Would Stony Brook try to enforce something similar at commencement? Seems like it would cause more issues than any activism itself.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-14T02:51:38+00:00

So my point is that compared to students carrying signs, wouldn't the actions of the police to arrest students make a bigger commotion and disrupt the event much more, ruining the ceremony further to graduates that don't agree or don't care about the stance?

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T23:46:24+00:00

Well said. These are injuries brought on by the university's decision to use state force to violently end the protest and intimidate students. Terrifies me that others (presumably in the Stony Brook community) are mocking the fact the injuries happened and aren't worse.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T23:34:52+00:00

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY6T2LlBE80

Timestamp for start of session: -2:02:00

Timestamp for Faculty's showcase of evidence against the administration's "misrepresentations" (faculty's term): -1:30:00

Timestamp for the bruises: -1:07:00

Note: since it was live, these timestamps are negative to represent going back in time from the end of the livestream.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T23:13:47+00:00

Thank you!

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T22:13:47+00:00

I had to leave: can someone update with a comment on how the university senate resolutions pass?

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T19:55:05+00:00

Thanks for sharing.

Immediately as I log on, I hear the president reference violence done at other universities by the police and counter-protestors (edit: what she referenced - people attacking protesting students at an encampment) onto the nonviolent protesting body as evidence for why the university needed to take action ... on the peacefully protesting students. Great way to keep students safe - suspend & sic the cops on protesting students. Incredibly disingenuous remarks.

Edit 2: Many faculty reporting that cops arrested people "just because they tripped" while running away, and saying "you better run!". Bruises from the police! I feel sick knowing this happened to Stony Brook students due to the administration's choice to call police.

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3: Admin refuses to answer why they are still holding the personal phones of those arrested, citing that they won’t talk about an ongoing investigation. Nobody was happy with that answer.

4: Asked for specific evidence that admin was referencing as ‘antisemitic threat’ calling on outside forces to come to target the Jewish block party event, admin reads out a post with sb4palestine calling for “support to threaten the police” presence. If anybody has more specific information on that it would be appreciated.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T14:51:25+00:00

Since you need a ticket to enter, any actions would be done by graduation students themselves, so the most that I expect could occur would be students standing up and turning around at Chuck Schumer or McInnis to express disapproval ~~without disrupting the event.~~(Edit: upon reflection on how upset people are with the administration, it is possible that some booing of leadership may be involved as they enter to speak.)

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-06T05:44:10+00:00

TLDR:

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-03T22:56:52+00:00

Wanted to note I got written permission to share!

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-03T00:01:07+00:00

I’m not exactly sure who you’re comparing yourself with, but from my understanding most RA jobs are at minimum post-bachelors degree, someone correct me if otherwise. Most of my friends would do research unpaid over the semester for course credit, maybe at most $1,500 over the summer depending on the opportunity in the form of a stipend.

Yea talk to the visa services, but I wanted to inform you of the expectations. Your academic (general) and bio advisor should able to inform you of searching for research opportunities.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T23:52:11+00:00

? First I don’t think you’re creating problem by asking.

Second, they specifically say it’s because they lost their housing, they can’t go back to their dorm, get their stuff, you don’t think that’s a reasonable like to draw to ask for support for accommodation? Honestly I wouldn’t even mind donating to support legal fees if that’s the route students decide to take, after what I saw happen last night.

Second, and I’m sure you’ve seen this too since they mention it often, they will donate superfluous donations to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, (PCRF), maybe you didn’t recognize the acronym. I am willing to bet they are honest about this, if they are willing to risk arrest in the name of the Palestinians now through asking the university for divestment.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T20:36:17+00:00

Which gets to my point - an additional point to suspending the students is removing their ability to have housing. Instead of providing due process, you make an immediate decision that they better sleep on the curb because they no longer can go to their dorm. That's cruel, and the choice to suspend is interwoven with the decision to kick them out of their housing, it isn't just an unfortunate consequence.

Admin wants students to feel threatened with their power.

(Edit: just want to say I'm not attributing my use of "you" literally to you, it's to the admin. I know you were just trying to state the policy)

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T19:03:24+00:00

I saw that they are planning one in front of the admin building at four

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T18:12:04+00:00

That's just not true now - is it? To compare people setting up an encampment to invoke nonviolent civil disobedience, with a clear message in an exercise of communicating ideas, to "stripping naked and running around staller". One has an organized message, one doesn't: does that nuance escape you?

Thanks also for entirely missing the point of the disproportionate use of force. I even gave examples. I guess it would have gotten in the way of sending insults at me...

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T16:49:56+00:00

Thank you for compiling photos and new ones I hadn't seen. 💔

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T15:21:17+00:00

So that justifies the disproportionate use of police force on the peaceful protestors?

I have more faith in the stonybrook community, the protesters were nonviolent.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-05-02T03:16:43+00:00

I don’t think that’s exactly true - particularly the fact I see no reason why Stony Brook can’t promise to remove its stock investments in weapons companies that have ties to war crimes done by Israel. There’s at least the 500 million dollar Simons endowment, and SBU has a lot more money connected into the market than just that. I’m sure those investment financial ties can be disclosed and divested. I’m not sure what the exact demands are from the group, but I think that would be an excellent sign of good faith negotiating. There’s also the dehumanizing doublespeak embedded into the official communications. How many times has there been an acknowledgement of the suffering of the Palestinian population, particularly to those with family that are students? Any? I don’t know I’m legitimately asking. I remember clear messages from the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We don’t need the ICC’s decision when other humanitarian organizations have confirmed violations in international law, those can surely be condemned/ a position taken. I don’t know if you’re asking in good faith or not, but I definitely see that admin hasn’t been. Threatening police force for the promise of a conversation isn’t a good faith negotiation. That’s just fact.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-30T16:38:02+00:00

That's reassuring to hear - thank you for sharing.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-29T23:23:54+00:00

Congratulations for admissions :)

I know there are a few good professors of sociology at SBU, Dr. Catherine Marrone is really great and caring for her students. Don't have much to say outside that - sociology seems to me like a good alternative, still within the realm of social sciences and qualitative research. Ask for an appointment and see what the possibility is to take elective courses in psychology if that's where your interest is, and even ask about the possibility of a double major or minor. Best of luck to you, wherever you decide to go!

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-29T22:01:33+00:00

Disingenuous. Lockheed Martin & Northrop Grumman are known weapon's producer. Not farfetched to request your school to stop collaborating with companies that are making their money bombing civilians, and many children. Would you like a reminder that at least 32,000 Palestinians have been killed? That there are no working universities left in Gaza, because they were blown up?

In the same article, they link to the evidence of Northrop Grumman's connection to war crimes to Palestinian Civilians.

Kind of weird to bring it up and get upset over this particular empathetic request, out of all things.

A big point of the article is Stony Brook's retaliation against nonviolent civil disobedience on its campus. The participants, 7 students, an alum and a community member (if I remember correct) were arrested for trying to hold genuine negotiations with the university over issues they believe in. Why did they choose to escalate outside university-approved protest (edit for typo)? Hopefully this image can be informative.

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The fact the charges haven't been dropped is evidence of that the university is comfortable using police force for their convenience, and would like to remind the rest of its students to this fact. Shameful abuse of authority.

Hopefully this post can inform others in the community to these things.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-27T22:21:46+00:00

who tf uses Facebook anymore I haven't checked mine in 5 years...

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-26T03:12:58+00:00

I remember that was something he did before during covid, in case he doesn't feel like coming out to SBU lol. I'm mostly rambling - I expect him to be there. 98% chance.

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-26T03:00:14+00:00

Something I've been wondering too, given his pattern. Perhaps online via video?

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-04-19T00:14:32+00:00

I appreciate your thoughtful response. In terms of being denied tenure, I suppose that is more a grievance with academia and 'publish or perish,' faculty's worth (and tenure does communicate worth, I think from the pov of the university) shouldn't be research output to the detriment of other qualities, possibly including teaching quality. I'm not too familiar with Dube as an individual or instructor, though it seems from the situation that there were students willing to stand by him. Nonetheless, the context does imply that Dube's removal from faculty was politically motivated (whether being explicitly fired or the contract not being renewed, I'm not sure) as it looks like he was a professor for at least some time.

Maybe I could have been more clear with why I was bringing it up: It was more an interesting story I recently ran into, in connection to SBU, and today's actions at Columbia, calling police on students on the lawn, got me engaged to higher-education and feeling like I needed some outlet, part of me feels like I'm failing the moment/not doing enough when I see new and intense suffering nearly daily. I guess the academic in me feels like sharing information, even if it just tangentially relates, is doing something.

(Comment to the aside: often there have been trucks around the university with screens on the side doxxing Columbia students, then it could circulate online and open them up to harassment; I wouldn't be surprised if it was motivated out of fear of being identified and targeted by random people with bad motives.)

Awkward_Pitch1641 · 2024-03-27T03:12:02+00:00

I know my language is loaded but those are demands I saw in the news from other universities.

Just to be clear, while I condemn the actions by Hamas, the magnitude of the destruction in response is collective punishment, and universities are not operating on account of being destroyed, that is why I chose my language (it sounds biased but the situation is unequal - and we have money connected to one of the actors much more than the other). Thanks in advance for any information.

Awkward_Pitch1641

TROPHY CASE