free speech “Unsafe Space” arguments surrounding racial identity are misguided
see OPINIONS, page 6
BRUNCH Hidden Grounds is fulfilling the need for a brunch spot on campus with new, fresh menu see FOOD & DRINK, page 8
FIELD HOCKEY Dutch player brings spark, goalscoring prowess to Rutgers team
SEE sports, BACK
WEATHER Sunny High: 78 Low: 59
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WEDNESdAY, OCTOBER 4, 2017
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‘Unsafe Space’ tour prompts counter protest from student organizations Christian Zapata & Max Marcus Correspondents
In an email to students, University President Robert L. Barchi said Rutgers will stick to its current polices on sexual assault, regardless of national changes. DIMITRI RODRIGUEZ / PHOTO EDITOR / APRIL 2017
Barchi says U. will uphold its policy on sexual assault KIRA HERZOG News Editor
Earlier this month, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that the Department of Education will rescind the sexual assault guidelines laid out by Title IX. As a new set of protocols are solidified, the processes by which universities handle cases
of rape and sexual assault will be turned upside down — but Rutgers’ policy will remain intact, according to University President Rober t L. Barchi. “I want to be clear that nothing about these announcements will affect the way that we at Rutgers address sexual assault and harassment,” See policy on Page 4
A free speech advocacy tour entitled “Unsafe Space” made its second stop at the Douglass Student Center last night in an attempt to spark new dialogue around free speech. The event included a panel of speakers and was met with a counter-protest from campus organizations including Black Lives Matter and Rutgers One. Hundreds of Rutgers students faculty members attended the event, both to listen to the panel and to speak out against it. Tensions quickly rose between the protesters and counter-protesters. The original “Unsafe Space” event was created as a result of correspondence between unnamed University constituents and online British publication Spiked. The Rutgers leg of the tour, entitled “Identity politics: the new racialism on campus?” was made to explore whether a new “hypersensitivity” around race has negatively impacted the campus. Topics included cultural appropriation, free speech and microaggressions.
The panelists who led the discussion were Kmele Foster, the founder of Freethink Media, Sarah Haider, a co-founder of Ex-Muslims of North America, Mark Lilla, a professor of humanities at Columbia University and Bryan Stascavage, a writer and free-speech advocate. During the panel, Foster said police violence should not be understood through the framework of racial identity politics. In interpreting the statistics of police violence, he said he finds little evidence that black people are at unique risk of being shot by the police. “For me it seems impractical to take an issue that we all agree is important and to balkanize it and to make it something that is of unique interest to a particular community; to attach to it a mantra that is narrowly interested in racial outcomes — to make it an issue where if you disagree with me, you don’t disagree on an approach to fixing this problem, you disagree on whether or not my life has value or merit,” Foster said. After the event, members of Black Lives Matter Rutgers said that the panelists had not properly acknowledged their point of view.
“They literally didn’t answer any questions that we asked,” said Bashir Herbert, a School of Arts and Sciences junior and the secretary of Black Lives Matter Rutgers. “They had no idea about the black struggle that we’re dealing with. They were just answering things based on statistics.” Lilla said that the greatest threat to the rights of historically marginalized communities comes from the Republican Party. He added that the Republican party has committed itself to reducing the rights of women to get abortions, of black people to vote and of gay couples to be treated equally. Lilla said that in order to protect these historically marginalized groups, the Democratic Party must develop a rhetoric that also appeals to communities that regularly vote Republican. “One needs a message as a party that speaks to everyone in the country,” Lilla said. “Identity politics as currently practiced is preventing liberals, the left, progressives, the Democratic party, however, you want to describe that side, from See protest on Page 4
Rutgers students raise money after house fire
After a fire destroyed their off-campus residence, two Rutgers students are trying to raise money on GoFundMe to pay for the damages. COURTESY OF FRANK AITA
Jillian Pastor Staff Writer
A GoFundMe has been created for two Rutgers students whose off-campus house burned down. The fire erupted inside the Delafield Street home early on a Friday morning in October 2015. The residents were forced into the street, and fire officials
said the home was uninhabitable, according to NJ Advance Media. Kevin McCann, the New Brunswick’s deputy fire chief, said that everyone made it out safely because the smoke alarm alerted residents to the fire, but the home sustained extensive damage. See fire on Page 5
Yesterday, a small group of Rutgers students protested outside of the Douglass Student Center where a panel, entitled “Unsafe Space,” was being held. The goal of the original event was to create a dialogue around identity politics and free speech on campus. YOSEF SERKEZ
VOLUME 149, ISSUE 82 • University ... 3 • opinions ... 6 • FOOD & DRINK ... 8 • Diversions ... 9 • SPORTS ... BACK