As the Israel-Gaza war reaches its unfortunate one-year anniversary Monday, I worry that campuses are bracing for another school year of protests, disruptions and poor handling of their raised student voices. Last year saw university presidents fired, protests turning violent, police crackdowns on campuses, and pro-Palestinian rallies devolving into antisemitism. But this year, let’s hope colleges have learned some lessons from last year and make efforts to rise above the fray.
I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a class this month at my alma mater Colorado College on political journalism, and we had a robust and constructive discussion of the war in Gaza recently. Strong views were expressed, Jewish rights raised, allegations of genocide debated, complaints about how the administration has handled the whole thing aired, and palpable angst about the lives lost universally shared. This is what we’re supposed to do at colleges, right? Hear out our students, encourage them to articulate their ideas, create a place where contrary world views can be energetically engaged.
One of the saddest things I heard from one of my students is that there is such a chill on campus now professors are reluctant to encourage and allow such debates about Gaza, for fear of upsetting sensibilities of various proponents. But if not on campuses, where? The turmoil from last year argues loudly that colleges need to take a clear stand for their basic function — teaching and learning. I’m hoping .
