Continuing the conversation on the mock border wall

The+mock+border+wall+was+originally+located+next+to+the+Theater+building%2C+but+was+relocated+to+its+intended+location+by+a+group+of+students+early+Friday+%2810%2F10%29+morning.+The+students+involved+were+not+punished+for+their+actions+and+the+administration+allowed+the+wall+to+remain+until+the+end+of+the+International+Round+Table.+Photo+by+Will+Matsuda15.

The mock border wall was originally located next to the Theater building, but was relocated to its intended location by a group of students early Friday (10/10) morning. The students involved were not punished for their actions and the administration allowed the wall to remain until the end of the International Round Table. Photo by Will Matsuda’15.

October 17, 2014

The mock border wall was originally located next to the Theater building, but was relocated to its intended location by a group of students early Friday (10/10) morning. The students involved were not punished for their actions and the administration allowed the wall to remain until the end of the International Round Table. Photo by Will Matsuda'15.
The mock border wall was originally located next to the Theater building, but was relocated to its intended location by a group of students early Friday (10/10) morning. The students involved were not punished for their actions and the administration allowed the wall to remain until the end of the International Round Table. Photo by Will Matsuda’15.

After a group of approximately 20 students moved the mock border fence back to its intended location on Old Main Lawn early Friday morning, administrators notified the students they would not be punished for their participation in the movement as they had broken no official college policies.

Provost Kathy Murray released a statement Friday afternoon, announcing the college would not move the fence back to the Janet Wallace courtyard and allow students to maintain a presence at the wall all day.

The wall’s relocation received media coverage in the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Twin Cities Daily Planet that weekend.

The wall came down early Monday morning after the conclusion of the International Roundtable. Organizers of the wall project discussed it and the college’s response at this week’s MCSG meeting and planned a meeting for Thursday night to discuss follow-up steps.

Elsa Goossen ’15, one of the organizers of the border wall project, said that they discussed how “the college [could] be proactive in addressing future issues before they blow up into campus-wide disputes.” They hope to continue a dialogue between administrators and representatives of the project, hopefully by inviting administrators to next week’s meeting.

Excerpt of a statement from Provost Kathy Murray:

Last spring, I approved having the wall project either on the Main Hall lawn or along the sidewalk between Kirk and the Campus Center. Final placement had not been determined. During this past summer, we saw increased conflicts and challenges in many border areas in the world—Israel/Palestine, Ukraine, unaccompanied children crossing the border from Mexico, more recently the closing of borders due to Ebola. I needed to balance the desire to go forward with this border wall project with the possibility that many members of our community might be distressed by being forced to confront the wall​ ​without context. I decided it was important for people to have a choice ​and​, in cooperation with the planning group, it was determined that the Noguchi Courtyard location would give that choice. I did not want to shut down the project, but I believed it was important for people to be allowed to choose if and how they would encounter it. A group of students decided early this morning that allowing other members of the community the opportunity to make that choice was not important and moved the wall to the center of campus.