Student Union
- By Esha Sarai
Washington Prepares for ‘March For Our Lives’
A snow-covered Washington prepared for a protest against gun violence that is predicted to draw hundreds of thousands of marchers this weekend.
Washington officials estimate that as many as 500,000 people will march Saturday in a demonstration to urge politicians to prevent further school shootings.
“In the tragic wake of the 17 lives brutally cut short in Florida, politicians are telling us that now is not the time to talk about guns. March For Our Lives believes the time is now,” says that organization’s mission statement on its official website.
“On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington, D.C., to demand that their lives and safety become a priority,” the website says. “The collective voices of the March For Our Lives movement will be heard.”
Even in the month since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, claimed 17 lives, other high schools have been the scene of shootings. Most recently, a female student was critically injured by a shooter at a Maryland high school who was later killed in a confrontation with police.
Survivors of the Parkland shooting, including Emma Gonzalez, who, with several of her classmates, has taken the anti-gun violence debate national, supported the students at Great Mills High School.
March For Our Lives was largely organized by Parkland students, who have used social media widely and publicly to insist politicians stop taking political donations from the National Rifle Association and pass legislation to make gun access more difficult.
Cameron Kasky is one of the many Parkland students traveling from Florida to the nation’s capital this weekend to “stand together on the right side of history -- the side of life over money.”
In a letter to the organizers of the march, ride-hailing service Lyft said that it will offer free rides to students from Parkland traveling to and from the march. Many Washington-area households have opened their doors to students and protesters from out of town seeking a place to stay.
“Your bravery and intelligence have provided a renewed and much needed hope for our future. We are incredibly grateful for the example you are setting,” Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green wrote in a letter to the students.
AirBnb, an online lodging reservation service, told VOA that 8,400 arrivals are scheduled in D.C. for the night of the march - making it AirBnb’s second highest booked night in the city, only behind the Women’s March in January 2017.
Musicians Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Demi Lovato, and Common are among the celebrities who are scheduled to perform at the Washington march, according to organizers.
Washington’s Metro subway system said that it will operate at rush-hour levels of service throughout Saturday, starting at 7 a.m., to accommodate anticipated crowds.
“As the young men and women have been preparing for Saturday’s event, the district has been preparing to keep them safe,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told a press conference.
“Of course, First Amendment-protected events are not new to Washington, D.C.,” Bowser said. “...We are looking forward to these teenagers and everybody who believes that we must do more to have sensible gun regulation in our nation and to keep children safe in their schools, in their neighborhoods in cities across America.”
D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department will be fully staffed on Saturday.
“We will ensure that we have plenty of officers on hand to facilitate a peaceful and safe day for the rally,” Chief of Police Peter Newsham told a press conference.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
- By VOA News
STEM, business top subjects for international students
The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.
STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Safety and visa difficulties among misconceptions about US colleges
U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.
Read the full story here. (January 2025)
- By VOA News
Work opportunities help draw international students to US schools
US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)
- By VOA News
British student talks about her culture shock in Ohio
A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.
Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.
Read the full story here. (December 2024)
