Around the Ivies
Brown University: Players on the Brown softball team recently came forward with accusations of bullying against head coach Katie Flynn, the Brown Daily Herald reported. Players claim that Flynn made hurtful comments about players’ weights and created an aggressive and hostile environment that was emotionally exhausting for them. Since Flynn’s first season in 2013, she has lost nine of her 12 original players. Those who felt attacked have brought their concerns to athletic director Jack Hayes, who has made no action against the coach.
Columbia University: Columbia student group Student-Worker Solidarity claims that employees at the university are prohibited from speaking languages other than English in the presence of students, the Columbia Spectator reported. A spokesperson for Columbia claimed that a student complaint against an emplyee speaking Spanish was a response to the employee’s comment, not the use of Spanish. Columbia officials have come forward to state that no such policy is in place.
Cornell University: In reaction to the recent instances of police brutality, nearly 100 students, faculty and staff members held a “die-in” at Cornell, the Cornell Sun reported. Participants laid on the ground to bring awareness to their cause by hindering people’s daily commute. Cornell junior Noelani Gabriel, one of the organizers, regrets the timing of the die-in in relation to the protests in Baltimore, but feels that it is more important now than ever to discuss the topic of police violence and white supremacy.
Harvard University: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Harvard on Monday to speak about his reform agenda and the necessity of stable U.S.-Japan relations, the Harvard Crimson reported. His speech, however, was met with backlash from students — 18 Harvard student groups and 161 students signed a petition for Japan to acknowledge its role in “operating a system of sexual slavery during World War II.” This petition was in response to the prime minister’s promotion of a “revisionist history,” according to one of the organizers.
Princeton University: A Princeton referendum that demanded the University divest from companies that maintain the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and facilitate state repression against Palestinians has failed to pass. Of the 2,032 students who voted, 47.5 percent voted against and 52.5 percent in favor of the referendum, the Daily Princetonian reported. The slim margin of loss has left many representatives hopeful that with more outreach, the referendum could pass in the future.
University of Pennsylvania: During Penn’s Spring Fling, which took place from April 17-19, members of the Vietnamese Students’ Association claim to have experienced an alleged hate crime from a group comprised primarily members of OZ, an underground fraternity. The event occurred during a members-only barbecue when an OZ brother approached the group, which escalated to a larger group returning and aiming racial slurs and death threats at the VSA, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. The OZ president has reprimanded his brothers and had the perpetrators issue a formal apology.
Yale University:A new study from researchers at Yale has shown that the amount of a husband’s physical activity can affect his wife’s mental health. While in older men more physical activity betters their own mental well-being, that correlation is much smaller for older women, the Yale Daily News Reported. Yet, wives whose husbands complete more physical activity are less depressed. Researchers believe that because women are more focused on relationships, they’re happier when their spouse creates a healthier and happier environment.