I chose this first article because it really related to the article we read last week about student organizations protesting for divestment in fossil fuels. I thought looking at this article would be an interesting comparison to the other one. It shows that large issues are often reported by various different media outlets in response to the pushback in their areas. This article reports that many companies that rely on fossil fuel investment for a huge chunk of their revenue will be affected by the divestment and step toward renewable fuel of Columbia. However, this is seen as a good thing because these organizations have been constantly reported as not aligning with the university’s core values. A group on campus called Extinction Rebellion stood before the school’s committee for ethical investment to reinforce the idea that complete divestment in any company that is involved in fossil fuels or is against renewable energy is part of the school’s ethical responsibility. Columbia would then be the first Ivy League school to do this if the proposal by students was to be accepted. The committee basically responds by saying that these things take time and students become frustrated and say this issue is much more important than their other agendas.
This next article is much different from the other articles I’ve looked at. It’s about how the transfer student group on campus has found a building to meet and live off-campus because of a lack of space on campus. This building is set aside for transfers for their first year at Columbia because all the dorms are full by the time they get to the school. The students that live there describe it as a home that brings all the residents together to get to know each other and bond in the shared living spaces outside of their single/double bedrooms. This building was originally vacated when a fraternity was reported to be hazing their pledges which is not allowed. So, then the space was up for grabs by so many other groups on campus. Next year, it will be home to a different living-learning community instead of just transfers. After that, it will continue being a multi-use off-campus home for many different people.
