On Tuesday night, the newly-formed "anti-racist coalition" on campus met in Hamilton to host a teach-in and make public a list of demands on salient issues. The coalition, largely a conglomeration of old SHOCC hands, SCEJ members, and Ethnic Studies majors, is a self-declared response to the bias incidents that have occurred this semester and a self-conscious revival of prior demands made by SHOCC and Columbia Concerned Students of Color. Their banners and emails speak of revolution on campus, students taking back the University, and a new era of student participation and protest. They are cryptic, however, when asked about their immediate plans. Will they have a name? Will they stage protests or other actions beyond tentative sundial vigils? The campus at large is just going to have to wait and see.

At the teach-in, recent grad Jenny Oki and current super-senior Bryan Mercer spoke to the assembled students about the history of bias incidents and efforts like SHOCC over the past few years. Students in the room took turns reading the list of stated objectives (reproduced after the jump) that includes demands for bureaucracy reformation, new bureaucratic posts, withdrawal of the University's Manhattanville plan, and Ethnic Studies empowerment. (All in all, there are a lot of "musts" in the list, which should go over well with the powers that be.) Even some coalition affiliates seemed somewhat unclear as to the current direction of the group-- they're going places, but they're not telling anyone but the most intimate circle where.

- KER

Upon asking the program director (an assistant dean from the Office of Multicultural Affairs) if it was alright to sit in on a session, our correspondent was told that the program was already over-filled with participants, and that having a non-participating reporter in the room would violate the students' "safe space."

Bwog was told that a make-up session of Under1Roof will be held in late September, and that we are welcome to come then.