Jonathan Hollander

When I open the Spectator opinion section and read accusations that the Columbia community is racist, I feel frustrated.

Regardless of the legitimacy of going to war, or its subsequent conduct, I believe that every American should be able to agree that a geopolitically stable Iraq and Middle East is in America’s best interest.

Hearing about Manhattanville on an almost daily basis, I have come to the conclusion that the reason why it has gained so much political traction is because it is an issue inextricably tied to human welfare. Regardless of whether Columbia proceeds with its current plans, lives will be affected for both the better and the worse

The recent tenure battles regarding professors Nadia Abu El Haj and Joseph Massad have led to renewed allegations that undue “outside political influence” is threatening the academic freedom that is at the heart of Columbia University.

Like many other members of the Columbia community, I was shocked by the response to the recent bias incidents on campus. However, my dismay did not result from the actions of the administration, but rather from those of my fellow students, some of whom have seized upon recent events and twisted their meaning to reflect an activist political agenda.

Last night as I was working on my economics problem set, I received a call from Palo Alto, Calif. It was my high school friend Mike, calling to catch up on things after my first month and his first two weeks in college. At first we made small talk, but we quickly moved on to the real purpose of the conversation: comparing our college experiences.