10 months ago
18
(NewsNation) — The president of Columbia University announced she is stepping down months aft chaotic pupil protests implicit the Israel-Hamas war. And present is the happening that makes this truthful odd, and truthful telling: some the near and the close are celebrating Minouche Shafik’s resignation and claiming victory.
It shows you that adjacent a remotely balanced attack successful this highly politicized governmental clime volition inactive marque you the people of the extremes.
She sent successful the constabulary doubly to wide retired the protesters. Many students, professors and left-wing agitators thought it was unnecessary and violated their rights. Yet galore connected the close thought she didn't bash it hard oregon accelerated enough.
Conservative lawmakers, who dragged her successful beforehand of Congress, are celebrating her resignation. House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote connected X: “We invited today’s news. Jewish students astatine Columbia opening this schoolhouse twelvemonth should respire a suspiration of relief.”
And Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York wrote: “three down, truthful galore to go.” It’s an evident notation to now-former University of PennsylvaniPpresident Liz Magill and erstwhile Harvard University President Claudine Gay, some of whom resigned nether disapproval implicit their handling of antisemitism connected their assemblage campuses.
And yet, erstwhile Shafik was dragged successful beforehand of Congress, she didn’t accidental thing that controversial. In fact, she was slammed by the pro-Palestinian groups for her remarks, and by immoderate pro-Israel groups and donors who said she wasn’t doing capable to support Jewish students.
Here is however she addressed antisemitic chants by immoderate protesters:
“I recovered those chants incredibly distressing, and I privation profoundly radical would not usage them connected our campus. I privation that adjacent much aft galore conversations with our Jewish students erstwhile they archer maine however they feel, they find it threatening. It has nary spot successful our community.”
Meanwhile, the acold near is besides cheering Shafik’s downfall aft demanding it for months. One pupil radical that organized the protests connected field wrote: “After months of chanting ‘Minouche Shafik you can’t hide,’ she yet got the memo.”
I said astatine the clip that, arsenic a Columbia Law grad, I was ashamed and embarrassed by what I saw connected Columbia’s campus. But what I was ashamed of, and stay so, were the actions of the extremist students and faculty.
The reports of blatant antisemitism and harassment connected campus, blaming Israel for October 7, students mounting up encampments, past agitators wholly taking a gathering implicit and barricading themselves inside, smashing windows with hammers, pitching tents outside, waving flags connected the roof, refusing to leave. And you had immoderate professors staging a wide walkout successful solidarity with the students who were arrested.
Later, the arts and sciences module passed a solution of nary assurance successful Shafik due to the fact that she dared telephone successful the constabulary to region the amerciable anti-Israel demonstrations and encampments.
And past she kept a constabulary beingness connected campus. Her ain module accused her of an “unprecedented battle connected students’ rights” for moving to apprehension students — arrests, by the way, which I wholeheartedly supported.
She was besides deed from the close for waiting 2 weeks to telephone constabulary backmost a 2nd time. It remains wide Shafik was ne'er going to win.
Do I deliberation she could person been tougher, sooner? Sure. But support successful caput that Shafik has, oregon had, a mostly wide pupil assemblage and module that she’s got to woody with.
And support successful caput she did a beauteous just occupation successful the abbreviated clip she was there, which is evidenced by the information that some extremes are furious astatine her. It’s really beauteous bittersweet that this is wherever we are. Just implicit a twelvemonth into the occupation and she’s ousted precisely due to the fact that she attempted a much mean attack alternatively than caving to either extreme.
And what’s truly unfortunate is that you tin recognize wherefore Shafik resigned, possibly adjacent for her ain idiosyncratic safety. You person protesters singling retired and targeting assemblage executives similar the COO of Columbia who precocious had reddish overgarment thrown connected his flat gathering and dozens of crickets released into his lobby. And determination were threatening posters with his sanction and representation near astatine the scene, specifically criticizing the university’s effect to the protests.
So yes, I americium angrier astatine the acold near than the right. But my question for some is: what benignant of occupation bash you expect the adjacent president of Columbia University to do?
Because she oregon helium volition beryllium successful the aforesaid presumption arsenic Shafik with each the aforesaid problems, overmuch the aforesaid pupil body, and each the aforesaid pressures from either side.
They person present appointed an interim president, and my conjecture is that, arsenic the students instrumentality to school, if she does her occupation well, neither broadside volition beryllium blessed with her, either.
That is not a occupation I would want.
The views expressed successful this nonfiction are those of the writer and not needfully of NewsNation.
