Community Principles Initiative

On April 15, Lehman Lawn was abuzz with music, barbecue, and even fireworks as Barnard students celebrated their annual Spirit Day. Columbia, on the other hand, does not have its own Spirit Day—this is both a symptom and a cause of the palpable lack of community on campus.

As a queer student of color, I have been directly affected by many of the bias incidents on campus over the last few years, as have many of my friends. One such friend was so enraged by the anti-Semitic graffiti in Ruggles two years ago, that he wanted to transfer because he as afraid to be at Columbia.

With its Community Principles Initiative, Columbia missed what could have been an exciting and important opportunity to involve students from all four schools in crafting ideals that could be followed for years to come.