Written By: Daniel Holscher, Editor in Chief
As the new Trump Administration makes its way down its timely operations, the Defunding Of Ivy League Schools become an intense battleground of Politics and Morality.
“Trump’s ‘Beautification’ Of America”
There is no doubt that since the new Trump administration our ties with Israel have strengthened dramatically. The US has supplied Israel with billions of dollars within the past 4 years as the ongoing tensions between Palestine trail on. As with most historical events, there are always two sides to a story, which creates a profound division between the people. This has been most clearly demonstrated between US citizens and their opinions on Israel and Palestine. Although there are many theories that circulate this topic, that discussion is left untouched today as we narrow our sights onto the Ivy league Schools of the East Coast. Numerous distinct schools that excel in the arts of sciences and the pursuit of dreams. Strongly opinionated and conscientious students only are admitted to these facilities. Trump’s administration claims that these Ivy league Schools harbor a place of antisemitism and hate towards Jewish identities. The implications of this ambitious claim question the standings of our first amendment right as well as create a metaphorical price tag on the value of education that students are able to endeavor as they attend these schools.
“Ivy Leagues & Their Cuts”
Brown, Colombia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Northwestern, UPenn, Princeton, and even the University of Los Angeles California (UCLA) have been victim to these intense funding cuts. (It is important to keep in mind that dozens of other private and public colleges are also under fire by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights; the colleges listed prior are the most prominent). Trump claims that antisemitism is present at these schools and that the ideological indoctrination occurring on these campuses have cost billions. This has resulted in Harvard’s Federal Research funding being cut by $2.6 Billion and the Harvard Crimson reporting University-wide financial strain, job loss, and failure of reimbursements. In the federal case Harvard V Trump Administration, Harvard argued that “the administration exceeded its authority as well as violated constitutional rights, as the antisemitism issue was just a pretext”. A federal district judge from Boston ruled in Harvard’s favor, affirming that there is little link between the antisemitism on campus and research funding. While some payment systems have flown back to Harvard, Trump vowed to appeal this ruling in a future court case. Other schools have caved in to the Trump administration’s striking accusations. Colombia was cut short a billion dollars and agreed to a $200 million pay out to the Federal Government to change their policies regarding tolerance of antisemitism.
Brown University was cut $50 million by the Trump administration, and its $50 Million payout back was ordered to be directed to the State Workforce Development organization. $1 Billion froze for Cornell with another $50 Million payout to the federal government along with some policy changes. The same lines of business go with the other schools who have had their funding cut. Ridiculous settlements and agreements have been made in an effort to gain their Federal funding back as Harvard remains the only school board to have fought back in a federal lawsuit. It is profoundly important to note that these funding freezes directly affect the colleges and their research facilities, meal plans, tuition payments, and numerous other facilities for both professors and students. Considering the fact that those students worked hard to get into these universities, it is questionable whether or not these federal funding freezes are actually reasonable or come from a place of two-party resentment. These cuts also affect research projects focusing on cancer and Alzheimer’s research, policy changes regarding the consistent freedom of speech and press that students are granted, as well as lab position cuts from research facilities. What makes Israel slander different from Russian slander? Chinese slander? Mexican Slander? And why is President Trump so focused on preserving the feelings of Israel and not his own Country?
“Underlying Intentions & Future Pushes”
With a continuous push for defunding these Ivy league schools, questions arise on the legitimacy of these concerns from the current administration. Antisemitism exists in a lot of places in America, so why are they cutting funding from facilities that encourage freedom of expression and exploration of oneself? In response to this, the Trump administration says that it is worried about these schools becoming “Too Woke”, as a means of morphing into breeding grounds for unsolicited antisemitism. The Trump administration is also trying to limit the amount of international students that are enrolled into universities, adding to the list of threats Harvard has received that it could and would limit its international enrollment. Logistically, this idea is contradictory towards eliminating antisemitism. This administration wants to stop the hate of Jewish identity but also wants to limit the number of international students (with some of them being of Jewish descent)?
As much of the bullet points don’t add up, a third popular consensus is politically charged. Historically, Republicans tend to favor jobs that require less education and payments to outside institutions, which would also explain why Trump is aiming to defund these institutions. The people of the United States of America are entitled to an education that is separate from religion, open to the exchanging of opinions and beliefs of students, and reasonable for the amount of money paid to attend the college. As the Trump administration continues to tackle this “prejudice” taking place on campuses, it may not be long until we see even more unreasonable claims set forth. It is here where, as a collective, we should begin to question the intentions behind these swift policy changes and threats against the foundations of our country.
“[Political factions] are potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people” – George Washington