DAY HALL—In a conference with worried parents on Monday, Cornell administration outlined the steps it is taking to ensure that campus protests do not endanger the student body. To ease concerns, Vice President Ryan Lombardi rolled out a new set of provisions under the Interim Expressive Activity Policy aimed at making campus safer.
“We value protest and the expression of free thought to an extent that some may deem irresponsible,” Lombardi began, “but we also believe it is important to enforce rules to keep our Cornell community safe.”
Among these rules are new restrictions on protester clothing that are as follows: “All white hoods must be as close in color to hex code #FFFFFF as possible; no tans or beiges will be permitted. Moreover, eye holes in such hoods must be large enough to fully reveal the eyes underneath so that protestors may be identified to border agents.”
The new provisions, explained by Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina, are sweeping, affecting typical protest materials from pitchforks to very large crosses that happen to be on fire.
“If you must bring a torch or a pitchfork, please limit them to no longer than three feet,” Malina said. “Anything longer than that sort of feels unnecessary, doesn’t it? At least I’ve never used one that long.”
Safety is the administration’s primary concern, which is why protestors will also be advised to avoid slurs or other language that can be perceived as derogatory. Malina advocated for the use of more sensitive language during protests, like “LGBTQIA+ person” as opposed to “homosexual.”
“We wouldn’t want anyone on our campus to make students feel unsafe,” Malina said. “Thus, we ask that if protestors feel the need to say a slur, they instead defer to ‘BIPOC’ or ‘African American.’”
Vice President Lombardi added that given tensions around international conflict, language is of the utmost importance.
“The phrase ‘Jews will not replace us’ is dated and insensitive,” added Lombardi. “These days, they prefer to be referred to as ‘Jewish people.’”
Across campus, students have reacted well to the changes, thanking the administration for its handling of recent turmoil.
“I feel safe knowing that only tiny, little crosses will be burnt on campus from now on— not any of those big scary ones,” said Sandra Larson, ‘24. “Really makes you feel seen.”
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