Derrick McCallister I am sure that by now we are all aware of the recent events that have occurred at Yale University and Mizzou, two predominantly white institutions where students of color have felt unsafe. At Mizzou, there have been several racist incidents on campus in previous years, sparking student efforts forcing the university’s president, Tim Wolfe, to resign. Just hours after Wolfe did so, the school’s chancellor also resigned. Amid all the racial tension, white students at Mizzou began to threaten the safety of students of color via social media. At Yale, incidents around Halloween have prompted recent controversy due to a response to past years of offensive costumes. Erika Christakis, an associate master at the university, sent out an email responding to students who complained about being told to be sensitive when it came to picking their costumes. Essentially, the email asks students to “look away” from offensive costumes and to “give room” for students to be “obnoxious and offensive” with their costumes. In response to this email, the students of Yale signed an open letter to Christakis. Diversity, while beneficial, can lead to conflict. Whenever different people, with different opinions, enter a previously homogeneous community, it sparks disagreement. Although Latin does not have as diverse of a student body as other schools (and you cannot say that we do), we as Latin students are very opinionated. Our school has gotten better in the past few years, though. However, a feeling of discomfort sets in whenever we have to discuss topics that directly pertain to our community, such as race and sexuality. Why do you think it is like this? The attendance for racially-based discussions is incredibly low, and even when attendance is high, participation is low. This school is primarily liberal, so why do we shy away from social issues within our own community? Being accepting of others is very important in any environment, especially in school. I mean, we spend the majority of our time here, so why shouldn’t all of us feel welcomed and comfortable? Do incidents like Mizzou and Yale occur because of the efforts made by society to be more inclusive and tolerant?]]>