Tuesday Roundup

This occasional roundup of student movement stories is put together by Isabelle Nastasia, a CUNY undergrad, New York Students Rising organizer, and friend of this site. 

Featured Campus of the Day – Occidental College

[Trigger warning: contains discussion on sexual assault and campus policy]

Sexual Assault Reported Near Occidental College – NBC Los Angeles

A California College Hopes to Model Best Sexual Assault Policies – Ms. Magazine

Information on the student groups responsible for this organizing can be found here: Oxy Sexual Assault Coalition

A Tumblr that students and other community members are using to speak out: Dear Oxy

A good friend doing similar organizing at Cornell University responded to this news from Oxy by saying:

“This is tricky issue, because sometimes these alerts can endanger the survivor and the survivor might prefer not to have the police report released. we have these “crime alerts” sent to all the Cornell student body regularly concerning “forcible touching” (they don’t use the term rape), and the reports have manifested in problematic ways. (i.e., because they are so sterile in their writing, i.e. “woman forcible touched on her buttocks,” people have reduced them to jokes). I’m not saying that this is a reason to not have crime alert systems – there are clear benefits – but I think there should be a discussion with a survivor-dominated group about what would best empower Oxy students.”

Very important to keep these ideas in mind moving forward doing this kind of student organizing on all of our campuses.

Important perspectives on combating educational injustice:

Amnesty Now – Jacobin (My personal favorite piece of the week)

Emory Groups Rally Against Racism – Emory Wheel

Student Debt Nearly Tripled in 8 Years – HuffPo

Quebec Tuition Hike Draws 10,000 Back to the Streets – Rabble

 Dispatches from the Student Movement (March 1st) – The Nation

L’Appel De Lasse a Manifester A Ete Entendu – Le Devoir

Cross Class Coalition at Columbia University – Waging Nonviolence

Why We are Occupying Sussex University – Guardian

Vanderbilt University Divests for Land Grab in Africa – Oakland Institute