Tag Archives: Halloween

Yale Students Have Lost Their Collective Marbles

If you haven’t yet heard about the madness taking place at Yale, by all means read this article by Conor Friedersdorf published on The Atlantic: The New Intolerance of Student Activism

Here’s the summary: Nicholas and Erika Christakis live at Yale, where they preside over one of its undergraduate colleges. Nicholas’ wife Erika, who is a lecturer in early childhood education, sent an email responding to concerns from students that administration was “offering heavy-handed advice on what Halloween costumes to avoid.” In the email, Erika suggested, among other things, that perhaps it was okay to be a bit “provocative” with Halloween costumes, observing that “American universities were once a safe space not only for maturation but also for a certain regressive, or even transgressive, experience; increasingly, it seems, they have become places of censure and prohibition.” She added, quoting Nicholas, “if you don’t like a costume someone is wearing, look away, or tell them you are offended. Talk to each other. Free speech and the ability to tolerate offence are hallmarks of a free and open society.”   (The full text of the email is here.) Continue reading Yale Students Have Lost Their Collective Marbles