Central campus was alight Saturday night with glittering fireworks, festive music — and an impassioned student protest.

Three students and friends of Allan Nosworthy protested at the ISU Foundation’s Order of the Knoll event, located in a large tent north of the campanile.

Randall Duval, a junior in English, Kyle Pierce, a senior in chemical engineering, and Jumoke Hodari, a sophomore in chemistry, ran arm-in-arm across the lawn to the alumni-filled tent before being held back by students standing at the entrance.

As alumni inside were serenaded by a men’s a cappella group singing “Lean on Me,” Department of Public Safety officers and Ames Police surrounded the three students.

The protestors lined up facing the student-barricaded entrance with their backs to the swarm of security.

“He’s not willing to budge, so we’re not willing to budge,” Duval said.

The students protested in response to Nosworthy’s admittance to a hospital as a result of his on-going hunger strike. Nosworthy was taken to Mary Greeley Medical Center late Saturday afternoon, where Pierce said he was “in intense pain.”

“It’s damn ironic that a man is dying of hunger tonight,” Pierce said.

The Order of the Knoll was designed to thank alumni who have generously donated to the university. The students protested at the event because they wanted alumni to “know what’s going on over here,” Pierce said.

“You’re donating your money to a hate-filled school,” Hodari shouted to alumni walking into the event.

Thomas Hill, vice president for student affairs, left the festivities and came outside in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Hill spoke with the students and tried to convince them to leave.

“We’ll stay until they drag us away,” Pierce said in response.

The students said they would not leave until they received a letter from President Martin Jischke. They wanted Jischke to agree to meet with Nosworthy and The September 29th Movement to “resolve the issues,” Duval said.

“By not giving us the letter, you’re destroying your credibility with us,” Pierce said to Hill.

The students were asked to move from the entrance they were blocking to a spot on the grass directly in front of the lights illuminating the campanile. Their figures cast shadows on the bell tower as they waited for Hill to bring them the letter.

“They’re trying to make us look stupid,” Pierce said of the administration. “But we’re very intelligent. We just have to go through extreme measures.”

Hill brought the group the letter from the president and then left for his office in Beardshear Hall with Duval, where Hill said he had more information, according to Pierce.

Pierce said they would leave peaceably, but he warned they will continue to interrupt business as usual.

“Allan will sacrifice his life, so we can give up things as well,” Pierce said.

Pierce and Hodari left when Black Student Alliance President Meron Wondwosen walked past with a group of people. Pierce, Hodari, Wondwosen and the rest of the group walked to Beardshear, where they had a heated discussion with Hill. After the conversation, all involved parties left the area.

Hill later said the administration and the Movement have “continually been in contact and have been talking. The president has always been willing to talk to them.”

Hill also said the letter requested by Duval, Pierce and Hodari had been made available to the Movement at 4:30 p.m. Friday, but no one from the Movement had come to pick it up. The letter was then put in the mail, Hill said.

Pierce said the Movement just wants respect from the president and said Nosworthy is staging his hunger strike for “way more than a building.”

The Movement and the administration are currently setting up meeting times through a third party, U.S. Department of Justice official Pascual Marquez.