The University of Maryland SGA passed a resolution calling on this university to rename four rooms in the engineering school and one room in the computer, mathematical and natural sciences college named after U.S. defense companies and weapons manufacturers.
The bill, which passed 18-1-1, urges the deans of both schools and the vice president of university relations to rename the Lockheed Martin Room, Lockheed Martin Partnership Suite, Lockheed Martin Lounge, BAE Systems Lab and Leidos Lab.
Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and Leidos have all supplied weapons to the Israel Defense Forces that have been used to commit a genocide in Gaza, the resolution read.
“I think that these companies who are actively engaged in human rights violations, and make me sick to my stomach, should have their legacies remembered more so as that, than partners in research,” transportation and infrastructure committee co-director Shubh Agnihotri said.
[UMD SGA condemns student-hosted event with IDF soldiers, demands university issues apology]
Israel has killed more than 69,000 people in Gaza since it declared war on Hamas two years ago. A United Nations committee in September ruled Israel has committed a genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Agnihotri said the bill’s passage is following through on student voting in favor of multiple resolutions about divestment recently.
Last month, the SGA passed a resolution urging this university and its charitable foundation to disassociate from corporations, institutions and academic entities that “support or profit from Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation.” In May, students also passed a referendum in support of divesting from companies that may be implicated in human rights violations in places such as Palestine, Myanmar and the Philippines.
This university wrote in a statement to The Diamondback Wednesday that SGA resolutions have no bearing on university policy or practice.
Agnihotri said university administration took a long time to provide an accurate response to SGA members on who to contact about renaming the rooms.
“It’s meaningless to say it has no bearing on university policy or practice,” Agnihotri said. “How is SGA supposed to be an advocacy organization or any sort of voice that stands up for students, if the second that our values and administrators’ values are at a crossroads, they shut us out?”
[UMD Students for Justice in Palestine petitions to cancel even with IDF soldiers]
The resolution also cited how the University System of Maryland changed the football stadium’s name, previously after former university president Harry Clifton “Curley” Byrd, because he supported racial segregation. Former university president Wallace Loh supported the name change, The Diamondback previously reported.
Bill sponsor and engineering representative Nane Manukyan said the bill’s intention is to show the university what the SGA thinks.
“It opens the door for us to start having those conversations with the faculty,” Manukyan said.
The resolution also requires the vote results be published on SGA’s official Instagram account and be republished with student organization accounts, including the Asian American Student Union, Organization of Arab Students, Palestinian Cultural Club and this university’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter. Manukyan said this emphasizes transparency and allows more students to learn about the resolution.
SGA also plans to send a letter to the deans of the colleges and the university relations vice president after the vote to officially request the renaming of the rooms.
