The near-total lockdown of Columbia due to protests considered extreme and divisive by students and staff

Columbia University Administrators closed much of the school on Tuesday, upending campus life for virtually all students and staff following continued student protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

Only essential university employees and students living on campus were allowed through the gates of the Ivy League school in New York’s Morningside Heights neighborhood, officials announced Tuesday morning.

“The safety of every member of this community is paramount,” according to a university statement.

The near-lockdown has left students living off-campus scrambling for their next meal and employees wondering when they will be able to continue their work or research.

The spring the final classes of the semester took place on Monday with final exams scheduled to begin on Friday and last until May 10.

For many students preparing for finals, on-campus dining is essential during this high-stakes, high-stress week.

“The timing of this happening is what makes it so terrible,” said senior engineering student Elli Stougiannou.

Stougiannou didn’t open her email Tuesday morning before showing up for what she believed to be a normal breakfast at Ferris Booth Commons when she was turned away — despite living less than a block from campus.

“This seems a little extreme and unfair to a lot of people, especially during finals when the environment is high-stress and the political situation has already been very stressful in recent weeks,” said Stougiannou, who estimated that about two-thirds of his meals are consumed on campus. “And everyone needs to eat.”

Despite nearly two weeks of unrest sparked by the protests, students and staff were still allowed to enter and leave campus. But security was tightened after protesters broke into and occupied Hamilton Hall on Tuesday morning.

So the pro-Palestine camp didn’t have much of an impact on lab technician David Johnson’s life — until Tuesday.

“This is my job. So, yeah, it’s kind of inconvenient,” Johnson said after being turned away at the school entrance at 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. “So far, everything seemed normal, just sliding in.”

Sophomore Karla Camacho, who estimated that 80% of her meals are on campus, said she is concerned about the economically disadvantaged students who rely on Columbia meals: “That’s really how a lot of students access their food.”

“It was a decision made under the pretext of student safety in light of all the events on campus. But it’s creating all these other challenges,” Camacho said.

“I’m not sure this was done with good intentions. It seems like it was an attempt to divide the student body,” she said. “I do not believe the university has sufficiently considered the challenges that the most marginalized students may be facing.”

Students enrolled in the university’s meal plan received an $80 credit to cover food costs if they were excluded from on-campus meals.

“That created a lot of uncertainty about how long this lockdown could last, and $80 isn’t worth much in New York City,” Camacho said.

And physics doctoral candidate Varun Lochab also questioned whether Columbia’s action was in the best interest of students.

“I would like to go up to my office to do my work, so that is a problem,” Lochab said after being turned away. “It’s not the (protesters’) fault. I feel the administration should do more to calm and not escalate the situation.”