Penn State administrators' planned "No Hate at Penn State" march never left the steps of Old Main today, as Black Caucus members and other protesters started their own rally demanding a better response to diversity issues from the administration.

The unity march, which was slated to begin at 4 p.m. at Old Main and continue downtown onto College Avenue, was halted by protesters who urged the thousands of people in the crowd not to leave Old Main until Penn State President Graham Spanier met with them to address their concerns.

Spanier spoke briefly at the beginning of the rally but was drowned out by protesters. Other administrators also attempted to speak to the crowd but were repeatedly interrupted by the protesters.

In an emotional plea, Black Caucus President LaKeisha Wolf told the crowd she has been afraid for her life all semester, not just when she received the latest death threat on Friday. She asked Spanier to return to the microphone and talk to her.

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

On Friday, Daily Collegian reporter Daryl Lang received an anonymous letter that included another letter for Wolf. The second letter threatened Wolf's life and also claimed a murdered black man's body could be found in a wooded area near the Mount Nittany summit. After several days of searching, police called off a search yesterday, having found no evidence of a body or a missing black man.

Before he left Old Main, Spanier agreed to meet with a small group of students to address the issue but wanted to meet in the HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall. But the students refused to leave Old Main, creating a standoff as Spanier waited in the HUB, and students remained on the steps and lawn of Old Main.

The rally drew thousands of Penn State students, faculty and staff who crowded the steps of Old Main and spread across the lawn, filling the grass area between the flag pole and the steps. Despite cooling temperatures, most of the crowd remained as Black Caucus member Assata Richards (graduate-sociology) and others encouraged the crowd to unify against racism and demand Spanier's return to Old Main.

Richards said Penn State's black community has been struggling with racism and diversity issues all year, and that the administration has continually failed to adequately address its concerns.

Other speakers, including some from the organizations that sponsored the rally, also took the microphone to show their support for Black Caucus's demands. Representatives from the Undergraduate Student Government and the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments spoke in support.

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said Spanier would not return to the rally because he did not think the protesters would allow him to speak or listen to him.

"Our honest feeling, after numerous meetings with this core group, is that it wouldn't be a meeting," he said. "He's talked with the group repeatedly, and the talking isn't talk; it's him sitting there and people shouting at him."

At about 6:30 p.m., the small group of students agreed to meet with Spanier at the HUB-Robeson Center. Richards proposed the 15 students selected go to the HUB-Robeson and the rest of the crowd followed.

The remaining crowd, which included about 650 people, marched to the ground floor of the HUB-Robeson Center while Black Caucus members stood on the first floor of the center and continued to address and encourage the crowd.

At the time of this update, Spanier was still meeting with the small group of students.