Learning is something that I have always enjoyed. It has been an activity that I believed (and still believe) would make me a more well-rounded, better conversing person. So when I began college for my undergraduate degree, I believed it would, in large part, provide just that opportunity (outside of the usual "degree for a better job and better pay" reasoning for attending post-secondary education.)

Throughout high school, college was always described as being a place where students went to make connections, explore their interests, and most importantly, have a safe space to openly express and be exposed to new ideas. However, what I have noticed from my observations and experiences during my time in undergraduate study is that the university setting has misconstrued the original meaning of "safe space." This is especially true when talking about topics of debate, or the idea of TRULY debating in general.

When we describe a "safe space to express and be exposed to new ideas," it is pretty much self-explanatory. Specifically, when referring to the college setting, students are supposed to be provided a safe place to learn, being exposed to new ideas that challenge their previously understood ones, as well as present their ideas to other students, in order to challenge theirs. Ideally, students are intended to enjoy a "safe" space to do this without fear of harm, be it verbal or physical. It is all intended to be a learning experience for everyone.

However, it would appear that "safe space" in many colleges now means "a safe space where the same ideas are all filtered repeatedly, and opposing ideas are shunned."

Essentially: a safe space = an echo-chamber.

Debate is essential to how we share our thoughts and spread knowledge, but colleges and society are robbing students of those opportunities, thanks to society's need for comfort. There are obvious reasons why students need protection, as described in Eric Posner's piece on slate.com, and I can't help but agree with Posner's sentiment: "Even in college, they [students] must be protected like children while being prepared to be adults."

I would expand on this statement further and say that the original purpose behind university IS to provide students with protection (see four paragraphs up for a reminder). However, colleges cannot continue to "protect" students from new ideas or ways of thinking. We cannot continue to sacrifice reality and a chance to better ourselves for the sake of preserving comfort. How are we supposed to better ourselves if we are constantly filtering the same old, tired ideas?

People wonder when and how change will happen in the world. People wonder when a political figure will become the arbiter of change in a world that desperately needs help and understanding. What people need to realize and understand is that real change doesn't happen overnight. Real change can't happen with one person.

No, real change starts at the university setting, where students roam, study, ask probing questions, join groups to have mentally stimulating conversations, conduct research, and learn about the world around them. Most importantly, they debate. They share their ideas, discuss topics of interest, consider facts that they might not have previously considered in their ideas, and adjust their reality according to the new knowledge they have acquired. That's what debate is all about. Debate and new ideas are how we nullify old, outdated ones, and with that newly acquired knowledge, we can build a better future for ourselves, as well as future generations. We can rectify certain inequities from long ago, and change the perception of the future. Debate isn't to be feared.

It is a dim light of hope.