A Northwestern University student group that canceled its multicultural food festival instead of letting a pro-Israel club take part is now in hot water.
The school’s civil rights office has opened a formal investigation into the campus chapter of Spoon University after the group scrapped its Cultural Food Fest, a university spokesperson told the student newspaper, The Daily Northwestern. The complaint alleges discrimination. Spoon University describes itself as a “food site for the next generation” with a ” network of over 3,000 students at over 100 campuses nationwide.”
Northwestern has frozen the club’s status as a registered student organization. In an email to members, the chapter’s presidents said the group can’t put on events or take part in campus-wide activities until further notice.
The trouble started when Wildcats for Israel signed up for a spot at the Nov. 6 event, which was billed as a celebration of cultures through food.
The Asian Pacific American Coalition, Alianza and the Middle Eastern North African Student Association pulled out together, blasting Spoon in a joint Instagram post, writing:
A cultural food festival ultimately provides Spoon a way to check off a box and profit off of the cultural knowledge and labor of students. Inviting MENA and other affected student organizations while simultaneously platforming an organization that supports the Israeli state’s actions places those students in an unacceptable position.
Spoon tried to fix things by telling the remaining groups that Wildcats for Israel had been dropped. But the protesting clubs said the damage was done, arguing Spoon only acted once the boycott threatened the event.
Spoon pulled the plug on the whole thing. In its own Instagram statement, the club said it opposes discrimination “in all forms.”
Chapter leaders later told The Daily Northwestern they take “full accountability” for letting the pro-Israel club in, blaming poor communication for the executive board failing to vet the guest list before it went public. They thanked the boycotting groups for holding them accountable and promised changes.
Wildcats for Israel pushed back, saying it simply wanted to share its culture and contribute to campus life.
“Our connection to Israel does not tell you anything about our values or opinions,” the group wrote, warning that students lose the ability to solve problems when they stop talking across their differences.
Spoon University, founded at Northwestern in 2012, is now a national network of more than 3,000 student food writers on over 100 campuses, operating under Her Campus Media.
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