An anonymous group of activists is using paper bags to make fun of University of Akron administrators. The puppets, and activists behind them, specifically target university President Scott Scarborough, accusing him of being greedy in school spending decisions.
A video posted to YouTube by "Graduates Over Greed" features a skit with four paper bag puppets to protest the financial management of the university and consideration to change the school's name to Ohio Polytechnic University. (It's currently branding itself as the "University of Akron, Ohio's polytechnic university.")
"We thought we needed to do something that would get people's attention who normally wouldn't be interested in what is happening at the University of Akron," the activists told The Huffington Post in an email. "We figured humor was the best way to do that."
Below the video, the activists list close to a dozen links to articles about the university spending $45,000 to sponsor a hole at a golf tournament, while trying to cut $40 million by laying off staff, cutting the baseball team and raising tuition and fees. The university is trying to remedy a "$60 million financial problem," and has acknowledged it has done a poor job communicating about the cuts.
If you're confused about the ogling of an olive jar in the video, you haven't yet read about Scarborough spending $556 on one. He also spent $838 on a makeup chair, as part of renovations to his home.
One of the characters, who is supposed to be Vice President of Advancement (read: in charge of fundraising) Larry Burns, was created to look like the Riddler -- and is accompanied by a "Batbag" character.
The activists created the video to tap into the flood of viral humor online, with hopes of directing more attention toward the university administration's decisions.
"I was talking to a friend and asked them what was the most ridiculous and cheap way we could talk about this issue," one of the activists, an alumnus, told HuffPost. "They jokingly responded 'paper bag puppets.' The video took on a life of its own after that."
In response to the video, the university pointed to a July statement about its plan to address financial challenges, noting it wants to "ensure that our colleagues whose positions will be eliminated are shown the respect and courtesy they deserve."
Regarding the olive jar, the school noted those funds were privately raised and the decor was picked by an interior decorator. By contract, Scarborough is required to live in the university-owned residence and "is expected to host numerous gatherings to build university relations," a spokesman told HuffPost.
The activists behind the video are also posting on a Facebook page:
A separate group is planning a demonstration on campus next month. The video's creators say they aren't leading the protest, but they are supportive of it.
This post has been updated with comment from the University of Akron.
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Tyler Kingkade covers higher education and is based in New York. You can contact him at tyler.kingkade@huffingtonpost.com, or on Twitter: @tylerkingkade.