The fast is over for two participants in a hunger strike organized by members of the Stanford Labor Action Coalition (SLAC), group officials announced at a rally yesterday. Yet 10 are continuing the fast — which is now in its ninth day — as part of an ongoing effort to correct what they see as shortcomings in the University’s living wage policy.

Liz Brody ‘09 checked into Vaden Health Center yesterday morning and is receiving intravenous fluids, SLAC spokesman Matt Seriff-Cullick ‘08 told The Daily. Sofia Lee ‘03, a social worker in San Francisco who returned to campus this week for the living wage campaign, also chose to break her fast. Lee had to return to work after taking five days of vacation time.

“I think [Stanford] has forgotten how to respect student voice on campus,” Lee said as she announced her decision to break the fast, adding that communicating with the administration was a challenge for activists.

“Is there room for student voice at the University?” she said Monday. “I don’t feel that.”

Seriff-Cullick said he supported Brody’s decision to stop fasting.

“She didn’t have time to prepare,” he said. “We ended up with so many [more] fasters than we anticipated.”

Thom Massey, a student affairs officer in the Dean of Students’ Office said he was sorry to hear about Brody’s health issues.

“I hope we can reach some sort of agreement before [more] students become ill,” he said. “I hope that the students take care of one another.”

Rally intersects with

Admit Weekend

Yesterday’s rally began in White Plaza during the Admit Weekend Activities Fair, before protesters marched to Memorial Auditorium.

About 50 people, including some Stanford workers and prospective freshmen, sat on the Auditorium’s steps while other admitted students and their families filed in around them to attend the University Welcome, a formal introduction to Admit Weekend.

According to Seriff-Cullick, yesterday’s rally was held in response to President John Hennessy’s decision to delay a fourth meeting with SLAC representatives until today. He said that Brody’s illness ought to cause the administration to move more quickly.

“I’m optimistic that this could be ended pretty soon,” he said in an interview with The Daily. “[But] it’s going to take a commitment, not just agreements.”

SLAC member and faster Joseles de la Cruz ‘07 shared Seriff-Cullick’s optimism.

“The University is still moving pretty slowly on this issue, but we’ve got a lot of power,” he said at the rally. “This is day eight of not eating, and I’m still excited to be here.”

Some prospective freshmen attending the University Welcome event said they were happy with the rally, which caused a bottleneck as people entered the building.

“I like it,” said Julia Janssen, an admitted student from Atlanta who will be attending the University next year. “It shows how committed Stanford students are.”

Jessica Salinas, an admitted student from Houston who is still deciding whether to attend Stanford, said the living wage issue could influence her school choice. Salinas joined the SLAC rally after hearing about it in White Plaza.

“It tells you something about the school,” she said. “It might make me mad if my parents were making this [wage].”

The Administration did not interfere with the rally, which lasted for about an hour.

“I don’t think it impacted [the University Welcome] in any real way,” said Massey, who stayed on the Auditorium’s steps during the rally. “I think what students and families see is student diversity.”

Seriff-Cullick said that the rally was not intended to disrupt the Admit Weekend events.

“We’re hoping that it’ll attract future SLAC-tivists,” he said with a smile. “As admitted students, they already have a choice.”