USenate members seek ROTC feedback despite ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ repeal delay

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted against taking up a bill that included a provision to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which prohibits gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members from disclosing their sexual orientation.

The controversial policy has been at the center of on-campus debates about the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps—twice halting initiatives to invite the program to Columbia.

Anticipating a potential appeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” student senators of Columbia’s University Senate have been preparing to solicit student opinions about ROTC on campus.

Despite Tuesday’s vote, the USenate is staying on track—seeking student feedback, but holding off any resolution until “don’t ask, don’t tell” is officially repealed.

“It doesn’t change anything,” Tao Tan, CC ’07, Business ’11, and chair of the USenate’s Student Affairs Committee, wrote in an email after the U.S. Senate vote. “Our priority remains ensuring the student voice is heard.”

USenate members hope that student input will shape future policies regarding the program, but, Tan said, “We aren’t going to introduce the ROTC debate to the Senate until DADT is repealed by Congress and signed into law by the president.”