Difference between revisions of "2007 hunger strike"
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* [[November 14]]: At approximately 10:15 in the evening, [[Sam Rennebohm]], a member of the ad hoc coalition in support of the strikers, surrounded by a crowd of approximately 200 supporters and onlookers, declares that on November 15 at noon, students will demonstrate to prevent events from taking placed as scheduled at the university, including an alumni dinner with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Negotiations with the administration came to a stand-still with no new meetings scheduled.<ref>http://www.bwog.net/articles/1968_all_up_in_here</ref> Shortly thereafter, ''[[Spec]]'' reports that a number of the strikers' demands have been met (see below). | * [[November 14]]: At approximately 10:15 in the evening, [[Sam Rennebohm]], a member of the ad hoc coalition in support of the strikers, surrounded by a crowd of approximately 200 supporters and onlookers, declares that on November 15 at noon, students will demonstrate to prevent events from taking placed as scheduled at the university, including an alumni dinner with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Negotiations with the administration came to a stand-still with no new meetings scheduled.<ref>http://www.bwog.net/articles/1968_all_up_in_here</ref> Shortly thereafter, ''[[Spec]]'' reports that a number of the strikers' demands have been met (see below). | ||
* [[November 15]]: Mercer and Rosenblatt drop out after being threatened with forced medical leave by [[Health Services]]; strikers' rally has a minimal impact due to rain. That night, anti-strikers hold a well-attended yet passive gathering on the [[Low Steps]]. | * [[November 15]]: Mercer and Rosenblatt drop out after being threatened with forced medical leave by [[Health Services]]; strikers' rally has a minimal impact due to rain. That night, anti-strikers hold a well-attended yet passive gathering on the [[Low Steps]]. | ||
| − | *[[November 16]]: The remaining strikers break their fast, but the group declares it will still be camping out in protest and holding nightly vigils as part of "Phase Two". The anti-strikers announce their intention to continue their activities as well. | + | * [[November 16]]: The remaining strikers break their fast, but the group declares it will still be camping out in protest and holding nightly vigils as part of "Phase Two". The anti-strikers announce their intention to continue their activities as well. |
| + | * [[November 17]]: Just one day after vowing to remain camped out on Butler Plaza, the strikers took down their tents, turned off their holiday lights, and took their cardboard octopus home. That's all folks. | ||
==Achievements== | ==Achievements== | ||
Revision as of 07:13, 18 November 2007
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This article documents a current event. Its contents are subject to rapid change. |
In November 2007, Columbia activists embarked upon yet another protest. Banking off several recent "bias incidents" involving racist graffiti and symbols seen around campus, a group of students went on a hunger strike, and lassoed some vague and general demands into an agenda they hoped they would coerce the administration into accepting. Students dropped in and out of the strike, but the plurality went without food for 10 days.
As of November 16, the administration met some demands it was planning to address anyway, which ended the hunger portion of the protest, though protesting students plan to continue camping out on South Lawn and holding vigils.
Contents
General focus areas of demands
- Administrative reform
- Further expansion of Ethnic Studies
- No expansion into Harlem (see Manhattanville expansion)
- Core Curriculum reform
Participants
- Bryan Mercer, 22, a senior at Columbia (dropped out on 11/15)
- Samantha Barron, 19, Barnard sophomore from California
- Aretha Choi, 19, a Barnard sophomore from Colorado (dropped out on 11/11)
- Emilie Rosenblatt, 22, a Columbia senior from Illinois (dropped out on 11/15)
- Victoria Ruiz, 20, a Columbia junior from California
- Rich Brown, a Columbia junior (joined on 11/13)
- April Simpson, a Columbia freshman (joined on 11/13)
Reactions
Support
Lucha, the MSA, the College Democrats, SEEJ, and the ISO are among student groups offering support. The CCSC, GSSC, and Barnard's SGA have offered "statements of solidarity".
The strikers are also supported by some members of the faculty, notably Hamid Dabashi, Gil Anidjar, Nicholas De Genova, and Barnard PoliSci prof Dennis Dalton, who declared he would join the strike, but continues to consume water and juice. The entire faculty of the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race has also declared support.
Alumni who have visibly supported the strike include the hunger strikers of 1996, Mark Rudd, Jennifer Oki, Nell Geiser, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. Anti-Columbia singer Nellie McKay is also an active supporter.
Opposition
An informal anti-strike group has been organized on Facebook by Aga Sablinska and has held counter-protests.[1]
The ESC is the only student group to officially oppose the strike so far. A Spec poll found that 64% of the student body does not support the strike and that 73% think that the administration negotiating with them would set a bad precedent.
Anti-Manhattanville expansion Community Board 9 believes the methods employed by the strikers are unnecessary and counterproductive.
In a published report in Spec on November 15, Dean of Student Affairs Chris Colombo reportedly told CCSC President Michelle Diamond that the strike "is going to end one way or another tonight." Diamond subsequently issued a statement of her own, independent of the student government, asking for the strike to end. That day, the university prompted two strikers to drop out after threatening forced medical leave.
Timeline
- November 7: The strike begins, tents erected on Butler Plaza. In the evening, Christmas lights are displayed along fencing of the lawn. It is unclear whether or not the strikers received permission to use university electricity.
- November 11: Aretha Choi, battler of an eating disorder, drops out after she is found nonresponsive in 209 Butler and subsequently rushed to St. Lukes Hospital.
- November 14: At approximately 10:15 in the evening, Sam Rennebohm, a member of the ad hoc coalition in support of the strikers, surrounded by a crowd of approximately 200 supporters and onlookers, declares that on November 15 at noon, students will demonstrate to prevent events from taking placed as scheduled at the university, including an alumni dinner with former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Negotiations with the administration came to a stand-still with no new meetings scheduled.[2] Shortly thereafter, Spec reports that a number of the strikers' demands have been met (see below).
- November 15: Mercer and Rosenblatt drop out after being threatened with forced medical leave by Health Services; strikers' rally has a minimal impact due to rain. That night, anti-strikers hold a well-attended yet passive gathering on the Low Steps.
- November 16: The remaining strikers break their fast, but the group declares it will still be camping out in protest and holding nightly vigils as part of "Phase Two". The anti-strikers announce their intention to continue their activities as well.
- November 17: Just one day after vowing to remain camped out on Butler Plaza, the strikers took down their tents, turned off their holiday lights, and took their cardboard octopus home. That's all folks.
Achievements
Columbia College dean Austin Quigley and Arts and Sciences VP Nicholas Dirks have tried to preempt the strike with announcements they're willing to make new administrative hires to represent diversity concerns, and have pledged further study regarding the status of the Core Curriculum. The Manhattanville expansion is so far not under negotiation.
On November 14, Spec reported that the strikers had won the inclusion of a Major Cultures seminar to become part of the Core Curriculum, transforming the existing Major Cultures distribution requirement. Later, the univesity seemed to suggest that reform of Major Cultures would simply involve various departments' "submission of new syllabi". Either way, this will require a $50 million fundraising project. Among the other major goals the administration agreed to was mandatory anti-oppression training for incoming faculty.
