More Closures

The University Chief Administrator, Jon Den, released a public statement announcing the closure of the School of Deep-Trade, the School of Lightfire, the School of Finance, and the School of Medicine, to be in effect starting 23 February 1360. Within this statement, Den reasoned that this was intended to help the University pay off its mounting debt; and he promised that this would be the last round of closures.

Resistance and the Deed

However, underground informers on behalf of the Cabotton Scholar Foundation discovered that such promises were completely false; and that, in fact, the Administration had formed an official plan to close additional Schools in monthly phases until all University property and assets were leased to private businesses. Furthermore, it was discovered that Den, the University Administrators, and the renting businesses were negotiating with the Gyrosakian henshale drilling industry for the possible leasing of University property. Over the preceding decades, numerous henshale industry lobbyists had attempted to have the University lease property, owing to the Main Campus being located over one of the richest henshale deposits in the world. Until the Esurchian Occupation, every University Administration, both those run by Cabotton Liberals and those run by Cabotton Conservatives, had rejected such proposals. Jon Den's Administration had become the first to consider.

Members of the Cabotton Scholar Foundation, led by Heather Walker, filed a petition directly to Federal Justice Dean Roberts (bypassing the Arbitrators in the process for fear of Esurchian infiltration there) to intervene and stop the University Administration from leasing to the henshale industry. Roberts responded by saying that the Retunian government was unable to do so, owing to a Deed signed by George Cabot and the University Scholarly Body during the establishment of the University in 1231. The University Deed, upheld by the Courts of the Remikran Union, prohibited outside governments from intervening, without the Deed-holder's permission, and imposing upon numerous private property rights within the University Grounds. Furthermore, the Deed established such Grounds as an independent jurisdiction. This was intended, initially, to stop measures of government oppression, such as when the Combrian State government intervened and removed Arnold Stone from his position as Headmaster of the Westerhill Academy. However, the Esurchians were now using such provisions to stop the Retunian federal government from enforcing its ban on henshale drilling, which had been in effect since 1311.

At the very beginning of his tenure as the University Chief Administrator, Jon Den enacted a policy that ended the existence of the Woodwind Section for the Cabotton University Marching Band, writing for the liquidation of its uniforms and lyres. In February 1360, Den wrote for the remaining uniforms to be washed at a laundromat one block away from the University Campus. This demonstrated a grotesque violation of uniform protocol, which called for the uniforms to be dry-cleaned. Nevertheless, on 13 February, Esurchian administrative assistants arrived at the laundromat with the uniforms, causing long queues and angering those Marching Band Alumni, especially Philip Dunn. Dunn, accordingly, stormed into the laundromat that day and demanded the Esurchians to stop. However, a group of Esurchian Scouts was there. Two of them dragged Dunn to the side, physically beat him, and threw him to the curb.

In the end, the uniforms would be ruined; and the University Administration, by the end of February, would sell them for only 500.00 credits altogether. The Cabotton Scholar Foundation wrote to Justice Roberts on the matter, to which he responded by saying that the Deed also applied to University items and assets.

Up to this point, the Cabotton Scholar Foundation was housed across multiple residences throughout North Kempton. On 10 February 1360, however, they purchased an old, barely-used hangar at William Solomon Airfield. Their Council established this place as the official venue while the residences were turned over to Foundation student housing.