Sunday Story #9

Current Event: “The New Intolerance of Student Activism”

An outbreak on what kinda of Halloween costumes should be worn at Yale University. Because of peoples’ different insights regarding the topic, an email had been sent out to the students by Erika Christakis, Professor Nicholas Christakis’ wife, inviting students to discuss their opinions with one another. However, the expected mature conversation did not occur. Instead, protests and attacks were put upon the Christakis’. The fury included students feeling their culture and backgrounds being attacked and they felt that they could not happily wear certain costumes because they’re considered provocative and/or offensive to society.

People should ultimately have the power to choose and wear their own choice of costumes; everyone has their own definitions of what is considered inappropriate and/or offensive. Because of that, it is clearly difficult for people to agree on one perspective when it comes to what costumes they are allowed to wear. The topic is simply too sensitive to put strict restrictions through an email. The idea of having a debate about it was offensive to many by itself. Wearing a Halloween costume should be a form of freedom; it shouldn’t have any rules for its a day to express and portray different figures which is a very entertaining experience. The email, therefore, was unnecessary and Erika and Nicolas Christakis should have treated the situation lighter than they did. Perhaps, “keeping our opinions to ourselves” is the best way to go with a topic as such.