Campuses Are Calmer, but They Are Not Normal, Students and Faculty Say

On the surface, the scene on Columbia University’s campus appeared to have returned to normal after a spring semester rocked by pro-Palestinian encampments and police crackdowns. Students ate lunch on green lawns last week and tapped a volleyball back and forth under sunny skies. Missing were the children on walks from nearby preschools and the neighborhood residents with their dogs. Also gone were the New York City characters, like a man who used to hang out on the plaza flipping plastic bottles with his feet into a nearby trash can. Because of a fear that protests could re-escalate, the gates of Columbia’s campus have been closed since the fall semester began, and only people with a Columbia ID can enter. It is a highly unusual situation for an institution that has long taken pride in its openness. Inside the gates, the vibe is tenser and more divided, students and faculty members said.