By Claire Pomer, Harwood Union correspondent
After facing community objections, a Harwood student club is going forward with its showing of “The Encampments,” a documentary about the 2024 student protests at Columbia University. The March 5 event will be open to the public.
The club (Community Alliance for Racial Equity, or CARE for short) attempted to screen the film earlier in the school year, but faced backlash from community members and statewide Jewish advocacy groups. Corinna Dodson of Shalom Alliance, a nonprofit that works to combat antisemitism, wrote in an email sent to Harwood Superintendent Dr. Mike Leichliter in November, “‘The Encampments’ glorifies a moment in recent history where Jewish students across the country faced real violence and trauma… It is painful to see these moments repackaged in a way that erases the trauma many Jewish students experienced, especially when framed as educational or as social justice.”
In response, the club postponed the event, saying, “[We] do not want any member of our community to feel targeted, unsafe, or harmed.” They later sent out an email to all Harwood students asking for their input about the event and held an open club meeting to discuss next steps.
This rescheduled event is very similar in structure, with a screening of the documentary and a discussion to follow, but the club is no longer fundraising for Palestinian families.
The event will be held on Thursday, March 5, from 5:30-8:00 in the Harwood library. Registration opens on February 10 at edjcoalitionvt.networkforgood.com/events/97268-watch-talk-encampments-film and is capped at 40 people. Tickets are first come, first serve and cost $5 for adults. Students can register for free with their school email.
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