Students on Trinity’s dual BA programme have begun their time at Columbia under extraordinary circumstances amidst heightened security and restricted access in the wake of unrest which rocked the campus before the summer.
Students are required to show university identification to enter campus, while non-students must be registered as a guest in order to be granted access, after the world’s first Gaza solidarity encampment sparked months of chaos on the site.
Alessandra Masso, a fourth year dual BA student in her second year at Columbia, spoke of the security measures needed to get on campus: “In order to enter any gate you need to scan your ID.”
Ciana Meyers, a third year student who is at Columbia University for the first time this term, talked about the inconvenience of entering a campus for the first time amid these new security measures.
“Especially because it was my first time studying on Columbia’s campus, I would make sure to get to campus quite a bit earlier, ID [at the ready].”
Meyers added that during orientation week, many new dual BA students hadn’t yet received their university IDs necessary to scan, and so instead had to use a QR code to access campus which she said could be “intimidating and nerve wracking”.
This system of using a QR code to be granted access to campus is similar to the protocol for bringing a non-student guest on campus. Meyers commented “we are Columbia students but during orientation we didn’t have our IDs, so we were categorised as people who needed QR codes”.
Meyers added that the experience has been “quite smooth overall” but that the security presence is “very hard to ignore”. She added “that concept of freedom of speech is so discussed and talked about, and I think there’s a feeling that Columbia is not endorsing that right or not supporting students in being vocal”.
Students in Columbia sparked a global wave of protests when they set up a Gaza solidarity encampment on the lawn of the university in April. Months of chaos followed, including the arrests and brutalisation of protesters by New York City police, culminating in the resignation of university president Minouche Shafik in August.
Masso, on how the security was affecting campus culture, said that she hasn’t experienced any problems with the security, but she added “you know that they’re hired there to prevent student expression”.
The students also spoke of how the closure of campus to the general public has affected the atmosphere of campus. Masso said ““you used to see a bunch of kids playing, with families” but now there is no one from the surrounding neighbourhood on campus.
Meyers said “this is not what you expect a college experience to look like, especially when American college campuses really pride themselves on campus culture.” She highlighted that this strong campus culture is supported through Columbia’s academic structure of continuous assessment, with which “you’re really back and forth to the library” because “your campus is completely your home”.
Under Trinity’s dual BA programme with Columbia, students spend the first two years of their degree in Dublin and their final two years in New York.
Columbia’s increased security comes in the wake of a two week Gaza Solidarity Encampment that resulted in the arrests of over 100 students by the NYPD.
Former Columbia University president Minouche Shafik, before her resignation, was considering implementing peace officers on campus, or public safety officers with the ability to make arrests without contacting the police department.
NYPD Lt. Darrin Porcher told CBS News that peace officers “no longer have to cross-connect with the NYPD to make an arrest”.
A demonstration took place on the first day of classes outside Columbia’s gates which was peaceful but resulted in the arrests of two students.
On the same day, protesters poured red paint on the Alma Mater statue that sits outside Low Memorial Library.
