EMMA PIRHALA / ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Protests at college campuses throughout the U. S., concerning Palestinian statehood and the current status of Gaza, increased within recent weeks. An encampment of students in support of Palestine at Columbia University led to the arrests of over 100 demonstrators. As of Tuesday, April 30, students occupy Columbia’s West Lawn and Hamilton Hall, demanding the university to cut its financial ties with Israel and for the U.S. to encourage a ceasefire. In response, Columbia moved its classes to a hybrid model until the end of the semester to encourage safety for students  and professors. However, many students and parents are disgruntled and request tuition remission   for the  canceled in-person classes. 

USD first-year Mia Gleason shared her perspective on the situation. 

“Good for them. I’m glad that students are taking initiative on their campuses because I know a lot of college campuses invest in defense industries as a source of revenue. So it’s cool to see students standing up against that,” Gleason said.

Similarly, USD sophomore Jocelyn Hernandez was disappointed in the response from other universities. 

“It’s unfortunate that [the universities] are punishing the students for what they believe. Some students may have family in Palestine or some might have family in Israel,” Hernandez explained.

Columbia’s President Minouche Shafik participated in negotiations to conclude the protests. However, on April 29, Shafik announced via email to Columbia students that negotiations have failed. 

“Regretfully, we were not able to come to an agreement.”

Shafik continued on Columbia’s unwillingness to cut financial ties with Israel. 

“While the University will not divest from Israel, the University offered to develop an expedited timeline for review of new proposals from the students by the Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing, the body that considers divestment matters,” Shafik stated. 

Shafik   traveled to the nation’s capital to discuss     the situation with government officials. Members from both the Republican and Democratic parties called for Shafik’s resignation. Democratic Representative from New York Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, condemned Shafik’s decision to send in the NYPD to arrest protestors. 

“It represents a heinous   failure of leadership that puts people’s lives at    risk. I condemn it  in the strongest   possible terms,”  Ocasio-Cortez  wrote on X. 

Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson visited Columbia to announce his disapproval,  for a different reason.

“I am here today, joining my colleagues and calling on President Shafik to resign if she cannot immediately bring order to this chaos,” Johnson said at a press conference. 

The protests at Columbia University sparked demonstrations at other universities such as California State Polytechnic University – Humboldt, New York University, the University of Michigan and other Ivy Leagues including Harvard and Brown University — all resulting in the arrests of students. 

The University of Southern California (USC) canceled their main commencement ceremony for the class of 2024, instead having separate ceremonies for each school, due to rising unrest on campus.   The decision leaves many of the graduating seniors to miss both their high school and college graduations, due to COVID-19 and the recent protests, respectively. 

USD Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Kristin Moran is the parent of one of USC’s graduates who will not have the opportunity to attend the main commencement ceremony. Her daughter, Madison Moran, commented on how the cancellation has impacted the graduating seniors. 

“Most graduates are upset with the cancellation of the main ceremony, because the reasons given by [USC] don’t seem to warrant this extreme of a reaction. However, I am in favor of the increased security measures at graduation since it is a larger gathering during an era of extreme unrest,” Madison Moran explained. 

As   unrest     grows   on campuses, the conflict is only increasing in the Middle East. The death toll in Gaza has reached over 34,000 and the World Food Programme says the area is headed toward a famine. More than half of Gaza’s population was forced to relocate to Rafah, but the Israel Defense Forces are moving forward with an offensive attack on the city. 

Additionally, allies of both Palestine  and Israel have increased their involvement in the war.   On April 1, Israel attacked the Iranian Consulate in Damascus, Syria, escalating tensions which have been present for decades. More  recently, these tensions have escalated due to Iran’s support of  Hamas. On April 14, Iran launched   a  retaliation strike of  around 300 missiles,  only a few of which   caused  damage. On April 18, Israel carried out targeted missile strikes in Iran, with explosions being reported near  the city of  Ishafan,  triggering Iran’s missile defense systems. 

Opposition forces, speculated to be Iranian-funded militias according to U.S. intelligence, launched a failed attack on U.S. military     housing in Rumalyn, Syria on April 22. Government officials claim that no one was killed. 

On April 24,  the U.S. Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid package which allotted $26 billion to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. $9 billion of the funds  will go toward humanitarian relief in Gaza. However, at least $4   billion will be allocated to replenishing Israel’s missile inventory. 

As conflict and protests intensify nationwide, the University of San Diego has not commented on the war between Palestine and Israel. 

Palestine supporters at USD on campus have shown their support via social media, through stickers posted throughout buildings, and through two protests earlier in the fall semester. Additionally, the Gaza at USD Faculty  Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSCUSD) organized a series of teach-ins discussing the war. 

On April 3, USD’s Palestine Solidarity Committee at USD (PSCUSD)  and the Palestinian Alliance of Law Students posted a statement on their Instagram accounts calling for the University to divest in Israel. 

“The University’s Vision statement, approved by the board of trustees, states that ‘strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s  challenges   by fostering peace,  working for  justice and leading with love.’ How is it possible  to   work for justice when we ignore a genocide committed in our time?” the account posted.

The group of undergraduate and law students urged USD to “publicize           university   investments and holdings into companies and institutions complicit in weapons manufacturing, occupation, colonization of Palestinian land and resources.”

USD first-year Gavin Emerzian described the lack of events on campus.

“My   mom was asking if we were having   protests on campus about   the  war  in Gaza. I  responded that not much was happening around  here.  I  feel that we aren’t having as   many protests as other schools,  since many people are more distant from social issues,” Emerzian explained.

While USD’s campus has not been active around Palestine recently, protests happening at other colleges have been on the minds of many USD students.

The Gaza @ USD  faculty coalition organized a memorial for the dead and dying in Gaza  on May 1. As of The USD Vista’s publication  deadline   of    April  30,  the  event   had not  yet taken place.  

Students at Columbia University have occupied the campus while calling for the school to divest from Israel.  Photo courtesy of @nywalks/Instagram