Recently, many professors, deans, lawmakers, and public figures alike have complained about the "coddling" of college students. Students, they say, have become too sensitive to ideas they do not agree with or understand, demanding these topics be removed from campus and thereby removed from their reality. Some, like the dean of the University of Chicago, have even addressed these complaints directly. As these complaints become more frequent, I've considered how this perspective affects me. Am I too sensitive? Do I show an aversion to ideas I do not know or understand? While considering this, I look at my peers. I have attended two very liberal schools, and at both, I have witnessed students oppose ideas in their classroom, and the ostracizing of students whose beliefs do not match the majority. These thoughts fill my mind, and with each piece of evidence, I have come to believe we, as college students, are far too entitled and sensitive, and with these reactions come adverse effects.
The day after elections, you could have heard a pin drop as students filed into my first class of the day. Nobody spoke, moved, or even acknowledged one another. Instead, the air was filled with a mixed sense of anticipation and dread. As my professor stood to speak, we collectively held our breaths, wondering what she would say to make sense of what had happened. Instead, she asked us to share how we felt, stating that this was a safe place to express our emotions. One by one, students shared their disgust, fear, and fears about the coming years following the election, yet each sentiment echoed the same disbelief that a candidate they so vehemently disagreed with had won. Finally, a student spoke up who I cannot forget. He flatly explained that he had voted for Trump, and with the sharp intake of breath across the room, I knew my theory was correct. He stated that he had not voted for Trump because he agreed with all his policies, although he did not deny that there were many points he found favorable. Instead, he explained that he had voted for him because he was "anti-establishment," it was an act of "rebellion against the system," and that this country "needed a change." He argued that he was not the only one who felt this way, and that despite our best beliefs, he was not a bad person, he just wanted change and believed this was the way to achieve it. For about a minute, no one spoke. We sat there, quietly, digesting what we had heard, stunned that a dissenting opinion had come forward in a city and a college like ours. Finally a girl raised her hand and told him she admired his bravery for coming forward with such an opinion, and I nearly gagged.
In a liberal school and city such as ours, it is very difficult to find dissenting opinions among the masses. We have come to believe that we are a special city because we all value progressiveness and the same liberal values, creating what we believe to be a "safe place" for people across the country. Instead, we have come to represent the very problem these professors, deans, journalists, and media figures complain about. We are so sensitive to any viewpoints not shared by the majority, that any act of dissent stuns and disgusts us. In classes, we shout at one another, and comment at how one's viewpoints or beliefs make us sick because they "hurt" people. In reality, the homogeneity of universities and their students today is what is killing the education system. Difference in beliefs is what makes this country great, not similarities. We do not seek out others who believe differently than us, and when we come across these differences, we spurn them. We demand trigger warnings and "safe spaces" across campuses nationwide, but these demands have made us entitled, bratty, and far too sensitive to survive in the real world we will soon enter.
Terms like these have negative connotations attached to them now, and in many cases, I believe they do more harm than good, but I also believe they have their time and place. When speaking about sexual abuse or watching a particularly graphic video discussing these cases or occurrences, it is a kind gesture to extend a "trigger warning" to students who may have experienced trauma they do not wish to relive. However, as students I think it is also our job to make professors aware of any issues we may have with sensitivity to certain acts of violence or abuse, and ask them ahead of time to warn us personally so we may choose to leave the class. If you do not feel comfortable expressing this personal information to a professor, you may also choose to simply leave the classroom on your own volition. The same can be said for the safe spaces needed. There are people of color, students of the LGBTQ+ community, and various victimized students alike who really do need safe places to go. Demanding a "safe place" every time your feelings are hurt only prevents the people who need protecting from receiving the help they need.
As students, we have numerous ways to avoid topics that prove truly emotional harmful, rather than ignoring the topics we simply do not like. Leaving the classroom because you do not agree with an opinion or angrily attacking a fellow student verbally because you found a statement of theirs offensive is unacceptable. The blunt truth is, life is full of statements and language we find offensive or hurtful, but just because we don't like it doesn't mean we can just avoid it. We cannot make students feel uncomfortable sharing their religious, political, or social beliefs simply because we do not agree. Instead, we can choose to listen, silently agreeing or disagreeing, but forming a logical argument about why we believe what we do. Listening to one's views and understanding the context that comes with them is the best way to become a truly educated, informed, and competent being. Surrounding yourself with people of the same viewpoints and interests results in ignorance. Yet, as Thomas Gray says, "Ignorance is bliss."
I do not write this article to attack college students like myself. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that I too easily befriend people with similar ideals rather than seek out new opinions. I am part of the problem, and because of this, I ask that we all take a step back from our books and our computers to ask what it means to be different. Here in Portland, we exclaim how we welcome difference, and yet in such a white city, the majority of us share the exact same interests, hobbies, and belief. SNL has even parodied what it is like to live in such as homogeneous city. We all discuss our liberal beliefs around coffee and tea, learn to knit, take hikes, and enjoy spending time in vintage shops on our days off after brunch. We are all the same.
The same can be said for all the students out there, and our belief that we are all "special snowflakes." As President Obama said, "I’ve got to tell you, I don't agree with that either-that you when you become students at colleges, you have to be coddled and protected from different points of view. Anybody who comes to speak to you and you disagree with, you should have an argument with them, but you shouldn’t silence them by saying you can’t come because I’m too sensitive to hear what you have to say.” We do not need trigger warnings after every new thought, support groups for those offended, or "safe spaces" for every student afraid their voice is being squashed. We are bound and determined to change this world for the better, and ignoring every dissenting opinion promises only more hurt as we grow older. So, in the coming weeks, especially the holiday season, surround yourselves with new, sometimes off-putting opinions to try to understand why some believe the way they do. Question who you are surrounding yourself with and why you believe the way you do. Chances are, you may become a well-rounded friend and citizen in the process.
