Why We Should All Care About DADT

25 September 2008 Columbia Spectator Op-Ed "Why We Should All Care About DADT" by Chuck Griffith.  Note: Griffith makes the human dignity argument for repealing DADT and does not even mention the sexual privacy and unit cohesion arguments that prompt others to think that having gays in certain roles in the military is problematic.

Why the Ivy League is Rethinking ROTC

17 December 2008 Time Magazine article "Why the Ivy League is Rethinking ROTC".  Note:  "ROTC supporters point to the debate at Columbia and its focus on "don't ask, don't tell" as a sign that students no longer have strong objections to the military more generally — and therefore would be receptive to inviting the program back if the policy were repealed, something more than 100 retired generals and admirals called for in November...  Allan Silver, a Columbia sociology professor who supports the return of ROTC despite what he calls its "abhorrent" policy on gays, [notes that] having future soldiers live side by side with students who sometimes criticize them would encourage critical thinking and thereby strengthen the military."

ROTC and Columbia University's discrimination policy

15 December 2008 Eric's Learning Curve blog post "ROTC and Columbia University's discrimination policy" by Eric Chen.  Note:  One of the leaders of the 2002-2005 ROTC advocacy movement at Columbia University questions the conventional wisdom that the "Don't ask, don't tell" law regulating the military conflicts with Columbia's antidiscrimination policy.  Columbia's  policy states that "Columbia University is committed to providing a learning environment free from unlawful discrimination and harassment...Columbia University does not discriminate against any person in the administration of its educational policies... and other University-administered programs".  Since DADT is not unlawful; indeed it is the law, and since it is not one of Columbia's "educational policies", it is not clear that there is an actual conflict here.

Columbia Unveils War Memorial in Butler

12 December 2008 BWOG blog item "Columbia Unveils War Memorial in Butler".  Note:  The memorial also has an online counterpart on Columbia's website.

Dedication Speech for the Columbia War Memorial

12 December 2008 Dedication Speech for the Columbia War Memorial by LTC Eliot Goldman CC '79, USAR.  Note: Goldman concluded his remarks by speaking about ROTC.  "Not many schools have had an alumnus in the Oval Office. With a Columbia College graduate about to be Commander In Chief, we should see to it that President-elect Obama does not command a military that lacks Columbia graduates.  Three months ago, 100 yards from here, our president elect spoke of a recommitment to public service by the youth of America. Today we pay homage to Columbia men who have exemplified commitment to public service by making the ultimate sacrifice to the best country on earth. I leave you men and women of Columbia with the thought that the best way to honor those we pay tribute to with this memorial is to provide a new generation of Columbia men and women with the opportunity to also serve in our military. I challenge Columbia to reestablish ROTC so that this memorial will not represent a commitment of bygone days, but a commitment to the future of Columbia and our great nation. The President Obama Class of ‘83 ROTC Unit should be announced in 2009, and should stand up its first company shortly after that."

Nice to Know: ROTC Results Broken Down by School

11 December 2008 BWOG blog item "Nice to Know: ROTC Results Broken Down by School".  Note:  "Combined with Barnard's results, this means that two schools voted for, and two schools against, with the depth of opposition in Barnard and the size of the CC vote making the difference."

Why Columbia Should Welcome ROTC: Bad policy on gays is not a good reason for a ban

8 December 2008 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Why Columbia Should Welcome ROTC: Bad policy on gays is not a good reason for a ban" by Learned Foote.  Note:  One of the leaders of Columbia Students for NROTCexplains why, despite the "Don't ask, don't tell" law , he and other gay students think it is crucial for top universities to engage actively with the military and for their ROTC graduates be a "liberalizing influence from the bottom up".  "Let us do our duty as Americans. Let us imagine a military that represents our best values."

Our Fraudulent ROTC Vote

8 December 2008 Columbia Spectator Commentariat blog item "Our Fraudulent ROTC Vote" by Armin Rosen.  Note:  Judging by the two voting URLs examined by Advocates for ROTC, the one that appeared transiently in BWOG and another reportedly sent around by College Democrats, the query string of the URL contained two identifiers: a three or 4 digit ID number, and a 24 character alphanumeric string.  Presumably the alphanumeric string was a password that needed to match that assigned for the ID number in order for a vote to count.  Two types of invalid votes are predictable using such a system:  people repeatedly using the valid ID/password combinations that were circulated, and people attempting to vote for another ID number without knowing the correct password.  Presumably both types of improper voting would be detected.  One could argue whether the first or last or no vote should be counted for the disclosed ID/password combinations, but clearly no vote should be counted for the bogus ID/password combinations

Bringing ROTC Back to the Columbia Campus

8 December 2008 Solomonia blog item "Bringing ROTC Back to the Columbia Campus".  Note:  "A Columbia student has exactly the formula for getting homosexuals accepted by straight society and moving policies like 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' into obsolescence -- forget the 'Gay Pride' freak shows, and demonstrate that gays are simply another part of a functioning society".

The ROTC on Campus

8 December 2008 Washington Post groups discussion "The ROTC on Campus".  Note:  One of the comments thinks Learned Foote's argument for ROTC "because it rests, not on insulting or discounting the students opposition, but on the importance of relationship even when there is disagreement. Telling the students that they are ungrateful serves no purpose--it may not be true, it's alienating and divisive, and it's hardly likely to convince anyone of the rightness of your position. The "best argument" is the one that persuades, not the one that makes you feel morally righteous."

NROTC Ends Not With a Bang, But a Whimper

7 December 2008 BWOG blog item "NROTC Ends Not With a Bang, But a Whimper".  Note:  "Council and Senate sources confirm to Bwog that NROTC will not even be presented to the Senate. Whether individual school results will be released for CC, SEAS, and GS is still unknown."

Learned Foote Argues for ROTC in the WSJ

7 December 2008 BWOG blog item "Learned Foote Argues for ROTC in the WSJ".  Note:  In the comments, some raised the question of what the article could achieve by appearing after the ROTC vote, and others pointed out that there are votes coming up in Congress on the "Don't ask, don't tell" law, which would affect future consideration of ROTC at Columbia.

Ivy Leaguers in the Foxholes: ROTC back at Columbia?

7 December 2008 New York Magazine item "Ivy Leaguers in the Foxholes: ROTC back at Columbia? "  Note:  The item looks ahead to what may happen if the "Don't ask, don't tell" law is repealed.

Even Obama Can't Get Columbia University To Listen

5 December 2008 Human Events column "Even Obama Can't Get Columbia University To Listen" by Flagg Youngblood.  Note:  Austin Byrd, vice-president of the Hamilton Society, described how their "get out the vote" effort on the final day of the ROTC survey was short circuited by the voting being ended earlier than they had expected.  The survey email said "The survey will be open until December 1, 2008", which was interpreted by those running the vote as being 9 AM on that date.

ROTC: Wrong in 1968 and Wrong Today

4 December 2008 Columbia Spectator column "ROTC: Wrong in 1968 and Wrong Today" by Andrew Lyubarsky CC '09.  Note:  Lyubarsky  writes that "All the respectable voices of the liberal establishment here, from University President Lee Bollinger to Professor David Eisenbach, have expressed that they would bring ROTC back with open arms once DADT is reversed."  Lyubarsky disagrees, citing the military as "an institution which invades sovereign nations, bombs cities with white phosphorus, and tortures detainees in secret prisons".  He does not discuss the question of whether the military would be a better institution if it had more Columbia graduates

80% of Columbia students did not vote against NROTC

4 December 2008 Eric's Learning Curve blog post "80% of Columbia students did not vote against NROTC" by Eric Chen.  Note:  One of the leaders of the 2002-2005 ROTC advocacy movement at Columbia University ponders the state of mind of the 57% of Columbia students who didn't vote in the recent NROTC survey, and wonders how much of this apathy was due to lackluster efforts of the student councils to present the issue

Next Step Unclear After Split Survey Results

3 December 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Next Step Unclear After Split Survey Results".  Note:  University Senator Rajat Roy, SEAS ’10 said that because Columbia’s three undergraduate schools were lumped together in the poll, it will be difficult for senators to determine how to vote. “They didn’t divide up the vote by school, which was surprising, since that was first thing we [senators] told them to do,” Roy said.

Why Did ROTC Get 65% Student Support in 2003 and Only 49% in 2008?

3 December 2008 BWOG blog item "Why Did ROTC Get 65% Student Support in 2003 and Only 49% in 2008?"  Note:  The item mentions three hypotheses: less favorable attitude towards the military, increased LGBT presence, and a difference in the university and national political climate. 

NROTC Survey Results for CC, SEAS, GS: NROTC Loses By 39 Votes

2 December 2008 BWOG blog item "NROTC Survey Results for CC, SEAS, GS: NROTC Loses By 39 Votes".  Note:  It is not clear from the pooled results whether one or two of the three schools voted in favor of NROTC.  Results from Barnard were not yet reported, but were expected to favor ROTC less than other schools.

Students Roughly Split on NROTC Return

2 December 2008 Columbia spectator article "Students Roughly Split on NROTC Return".  Note:  The article notes that the survey was fought primarily over the issue of the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.  The 2008 Democratic Platform includes the following language: "We support the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the implementation of policies to allow qualified men and women to serve openly regardless of sexual orientation" so support may change as the Democrats get a chance to implement their platform.

Was the NROTC vote “fair?”

2 December 2008 Columbia Spectator Commentariat blog item "Was the NROTC vote “fair?”" by Armin Rosen.  Note:  Rosen quotes a report that 4905 votes were recorded, including one ID for which 276 votes were recorded, and that after eliminating duplicates, 2971 votes were counted. If all this represents is elimination of non-final multiple votes using one ID, the tally implemented the procedure as announced.  The 276 votes using one ID may be from the posting of the voting URL for one person on BWOG (soon removed). 

GSSC President Calls NROTC Survey "Meaningless"

2 December 2008 BWOG blog item "GSSC President Calls NROTC Survey "Meaningless"".  Note:  BWOG quotes the full email to the College of General Studies student body from Student Council President Brody Berg expressing concerns about the NROTC survey vote.  One of the comments raises the prospects that "someone apparently used a "scattershot" approach - submitting the form with random identifiers in the hopes of landing upon a valid identifier."  Judging from the length of the alphanumeric password apparently need to make a vote with a particular ID number valid it seems that a well-designed system would not be vulnerable to such hacking.

BC's NROTC Results

2 December 2008 BWOG blog item "BC's NROTC Results".  Note:  Barnard students voted 736 to 453 against NROTC.

Educate Yourself, Student Government

2 December 2008 Columbia Spectator column "Educate Yourself, Student Government" by Adil Ahmed.  Note:  Ahmed argues that the the student government leaders should have gotten more involved in the details of discussions about issues such as NROTC at Columbia.

One Last, Mindboggling ROTC Survey Screwup: Councils Failed to Divide Votes by School

2 December 2008 Columbia Spectator Commentariat blog item "One Last, Mindboggling ROTC Survey Screwup: Councils Failed to Divide Votes by School" by Noah Baron.  Note:  Baron characterizes the ROTC survey as "effectively pointless" due to the failure to report vote tallies separately for Columbia's three undergraduate schools.

Between the Trenches: NROTC, Queer Identity, and the Soul of a University

December 2008 Columbia Political Review article "Between the Trenches: NROTC, Queer Identity, and the Soul of a University" by Bryan Lowder.  Note:  "NROTC itself isn’t the real issue—it’s just the symbol of a deeper conflict. Past all the rhetoric, the real fight is over the ideological soul of the University.  In a sense, the anti-ROTC side envisions an institution that stands as a model to the rest of society. Free from prejudice and discrimination, the school should be a so-called “safe space,” where academics work to improve the world without interference from governments. The creation of such a space, in their view, challenges societal injustice by refusing to participate in its propagation.  The pro-ROTC side has a more hands-on perspective. It imagines the University as inexorably linked to the nation-state (including the military), with an essential duty to engage directly with that construct.

A High Achiever Poised to Scale New Heights

30 November 2008 New York Times article "A High Achiever Poised to Scale New Heights".  Note: In an article about Eric Holder, expected to be nominated as US attorney general, his student days at Columbia are described.  "When he arrived at Columbia in 1969 as a boyish-looking freshman, he was recruited by upperclassmen to help take over the R.O.T.C. office. Armed with pillowcases and sheets, he joined several dozen students and christened the office as a student center named for Malcolm X."

NROTC and Columbia U

30 November 2008 Fox News video "NROTC and Columbia U".  Note:  Avi Edelman of Columbia's College Democrats and Learned Foote of Columbia Students for NROTC debate the return of Naval ROTC to Columbia.  Foote stressed that the way to get rid of the "Don't ask, don't tell" law is through Congress or the courts.  When asked if he would give up his opposition to ROTC if students vote to bring it back, Edelman said "I won't give up my personal opposition".

The Fight For ROTC

29 November 2008 Parade Magazine article "The Fight For ROTC".  The article notes that "Although more than 600 colleges in the U.S. allow ROTC programs on campus, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Tufts, Stanford, and the University of Chicago have maintained the bans they began in protest of the Vietnam War...   “The seven schools who exclude ROTC produce many of our leaders, yet their students have the least contact with the military,” says Sean Wilkes (Columbia University ‘06), chair of Advocates for Columbia ROTC."

Hope for Columbia's ROTC

26 November 2008 New York Post article "Hope for Columbia's ROTC".  Note: The article mentions scholarships as an argument for ROTC. 

Columbia University to Vote on Allowing Military Training Program on Campus

25 November 2008 Fox News article "Columbia University to Vote on Allowing Military Training Program on Campus".  Note:  The article refers to a group called "Columbia Advocates for ROTC", presumably meaning "Columbia Students for NROTC".  The article also notes that "Columbia has been working with the Defense Department" on the issue but no further details were given.  A video version is here, adding more errors such as the composition of the University Senate and the process by which ROTC left campus 4 decades ago.

Survey polls Columbia students on support for ROTC

25 November 2008 Associated Press article "Survey polls Columbia students on support for ROTC".  Note:  The article quotes some as defending the right to have a total campus ban on any activity that discriminates against gays, and others as defending the right to freedom of choice to enroll in an ROTC program.

Response to ROTC Posters

25 November 2008 Response to ROTC Posters by Columbia Students for NROTC.  Note:  Photos of posters by the coalition opposing return of ROTC to Columbia are accompanied by an analysis of the arguments made in the posters.

Fox News Talks About You Talking About ROTC

25 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Fox News Talks About You Talking About ROTC". 

Discrimination Debate

25 November 2008 Fox News video "Discrimination Debate".  Note:  The video segment discusses the ROTC issue at Columbia and the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.  One of the students interviewed is Lauren Salz (whose name was mis-spelled).  Also included is a video tape of then senator Obama expressing his support for ROTC at Columbia.

Faculty Hypocrites Against ROTC

25 November 2008 Columbia Spectator Commentariat blog item "Faculty Hypocrites Against ROTC" by Armin Rosen.  Note:  Rosen discusses the Faculty anti-ROTC ad that opposes moving forward on "hypothetical conditions" such the Democratic party implementing the commitment in its 2008 platform to "repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”".  He illustrates how 4 of the signers have written in detail about hypothetical conditions in other situations.

ROTC Survey In Your Inbox Now

24 November 2008 BWOG blog item "ROTC Survey In Your Inbox Now".  Note:  After many different reports, we now have the wording of the Columbia College version as "Do you support bringing a Naval ROTC program to Columbia's campus?"

Vote No on Columbia's ROTC Survey

24 November 2008 College on the Record blog item "Vote No on Columbia's ROTC Survey".  Note:  "almamater" dismisses the right of students to choose to do ROTC by writing "if ROTC was so important, students should have factored it into their college decision... The same goes for underprivileged students.... Remember, guys, this is Columbia, aka the University of Havana North. This is a school where we don’t observe Columbus Day of out respect for the struggles of Native Americans, even though our school is named after Columbus."

Columbia Faculty Opposing ROTC

23 November 2008 Petitions Online "Columbia Faculty Opposing ROTC".  Note:  An online petition takes an anti-ROTC position that appears to go far beyond opposition to the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.  It reads "We, the undersigned, represent a diversity of disciplines, personal experiences, and political viewpoints. However, as faculty members responsible for creating a welcoming community for all, committed to eternal questioning and the vital interplay of ideas, we are united in our opposition to the institution of an ROTC program on the Columbia campus."  In contrast, an ad to appear in the Columbia Spectator on 24 November takes a position focused on DADT.  Of the first 13 signers of the petition that is anti-ROTC per se, 10 signed the anti-DADT petition as well.

Professors Sign Petition Against NROTC on Campus

23 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Professors Sign Petition Against NROTC on Campus".  Note:  The ad to appear in the Columbia Spectator on 24 November appeals against moving forward on ROTC on the basis of president-elect Obama's plans to reform the "Don't ask, don't tell" law:  The ad reads "In contrast to those who have expressed support for ROTC based on hypothetical conditions, we recognize that any position on ROTC must be grounded in the present. Don't Ask, Don't Tell is official policy and exceptions cannot be negotiated".  See also an online petition that opposes ROTC per se, with no explicit mention of DADT.  Of the 34 signers of the anti-DADT petition, 10 also signed the petition that is anti-ROTC per se.

Vets, Cadets Weigh in on NROTC Debate

21 November 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Vets, Cadets Weigh in on NROTC Debate".  Note:  The article says that "one group has largely remained silent: Columbia students who participate in ROTC programs", while in fact one of the cadets, Kelley Victor-Gasper CC '09 was one of the panelists at the 19 November forum and three other current military students have been very involved in the current ROTC effort and had volunteered to be panelists if needed.  The article also quotes once of these students, Army ROTC cadet John McClelland as saying that "ROTC is not inconvenient to us" due to the availability of Army ROTC in the Bronx.  This underscores the current focus on providing an option for students wishing to do Navy ROTC, for which the only NYC program is both off-limits to Columbia students and also much farther away than the Army program at Fordham.

The Origin of the NROTC Professor Statement of Support

21 November 2008 BWOG blog item "The Origin of the NROTC Professor Statement of Support".  Note:  In response to a previous BWOG item, Sociology professor Allan Silver writes to explain the origin of the faculty pro-ROTC ad.  "There is no mystery, nothing is concealed, all is transparent."

NROTC Forum: Prepare for the Survey

20 November 2008 BWOG blog item "NROTC Forum: Prepare for the Survey".  Note:  The anti-ROTC side based its case heavily on the "Don't ask, don't tell" law and the 2 of the 4 people speaking for the pro-ROTC side were gay veterans who argued that both the military and Columbia need the diversity of thought that would result from an ROTC program.  Rahel Aima CC'10 of Students for a Democratic Society and the Columbia Coalition Against the War "compared the enforced adherence to military standards in the ROTC to forcing everyone who reads the Symposium to engage in pedophilia"

In Anticipation of Campus Survey, Panelists Debate DADT Policy

20 November 2008 Columbia Spectator article "In Anticipation of Campus Survey, Panelists Debate DADT Policy".  Note:  "Pro-NROTC students called for the reinstatement of NROTC on Columbia’s campus, a move they believed would change ... discriminatory practices from the bottom up. Students against NROTC’s return argued that keeping the program off campus would be a symbolic protest against biased practices."

The Right Kind of Conversation

20 November 2008 Columbia Spectator editorial "The Right Kind of Conversation".  Note:  Spectator wrote that the 19 November NROTC forum "allowed for a structured conversation to take place and should be used as an example for future discussions of contentious campus issues".

Faculty in Support of ROTC

20 November 2008 Columbia Spectator ad "Faculty in Support of ROTC".  Note:  The text is "We broadly support the return of ROTC to Columbia University -- some of us unconditionally, others if legislation prohibiting military service by open homosexuals is reformed, and/or provision made for faculty control of appointments, curriculum and credit.  We all believe, in principle, that an ROTC program at Columbia is an appropriate educational responsibility of the university."

Prof Club Backs NROTC

20 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Prof Club Backs NROTC".  Note:  "Some heavy (and not-so-heavy) hitting faculty came out in the Spec today endorsing NROTC's presence on campus. Bwog is inquiring into the genesis of the list--mostly male--and will update as information becomes available."  Others are welcome to sign the ad too.  See follow-up item on 21 November.

Yes on NROTC

19 November 2008 Columbia Spectator column "Yes on NROTC" by Lauren Salz BC'11.  Note:  Salz, director of the College Republicans, writes "If the military is not what we want it to be, then we must work within the system to change it. To get the best and the brightest into the military, we must allow the military to train officer candidates on our campus."

Tonight's NROTC Forum - Now With a Format!

19 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Tonight's NROTC Forum - Now With a Format!".  Note:  The event will have "3 questions about the impact on student life, the role of Columbia's NROTC history, and the role of DADT in the debate" as well as 30 minutes of audience questions.

Anti-NROTC Coalition Holds Meeting with Councils, Dems Put Up New Posters; UPDATE: Pro-NROTC Responds

18 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Anti-NROTC Coalition Holds Meeting with Councils, Dems Put Up New Posters; UPDATE: Pro-NROTC Responds".  Note:  An anti-ROTC poster is shown claiming that "If we were to welcome ROTC onto our campus, the 19% of our population who identify as LGBTQ would be legally barred from taking any ROTC-specific courses" and the pro-ROTC side countered by demonstrating that this is not the case at MIT.  An anonymous poster in the comments section suggests that pro-ROTC people "take all the energy you're investing here in trying to get the university to bend over backwards to accommodate ridiculous policy like DADT and instead combine forces with all the other pro-ROTC groups at other campuses and put pressure on congress to fix DADT."  That is in fact being done; details of such efforts over the past several years may emerge at the 19 November forum.