CORRECTION: According to a friend, Pam H., who was at the event, the mime lady in the film below was not a Columbia representative - she was the only member of a party of 4 who was allowed to attend the speech. *

NO CORRECTION: the story that Columbia was telling the dis-invitees - Columbia was telling them that the students were to blame. That's the story she was giving her friends outside, and that's the story most disinvitees heard.

Like many other Manhattanites, Jerseyans, Pennsylvanians and others from far flung places I was hoping to hear Walid Shoebat talk at Columbia University this evening. Like many others, I had reserved a seat, and I received many confirmations of my reservation. Despite this messy altercation at Columbia last week, I was anxious to attend this controversial talk - Walid Shoebat, Hilmar Von Kampe and Zak Anani (two former terrorists and a former Nazi) were scheduled to speak.

As I left my home in New Jersey, walking through the pouring rain, my computer upstairs quietly received this email from Columbia administrators cancelling my reservation and (unbeknownst to me) leaving me out in the cold.

It is the decision of the advising office to Student Governing Board groups that at tonight’s event sponsored by the Columbia College Republicans, hosts to the Walid Shoebat Foundation, attendance will be limited to the invited speakers and their staff, CUID holders, and 20 invited guests. You are receiving this email to inform you that unfortunately, your RSVP to tonight’s event cannot be accepted.

Sincerely,

Jewelnel Davis
University Chaplain
Associate Provost
Director of the Earl Hall Center

I don't know why a Chaplain was asked to send this out. I'll bet Columbia's bold and brave administrators saw a great opportunity to hide behind a Chaplain's skirts.

Since I had no idea that my reservation was cancelled, I trudged through the rain, sat on many crowded subways, and (an hour later) got to Columbia early and called Judith to see where everyone was. She had also been planning to go, but her trip was shorter, so she was home when her disinvitation arrived.

I tried to play on the Columbia admin's sympathy with my soaking confirmation, as did most of the rain drenched invitees. Columbia didn't give a shit.

They locked their glass doors and smiled as people outside raged and complained. I didn't complain, but I did take pictures of them, which annoyed them to no end. Good.

The Columbia reps told me not to take their picture, but security didn't back them up. Here, security stepped out of the way so I could get a better shot.

Another invitee turned away.

..and we were all soaking wet.

Here's a film** of an invitee pantomiming sympathy to a group of people who were apparently friends of Walid Shoebat, explaining why they couldn't get in. Her audience was not impressed. Note the her hostile little wave to the camera, and her smile.

[** the whole thing is in mime because my camera has film but no sound - sorry]

Later the mime lady came out and spoke. She explained that the students, the College Republicans, were to blame for the mixup. That's not the story that Ms. Davis' email tells.

Columbia is a college, and the administrators are supposed to protect and guide the students. Instead, they used the students as scapegoats. Once again, her audience was not impressed.

So, after about an hour we got tired of standing in the rain and took a subway back downtown. I stopped by Judith's place to pick up a sifter I'd lent to her and found her blogging up a storm. She gave me a huge cup of tea (thanks, Judith!) and I added a few observations.

* I guess I shouldn't blog after standing in the cold rain for 4 hours..