Interviews

We have solicited interviews from Tom DeMott and Nell Geiser. DeMott is the leader of the Coalition to Perserve Community and Geiser, a student in Columbia College, is involved in the Student Coalition on Expansion and Gentrification.

Here is the interview that Kwame Spearman conducted with Nell Geiser:

Please describe what Tent City is?

The Tent City was a day-long event that brought Manhattanville/ West Harlem residents, business owners and workers onto CU's campus to put a human face on the impacts of the expansion. We held a press conference, rally and tabled throughout the day. We had three large tents on college walk--each one represented part of the affected community: residents in Manhattanville, businesses in Manhattanville, and residents who may face eviction because of secondary displacement.

Who is involved?

The Student Coalition on Expansion and Gentrification was the campus sponsor the event and got university permission and funding to put it on. We co-sponsored the event with the Coalition to Preserve Community and the West Harlem Business Group. We got funding help from the Student Governing Board ($1000), three student groups at the law school ($250) and a couple of West Harlem businesses. The Office of the Chaplain also donated a bunch of food and provided support.

Did you consider last week's rally a success?

Yes, it was a great event that provided visibility for the issue and appealed to people who haven't been involved in the issue up until now.

What are the goals associated with the project?

To put a human face on the expansion and build momentum for organizing to hold Columbia accountable next year as they follow through with the rezoning process.

What's next for SCEG?

We'll keep up with community organizing over the summer and go into high gear next year, continuing to build the coalition, holding informational events and protests on campus, and supporting community concerns about the expansion.

Moreover, we would like to thank both DeMott and Geiser for contributing to our project.

| CPC Home | Expansion | History and Past Struggles | Current State of the CPC | Interviews | CB-9 | Future Activities and Goals | Resources/Links | Bios |