When conservative writer Charles Murray appeared to speak at Middlebury College in Vermont, dozens of student protesters flooded the venue. Armed with signs containing profanity and complete lack of tolerance, the entire audience turned their backs on Murray and began the tired “hey hey, ho ho” chants and refused to restore order so that Murray could carry out his speech.
The college eventually disciplined 67 students for their participation in breaking policy, but none were suspended or expelled.
The students were upset that Murray was being given an opportunity to speak, and rather than simply forego the event, they decided to shut it down and make it impossible for the author to exercise his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Following the results of the 2016 Presidential Election, a group of students at Cornell University held a “cry in.” That’s right, a cry in.
Students gathered to sit together under blankets to write words of consolation and “mourn” the election of President Trump. One student said, “We need to just take a break and just cry. Tomorrow we get back up and keep fighting, because people feel really, really powerless.”
Apparently, the election results shocked many students and they weren’t prepared for life under the Trump administration. Many people in the United States were shocked about big election upset. Not everyone huddled into a giant ball of on the grass with their markers and paper. The Cornell students encouraged others to join them in the spirit of inclusion, hoping that it would send a message of their resolve to fight discrimination. Well, and also to cry and color together.
No college uprising would be complete without good ol’ Linda Sarsour.
After it was announced that Sarsour would deliver the commencement speech at CUNY School of Public Health, all hell broke loose. Several citizens of NYC began to protest the choice to feature Sarsour as the keynote speaker. Elected officials even attempted to voice concerns over Sarsour speaking at a school with a significant Jewish population. Sarsour is known for her polarizing comments, specifically how “there is nothing creepier than Zionism.”
The commencement speech went off without a hitch. Sarsour took to the stage to wax poetic about social injustice and discrimination, as per usual. Very little of her speech addressed the incredible accomplishments her audience just achieved. She even made sure to highlight her own work and resolve to continue using her loud voice.
A faculty committee at Harvard University (yes, they are back in the article) has proposed that final clubs be phased out by the 2022.
Final clubs are all-male social clubs that aren’t officially recognized by the university. Membership is limited and comes with many benefits, such as lifelong membership and professional networking. Final clubs were officially unrecognized by Harvard in 1985 when they refused to allow women to join.
The committee has put together a recommendation that would ban all single-gender clubs at Harvard, even though they aren’t officially recognized by the university. This includes final clubs, sororities, and fraternities–which Harvard also doesn’t recognize as being official. Their goal is to foster inclusivity by banning historical clubs deeply rooted in Harvard tradition.
In perhaps the most disgraceful display of tantrum throwing, Notre Dame wins honorable mention.
When Vice President Mike Pence was invited to keynote at the commencement, many students at the Catholic school had meltdowns. Protesting the decision to invite Vice President Pence to speak fell on deaf ears. The school defended their selection, as Vice President Pence hails from Indiana–the location of the University of Notre Dame.
As the Vice President took to the podium, several students got out of their seats and marched out. Some simply stood up and turned their backs on Vice President Pence. Students then gathered outside to hold up “Love Trumps Hate” signs and stand in unity against the horrible commencement ceremony.
We have met Presidents (and Vice Presidents) from both sides of the aisle, and guess what? Regardless of politics, we are honored to meet them each time.
