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No Red Tape members held signs (such as the one above) during their entrance this morning
This morning, members of No Red Tape entered Lerner Hall during an information session for prospective students. During the info session, members of NRT distributed flyers and read a statement to prospective students and families.
The mission of the demonstration was clear: members of the organization spoke of the ways that Columbia has mishandled sexual and dating violence, and they also drew attention to the shortcomings of the new prevention education program.
Regarding the new prevention education program, Michela Weihl (BC ’17) explained, “The new prevention education program announced by Columbia is poorly designed and demonstrates a willful neglect of both empirical evidence and student feedback. President Bollinger and other administrators have publicly proclaimed that it is their top priority to address this issue. However, it has become abundantly clear to us that the issue they truly care about is one of public relations, not student safety. Columbia has a rape problem, and the new prevention education program will not be the solution.”
The letter given to families can be found in electronic form below:
Education prevents violence courtesy of Allie Rickard
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39 Comments
@Tired of this I went to Dartmouth for a preorientation info session (kind of like our days on campus) and there was a similar student group protest during one of the events, and it just completely detracted from my experience and made me not want to go there. And I think I might be one of the more liberal people on campus.
@Anon There’s nothing wrong with NRT providing information life this for prospective students, perhaps at a table or outside of the auditorium. But barging in and taking over an information session like that is ridiculous and absurd. If that had happened when I was a propie I might have changed my mind about coming to Columbia…not because of the title IX investigation, but because of those assholes.
@um Sexual assault is indeed a serious matter.
Did any NRT members consider that this sort of disruption can be EXTREMELY triggering?
@yes Not a fan at all of what happened, but “trigger warning” is on the first line of the memo. So they clearly did consider it.
They just went ahead anyway- judge that how you want.
@Anonymous They need to chill. Prospective students should not be subjected to this.
@Van Owen These guys are so last year and it’s sad. Emma, obviously a liar, and Zoe, another known liar, are trying to squeeze every last drop of juice out of this turnip. How do these folks go from CNN interviews to crashing Information Sessions? It appears “No Red Tape” has exceeded their fifteen minutes of fame. #thirsty?
@CC '15 Lmao all these commenters talking about “our” campus who clearly aren’t actually students/on-campus (no crown)… go back to the spec comment section where it’s at least a little less obvious that you don’t even go here. (Looking at you “Nicole”)
@alum not currently on campus well no shit “Nicole” isn’t on campus, she’s the mother of a prospie. Just because a person doesn’t currently attend Columbia doesn’t mean they shouldn’t care about what’s happening on campus.
@Anonymous I cannot wait until Emma and Zoe graduate and we can get our campus back. They have taken over and terrorized enough people.
@Anonymous Don’t forget bwogs role in this. Bwog eats out of the Palm of their hands. They never even published coverage of the daily beast article. The editor-in-chief is in cahoots with the rape terrorists. Evil, despicable Demi-humans
@Anonymous These people are a disgrace. NRT should be kicked off campus. Harrassment, terrorism, and intimidation of innocent students and families is a crime.
@Anonymous CalTech students once messed with prospective MIT students, by handing out T-shirts that said “MIT” on the front, and (in heat activated, visible-after-it’s-worn-for-a-while ink) “Because not everyone can GO to CalTech.”
Apparently, Columbia cuts the middleman right out and has Columbia students harass families during the session, themselves.
Someone’ll be mad at this being compared this to a prank. But it was a prank- a politically motivated, consequence-free, result-free prank. Nobody from NRT is going to be called out for screwing with an event like this, and nobody from the admin is going to change anything as a result of this. It’s no-stakes poker. It just makes NRT feel like they’ve done something, and ‘isn’t the will to feel all there is?’ and all that.
@back off, liberals holy shit this is not okay
@alum What would Columbia be if it were not for small groups of students occasionally going on personal crusades with inexplicable zealotry and brandishing bad-looking signs and looking like it’s been years since their last shower, demanding changes of dubious importance from the administration, incurring the opposition or at least collective embarrassment of most of the student body– and eventually getting some changes of dubious relevance enacted? I tell you, it wouldn’t be Columbia. Maybe this tradition has to do with ’68. I don’t know, but it I don’t believe it is a departure from the norm.
@Anonymous This really angers me. NRT shouldn’t get a free pass on disruptive and frankly obnoxious behavior. These students should be punished to the full extent of the disciplinary system, and then they can go complain about how ineffective Columbia is toward disciplining rule-breakers.
@LOL Among the demands:
“…interactive prevention education workshops about gender-based violence that all students are required to attend at least twice per semester”
That’s rich. I barely attend class twice per semester. Sorry NRT – going to have to pass on these “workshops.”
@Phil McCraken Despite the fact that nationwide and Columbia statistics prove campus rape is rare, Columbia’s no red tape crazies again prove they will do whatever it takes to manufacture drama to justify their faux activism and attention seeking. Pathetic.
@Nicole It’s me again. My husband and I were at the session, and I must say that this stunt was very distasteful. This was supposed to be a happy and carefree day for my daughter, her younger brother and us, parents. Thank you Red Tape activists, but we don’t need your warnings. Even though she’s just a freshman, my daughter is a smart girl who uses her own head. We love Columbia and will continue to cherish her time at this amazing institution. Nothing you do will change that. If you do care about students, girls, you need to let them enjoy this school, learning, meeting new people. Please, I am begging you, leave you angst to yourselves, and your families if they will tolerate it. A lot of it is in your heads, don’t go insane about it.
@Anonymous Hi Nicole,
I’m not a part of No Red Tape, and I admit I feel pretty uncomfortable about them protesting in this setting.
But I will say this: after I was severely, violently assaulted in a Columbia dorm room late last spring, the anti-rape activists who make up NRT and other similar groups were among the only people on campus who were there for me. At that point I had been abused for such a long time that I had no means of advocating for myself. I lost most of my friends once I decided to hold my attacker responsible and pursue disciplinary action against him. These activists connected me to mental health resources, free legal counsel, and a support system for navigating university through trauma.
Look: I know you think your daughter will be safe. My parents thought the same thing. /I/ thought the same thing. But assault happens, and when it does, there is nothing in the world more isolating that having your community insist that what happened to you doesn’t matter or doesn’t exist.
They aren’t trying to make your not love Columbia. They’re trying to keep you and your family informed. I wish someone had done the same for me.
(Congratulations to your daughter. I hope she loves it here.)
@Nicole Anonymous, did you go to the police after your “violent attack” and filed a police report? Did RED Tape tape advise you to go to the Police (from what I could see they’re a very small group of very young girls)? If yes, you’ve taken the right steps. If you haven”t file a report and Red Tape never advised you to do it, I’ll have a hard time believing your story, either. Or RED TAPE’s good intentions. Sorry. You’re an IVY league college girl… forget IVY, you’re a college girl and you should know that you have credibility if you file your claim with the police immediately. If not, harassing people around to get the message across is absurd. Many people think it’s ok to claim absurd and untrue things just to get the message across, but I’m telling you, it is not. Because there is no message in that case. It doesn’t serve anyone, real victims, other students on campus, college. It’s not cool at all. It is criminal.
@Nicole And, I know my daughter will be safe because she’s a smart girl and can take care of herself. We don’t need any warnings, We’ve read a lot about Columbia and have decided that it is perfectly safe for our daughter to be there. I will worry about her when she LEAVES Columbia. All want for her is to have a harassment-free environment in which she can thrive and learn as much as possible.
@Anonymous Being a “smart girl” doesn’t preclude someone from being sexually assaulted…
@Anonymous I pursued (and won) a case through the university. My attacker was forced to withdraw from Columbia. (And believe me, your daughter will be safer for it.)
I don’t know why you think I’m bandying about irresponsible claims with no evidence, or harassing anyone. I have never ‘gone public’ with my story, and no one but a few of my (and his) closest friends knew what was going on. I’m not interested in being some kind of public face of a movement; I just wanted to go to school and be safe, and I had the evidence to back myself up. What on earth is objectionable about that?
It’s a little baffling that you seem so sure that your daughter will be immune to sexual assault or domestic violence just because she’s smart. (This is a school full of smart people. We’re all smart.) It’s also sad to me, because that exact kind of attitude is why it took me months to tell my parents about what had happened. I’m not trying to tell you that Columbia is some kind of den of rapists, I’m not trying to scare you or create problems out of thin air, just for god’s sake, do not let your daughter think that you will lose your confidence in her if something bad does happen. You cannot know how damaging that is.
@I have a feeling that “Nicole” isn’t who she says she is, but is actually just a troll…
@Anonymous Did you text him “I love you” the next day? No guest pass to the State of the Union for you. Move along.
@Anonymous fantastic plan, though. if no one wants to go here, in a few years there won’t be anyone on campus to assault anybody else!
@A bit shameful I ardently support freedom of expression. While I don’t agree with premise of the protestors (i.e., that Columbia fosters a rape culture) and don’t agree with the objectives of the protestors (having the university requiring 6 – 10 workshops on sexual harassment), if they want to spend their time spouting their opinion, so be it. It’s their time. What I find offensive about the protestors, however, is that they are disrupting organized information sessions and inconveniencing visitors and staff who may not be interested in their opinion. If they want to picket or set up information tables, people can inquire if they are interested. But, if they just barge into programs, that’s obnoxious. And, in my opinion, the protestors should be disciplined by the University for engaging in such disruptive conduct. Censure and possibly suspension would be appropriate. For serial offenders, expulsion would be appropriate. People can say what they want. But nobody has the right to force others to listen
@alum I think it’s ridiculous that they think that seminars are needed to prevent rape, or that most people need to be asked “not to rape.” Maybe seminars are needed about caution around alcohol, how to properly respond if someone is inebriated or impaired, etc.– but rape is something that people either know is wrong, or do not and probably never will. I doubt that there are many of the latter variety on campus, but there may be some, and they are for law enforcement to deal with.
@Chad Thor I agree, what these protestors do is clearly disruptive to the fabric of the university, and certainly they should be expelled, as their crimes are much worse than those who merely raped other students. Forget about the usual 1-2 month suspensions we apply to rapists, we need expulsion for these vile persons.
@Anonymous I agree with you. They should be expelled. Unless they were “raped” at knifepoint, these charlatans need to shut the fuck up. So much me-too-ism amongst these attention-thirsty narcissists. Oppression Olympics need to end.
@Nicole Wow! What a bunch of self-serving idiots! This is so disturbing on so many levels! If they think Columbia administration will bow to their pressure, they’re wrong. Columbia is a well-oiled machine and, by now, everyone knows that this rape hysteria on campus is just that, hysteria, and that those who call themselves “activists” are all about self-promotion. As Christina Sommers said, it appears that we are in the throes of one of those panics where paranoia, censorship, and false accusations flourish—and otherwise sensible people abandon their critical facilities. We are not facing anything as extreme as the Salem Witch Trials or the McCarthy inquisitions. But today’s rape culture movement bears some striking similarities to a panic that gripped daycare centers in the 1980s. Some will say that these moral panics, while overblown, do call attention to serious problems. This is deeply mistaken. The hysteria around daycare abuse and campus rape shed no light: rather they confuse and discredit genuine cases of abuse and violence. Molestation and rape are horrific crimes that warrant serious attention and vigorous response. Panics breed chaos and mob justice. They claim innocent victims, undermine social trust, and teach us to doubt the evidence of our own experience.
@Anonymous Good to see that Bwog is reporting on this, but not the texts. Convenient!
@Confused Don’t these idiots have ethnic studies/comp lit/anthropology/gender studies classes to attend? Or have they figured out an even more absurdly easy way of getting their Columbia degrees ?
@I'm sorry Did you read the letter?
@Getting tired of all this I’m started to get annoyed with all of these anti-columbia things. Bollinger’s administration has admitted that they need to fix the system and they have made some big strides in doing so. Why doesn’t No Red Tape propose some legitimate soltuions instead of attacking their own school and trying to make us look worse. Being belligerent does absolutely nothing to fix problems.
@Anonymous I’m cringing at these rape terrorists. When is Paul’s fucking lawsuit? These people need recourse.
@shots fired!!! someone commented this on emma’s *public* facebook status denouncing Paul LOL
Greatest. Response. Ever.
“Below are reasons why your claims remain dubious.
1. Paul: ”small shindig in our room tonight ~ bring cool freshman”
Emma: ”Okay so let them know I’ll be der w da females spon [sic]”
In this conversation one day after the alleged rape, you happily agree to load up your car with girlfriends, driving them right into the lair of the supposed beast. Yet, you claim the university is not doing enough to protect students.
2. Paul: “Oh hai. happy born day! you better be celebrating muchos, no? also: donde estas tu mi viva? see i’m so desperate without you, I even try to speak spanish. anywho: merry happy days?”
Emma: “I love you Paul. Where are you!?!?!??!?!”
It’s hard to believe that your alleged rapist would wish you a happy birthday, and then you respond with “I love you”
3. You claim it would be too draining to pursue charges, and yet you carry a 50-pound mattress to all of your classes.
3a. While you didn’t pursue charges, you certainly did press charges, which you immediately withdrew, conveniently granting you the ability to go public with Paul’s name while avoiding perjury.
4. By your own admission, you had sex with Paul when he was drunk and you were sober. Those are grounds for rape. Period.
5. Paul was not allowed to bring records of you saying “I love you” to his trial, and yet he still was deemed innocent.
6. There is no hard evidence to support your side of the story besides hearsay.
7. When your conversations with Paul finally come to light, all of a sudden a new victim appears to distract us from these revelations. A little too convenient, don’t you think?
8. Your credibility is weakened by the fact that you are his ex-lover and that you colluded with Paul’s ex-girlfriend and a buddy from ADP to file claims *months* after your rape. These are the actions of a vindictive, scorned lover rather than an justice-seeker.
These are the facts of the case which you have so graciously made available to the public through your carelessness.
But all of that aside, what reason would you have to lie about something as terrible as rape? Who could possibly be so pathetic?
Perhaps it was the magazine covers, the numerous awards from feminist organizations, or tag-alongs with Senators to State of the Union speeches (even if Sen. Gillibrand was simply using you for political expediency). Maybe you simply liked the attention. Whatever the reason, it is clear you have profited enormously from your tale.
And the best part? Even in the presence of overwhelming facts that contradict your story, no one can accuse you of foul play. As a rape victim, you have an infallible position: anyone who casts doubt on your story is either a
victim-blamer and rape apologist; there’s too much repetitional risk involved for the other side to take a stand. Better yet, even if some of your details don’t add it up, you can blame it on the PTSD. After all, there’s no perfect victim.
But you know what? I’m not buying it. You can call me a rape apologist, or whatever you’d like, but at the end of the day, res ipsa loquitur.”
@"load up your car" You and that commenter really don’t even try to act like you’re part of the Columbia community, do you?
@bwog is part of the problem bwog is part of the problem more so than anyone else. at least, columbia spec was decent enough to apologize for publishing paul’s name. Bwog is too pathetic to even post the recent updates which greatly exculpate Paul. Maybe Bwog loves the rape narrative too much because they are female supremacists, some dude didn’t have feelings for the editor-in-chief, or they simply love rape.