Yale students march over concerns about racial sensitivity

In the intervening 10 days, a few Yale students have called for Christakis and her husband Nicholas, the former master of Pforzheimer House, to resign.

A Facebook post accused one of the school’s fraternities of racial discrimination, citing a recent party that permitted “white girls only”, and alludes to other race-related incidents. I think we have to be a better university. Copy may not be in its final form.

Hundreds of Yale students and supporters marched across campus Monday to protest what they see as racial insensitivity at the Ivy League school.

They carried signs with positive slogans such as “Shades of beauty”, “I stand with my sisters” and “This is not a protest”.

We welcome you, Lex, back to Democracy Now!

“Students are really appreciating the administrators that have come out since then, the deans of different colleges have sent emails supporting students”, said Johnson-Levy. To me, it seems like more a question of mental health. The fraternity has denied those claims. I defend the right for people to speak their minds’. Yet you respond not with an apology.

Despite the ongoing attacks, thus far the Christakises have resisted calls for their resignation from their posts at Silliman. They’re going to transfer because you are a poor steward of the community. That’s all I want.

“This entire situation goes against Yale’s Freedom of Expression policy which says “‘the provocative, the disturbing, and the unorthodox’ must be tolerated”.

“I suppose we could agree that there is a difference between fantasizing about an individual character vs. appropriating a culture, wholesale, the latter of which could be seen as (tacky)(offensive)(jejeune)(hurtful), take your pick”.

The Daily Mail published a story Saturday-along with a video-about a confrontation between Silliman College Master Nicholas Cristakis and a student who cursed at him and told him he “should step down” because of the advice he had given students about Halloween costumes. Halloween costumes – what else?

LEX BARLOWE: Yeah, absolutely. Grounding her response to the first email in terms of her academic work on child psychology, she suggested that students wear what they liked, and work out with one another what costumes might be hurtful. Pretty simple and pretty polite, to be honest. The university is trying to control you. You’re supposed to let the crybullies bully you, or they’ll cry.

That a university must protect students from ideas they find challenging is anathema to the very idea of a university.

And so, you know, students were outraged.

Yale University President Peter Salovey, who met with student leaders during Monday’s rally, said he wants to take action to end racial tensions at the CT school. And in particular, the advice that she gave was to either look away or to engage in dialogue with someone who might be wearing something culturally appropriative.

When Christakis tries to disagree, the student shouts, “Be quiet!”

It is not about creating an intellectual space, the students claim; it’s about creating safe spaces. He had actually not attended the forum the night before. When other attendees told him to sit down, he refused and instead taped posters across the wall. In his Friday message, Salovey said he will be describing such plans before the students break for Thanksgiving.

Calling for people to be fired for expressing their beliefs – Fascist.

AMY GOODMAN: Was it also inspired by or fueled by what happened at the University of Missouri? He also said he was deeply troubled by the atmosphere on campus. Women of color also opened up about their treatment on campus. Remember that Yale belongs to all of you, and you all deserve the right to enjoy the good of this place, without worry, without threats, and without intimidation.