Protests and police on campus

[Stockmann]

The attitude reminds me of an Al Jazeera program host's interview with three Americans that I saw a few months ago. One of the guests said "Revolution is the highest form of culture." Dude, you are completely clueless about what both of those words really mean.

I wonder how that person would've fared with Mao's revolutionaries - execution or re-education camp? Under the revolutionary Pol Pot, it would've almost certainly been torture and execution.

[apl68]

Saw an editorial this week--Boston Globe, I believe it was--that speculated that students who've taken a prominent role in the protests may find it difficult to get hired after this when they enter the workforce.  To put it bluntly, potential employers may be likely to regard them as likely troublemakers, and not worth the drama.  I guess we (and they) will see.

[Ruralguy]

It will depend on the nature of the work and who their constituency is.

If they want to go into high end law or finance firms on the coasts, they are probably screwed. Probably more
mixed view or even complete ignorance of their experience, elsewhere and in other professions, including parts of academia (some of whom may welcome it, as might, say, social work, and others).

[Langue_doc]

Charges dropped for Columbia University students arrested at pro-Palestinian protests

The first few paragraphs:

Dozens of pro-Palestinian student protesters arrested in April after occupying and barricading a building at Columbia University in New York City had all criminal charges against them dropped on Thursday, Manhattan prosecutors said at a court hearing.

The hearing at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse came seven weeks after Columbia administrators called in hundreds of armed and heavily armored police officers to the university's campus in a high-profile law-enforcement response that was broadcast live on national news channels.

Police arrested 46 protesters who had barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall, and cleared a weeks-old tent encampment on a nearby Columbia lawn that has inspired similar pro-Palestinian protests at universities around the world. At least nine of the 46 protesters arrested sustained injuries beyond minor scrapes and bruises, according to medical records, photographs shared by protesters, and interviews.

All 46 protesters, who were arrested on the night of April 30 about 20 hours after taking over the academic building, were initially charged with trespass in the third degree, a misdemeanor.

Stephen Millan, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office, told the court on Thursday his office would not prosecute 30 protesters who were Columbia students at the time of the arrest, nor two who were Columbia employees, citing prosecutorial discretion and lack of evidence. A case against another student was dismissed earlier in the month.

Millan said protesters wore masks and covered surveillance cameras, and there was insufficient evidence to show that any individual defendant damaged property or injured anyone. No police officers were injured during the arrests, the prosecutor noted. None of the arrested students had any prior criminal history, and all were facing disciplinary proceedings, including suspensions and expulsions, by Columbia.

[Langue_doc]

Reviving this thread--Columbia U is getting ready for the fall semester.

Columbia restricts campus access ahead of students' — and possibly protesters' — return

[apl68]

Probably a lot of administrators on a lot of campuses holding their breath as the new semester approaches.

[Hibush]

Reviving this thread--Columbia U is getting ready for the fall semester.

Columbia restricts campus access ahead of students' — and possibly protesters' — return

The restriction seems fairly minor relative to normal for NYC. Columbia buildings, like most university and office buildings in Manhattan, require an ID to enter, and an appointment/host if you don't work there. The addition at Columbia is to apply that requirement to the central campus. That central campus is tiny compared to universities in less crowded places, basically one city block. There are many Manhattan building that are bigger.

[Langue_doc]

It was a no-win situation:

Columbia President Resigns After Months of Turmoil on Campus
Nemat Shafik is the third Ivy League president to resign in the wake of turbulent congressional appearances and strife connected to the Israel-Hamas war.

Seeking Calm, Columbia University Asks a Doctor to Lead
Dr. Katrina A. Armstrong replaces Nemat Shafik as president of one of the most turbulent campuses in America.

[spork]

It was a no-win situation:

Columbia President Resigns After Months of Turmoil on Campus
Nemat Shafik is the third Ivy League president to resign in the wake of turbulent congressional appearances and strife connected to the Israel-Hamas war.

[...]

Fourth. Martha Pollack, Cornell.

Another bang-up editing job by The New York Times.

[Ruralguy]

I have a degree from one of the schools with a resigned prez. I can't tell you how many times people have said to me "That's not an Ivy League school!  So maybe, like my colleagues, they just forgot who was in the Ivy League.

[Langue_doc]

Fourth. Martha Pollack, Cornell.

In a Surprise, Cornell's President Resigns
Martha E. Pollack said she would remain in office until July 1 and that the decision was "mine and mine alone."

[Ruralguy]

Right, they might have "officially" called Pollack a "retirement," even though she "retired" after being hounded
by Congress and some groups on campus at Cornell.

[Langue_doc]

Counter productive state of affairs at the University of Michigan:

At Michigan, Activists Take Over and Shut Down Student Government
Pro-Palestinian protesters won council elections, and have refused to fund campus groups, like the men's Ultimate Frisbee team, unless their divestment demands are met.

Link to the free article here: