On Monday, WSN published an opinion piece condemning student protestors at NYU. A contributing writer, Becky Flanagan, claimed that this small group of her peers are “ruining NYU campus life.” Elaborating on this so-called ruination, the author cites visitor restrictions in Bobst, increased ID checks and the cancellation of Strawberry Festival in 2024. By placing the blame for these decisions on campus activists, the writer failed to hold accountable the individuals who actually instituted the repressive policies: President Linda Mills and her administration.
Their efforts to quash student and faculty protests are well-documented and ongoing. From vaguely justified construction projects blocking areas frequented by demonstrators to barring campus access from students who refused to sign a pledge to stop protesting, Mills has shown no hesitation in leveraging her position to silence inconvenient voices. Ironically, Flanagan referred to an article detailing the community’s pushback against the unjustified crackdown — signed by over 40 Gallatin professors and endorsed by hundreds of alumni, the letter demanded pardons for the suspensions of students who participated in a pro-Palestinian sit-in last semester. This was only one example of the university community’s overwhelming rejection of attempts to quell our freedom of expression.
The writer sympathizes with the administration’s actions, stating that if she were in their position, she would also “want to protect the university’s reputation from both donor outrage and media scrutiny.” Yet, these very actions have prompted such consequences. Hundreds of alumni have withheld donations, specifically citing the university’s response to Pro-Palestinian protestors as their reasoning for doing so; major publications have published articles decrying it and NYU’s reputation took a hurdle after receiving back-to-back ‘F’ ratings for free speech. The university has only repelled its donors and tarnished its reputation in the name of preserving these two markers of elite college status.
The article also posits that protestors’ demands haven’t been met and are, therefore, pointless. Although we live in an era where it can often feel like individual political power is weak relative to the grand scheme of things, capitulation is not the answer. Fighting for the preservation of our closest-held freedoms and using our platforms and places of privilege to ensure they’re extended to the least protected among us is probably close to the right track.
Last weekend, millions took to the streets for the second No Kings march, resisting the narrative of helplessness. President Donald Trump responded by posting an AI-generated video of a plane labeled “KING TRUMP,” dumping sludge on the demonstrators. Such blatant mockery of the will of the people is unprecedented given the historic scale of these cross-coalitional protests. Similar to Trump’s reaction, the writer’s opinion piece elucidates her disdain for students voicing opinions that she disagrees with — mocking and delegitimizing their voices by stating that instead of protesting, they should, “Go on a date, maybe.”
Anyone who disagrees with those in power should not face retaliation for utilizing their right to protest and free speech in the same ways that those who agree with him are able. Both sides of the aisle deserve to have their points of view heard, and we shouldn’t punish them for expressing these beliefs in a non-harmful way. These admirable acts of selflessness are a stark contrast with this columnist’s incessant fight to scan her student ID less.
I reject the contributing writer’s characterization of herself as the “typical” NYU student. Despite objectionable policies from NYU’s administration, I hope and believe that the students, alumni, faculty and staff of this university stand for freedoms of speech, expression and assembly. We can disagree with our peers without calling to silence and expel them.
Protestors don’t take for granted the immense privilege inherent to being a part of this community; rather, they use the safety nets of their coveted positions to fight on behalf of people who don’t have the luxury to do so.
WSN’s Opinion desk strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion desk are solely the views of the writer.
Contact Jesse Schumann at [email protected].