adjourn the meeting because of the hour.

"I wish to let you know that constantly, anything coming into this building has been denied to us," one student said. "There is food sitting outside."

Casteen countered by saying he found it inappropriate how students were sitting in at Madison Hall.

"You chose to occupy the place, but that place does not provide the amenities that you're looking for," Casteen said.

Casteen subsequently allowed for food to be brought into Madison Hall, a decision he made at that moment, according to other administrators.

"I wish you well and hope you leave soon"

At Saturday afternoon's continuation of the dialogue, Casteen said he was unwilling to discuss the issue beyond the second, hour-long meeting.

At the end of this continued meeting, one protester told Casteen she appreciated that he would be "interested in pursuing some of the options once they work out the details."

She assured Casteen they would work as hard as possible, but Casteen noted that the students did not meet his demands for the Saturday afternoon meeting.

Student protester Zack Fields said he acknowledged that the group did not provide a "point-by-point response" to Casteen's letter by the deadline but told Casteen the goal of the meeting was to let Casteen know that the students would be willing to "make concessions."

Although Casteen said he appreciated the Living Wage Campaign student activists' efforts, he continued to encourage them to leave Madison Hall.

"I wish you well and hope you leave soon," Casteen said.

The protesting students refused to leave Madison Hall after their Saturday afternoon meeting with Casteen and were arrested at 7:00 p.m. that day." (Ashley Simpson, Cavalier Daily, April 18, 2006)