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In May, 1970 at Washington State University, students led demonstrations against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, and challenged university officials to recognize institutional racism as a fundamental problem with the university system. The Black Student Union (BSU), established at WSU in the fall of 1968, spearheaded May protests against racism and, in conjunction with several other radical organizations, presented President Glenn Terrell with eleven demands. Terrell initially rejected the demands which had called for, among other things, a mandatory ten day workshop in the fall to heighten faculty awareness of racism. 3,000 students protested that decision on May 21, 1970. On May 28, 1970, the Resident Instructional Staff (RIS) approved of two racism workshops, one for the fall of 1970 and one for the Spring of 1971. To plan the event, the RIS created the Minority Student Committee on Racism Workshops. To run the committee, Terrell appointed four minority students, Sarah Dennis, Ron Taplin, Rebecca Hobbs, and Rudy Ryser. The students planned to host prominent movement speakers, present movies, and make available printed handouts concerning racism. Although leaders of the BSU and MEChA (a Chicano students' organization) denounced the racism workshops as manifest symbols of university paternalism, the first racism workshop took place on October 7-8, 1970 and attracted 20,000 people. The second was held on March 9-10, 1971, and had a much smaller crowd.