Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro gave remarks at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, on Monday, which marked the anniversary of Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Around 1,200 people were murdered and hundreds taken captive by Hamas terrorists who crossed Israel’s border last year to carry out the deadliest attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In an interview-style speech with the Young America’s Foundation and hosted by the Buckley Institute at Yale, Shapiro discussed what October 7 revealed about college campuses in the U.S.
“I think that October 7 revealed a lot of truths about the world that the West has been hesitant to address. One of the biggest truths was revealed in the days after October 7 when, even before Israel’s retaliation began … there were widespread protests across the West, particularly on college campuses in favor of Hamas, in favor of Hezbollah, in favor of those who would extirpate Israel from the planet,” Shapiro said.
“The extent of the rot at the core of American education has been truly revealed over the course of the last year,” he added. “[October 7] is not just a day of mourning; it’s a reminder of what happens when the West goes to sleep on its own principles, when it imports people who don’t believe in the West’s principles, and when it cultivates an entire generation of people who don’t believe in the mission of its civilization.”
Yale, along with numerous other prestigious American universities, has been scrutinized for allowing anti-Israel sentiment to fester on campus in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel. In a closed-door meeting in June, former Yale President Dr. Peter Salovey was <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/closed-committee-interviews-university-presidents-scheduled-anti-semitism-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grilled</a> by members of Congress over anti-Semitism on campus.
In April, anti-Israel students at Yale <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yale-students-threaten-hunger-strike-if-anti-israel-demands-are-not-met" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanded</a> that the Ivy League school divest from weapons manufacturers “contributing to Israel’s assault on Palestine,” threatening to go on a hunger strike if their demands were not met. Just last week, hundreds of students at Yale <a href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2024/09/30/students-march-for-lebanon-and-palestine-block-traffic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marched</a> and chanted anti-Israel slogans, such as, “Zionism is a crime, from Lebanon to Palestine” and “raise your hand, make a fist, Palestinians will resist… Lebanese will resist.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*1q0t3f8*_gcl_au*MjAyNjY0NDU0Mi4xNzI0MDY0OTMw*_ga*MTY1OTAyNTc3Ni4xNzI0MDY0OTMw*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTcyODMxMTE4Mi4xODUuMS4xNzI4MzExNjY3LjQ2LjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Shapiro said there is still hope for higher education institutions such as Yale, “but donors are going to have to start threatening to withdraw their money.”
“And employers are going to have to start looking at degrees from Yale and determining if they are in fact worth the paper they are written on,” he continued, adding, “And by the way, I’m not singling out Yale. The same thing is true of my alma mater, Harvard, which is having very similar experiences. It’s true for most of the major universities in the country at this point.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Don&#39;t miss <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benshapiro</a>&#39;s Yale address, hosted by the Buckley Institute, on the one-year anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack. He&#39;ll confront the Israel-Hamas conflict, challenge campus reactions, and defend free speech.
Watch live now:<a href="https://t.co/2Al7YHCQqd">https://t.co/2Al7YHCQqd</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1843425641216999610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro Dismantles The ‘Rot’ Of American Education In Speech At Yale On October 7 Anniversary

American Universities

anti-Israel

Anti-Semitism

College

October 7

Yale

An email sent to Oklahoma State University’s psychology department solicited students to participate in a “Week of Rage” hosted by the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
The email, sent by the psychology department’s Student Diversity Committee (SDC), said that the “Week of Rage” would begin on October 7 – the anniversary of the terrorist attack on Israel that killed 1,200 and wounded more than 5,000.
“Since it’s been a year of genocide in Palestine, the students are continuing their commitment to the liberation of the Palestinian people and the end of the Zionist regime through a week of action from October 7th-11th,” the email said, according to a copy posted to X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The official diversity committee at Oklahoma State University’s psychology department sent an email soliciting students to participate in the &#8220;Week of Rage&#8221; sponsored by SJP.
The first event is on Oct. 7th to celebrate the massacre. This is systemic antisemitism. <a href="https://t.co/yQbatSzSwj">pic.twitter.com/yQbatSzSwj</a>
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/EYakoby/status/1842593911719739426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The email listed the events for each day of the week, which includes a “Vigil For Our Martyrs” on Monday night, a “Demand Divestment” protest on Tuesday, a bake sale on Wednesday, a panel on Thursday, and a movie on Friday.
In response to the post about the email, Oklahoma State’s official X account said the email “was student-authored and distributed by a student group. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This email was student-authored and distributed by a student group. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university.
— Oklahoma State Univ. (@okstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/okstate/status/1842645329348342167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a statement to The Daily Wire, OSU further said:
<blockquote>This email was student-authored and distributed only within the psychology department by a student group on campus. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university’s administration. Student use of university email to distribute political content is protected by the First Amendment. 
At OSU, we support free speech and an environment that encourages the sharing of different ideas and perspectives. We believe a robust public discourse is a contribution to the process of addressing society’s most pressing challenges, which is our charge as a land-grant institution.
We appreciate the opportunity to educate students and the public about the First Amendment and protected vs. unprotected speech on public campuses.
</blockquote>
After being pressed about whether the language of SDC&#8217;s email was simply &#8220;the sharing of different ideas and perspectives,&#8221; OSU provided the following statement, which it has published on Sunday:
Oklahoma State University did not and does not officially support or endorse the events or political positions promoted by the student chapter of SJP. OSU supports our students’ free speech and free assembly rights. We have campus policies in place to protect all students and ensure academic instruction is not disrupted. As this week unfolds, we will enforce those rules across campus, and we will be swift to respond to any unlawful events. We encourage all students, staff, and faculty to remain peaceful and respectful and adhere to the principles of the Cowboy Code.
OSU didn’t respond to a Daily Wire inquiry about whether there would be consequences for those behind the email, who used a university mailing list and the official sounding “osupsychdiversity” account name to send the email.
The language of the email from the SDC would appear to violate OSU’s current <a href="https://campuslife.okstate.edu/student-conduct/site-files/documents/code24-25.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Code of Conduct</a>, specifically its rule against discrimination.
&#8220;Discrimination includes but is not limited to, disparate treatment directed toward an individual or group of individuals based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, age, status as a veteran, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sex stereotype, national origin, religion or a qualified individual with a disability that adversely affects their employment or education,” the code says.
It is also unclear whether the SDC is a student group in the same way that SJP is, since the SDC isn’t a chapter of a national group and is specific to the school.
Other universities are also facing anti-Semitism on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks against Israel. Protesters at the City University of New York vandalized the school’s Advanced Science Research Center, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/10/07/world-news/oct-7-anniversary-live-updates-nyc-protests-and-memorials-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Pro-Palestinian protesters have also gathered at Columbia University, but Pro-Israel protesters are drowning them out with chants of “Bring them home,” referring to the 97 people – including 7 Americans – still <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/1-year-later-families-demand-action-as-hamas-holds-nearly-100-hostages-from-october-7-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being held hostage</a> in Gaza.
This post has been updated to include further comment from OSU.

Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University Student Group Sends Email Promoting Pro-Palestinian Events

Oklahoma

Students for Justice in Palestine

U.S.

A University of Indiana-Bloomington student was awarded six figures in damages after a jury found the university had discriminated against him based on his sex.
The student, who will be referred to as John Doe, appears to be the first student who has won on Title IX grounds – that is, he was found to be discriminated against specifically because he was a male and not on the grounds that the school breached its contract with him.
In June 2020, John was a student at IU and matched with a woman who will be referred to as Jane Doe on a dating app. On the evening of June 16, 2020, Jane texted John and agreed to come to his house for a date, even after John suggested meeting somewhere else. Jane arrived at John’s house, and the two talked for a bit. They had two glasses of wine, including a glass Jane had poured for each of them.
Just after midnight, Jane received a phone call from a friend asking if she needed a ride home, but she said no. She texted the friend about 40 minutes later to say “looks like I’ll be here a hot minute,” according to court documents reviewed by The Daily Wire.
Jane would later claim that immediately after this, she “blacked out” and didn’t remember anything that happened – and suggested that John had drugged her.
John says in his lawsuit against the university that Jane showed no signs of incapacitation or being blacked out – which is a state of mind where the brain doesn’t form short-term memories, but people in such a state can appear completely coherent. He said Jane started kissing him, and the two went up to his room where they, two math majors, completed complex math problems. The two then laid down in John’s bed and, according to John, Jane initiated sexual contact with him, removing her shirt and bra and initiating kissing.
John said in his lawsuit that he asked to stop, feeling they were moving too fast. He went to the bathroom and returned to find Jane asleep in his bed, so he got into bed next to her and fell asleep as well.
At some point, Jane started receiving calls from her roommate but wouldn’t wake up when John tried to let her know. He said he eventually answered the call and said Jane was asleep and didn’t want to talk. Jane’s roommate told him that she was coming to get Jane.
This roommate later said they found Jane naked in John’s bed and that she appeared “out of it.” With John’s help, the roommate and another friend gathered Jane’s things and left John’s house.
Early the next morning, John texted Jane to say he was “sorry about last night,” referring to the awkwardness of Jane leaving his home. Jane claimed she didn’t know what happened and that her roommate was mad at her. Jane claimed she “did not know how she got that drunk” and told John she was “really sorry,” according to court documents.
The two discussed the events of the previous night and Jane’s level of intoxication. About seven hours after their encounter, Jane texted John, saying, “You do realize you sexually assaulted me, right? I just talked to my roommate and got a much better idea of what happened last night.”
John didn’t respond.
A couple of days later, Jane went to the hospital for a rape test kit and drug test. She then reported John to the police and IU. Police investigated, and no charges were brought, but IU went ahead with its own investigation that didn’t allow John full use of counsel, denied him the ability to cross-examine witnesses, and gave him only a single, time-limited chance to see the evidence against him.
He was found not responsible for drugging Jane – and she never turned over the results of her drug test – but was still found responsible for sexually assaulting her, even by her own admission she only had 2-and-a-half glasses of wine.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
John sued the university, and the case went all the way to a jury trial, which ruled in favor of John and awarded him $136,782.60, which, according to his attorney, Jonathan Little, is less than what he paid in legal fees.
Little told The Daily Wire that he typically represents victims but has been taking cases involving false accusations of men on college campuses.
“The process given to these men is just a farce,” he said, noting that the current campus climate at IU and other schools “gives the impression that any young lady can run to Indiana University and cry rape.”
He added that IU spent the trial going over its policies, essentially arguing that it could follow its own policies and not the law set forth under Title IX.
“IU’s hubris lost them this case and I hope that what we did is replicable – I believe that it is – and I hope that other lawyers can look at this and do the same thing,” he told The Daily Wire.
The university did not respond to a Daily Wire inquiry prior to press time.
Edit: An earlier version of this article identified the school as Illinois University when it is Indiana University.

Gavel And Money

Title IX Victory: Falsely Accused Student Awarded Six-Figure Settlement In Sexual Assault Case

Title IX Victory: Student Awarded Six Figures For Sex Discrimination After Sexual Assault Allegation

false accusations

Indiana

Lawsuit

Sexual Assault

Title IX

The president of the University of Maryland will face an internal probe after The Daily Wire exposed extensive plagiarism in his published writing.
On Wednesday evening, Darryll Pines sent an email to all university faculty under the subject “A forthcoming impartial review.”
&#8220;Just yesterday, a blogger contended that I co-authored papers in 2002 and 2006 on the topic of structural health monitoring that used language from an online tutorial without citation,&#8221; Pines wrote. &#8220;While I am steadfast that our results, data and findings are sound, I acknowledge recurrent language in the introductory sections.”
“While I do not believe there is merit to these claims, an impartial review is in the best interest of the university. Consistent with existing policies related to research conduct, I have asked the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) to begin an independent review. The findings of the ORI review will be shared with the University System of Maryland Chancellor Jay Perman through our Office of Faculty Affairs in the Provost’s Office,” the email continued.
The email is somewhat contradictory, as Pines acknowledges “recurrent language,&#8221; but denies that he plagiarized outright.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-799291" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review.png" alt="" width="1322" height="1642" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review.png 1322w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review-242x300.png 242w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review-464x576.png 464w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review-768x954.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-review-1237x1536.png 1237w" sizes="(max-width: 1322px) 100vw, 1322px" /></div>
On Tuesday, The Daily Wire identified <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-maryland-president-copied-rocket-science-paper-from-aussie-student" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 1,500-word section of a 5,000-word paper</a> published in 2002 which Pines had lifted from a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154235/http://www.monash.edu.au/cmcm/wavelet/whistory.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tutorial website created by an Australian student in 1996.</a> Pines only changed the British-style spellings.
Pines and his co-author published another paper using the exact same stolen language in a 2006 paper.
Prior to the publication of The Daily Wire’s story, a spokeswoman for Pines seemed to defend the duplicated text, also calling it “recurrent language” and saying “the use of customary or common language in introductory material does not speak to the integrity of the data or the veracity of the findings.”
That drew shock and outrage from several academics, who said that no academic would consider 1,500 straight words pasted from an un-cited, little-unknown author to be “customary or common language,” or acceptable to use in a paper.
Online, some students speculated that if Pines was not punished, students punished for academic dishonesty would have grounds to contest their punishments.
Reporting on the fallout, The <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/education/higher-education/university-of-maryland-darryll-j-pines-ZUVIHYS4Z5EFJIY7BUSVFGY6XA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baltimore Banner</a> quoted SPIE, an engineering society that published the 2002 paper, saying it “considers plagiarism by authors and contributors in any form, to any degree, to be unethical, unacceptable, and a serious breach of professional conduct.”
It also quoted Jonathan Bailey, a “plagiarism expert,” who seemed to both acknowledge that the plagiarism was real and major, but dismiss it because the media outlet flagging it was not liberal. 
The evidence against Pines “appears to be one of the stronger” cases, he said, saying “we have whole sections of a paper that are near verbatim or verbatim.”
Yet “the uptick in plagiarism accusations over the last year has targeted people of color, in particular,” the Banner claimed, paraphrasing Bailey.
(The Daily Wire did not look into Pines because he is black, but because of an incident this month in which he falsely <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-maryland-president-plagiarized-from-chatgpt-to-justify-anti-israel-oct-7-rally" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed off ChatGPT output</a> as original Maryland &#8220;faculty scholarship.&#8221;)
“Bailey said as someone who ‘cares deeply about plagiarism,’ he finds the accusations frustrating for both himself and universities that have to investigate serious allegations even when they come from, as Bailey views it, a place of bad faith,” the Banner continued.
The paper did not say why reporting on academic misconduct was “bad faith,” except that “The Daily Wire is a conservative publication who often rail against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” seemingly suggesting that standards should not apply to scholars like Pines, a rocket scientist who this year co-authored  papers titled &#8220;Stereotypes and implicit biases in engineering: Will students need to &#8216;Whistle Vivaldi&#8217;?&#8221; and &#8220;Understanding the ‘Us All’ in Engineering 4 Us All through the Experiences of High School Teachers.&#8221;
A side-by-side of the student&#8217;s 1996 website and Pines&#8217; paper is below. The Daily Wire&#8217;s original story is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/university-of-maryland-president-copied-rocket-science-paper-from-aussie-student">here</a>.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-797593" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-altmann-1.png" alt="" width="1799" height="10212" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-altmann-1.png 1799w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-altmann-1-53x300.png 53w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-altmann-1-768x4360.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/pines-altmann-1-361x2048.png 361w" sizes="(max-width: 1799px) 100vw, 1799px" /></div>

University of Maryland President Darryll Pines (Julia Nikhinson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

University of Maryland President Acknowledges ‘Recurrent Language,’ Submits To Plagiarism Review

Education

Maryland

Plagiarism

University of Maryland

Daily Wire host Michael Knowles blasted the Left on Monday night, arguing that &#8220;political violence is a Left-wing phenomenon.&#8221;
Knowles spoke at the Young America&#8217;s Foundation event at Washington and Lee University in Virginia and addressed the violence against conservatives on college campuses and against Republicans in the political arena.
&#8220;These campus lectures are prime examples of Left-wing political violence. When students invite a conservative public figure to speak on campus, university officials regularly disinvite us citing vague &#8216;safety concerns,'&#8221; Knowles said. &#8220;And who is threatening anyone&#8217;s safety? It isn&#8217;t the conservative speakers. It isn&#8217;t the conservative students. It is the leftists.&#8221;
Knowles acknowledged that the administrators who cite &#8220;safety concerns&#8221; when they cancel a conservative&#8217;s speech have a good argument &#8220;because the leftists on campus are frequently violent.&#8221; He mentioned recent examples of violence breaking out on campuses when conservatives such as Charles Murray, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/did-this-just-say-peaceful-riley-gaines-unloads-on-san-francisco-states-response-to-assault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a>, and himself are invited to speak.
&#8220;Just last year, leftists at the University of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-protesters-from-michael-knowles-pitt-debate-on-transgenderism-indicted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pittsburgh</a> lit a street on fire, burned me in effigy, and threw an explosive at a building as I walked on stage,&#8221; Knowles said.
&#8220;Political violence is a left-wing phenomenon in America. It is encouraged and carried out by leftists, some of whom have been bailed out of jail by Kamala Harris, whose despicable rhetoric continues to justify violence against President Trump and other conservatives.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;Political violence is a left-wing phenomenon&#8230; It is encouraged and carried out by leftists, some of whom have been bailed out of jail by Kamala Harris, whose despicable rhetoric continues to justify violence against President Trump and other conservatives.&#8221;<a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@michaeljknowles</a>… <a href="https://t.co/UyxQmILhxf">pic.twitter.com/UyxQmILhxf</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1835821025822658943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire host also discussed the second assassination attempt on Trump after a Democrat donor was arrested for allegedly hiding in wait for Trump with an AK-47-style rifle near Trump&#8217;s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
&#8220;We know for a fact that the alleged assassin heard Biden and Harris&#8217; calumnious talking points because he quoted them directly on social media,&#8221; Knowles added. &#8220;He posted &#8216;Democracy is on the ballot.&#8217; And if democracy is on the ballot then anything goes.&#8221;
&#8220;Kamala and Biden deserve much of the blame for the attempted assassinations on President Trump,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But they don&#8217;t deserve all of the blame. Many prominent liberals have encouraged political violence against conservatives for years now.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kamala Wants You Single | Michael Knowles at Washington and Lee University" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIN7vqxjmsE?start=480&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Michael Knowles

Knowles: The Left Owns Political Violence

Donald Trump

General

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Leftism

Leftists

Politics

Students

The ongoing controversy at Brown University over a potential upcoming vote to divest from companies tied to Israel exposes a growing trend: the weaponization of economic disruption against Israel and, by extension, its ally, the United States. At the heart of this issue lies a strategy aimed at destabilizing economic stability and prosperity by targeting university endowments — a crucial part of the venture capital ecosystem that fuels innovation and domestic economic growth.
This tactic, employed by groups like the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), seeks to pressure both Israel and the United States by urging divestment from companies perceived as ‘complicit’ in Israeli policies. While the rhetoric may be cloaked in calls for &#8216;justice,’ trustees should not be fooled: the underlying motives of the movement are discriminatory at best, and every such terrible decision could have real and devastating consequences on a number of different fronts.
<h4>Economic Terrorism: A New Battleground</h4>
Unlike violent forms of terrorism, economic terrorism focuses on disrupting financial systems and institutions to achieve ideological motives. NSJP&#8217;s campaign to target university endowments is a prime example. These endowments, key players in the venture capital ecosystem, serve as limited partners (LPs) in private investment entities, supporting the growth of innovative startups while diversifying their portfolios for long-term sustainability.
The structure of venture capital firms, which operate as limited partnerships, relies on a careful balance between General Partners (GPs) and LPs. GPs make critical investment decisions, manage funds, and provide strategic guidance to portfolio companies. Meanwhile, LPs, including university endowments, provide capital with the expectation of returns but without involvement in day-to-day operations. This arrangement supports entrepreneurship and innovation in the U.S. market while maintaining financial stability for academic institutions.
However, if university endowments deviate from their role as passive investors and succumb to activist pressures for divestment, they risk destabilizing this delicate structure. Attempts to withdraw investments could trigger broader market crises, exacerbate future liquidity challenges, and cause wealthy donors to pull back amid accusations of anti-Semitism.
<h4>The Broader Impact On Innovation And National Security</h4>
Disruptions to the venture capital model would have far-reaching consequences beyond financial portfolios. The ripple effect could impede the growth of technology — a sector designated as critical infrastructure by the Biden administration — undermining national security and economic vitality. As university endowments are instrumental in fueling the venture capital that drives tech innovation, any destabilization could weaken the U.S.&#8217;s competitive edge in critical technological advancements.
Moreover, calls for divestment often overlook Israel&#8217;s significant contributions to global innovation. Despite facing economic and geopolitical challenges, Israel&#8217;s economy thrives on innovation, with sectors like water sanitation, cybersecurity, and agriculture demonstrating its global prowess. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East and our only reliable source of intelligence and cyber defense. Israeli-developed technology protects our citizens and troops at home and abroad. Our shared security interests include but are not limited to preventing nuclear proliferation, combating terrorism, containing Iranian, Turkish, and Russian expansionism, and promoting the rule of democracy. An attack on Israel&#8217;s economic stability will inevitably affect its ally, the United States, highlighting the deep economic and security interdependence between the two nations.
<h4>The Risk Of Divestment And The Legal Backlash</h4>
Brown University now finds itself in a precarious position. The recent warning from Attorneys General in 24 states highlights the potential legal and financial fallout if the university&#8217;s trustees vote to divest from Israel-tied companies. These top law enforcement officials have threatened to terminate state contracts, withdraw investments, and divest state pension funds from Brown&#8217;s holdings, citing potential violations of state laws against boycotting Israel. One trustee, Joseph Edelman, has already resigned in protest. This decision was not only morally correct, it was prudent.
Every decision a trustee makes should put the interests of the university first, above their own personal feelings or the interests of third parties (including disgruntled law-breaking student groups), and should reflect reasonable skill, care, and caution, in managing investments. Especially after they have been put on notice, university fiduciaries will be personally responsible for the massive losses likely to be caused by divestment, and will be in clear violation of both their duties of loyalty and of prudence. Such legal consequences underscore the broader implications of what we term an &#8220;Economic Intifada&#8221; — a strategy that seeks to leverage economic tactics to achieve political objectives.
It is also worth noting that a vote in favor of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement cannot be considered even a ‘socially responsible investment’ decision. In fact, it is the opposite. BDS proponents often use classic anti-Semitic tropes in their materials, including, but not limited to: false accusations of Jewish conspiracies; blood libels; portraying Jews (not just Israelis but caricatures of religious Jews) as Satanic, demonic, and evil (at times even using actual Nazi propaganda), accusing Jews of dual loyalty, and engaging in Holocaust denial and Holocaust inversion. And those are easy examples; the truth is that saying Jews are not a people while calling for the destruction of the world’s lone Jewish state, along with the ethnic cleansing and/or the genocidal extermination of its millions of Jewish inhabitants, is also anti-Semitic. And these calls should not be taken lightly given the terrifying and undeniable fact that the nonprofit umbrella group for US-based BDS organizations funnels money to terrorist organizations; that more than 30 of its leaders are actual violent terrorists; and the well-documented evidence that the anti-Semitism some BDS leaders spout often breaks through the &#8220;nonviolent&#8221; veil, leading to innocent people getting hurt.
Nor is this in any way a partisan issue: both the Republican and Democratic parties have consistently denounced BDS in their platforms. Nor is it only a federal issue; in 2017, the governors of all fifty states signed onto a statement affirming their opposition to BDS, noting that “[t]he goals of the BDS movement are antithetical to our values and the values of our respective states[,]” and reiterating that BDS’s “single-minded focus on the Jewish State raises serious questions about its motivations and intentions.
For the record, anti-BDS bills, like the ones cited by the 24 AG’s, are fully constitutional. It is well within their rights for states to protect their own interests, and the interests of the United States, by removing state funding for discriminatory actions. SJP and its allies remain free to say whatever they want however abhorrent about Jews or the Jewish State; there is a fundamental difference between a state suppressing free speech and a state simply choosing how to spend its dollars. Spending (especially with accompanying legislative findings) in this context is government speech, and “as a general matter, when the government speaks, it is entitled to promote a program, to espouse a policy, or to take a position. In doing so, it represents its citizens and it carries out its duties on their behalf.” Walker v. Tex. Div., Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., 576 U.S. 200, 208 (2015)
In fact, the Supreme Court has continually refused “[t]o hold that the Government unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of viewpoint when it chooses to fund a program dedicated to advance certain permissible goals, because the program in advancing those goals necessarily discourages alternative goals.”Id. In the case of these and all similar statutes, the government does not even seek to fund a controversial program, it merely seeks not to fund a program that discriminates on the basis of ethnicity or national origin. While people remain free to engage in hateful actions, that does not make them less hateful, nor does it mean that the State must agree to subsidize those actions. To quote <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gov-andrew-cuomo-if-you-boycott-israel-new-york-state-will-boycott-you/2016/06/10/1d6d3acc-2e62-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one governor</a>, “To argue otherwise would be to suggest that [a] state is constitutionally obligated to support the BDS [M]ovement, which is not only irrational but also has no basis in law.”
<h4>A Call For Strategic Decision-Making</h4>
As Brown University and other institutions weigh their next steps, they must recognize that the stakes extend far beyond campus politics. The interconnectedness of the global economy means that destabilizing one part can have cascading effects elsewhere. Any decision to divest should be made with a clear understanding of the broader economic and legal landscape and the potential consequences for innovation, national security, and university financial health. Especially in light of the clear repercussions, such a decision would represent a shocking abdication of appropriate corporate governance and responsibility, exposing the university to material self-inflicted diminution, and its trustees to potential litigation and legal sanctions. And all to support a movement that is deeply anti-Semitic.
In essence, the move to weaponize university endowments as a tool of economic warfare poses a grave threat, not only to both Israel and its allies, but to the very bodies taking these ill-conceived votes. This moment calls for strategic thinking and a commitment to preserving the stability and collaboration that underpin global economic prosperity. As the pressure mounts on universities to take sides, it is imperative that they do so with a full appreciation of the complexities and stakes involved.
Brown&#8217;s trustees are at a crossroads, facing a decision that could set a precedent for how universities across the nation navigate the intersection of law, politics, and finance in an increasingly polarized world. A decision to divest would be unjustified and bad for business, and Board members should think long and hard about liability for violation of their fiduciary obligations before they allow their schools to submit to extortion. Their choice will also likely resonate far beyond their Ivy League campus, shaping the future of university governance and its role in supporting innovation and economic growth.
* * *
Professor Anat Alon-Beck teaches corporate law and governance at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Dr. Mark Goldfeder is Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, and teaches at the Touro Law Center.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Columbia University Issues Deadline For Gaza Encampment To Vacate Campus

‘Economic Intifada’: Pressure Mounts For Universities To Divest From Israel

'Economic Intifada': Pressure Mounts For Universities To Divest From Israel

Boycott Divest Sanction

Israel

Opinion

Pro-Hamas

Harvard University&#8217;s Republican Club has had a sharp spike in signups, something that the group’s president credits to the members being proud of their beliefs and hosting large events.
Harvard Republican Club President Michael Oved said the “historic number” of signups includes over 100 freshmen and 30 other students who joined at the start of the semester, quadrupling the number of signups last year for the club that previously had just 40 to 50 active members.
“Harvard Republicans are thriving, something that couldn’t happen four years ago,” Oved told The Daily Wire. “We no longer hide our Republican views, we embrace them. We wear it on our sleeves, proudly and people see that, and they become encouraged to do the same.”
The increase in the club’s membership comes as the Ivy League school is embroiled in controversy due to the administration’s and left-wing student groups&#8217; reaction to Hamas&#8217;s October 7 brutal attack on Israeli civilians.
“My vision for the Club when I got elected was to encourage students’ involvement via high profile events, and it’s been a huge success,” Oved said. “Beyond that, we’ve made an active effort to recruit new students into the club.” 
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726335985188000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2EEoBN89NIvxoagR9mAUsg">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Oved said his strategy includes hosting high-profile speakers to draw crowds and motivate his current members. Last year the group brought businessman Peter Thiel, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, former Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Reps. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), and Moms for Liberty Founder Tiffany Justice.
Thiel spoke during the first annual “Conservative and Republican Student Conference” which was hosted by a new joint organization of conservative clubs from across the university — including Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School, and the Harvard Kennedy School — in partnership with The Harvard Salient and College Republicans.
This semester, the group has events planned with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria Trevor Traina, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, and others.
Oved said they purposely choose speakers with a wide variety of political opinions that may differ from club members. Each speaker “brings something new to the conversation” and helps them “understand the world and politics.”
The group&#8217;s Tuesday night presidential debate watch party was also a huge success, with a “historic number and unprecedented in the history of the club.” With around 200 students flowing in and out of the crowded room throughout the night, Oved noted that many had to sit on the stairs and floor to find space.
“Four and eight years ago, it would not have been possible to gather 200 Republicans in one room at Harvard,” Oved said. “The Republican club on campus was dead after the 2016 elections.”
The group now has 950 students on their email list, up from 125 from last year, according to Oved, who is involved in a number of other conservative groups on campus.
“Under my leadership, it has become cool once again to be a Republican,” Oved said. “And my hope is that this is only the beginning.”
According to The Salient, Harvard&#8217;s conservative student publication, only 7.4 percent of students identify as conservative, while 72.4 percent lean liberal. The Salient itself has been gaining momentum with over 30 new writers since its 2021 relaunch.
The Harvard Republican Club’s board endorsed former president Donald Trump on July 1 — after his debate with President Joe Biden — in a <a href="https://harvardrepublicanclub.org/endorsements/">lengthy statement</a> that praised Trump’s record on the economy, immigration, the Second Amendment, energy, foreign policy, crime, and judiciary. 
“We look forward to seeing him back in the White House, where he can Make America Great Again,” the group wrote. 
In 2016, the club&#8217;s members declined to support Trump, but by 2020, the club officially endorsed him, according to <a href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/9/30/harvard-republicans-endorse-trump/">The Harvard Crimson.</a>

Cover images

Harvard Republican Club Says Enrollment Is Booming As Members Proudly Share Beliefs

Harvard

Republicans

The University of North Carolina System’s Board of Governors (BOG) announced Wednesday that it plans to cut millions of dollars from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
The Board announced the decision at a Committee on University Governance meeting, The Daily Tar Heel <a href="https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/09/university-bog-dei-breaking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. UNC has already worked since May to eliminate DEI jobs, including 20 positions and 27 that were “realign[ed].”
Andrew Tripp, Senior Vice President and General Counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs at the BOG, announced at the meeting that $5.3 million would be redirected away from DEI initiatives.
“As we all know, UNC Chapel Hill typifies our larger campuses&#8217; responses,” Tripp said, according to the Tar Heel. “It&#8217;s required. Its compliance is required, eliminating dozens of positions.”
An “Equality Within the University of North Carolina” report that was signed by University Chancellor Lee Roberts and Provost Chris Clemens at the end of July detailed seven DEI positions that were eliminated in the school’s central administration. These eliminations included the Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, along with six others.
Twelve positions were also eliminated from various schools, including the School of Education, Medicine, and the Gillings School of Global Public Health, among others. Entire DEI offices were eliminated from other schools, including the Kenan-Flagler Business School, the School of Medicine, and the School of Pharmacy. Other positions were realigned, including the College of Arts and Sciences’ Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, who is now the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Development.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726247533662000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Dib8zGBzOXH2vTq49qDc4">Am I Racist? ONLY In Theaters Tomorrow—Get Your Tickets Now!</a>
Further, the report said, “centers that had DEI committees or workgroups have confirmed that they either no longer meet, have been formally ended, or have transitioned to other work.”
UNC-Chapel Hill had the most eliminated DEI positions, with UNC-Charlotte following with 9 positions eliminated. In total, the UNC system eliminated 59 positions and realigned 131 others, with $16 million redirected to other programs and more than $17 million saved.
In May, UNC’s board of trustees voted to gut funding for DEI and divert the money to campus police, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unc-chapel-hill-votes-to-gut-dei-department-give-money-to-campus-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
At that time, the board <a href="https://www.wunc.org/education/2024-05-13/dei-unc-chapel-hill-trustees-vote-redirect-funding-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted unanimously</a> to redirect $2.3 million from DEI initiatives toward campus safety and police. The aforementioned report outlined what has happened since that vote.
“I think that DEI in a lot of people’s minds is divisiveness, exclusion and indoctrination,” budget committee vice chairman Marty Kotis said during the vote. “We need more unity and togetherness, more dialogue, more diversity of thought.”
“It’s important to consider the needs of all 30,000 students, not just the 100 or so that may want to disrupt the university’s operations,” Kotis added. “It takes away resources for others.”

University of North Carolina

University Of North Carolina System Slashes Even More DEI Positions And Funding

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

A recent Columbia Law School graduate whom the school praised for exemplifying its “spirit” attempted to bully The Daily Wire into censoring an article on the school&#8217;s partisan behavior with an email that seemed to threaten a reporter’s children and dog.
Luke Cronin emailed The Daily Wire earlier this month to complain about a year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-law-students-call-kavanaugh-a-rapist-egged-on-by-radical-academic-department" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article from this reporter</a> on campus extremism. Cronin, a former editor of the Columbia Law Review and recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, advised The Daily Wire to “take down Mr. Rosniak’s [sic] writing.” He did not claim that the article was inaccurate, instead saying it referenced remarks he made on social media that have since been hidden from the public.
Cronin, writing from his Columbia email address, concluded his missive with an ominous postscript containing specific details about this reporter&#8217;s place of residence, family members, and pet, expressing his wish that they have &#8220;gotten what they deserve.&#8221;
In March 2023, The Daily Wire reported that Columbia&#8217;s law school had a collective meltdown because its official Instagram page posted a picture of some students meeting with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Virtually all of the law school&#8217;s race-based student clubs, such as the Black Law Students Association, said they would no longer help Columbia recruit minorities in retaliation for the photo op.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
The Daily Wire noted that students who objected to the meeting accused Kavanaugh of raping Christine Blasey Ford, even though such accusations against the justice have never been proven. Cronin, then a &#8220;Leadership Fellow&#8221; at Columbia, was one of the students who made a baseless accusation against Kavanaugh.
&#8220;Kavanaugh sexually violated Dr. Ford,&#8221; he wrote on the school&#8217;s Instagram post.
This summer, Cronin graduated and entered the job market. Shortly thereafter, he petitioned The Daily Wire to scrub his comments from its factually-accurate article. The timing suggests Cronin may have been looking to shield his partisan comments from potential future employers as he pursues a career in big law.
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-787051" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin.jpg" alt="Columbia University - Luke Cronin" width="1610" height="750" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin.jpg 1610w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin-300x140.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin-1024x477.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin-768x358.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/08/columbia-cronin-1536x716.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1610px) 100vw, 1610px" /></div>
Cronin spent last summer as a summer associate at <a href="https://www.quinnemanuel.com/the-firm/news-events/quinn-emanuel-successfully-represents-a-cat-owner-after-a-harrowing-near-fatal-accident/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quinn Emanuel</a>,  where he worked on the case of a homeless person whose cat plummeted out a window. Summer associates at big law firms like Quinn Emanuel virtually always receive permanent job offers after passing the bar exam. But a spokesman for the firm told The Daily Wire Cronin “does not have an offer to return to the firm.”
Thirteen judges have said they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/13-federal-judges-we-wont-hire-columbia-u-students-unless-serious-consequences-for-protesters-significant-changes-in-faculty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will not hire</a> Columbia law grads as law clerks due to an “explosion of student disruptions, anti-Semitism, and hatred for diverse viewpoints&#8221; at the school, saying it has become an &#8220;incubator of bigotry.&#8221;
At the time he commented on the Kavanaugh photo, Cronin was a Davis Polk Leadership Fellow. The fellowship page said he &#8220;hopes to use the Davis Polk Leadership Fellowship to build an outreach organization which directly serves unhoused folks in Morningside Heights and in Harlem&#8221; and &#8220;connect unhoused individuals with legal issues to legal service providers.
“As someone who has experienced housing insecurity, Luke hopes to build a bridges [sic] between his peers at Columbia and with <a href="https://leadership-initiative.law.columbia.edu/content/2022-2023-fellows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unhoused folks</a>,&#8221; a university website reads.
In April 2024, Columbia gave Cronin its &#8220;Campbell Award, which is presented to a graduating student at each School who shows exceptional leadership and <a href="https://archive.is/grKNl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Columbia spirit</a>.&#8221;
The award said Cronin uses &#8220;he/him/his&#8221; pronouns and &#8220;helped represent asylum-seeking clients.&#8221; It said he &#8220;was selected to join the Clerkship Diversity Initiative, the Academic Scholars program, as well as the Tony Patiño Fellow-elect.&#8221; The Academic Scholars program is a scholarship that pays half of tuition for students who Columbia faculty believe would make good law professors. The Tony Patiño Fellowship pays an additional $17,500 a year for students who Columbia faculty believe show &#8220;good citizenship.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Columbia University president Minouche Shafik <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/columbia-university-president-minouche-shafik-resigns-after-far-left-pro-hamas-protests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned</a> earlier this month amid criticism of how the school has handled anti-Semitic protests since Hamas&#8217;s Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, including the student takeover of an academic building. The school has adopted a color-coded security system in light of the frequent disruptions on its campus. Columbia is currently at an &#8220;Orange Level,&#8221; meaning people seeking to enter campus must go through a checkpoint and show ID.
Columbia University did not return a request for comment.
Cronin&#8217;s response to the Kavanaugh photo and The Daily Wire&#8217;s story was not out of place on campus. The Center for Engaged Pedagogy at Columbia University&#8217;s sister school, Barnard College, used its official Instagram account to comment &#8220;WTF is wrong with you&#8221; on the Kavanaugh photo.
When The Daily Wire asked the Center’s director, Melissa Wright, for comment last year, the comment request — which included the reporter’s phone number and email — was used to doxx the reporter. In a juvenile prank, his contact information was entered into dozens of spam websites, cult and far-left mailing lists, and dating sites. Wright has since been promoted from interim director to executive director.
Related:<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/law-school-pays-for-gay-dance-party-to-quell-uproar-following-diversity-offices-promotion-of-civility"> Northwestern Law School Pays For ‘Gay Dance Party’ To Quell Uproar Following Diversity Office’s Promotion Of ‘Civility’</a>

Columbia University New York # 1

Columbia Law School Grad Threatens Daily Wire Reporter’s Family, Dog

Anti-Racism

Brett Kavanaugh

Columbia University

Lawfare

Multiple Ohio State star football players led a large Christian revival on the university&#8217;s campus on Sunday night that attracted between 800 and 1,000 people and resulted in dozens of baptisms.
Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, and former OSU wide receiver Kamryn Babb led the revival service, according to student-run newspaper <a href="https://www.thelantern.com/2024/08/ohio-state-football-players-participate-in-christian-baptism-ceremony-outside-of-curl-market-over-800-gather-to-observe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Lantern</a>. The event organizers, which included churches from the Columbus area, set up four tubs filled with water where around 60 students who attended the meeting were baptized at the end of the night, The Lantern reported.
During the meeting, the OSU football players talked about their faith in Jesus, and the crowd participated in singing worship songs. Babb, whose playing career was cut short by four ACL-related injuries, discussed how he didn&#8217;t realize how &#8220;broken&#8221; he was before he felt &#8220;the weight, the love, the grace, the mercy of God wrap [him] like a blanket.&#8221;
&#8220;I was just doing my thing because it was fun, and I&#8217;ll tell you this: I was on High Street, and I enjoyed it,&#8221; Babb told the crowd. &#8220;I had fun. But at the same time, I didn&#8217;t recognize my condition. I was spiritually dead. I could go out there, and I could smile and laugh &#8230; but on the inside, I was broken.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
After the players shared their messages, around 50 attendees joined them on stage to pray before many decided to be baptized, according to The Lantern. After people were baptized, volunteers helping with the event led them to a nearby building where they gave them Bibles and helped them read through Scripture.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ohio St football players leading other students to Jesus! <a href="https://twitter.com/OhioStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OhioStateFB</a> <a href="https://t.co/mJwYNaGIja">pic.twitter.com/mJwYNaGIja</a>
— Dr. Derwin L. Gray (@DerwinLGray) <a href="https://twitter.com/DerwinLGray/status/1828208034394296479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
&#8220;We were praying for years and years for an event like this, and we were praying with expectation. We serve a miracle-working God,&#8221; said Egbuka, who is expected to be the team&#8217;s top receiver in the upcoming season. &#8220;So we definitely had an expectation when it came out, but God did increasingly and abundantly more than what we thought. So, we&#8217;re just blessed and thankful.&#8221;
Tuimoloau added, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think anything I accomplish on the field compares to what is happening right now.&#8221;
Henderson, who led the Buckeyes with 926 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in the 2023 season, agreed with Tuimoloau, stating, &#8220;Whatever I&#8217;ve done, this right here — what God is doing — is so much more important and so much bigger.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2xQ8bdTcpfdrPBAzczIuck">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
The Christian revival meeting wrapped up the first weekend on campus after the start of the fall semester, which kicked off on Tuesday, August 20.

Ohio State University

Nearly 1K People Attend Christian Revival Led By College Football Stars

Christianity

Ohio

The Democrat’s <a href="https://democrats.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FINAL-MASTER-PLATFORM.pdf">2024 platform</a> promises to remove constitutional due process protections for college students after the Trump administration ensured them.
In a section about President Joe Biden purportedly protecting women, the platform said Biden had “restor[ed] and strengthen[ed] protections under Title IX, including explicit protections for LGBTQI+ students,” even though those “protections” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-blocks-bidens-title-ix-rules-that-allowed-men-in-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been blocked</a> by the Supreme Court.
Title IX is a federal statute that prohibits entities that receive public funding from discriminating based on sex.
Before the Supreme Court stepped in, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admins-title-ix-rules-that-would-allow-men-in-womens-sports-blocked-in-4-more-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">26 states</a> had blocked the rules from going into effect.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-L2DitSaIUj5wz8v0bgxx">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Further down in the platform, Democrats attack former President Donald Trump for “roll[ing] back campus sexual assault protections, making it even harder for survivors to get the justice they deserve.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dem Party platform: 
DeVos TIX regs&#8211;which mandated a hearing, x-examinatom, &amp; access to all evidence the univ gathered in its investigation&#8211;&#8220;rolled back campus sexual assault protections, making it even harder for survivors to get the justice they deserve.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/vj2Y533lS7">pic.twitter.com/vj2Y533lS7</a>
— KC Johnson (@kcjohnson9) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcjohnson9/status/1825576516182229280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The platform assumes that any woman making an accusation is automatically a “survivor,” even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-told-cops-she-was-raped-text-messages-showed-ashe-schow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">though</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-accused-him-rape-text-messages-proved-it-was-ashe-schow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">countless</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2362959/judge-accused-student-faced-inadequate-campus-sex-assault-process/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stories</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-was-accused-of-sexual-assault-by-a-woman-whose-boyfriend-later-admitted-lying-he-just-won-a-5-3m-settlement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">from</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-evidence-contradicted-their-claims-but-princeton-still-found-him-responsible-now-hes-suing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">colleges</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/she-claimed-he-sexually-assaulted-her-months-after-he-declined-to-date-her-he-was-expelled-despite-her-own-witnesses-backing-his-story" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/they-were-accused-of-rape-and-had-their-names-printed-in-the-school-paper-the-school-just-paid-them-450000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">universities</a> show this is not always the case. And when the platform says Trump “rolled back campus sexual assault protections,” it means removing due process protections such as cross-examination, the accused having access to all the evidence against them, and ensuring the accused is informed of the specific allegations against them, among others.
Schools have repeatedly lost in court for not providing such constitutionally required protections for accused students. In 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that colleges were required to provide “some form of cross-examination and a live, adversarial hearing during which he or she can put on a defense and challenge evidence against him or her,” <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2020/06/02/federal-appeals-court-defines-fairness-title-ix-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Inside Higher Ed</a>.
Further, “getting the justice they deserve” refers to an accuser being able to get anyone they accuse kicked off campus no matter what the evidence shows.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2xQ8bdTcpfdrPBAzczIuck">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Trump’s Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, properly implemented the policies that included basic due process protections for students accused of a serious crime. Before that, the Obama administration used a non-binding “Dear Colleague Letter” to drastically change the campus landscape and ensure almost anyone accused of sexual assault would be severely punished without the chance to defend themselves.
Because the Obama administration didn’t use the proper procedure to implement its rules, DeVos was able to suspend them and write proper rules using the proper procedure, which took years. When Biden became president, he had to use the same procedure to implement his own rules, which removed the protections put in place by DeVos and again expanded the definition of Title IX to include men who identify as women. Those rules are currently being blocked by the Supreme Court, while every challenge to DeVos’ rules was dismissed or withdrawn.

Democratic National Convention

Democrats’ 2024 Platform Seeks To Eliminate Due Process Protections For College Students

Democrats' 2024 Platform Seeks To Eliminate Due Process Protections For College Students

2024 Election

Elections

UCLA has made headlines in the past few months for all the wrong reasons: from the school’s <a href="https://www.becketlaw.org/media/jewish-students-take-ucla-to-court-over-antisemitic-encampment/#:~:text=UCLA%20allowed%20activists%20to%20set,disavow%20Israel%27s%20right%20to%20exist." target="_blank" rel="noopener">failure</a> to protect Jewish students from a pro-Hamas mob, a university-funded <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/furries-bdsm-and-void-punk-official-queer-magazine-of-ucla-embraces-the-fringe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">magazine endorsing</a> furries as a sexual kink, and a student government leader imploring students to <a href="https://x.com/camhigby/status/1805271596673945706" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take up arms</a> against the LAPD when law enforcement arrested those who led an assault on a synagogue.
These instances are not isolated flukes, or simply the misconduct of a few bad apples ignored by the university. Rather, this behavior, and the totalizing mindset that encourages violent, unthinking action, is learned and abetted by UCLA’s academy. Instead of empowering students to critically engage with ideas, learn from great texts, or become citizens invested in the public good, my university now serves as a finishing school for unreflective activism. This fervor isn’t unique to UCLA, but is a reflection of larger trends of <a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4279381-activism-over-academics-the-decline-of-us-higher-education/#:~:text=Advocacy%20has%20increasingly%20displaced%20academics,the%20concentration%20of%20many%20students." target="_blank" rel="noopener">activism replacing rigor</a> within American higher education.
In my 3-year tenure at UCLA, less than a fourth of my classes have assigned complete books. Instead, professors tend to focus on assigning op-eds, TED talks, and essays that are meant to squeeze conversations into a particular moral framework. Professors routinely assign essays on <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qfkrm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decolonization</a> that call for the destruction of the United States, TED Talks that promote the intersection of historically disadvantaged identities as the lens through which to analyze all social conflicts, and <a href="https://inthesetimes.com/article/fascism-debate-trump-democrats-gaza-campus-protest#:~:text=There%20is%20a%20bitter%20irony,definitions%20of%20fascism%20far%20more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-eds</a> claiming that anti-Semitism is not a threat facing Jewish people, but rather a weaponized accusation meant to protect Israeli interests. The professors who uncritically structure their classes do a disservice not only to their disciplines and students, but to their own viewpoints that they fail to put to the test of rigorous inquiry.
Instead of learning from the texts that have shaped our civilization, we are assigned short pieces interacting with the ideas of thinkers like Hobbes and Locke, that detest the idea of a straight, white author. Students are graded based on their ability to unquestioningly endorse their professors’ agenda as a reflection of their understanding of class material, instead of being encouraged to develop and articulate their own ideas.
Within this framework, the struggles of all oppressed groups—racism, sexism, ableism, and homophobia — are portrayed as interconnected, attributed to a boogeyman of the &#8216;elite&#8217;: those who embrace traditional values or have historically wielded power. This framework justifies violence and malice, if it is done on behalf of those deemed as the “oppressed.” Terrorist groups like Hamas are positioned as heroes, while America is positioned as the purveyor of an insidious status quo.
For example, in one class, I was taught to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6420721/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">applaud people</a> with mental illness as heroic, such as schizophrenics who refused to take their medicine. In the same class, the professor lauded their own conditions as self-diagnosed and that formal medical diagnoses were inherently racist, ableist, and classist. Writing as an individual with diagnosed autoimmune disorders, I lost points on an assignment for using “gendered language” in “academic writing,” when referring to an author who was born and identifies as a male.
This totalizing mindset is the culprit for the pro-Hamas encampments within universities, where students <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/18/us-news/columbia-student-kicked-and-told-to-kill-himself-for-carrying-us-flag/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">burn American flags</a> and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6352037685112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prevent Jewish students </a>from accessing campus. One experience, characteristic of this, occurred when a student used <a href="https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/israel-zionism/2016/03/whore-you-calling-a-zio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an anti-Jewish slur</a> — &#8220;Zio&#8221; — in class. When I pointed out that this word was indeed a slur popularized by David Duke, the student retorted that she was not interested in “playing respectability politics with these people.” Instead of telling the student that slurs were not acceptable, the professor responded by asking me to expand on who David Duke was.
Although this student and professor would cite the righting of historical wrongs as their goal, their reductionism actually hurts disadvantaged groups. In their struggle to address every problem through one lens, these professors run roughshod over the particular causes that they intend to promote. In 2023, one professor announced that it was the worst year in American history to be black. Surely, even the most pessimistic academic would agree that slavery and Jim Crow presented more problems for African Americans.
This indictment does not apply to every professor at UCLA. Many sincerely care about their students, the integrity of their work, and the future of their discipline. I have been extremely lucky to have been shaped, challenged, and inspired by such professors. However, as an institution, UCLA rewards those who cater to intersectionality ideology over academic rigor.
The struggle for women&#8217;s suffrage in America, for example, was not tantamount to South Africa’s liberation from apartheid. 2023 was not the worst year in American history for African Americans. To demand every situation be analyzed through the same binary of oppressed versus oppressor is downright dangerous and serves to justify hatred and violence against anyone with whom one ideologically disagrees. Maximalist rhetoric dilutes the real struggles that minorities face, and allows students to see the world as a black-and-white struggle between absolute good and pure evil.
George Orwell <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/39403-the-word-fascism-has-now-no-meaning-except-in-so">wrote</a>: “The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies &#8216;something not desirable&#8217;&#8230;” Characteristically, his wisdom is ever-relevant in our modern moment. In a class, a professor painted the advocacy of any restrictions on abortion or membership in the Republican Party as fascistic. As lectures, seminars, and syllabi deem American values as evil, students are compelled to proudly associate with some of the world’s most backward groups in the name of justice. It is no surprise that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/al-qaeda-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-student-protesters-iran-israel-hamas-c7be2e07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Al-Qaeda</a>, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-806611" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Duke</a>, and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/hamas-slams-us-crackdown-pro-palestinian-college-protests-1893962" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas</a> have found “useful idiots” among the likes of the student activists at UCLA.
Most egregious is how students assert that world conflicts must be understood through their personal experience of either privilege or oppression. As students try to understand situations like the present Israel-Hamas war in the framework of American race relations or gender politics, they project their narrow subjectivity onto a complex reality. Though my peers decry colonialism in their activism, the <a href="https://nommomagazine.com/?p=7748" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hubris</a> of demanding that every struggle must be understood through your own experience is a crude colonialism of the classroom.
If a student disagrees with one part of this radical agenda by supporting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict or by questioning whether children should undergo medical gender transition at the age of 12, they face academic and social repercussions. This zero-sum mentality asphyxiates the exchange of ideas traditionally associated with the liberal arts and liberalism, and demonizes all who dare to even question its fervor.
With the substitution of cheap slogans for real scholarship, my peers have traded nuance for self-righteousness — an abdication of our responsibility as students.
While the violent incidents at UCLA are eye-catching, they are not anomalies; they reflect a deep-seated ideological shift that prioritizes radical activism over genuine academic inquiry. Until UCLA prioritizes the hiring of faculty who will guide students towards constructive conversations, empty statements or performative commissions will only distract from the symptoms of the crisis UCLA has created.
* * *
Bella Brannon is a student at UCLA studying Public Affairs and Digital Humanities. She is the Editor-In-Chief of Ha’Am, researched bias in artificial intelligence with the School of Technology Law and Policy, and spent the summer interning with the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Menu