To the Editor:
“Stop Treating Students Like Babies” (The Chronicle Review, November 8) posits that the election results have colleges nationwide coddling their students by creating safe and “processing” spaces and other stress-relieving modalities. This grossly overstates the case and gives students far less credit than they deserve.
At Dickinson, where I serve as president, students voted in record numbers and engaged in partisan activities in support of candidates across the ballot. At a presidential debate watch party attended by hundreds of supporters of both candidates, students reacted both positively and negatively to the two candidates but did so in good humor.
Nothing is more emblematic of the spirit of our community than the fact that the leaders of our Republican and Democratic clubs are roommates. That their close friendship was not impaired by divergent political views took me back to a time when this was more the norm than the exception in our nation.
Two days after the election, several of our excellent faculty members participated in a panel discussing its aftermath, dominant forces, and ramifications. The event was well attended, cordial, and cathartic.
While I cannot gainsay that there remain strong emotions about the result on campus, I can say with assurance that our community is moving forward. I have both engaged in partisan politics and served as a federal judge. Accordingly, I am hardly naïve and fully understand that the months and weeks ahead will be contentious and difficult. I possess great confidence in our students. I have stressed that this election proves it is crucial to understand viewpoints that differ from your own. I have urged our students to continue to engage, whether happy or disappointed with the outcome of the election.
Students on campus continue to congregate, laugh, and enjoy beautiful fall weather. This is inspiring, and informs me that like our Republic, our students are far more durable than credited by older generations. No matter where you stand on the election, I’d suggest that as it does for me, this should give you hope for the future.
John E. Jones III
President
Dickinson College
