There’s little doubt that we are living in loud times. Many of us have an understandable wish to turn it down. Stop the sound, we think and maybe, somehow, we can find sanity in the ensuing silence. Still, it’s hard to describe my astonishment and that of other (mostly middle-aged) alumni in ...
Twenty years ago, I was a sophomore at Tehran Polytechnic. In addition to being one of the most prestigious universities in Iran, our campus was also known for its lively political and intellectual environment. The student organizations, on both the left and the right, were highly active — too active ...
Earlier last week, a letter made it to my inbox which I was asked to sign. In this letter, members of the faculty voiced their opposition to the idea that President Patton would introduce controversial speaker Dr. Charles Murray before his invited lecture on Thursday, March 2nd. Given the information ...
Dear President Patton, I am sorry to make your acquaintance in the wake of such ugliness at Middlebury. Obviously, the scope and the scale of the Honor Code violations that occurred at the American Enterprise Club event present a challenge to you and ultimately to Middlebury as a liberal arts institution. I ...
I acknowledge that my views may not sit well with some of my Middlebury peers. I also encourage everyone — whether or not you initially agree — to try to sit with this discomfort and question its origin. I showed up an hour before the talk ready to protest and express my disagreement with not only ...
We got played last week. That was a major point in Middlebury sociology professor Linus Owens’ poignant op-ed on last week’s events surrounding the Charles Murray visit. To Phi Hoxie ’17 and Alexander Khan ’17, the president and vice president of the American Enterprise Institute club: you guys ...
Dear Middlebury: Although I am not a Middlebury Alumnus, I have written a sufficient number of tuition checks to your institution to feel that I have earned the right to comment upon the recent student protest over Charles Murray's scheduled presentation. Stated briefly, your successful effort to ...
There are numerous reasons to want to challenge Murray’s ideas and research. Some believe that one of his books, The Bell Curve, is very offensive, as it shows that IQ scores and overall intelligence are based on some aspect of genetic superiority, classified by race and gender. In all honesty, I ...
I saw a handful of signs at the Murray protest that read “Working Class.” Of course, I can’t say with any certainty what the background of the people holding those signs is. They could very well be from the working class. However, given the socioeconomic reputation of Middlebury College, I’m ...
Our campus is divided and wounded. Our story has been co-opted by the national media, and we have become an example of a larger narrative. Our path forward is unclear. I’m struggling to find clarity surrounded by all of this noise. I think what scares me most is that we cannot all agree on how to ...
“What happened at your school?” This was the question I faced repeatedly from my family and friends in the days following the Charles Murray talk. The protesters seem to be happy at what they accomplished, but the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the chaos of this past Thursday comes not only ...
Debate, disagreement, criticism and controversy. These define the American experiment and our experience as citizens. We think, argue and act because we have always cared deeply about the state of our country and the future of the American project. This clash of ideas has shaped our history, and is ...
Dear President Patton, We the undersigned faculty respectfully request that you, as our president, cancel your introductory remarks at the Charles Murray event on Thursday. Mr. Murray is, as you know, a discredited ideologue paid by the American Enterprise Institute to promote public policies targeting ...
Before I begin, let me provide a statement of credibility: I voted for Bernie in the primary, I voted for Hillary in the election, and I have a “label GMO’s NOW!” sticker on my laptop—I am a card carrying liberal. I have to say this because I know that without such a shameful appeal to the Leftist ...
No one’s humanity is up for debate. By hosting a speaker whose ideas dehumanize many students on our campus and cause very real harm both here and across the nation, Middlebury is providing support for oppressive forces already at work on campus. Charles Murray has defended and supported white supremacy, ...
The American Enterprise Institute has been joined by the Political Science department in co-sponsoring Charles Murray. Murray is most well-known for arguing that societal hierarchy is based on intelligence. The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled him a “white nationalist” who misuses statistics ...
I know that the people who penned “AEI invites you to argue” are good, well-meaning people. I understand the premise: a college should be a place for rigorous academic discussion, where students should argue, disagree, learn from their disagreements and thereby learn from each other. It’s why ...
This Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in Wilson Hall, Dr. Charles Murray will discuss Coming Apart, his 2012 book which “explores class divisions in the United States, placing particular emphasis on the White working class.” Murray’s conclusions are upsetting, particularly those in his 1994 book The Bell ...
Dear Middlebury Students, Faculty, and Staff, The goal of the American Enterprise Institute Club is to promote open and academic debate and discussion of a wide range of issues. In the past we have brought several speakers to campus and via Skype. To further the debate, we hold regular discussion meetings ...
Three years ago, Zach Drennen published a piece in The Campus titled “End the Feb Program.” While I full-heartedly disagree with his main idea (being a Feb ranks as one of the most formative experiences of my life so far), I still feel his pain. While reg-ular first-years have a hall of peers, an ...