The University of Chicago demonstrated a “commitment to academic freedom” by ruling out safe spaces and encouraging all topics of discussion. | Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
This past summer, UH became nationally “famous”.
The troubling thing about the comment made was not the content of the post — made on a personal social media page — but rather the fiery response to it based solely on a disagreement on politics and semantics. The people who reacted did so because of an inability to process the difference of opinions.
As new students come to campus, there is an implicit expectation that they will be coddled and hidden away from life’s realities. It is as if they can still bring along the bubble that primary education has made for them.
This new trend of hiding students from “scary” opinions that differ from the generally accepted beliefs of college students has swept through the nation. It has also made its way to most universities.
Follow the letter
Although these ideas are sometimes used to protect those who have experienced actual trauma in their lives (such as victims of PTSD and rape survivors), college administrators and students have used it to fend off notions that don’t match with their own.
So it was all the more surprising when the University of Chicago decided to end the relatively new practice of allowing trigger warnings, safe spaces, banning speakers based on their opinions and more that prevent students from seeing the world in full.
In a letter to incoming freshmen, Dean of Students John Ellis laid out the ways in which the university will operate.
This was one of the best things that the University of Chicago could do for its students. Especially for those who shut themselves off from the rest of the ideologies laced throughout the world. This is something every university in the nation could learn from — including our own.
We can’t boast that we are the second-most diverse school in the U.S. but not vehemently promote intellectual diversity: Appreciating and understanding every viewpoint, no matter where on the ideological spectrum. I’m not just espousing for one political side, I mean up, down, left,and right. We need them all to see the full spectrum of diversity.
We, as students, are here not just to learn about the advanced ideas within our field of study. We are here to learn about the world we live in, in a way that cannot be found anywhere else. We need to have the ability to listen and digest the most radical of viewpoints: from the anarchist who hates the government, to the monarchist who believes we have too little government.
We learn about the ideas and experiences of those around us in a way that will never be found in the workplace.
This is especially true at UH. There are people on this campus who come from every imaginable background and bring with them unique experiences. That is why the idea of safe spaces and trigger warnings are ridiculous.
Even “South Park” has gone on to criticize it.
Risk for guests
Colleges are for higher learning not to hide away from ideas that are “evil.” College students should never fear censorship, especially in places that prides itself on being sites of brilliance that move the intellectual nature of the world forward.
This also extends to campus speakers. In a few weeks, Milo Yiannopoulos will be coming to campus to speak. This is a man who progressives vehemently despised and who colleges have banned. There is a certain amount of unchecked authoritarianism that comes with banning a speaker the students have invited and prepared to host because of a difference of ideology.
We, as a university, should embrace the idea of speaker who hold different opinions than those commonly held by students. It is a chance to learn and question.
When you hide yourself away from the ideas present in the world, you become what you hate: an ideological monster.
A prime example is Ben Shapiro, a conservative author, who spoke at UCLA last semester. Instead of being rational minds ready to learn and hear new ideas, they rioted.
Kudos to the University of Chicago for deciding to be what it is: a place of higher learning. Hopefully other universities follow its lead, or else we might have a generation of radical, insufferable ideologues graduating from U.S. universities who don’t care what others have to say.
Opinion columnist Jorden Smith is a political science junior and president of the College Republicans. He can be reached at [email protected]
