Additional School Closures

On 10 March 1360 came from Cabotton University Chief Administrator Jon Den the announcement of the closures of the School of Language and Literature, the School of History and Politics, the School of Design and Engineering, and the School of Service and Hospitality. In North Kempton, the Council of the Cabotton Scholar Foundation voted to partition its newly-acquired venue at William Solomon Airfield into multiple sections, each dedicated to one of the Schools whose venue was closed by Den's Administration; and the four aforementioned Schools became the newest additions. Cabotton scholars and alumni certainly had contempt toward the closures but were cautious about protesting openly, owing to the dangers posed by the Esurchian Scouts.

Tuition Increases and Henshale Negotiations

However, Den made another announcement on 11 March, the very next day, this time stating that that tuition would increase in the coming month of June, as scheduled, from 10703.01 credits to 17526.18 credits per semester. Numerous students on campus resented Den for both the additional closures and tuition increases, and began sporadic protests; with such being led by fourth-year student, Ryan Barlin. The Cabotton Scholar Foundation advised against such activities, voicing concern over brutal retaliation from the Esurchians. The Foundation also stated that it had dispatched political action committees abroad, in allied nations such as Silba, Locin, Angwe, and the Kingdom of the Great North, to leverage international pressure against Jon Den and his Administration. Nevertheless, Barlin led an organized student walkout between 13 and 15 March. Though the Esurchian Scouts did not open fire on the protestors, they disappeared a great number of them, including Barlin and other leaders. Those not directly involved in the protests but found to be allied to the protestors were promptly expelled without due process.

Despite such setbacks, efforts by the Cabotton Scholar Foundation to leverage international pressure seemed to pay off when the Linbraean Royal Treasury implemented an agenda to stop the ongoing negotiations between Jon Den and the Gyrosakian henshale industry. The Treasury successfully convinced the henshale lobbyists to stop trusting the Esurchians owing to their past acts of dishonesty, and convinced them to wait until the University Grounds fell under possession by the Treasury itself; thus the Treasury would be able to negotiate possible leasing at a much lower fee.

This sparked a great deal of controversy within the Cabotton Scholar Foundation, the members of whom were uncertain of whether the Treasury voiced genuine intent to work with the henshale lobbyists or if they were simply trying to break the Esurchian agenda. Regardless, by the end of the second week of March 1360, negotiations between Jon Den and the Gyrosakian henshale industry fell through.