As I reported about a week ago, students at Syracuse University have staged a sit-in in the administration building. It is, in fact, still going on, as the University administration has shown itself to be spineless and won't do anything about it. Further, the sit-in is being conducted by a "black-led student movement" in protest of racist graffiti and alleged bias incidents-incidents whose veracity hasn't been established. (I'm always dubious about racist graffiti until they're investigated, as there are simply too many incidents these days in which members of minority groups produce the graffiti themselves, allowing them not only to claim victimhood but, in the case of Syracuse, to make demands on the administration.)
Originally, Syracuse identified and then suspended 30 protestors in the building, but within one day had lifted the suspensions. Further, during the first days of the suspension, which has been going on since mid-February, the university even provided lunch and dinner for the protestors.
The latest update, five days ago, is from the student newspaper The Daily Orange (click on screenshot to read):
Even without evidence that the graffiti and bias incidents are real rather than confected, the students are demanding that the University officially acknowledge "hate incidents at SU as indicative of institutional white supremacy." Institutional white supremacy? What in the bylaws of the University, or in its actions, has institutionalized racism? If nothing-and there's almost certainly nothing-then what does Syracuse have to acknowledge, even if the incidents are real? (If they are real, then of course the perpetrators should be tracked down and treated according to University regulations).
Further, if the University doesn't grovel with an official apology for nothing they did, the students have threatened to "escalate":
Protesters and SU officials exchanged a tense back-and-forth Friday over #NotAgainSU's demand that the university publicly acknowledge hate incidents at SU as indicative of institutional white supremacy. Organizers warned of escalated action if SU refused to release a statement.
"If we do not get a statement, we will be in this building, and escalation will occur," an organizer said.
Well, I'm not sure whether that's a threat of violence or damage, but it sounds portentous. And there's the usual student hyperbole about lives being in danger:
The Department of Public Safety sealed off Crouse-Hinds as of Feb. 18, preventing outside food, medicine and supplies from entering until the afternoon of Feb. 19. SU provided lunch and dinner to organizers Feb. 18 and breakfast Feb. 19. The building reopened Feb. 20.
Organizers have criticized DPS officers' interactions with protesters inside Crouse-Hinds throughout the movement's occupation.
"My life is in danger when I leave this building because you don't want to acknowledge what you did to the people in this room," the organizer said. "People have threatened my life, threatened to kill me because they think I'm a liar."
Any harm that comes to students will be on the administration's hands, the organizer said.
What the administration did to people in the building was seal it off, period. If the students didn't like that, they could leave (it's no longer sealed). But the president of Syracuse has already apologized for that. Further, instead of heaving the protestors out after a warning, Syracuse is bargaining with the students about exactly how they should grovel and how they should word the statement of apology and acknowledgment:
"If we do not get a statement, we will be in this building, and escalation will occur," an organizer said.
Keith Alford, chief diversity and inclusion officer, initially said the university would need until at least the end of the semester to draft such a statement. The statement would require input from faculty and other SU constituents, he said.
Organizers said this was not soon enough.
"The fact that you're saying it will take you eight additional weeks to write an email that says there are issues on this campus that deal with white supremacy is very distressing," said Jenn Jackson, an assistant professor of political science who was present during the negotiations.
Gabe Nugent, deputy general counsel for SU, said after a caucus that the university could not comment further on its response to that demand. #NotAgainSU organizers said they could not reach an agreement with the university without such a statement.
I find the situation absurd. If there has been racism at Syracuse, it needs to be investigated, and, if necessary, changes made to University policy. But the University does not have to take the students' word for this an then issue an apology whose terms are dictated by the students, including a public acknowledgments of "hate incidents" that are indicate of "institutional white supremacy."
The students are holding the University hostage, and, like Chinese students during the Cultural Revolution, are trying to put a dunce cap on the University and make it wear a sign of contrition around its neck.
Perhaps this will come to an end given that Syracuse has announced that classes will be online until March 30 and students must stay away from the University for two weeks during spring break. But it doesn't appear to be a closure for the rest of the semester, and I have a feeling that the protestors won't let this lie. Even if they do, I want to point out how pusillanimous the administration of Syracuse has been. When the students say, "Jump!", the administration says, "How high?" This trend is increasing (remember the dismissal as faculty dean of Ronald Sullivan at Harvard?).
Here's the "Jump!":
"If we do not get a statement, we will be in this building, and escalation will occur," an organizer said.
Here's the "How high?:
"Keith Alford, chief diversity and inclusion officer, initially said the university would need until at least the end of the semester to draft such a statement. The statement would require input from faculty and other SU constituents, he said."
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