About 25 Ithaca College students huddled in the cold by the Dillingham Fountains holding pro-Palestine signs and donning keffiyehs, a traditional headdress worn by men in the Middle East, at 8:45 a.m. to participate in a die-in organized by Ithaca College Students for Palestine (ICSFP) on March 23, Admitted Students Day, in the Peggy Ryan Williams Center. 

The students said they were protesting the college’s lack of response to over 32,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since Oct. 7 and announced a list of demands to the college administration. 

During the die-in, sophomore Quincey Fireside, President of ICSFP, listed three demands: a school-wide statement acknowledging the genocide of Palestinians, a statement of support for Palestinian students and an apology for not making the statement sooner; a Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) audit which would provide access to information about if the college receives funding from any Israeli or Zionist corporations; and for Birthright trips to stop being run through Hillel at IC.

Prior to publication on March 23, The Ithacan reached out to Lauren Goldberg, director of Hillel at Ithaca College, for comment regarding the die-in and ICSFP’s demand for birthright to stop being run by Hillel at IC, but did not receive a response as of 2:30 p.m. March 25.

In a March 23 Instagram post, Hillel at IC said in the caption that “Just a little reminder that our Hillel is a welcoming and safe space for ALL students – even when that means engaging in difficult but respectful conversations across lines of difference. We are here with our doors and DMs open for you always.”

Marsha Dawson, dean of students, and Lisa Searle, associate director of visit coordination and operations in the Office of Admission, were present during the die-in. At the die-in, Fireside requested that President La Jerne Cornish sit in to hear the organization’s demands in person. Cornish arrived at 10:24 a.m. to listen to the organization’s demands.

Fireside said the die-in was intentionally planned on Admitted Students Day to make the college pay attention to their cause. 

“I feel like the only way to get attention from the administration is to disrupt,” Fireside said in an interview ahead of the die-in. “Part of my frustration [is that] the school has just been kind of ignoring us and [Admitted] Students Day] is a big deal. …  And I also want students to come here [through Admitted Students Day], but I would rather the school be a place where those students can feel comfortable expressing their political beliefs.” 

Fireside said that they think the college is far removed from the reality of the Israel-Hamas War and that the reality of the situation is that over 30,000 Palestinians are dead. 

“And if [the administration] is ignorant to [that reality], we are going to put some dead bodies in the building,” Fireside said.

Sophomore Sarah Bonner participated in the die-in and said the event was essential to show the administration and the campus community how deeply students care about the cause of Palestinian resistance. 

“College campuses are the place for [protest], it’s always been since the ’60s,” Bonner said before the die-in. “[Campuses] are a key place for political discussion, this is kind of the forefront because we are the next generation and we have something to say. It’s crucial that young people be heard.” 

Flyers put up in academic buildings

Fireside said the organization also put up about 100 flyers at 9:30 p.m March 22 denouncing the college’s silence on the deaths of Palestinians; the Side-by-Side event hosted by IC Hillel; harassment faced by anti-zionist Jewish students and Palestinian students; and an Ithaca College professor’s previous experience with racism and sexism for supporting Palestinian liberation. The posters were put around the Roy H. Park School of Communications, the Dillingham Center and Textor Hall.

Flyers were posted on plaques, portraits of past presidents of the college, doors and wall space. The flyers in Textor Hall were taken down around 7:30 a.m. March 23 and the flyers in the Park School were taken down before 8:20 p.m. 

Scott Garin, executive director of the Office of Public Safety, said via email that the flyers were removed by Ithaca College employees March 23. Employees removed posters from areas that are not approved for posting in accordance with the policy that was issued by the vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Life in January 2024. 

Dawson said the flyers violated the Code of Conduct because they were placed in restricted areas and ICSFP is not a recognized organization on campus. 

“We are temporarily leaving [the flyers] up as long as they’re in [unrestricted] areas on campus,” Dawson said.  

Recap of the Die-in 

ICSFP used Signal Messenger, an application that encrypts data, to communicate and plan the die-in. Fireside said that when the group advertised a silent sit-in for Side-by-Side, they faced pressure from the campus community not to proceed with the sit-in. Fireside said the group decided not to advertise the event publically. 

At 9 a.m., students entered PRW Center and immediately laid on the floor to silently protest. There were no admitted students present in the building since the Admitted Students Day commenced at the Athletics and Events center.

Dawson said the die-in did not fall under any direct policy violations in the Student Code of Conduct at the college and the die-in did not hinder any operational standards at the college. 

“The college is an educational institution,” Dawson said. “We welcome and support free speech, anything to educate our students or our institution or faculty and staff. Activism in any form is welcome.”

Dawson said she could not comment on whether the college had any prior knowledge that the die-in would occur or if any admitted students knew that the die-in was occurring. 

Dawson said Fireside requested that the organization be able to speak with Cornish and explain the list of demands the organization has for the college. Dawson then reached out to her supervisor, was able to make contact with Cornish and confirmed Cornish would arrive at 10:15 a.m. 

Before Cornish arrived, students sat in a circle and started to chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be Free,” “When a land is occupied, resistance is justified” and “Free Palestine.”

Cornish arrived at 10:24 a.m. and sat in a circle with the students to discuss demands. Once Fireside explained the organization’s demands, Cornish said she was going to be as transparent as possible with her willingness to meet the demands.

“I will discuss [the demands] with my team,” Cornish said. “I am willing to have a subsequent meeting with [Fireside] and anybody else [Fireside chooses] to bring to that meeting to have further conversation, I am open to conversation. I support your right to protest because you have that right. … We are open to different perspectives and you were doing that which you had every right to do. We support protests … you can’t be disruptive or destructive and you haven’t done those things. And so I thank you for inviting me this morning.”

Cornish said her primary focus is all of Ithaca College and said she is the president for all students and not just some students, which is why she came to listen to the organization’s demands.

“What’s happening right now is bigger than us,” Cornish said. “And I want all students to feel safe and have a sense of belonging.” 

Cornish said she has a council meeting March 25 and a cabinet meeting March 26 and she will need to have a conversation with her council and cabinet before inviting ICSFP to come speak with her. 

Fireside said that if the group’s demands are not met, the die-in will not be the only demonstration ICSFP will be participating in.

“To be clear, I will not be surprised if you continue to demonstrate,” Cornish said in response. 

Students left the PRW at 10:35 a.m. after Cornish promised a meeting to discuss demands.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article did not include that The Ithacan had reached out to Hillel for a request to comment and did not include Hillel’s Instagram post caption.