The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/tag/julia-feliz/)
If you choose to flag racist incidents, complain about racism or ableism — as People of Color in the U.S., expect to be dismissed, removed and defamed regardless of how much evidence you have because none of it matters, including you.
Citing concerns over incomplete information, the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly voted to table and amend a resolution condemning the dismissal of Julia Feliz from the Cornell Alliance for Science’s Global Leadership Fellowship in a meeting Tuesday.
In a nearly three-hour long Thursday meeting marked by infighting and disorder, the Student Assembly issued an apology over its handling of its statement of support for Julia Feliz and overturned byline funding for CUTonight.
To the Editor:
Having been a student in two international graduate programs as well as a facilitator in many international training courses, the intercultural interactions are usually extremely enriching, while working through the normal friction that arises with differences. I have fond memories of one colleague who managed to hijack just about any topic with lengthy commentary on social justice issues. When you were sleep-deprived and merely wanted to absorb the information from a lecture that was crucial for an exam or finishing a paper, it could be intensely irritating. Nevertheless, there was always a kernel of truth in the injustices he pointed out. The professors were reasonably adept at weaving the discussion back to the original objectives of the lecture while valuing his often tangential input.
“We will not let injustice happen on campus! We refuse to stand idly by!” said Gavin Martin ’20, leader of the chants, as the demonstrators parked themselves on the A.D. White statue in front of Goldwin Smith Hall. Martin, a S.A. Arts and Sciences representative, championed the assembly’s resolution.
Starting October 15, Julia Feliz would not be welcome at Cornell’s Alliance for Science program, its director said. The decision — which Feliz shared in a widely-circulated post — was followed by waves of student support in a Student Assembly resolution in solidarity with Feliz and a planned rally, as well as a University statement disputing many of Feliz’s characterizations.
The Student Assembly passed a statement on Thursday condemning the abrupt dismissal of Alliance for Science fellow Julia Feliz, who claimed the program was racist, while some other fellows at the meeting expressed support of the program organizers’ decision. Feliz was asked to leave the Alliance for Science program — a 12-week program focused on biotechnology — on Oct. 15, after program coordinators told them that they were a continual interruption to the program. During their time in the program, Feliz said that they faced racism, harassment and intimidation when they spoke out on social justice issues, The Sun previously reported. “We find this dismissal egregious and refuse to turn a blind eye,” the S.A. statement read.
Feliz’s dismissal is an indignity. From what we know, Cornell appears to have ousted them merely for being a troublemaker.