Black student leaders took control of a university-planned anti-hate rally yesterday at Old Main, where they gained the support of thousands.

After the rally, the student leaders led the crowd to the HUB-Robeson Center, where the crowd kept vigil outside a private meeting the students demanded with Penn State President Graham Spanier.

After talks broke off at about 10:30 last night, university officials called the students' demands unreasonable and two black student leaders vowed not to eat until their demands were met.

Student supporters remained camped out at the HUB late last night.

Black student leaders were frustrated by the university's slow response to their demands, which included granting more scholarships, restructuring of the affirmative action offices and increasing faculty for the Department of African and African-American Studies.

They called for another meeting to convene this morning.

Administrators who were part of the meeting were also frustrated.

"They were unyielding on everything," said Penn State spokesman Steve MacCarthy. "That's why it's so difficult to negotiate — because they just demand and they don't negotiate."

"Two sides are at a standoff and it's not one person's fault," said Justin Zartman, Undergraduate Student Government president, who sat in on the meeting.

"It has been decided that he (Spanier) and his lackeys better be in this center by 8 a.m. tomorrow," said Lurie Daniels, a recent Penn State graduate who supports the Black Caucus leaders. "Because they obviously showed such good faith, we're going to give them one last chance to see if they care about this university."

Zartman, however, was critical of the university administration.

"I think that they listen, but they're not acting, and that's the problem," he said.

Events seemed to have slowed for the night by 10:30, when former Black Caucus President Joseph Dawkins and several other students emerged from the meeting.

"We have made the decision that we are not going to go anywhere until it is done," Dawkins said.

He added that both he and current Black Caucus President Lakeisha Wolf would not eat until the students' demands are met.

Throughout the day, emotions flared and shouts rang out, but the demonstrations at Old Main and the HUB remained peaceful.

The ordeal started just before 4 yesterday afternoon, as a group of black students walked from the HUB to Old Main, where a crowd was already converging on a well-publicized unity march.

The university announced the "No Hate at Penn State" march in response to a racist death threat directed at Wolf Friday.

Yesterday, the afternoon rally quickly grew tense.

"We claim this march for the students," said Assata Richards (graduate-sociology), a member of the Black Caucus who became one of yesterday's most vocal speakers.

"This is not an isolated problem; this is a structural and administrative problem," Richards said. "We need systematic changes."

Black Caucus members, already upset at being left out of the planning of the march, grew even more irate when Spanier was unable to meet with them at 2 p.m. yesterday. Spanier was at a Faculty Senate meeting.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said that during the past year, the black student leaders have been known to walk into university offices unannounced and demand a conference with administrators. He added that the meetings have not always been focused on dialogue.

At 3:30 p.m. yesterday, some leaders of the Penn State Black Caucus and supporters, many of whom were dressed in black and carried anti-racism placards, gathered at the Pollock Road entrance to the HUB-Robeson Center.

Addressing the crowd, Dawkins called Spanier's lack of attention to the students "completely disrespectful and disgusting."

Ten minutes later, about 150 people made their way to the front of Old Main and kicked off a call-and-response chant that resounded throughout the rest of the day: "Now . . . more than ever . . . all the brothers and sisters . . . must come together . . . "

When the group arrived, many of the students joined into a loose circle with a few hundred people who had already gathered to bow their heads and lead prayers.

At 3:45 p.m., the black student leaders took to the steps and started speaking through a bullhorn to those assembled.

The march was supposed to include a walk through town led by local religious leaders, but speakers such as Dawkins and Richards made it clear that they did not intend for the march to go as planned by the university.

Signs taped to its front doors stated that Old Main would be closed for the remainder of the afternoon to allow staff to leave work and attend the march. Spanier said he had intended to close the building before learning of the student demonstration, but some of the black student leaders said that they — along with their demands — were being locked out of the building.

Spanier and other administrators arrived at the scheduled start time, and scaled the Old Main steps. Student speakers continued to talk into the bullhorn at the center of the staircase, while Spanier launched into his welcoming remarks off to the side, directly above the signed "No Hate at Penn State" banner.

The president said that the purpose of the march was "to say that hate has no place at Penn State.

"Racism is a terrible scourge on our society," he added.

Almost immediately, some of the students who had originally gathered at the HUB started screaming comments over Spanier's speech, attempting to stir him to answer them directly: "We want a dialogue." "Rhetoric!" "Nittany lies!" "Continuance of the disrespect."

The university president pressed on. Spanier finished his remarks and introduced Ken Clarke, director of the Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs.

The yelling continued. Wolf appeared at the front of the crowd above the steps, tears running down her face.

Dawkins shouted: "In the name of God, let her speak."

Clarke gave the microphone to Wolf. "I'm sick and tired of waiting," she said. "And I've been waiting all year and my life is in danger."

While Wolf was talking, Spanier and some assistants walked toward the HUB-Robeson Center.

"President Spanier, you're walking away from me right now," Wolf said. "My life is threatened, and you are walking away from me."

The president later explained that — on the recommendation of Pennsylvania NAACP State President Charles Stokes who was on campus and spoke briefly at the rally — he would meet with student leaders in the Robeson Center.

However, the speakers told the crowd they wanted to meet with Spanier in Old Main while those assembled could stand vigil outside.

"This is a game of divide and conquer and we're not going to play that game," Richards said. She asked, "Should we move or should we stay?"

The crowd responded, "Stay!"

"OK, the people have spoken. This is a democracy now," Richards said.

A stalemate ensued.

Spanier stood outside the entrance to the Robeson Center, talking with reporters.

Back at Old Main, different speakers passed around the microphone, addressing the crowd on issues of hate and racism and cheering each other on. Black student leaders huddled in a circle and discussed what to do next.

As temperatures dropped, the number of people gathered to watch and cheer shrunk from a few thousand to several hundred. The ones who stayed brought out snacks and huddled together to keep warm. This core of supporters remained with the black student leaders through the evening.

Later that day, Richards announced that a group of 10 to 15 student leaders had decided to meet Spanier in the Robeson Center.

Much of the crowd followed the delegation into the HUB-Robeson Center. As the private meeting convened, student speakers cycled through again, reiterating the sentiments they expressed outside. People congregated around the center staircase of the student union, and waited for word from the conference with Spanier.

Mahon was one of the administrators who waited around in the HUB last night. He said he was disappointed that the march didn't go as planned, adding that a lot of university employees and local residents had been looking forward to showing their solidarity.

"People seem to be losing sight of the fact that we've had a serious death threat," Mahon said.

Collegian staff writers Lynne Funk, Daryl Lang and Alex Weininger contributed to this report.