Yale Master Steps Down

This is welcomed news. He and his wife look for trouble and are dismissive of the students. They should definitely not work around young people.

This piece borders on the defamatory. The actual statement from the memorandum is "Nicholas says, if you don't like a costume someone is wearing, look away, or tell them you are offended" On what evidence does the author justify taking "look away" out of context and extending it to "offensive Halloween costumes, such as blackface or racial caricatures" when that was never said or fairly implied in the memo?

When I first read about the controversy my reaction was that Ms. Christakis stepped in s....t (and probably now regrets it) by sticking her nose into a matter that didn't require her intervention. But nowhere in what I read was it suggested that she or her husband were condoning or sanctioning overt displays of racism. However that is certainly what is implied (in fact stated) by distorting the memo in this fashion and that is offensive.

I think this is a difficult issue because it raises two important matters related to university education: tolerance and free speech. Both are essential to a quality democratic education because both make it possible for people to hear each other and thus learn from each other. While I agree (as Carl indicates) that someone should not jump to conclusions without reading Christakis' email, it is also important to read her email in the context of the email from University leaders that she was responding to and saying was inappropriate.

That email from the Intercultural Affairs Committee (which includes most major cultural, religious, athletic and student life university leadership) said:

"Halloween is also unfortunately a time when the normal thoughtfulness and sensitivity of most Yale students can sometimes be forgotten and some poor decisions can be made including wearing feathered headdresses, turbans, wearing 'war paint' or modifying skin tone or wearing blackface or redface. These same issues and examples of cultural appropriation and/or misrepresentation are increasingly surfacing with representations of Asians and Latinos."

Christakis email was in response to this specific University email telling students to respect each other. (The University email was careful to value "free expression as well as inclusivity.") Thus, Christakis was addressing directly the University telling students not to wear blackface and was pretty clearly saying this was an inappropriate role for the University. Instead, she writes, students should either "look away, or tell them you are offended."

This confuses the classroom where ideas can be safely confronted with an alcohol infused college Halloween party where the choice is to risk potentially violent confrontation or turn away. In this context of student life, it seems wholly appropriate for the University to set minimum boundaries of merely encouraging students to not wear "blackface or redface."

@CG, "...nowhere in what I read was it suggested that she or her husband were condoning or sanctioning overt displays of racism. However that is certainly what is implied (in fact stated) by distorting the memo in this fashion and that is offensive."

Agreed.

Moreover the choice of headline juxtaposed with the seemingly careful use of 'head of college' in the body of the piece is also provocatively out of balance. As is the conspicuous absence of any counter balancing video of Jerelyn Luther's reaction to Christakis's vocal, albeit paternalistic, defense of the first amendment.

Whether you are the head of college or the tail of college, in the real world safe space is recognized by few, appreciated by less, and promised to none.

Separately, my applause to @aliyyaswaby, or whichever NHI editorial expurgator so deserves the credit, for approving the posting of your comment. Others seem to possess less bravery.

Safe Space Crowd Notes:

Weakest kneed Yale administration ever. Next time try getting the back of your distinguishes profs instead of caving to crybabies. There's a hall named Woolsey built around huge monoliths remembering people who gave up their privilege to die for democracy; I suggest students look up from their iPhones and check it out sometime. it's a relic which likely won't gain inscriptions any time soon.

Shame on you Paul Bass! Nowhere did the Christakis memo mention "blackface" or "racial caricatures" You are lowering yourself to the level of Larry Noodles!
-Larry Noodles