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.

Councils to Host One Discussion Forum, Not Two, on NROTC

18 November 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Councils to Host One Discussion Forum, Not Two, on NROTC".  Note:  The forum will be on 19 November at 7 PM.  The survey will be open for at least a week after 24 November, until 55% or more of students respond.  "The group Columbia Students for NROTC held its own event on College Walk yesterday, offering passersby a script to call and petition congress members to repeal DADT. Justin Johnson, SIPA ’10, is a member of the group, and said despite opposing DADT, he would vote to bring back NROTC because it would draw more open-minded and affluent students to the military and because the government, not the military, is to blame for DADT."

ROTC Survey to Open Nov. 24

17 November 2008 Columbia Spectator article "ROTC Survey to Open Nov. 24".  Note:  The corrected version of the article gives the wording of the ROTC question as “Would you support bringing a Naval ROTC program to Columbia's campus at this time?”.  The article also repeats the common error of referring to "military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy", while in fact DADT is required by federal law.

Why ROTC Should Return to Columbia

14 November 2008 Columbia Spectator op-ed "Why ROTC Should Return to Columbia" by Prof. Allan Silver.  Note:  Silver, who opposed ROTC when it was de-certified in the late 1960s, writes that "The conspicuous absence from military service of those headed for leading positions in society is a civic scandal... When military service is not broadly shared, military and civilian society risk an unhealthy mutual isolation".  He proposes that Congress reform the "Don't ask, don't tell" law and reconsider some provisions of the ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964, and the military increase the number of urban ROTC programs.  "The government and the military must decide whether to invest in a diverse, regionally balanced, educationally qualified military leadership. Columbia must decide if it is prepared to include ROTC among its responsibilities... Whether you support ROTC now or after DADT’s reform, vote “yes” in the upcoming survey. Only voting “yes” makes it clear that in principle you want Columbia to make that contribution".

Anti-NROTC Groups Raise Their "Voices"

12 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Anti-NROTC Groups Raise Their "Voices"".  Note:  Professor David Eisenbach, one of the anti-ROTC panelists, agreed in response to a question that "Don't ask, don't tell" is a federal law and it is "now it is up to the politicians to end it".

NROTC Forum Previews Survey Opinion

12 November 2008 Columbia Spectator article "NROTC Forum Previews Survey Opinion".  Note:  A coalition of anti-ROTC groups held a panel discussion with a question and answer period.  The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network pulled out of the event at the last minute.  The article notes that "Some students who had graduated from the ROTC program also commented and asked questions, emphasizing their disapproval of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and challenging the panelists on some of their assertions."

From Murky Talks to Dialogue

11 November 2008 Columbia Spectator editorial "From Murky Talks to Dialogue".  Note:  Spectator discusses the planning of the survey on NROTC.

Today in ROTC-Related News: What Were They Thinking?

11 November 2008 Columbia Spectator Commentariat blog item "Today in ROTC-Related News: What Were They Thinking?" by Armin Rosen '11.  Note:  Rosen sees the lopsided anti-ROTC event planned for the evening of Veterans' Day as evidence that "these groups don’t really want dialogue".

Brace for Impact! What's Ahead for the NROTC Debate

11 November 2008 BWOG blog item "Brace for Impact! What's Ahead for the NROTC Debate".  Note:  The blog shows the "rather interesting poster" used to advertize for an anti-ROTC event and links to the website of Columbia Students for NROTC.

Questions and Answers About NROTC

10 November 2008 Questions and Answers About NROTC by Columbia Students for NROTC.  Note: Columbia students outline the case for Naval ROTC at Columbia in advance of the student survey scheduled for 24 November.

Obama Needs a Strong Foreign Policy

7 November 2008 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Obama Needs a Strong Foreign Policy" by Will Marshall.  Note:  The president of the Progressive Policy Institute gives advice to the president-elect: "At a Sept. 11 summit on national service at Columbia University, Mr. Obama chided his alma mater for barring ROTC from campus during the Vietnam War. As America's next commander in chief, Mr. Obama should take that message to other elite universities, and to places like the Marine Recruiting office in Berkeley, Calif., whose mayor, Tom Bates, earlier this year called the Marines an "uninvited and unwelcome guest."  Such gestures would go a long way toward allaying suspicions that the Democratic Party harbors anti-military attitudes."

First Signs of ROTC Debate Appear

6 November 2008 BWOG blog item "First Signs of ROTC Debate Appear".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, shows a poster "from the anti-ROTC coalition (so far including the Dems, Lucha, CQA, EAAH, and Proud Colors)."