Nov 16, 2020 Issue 6

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020 / VOLUME 147, ISSUE 6 Campus Times SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SINCE 1873 / campustimes.org Students Occupy Frigid DPS Lot, Mangelsdorf and Reslife Heads Talks Winter DPS Chief Promise Discussion Stay, Spring Semester By Hailie Higgins EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Students looking to stay on campus over the extra long winter break will be able to snag a room free of charge if they already have a housing contract for the school year. Unlike previous years, River Campus students will not be relocated, and will remain in their regular dorms for either a short-term or long-term stay, according to the Residential Life website. The former is from Nov. 25 until Dec. 19 (last day of finals), and the second from Nov. 25 to Jan. 22. Students looking to stay could register us- ing an online survey that closed today. Any student who has not yet reached out, or who wants to stay past Dec. 19 but doesn’t have a spring contract, should contact winterstay- [email protected]. Students looking to stay from November to January will have a mandatory $895 dining fee. This is their only fee. Short-term students do not have a mandatory plan. HENRY LITSYKY / PHOTO EDITOR “We wanted to make sure that Students hang the first banner on Rush Rhees Library promptly at 1:00. there’s enough people to make a [dining plan] viable.” By Henry Litsky Matter flag repeatedly passing the lot. By the PHOTO EDITOR time that confrontation de-escalated, Fischer “We wanted to make sure that there’s enough had arrived. people to make a [dining] plan viable,” Execu- By Wil Aiken URAC’s demonstration began with a rally for tive Director of Residential Life and Housing SENIOR STAFF abolishing DPS in front of Rush Rhees Library. Services Laurel Contomanolis said. “In order They taped two large cloth signs to the build- to do that, we [...] need to have a certain num- By Michael Vilakazi ing. Both signs listed demands: “Abolish DPS,” ber of students, so that we can have a dining NEWS EDITOR “Sever Ties w/ [the Military Prison Industrial plan for that period [...] This is a different kind Complex],” and “Center Us.” of situation this year.” Several spoke, wiping down the mic in be- She explained that although students might They made their demands directly, in-person, be in facilities with kitchen access, most of in 34 degree weather. tween speeches. After a speaker read URAC’s those kitchens will be shut down for the break, Six hours into their Saturday occupation of list of demands, senior Amina N’Gambwa so those students are not exempt. As usual, the Department of Public Safety’s parking lot, emphasized the demand that the University unused declining from this period will roll over student activists spoke with President Sarah implement a policy barring DPS from respond- to the spring semester. Mangelsdorf and Commissioner Mark Fischer ing to mental health calls. (Free the People Roc According to Contomanolis, students will over issues surrounding DPS. has been pushing for a similar law in regards only have swipe access to their dorms, the first to the Rochester Police Department called floor of Susan B. Anthony for Hillside, and a They demanded the release of DPS’ budget handful of common spaces such as Rush Rhees and disciplinary records, and that DPS cease re- “Daniel’s Law.”) N’Gambwa also emphasized the demands for budget and disciplinary trans- and Wilson Commons. Wilson Commons Stu- sponding to mental health calls, instead replac- dent Activities will have limited programming ing the position with a trained mental health parency. Senior Efua Agyare-Kumi — former Managing Editor of the Campus Times — spoke during the break, the ResLife website reads. emergency response team. Students staying short-term or long-term By the end of the hour-long discussion, Man- about DPS’ history and gave a brief history of must remain within 100 miles of the Univer- gelsdorf and Fischer had committed to holding Black activism at UR. sity at all times. Students who leave at any serious discussions including representatives “We know words mean nothing point are not allowed to return until the sched- of the student group, particularly about their uled move-in at the end of January, at which requests for a new mental health emergency without action.” point they will have to quarantine and take a response system and budget transparency. COVID-19 test while they wait for the results, “College campuses across the country have according to Contomanolis. “We know words mean nothing without ac- Looking to the spring, Contomanolis does tion,” the UR Abolition Coalition (URAC) wrote histories of activism and college students as change-makers,” junior Indy Maring said to- not expect any significant changes to the on Instagram, “so we look forward to holding COVID-19 policies currently in place. the administration accountable.” wards the end of the rally. “So we have to step into that role as college students.” They added: “We hope this occupation was a SEE WINTER PAGE 2. powerful reminder that direct action works and Not long after, marching began. that coming together as a community creates The demonstration moved from Rush Rhees change.” to Susan B. Anthony Residence Hall where URAC began occupying the lot around 3 p.m., sophomore Elvis Vasquez read his poem high- bringing sleeping bags, tents, and blankets. lighting the racist divide between the River They remained there until early Sunday morn- Campus and the 19th Ward. At the same mo- ing. In the occupation’s first hours, the group ment, UR alumni Jerry Rugley and Jason L. of about 20 was writing slogans like “Abolish Cunningham walked up to the protest and later DPS” in chalk and hearing talks from profes- briefly spoke to the demonstrators. sors — as well as a community member — who “Campus security would stay by the foot- visited. bridge to make sure ‘the others’ wouldn’t come There were more tense moments later in across,’” Rugley told the crowd, recalling his the evening, first between students initially own experience of the divide Vazquez de- blocking DPS cars from exiting the lot and DPS scribed. officers, and later between students and the two occupants of a pickup truck flying a Blue Lives READ THE REST ONLINE. HENRY LITSKY / PHOTO EDITOR Click the SZECHUAN CT NEEDS MEATLESS CAMPUS BY INSIDE link to go to the OPERA YOUR HELP MONDAYS TORCHLIGHT THIS CT article! PAGE 3 COMMUNITY PAGE 5 OPINIONS PAGE 6 OPINIONS PAGE 8 HUMOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020 campustimes.org / PAGE 2 CAMPUS UR Reacts to a Rocky Election By Micah Greenberg FEATURES EDITOR the “Mental Health Day” because of the anticipation of the results. “My students are having a very difficult time is my On Nov. 3, millions of people from around the sense of it. The pandemic, Zoom fatigue, and now world — including much of the UR community — the election,” Associate Professor of Religion Joshua watched as the results of the American election be- Dubler said. “My sense is that neither the adminis- gan to trickle in. But some close states took days to tration nor — in aggregate — their professors, have count, causing increased anxiety and anticipation. been sufficiently attentive and responsive to the cu- President-elect Biden did not claim victory until mulative weight of it all.” Dubler added that he made major news networks called the election for him on sure to discuss those issues in class and cancel all of Saturday, Nov. 7. President Trump has not yet con- the material that would’ve been covered on Election ceded, and alleges in lawsuits that illegal voter fraud Day as opposed to pushing back the due dates. is responsible for his defeat, and that he won the Though Dubler was relieved by Biden’s victory, election if only legally-cast votes are counted. So far, and by the signs that indicated a coup was not immi- there is no substantive evidence of voter fraud. nent, election night was not particularly reassuring. Classes on Election Day were cancelled this year. “I’m addicted to Twitter like everybody else, which HENRY LITSKY / PHOTO EDITOR Ostensibly the day off, which was officially referred generally does not make a person feel good,” he said. Computer Science department, spent election night to as a “Study Break” or “Mental Health Day,” was He expressed concern that the Democratic Party looking at results online. “I didn’t watch any broad- granted in response to a student petition asking for is not committed enough to policy change. “Where cast news shows, as I consider modern corporate days off to quell academic burnout and make up for I’m encouraged is with the rising power of the social news more hype and entertainment than informa- the cancellation of fall break. democratic faction inside the Democrat Party [...] to tion,” he said. Having Election Day specifically off was a re- my mind this growing faction represents our last, Pawlicki was hoping for a strong victory for quest of the petition. “With November 3rd being the best chance at pushing back against empire (abroad President Trump, as well as a clear winner on elec- Election day,” the petition read, “students require and at home), massive wealth disparities, and gath- tion night. “I am proud that there is no ‘quit’ in and deserve an opportunity to go out and vote (some ering climate collapse.” President Trump,” Pawlicki said. “I am thankful that for the first time in their lives).” However, though Elaine Sia, a professor in the Department of the Democrats did not immediately begin the type people registered to vote in the Rochester area had Biology, similarly found election night stressful.

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