Blue and red lights flashed ahead of more than 250 Washington State University students, faculty and staff Friday afternoon as the campus police department safely escorted a March Against Ignorance from the French Administration building to a park across from Adam’s mall, in the heart of Greek Row.

The march, organized by two student liaisons for Wake Up WSU, was hosted in an attempt to draw students together to demonstrate and demand equality, unity and change.

“It’s hard for people and their respective communities to kind of branch out and step outside themselves and communicate and get to know other people and access resources,” said Olivia Snow, a student liaison for Wake Up WSU and event organizer. “People want to help out but they don’t know how. They don’t know if their change will make a difference.”

The March Against Ignorance served as a bridge to the divide. Leaders from student-led organizations such as ASWSU, the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the United Greek Association, the Residence Hall Association, Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center, the Graduate Student Assembly, and the Young Christian Women’s Association, among others.

“I think people coming here and representing their organization is good enough,” Snow said. “That’s showing that you care. That’s showing that you’re part of this community.”

ASWSU President-elect Adam Crouch and Vice President-elect Kyle Geiger were two of the first people present for the march.

“I’m in support of the whole movement,” Crouch said. “It’s trying to get campus more inclusive and, at the end of the day, we’re all Cougs.”

Both the Panhellenic Council President Taylor Christensen and Interfraternity Council President Zak Cherif, leaders of two institutions that have recently received attention for fraternity and sorority life behaviors related to the Wake Up WSU cause, participated in the march.

“I think it’s a great thing to talk about taking action,” Cherif said. “We’ve attended the general meetings, we’ve offered to help whenever we can, and we are integrating their goals with our campaign.”

Christensen echoed those sentiments for the Panhellenic Council, which she and Snow are both heavily involved with.

“We offer our support and continue to take the hard actions that are necessary for change,” Christensen said.

Snow and Tori Young, a student liaison for Wake Up WSU and event coordinator, began planning out the march before Spring Break. After Wake Up WSU’s silent protest in February, students said a march where they can vocalize their message for unity and equality was the next course of action.

Snow drafted the logistics over the break, began communicating with student leaders campus-wide, and started advertising online shortly after.

“We didn’t expect it to be this successful,” Snow said. “I’m so happy.”

With the growing momentum, Snow said she hopes the movement continues to get stronger through similar events. It is from word-of-mouth communication efforts through unaffiliated student participants, such as Bose Amosen, which the group anticipates will fuel the change. Amosen was unaware the march was happening until a few hours before and decided to join the effort once she heard about it.

”Before knowing what was going on, I was just a bystander,” Amosen said. “I just thought, ‘Good for you.’ I didn’t know what it was all about.”

Amosen said she anticipates participating in future Wake Up WSU events.

“Before you write off a group or organization, find out what it is about,” she said. “Because that’s what I did. I wrote it off. And I shouldn’t have. This is something I’m very interested in. I will become a part of it.”

It is this kind of change both organizers hope will continue to be the result of future events.

“This isn’t going to solve everything,” Snow said. “This isn’t going to end all the ignorance on campus, but it’s a good start and it’s the first step that we need. The whole campus isn’t here, but it’s enough to get the conversation started.”

Snow said Wake Up WSU will continue to push for change, keep the momentum strong and ensure the movement doesn’t die.

“I cannot speak of all of Wake Up WSU, but I do know that what I hope is coming, and what I’m pretty sure is coming, is that now we are building a coalition. But our grievances have not been met that we’ve made with administration,” she said.

“Nothing has really changed logistically. We’re really pushing to change the way administration interacts with the students in matters such as racial comments and sexist comments.”

The march ended with an integrative party that provided catered food, a disc jockey, presentations from local organizations, and a time for conversation. The next Wake Up WSU meeting will be tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Todd 331.

This story has been updated for factual accuracy.