Once news had spread that University of Missouri President Tom Wolfe had stepped down in the face of student protests, the obvious question was, which university would be next? Yale seems the obvious choice, as racial tensions on campus have worsened since an administrator’s email encouraged students not to be offended by but to tolerate and talk about insensitive Halloween costumes.
That email led to an op-ed in the school newspaper where a student alleged that colleagues were losing sleep, missing classes, skipping meals and having breakdowns in response, and the school was failing in its responsibility to “take care of” them.
Up thinking about all of the students who are still traumatized by the actions (or lack thereof) from @Yale It's really unhealthy and unfair
— N. Tinson-Johnson (@Nikki_T) November 6, 2015
It didn’t take long for the Ivy League scholars to form a plan: they would hold a “March of Resilience” in support of each other.
"We are unstoppable. Another Yale is possible." -students chant
— Yale Daily News (@yaledailynews) November 9, 2015
"We out here. We been here. We ain't leaving. We are loved." pic.twitter.com/qAz6eaFnhf
— Yale Daily News (@yaledailynews) November 9, 2015
https://twitter.com/vz_wang/status/663798140575866880https://twitter.com/yaledailynews/status/663794720104185856
Students stop traffic for march to proceed. pic.twitter.com/ANaRH34XIs
— Daniela Brighenti (@YDaniNews) November 9, 2015
March is now on High Street, right outside of SAE, location of alleged "white girls only" party pic.twitter.com/3EHM2FSWmc
— Isaac Stanley-Becker (@isaacstanbecker) November 9, 2015
xc, minutes later pic.twitter.com/iHUXxLLUSu
— michelle liu (@mchelleliu) November 9, 2015
"Here we have met everything we hoped to leave behind" pic.twitter.com/9B1ZNwJy83
— Vivian Wang (@vwang3) November 9, 2015
@Yale March of Resilience gathers on Cross Campus, 1000-strong pic.twitter.com/PKSz69yJX9
— Yale Daily News (@yaledailynews) November 9, 2015
So many protests today. Woooo.
— Johnetta Elzie (@Nettaaaaaaaa) November 9, 2015
Monday’s demonstrations reached beyond the campus to alumni as well, some of whom were inspired to set up a crowdfunding effort under the name Concerned Yale Alumni to send a thousand copies of Allan Bloom’s “Closing of the American Mind” to administrators, faculty, and students.
Yale alums raising money to send 1,000 copies of Closing of the American Mind to faculty, administrators, students – https://t.co/MVDk4d4bLa
— Eliana Johnson (@elianayjohnson) November 9, 2015
The pitch goes:
If you are concerned about the future of the American university, in New Haven or elsewhere, please donate as many copies of “The Closing of the American Mind” as you can afford.
The classic tome on liberal education and the threats to free thought faced by American campuses will be sent en masse to President Salovey, Dean Holloway, the masters of each residential college (with the notable and obvious exception of Silliman, which master stood alone in defending free thought), faculty, and students.
.@elianayjohnson @MaxBoot That would be Allan Bloom's autobiography The Closing of the American Mind. Elitist and not really relevant here.
— James Dukelow (@jsdukelow) November 9, 2015
It’s not an autobiography at all; better send him the first copy.