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)."

Palling Around with Traitors, or Those Who Feel Like Them

28 October 2008 Columbia Spectator Op-ed "Palling Around with Traitors, or Those Who Feel Like Them" by Noah Baron '11.  Note:  Baron writes that as a gay student he'd feel unwelcome with ROTC on campus, fearing that "return of the NROTC will establish, for the first time in a long time, an entire department at this institution in which an entire section of our student body cannot participate".

Making the Case for the Military

28 October 2008 Columbia Spectator Op-ed "Making the Case for the Military" by Peter Meijer '10.  Note:  Meijer writes "“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is an atrocious policy, but it is largely a product of the very disconnect between the armed forces and general society that the administration’s ROTC ban fosters.... Supporting ROTC is not a vote for the military and its policies. It is a vote to bring knowledge of our fighting forces to campus, for the benefit of both the university and the armed forces."

On ROTC, Who Does Columbia Speak For?"

24 October 2008 Columbia Spectator column "On ROTC, Who Does Columbia Speak For?" by Armin Rosen.  Note:  Rosen compares Columbia's hosting of a speech by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to its unwillingness to host an ROTC program

Aries L. blog post on ROTC

23 October 2008 Aries L. blog post on ROTC.  Note:  The blogger, an architecture student at Columbia, expresses skepticism that the Navy would open an ROTC program at Columbia, and an ROTC advocate makes the case for ROTC at Columbia using statistics, analysis and history to detail the current and likely interest in ROTC from Columbia students.

A Bias-Free Campus?

20 October 2008 Columbia Spectator Op-ed "A Bias-Free Campus?" by Learned Foote CC'11.  Note:  Foote, the President of the Columbia College Class of 2011 and treasurer of the Columbia Queer Alliance, argues for asking the military for an ROTC program at Columbia despite the "Don't ask, don't tell" law.  "We cannot address discrimination by distancing ourselves from the military. We cannot ignore Columbia’s potential to create a liberalizing influence from the bottom up."

New Dates for ROTC Survey

20 October 2008 BWOG blog item "New Dates for ROTC Survey".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, publishes the Student Government Association email announcing that the ROTC referendums will be conducted in the week of 17 November, and the forums will be in the week of 10 November.

When and Why ROTC Should Return to Columbia --- Position and Discussion Paper

17 October 2008 When and Why ROTC Should Return to Columbia --- Position and Discussion Paper by Allan Silver, Professor of Sociology, Columbia University.  Note: Professor Silver presents a detailed history of the ROTC issue and why Columbia should re-engage with ROTC.

The ROTC Debate

12 October Barnard Bulletin opinion article "The ROTC Debate" by Sigourney LaBarre.  Note:  LaBarre quotes various arguments on the ROTC issue, mostly against ROTC, including the contention by Rahel Aima, CC ’10 and leader of Students for a Democratic Society, that ROTC should be opposed "not only because of the military’s discriminatory policy against homosexuals, but also because of its discrimination against all minorities". 

Response to Columbia President Bollinger's e-mail on ROTC

4 October 2008 Eric's Learning Curve blog item "Response to Columbia President Bollinger's e-mail on ROTC " by Eric Chen.  Note:  One of the leaders of the 2002-2005 ROTC advocacy movement at Columbia University writes between the lines of Columbia President Bollinger's 25 September email on ROTC.

Alumni Org Calls For Return Of ROTC

2 October 2008 Harvard Crimson article "Alumni Org Calls For Return Of ROTC".  Note:  The American Council of Trustees and Alumni sent letters to the governing boards of Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Brown and Stanford calling on them to reconsider their bans on ROTC.  "Paul E. Mawn ’63, the chairman of Advocates for Harvard ROTC and a retired Navy captain, said in an interview yesterday that ACTA “may not understand what the realistic target is” and that the goal should be official recognition" by the Harvard Corporation, "not the opening of a ROTC branch at Harvard.  “The reality is that there are so few students at ROTC anyway, so tomorrow if Harvard begged and pleaded the Pentagon to bring it back on campus, they wouldn’t,” Mawn said. “What has evolved around the country is core sites like MIT that service several different schools. MIT has the critical mass and good facilities and classrooms for the courses and drilling and other activities. There is no critical mass at Harvard.”".  Mawn called upon Harvard to pay the overhead fee for Harvard students taking ROTC courses at MIT, currently paid by the alumni-funded "Friends of Harvard ROTC Trust".

ROTC Debate May Return to USenate

1 October 2008 Columbia Spectator article "ROTC Debate May Return to USenate".  Note:  James Applegate, a professor of astronomy who served as co-chair of the task force in 2004-5, said of the new student-led ROTC initiative "This is a new thing for students, and faculty are saying, ‘Hey, we did this yesterday.’"

A Columbia Marine: To Obama: Help!

30 September 2008 Wall Street Journal column "A Columbia Marine: To Obama: Help!" by William McGurn.  Note:  McGurn profiles Austin Byrd CC'10, who has gone through Marine training.  Byrd says "What Columbia needs is a debate that cuts to the heart of this issue ... whether ROTC is fit to be on our campus."

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Cited In Bollinger's Opposition to ROTC

29 September 2008 New York Sun article "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Cited In Bollinger's Opposition to ROTC". 

Councils Set Details of ROTC Forum

29 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Councils Set Details of ROTC Forum".  Note:  The article states "The current discussion revolves around NROTC specifically because it is not available to Columbia students, unlike the other branches of the corps, which operate programs on nearby campuses."  Although there is a Navy ROTC program at SUNY Maritime in the Bronx, it is Navy policy only to allow students from other campuses if their university has a cross-town agreement with the host NROTC program.  There is no such need for cross-town agreements for Columbia students doing Army or Air Force ROTC at nearby colleges.

USenate Plenary Addresses ROTC, Economy, Brinkley

29 September 2008 Columbia spectator article "USenate Plenary Addresses ROTC, Economy, Brinkley".  Note:  President Bollinger said the University’s 2005 decision on ROTC would only be re-examined if students brought the issue to the Senate.

Allow Freedom for ROTC on Campus

27 September 2008 Wall Street Journal letters "Allow Freedom for ROTC on Campus".  Note:  In response to the 13 September editorial about ROTC at Columbia, one of the letters, by Columbia alumnus and retired Navy commander Edward A. Cook, calls on Columbia University to "allow at least one ROTC office on campus".

ROTC and Relativity

27 September 2008 Chronicle of Higher Education column "ROTC and Relativity" by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg CC'59.  Note:  The former president of George Washington University notes the pendulum swing from the 1960s, when students pushed for excluding ROTC at Columbia, to now, when they are pushing for its return

Pres. Bollinger Weighs In on ROTC Debate

26 September 2008 Columbia spectator article "Pres. Bollinger Weighs In on ROTC Debate".  Note:  Rajat Roy, SEAS ’10 and a University senator for the Engineering Student Council, "said that if [undergraduate] students don’t support the return of NROTC, senators representing them won’t consider it. But he pointed out that graduate students and their senators also have the option of raising the issue to the senate."

Exciting New Details About the NROTC Forums

26 September 2008 BWOG blog item "Exciting New Details About the NROTC Forums".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, reports that Student Councils will be encouraging the pro- and con- sides on the ROTC to organize and self-select a total of six students who would be representing them at the Columbia and Barnard forums slated for late October.

Lee Bollinger's Policy

26 September 2008 Power Line blog item "Lee Bollinger's Policy".  Note:  The item denounces as sophistry Columbia President Lee Bollinger's reference to the "Don't ask, don't tell" federal law as a "policy of the Defense Department".  It is unclear, however, whether Bollinger was intentionally misleading or just echoing the misleading title of the federal law which refers to itself as "Policy concerning homosexuality in the armed forces".

Letter from American Council of Trustees and Alumni

26 September 2008 Letter from American Council of Trustees and Alumni president Ann D. Neal to the trustees of Columbia University calling for the trustees to reconsider Columbia's ban on ROTC.  Similar letters were sent to the governing boards of Harvard, Yale, Brown and Stanford.

Student Councils Plan To Hold Forums on NROTC

25 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Student Councils Plan To Hold Forums on NROTC".  Note:  The student councils will host an open meeting on 26 September to plan forums addressing the possible return of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps.  "University Provost Alan Brinkley said that he personally would have no problems with ROTC if it repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. But, Brinkley added, the issue may be moot. “It’s very unlikely that ROTC would choose to come back to Columbia because there is just not enough interest in that to justify multiple ROTC units in the city,” he said."  It is not clear whether the contention that DADT is something other than a federal law was made by the Provost or assumed by Spectator.

Statement Regarding ROTC and the Campus

25 September 2008 Columbia University Office of the President "Statement Regarding ROTC and the Campus" by President Lee C. Bollinger.  Note: President Bollinger points out that students already have some ROTC opportunities available at other area colleges, and that current military policy is to aggregate ROTC programs so as to achieve proper scale.  He concludes "it is not at all clear whether a change of policy would have any impact on the current practice of having our students travel to one of the other campus ROTC sites, as do virtually all other students at New York area colleges and many others across the nation."

PrezBo Speaks On ROTC

25 September 2008 BWOG blog item "PrezBo Speaks On ROTC".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, comments on Columbia President Lee Bollinger's email to the Columbia community about the ROTC issue.  The blog item observes "unfortunately for the NROTC planners, the email also shows that PrezBo has not been paying attention to their efforts. Contrary to Bollinger's claim, there is no Naval ROTC program for Columbia students."  However, this is not correct since President Bollinger did not claim that there is currently a Naval ROTC opportunity for Columbia students; he merely neglected to point out that existing ROTC opportunities are limited to Army and Air Force programs.  Furthermore, making the claim that Bollinger has ignored the Navy part of the issue would require knowledge of all his deliberations, an assertion that is not credible.

Bollinger Defends Campus ROTC Ban in Email

25 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Bollinger Defends Campus ROTC Ban in Email".  Note:  Spectator quotes from President Bollinger's email to the Columbia community about the ROTC issue, which did not mention Naval ROTC specifically, and noted that "student leaders have said they want to deal specifically with NROTC because, unlike other branches of ROTC, it's not an option for Columbia students."

ROTC Public Forums Announced

24 September 2008 BWOG blog item "ROTC Public Forums Announced".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, published the email from Adil Ahmed CC'09, Columbia College Student Council Vice President for Policy, announcing plans for public forums on ROTC.

Legislate Slow, Homie

24 September 2008 Columbia Spectator Op-ed "Legislate Slow, Homie" by Adil Ahmed CC'09.  Note:  The Columbia College Student Council Vice President for Policy explains the rationale for a student survey on ROTC before the matter is taken up again by the University Senate: "If the survey shows that most students do not support the Navy ROTC, the senate will not even consider it. If there is overwhelming support, then it will surely take precedence on the senate’s agenda."

ROTC Meetings Opening to All Groups; Senators Pushed Out

22 September 2008 BWOG blog item "ROTC Meetings Opening to All Groups; Senators Pushed Out".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, discusses the process by which student councils are to decide on an ROTC referendum.

Will Ivy League Embrace R.O.T.C. Again?

19 September 2008 Christian Science Monitor article "Will Ivy League Embrace R.O.T.C. Again?".  Note:  The article notes that although it is unlikely that many Ivy League graduates would enter ROTC programs, "the impact on the military, and on the East Coast elite that still struggles with military service, would be enormous".

Attempting to Approach Controversial ROTC Referendum, Student Leaders Wonder Who Should Have a Say

18 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "Attempting to Approach Controversial ROTC Referendum, Student Leaders Wonder Who Should Have a Say".  Note:  "The newest push to revisit the ROTC policy was spurred by engineering students who have expressed frustration that the naval ROTC—a route, they say, to recouping college loans—doesn’t operate a program in Manhattan.

Statement on NROTC

18 September 2008 Columbia University College Democrats "Statement on NROTC".  Note:  The statement says that NROTC "has no place in our community or on our campus" as long as the "Don't ask, don't tell" law is in place, and brands the law, passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by President Clinton, as unconstitutional.

ESC Views Proposal For ROTC Referendum

16 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "ESC Views Proposal For ROTC Referendum".  Note:  "A student-referendum protocol that would allow students to vote to express their opinions on controversial issues made its way through the Engineering Student Council Monday night with some resistance."

Columbia Students May Vote on ROTC

15 September 2008 New York Sun article "Columbia Students May Vote on ROTC".  Note:  The article reports that a vote to hold "a student-wide referendum about whether the military program should be allowed ... could come as early as this week."  The article also described the reaction of 7,500 people watching video feed of the 11 September presidential candidate forum at Columbia.  "Mr. McCain was booed by students when he voiced his opposition to the ban, but that when Mr. Obama expressed a similar sentiment, the crowd had a different response.  "Almost everyone's expecting him to say no, because he's on our side, right? So then you heard him say 'yes' and everyone's mouths opened in stunned silence. It was absolutely priceless," Mr. Hirsch said."

CCSC Unveils Student Referendum Process

15 September 2008 Columbia Spectator article "CCSC Unveils Student Referendum Process".  Note:  A committee will look into ways to do online surveys of students to gauge approval for matters such as return of ROTC to Columbia.

Obama Flip-Flops on ROTC

15 September 2008 Columbia Spectator op-ed article "Obama Flip-Flops on ROTC" by Hannah Jones.  Note:  The writer, a Columbia College senior, argued that Senator Obama was wrong to suggest that Columbia students don't have a choice about serving in ROTC because they are free to do ROTC off campus and support ROTC verbally on campus.

Duty, Honor, Country… and Columbia: Bringing back the ROTC

15 September 2008 National Review article "Duty, Honor, Country… and Columbia: Bringing back the ROTC" by David J. Feith.  Note:  Feith, a senior at Columbia, recalled the hosting of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by Columbia in 2007.  "The value of engaging with Ahmadinejad, [Columbia President Lee] Bollinger argued, outweighed the costs of sharing a prestigious podium with a murderer of gays (not to mention American troops). Maybe the experience has led Bollinger, who in 2005 voted to uphold the ROTC ban, to reconsider the costs and benefits of sharing a campus with ROTC cadets and drill instructors."

Obama: Right on ROTC

15 September 2008 New Republic column "Obama: Right on ROTC " by Marty Peretz.  Note:  The Editor-In-Chief  wrote that Senator Obama's support for ROTC at the 11 September presidential candidate forum at Columbia "did not surprise me at all. It is an expression of his understanding the essentials of democratic life. That we need a military is axiomatic. That we need a bright and curious military follows from this first principle."  Peretz also wants to know what Senators McCain and Obama think of the "don't ask, don't tell" law.

Student Councils and Groups Meeting to Hold Referendum on ROTC

14 September 2008 BWOG blog item "Student Councils and Groups Meeting to Hold Referendum on ROTC".  Note:  The blog of The Blue and White, Columbia's undergraduate magazine, reports that "representatives from the CC, GS, and SEAS student councils, in conjunction with SGB, the College Democrats, CQA, CPU, the Hamilton Society, and the College Republicans, have been meeting since school began to discuss plans for a student referendum on the return of Naval ROTC to campus."

Obama and McCain v. Ivy League

13 September 2008 Wall Street Journal editorial "Obama and McCain v. Ivy League".  Note:  The Journal described the boos in the audience at the 11 September presidential candidate forum when Senator McCain called for lifting the ban on ROTC at Columbia and the "silence when crowd favorite Mr. Obama (Columbia '83) called the ban "a mistake"".  The editorial asked "if a bipartisan rebuke on ROTC is enough to shame Columbia and the other Ivies into changing their dishonorable act".  See letters on 27 September.

ROTC and the Ivies: The presidential candidates agree that the de facto ban by elite universities should end

13 September 2008 Washington Post editorial "ROTC and the Ivies: The presidential candidates agree that the de facto ban by elite universities should end."  Note:  The Post observes that "the restoration of ROTC at the Ivies might help reconnect two important American subcultures -- elite academia and the military officer corps -- that have grown apart"