The University of Chicago’s Dean of Students John Jay Ellison won widespread support after declaring that the school’s incoming freshman class should not expect “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings” as they pursue higher education.
The letter, which is now viral, called up on UChicago’s Class of 2020 to buck the trend of student self-isolation, particularly from uncomfortable ideas and differing political opinions, and encouraged UChicagoans to value academic and intellectual freedom.
But all good things must come to an end. And Tuesday, in an open letter to the Class of 2020, 140 UChicago professors reassured incoming social justice warriors and budding campus activists that, despite the Dean’s promise, they’ll be more than happy to embrace “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings” to protect their precious freshman snowflakes.
“But let there be no mistake: Such requests often touch on substantive, ongoing issues of bias, intolerance and trauma that affect our intellectual exchanges,” the faculty group wrote in the Chicago Maroon. “To start a conversation by declaring that such requests [for safe spaces and trigger warnings] are not worth making is an affront to the basic principles of liberal education and participatory democracy.”
The group goes on to defend the practice of trigger warnings, saying somewhat bizarrely that they lead “to more discussion,” and claiming that safe spaces are often the “incubators of new ideas away from the censure of the very authorities threatened” by the prospect of civil rights.
Unfortunately for the 140 or so professors, college safe spaces, full of students drawing their feelings and petting soft animals, have yet to produce revolutionary works of thought—and are probably unlikely to. Regardless, they say without historical citation, that were it not for safe spaces, the gay rights, civil rights and feminist movements might not exist.
They also claim that the administration already offers “safe spaces,” which they seem to conflate with “school services” and mentoring programs.
They close their letter by saying that they “encourage the Class of 2020 to speak up loudly and fearlessly”—though the entire letter is designed to encourage students to request the ability to avoid other students (and faculty) speaking loudly and fearlessly about uncomfortable topics.
Fortunately, incoming freshman will be armed with a list of professors willing to provide a sanctuary from that discomfort.
